Metro Orlando Headlines

[dcluley98]

I agree Andy. The author fundamentally does not understand variable rate tolling lanes and traffic engineering concepts. There have been numerous studies proving the  benefits of variable rate tolling. A simple google search would have turned up factual reports on the benefits of such lane additions to public highways. 

Once again the Sentinel doing their usual pot stirring without actual knowledge or a minium effort of fact finding. (there's a reason they call it the Slantinel) 

[jrs2]

13 minutes ago, dcluley98 said:

I agree Andy. The author fundamentally does not understand variable rate tolling lanes and traffic engineering concepts. There have been numerous studies proving the  benefits of variable rate tolling. A simple google search would have turned up factual reports on the benefits of such lane additions to public highways. 

Once again the Sentinel doing their usual pot stirring without actual knowledge or a minium effort of fact finding. (there's a reason they call it the Slantinel) 

so, how many general use lanes are we going to have?

[AndyPok1]

3 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

so, how many general use lanes are we going to have?

At least as many as there is today (3-4) plus additional auxiliary lanes added in various trouble spots (Conroy-Turnpike for example)

[spenser1058]

Question for Ken Storey or anyone else who might know: Did Paul Brinkmann leave the Sentinel? I just noticed a June 29 byline for him at the Weekly.

Or did Tronc have him freelancing all along? I'm so confused.

[spenser1058]

Who are the downtown panhandlers? Orlando's launching a study to find out:

http://bit.ly/2uUPznA

From the Sentinel

[Jernigan]

I’m ok with 8 months behind schedule halfway in for a project this intense.   My kitchen remodel was 4 weeks behind schedule lol.

So far it’s still planned to be done in 2021.   I’d expect that to change to 2022 before it’s done but that’s just more time for us without the express tolls 

[HankStrong]

You'd prefer construction to lanes that you (assuming from the tone) won't use yourself?

[JFW657]

Makes little difference to me.

I can proudly say that I haven't driven on I-4 in years. Probably around six.

Hopefully, it will be another six minimum before I do so again.

I hate I-4.

[jrs2]

1 hour ago, JFW657 said:

Makes little difference to me.

I can proudly say that I haven't driven on I-4 in years. Probably around six.

Hopefully, it will be another six minimum before I do so again.

I hate I-4.

LOL.  how is this possible?

[aent]

13 hours ago, Jernigan said:

I’m ok with 8 months behind schedule halfway in for a project this intense.   My kitchen remodel was 4 weeks behind schedule lol.

So far it’s still planned to be done in 2021.   I’d expect that to change to 2022 before it’s done but that’s just more time for us without the express tolls 

The express tolls are a win for everyone. They likely won't open the express lanes at all until they are at least within a few weeks of beginning to process the tolls. I'm hoping they can open a phase of the express tolling before the entire project is done and we don't have to wait for the entire thing to be done.

[JFW657]

56 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

LOL.  how is this possible?

I never go anywhere that requires getting on I-4.

Haven't actually driven (though I have ridden as a passenger) to Altamonte Springs or beyond in over 15 years, haven't been to I-Drive or Disney/LBV for about the same. No reason to.

From 2008 to 2012 I worked part time at Florida Hospital, so I'd get on at Kaley and get off at Princeton, but I even hated that short hop to the point that I just started leaving the house earlier so I could take Orange/Rosalind/Orange through downtown.

Did a lot of driving over to the coast on the Bee Line (I refuse to call it the Beach Line) last year, but I avoid I-4 like the plague.

When I go to Winter Park, of course, I just use 17-92.

[HankStrong]

1 hour ago, JFW657 said:

the Bee Line (I refuse to call it the Beach Line)

Amen to that.

[spenser1058]

The Sentinel notes Darden is rebounding nicely and its stock is on fire lately:

Darden Restaurants CEO Gene Lee doubles compensation to $15.7 million as stock soars
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/consumer/os-bz-darden-restaurant-ceo-gene-lee-salary-20180806-story.html

That's a second local HQ with good news as Sea World noted a 5% increase in attendance for the quarter. The news wasn't broken out by park so no clue how the Orlando park is coming along. Nevertheless, it's progress.

Edited August 6, 2018 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Another resort company planning to move its corporate HQ here:

Timbers Resorts plans to move headquarters from Colorado to Winter Park, create 80 jobs
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-timbers-resorts-move-winter-park-20180806-story.html

From the Sentinel

Two items of interest: first, average salary is 92K; second, they're planning to move to WP instead of the attractions area.

[spenser1058]

Mayor Buddy gave the State of the City address today on his 60th birthday. It includes a poem from our poet laureate and a great video. 

Most importantly, hizzoner covers just about everything going on including efforts to solve all the problems we talk about here every day.

Especially of note are $80 million in park expansions and the importance of our neighborhoods. 

What's best, though, is that our Orlando myth is alive and well: in the incredibly casual atmosphere in which it was given (yep, that's also important to who we are), our Ivy League good ol' boy mayor who was born at Orange Memorial and raised in Kissimmee emphasized just how important diversity and a welcome for everyone makes us strong.

 

[jrs2]

^^

I was there.  He mentioned in his 60 things, that OFD, OPD, City Hall, and a few other buildings ran 100% on solar power.  Then he mentioned OUC's solar farm.  So, is it solar from OUC or is it independent of OUC?

