Letters to the editor

Cheers to the Country Club

I would to compliment the city on the wonderful improvements that have been made to the Winter Park Country Club. The renovated Pro Shop is modern and inviting to all guests while still holding onto its original charm and rich history. Whoever has taken the time to oversee this project should be applauded and recognized for their efforts.

—Vera Brittain

Winter Park

Learn for yourself

I recently marked my first anniversary as a member of the Toastmasters Club at the Mayflower Retirement Community. As an educator and lifelong learner, I am grateful to have found this organization where people from all walks of life come together to strengthen their communication skills and expand their horizons.

The Toastmaster name belies the power of the learning opportunities that are available today through this international network of clubs. The social function of making a toast has become secondary to the skills training and leadership development needed in today’s workplace and in the community. What Ralph C. Smedley founded nearly 90 years ago in the basement of a YMCA is now an inclusive educational resource, empowering men and women in 106 countries.

I chose the Mayflower Club because of its membership. Since 2003, a blend of Mayflower residents and adults from the surrounding community have built an award-winning club that gains strength from the social grace and breadth of experience of its members. Every time I attend, I am glad that I did.

Visitors are always welcome at the Mayflower Toastmasters Club, which meets every Friday from noon to 1 p.m. Join us and learn for yourself.

—Phyllis E. Corkum

Winter Park

Reach practical solutions for tree canopy

Since trees are an important part of what makes Winter Park different and special, it did not take much for my spouse to talk me into attending the Oct. 9 meeting on the proposed new tree ordinance. Several things were striking:

1. Folk generally agree that the tree canopy of Winter Park is important and something we should nurture and maintain.
2. It was unclear and not stated what the town or whoever is sponsoring/supporting a rewrite of the ordinance is looking to accomplish.
3. Given its importance, there is a need for improved maintenance of the tree canopy in Winter Park.
4. The town needs to clearly assess who has accountability for maintaining right-of-way trees (the town had a practice of maintaining the trees for years and stopped when budget reductions made it impossible for them to continue the practice) and expecting property owners to consistently and appropriately do so will probably not deliver consistent results.
5. The proposed new ordinance seems terribly flawed relative to consistency of what will be removed and what is to be replaced, and this fact was clearly articulated by Marc Hagle; his presentation on this was concise and factual.
6. When a permit is obtained by a contractor, the resident/owner may or may not know their rights and obligations relative to replacement as was evidenced by a resident removing a camphor tree, which is an invasive species, yet the existing or new ordinance does not take that into consideration.
7. Safety is a real issue and falling trees and branches seem to be more than an occasional event and have been traumatic experiences for some of our neighbors.

We have personally had to remove trees that were a hazard to our home and at risk of falling into the street, and there should be a difference between removal of a tree that has reached end of life or is hazardous and a perfectly fine tree that is being removed for “convenience.” In making the determination, town employees will need to establish guiding principles to follow and have an appeals process for those who disagree.

The practical side of who is responsible for what relative to tree maintenance is complicated and unclear. If you ask four town folks — who should know — for a yes or no answer on who is responsible for maintenance of right-of-way trees, you will probably get four different answers. While town employees were very well intended — and on Oct. 9 responded to issues and questions on exceptions, permits, hardships and the like — the reality is they are @@not@@ the individuals residents interact with when dealing with these issues. So their assertive replies on what can and should be done are not reality; I know that firsthand.

With the importance of the tree canopy in Winter Park, the department and folks accountable for this should be a stand-alone function; not a part of Parks and Recreation, perhaps functionally associated with Code Enforcement, but it is very different and should be treated that way.

I hope that since he was the only member of the City Commission not present for this discussion, Mayor Ken Bradley engage in an appropriate dialog with the commissioners who were, and the Commission sends the proposed ordinance back with clear guidance and direction as to objectives and expected outcomes including the facts around the number of trees removed, replaced by planting a tree per the ordinance, and the funds collected in lieu of planting.

And a footnote — considerable money was spent on town hall renovations and to have a room full of folks in the chamber without sufficient air conditioning was just not right… The folks who should have been able to handle that were in the room, so no excuse for that!

—Jack Miles

Winter Park