Growth Cap Coalition Formed in Polk County

A Growth Cap Coalition, endorsed by the Sierra Club and Lake Region Audubon Society, has formed in Polk County, Florida. Their website has recently launced, which includes a printable petition to get a growth cap amendment added to the upcoming ballot.

It will be interesting to see what happens with this, whether or not residents of Polk County have a vision for their region, or if developers will be determining these issues. Being one of the fastest growing counties in the state, much of the population is new to the area, and may not have much investment in "rural character" and may not be aware of local environmental issues.

In reference to transit, the Coalition's proposed charter ammendment "will ensure a trend to higher density urban areas which will make mass transportation more feasible."

On April 1st, the Winter Haven Planning Commission is having their regular metting.

Stay tuned to Eggs n Bloggin for the Official Solution to Overdevelopment.

Continue reading...

Seminole Word of the Week

We've got DVD Releases of the Week, Links of the Week, and now, I present to our reading public the exciting new edition of Seminole Word of the Week

Pahokee – grassy waters

Pahokee is a town on the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County, Florida. Sugar cane and corn are the most popular crops grown in this agricultural community. The older town buildings as well as sprawling apartment complexes are surrounded by lush green crop-fields that spread out towards the horizon.

I drove through the place yesterday in wet and misty weather. Police sirens reflected in puddles of water and through my windshield as a woman in a shower cap stepped into the road to alert me to the presence of police officers ahead. I wasn’t doing anything illegal but was grateful to her for the gesture.

There is a stunning photo essay about the place. Check it out on Flickr


As of the 2000 census, Native Americans made up 0.10 per cent of the population.

Continue reading...

Nature is Ridiculous

I rarely, if ever, check news to make sure it is accurate (aka posted on more than one source), but regardless, I have just read the most ridiculous article posted ever in the history of the internet. Check it out. If you're too lazy, here are some highlights:

"A 75-pound stingray killed a Michigan woman Thursday when it flew out of the water and struck her face as she rode a boat in the Florida Keys, officials said."

That's the opening. Three things of note in that sentence:

• A 75-pound stingray


• '...flew out of the water...'


• A woman driver (zing!)

How can this not be the most entertaining and informative article on stingrays you've ever read? (We will not count Steve Irwin because it's still too soon for jokes.)

What I gather from this article is a stingray with a 5-6 foot wingspan jumped out of the water and it ran into the woman, killing her on impact. The article continues:

"The impact likely killed the woman, and she did not appear to have puncture wounds from the ray's barb, Pino said. An autopsy is planned, Pino said."

Now, the boat was going 25 MPH. I'm no zoologist, but I've been to Sea World and petted stingrays, and they're kind of rubbery. If it's tail -- you know, it's weapon -- wasn't the cause of death, I can't imagine this was much worse than when I played kickball in elementary school. Then again, the ball wasn't six feet wide. Maybe it'd be more like being hit by a tractor tire......

"Spotted eagle rays can weigh 500 pounds and have a wingspan of up to 10 feet. They are known to occasionally jump out of the water but are not aggressive and use the venomous barb at the end of their tail for defense."

Holy crap. 500 pounds? That is literally two Hulk Hogans. Forget Jaws, I'd rather meet him than one of these monsters any day.

"'Rays jump to escape a predator, give birth and shake off parasites," said Lynn Gear, supervisor of fishes and reptiles at Theater of the Sea in Islamorada. "They do not attack people.'"

Possibly the most fascinating part of the article. Rays jump out of water to give birth? Maybe I've been living under a rock, but this amazes me. They must have amazing timing. Imagine if humans had to do that. Women giving birth in inflatable swimming pools. 'Okay, your water broke. We have about 23 minutes. Wait for it... Wait for it... Jump! No! Too early! Jump! Keep jumping!'

Not related to the article, but on the topic of stingrays, Wikipedia says this (therefore it must be accurate): "Mating season occurs in the winter. When a male is courting a female, he will follow her closely, biting at her pectoral disc. During mating, the male will go on top of the female (his belly on her back) and put one of his two claspers into her vent."

