Letters on baseball, kids, more
A holidayweekend is always a good time to catch up onmy mailbag. Here’s what’s been on your mind lately:
Dear Beth, My wife and I are celebrating our 32ndwedding anniversary today and your column [“What I learned in (my daughter’s) kindergarten”] reminds me so much of so many years. One ofmy favorite pictures of our daughter is her first day of kindergarten. Bright dress, backpack and a smile that illuminates. She still has the smile. And she is planning her ownwedding.— Mike
Congrats on your anniversary, Mike. And on your
daughter’s upcoming nuptials. I don’t even want to think about writing that column one day. Dear Beth, I had to stop a few times while reading your column to alternately laugh and sniffle ... After being a teacher for many years Iwatched the kindergarten teachers and they are a breed of their own.— Sharon
You bet, Sharon. My advice to all parents: Spend at least one day at school with your kids so you can see for yourself.
Dear Beth, Thank you for the expose with the details about the Rollins [College] baseball deal. If onlywe could get this article reprinted in theWinter Park/Maitland Observer and ParkNews for more residents to see, maybe the polswould get some heat about the deal and actually try to justify this boondoggle.— Jim
Jim, just tell all your friends to read the Orlando Sentinel.
Dear Beth, I appreciate the opinion piece you wrote in Tuesday’s Sentinel, but I think you really miss the big picture with this proposed deal ... Let’s embrace this as good urban planning, and not nitpick good locations because of a perception that the private owner isn’t paying enough. That perspective misses the big picture value of a team linked to a city and it’s immediately related benefits. Good forWinter Park for recognizing and working toward this opportunity.— Whit
All the perspective we need on this proposal for minor league baseball inWinter Park is that the only thing taxpayers get out of the deal is a city-owned parking garage. And that comes with the caveat that the city doesn’t get to keep any parking money collected during baseball games. Tell me again how that is an opportunity.
Dear Beth, Enjoyed your column [“The life of Central Florida’s bear man”] very much. A year or two ago, Mike [Orlando] came to speak to our Victoria GardensWomen’s Club here in DeLand. He came into the room dressed in a bear skin with the bear’s head over his head— and gave us an informative and entertaining talk about howwe can live together with these creatures. And protect ourselves and our property.— Ellie
Ellie, this iswhy I love Central Florida. Costumes aren’t just for the theme parks.
Dear Beth, I agree with you that the [Seminole County] commissioners dropped the tax ball. My problem is that they are holding a costly special election that is their fault. If theywere employed by the private sector and such an errorwas made headswould roll.— Kathy
Voters approved the penny increase to the sales tax. I’m not so sure, though, that they’ll approve the re-election of all the commissioners. Then again, voters often have short memories, and I would guess that’swhat the commissioners are banking on.
Dear Beth, Thank you for following up on this tragedy [“Still no charges after Deltona man killed in yard on ChristmasDay”], which has apparently been caught up in aweb of local influence or, worse, investigative and prosecutorial incompetence. I recall the profound sadness I felt on first reading the story andwondered then if anyone would be held accountable.— Bob
It’s a fair question, Bob. I’m all for waiting for the facts to come in. But herewe are nearly six months after 69-year-old Bruce Fleming was shot dead in his own backyard and there’s still no resolution. You knowwhat they say about delayed justice ...
Dear Beth, When did it become normal for gun owners in Florida to be able to endanger and injure citizens? We are becoming a state where (such) behavior is allowed to happen under the disguise of legitimate gun ownership. Shame on politicians for allowing this to happen.— S
Lawmakers need to admit they goofedwhen they said local governments can’t regulate backyard gun ranges. Right now local governments have the power to say someone’s grass is too long, but not that a makeshift gun range is unsafe. bkassab@tribune.com