Press Release 6-15-00

   Frank Wezyk left his hometown of Miami and followed his dream to Central Florida; a dream of building an ecological park that blossomed into Lake Pierce Resort.
   Home to native Florida wildlife such as wild turkeys, fox, deer, owl, otters, alligators and various species of birds and fish, the 20-acre habitat evolved from a run-down trailer park into an ecological environment, all at the hands of Wezyk.
   A one-time welder, safe installer and building contractor from the Dade County community of South Beach, Wezyk says he was tired of the hustle and bustle of South Florida and sought a quieter, more serene location.
   "I was disgusted with the crime," Wezyk said.  "The money wasn't worth it anymore."
   Wezyk started looking for a location to build a family ecological park about four years ago and. last June, found the perfect spot along the shores of Lake Pierce, nestled between Lake Wales and Dundee.
   He sold most of his belongings, bought the lake front property, and began working to rejuvenate the land's environment.
   Wezyk, a military veteran who served two tours in Vietnam and earned a Purple Heart after being wounded by a grenade, brought with him five homeless Vietnam vets from Miami to help construct the resort, complete with nature trails throughout 15 acres of woods and a 200-foot fishing dock.
   "We're cutting a little piece of nature out for people to enjoy," he said.  "If we don't save our ecosystem for the next generation, we won't have it."
   Wezyk, who lives on the 20-acre property, has taken extra steps to make the park more enjoyable for visitors.  He has installed underwater mirrors and lights -- which illuminate until 10 p.m. each night -- near the dock to make the waterlife more visible.  And to attract the fish, he feeds them daily, dishing out about 175 loaves of bread a week.
   He spends his days contributing to the ecological life cycle by feeding the native birds small fish he catches from the dock.  Several waterturkeys have made their home along the shores of the park, constantly waiting for their hand-fed meals.
   "I don't want them (wildlife) too tame," Wezyk said, despite his ability to hand-feed most of the park's wildlife.  He said he avoids feeding the larger animals, such as alligators -- some as large as 14 feet long -- to prevent them from becoming too aggressive around humans.
   Wezyk has landscaped the park with native Florida vegetation, some he brought with him from South Florida.  Passionflowers vine around the large oaks while huge staghorn ferns hang from the mighty tree limbs.
   He has developed an irrigation system that recycles the lake water by using sprinklers mounted in the trees, 30 feet above the ground, giving the vegetation a rainforest-like ambiance.
   Wezyk opens his ecological resources to anyone, but likes to focus on local churches and families with children.
   "Nobody does anything for the kids," he said.  The park offers "good family time.  You can see everyone having a good time."
   And he offers all of natures' sights free of charge.  With no admittance fee required, Wezyk says local residents who are looking for a nice, quiet place to relax in the evening along the lake shore can simply build a campfire, hop in a cabana and watch a gorgeous Florida sunset.
   He also has cane poles and bait that kids, accompanied by their parents, can use to fish from the dock, but they must follow the "catch and release" rule of the park.
   "It's fun watching the kids," Wezyk said.  "Just having a fish on the hook for a few seconds, and seeing the fish, is real excitement (for the kids)."
For visitors who are looking for a vacation spot, the park has RV sites available, located around the pond.  Wezyk also offers tents, canoes and 10 horsepower boats for rent.
   Special offers exists for veterans, church groups, car clubs and Harley clubs.
   While Wezyk's wild-life filled home offers visitors an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, complete with seclusion and serenity, he jokes that he doesn't have much privacy.
   "Everybody is watching you here," he said, referring to the animals.


Nestled among mighty oak trees, a quiet piece of old Florida still exists in a small corner of Polk County. A place where a cool summer breeze escapes the city's everyday hecticness. A place where wildlife seek refuge in an environment touched only slightly by human development.
And this little piece of serenity is no more than an hour-long drive from anywhere in the county.