The top stories last week

Ina Lee, owner, Travelhost Elite of Greater Fort Lauderdale

Unfortunately, the top story this year in South Florida was the horrific massacre at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School that left a community shattered. Out of this tragedy, the March for Our Lives student activists have inspired us with their courage as they fight for gun control, organizing hundreds of thousands to march on D.C. and 24 state voter registration drives. Since then, 25 states have passed some form of gun control. Not enough, but a powerful start.

Anthony Abbate, associate provost, Florida Atlantic University, Broward

A top story in 2018 was the dissolution of the informal settlement of homeless families in front of our main county library downtown. Congratulations to all those who facilitated this - especially the social workers and criminal justice professionals who undertook the heavy lifting. Let’s remember that this was merely the tip of the iceberg and that the remaining 2400+ homeless individuals in our county still lack the basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter.

Lori Berman, member, Florida Senate

Eight million, two hundred thousand Floridians turned out to vote in the November election which comprised 62 percent of all registered voters, an astonishingly high number for a mid-term election. Once again Florida showed how politically divided our state is with the Governor’s race, the United States Senate race and the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services race, all of which were decided by less than one half of a percentage point. Clearly, there is no mandate by the voters in Florida for Republicans or Democrats and all political leaders should keep this in mind while making policy for the state.

Nan Rich, member, Broward County Commission

There is no doubt that the 2018 midterm elections were a powerful victory for Democrats, who picked up 40 House seats in Congress and regained control of the U.S. House of Representatives! What’s more, a record 42 new women won House seats, marking the first time in history that women will hold more than 100 seats in the House. After two years of the Trump Administration and unchecked Republican control, the “People’s House” will be more reflective of our nation’s diverse population and better equipped to tackle the challenges that affect our communities, state, and nationl.

Frank Ortis, mayor, Pembroke Pines

For those who had their lives devastated by a hurricane in the Florida Panhandle and firestorms that wiped out sections of California, weather was not just a top story this year, but rather a life changing event from which they are still trying to recover. When the headlines stop and new stories take up our interest, thousands must still pick up what remains of their lives and begin again. I’d like us all to remember that such weather events are not just news stories. They change people, cities and businesses forever. Wishing them strength and peace in the new year.

Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón, president, Miami Dade College

2018 was another year of highs and lows for South Florida. As an eternal optimist, I like to think the highs outnumbered the lows. This was the year of the MSD shooting, which rocked the foundation of our community. However, we also saw the resilience and rise of a new generation of activists and an entire community come together to heal. . At MDC we close the year with a new partnership with Facebook to co-develop a College Credit Certificate that builds upon MDC’s Digital Marketing Management Certificate.

Mitch Ceasar, chairman, Broward County Democratic Party

The biggest story as a Floridian was the

2018 election. Specifically the closeness of the U.S. Senate race (.10%) and the Governor race

(.35%). The narrowest for a Florida office. This re-enforced that we are a split state. Anyone factor could have changed the outcome. I am encouraged by the candidacy of Andrew Gillum, but dissatisfied by the final numbers. However, the results tell me that race may no longer be a bar to higher office in our state.

Michael De Lucca, president, Broward Regional Health Planning Council, Inc.

While looking back on 2018, the top story of the year has us looking forward. Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic achieved the historic milestone of reaching space, in a commercial aircraft, with a successful return to earth, for the first time in history. The VSS Unity launched on Dec. 13, 2018 returning safely to Earth. After successfully carrying out NASA-sponsored experiments, Virgin Galactic intends to take tourists on trips into space, upping the stakes in the race for commercial flights in space. Bringing to mind a quote from character Buzz Lightyear, “what lies before us now is Infinity and Beyond!”

Gary Resnick, commissioner, Wilton Manors

Gun violence in 2018 changed how we live. Our inability to control access to guns forced us to spend millions of taxpayer dollars. Metal detectors, SRO’s, government building hardening, security in public venues, smaller public events with beefed up security, surveillance will become the norm. Yet nothing gets done to curb assault weapons from winding up in the hands of killers. We are not even talking about gun reform any longer. It’s hard to imagine more public shootings yet we know there will be.

Kathleen Cannon, president, United Way of Broward County

The world forever changed for 17 families and our entire community when students and educators were savagely gunned down at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018. So much innocence lost … so many dreams destroyed … so much ongoing, relentless, excruciating grief. Ten months have passed since this senseless massacre and the next Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. We all must continue to keep these families in our prayers and in our hearts.

