LOOKING AHEAD THIS WEEK
ORANGE COUNTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Chris Carmody,
On Tuesday, Mayor Teresa Jacobs and Commissioners Jennifer Thompson, Pete Clarke and Rod Love will participate in their final Orange County Commission meeting. Big deal? Kind of. Think about what this crew (some less years than others, but all played a role) has accomplished in the eight years since Mayor Jacobs took office: completed funding of Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, additional support to the Citrus Bowl, sports incentive fund, humanrights ordinance, Pulse Memorial (almost there), relocation of the Plastics convention (and its $100+ million impact) to Orange County, a final deal on the Wekiva Parkway, the continued growth of Medical City at Lake Nona, etc. It's been a good run. Let's thank them for their service.
IMPROVING JOHN YOUNG PARKWAY Rudolph C. Cleare,
Not long ago I pitched a fit about the state of the roadway that is John Young Parkway stretching between State Road 408 in the north and Interstate 4 in the south. Now, in a truly stunning display of responsive local government action, each item addressed in my complaint is being systematically remediated. The improvement is noticeable. I suspect the person to whom credit is due is none other than James Hunt, city of Orlando deputy Public Works director and city engineer. Jim, thanks for helping make the City Beautiful.
DEPICTION OF DISABILITIES IMPROVES Rogue Gallart,
Between this year and next we plan on seeing the number of characters with disabilities on prime-time television to hit a record high. NBC will feature the greatest number of characters with disabilities at six, followed by The CW at four, ABC and CBS at three each and FOX at two. These characters will include a physician with autism on “The Good Doctor,” a teen with cerebral palsy on “Speechless” and multiple shows featuring wheelchair users. Disability representation on television remains far short of the true percentage of Americans with disabilities, but big things have small beginnings.
‘FINDING’ VOTES BAFFLING Francisco Gonzalez,
Nearly 48 hours after the polls closed, officials in Broward County were still “finding” tens of thousands of votes that hadn't been counted a first time. This is baffling. Every other county in the state, including the ones in the panhandle who were devastated by a hurricane only a month ago were able to tally all their votes within hours of the polls closing — some in real time throughout Election Day. Why is Broward County always an issue? This is the same county that could not protect our children prior to the Parkland shooting. Get your act together, Broward.
CELEBRATE CONTINUING GROWTH
Ben Hoyer, founder/director
You only have to drive down a couple streets, or try to book a subcontractor these days to see how much construction is happening in our region. It's exciting to be in the center of such growth, with hundreds of people a day moving to Central Florida. Because of that immigration the Orlando metro region has thriving networks of people from all over the world. During Orlando's first-ever Fusion Fest on Nov. 24 and 25, we will joyfully celebrate the beauty of the diverse music, food and art from all corners of the world that have found a home here. Don't miss it.
TAKE TIME TO THANK A VETERAN
Joseph F. Pennisi, founding
If you value the freedom, security and quality of life that we all enjoy here in America, be sure to take the opportunity to thank a veteran on Sunday, or any day of any week for that matter. Without their many sacrifices, we'd enjoy none of the blessings that this great country has to offer us. Our debt to each of them will never be repaid, but a simple recognition of what they mean to us will, undoubtedly, mean a lot to them.
FRESH VOICES ON COMMISSION Joanie Schirm,
It's about time that we get to know whether the tone and actions of a majority women to Orange County Commission are different than times dominated by males. Orange County Mayor-elect Jerry Demings will be joined by six newly elected women reps with diverse backgrounds on the freshly reconfigured seven-member board. They represent who the county has become and thus should offer fresh voices to political stances on policies and governing. Add this news to the fact that seven UCF alumni were elected to the Florida Legislature — six state reps and one senator, including two women — and we have some watch-for-the-future moments before us.
CONSIDER HELPING NONPROFITS Daryl Tol,
We are blessed to live in a community with many robust nonprofit organizations. They're fighting food insecurity, helping the homeless, mentoring at-risk youth, curbing illiteracy, and providing free medical care — the list goes on. The success of these programs depends heavily on volunteers. This week, more than 1,000 Florida Hospital team members will be volunteering throughout the state. We hold our annual “Week of Caring” so we can give back, and to inspire others to join us. As we begin to ponder our new year's resolutions, won't you consider sharing your time and talents with one of the very deserving nonprofits in Central Florida?