THE TOP STORIES LAST WEEK
Lee Constantine,
Real conservatives and conservationists have professed for years that saving land from development is fundamental to protecting our water supply and promoting economic vitality. Floridians have always understood the correlation, 75% voting for a constitutional amendment in 2014 to require the Legislature to fully fund land-buying programs like Florida Forever. Unfortunately, state lawmakers continue to avoid their constitutional responsibility. Now, however, a recent New England study proves the direct relationship between conserving land and local economic development. The results confirmed that buying land increased local employment without reducing new housing permits. Hopefully, those lawmakers who promote jobs while continuing to ignore their constituents’ wishes will see the light.
Ben Friedman,
The peaceful protests that brought about the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosselló of Puerto Rico serve as a reminder of a fundamental truth laid out in the Declaration of Independence that “Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” The Founders went on to add that, though status quo may be easier, when the government fails to uphold its obligations to the People, “it is their right, it is their duty” to make a change. In Puerto Rico, the people demanded that change and got it. I wonder if Congress was watching.
Glenton Gilzean Jr.,
55 years ago, 16 rabbis from 10 states were arrested in St. Augustine for their staunch support of the civil-rights movement. At the invitation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who sent a telegram to the Central Conference of American Rabbis from his jail cell, these men traveled to Florida to join 120 protesters at the Monson Restaurant. As far back as the 19th century, often putting their own safety at risk, Jewish religious and cultural leaders throughout the country as well as the communities as a whole continuously stood side by side with African-Americans in the long and difficult struggle for civil rights.
Jeff Hayward,
Since July 20, 1969, the desire to explore outer space has grown tremendously. Apollo 11 set the precedent for all to follow as we benefit from the rewarding moment landing on the moon provided. Lockheed Martin is following suit as its Orion test capsule was a recent success. Lockheed Martin employs more than 8,000 people in its Central Florida locations, which includes two major operations in Orlando. With their success, Central Florida is sure to benefit. It is exciting to witness history and celebrate growth in Central Florida. Pamela Nabors,
Final legislative approval came on the bill to continue to guarantee the health benefits for 9⁄11 first responders. They continue to experience health issues long after the recovery and restoration of Ground Zero. It’s hard to believe that it’s taken all this time — 18 years —to honor and ensure that those on-the-ground heroes are taken care of for their selfless work the days, months and years following the terrorists’ attacks. Being a part of a family of first responders, and having lived in Connecticut back in 2001 just makes this victory all the more personal.
Larry Pino, The grand opening of OneWeb marks the Space Coast as a significant player in the production of low-cost satellites. Founder Greg Wyler, finally overcoming the serious engineering challenges required for production, is now on course to build 60 satellites, 330 pounds each, every month at a fraction of the cost of traditional manufacturing, putting him in tandem with Elon Musk whose SpaceX launched its initial batch of 60 Starlink satellites into orbit just this past May. With both entrepreneurs’ visionary goal of worldwide communication connectivity attracting a workforce up and down the supply chain, Central Florida is destined to become an epicenter for satellite technology over the coming years.
Stephanie Porta,
Ending Amazon’s facial-recognition program was a win for black and brown communities who are disproportionately targeted by police. The software was supposed to track people in real time using street cameras but has proven a failure, exposing bias toward communities of color. In fact, the program showed false matches over 30% of the time for women with darker skin complexions, putting people at risk who are already disproportionately susceptible to negative encounters with law enforcement. Hopefully other municipalities testing similar software will see the inherent dangers this type of surveillance poses to marginalized people.
Joanie Schirm,
Often what makes a city memorable are the unique small museums which offer a look back in time. Seminole County is lucky to have encountered a generous heart exemplified by the donation of 32 antique horsedrawn carriages by Geneva resident and retired engineer Bill Nygren. After refurbishment, the buggies will be showcased at the Museum of Seminole County, making it the largest public display of historic old carriages in the U.S. After the buggies of old from the mid-1700s to early 1900s were replaced with gasoline-run automobiles, who could have forecast the age of electric cars, which now are gaining popularity?