Obama Rallies Rollins Observer Homes Primaries “Short Sale” Isn’T the Four-Letter Word It Once Was
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
407-740-0401 www.FirstColonyBank.net When faced with stormy financial waters, seek... CALL US TODAY FOR A COPY OF NEW Dermatology Office! Your Guide to Social Security [email protected] | ASafeHarbor.com 407-599-SKIN (7546) (407) 644-6646 *Waive co-payment up to $25 Learn more visit • No referral needed www.ss.vip2site.com Your Real Hometown Bank • Accepting all insurances 451 Maitland Ave, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 On Hwy 17-92 in Maitland Call us today for your guide to Social Security! Dr. John Cottam Dr. Ross Wheeler Member FDIC 404-644-6646 or visit www.ss.vip2site.com wpmobserver.com Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012 50¢+ tax Calendar On Friday, The Dave Capp Project takes the stage for an evening of music and fun in the A&H garden. Race to the Page 8 Obama rallies Rollins Observer Homes primaries “Short sale” isn’t the four-letter word it once was. An area Realtor debunks ISAAC BABCOCK AND SARAH WILSON Observer Staff three of the most-common myths. Independent voters may expect Page 12 a razor-thin ballot on Primary Elec- tion Day, Aug. 14, but they’d be wrong. They’ll have a chance to put eight candidates in office, or at least to give them a push to the general election in November. And it’s an even wider selection with Dem- ocratic and Repub- lican voters, with Sandy Adams 13 choices each to Lifestyles be made on their re- BASE Camp kids spent last week spective ballots. immersed in the arts and theater at For some, the PHOTO BY ISAAC BABCOCK — THE OBSERVER votes have already Sandy Bonus’ Maitland studio. President Barack Obama speaks to the crowd at Rollins College’s Harold and Ted Alfond Sports Center on Thursday, Aug. 2. been cast. More Page 9 than 5,000 voters ISAAC BABCOCK day to You” serenade. turned out for early Observer Staff “If I had known you were going to sing,” voting in just the Letters to the editor Central Floridians packed the Harold and Ted Obama said, “I would have brought a cake. I’d first three days of John Mica We are calling on Florida’s leaders Alfond Sports Center at Rollins College to hear have made a wish. It probably would have had the eight-day early to ensure that eligible voters are not from President Barack Obama on Aug. 2. to do with electoral votes.” voting period that began Aug. 4, removed erroneously from the rolls. The stop was part of a swing-state tour be- The president, on the campaign trail for re- Orange County Supervisor of Elec- tween Ohio, Florida and Virginia that made a election, had originally expected to deliver a tions Bill Cowles said. Page 14 whirlwind out of the end of the week, just before speech at Rollins College on July 20, but after With many voters showing up Obama’s birthday. news broke of a mass shooting in Aurora, Colo., on Monday — typically a slow day When Obama mentioned he would be cele- he canceled that speech. at the polls — Cowles said that he’s Subscribe now! brating his 51st birthday on Saturday, the Rollins Speaking in front of thousands of supporters expecting a strong turnout dur- Visit wpmobserver.com crowd broke into a spontaneous “Happy Birth- n Please see OBAMA on page 2 n Please see ELECTION on page 2 Getting on the flex bus Maitland and surrounding cities re-evaluate proposed Lynx-partnered flexible transportation system for SunRail SARAH WILSON ers a quick, efficient way to travel east and Publisher statement on page 4. USPS 00-6186 Observer Staff west to get to the stations, where the rail As plans for SunRail continue to chug can carry them north and south. But what along the track, Central Florida cities in- looked good on paper, members of the Mai- cluding Maitland are reevaluating their tland City Council are finding, is more com- decisions to jump on board with another plicated in implementation as the Novem- commuter transportation system still in de- ber 2013 launch date inches closer. velopment. “We’re a year from deployment,” Coun- FlexBus, a flexible “Intelligent Transpor- cilman Phil Bonus said at the Council’s July tation System” that is set to launch along 23 meeting. “And to not even be sure about with SunRail to encourage commuter rider- the program, isn’t anyone else worried ship, is planning its demonstration phase about this?” in partnership with Maitland, Altamonte As design plans move forward with all Springs, Longwood and Casselberry. The of the cities through consulting firm Tran- system, powered by Lynx, would work on Systems, worries of cost, stop locations and a non-fixed route and allow local residents plan implementation were brought up at PHOTO BY ISAAC BABCOCK — THE OBSERVER SunRail’s success, Maitland’s mayor says, depends on the to call or go online to schedule a bus pickup Council. FlexBus system, which will take folks to the cities’ rail stations. and have a vehicle respond to their stop lo- “If we don’t have it when SunRail’s run- cation within 12 minutes. ning, it’s going to kill it,” Schieferdecker An update on the FlexBus project will be given at the The system, Maitland Community De- said, noting the integral role FlexBus is pro- next Maitland City Council meeting, Monday, Aug. velopment Director Dick Wells says, is a key jected to have on SunRail ridership. 