Letters to the editor

The joys of our city

Every time I drive by the Rollins baseball field (Alfond Stadium at Harper-Shepherd Field) and see the sign, “GAME TODAY” I smile. It is just one of the tiny, and many, joys of Winter Park. What is it about Winter Park that makes you smile? Whatever it is, no matter how small, embrace and enjoy it!

—Patrick Chapin

Winter Park Chamber of Commerce president

Re: The joys of our city

This is an easy answer for me. I love seeing families having picnics in Central Park, and most of all I love seeing children’s faces light up when the train goes by. It reminds me of what a safe place we’re in and it makes me so thankful to work in this community!

—Andrea Hall

Winter Park Chamber of Commerce events manager

Kudos to Winter Park

Standing ovation! We love Winter Park and everything it has to offer, people, places — you name it. We are proud to be part of this community. Thank you to all of the "Parkpreneurs" who make Winter Park the place to be. Thanks Clyde for an inspiring article (“Celebrate Winter Park’s businesses” by Clyde Moore, owner of I LUV Winter Park, Inc. published March 8). Kudos to Winter Park!

—Bloomsof WinterPark

Via Facebook

Winter Park installs surveillance cameras

In recent weeks the city of Winter Park has installed several super high-tech, very expensive surveillance cameras on Park Avenue. There seems to be a growing number of government surveillance cameras in Winter Park, including the Park Avenue cams, the red-light cams and the intersection cams. For people who like them, it gives them a false sense of security that the "camera will protect them". For people who do not, it is an invasion of privacy, over-the-top big brother government snooping on everything every citizen does, and scares good people from Winter Park because they think the city's surveillance cams mean that Winter Park is a high-crime area. The Park Avenue cams are placed about 10 feet above ground level and attached to poles except where indicated. The ones I noticed are at 1) Park Avenue and Fairbanks Avenue, southeast corner; 2) Park Avenue and Lyman Avenue, northeast corner; 3) Park Avenue and Lyman Avenue southwest corner (attached to City Hall building about 20 feet off the ground); 4) Park Avenue and New England Avenue, northwest corner; 5) Park Avenue and Morse Blvd., southeast corner; 6) Park Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, southwest corner; and 7) Park Avenue and Canton Avenue, northwest corner. They have a glass ball underneath with the camera inside that can move around in many directions and a big black box near it that probably holds a computer and/or emergency generators. Readers need to know about this because it will affect their privacy, make them suspect or witness for crimes, and could keep their property values very low as high crime perception comes with the cameras and they scare people away.

Thanks.

—Paul Vonder Heide

Winter Park

Here’s what readers on wpmobserver.com are writing about “Sweets out, sweat in: Chamber promotes healthier workplace policy with Work Well Winter Park” published on March 15:

You guys (The Chamber) are blazing the trail and walking the talk! Thanks for your efforts on our community's behalf — looking forward to your official launch on April 4th in Central Park!

—Jill Hamilton

The Winter Park Chamber staff — making Winter Park exceptionally healthy!

—Maritza Martinez

Proud of all of your efforts. Leading by example.

—Marian Chase