LIVE ORLANDO
Coffee Hour with BEAT time and it got a lot of attention.
Palm Trees and with no snow.
candies or sometimes a rod as well!
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 Orange County to create
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 every child is written. It is sort of the day of reck-
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.
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 our own “Central Park,” St. Johns Water Managejust about 10 times larger ment District and Orange than the famous Central County. Park in New York City. What a Christmas presIn the early 1990s, Avaent! lon Park was a 9,400-acre parcel of land, and most The story of the “Waof that land was east ter Management Deal,” of the Econlockhatchee is my first Christmas River. The original plan memory of Orlando, 25 of Avalon Park was years ago. By the way to be a city of almost 1995/1996 was a cold 30,000 homes, or close central Florida “Winter” to 100,000 residents, at and I recall icy condia time when the City tions in downtown Orof Orlando had 175,000 lando for a few days in residents. You can imagthe morning. I first had ine the undertaking, one to get used to celebratof the largest real estate ing Christmas in mostly development projects in warm weather, under the United States of its
HOWEVER YOU CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY SEASON, I WISH YOU HAPPY HOLIDAYS. oning 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
However you celebrate the Holiday Season, I wish you Happy Holidays. Stay safe and healthy.