[spenser1058]

16 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

^^

I was there.  He mentioned in his 60 things, that OFD, OPD, City Hall, and a few other buildings ran 100% on solar power.  Then he mentioned OUC's solar farm.  So, is it solar from OUC or is it independent of OUC?

I signed up for the program he mentioned and, as I read it anyway, it's from the solar farms they have  off 33rd St and out at Stanton. There may be more to it, of course - I was just glad to see OUC acting a little more green like Gainesville  (their public utility is one of the most progressive in the Southeast as we would expect from Gatordom) and a tad less corporate.

[jrs2]

18 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

I signed up for the program he mentioned and, as I read it anyway, it's from the solar farms they have  off 33rd St and out at Stanton. There may be more to it, of course - I was just glad to see OUC acting a little more green like Gainesville  (their public utility is one of the most progressive in the Southeast as we would expect from Gatordom) and a tad less corporate.

I forgot how much I liked the Mayor.  You know, those rips about the soccer stadium's placement were merely to point out that city government does what it has to do regardless of party affiliation sometimes.

They hosted it in that multifunction room above Magnolia.  That room looked huge when it was filled up with people.  

[spenser1058]

I went also. It's kind of weird because Buddy and I are  the same age (I'll be 60 in October) and was also born here (albeit across town at Florida San), have the same native Central Florida dialect (there really is one, despite what most folks think) and also went off to play politics. He's obviously been more successful than I but the similarities are interesting.

[aent]

3 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

I signed up for the program he mentioned and, as I read it anyway, it's from the solar farms they have  off 33rd St and out at Stanton. There may be more to it, of course - I was just glad to see OUC acting a little more green like Gainesville  (their public utility is one of the most progressive in the Southeast as we would expect from Gatordom) and a tad less corporate.

Which Gainesville? I assume you're not talking about Gainesville, Florida, the one that built a biomass plant, caused a ton of natural land to be cleared to buy the wood, banned that local practice, and started trucking wood from natural land from out of state before they finally decided to shut down the brand new plant? And switch back to burning coal as their main source of energy?

The same Gainesville that could not operate their wastewater plant correctly and discharged a ton of polluted water killing wildlife?

GRU has got to be the least green, least environmentally friendly utility in the state. And when I lived there, people would literally do their best to make sure they were out of GRU's service area, because they had the highest rates in the state on just about every single service. And I've never seen a utility with SOOOOO many water outages on their reclaimed system, often for weeks at a time, killing a ton more plants. Most people in Gainesville seems to be aware GRU is just a source to steal money for the politicans friends. GRU is easily the absolute worst utility in the state and Orlando is very lucky OUC and Duke are much better utilities.

[spenser1058]

New name coming for Florida Hospital in 2019: AdventHealth. Wonder what the new signage will look like?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/os-adventist-health-system-new-brand-20180813-story.html

From the Sentinel

[I am Reality]

Florida Hospital ranked as the 5th best hospital in FL, according to the just-released US News rankings.

Orlando Health is #8.

Neither is nationally ranked.

https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/fl

 

[jrs2]

19 hours ago, I am Reality said:

Florida Hospital ranked as the 5th best hospital in FL, according to the just-released US News rankings.

Orlando Health is #8.

Neither is nationally ranked.

https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/fl

 

Jackson Memorial isn't even on the list.  Mayo is a branch of Mayo; as is Cleveland Clinic.  I don't trust these rankings.  Shands is a machine.  Adventist Health is huge.  ORHS is split into many sub-hospitals.  IMO, you can't rank a building off of I-75 in NW Dade higher than an entire hospital campus.  And I seriously doubt that Tampa General is a better hospital than Shands.  That ranking stinks to High Heaven.  But these are the same type of rankings that list Rollins as the best college in Florida.

[I am Reality]

44 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

Jackson Memorial isn't even on the list.  Mayo is a branch of Mayo; as is Cleveland Clinic.  I don't trust these rankings.  Shands is a machine.  Adventist Health is huge.  ORHS is split into many sub-hospitals.  IMO, you can't rank a building off of I-75 in NW Dade higher than an entire hospital campus.  And I seriously doubt that Tampa General is a better hospital than Shands.  That ranking stinks to High Heaven.  But these are the same type of rankings that list Rollins as the best college in Florida.

I won't get too much into specifics about the hospital rankings, other than to say Florida Hospital does not have a reputation as a world-class medical facility.  It just doesn't.

Having said that, it's a fine hospital and I have no problem with it.  I am comfortable going there (as my father just was; he got excellent care).  But I will also tell you my family has travelled elsewhere several times for better medical care while living here.  (Langone, Emory, CHOP).

As far as the college rankings, I agree that the best university here is UF.  But Rollins is also a fine school.  I personally have no love for smaller regional schools.  But for what it is, Rollins is top-notch.  I give it credit for focusing laserlike on its strengthes.  It hasn't grown  too much, doesn't try to be everything-for-everybody, and hasn't added programs outside if its core competency.  If I have one criticism of Rollins . . . it lacks a large local impact.  But that does not take away from what it has accomplished.

 

 

Edited August 15, 2018 by I am Reality

[JFW657]

23 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

New name coming for Florida Hospital in 2019: AdventHealth. Wonder what the new signage will look like?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/os-adventist-health-system-new-brand-20180813-story.html

From the Sentinel

Adventist Health has always been the name of the parent company.

I'm guessing they just want to get away from a location-specific name while also dropping the word hospital, in order to sound like a more all encompassing type of health organization.

Edited August 15, 2018 by JFW657