 Dear Chapter Members,Thankfully, it seems as if the brief government shutdown last month has not had a large effect on our profession. It looks as though firms are beginning to hire. There are several openings listed currently on the ASLA website, with many here in Florida. Last week I was able to travel to Miami to present the chapter’s legislative awards to Sen. Miguel Dias de la Portilla, and his aid, Pat Gosney. It was a pleasure to meet him and be able to present two beautiful photographs by a Gainesville area photographer. The awards were very well received and I know we have a friend in the Senate that we can call on. Following our very successful conference in July, we embarked on finding a new executive director. I am happy to welcome Corey Mathews and his team to FL|ASLA. In just a few short days Corey has already jumped in and is getting familiar with our operations. I have full confidence that he will meet any challenge we throw at him, and look forward to the future working with his team. As this will be my final message to you as President, I would like to say thank you to my fellow leaders and to the members. It has been a humbling experience and an honor to serve this year. We have come a long way in the 13 months since I took the reins. I am confident that membership in ASL A is on the rebound, and we have great things on the horizon. I will be traveling to the national meeting next week in Boston to represent the chapter on the Chapter President’s Council, along with our Incoming president Jeff Brophy and our incoming president-elect David Ferris. We will have several additional Florida Chapter members representing us in different capacities. If you are planning to head to Boston, I hope to see you there! Have a great Thanksgiving and thank you again for allowing me to serve as President this year! Michael Miller, PLA, ASLA 2013 FL|ASLA Chapter President FL|ASLA Conference 2014 at the Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo – July 24-26 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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Welcome to the 38th and final month of this report series, "ASLA Membership". As I write this report, I am only a few weeks away from the end of my tenure as Trustee. Part of me is sad. Part of me is happy to pass the torch, as it were. Always feel free to reach out to me about anything at ASLA@FlamingoGreen.com. Just be patient with my response time! I’ve been on the road a bit lately. And remember, you can always reach the current FLASLA Trustee at Trustee@FLASLA.org. I am sure Emily O’Mahoney will take great care of our Chapter and keep you well informed for the next three years. I will be traveling to Boston Nov. 14 – 18 to represent our Chapter at the Annual Board of Trustees’ meeting – and to get a few last CEUs! Hope to see you there. GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Please volunteer to serve as a portfolio reviewer during the annual meeting (Nov. 16 and/or Nov. 17). Thirty-two (32) volunteer reviewers (16 per day) are needed to provide constructive feedback to students and recent graduates. Volunteers can select a time slot by clicking on the link. A letter to the members on ASLA’s legal petition to protect its SITES’ ownership rights was emailed to the full ASLA membership and is posted on the website with the petition. Please read if you haven’t already. The green roof was visited by midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD) who have been assigned to do a feasibility study on green roofs for an education building on the academy’s campus. Interestingly enough, they had never seen green roof growing media. Fortunately, ASLA has samples on site. GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS ASLA finalized negotiations with Rep. Donna Edwards’ and Sen. Tom Udall’s offices, American Rivers, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, and the Water Environment Federation on introduction of the Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act. The bill is expected to be introduced on Nov. 12. ASLA is working on press and grassroots materials to highlight the bill’s introduction. PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS Communication Coordinator Stamper met with chapter Public Awareness representatives via WebEx to explore options for 2014 Public Awareness activities. The reps have agreed to adopt a theme of Demonstrating Value and will be researching data to quantify the benefits of the work of landscape architects. This data will be aggregated at national as part of a coordinated publicity campaign. The reps also agreed to stage a simultaneous event in all their markets, most likely during National Landscape Architecture Month. |
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Florida history is particularly interesting when it comes to historic golf courses. These heritage landscapes are some of our most prized destinations.
The Florida Division of Historical Resources recently started the Florida Historic Golf Trail program to promote our state's oldest golf courses. This historic trail will identify and highlight the historic golf courses of Florida through the Division's website. The website includes a brief history, photographs, and information for each golf course. The Florida Historic Golf Trail website is http://floridahistoricgolftrail.com/.
Golf has contributed to the Sunshine State's economy since the early 1900s. Early golf courses were associated with the railroad, hotel and resort development and catered to wealthy northerners seeking refuge from harsh winters.
