Your America
posted Jul 3, 2008 - 5:59:22pm
Editor, The Beacon:
I exchanged pleasantries with the owner of my neighborhood produce stand while purchasing her fresh tomatoes, onions and world's sweetest watermelon.
Feeling the folks in line behind me getting annoyed at the post office, I politely cut off the postmaster, who was telling me about the latest piece of furniture he built in his wood shop.
It occurred to me: This is the wonderful world I've created for myself. Be good to people, and they're usually good to you.
Agenda-driven politicians and media have created a negative world view of America. To them, America's glass is forever half empty. I see our glass well over half full.
Rather than focusing on the time an idiot attacked me in a restaurant for being with my white wife, I choose to focus on the overwhelming love and generosity the American people showered on the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
When I was a young black kid fresh out of art college, a white businessman gave me prime office space to start my own business. There are countless random acts of kindness between the races that are never reported on the evening news.
Why some folks choose to see our great country, their home, as evil, boggles my mind.
While the America-haters endure their miserable world, I'll keep enjoying mine.
By the way, I know of an awesome produce stand. The watermelon is outstanding.
Lloyd Marcus
Deltona
How do they feel now?
posted Jul 3, 2008 - 5:58:35pm
Editor, The Beacon:
I wonder how all the disabled veterans of "Bush's War" feel now that they realize their sacrifice was to make the world safer for Big Oil.
Bill Parker
Deltona
Young people do care
posted Jul 3, 2008 - 5:49:38pm
Editor, The Beacon:
Many people have been feeling rather discouraged and pessimistic about the future of our water resources lately, and for good reason.
Our St. Johns River is sick, the river is threatened with further degradation from short-sighted plans to withdraw millions of gallons of water a day from its flow, and we are reaching the limits of our aquifer.
Fortunately, I have recently been involved in a project that gives us good reason to remain hopeful and to keep fighting for a more sustainable future. St. Johns Riverkeeper sponsored a public-service announcement video contest for high-school students, titled "Conserving Water to Save Our Rivers."
The PSA contest was organized as a way to get kids involved in the effort to raise awareness about the importance of protecting both our St. Johns River and our groundwater resources.
We were overwhelmed by the number of entries received from students throughout the watershed of the St. Johns, the quality of the videos, and the powerful and thoughtful messages each presented.
The outstanding effort put forth by all of these high-school students should be commended, and should serve as an inspiration to all of us.
I hope that these young people's efforts will motivate us all to get more involved, as they have done. I hope their work will remind us of our obligation to leave a clean and healthy river and aquifer system to our children and future generations.
These talented students have demonstrated our youth do care, and that they do have a critical role and substantial stake in the decisions that impact our rivers and our water supply.
As a result, we must make sure that their voices are heard and make sure our decisions don't jeopardize their future quality of life.
To view the top PSA entries, including two from Deltona High School students, visit www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org, and prepare to be inspired.
— Orth is executive director of the St. Johns Riverkeeper.
Response to 'Don't weep for Ted Kennedy'
posted Jul 3, 2008 - 5:39:30pm
Editor, The Beacon:
I fully agree with Edward Chapdelaine's letter about Ted Kennedy. He did leave out a few other unethical details of Ted's youth, such as using his cousin when he wanted to escape blame, and using a sit-in for classes. Let's not forget.
Janet J. Gray
DeLand
DeLand manager hiring looks like good-old-boyism
posted Jul 3, 2008 - 5:23:00pm
Editor, The Beacon:
I read The Beacon and I have to say, we need a stench trap to filter the smell of the good-old-boy system permeating from the City Commission Chambers at the new city palace in DeLand. Don't these commissioners ever learn?
The city started with a nationwide search for a city manager, narrowed the number of applicants to five, and then the City Commission decided — without interviewing any of the candidates — to bump the assistant city manager up to city manager! Sorry, but this really reeks of good-old-boy politics!
The fact that a majority of the commissioners were in agreement in deciding not to interview the other candidates gives the appearance of improprieties, or at least dubious politics.
Is it possible this group of free-spending commissioners doesn't want a new city manager who might be fiscally responsible and have a plan for DeLand? Is it possible the City Commission likes the spending and "feeing" of current City Manager Mike Abels, with his Winter Park ways? Could they believe the current spend-and-fee system will be perpetuated by Michael Pleus? Hey, I am just trying to figure out what motivated the commission.
