Open Letter to Candidates
From West Winter Park Residents
Editor's Note: Articles written by citizens reflect their own opinions and not the views of the Winter Park Voice.[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av_uid=’av-6zi78i’]
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The following letter was sent to Commission candidates Weldon and Macejewski from three residents of West Winter Park. As of this writing, the residents have not received a response from either candidate.
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February 15, 2016
Greetings Candidates Lambrine Macejewski & Pete Weldon,
We are writing this letter regarding the lack of concern and respect shown for the West side community referencing the debate held at the Winter Park Community Center. Candidates Lambrine & Weldon thought it was in THEIR best interest not to be engaged. How shameful. It was very disappointing to all the residents who took the time to come out and who may not have been able to attend any of the other debate locations due to work, conflicts, etc.
While reading these two candidates’ reasons for not attending, it is not and should not be acceptable to ALL Winter Park residents who showed up for A DEBATE to listen to All the candidates.
These candidates’ “No Show” displayed that the residents were not more important than what they perceive the Voice may or may not be guilty of. All candidates were asked the same questions and given a chance to answer those questions. Certainly this would have given each resident the opportunity to hear each candidate’s response respectfully.
We read Lambrine’s open letter of why she did not attend as quoted below:
“ I made the tough call to withdraw from the Winter Park Voice Candidate Forum after learning some of their unsavory information and activities. Please view my open letter to Anne Mooney of the WPV and also attached is her personal poll responses. Again, I don’t mind that she has a bias. What I object to, as demonstrated in her last article defending my opponent, is their activist nature. Winter Park Voice is acting more like a PAC not a paper.”
“Upon hearing I pulled out of tonight’s forum, seat 4 candidate Pete Weldon, echoed our sentiment and said he would be withdrawing as well unless the Winter Park Voice to release all of their financiers in the name of transparency.”
As an alumnus of Rollins, I went to the Rollins Forum/Debate, and I’m so glad I did. I clearly heard Lambrine say how she’s walked the communities and understands the needs of the people. Weldon says he is taking an oath to protect ALL Winter Park residents. Clearly these two candidates have personal interest in the West Side Accelerated Development. Clearly they have been asked to run to continue the City’s 2020 Vision to include the West Side community to be wiped out as is and become a Higher Density community.
Unfortunately, I ask the questions that have continuously been ignored:
Will the current elected city officials continue to promote & allow gentrification of the West Side Community?
Will the city officials continue to say there are not two Winter Parks? Your agenda is to continue to exclude West Winter Park neighborhoods and community as being a unique part of the rich historical cultural that contributed in the city of Winter Park becoming incorporated as a town and later a city. West Winter Park should be preserved as a Single Family residential community allowing All residents affordable living.
Perhaps you can address these issues. The questions were asked but unfortunately never made it to you at the Community Center because of the No-Show. They were asked again at the Chamber, but never made it during the citizen input questions read by Patrick Chapin.
Best Regards,
Maria Bryant CEO/Director, Olivia’s Performing Arts Organization, “Where Dreams are nurtured and Visions Explored” www.mariaoliviabryant@gmail.com
Martha Bryant Hall, Property Owner
Mary R. Daniels, Resident
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How and why did the editor of the winter park voice become a subject of the candidates focus. The candidates focus should be on the issues between them, experiences, and background. It seems like a smoke screen and a non issue to focus other than the issues.
It’s insulting to me that not appearing became a political issue.
The email the WP Voice sent out was the first time I saw this letter. I am not sure why I did not receive it, but I did not get it.
I cannot speak for the current commissioners or the past 6 years of their votes that have shaped our community. What I can speak for is my community involvement. I started a business and employ 60 people. Each year we donate to over 75 community organizations and feel blessed to be able to do that. Last year we even donated food for over 350 people at the Hannibal Holiday party in Shady park. I personally served all those meals in Shady Park with another Cocina 214 employee. I focus on improving our community – not just talking about it but doing it. I also serve on the Leadership Winter Park Alumni Council and I am proud to share that as part of our Leadership Winter Park program we start with “Our Town” and always include treasures within our city. Each year we coordinate with local leaders to help us plan the day. This past year the class visited Rollins, Ward Chapel, The Hannibal Square Heritage Center, Casa Feliz, the Winter Park History Museum and the Winter Park Library. We are blessed to live in this incredible community that we all love and treasure.
I am always open to listen and would love to hear everyone’s comments and concerns about our wonderful community. We are having a Coffee at Cocina on March 1st where everyone is welcome. I will also be walking Canton, Pennsylvania, Capen, Lyman, Welbourne, New England and other streets within the next couple of weeks. I can’t wait to hear the concerns of all citizens.
Thank you,
Lambrine
I am so disappointed to read these letters, because they couldn’t be further from the truth. I am very sure all 4 of these candidates care as much about West Winter Park as any other neighborhoods in Winter Park.
i own a couple of small buildings in Hannibal Square, and have wanted to contribute something to the community. I met Ron Moore with Winter Park Parks and Recreation, who helped me plan and execute Hannibal Holiday Party in Shady Park on December 13.
I did not know Lambrine, but she heard about my idea and planning of this party. She called me and offered to help in any way she could, including providing some food from her restaurant.
It came about as a group effort with Ronnie Moore, City of Winter Park, Lambrine, Bubbalou’s, and me. We had fire dept trucks, police dept, balloon guy, bounce house and much more for 350 people we invited from the Hannibal churches. It wa a wonderful day. Lambrine was there all day on the serving line and helping in every way. She never asked to put her name up any where and was there for only one reason, to help me make this day wonderful for these 350 people.
She deserves a lot to credit for this, and I am sure there are 350 other people that would agree with me.
What’s really revealing here is that Macejewski does not even make an attempt to address the concerns raised in the open letter from the 3 west side residents.
Neither does Mike Winn. Unlike Winn, whose interests lie in the re-development of the west side, these women state they want what remains of their neighborhood preserved. They don’t seem to have been at all appeased by the ice cream social/ bounce house party. They want real answers from the candidates about where they stand on the former west side being eradicated.
Not only did Macejewski (and co-hort Weldon) diss them by skipping the west side debate, she side stepped the questions raised by the residents in their letter. Think Mr. Winn staged the west side party as a way to introduce her to that pool of voters? And she didn’t even want her name on anything. What a gal. What I really wish is that someone from the west side would run for city commission and get a real seat at the table. In this forum at least, Lambrine didn’t even pretend to care about their concerns.
Why not ask the WP Voice to send the letters/questions directly to Lambrine and then publish her answers as a front page editorial? Specifically, ask them to post her responses BEFORE March 15th. I will gladly forward to all my friends and neighbors on the Westside.
Since Lambrine has read and openly acknowledged the open letter right here at the WP Voice website why would this exercise be necessary? She obviously does not care to address the concerns raised by the trio of Westside residents. She did not care to attend the Westside debate either. Her main objective was to try to slam Anne Mooney and WP Voice.