13, in Maitland City Hall. For more information on the component for the cities when it comes to Maitland’s current drafted budget for project, visit itsmymaitland.com the success of SunRail, by it giving commut- n Please see COUNCIL on page 3 Page 2 Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012 Winter Park / Maitland Observer OBAMA | Romney supporters protest ELECTION | Early voting runs through Saturday, Aug. 11 n CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE n CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE the U.S. Representative District in campaign funds and endorse- 7 seat, being challenged by four ments from Winter Park Mayor at the Winter Park college on Aug. 2, he strayed from foreign policy ing the workweek, accelerating candidates. Ken Bradley and Vice Mayor Ste- or social policy issues to focus on taxes, the economy, jobs and health through the final day of early vot- On the Democratic side, Ja- ven Leary. care. ing, Saturday, Aug. 11. son Kendall and Nick Ruiz both “We’re very pleased with the “If you work hard, you shouldn’t have to worry about whether you “I would expect we’ll see a are hoping to bring a younger local support,” Mica said. “It’s can afford to go to the doctor or pay your bills,” Obama said while gradual increase each day toward perspective to the office, though been substantial. I was not only talking about initiatives he would push for to strengthen the middle the end,” he said. both position themselves as fiscal endorsed by Ken Bradley but by class. But that will still represent only conservatives. On the Republican I think every former mayor we He pointed to fulfilled prom- “If you work hard, a small percentage of eligible vot- side, two well-known incumbents could find.” ises from his previous campaign, ers in the county, most of whom are running against each other in That may not influence ab- saying he’d continue to be a you shouldn’t have to are expected to vote on Primary the wake of redistricting changes sentee voters in the primary, as champion of typical American worry about whether Election Day on Tuesday, Aug. 14. – U.S. Rep. John Mica and U.S. they’ve already been voting ear- families. As of July, there were 651,285 reg- Rep. Sandy Adams both have ly and in droves, said Seminole “Four years ago I promised to you can afford to go istered voters in the county. roots in the area. County Supervisor of Elections cut middle class taxes, and that’s to the doctor or pay They’ll have a lot to vote on, in- By the time the dust clears Michael Ertel, who reported that exactly what I did, by a total of your bills.” — Barack cluding candidates for incumbent on Aug. 14, two candidates will he’s seen more absentee ballots about $3,600 for the typical fam- Sen. Bill Nelson’s U.S. Senate seat, emerge for the general election cast in Seminole County in the ily.” Obama state attorney, six judges’ seats, season. first weekend than the entire vot- Outside, protestors and sup- state committee for the Democrat- Adams, who had been hopping ing period in 2008. porters of presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney gathered ic and Republican parties and Or- around early voting locations last The heavily contested U.S. across the street, holding pro-Romney signs. ange County Commission District weekend, said she’s seen “a good House District 7 fills a large por- Inside, Obama chided Romney for a plan he said would take mid- 5. But the most visible race is for steady flow of people so far.” tion of Seminole County, branch- dle class tax dollars and give it to the top 2 percent of earners. He Adams said her campaign is ing down into Winter Park and pointed to a recently released report from the non-partisan Brookings “busy doing the grassroots Maitland and parts of east Orange Institution that said Romney’s tax plan would add $2,000 to middle thing,” making phone County. class families. calls and going door-to- “We’ve seen a dramatic in- Romney campaign officials derided that report as “a joke,” calling door as the primary sea- crease in early voters so far,” Ertel the Brookings Institution’s Tax Policy Center a liberal institution.