Letters to the Editor

Hurricanes not our biggest threat

“A word to the wise is sufficient!” is an old adage that remains true today. We hear of disasters in other parts of the world and we immediately think of hurricanes in Florida. But a hurricane is not the worst that threatens us. Consider this: The earth underneath is honey-combed and buoyed up with water. That crust of the earth is fragile and becoming more so as we pump the aquifer.

Earthquakes are not foreign to Florida; just none have occurred in the last century. Tampa and Key West have seen their share in the 1700 and 1800s. An earthquake near Orlando would result in the collapse of surface soil, damaging our freeways and turnpikes, power grids and utilities to the point that the area would become paralyzed. There is no escape to the east, south, or west; only to the north. Imagine 1.5 million people attempting to travel toward Gainesville and Jacksonville, on back roads, in panic mode.

That will be our real disaster.

– Don Thompson

Winter Park

Celebrating Lydia Gardner

This past week we honored and celebrated the life and work of a very special Winter Park resident, Orange County Clerk of Courts Lydia Gardner, who recently lost her battle with cancer. As a former Orange County School Board chair and chair of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Lydia led with commitment, passion and purpose. I was very fortunate to have known Lydia and I deeply admired her. Her contagious smile and willingness to listen made everyone she met feel special. She was a public servant in the truest sense; driven, not by ego or accolades, but by her unending energy and a desire to improve her community and help those in need. Lydia will be deeply missed but she will always serve as an example of how to live one’s life and serve one’s community.

My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.

- Patrick W. Chapin

President / CEO

Winter Park Chamber of Commerce