I read the paper; I know about the possible (probable) parking fees, including parking meters and purchased parking permits.
I am aware of the high fee that will be imposed on tourists or anyone who does not live in DeLand but who has the audacity to be at fault in a car accident in the city.
Then there is the possible fee to pay for fire protection on property inside the city. Oh, and let us not forget the water-availability fee for those who own rental property in DeLand.
We all know these are not really fees; they are taxes.
These aren't fees that will inspire tourists, businesses or new residents to come to DeLand.
A person has to ask herself: Does the current city manager or his minions really care about local citizens, tourism or the Downtown merchants? Is it possible the current, and probably the future, city manager, are about building a dynasty with expensive new buildings the city can't afford to staff? Is it possible neither one of these two people have a clear picture of or a plan for DeLand's future?
Could now be the time for the City Commission to mend their good-old-boy ways and search in earnest for a farsighted, responsible city manager? By not interviewing applicants, the City Commission could be missing a chance to find this person.
The City Commission is elected by the citizens. This is a chance for the public to tell these small-town politicians they work for the people; the people don't work for them! Make the commission responsible for their actions; make them interview other applicants, and hire the most qualified candidate, not the best good old boy!
Ellen Campbell Clark
DeLand
Politics cloud debate over offshore drilling
posted Jul 3, 2008 - 5:11:20pm
Editor, The Beacon:
I am extremely concerned that political expediency is clouding the debate over an issue that is so important to Florida: keeping oil rigs off of our shores.
The bottom line is that no amount of drilling will reduce gas prices, and politicians should not be giving that false hope. I feel strongly about this issue as I am sure you do.
I want lower gas prices, like everyone else, but misinformation and dangerous policies won’t do anything to bring them down.
It is important that the next president of the United States understands that if we are going to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, we need to get serious in investing in clean, renewable sources of energy, not destroy our beaches for a relatively minute amount of oil.
Talk to your friends and neighbors; they must not be fooled by this political scam. Drilling will not reduce gas prices, and we should not even consider risking our beautiful beaches and our tourist-based economy.
I would urge you to contact Gov. Crist and advise him he should not lift the moratorium on drilling off the shores of Florida.
— Cusack, who represents the DeLand area in the Florida Legislature, is Democratic leader pro tempore in the Florida House of Representatives.
Pet law ill-advised
posted Jul 3, 2008 - 3:16:58pm
Editor, The Beacon:
I am one reasonable voter who can agree with Mr. Conoley's idea to spay or neuter corrupt and incompetent politicians. It is obvious we have either corrupt or incompetent County Council members, if we are even considering mandatory castration.
This is yet another law that robs from the poor to pay the rich.
Why not first address the issue of low-income or fixed-income pet owners who would alter their pets if the service was readily and financially available.
The feral-cat issue cannot be solved by this law; feral cats can't read it, and they are not owned by a person who can.
Explain why, if the issue is too many unwanted pets, are they going to require intact pets to produce more frequently than before? One time per year! The last puppy I got came from a 5-year-old mother; it was her first litter. She had 10 puppies in that litter.
With this law she would have had to have 40 or 50 puppies during this time. It doesn't take a genius to do that math! Let's not forget that 21 breeds of dogs have gone extinct.
Lisa Tapley
Deltona
Why add more growth to serve commuter rail?
posted Jul 3, 2008 - 2:43:57pm
Editor, The Beacon:
The concept of commuter rail is sound, but its proposed implementation — at least as far as the DeLand station is concerned — is suspect.
I was shocked by the recently revealed plan promoting intensive residential development around the existing DeLand Amtrak station. The planners envision rezoning the land around the station for high-rise apartments and office buildings. In essence, their idea is to create a new city in a sparsely-populated area between DeLand and the St. Johns River. Who benefits from that? Where is the relief for current residents?
The primary goal of commuter rail should be to take existing commuters off of our crowded thoroughfares — primarily Interstate 4. Yet, the plan unveiled Wednesday promotes adding more population west of DeLand, so we will have even more potential commuters. This seems to be a solution in search of a problem!
Locating an important transportation hub and recommending intense development in an area where there are few homes and fewer potential commuters puts the caboose before the engine. The planners apparently realized that the existing population near the Amtrak site would not justify locating the commuter-rail station there, so their solution — rather than looking for a different location — is to encourage even more growth.
