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Coffee Hour with BEAT time and it got a lot of attention.
The environmental community was fiercely opposing this new town, mostly east of the Econ River. Working together with St. Johns Water Management District and Orange County, we all did the right thing by figuring out a transaction that would create the Hal Scott Preserve Park. Around 8,000 acres changed hands from Avalon Associates to the St. John Water Management District, who got help from Or-
Entering the holiday season, we are all looking back to this very unusual first year of the new decade. Actually, I am even looking back a quarter of a century in east Orlando. It was in December 1995, after spending a few weeks in Orlando, I boarded a plane at the Orlando International Airport and grabbed a copy of the Orlando Sentinel. The frontpage headline in the business section was about Avalon Associates making a deal with the ange County to create St. Johns Water Manageour own “Central Park,” ment District and Orange just about 10 times larger County. than the famous Central Park in New York City. In the early 1990s, AvaWhat a Christmas preslon Park was a 9,400-acre ent! parcel of land, and most of that land was east The story of the “Waof the Econlockhatchee ter Management Deal,” River. The original plan is my first Christmas of Avalon Park was memory of Orlando, 25 to be a city of almost years ago. By the way 30,000 homes, or close 1995/1996 was a cold to 100,000 residents, at central Florida “Winter” a time when the City and I recall icy condiof Orlando had 175,000 tions in downtown Orresidents. You can imaglando for a few days in ine the undertaking, one the morning. I first had of the largest real estate to get used to celebratdevelopment projects in ing Christmas in mostly the United States of its
warm weather, under Palm Trees and with no snow.
In Switzerland, my Christmas memories begin with a visit by Saint Nicolas that takes place on December 6th. Kids are told that Saint Nicolas lives in the Black Forest and knows everything about all the children, the good and the not so good. Therefore, on December 6th, Saint Nicolas visits all children, one on one. He carries a large book in which all the good deeds and shortcomings of
HOWEVER YOU CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY SEASON, I WISH YOU HAPPY HOLIDAYS. every child is written. It is sort of the day of reckoning for the children, when Saint Nicolas in a rather serious voice tells a child, “....Beat this year you have been 6 times late to school and you often did not clean the dishes after dinner,” and depending on the particular year, more miss deeds where brought up. However, Saint Nicolas as well knew all the good deeds of the kids during the year, “Beat you helped your Father a lot in the bakery and your grades in school are up.” Depending on the kind
of year that a child had Saint Nicolas would give candies or sometimes a rod as well!
Well, this year my family and I will spend Christmas in Orlando and our celebration is somewhat different. I will “secretly” buy a Christmas tree and “smuggle” it somehow into the house. On Christmas Eve the kids will be out of the house for all afternoon, while the Christmas tree will be decorated by my wife and me. We will have Christmas dinner with a traditional breaded ham and after the kids are escorted to the living room. Here is where the children will discover the Christmas tree and presents are appearing as a great surprise, that have been brought by the Christ Child. When a friend told me at age 7, that the Christmas tree and presents are brought in by the parents, I did not believe it, and told him the tree is coming through the chimney by the Christ Child along with all the presents. As will the tradition continue in the Kahli household. However you celebrate the Holiday Season, I wish you Happy Holidays. Stay safe and healthy.
