100 Central Florida
Our panel of 100 influential leaders discusses the most important issues affecting you.
TOP STORIES FROM LAST WEEK
SPACE CENTER EXPERIENCE, Glenton Gilzean Jr., president/CEO, Central Florida Urban League: If you haven’t been to Kennedy Space Center recently, the experience is truly out of this world. I was thrilled to read that they’re doing more to make the site more accessible to families with the launch of an annual family pass, which includes admission for two adults and four children. Not only is KSC home to some of the most iconic moments in world history, but their visitor complex brings out the inner astronaut in every guest.
DISNEY PASS EVOLVES, David Kay, chair, Interfaith Council of Central Florida: So long, FastPass — we had a good run. From those precious bits of paper dispensed at kiosks to the high-tech version on MagicBands and scheduled from the app, the shorter wait times at Disney World always left us feeling special. Although you’ve been away during the pandemic, we kind of hoped we’d have a chance to meet up again. But you’ve moved on and are sending us a pay-to-play ParkGenie+ app in your place. It was just a matter of time, I suppose — most of the other theme parks were already doing it, including Disney parks overseas. Ah, well, we still have virtual queues.
WELL OF HOPE, A.J. Marsden, assistant professor, Beacon College: In 2008, Cameron and Ramiqa Hopewell opened the Well of Hope food bank and thrift store in the Four Corners area of Clermont in the hopes of giving back and helping their community. Today, they serve more than 300 families monthly — many who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through their partnerships with regional organizations, including Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, and their practice of using thrift store proceeds to supply the food bank, families receive more than just canned goods too. The Hopewells’ work and dedication to serving their community should be an inspiration to us all.
SCHOOLS’ CHOICE, Kathleen Oropeza, co-founder, FundEducationNow.org: Heroes emerge when we need them most. In little over a week, 10 large Florida school districts publicly defied the executive order by Gov. Ron DeSantis that denies them the right to mandate masks in public schools. In a rare show of strength, these districts, including Orange, issued universal mask mandates based on the science of the rapid COVID-19 delta spread. No state threat has changed the position of these districts. Yet, every day DeSantis doubles down on his anti-science position that masks are an affront to individual freedoms. Perhaps DeSantis lacks the capacity to understand why these powerful districts would risk it all to protect our kids.
BUSINESS COVID LIMITATIONS, Beverly Paulk, founding member, Central Florida Foundation and The Orlando Philharmonic:
Central Florida is quietly losing a lot of jobs and small-business income every day and almost no one is talking about it. Out-of-town performers, speakers and smaller business meetings are insisting on proof of vaccination to attend or participate. When the answer is, “Sorry, can’t do that here in Florida,” they cancel the events and meetings, plus cancel hotel reservations, meals, entertainment, and transportation. Ticket prices are refunded, hitting live entertainment venues especially hard. There is an easy way forward. Businesses need to set their own high requirements to safely conduct their business. The entire community wins.
BOB ROSS’ KINDNESS, Larry Pino, attorney and entrepreneur: The debut on Netflix of an inside look at the life and times of Bob Ross, the curly haired art pioneer who hosted the ever popular “Joy of Painting” on PBS for close to 11 years, is more than just simply an uplifting story about the artist; it also reflects a trend toward featuring the life stories of multidimensional personalities filled with joy and some tragic moments. Backed by Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone, the production about Orlando native Ross joins homegrown Fred Rogers in exporting an attribute of Central Florida — kindness — all too familiar for a region where dreams can come true.
GHOST CANDIDATES, Michael Slaymaker, professional fundraising executive: Ghosts are scary. Ghosts are also mischievous and illegal in the political arena. The South Florida Senate ghost candidate, Alex Rodriguez, pleaded guilty. Rodriguez will testify against former Florida GOP Sen. Frank Artiles, who is charged with bribing Rodriguez with $45,000. Central Florida had its own alleged ghost — Jestine Iannotti, who filed to run in Senate District 9, covering Seminole and Volusia counties. Iannotti is now being investigated by FDLE. My questions are: Since the candidates who won were apparently elected fraudulently, do all their votes in the last session become null? Do the voters of these Senate districts get to sue the perpetrators?
CARR’S PUNISHMENT, Carol Wick, CEO, Sharity: Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the state had finally recovered a portion of the money misappropriated by former Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence CEO Tiffany Carr, her board and staff. Of the estimated $7.5 million that Carr was “paid,” she was only required to repay $2 million. There are still investigations ongoing and possible criminal charges, according to Attorney General Ashley Moody. The domestic survivors in Florida deserve justice. Thousands were turned away when they needed help because the funds meant to hire advocates were being drained to build mansions or buy cabins in the mountains. Let’s hope this story isn’t finished.