One such early course was the Winter Park Country Club. The city's golfing heritage dates back to 1900 when John Dunn of Scotland designed its first course, located south of the existing course and adjacent to Rollins College. Dunn's course closed within a decade due to the growth of the town and college.
In 1914, Harley Ward and Dow George laid out a 9-hole course on 25 acres at the north end of town. The same year, Winter Park Country Club formed and one of the club's first activities was to build a clubhouse, which is still in use today. The club contracted with Dow George and built an additional 18-hole golf course around the 9-hole "short" course.
The early courses were not always tranquil places. Cattle wandering on the fairways necessitated the installation of fencing around the course in 1915. A few years later, however, sheep and goats were turned out on the links for pasture to help solve the shortage of meat during World War I.
In 1926, the Winter Park Country Club golf course closed. It later re-organized at the old site, rehabilitated and re-opened in 1937.
In 1999, the Winter Park golf course became the first golf course in Florida listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The clubhouse entered into the National Registry at the same time.
The Florida Historic Golf Trail includes more than 60 public, semi-private, military and resort golf courses from Pensacola to Jacksonville and down to Key West. Spread across 31 counties, most were built during the "Golden Age" of golf course architecture from the early teens through the late 1930s.
Many architects hired to design and build new golf courses would become legendary. They include Donald Ross, Seth Raynor, Tom Bendelow, Stiles and Van Kleek, Herbert Strong, Langford and Moreau, and Flynn and Toomey. Most of the courses on the list are open to the public. Here's an invitation to get out on the Florida Historic Golf Trail and tee-up where Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen and Babe Zaharias made golf history. Enjoy!
Submitted by David Driapsa, ASLA
The Florida Historic American Landscapes Survey
FLASLA HALS Chair
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Dear Chapter Members,
As I reported last month, chapter elections closed. We had strong voter turnout with 28 percent of the membership participating. Believe it or not, that is a good turnout for associations. I am happy to announce the winning candidates and introduce you to the 2014 leadership roster:
Congratulations to the election winners! 2014 is going to be a strong year for FL|ASLA! ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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Acclaimed environmental artist Buster Simpson was the Department of Landscape Architecture's Distinguished Speaker for November in Gainesville.
Buster's work emphasizing water and environmental issues has been admired nationally, and he has been invited as a part of UF's student team for this year's entry for the EPA's national green infrastructure competition, the "Campus RainWorks Challenge," which was won by UF last year. Several FL/ASLA members were honored to attend. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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It is just about that time of year again! Save the date of Dec. 6, 2013 for the Annual Joint Societies Holiday Party organized by the Palm Beach Planning Congress. If you have not had a chance to see the recently rebuilt Casio Building at Lake Worth Beach, here is your chance. Come out and enjoy the full dinner buffet, drinks, and classic rock on the dance floor. When: Friday, Dec. 6, 2013 from 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Where: Casino Ballroom, Lake Worth Casino Building (10 South Ocean Boulevard, Lake Worth, FL 33460) Details & Registration: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e8f5vbab13d349db&llr=5yxwcgdab |
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POLITICAL ISSUES
Special Election to Fill Mike Fasano’s House Seat After Republican State Representative Mike Fasano left the Florida House of Representatives to serve as the Pasco County Tax Collector, Republican Bill Gunter and Democrat Amanda Murphy squared off in a special election last month. Although Gunter maintained a funding advantage of 3 to 1, Murphy prevailed. This leaves the Florida House with 75 Republicans and 45 Democrats. There has been much political commentary and debate as to the significance of this race, with Republicans maintaining that it changes little or nothing in the grand scheme, and Democrats contending that it is the beginning of a tidal shift in Florida politics. Congressman Bill Young Passes Away at Age 82
