Commissioner Stuart – May 2018
Commissioner Robert Stuart
May is a month of celebrating and remembering. I want to take a moment this Mother’s Day to thank all of the amazing moms out there, especially my mom, my wife, my daughter, and daughter-in-law. I want to give my warm congratulations to all of our high school and college graduates, especially those graduating from our local high schools and colleges. I hope our graduates continue to choose the Central Florida community as their home as I look forward to hearing about all they accomplish around our region. Let us all also take time in May to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedoms, this Memorial Day holiday.
A pastor friend of mine used to say that Mother’s Day was always one of the busiest holidays in his line of work- because what moms wanted most on their day was quality time with their families. A great place to spend time with your mom this year is by taking a stroll down the amazing pathways and foliage at Leu Gardens! Admission is free to the gardens for moms on Sunday, May 13. Check out leugardens.org for more information.
Many of our great restaurants are serving up delicious brunch specials. From Baldwin Park to College Park and beyond, take time to eat local on Mom’s special day.
Or maybe your mom is a sports fan? The Orlando Pride Women’s Soccer team has a home game on Saturday, May 12th at 3:30 p.m. and Orlando City plays on Sunday, May 13th at 6 p.m. Visit orlandocitysc.com for details.
Or maybe your mom values civic participation; Mayor Teresa Jacobs of Orange County will give her State of the County address on Friday, May 18th at 4 p.m. The event is open to the public, but an RSVP is required at ocfl.net. The speech will also be televised live on Orange TV, which is carried on Spectrum Channel 488, Comcast Channel 9, CenturyLink Channel 1081, digital over-the-air on 10.2 and will be live-streamed on newsroom.ocfl.net.
A great way to remember those who have served for us is by visiting the Blue Jacket Recruit at Blue Jacket Park. The newest statue, dedicated last month, was named after the term for an enlisted sailor. The new Blue Jacket Recruit statue, a bronze figure of a female sailor in uniform, now stands alongside the bronze replica of the Lone Sailor, a statue featuring a man in a sailor’s hat and pea coat waiting for his ship to come in, which was installed in the park in 2016.This recent statue honors the 188,000 female recruits who went through boot camp in Orlando, the nation’s first co-ed training facility, whose graduation not only proved that women are as capable as men, but it shows that they are ready to serve our great nation in many different roles. Visit cfnavyleague.org for all of the wonderful details about this moving memorial that helps us remember our armed forces as well as the history of the Orlando Naval Training Center that used to be located where Baldwin Park is today.
And one housekeeping note- MetroPlan Orlando is still conducting the Corrine Drive Complete Streets Study. This study seeks to improve transportation options on two miles of Corrine Drive between US 17/92 and Bennett Road. The main goal is to look at ways Corrine Drive may be turned into a complete street, meaning that the road takes all types of travel into account. Phase one and two of the study is complete. Right now, MetroPlan is studying and processing all of the feedback that was provided and planning to present their findings this summer. This will include any additional technical analysis on a final proposed concept (which could be a combination of more than one of the options on which they received feedback) and best estimates on the long-term strategy needed to implement the plan. Please know that there will be community-wide public meetings prior to any final decisions being made. Please also keep in mind, that at this juncture, funding any changes will be a separate endeavor from the study itself. If you have any questions or would like to receive the regular newsletters to keep up with the study, please sign up at CorrineDriveStudy.org
As always, thank you for your continued support and I look forward to seeing you around our District!
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