I'm going to try to work that into everyday conversation because, as a writer, I'm all for euphemisms. You should do it too. Next time you have to talk dirty, try, "I'm going to shove my clasper into your vent." See how she reacts, and definitely get back to me.

Continue reading...

More Rail Talk

The blog National Railroad News made a positive mention of increased rails coming to Central Florida. Let's hope so.

Check out this blog for "more railroad news than you can shake a stick at."

Continue reading...

What to do About All That Traffic

An article in the Lakeland Ledger yesterday stated that Polk County commissioners have voted to put the CSX terminal and commuter rail placed on hold until it can be further studied.

Of course, it is important to know as much as possible about a project before starting. But improving transit is not something that should be forced to wait in Central Florida. Especially if this further investigation the commissioners are requesting is superfluous.

This blog has previously discussed the transformation of Haines City and the I-4 Corridor into a bedroom suburb of Orange and Osceola. If that is indeed the region's future (and present reality) then rapid transit ought to be of the highest concern for city planners and tri-county area leaders.

In a second article on Thursday, the Ledger reported that Lake Alfred officials are "ecstatic" about a road construction project that will widen 17-92 as it passes through the city. This project is being pushed through quickly following an incident of congestion that occurred when I-4 was closed.

The idea that building more roads will alleviate traffic is a fallacy. To lessen the traffic burden on I-4, Orange, Osceola, and Polk counties need to build rapid public transit, like the proposed commuter rail.

In Miami-Dade County, there is a need for more Metro-Rail lines, but there is a sentiment that it is almost too late. Because development is so dense, it would take massive restructuring of neighborhoods, large amounts of land acquisition, and lots of money.

If Central Florida wants to avoid a similar situation the counties involved need to act quicker than they have been. In the case of Orlando, existing sprawl may already make this an extremely difficult task. This request for further investigation needs to move quickly.

Continue reading...

Yay, Development!

In today's edition of the Lakeland Ledger, an article reveals that Polk County is "outpacing both the state and national averages" in terms of population growth. The article provides population estimates and growth percentages for different cities in the county, and compares this growth to other counties in the state.

However, nowhere in this report does Mr. Rufty address the environmental costs of this growth, or whether this type of growth is sustainable and healthy for existing communities.

The so-called I-4 corridor is reported to have experienced the most growth, as it is developing into a bedroom community for employees in Osceola and Orange counties.

Is this something to be proud of?

East Polk is providing cheap land to large developers, and encouraging excessive commutes, suburban sprawl, and the environmental degradation that too much of this state has already experienced.

I understand that not every report will contain an analysis of how rapid growth impacts the environment and the quality of communities, but this article had a great opportunity to do so, and didn't.

Continue reading...

Evolution Brings Youngsters to Jesus Camp

There is a common misnomer that Florida is not the bible-belt, that the Deep South ends at Georgia's southernmost border. However, when it comes to the debate of creationism vs. evolution, when it comes to science at all, this state appears insistent upon keeping students in the dark ages.

NPR and the Miami Herald ran reports today which included criticisms of the State of Florida’s science curriculum in public schools. We are hardly teaching science at all, it seems. And now, it has been mandated that schools teach the “scientific theory of evolution.” A mandate on evolution ought to mean an improvement, but pay special attention to the language of this ruling.

This means that a graduate of Florida’s public school system will go out into the workforce, the real world, college, etc., thinking evolution might have taken place, but that the evidence just isn’t all that clear to be sure—after all, it’s only a theory.

In other news, it has been reported that the number “four” is the theoretical sum of two plus two. Also in hot debates is the “scientific theory of evaporation” (formerly known as evaporation). It is being questioned as to whether a conversion from liquid to vapor actually takes place through “heating”. Other forces have not been ruled out as of this time.

Yes, the State of Florida launches astronauts into space, but no one actually knows how, or what this “space” thing is all about.

At least that’s the way some people make it seem. John Stemberger, a representative from pro-creationism Florida Family Policy Council, told the Herald these new standards go too far, and actually “unfairly muzzle teachers.” He went on to say mandating evolution will drive more families to home-school education. Anyone who has seen the documentary Jesus Camp will know why this is terrifying.

Continue reading...