Congressman C.W. Bill Young passed away last month at the age of 82. A Tampa Bay Times editorial stated, "Florida and Tampa Bay will never have another member of Congress to match C.W. Bill Young's remarkable record of selfless public service. He served with eight U.S. presidents over parts of five decades. He brought home projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars that created jobs and helped define the region as a hub for military contractors, marine science and public education. And he represented his nation and his constituents with dignity, humility and grace even in periods when the nation's capital was torn by partisanship, anger and distrust." Young was honored by a host of dignitaries at his memorial service in Pinellas County. With thousands in attendance, United States House Speaker John Boehner gave remarks, as did United States Sen. Bill Nelson. Governor Rick Scott sat in the front row. Former Republican Governor Charlie Crist was not among those honoring Congressman Young after his wife Beverly sent Crist an email notifying him that his presence at the memorial service would be unacceptable. Similar emails were sent to Democratic County Commissioner and former state Sen. Charlie Justice and Democrat Jessica Erlich, who have both challenged Congressman Young for his Congressional seat. Charlie Crist Officially Announces Candidacy for Governor This week, Charlie Crist officially announced his candidacy for Governor as a Democrat. Republicans are ready to challenge Crist with his record as a former Republican and negative television advertisements have already begun airing. Even former top Crist advisor and U.S. Sen. George LeMieux has called Crist’s principles into question. However, several high profile Democrats have recently begun to endorse Crist, and initial skepticism among Democrats appears to be giving way to support. LEGISLATIVE ISSUES Water Supply and Quality The House State Affairs Committee and Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee held another lengthy joint hearing this week relating to water, this time focused on Lake Okeechobee and related issues. Presentations were given by the Department of Environmental Protection, St. Johns and South Florida Water Management Districts, and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Dike issues were addressed. The structural integrity of the Herbert Hoover Dike is compromised at certain lake levels and the lake rises very rapidly. Repairs are underway but are extremely expensive and will take at least a decade. The Dike protects 40,000 people living in the area. But discharges from the lake have created extreme water quality problems regionally. There was a considerable amount of discussion related to the nutrient issues facing the area and efforts to reduce nutrients, including water farming and the construction of regional stormwater management systems. The meeting packet for the Nov. 6 joint meeting can be viewed here. The meeting was also televised on the Florida Channel and can be viewed here. The Senate Select Committee on the Indian River Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee Basin wrapped up its work this week. The committee packet can be viewed here. A video of the meeting can be found here. The Select Committee’s report has been finalized and can be viewed, along with other information, on the Committee’s webpage here. The report focused on three areas: (1) improving water quality; (2) expanding water storage capacity; and (3) strengthening the current relationship between the state and federal governments by clarifying areas of responsibility and working to improve accountability. In total, the report contains more than $220 million in proposed state funding. The report also recommends giving the Department of Environmental Protection authority over releases from Lake Okeechobee. Public Private Partnership Guidelines Task Force This task force was created during the 2013 Legislative Session in HB 85, for the purpose of issuing recommendations to the Legislature for creating a uniform process to establish public private partnerships at the local level. The task force held its second meeting in Tallahassee in October. Among other presentations, there were discussions related to local government infrastructure funding and financing of public private partnerships. The Florida Association of Counties and Florida League of Cities also gave presentations. For more information and for background materials related to this meeting, please see the task force webpage on the Department of Management Services website here. FLORIDA ECONOMIC NEWS Employment Statistics Delayed as a Result of Federal Government Shutdown Florida’s unemployment rate in August was 7 percent, but state officials reported that last month the state actually lost jobs. The state was scheduled to report updated unemployment numbers earlier this month, but was unable to do so because of the federal government shutdown.
2014 SESSION DATES
November 4, 2013 Interim Committee Week December 9, 2013 Interim Committee Week
January 6, 2014 Interim Committee Week
January 7, 2014 House Early Member-Bill Request Submission Deadline
January 13, 2014 Interim Committee Week
January 21, 2014 House Early Member-Bill Filing Deadline
January 24, 2014 Senate Bill Drafting Request Deadline
House Final Member-Bill Request Submission Deadline
January 28, 2014 Senate Bill Drafting Approval Deadline
February 3, 2014 Interim Committee Week
February 10, 2014 Interim Committee Week
February 17, 2014 Interim Committee Week
February 28, 2014 House Member-Bill Requests Deadline
March 4, 2014 Legislative Session Convenes
Final Bill Filing Deadline For Both Chambers – 12:00 pm
May 2, 2014 Legislative Session Scheduled to Conclude
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