Opposes Pulse Tribute
Dear Editor: I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed Pulse tribute monument at the Twin Oaks Conservation Area in Osceola County.
While the tragic loss of life at the Pulse nightclub deserves to be remembered with dignity and respect, Twin Oaks Conservation Area is not an appropriate location for a massive metal monument. This natural area was established to protect Florida’s unique environment and provide a peaceful space for recreation, wildlife, and future generations.
The proposed structure would permanently alter the character of this conservation land and could negatively affect sensitive wetlands, native wildlife, and the protected gopher tortoise population that depends on this habitat. Conservation areas should remain focused on preserving nature, not becoming sites for large-scale memorial construction.
In addition, placing such a monument in a recreational area changes the purpose and atmosphere of the park. Residents and visitors come to Twin Oaks to enjoy the quiet beauty of nature, not to encounter a large artificial structure that does not fit the setting.
I respectfully urge the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners to reject this proposal and preserve Twin Oaks Conservation Area for its intended purpose—protecting our natural resources, wildlife, and open spaces for generations to come.
Jan Hart
Kindred
Students need support —chaplaincy
Dear Editor: Every parent knows that children carry more than backpacks into school. Many carry grief, anxiety, loneliness, family stress, and questions they do not always know how to express. When a lawful, voluntary, parent-approved resource can help meet those needs, our community should not leave it sitting on a shelf. Florida law now gives school districts and charter schools the option to adopt a policy allowing volunteer school chaplains to provide support, services, and programs to students. The law requires written parental consent, background screening, and public transparency about participating chaplains. That matters.
This is not a mandate, not a replacement for counseling, and not a program imposed on any family. It is a locally governed, parent-directed option for those who want it.
That is why I am asking our School Board to bring the chaplaincy policy back for a vote and approve a carefully structured pilot program. The community has already shown strong support. During months of public meetings, supporters outnumbered opponents by roughly 8 to 1 based on public comments.
Parents, faith leaders, and concerned residents did not come forward because this was convenient or political; they came because they see students hurting and believe our schools need trusted, vetted adults who can serve alongside existing support.
For more than a year, I stepped back from speaking publicly on this issue because I believed the administration was working toward implementation. I was told the pilot had been reviewed and cleared, and that we were moving toward the final steps. Recently, however, I was informed that the program could not move forward without board approval. If that is the barrier, then the solution is not delay. The solution is leadership: place the policy on the agenda, discuss it openly, and let the board vote. Concerns deserve to be heard, but they should not become a reason for inaction when safeguards are available. A chaplaincy pilot can be voluntary. It can require parental permission. It can respect family choice. It can define duties clearly, require screening, and provide public information so parents know who is serving. These safeguards are already reflected in Florida’s school chaplain law, and local leaders can add further guidelines to fit our community’s standards.
The deeper issue is that many young people need more than academic instruction. They need moral encouragement, steady mentorship, hope, and the steady presence of adults who care. Teachers and counselors work hard, but they cannot carry every burden alone. Families should not be denied a lawful, transparent option simply because it requires courage to implement. A pilot program is the responsible path forward because it is measured, limited, and accountable. It would allow the district to evaluate needs, set expectations, gather feedback, and make decisions based on real local experience rather than fear or assumption. If it works, students benefit. If adjustments are needed, the board can make them. But doing nothing helps no one.
For the sake of our students, families, and community, I urge the board to bring the chaplaincy policy back, debate it openly, and vote to launch a responsible pilot program. Give parents the choice. Give schools another partner. Give students one more trusted place to turn. Our children deserve every lawful, transparent, and voluntary source of support we can responsibly provide—and they deserve leaders willing to act.
Z. Nelly Hernandez, Community Service Chaplain
Kissimmee
Why is Sept.17 so important?
Dear Editor: Sept.17, 1787 is the day we commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia. The U.S. Constitution is the basis for America’s great heritage and the foundation for our great way of life.
From Sept.17-23 we celebrate Constitution Week. I hope you are inspired enough to read learn about the Constitution, spend time teaching it to the young students in order to preserve the history and values of a free republic. Children need to understand the values of being an American and the sacrifice that was made to get to the creation on this masterpiece, to open their minds and hearts to the meaning of being a true American. We need to inspire children from a young age, the beauty of our history, have them realize where we came from and the journey until where we are. They must appreciate the country that has given so much for the freedoms we take for granted. If children are not taught this, how do we expect them to appreciate our great country?
JoAnn Colonna
St. Cloud
Chairman, Conservative Women Crusaders
Make AI accelerate workplace judgment
Dear Editor: Osceola is already teaching young people to build workplace competencies through NeoCity Academy’s career and technical education programs. Employers should make sure AI strengthens that bridge from learning to responsibility.
Stanford’s latest employment update finds U.S. workers ages 22–25 in highly AI-exposed occupations about 19% below the employment pace of similarly aged workers in lessexposed occupations by June 2026. The adjustment appears mainly through reduced hiring. The best response is a training loop. Let AI organize information or produce the first draft. Give the junior employee responsibility for checking sources, testing edge cases, resolving exceptions, and explaining the final recommendation to an experienced reviewer.
Then measure time to independent competence. Osceola’s investment in technical skills pays off when employers preserve the assignments that turn skill into judgment. AI should compress preparation and expand supervised responsibility.
Gleb Tsipursky, CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts
Columbus, Ohio