Maria Sachs, former member, Florida Senate

The lack of affordable health care, the rising seas, the safety of our children at school, the list goes on for issues of great importance in 2018. The greatest issue of all however, is the one that can actually address these challenges - civil discourse. Our representative democracy is a form of government that is based on bringing the differing views of many to a negotiated compromise ,accepted by all. It is a little messy at times but it works. 2018 was a year we forgot how “e pluribus unum” works. Until and unless we remember, the top story of the year will continue to be problems without solutions.

Dean Trantalis, mayor, Fort Lauderdale

Looking locally, one important story of 2018 was our community uniting to address homelessness. A collaboration of governments, business and nonprofits developed a plan of rapid rehousing and wraparound services for the homeless. The first results occurred quickly – the closure of the encampment by the downtown library. The encampment had long represented our inability to adequately help our homeless. Now, it shows what we can accomplish when we think big and act together.

Irela Bagué, president, Bagué Group

Water quality, sea level rise and hurricanes again dominated Florida’s headlines in 2018. We learned that we must start working on solutions to tackle these challenges to protect our economy and our environment. Floridians and our leaders need to acknowledge that investments must be made to strengthen our building code statewide, fund water quality monitoring and research and water infrastructure to protect our coastlines. There is a cost to living, working and playing in paradise.

Ted Deutch, member, U.S. House of Representatives

South Florida was shaken to its core by the tragedy at Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 were murdered and 17 injured. But out of this tragedy was born a movement that challenged the status quo and mobilized the nation. Student activists and courageous families who lost loved ones can already claim legislative victories and an incoming gun safety majority in the U.S. House. The “MSD Strong” flag in my office reminds everyone who visits that I’ll fight for meaningful action in Congress to keep our schools and communities safe.

Lois Frankel, member, U.S. House of Representatives

2018 was the year of the woman! From Trump’s many misogynistic attacks on women, to his war on affordable health care and reproductive rights, to the #MeToo movement, millions of women all over the country stood up and said – we won’t go back on our hard-earned rights. More diverse and impressive women candidates ran than ever before and in November they won big and helped the Democrats take back the House.

Lamar Fisher, member, Broward County Commission

Broward County made great strides in

2018 with the Home for the Holidays Initiative, a commitment to ending homelessness in our community. On Nov. 29, Broward County, closed the downtown Fort Lauderdale homeless encampment and provided

80 individuals with supportive services including the assistance of getting each individual a stable permanent home for the holidays. This initiative was a great success because of the great public-private sector partner collaborative that worked hard for six months in order to make this happen.

George Moraitis, chairman, Broward Republican Executive Committee

2018 was the year we left the Great Recession; thank you President Trump! We are truly on track for 2018 to be the first full year with three-percent growth since before the

2008 crash. Since World War II, three-percent annual growth has been the benchmark for a healthy American economy. Consumer confidence, jobs numbers, and the stock market have all acted favorably to President Trump’s America First promises and agenda and we are now reaping the benefits. 2018 was the most pivotal economic year in a generation, and thankfully the economic slump is over.

Christine Hunschofsky, mayor, Parkland

Whether in schools, college bars, newsrooms or places of worship, mass shootings dominated the headlines in 2018 averaging almost one per day. We learned that these horrific acts of violence can happen anywhere. While the nation immediately mourns these attacks, their attention quickly passes. However the pain continues in the community and with the affected families and the wounds reopen with every subsequent event. These tragedies leave behind grave sites, severe trauma, PTSD, and communities that are continually haunted.

Thomas Wenski, archbishop, Archdiocese of Miami

2018 ends with a rare but significant piece of bipartisan legislation, the First Step Act. This far reaching sentencing reform package reduces federal penalties and grant more discretion to judges. Half of the U.S. population has had a loved one or relative incarcerated at one time or another, so the potential effects of this legislation are huge. Sentencing reform failed in Congress during prior administrations. Its passage in 2018 shows that divisions can be bridged and government can work to advance the common good.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, member, U.S. House of Representatives

The impact of the mass shooting that took 17 souls at Stoneman Douglas continues to be felt in our community. Our nation has grieved with Parkland, and Parkland has shown what’s best about our nation. I continue to be inspired by the young people in South Florida and across the nation who have raised their voices to address the epidemic of gun violence. They will continue to lead the way and we must continue to stand beside them. While there remains much work to do, the momentum is on our side. And we will not give up this fight.