Letters to the Editor

Sprinkel takes high road

Congratulations, Sarah Sprinkel! (I am writing this letter the day before the Winter Park City Commission election. I have never endorsed her and have no idea if she won or lost.) I applaud Ms. Sprinkel for the positive tenor of her campaign and her unwillingness to mirror the shameful tactics of others during this election season. Sarah didn’t react to the disappointing stretch of the facts offered by a current city commissioner. Sarah refused to stray from the high road when a Parks and Recreation Board member mailed a piece filled with misrepresentations. Sarah appropriately ignored the nonsensical, clearly mean-spirited (and possibly delusional) mailer attempting to discredit her. Sarah Sprinkel ran a race based on civility, character, integrity and optimism — traits that reflect her as a person and qualities that the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce will seek from all in future elections (more to come on that!). Regardless of the outcome, Sarah, you can hold your head high.

—Patrick W. Chapin

President/CEO

Winter Park Chamber of Commerce

Jackson responds

I read the comments by Patrick Chapin asserting that my opponent in the City Commission race for Seat 2 prevailed due to a “clean campaign” while implying that I did not. Patrick is unaware that when I returned home on election night with my family, someone had surreptitiously placed rows of Vote Sarah Sprinkel signs numbering at least two dozen at the entrance to my street (in the city right of way). A tremendous effort aimed at causing pain after the polls closed, and which succeeded in hurting my children. Add to that action on Sarah’s behalf the various letters, internet posts, and door-to-door comments defaming my character and spreading false rumors. Is that the Chamber of Commerce’s idea of a clean campaign? Sarah is no more accountable for the actions of others as am I, including the mean-spirited mailer about Sarah that I knew nothing about. Let's retire the double standard and restore real civility, starting with a change in attitude by the president of the Chamber. Let’s focus on helping Steve Leary and Sarah do the best job possible for all of our residents, and stop pretending to stand on higher moral ground. My congratulations to Steve and Sarah.

Best Regards,

—Bonnie Jackson

Former Winter Park Commission candidate

Where are the benches?

Last Sunday, my husband and I rode our bicycles on the wonderful new trail around Lake Baldwin. On the Lake Baldwin Park side of the lake, there were many lovely benches to sit on. However, when we reached Fleet Peeples Park, there were no benches or tables to sit at to eat our lunch unless we entered the dog park. What a shame this huge park can’t be used by all the citizens of Winter Park.

—Jackie Sward

Winter Park

Add seating to trail

Last year, the city was awarded a grant to construct a 12-foot-wide sidewalk along Glenridge Way and Lakemont Avenue to complete the 3-mile trail around Lake Baldwin. This work has just been completed. The trail is used by young and old. You will see baby strollers, wheelchairs, bikes, rollerblades, skateboards, slow walkers and power walkers. There is just one problem around the Winter Park section. There is no place for any of these people to sit and enjoy our beautiful waterfront park. The 50-foot grassed strip is entirely in the sun. The shaded area is a haphazard parking area where numerous cars park in any direction while they read, have lunch, go boating, fishing and diving. This parking situation is confusing and entirely unsafe for people to be walking around while trying to get to a bench or table. There will probably be a joint ribbon cutting for the completed trail with Winter Park and Orlando in the spring to show off this wonderful trail. It would be nice if Winter Park could also express a welcome to sit and experience the beauty of our lake and trees during their time around the completed Lake Baldwin Trail. Our newly accredited professional parks staff should be allowed to move forward with a plan for this park that starts with some structured parking.

—Nancy Shutts

Winter Park

Winter Park has lost its way

Throw up the gates lest the unwashed masses traipse across our soil. It’s us against them and the fight feels soooo good! There’s something about rubbing shoulders with one’s likeminded comrades around a campfire or blog that just gets the blood flowing. We’ve lost our way as citizens of Winter Park. When you’re trying to make something “just so”, you end up going a little bit crazy when it’s not “just so.” A gated community we’re not — based on the discourse of late, one wonders if there are those who lament this fact.

We have a great place but not the only great place, nice people but not the only nice people. Perhaps checking our egos at the door and rubbing shoulders with “the other people” could be a valuable, humbling experience. Travel across Florida and what do you see? Generally, not Winter Park. Sure, the weather’s the same with plenty of sunshine. Aside from this, much about our city is not “just another town in Florida”. Objectively, there is something quite desirable and indeed, quantifiable in our quality of life. It shows up in our real-estate values, our neighbors, the brick streets, Park Avenue, the oak trees and the beautiful neighborhoods. We should be proud of this and share it, even with people — and dogs — from “across the line.”

The foundation of Winter Park is shaking a tad. Honor and integrity is all well and good until it gets in the way of winning an election. Who knows who’s behind the loathsome campaign pieces of late? The bigger lesson is that for some, telling the truth and exhibiting respect for ones fellow occupants of this Earth is just one of those cute novelties of a bygone era.

Sneak away from your desk, walk down the hall, find a mirror and ask yourself this: Your buddy’s articulating a radically different view of (pick one: commuter rail, commissioner salaries, the Carlisle, the dog park, etc.). Now here’s the hard part and don’t cheat. Would you be: a) thinking how sad it is that this person is so unenlightened, b) be formulating your response, planning your cross-examination or c) listening intently, recognizing that there’s value in a range of perspectives, and accepting that holding conflicting views while maintaining mutual respect can foster greater understanding. We’ve lost our way. For many, there is no “c”.

I write this on Sunday night, so you’ll read it with the election behind us. I suspect the new commissioners will read it too. Here’s my suggestion as we move forward with new leaders, challenges aplenty and the need for courageous, wise decisions seldom greater: Choose “c”! Write to me at [email protected]

—John T. Skolfield

Winter Park