I support the idea of commuter rail, but it should be done properly or not at all. Unfortunately, the concept pushed by the planners sounds more and more like the old Florida development story we have come to know and hate: Rather than solve existing transportation problems, build a new road in a rural area so developers can build more houses and apartments, bringing more people into our community.
Of course, those of us who already live here will bear the impact of higher taxes, crowded schools, etc. Thanks, but no thanks. Commuter rail should serve an existing population that needs relief. The proposed station location simply would not do that.
I have not heard any sound reason for locating the second Volusia County commuter-rail station near the Amtrak site, as the planners propose doing. Indeed, the planners acknowledge the Amtrak station, itself, would not serve as the commuter-rail station because it is not suited for that purpose. So, a new station must be built in any event. Yet, the planners have resolutely refused to consider any other location for a station.
County staff should immediately be directed to study other locations for the commuter-rail station, sites that would serve existing residents, not sites that simply encourage more folks to move here.
Andrew B. Thomas
DeLand
Commuter rail: MainStreet DeLand should stop whining
posted Jul 3, 2008 - 2:41:59pm
Editor, The Beacon:
I am an ardent supporter of commuter rail and, yes, I am a property owner in the area envisioned for transit-oriented development.
The recent assault on that proposed development by the MainStreet DeLand Association clearly shows MainStreet's desperation. The City of DeLand administration would be wise to thoughtfully consider their biased support of MainStreet over the interests of our non-MainStreet constituency. The city's pet charity appears unable to support itself without continuing cash donations in the form of facade grants, lighting grants, etc.
Neither the city nor the MainStreet Association has the authority or the right to restrict development outside its boundary. We continue to foolishly demand our neighbors restrict their right to develop, as it seems our Downtown merchants cannot, or do not wish to, compete.
I like Downtown, and believe the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on its redevelopment was appropriate.
The city needs to stop whining about outside competition and address its internal problems with zoning and land-development regulations that do not conform to current needs by investors, developers and successful retailers — nor does it conform to current need to allow smaller, affordable homes or mixed-use development.
The potential rail trolley link between West Michigan Avenue and the station has great potential. At present, the existing rails do not conform to passenger traffic, and there was no budget to transform this within the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
I have attended every County Council and FDOT meeting on the subject of commuter rail in the past year, and I did not see one member of the MainStreet DeLand Association or the City of DeLand at any meeting until the next-to-last public forum in May. Where have you been?
Columnist Bill Hall's quote of the premier merchant was incomplete; he would have been fully served to include the merchant's comment: "The only thing that will affect my business is me." That is why he is a successful merchant, and I applaud his business acumen.
I further disagree with Commissioner Phil Martin's comment, that the planners of the commuter-rail development wish to re-create Downtown DeLand. The planners, PB Placemaking, are recommending a sustainable, pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented development. Downtown DeLand does not fit this design. The operable words are "transit-oriented development."
The planners are using their expertise to suggest what they know will support commuter rail, which is the reason the county hired them.
Downtown DeLand should be reminded this is part of a $1.2 billion commuter-rail system, and the financially responsible parties — to include the taxpayers of America — have a right to protect their investment.
As a citizen of DeLand, I urge MainStreet to welcome commuter rail, and plan for connectivity, which can complement Downtown and provide a means for people to affordably visit us.
Based on the city's recent decision to impose service fees of $600 upon any nonresident who has the misfortune of causing a traffic accident while visiting Downtown, commuter rail may be the only way people will come.
To quote Tanner Andrews: "What were they thinking?"
William Chandler
DeLand
Thanks for bicycle trails
posted Jul 3, 2008 - 2:40:31pm
Editor, The Beacon:
I want to share a heartfelt thanks to all those involved in providing more bicycle-friendly trails in West Volusia.
I just finished a 24-mile bike ride that included the newly opened Spring-to-Spring Trail from Lake Beresford Park in DeLand to Blue Springs in Orange City, and it was absolutely amazing.
I urge all involved to continue the push to connect the trail to DeLeon Springs.
The Spring-to-Spring Trail is a wonderfully designed and developed trail, with the added bonus of running along the train tracks.
My one suggestion for the trail? A few benches along the way so we can sit and enjoy the natural beauty (and avoid ticks from sitting on the ground). Maybe some local businesses could donate the money if there is none in the budget to install benches?
So, again, to all involved in making this biker's haven, thank you!
Randall Hansen
DeLand
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