[Nfbf-l] Fw: Article from Orlando Sentinel A Section 2010 02 05

Mon Feb 8 02:43:48 UTC 2010

I agree with beth 10000000000000000000000 Percent!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Beth" <thebluesisloose at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 8:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Fw: Article from Orlando Sentinel A Section 2010 02 05

Right.  It's sad that the abled get voted into the world, not the disabled.
Beth

On 2/7/10, Kirk <kvharmon54 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Sherri, this is a darn shame! Again, like you had mentioned it is the
> citizens in a small voting populas that get hit the hardest every time! KH
>
>
> Kirk Harmon
> 1031 Lenmore CT.
> Orlando, FL. 32812
> Office: 407-380-3371
> Cell: 407-473-2176
>
> Founder
> Florida Citizens for Progress
> President-CEO
> FDCP Association
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>
> Mayor's Veterans Advisory Counsel
>
> State of Florida Veterans Counsel
> Member
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> ACB
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> DAV
> BVA
> Disabled
> Advocate
>
> for Florida
>
> " F.D.C.P. Turning HOPE into REALITY"
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com>
> To: "nfbf-l" <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>; <Samme.Ripley at ocfl.net>
> Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 6:01 PM
> Subject: [Nfbf-l] Fw: Article from Orlando Sentinel A Section 2010 02 05
>
>
> Seems the the so-called non-disabled always come first. This is really 
> sad!
> Sherri
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "NFB-NEWSLINE Online" <nfbnewsline at nfb.org>
> To: "Sherri Brun" <flmom2006 at gmail.com>
> Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 5:30 PM
> Subject: Article from Orlando Sentinel A Section 2010 02 05
>
>
> Orlando to oust horse therapy for disabled. Mark Schlueb , Orlando 
> Sentinel.
> In the two years Jonalyn Davis has been bringing her daughter Sharon for
> therapeutic horseback rides at an Orlando park, she has seen the
> brain-damaged teen get stronger, her back straighten, her balance improve.
> It's a 45-minute drive for me so she can ride for just 30minutes, but I do
> it because it helps her," the Clermont woman said. It's heartbreaking. I
> don't know where we'll go if it isn't there. But Sharon's time in the 
> saddle
> may be coming to an end. The charity program, Freedom Ride, is in a corner
> of Trotters Park, and city officials have decided the land would be better
> used for soccer and baseball fields -- even though there's no money to 
> build
> them. We have to meet the needs of a broader population, not a special
> interest," said Lisa Early, who runs Orlando's Families, Parks and
> Recreation department. We have a lot of demand for ball fields for both
> youth and adults. In choosing not to renew the nonprofit group's lease 
> when
> it runs out in 2012, the city is ejecting an organization that annually
> serves about 150 adults and children such as Sharon, who suffered brain
> damage after nearly drowning as a small child. Riders have cerebral palsy,
> muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, autism, mental retardation,
> attention-deficit disorder, deafness and blindness. It's the last program 
> of
> its kind in Central Florida; development and economic pressure have 
> already
> ended two others. Parents say children in the program can show remarkable
> improvement. Physically, supporters compare riding to swimming: It 
> exercises
> multiple muscle groups, which is especially important for those with
> conditions that can cause muscle to atrophy. There seems to be a
> psychological benefit, too, particularly for autistic children. Some who
> rarely uttered a word before coming to Freedom Ride began speaking . 'We
> don't have the funds'  City officials have given Freedom Ride ample 
> warning.
> But the charity's leaders say they don't have the money to move. The
> organization relies on donated horses and a dedicated group of about 100
> volunteers. We don't have the funds to procure another piece of property,
> and this is a hard economy to solicit donations," board member Sam Dunaway
> said. Likewise, Orlando doesn't have the money to follow through on its
> ambitious plan for four soccer fields, four baseball fields and other
> improvements either. Just months ago, Mayor Buddy Dyer's administration 
> shed
> 237 positions through buyouts and layoffs to avoid a deficit. Only federal
> grants are preventing the layoff of police and firefighters, and budget
> pressure is expected to continue for several years. Times are tight, and 
> the
> city is not in a position to build them right now," Early said. Even so,
> there has been no discussion of extending Freedom Ride's lease until City
> Hall has the cash to go along with its plan. City officials say they might
> be able to use a Freedom Ride pasture for a makeshift practice soccer 
> field
> until funding is available. The city's plan removes the last vestiges of
> horseback riding from Trotters Park, which has a history of equestrian use
> that stretches back more than 60 years. The site had been used as a 
> training
> center for champion harness-racing horses called trotters since the 1940s.
> The city bought the land In 1947 and named it Ben White Raceway after the
> pioneer colt trainer and harness-racing driver. But use of the track fell
> after competing facilities opened throughout the South. And despite 
> appeals
> a decade ago to save the raceway, the city finally ripped out the clay 
> track
> and built baseball and soccer fields. The riding program was allowed as a
> nod to the park's heritage. Initially, Freedom Ride had a 20-year lease of
> 20 acres. A few years later, city officials cut the lease to 10 years and
> rented half the land to a for-profit riding business for the able-bodied.
> That business shut down last year. Freedom Ride representatives say the
> organization is being steamrolled. The nonprofit was never told about --  
> or
> asked for input on -- a new "master plan" for the park, which concluded 
> the
> equestrian use provides "little overall community benefit. Dunaway said
> repeated requests to meet with Dyer were rebuffed. But Laurie Botts, who
> runs Orlando's real-estate division, said the city has been more than fair
> to Freedom Ride. The charity pays no rent, and a few years ago the city
> released the group from a promise to build a covered arena and other
> improvements. Freedom Ride simply hasn't measured up to the city's
> expectations, she said . Official: City needs fields  City officials point
> to records that show most of those who use Freedom Ride live outside city
> limits. Meanwhile, there's heavy demand for more sports fields. We look at
> the numbers and make decisions based on facts and not hype," Early said.
> Youth sports groups said the need for more fields can't be overstated. Two
> groups share Trotters' four existing soccer fields, and one has had to 
> move
> some games to area private schools. As soon as they put the new fields out
> there, they'll be full. The demand always outstrips the availability," 
> said
> Scott Bates, vice president of FC America, a soccer club that plays at
> Trotters. Freedom Ride board members say the need for sports fields
> shouldn't be filled at the expense of a program for the disabled. They say
> the numbers ignore other visits, such as numerous school field trips.
> Students at nearby Princeton House charter school, which serves autistic
> kids, visit twice a week. And while Freedom Ride does welcome riders who
> live outside city limits, so do youth sports leagues, Dunaway said. The 
> city
> is spending millions of dollars to build an arena for the Orlando Magic," 
> he
> said. How many of their season-ticket holders live in the city limits?
> Illustrations: PHOTO: Freedom Ride volunteers help Sharon Davis, 17, ride
> Ginger this week at city-owned Trotters Park.\ GEORGE SKENE/ORLANDO
> SENTINEL\ . PHOTO: Julissa Abreo, 28, waits with mom Juana Ramos for her
> ride at Orlando's Trotters Park. The city is planning to end Freedom 
> Ride's
> lease so it can add playing fields. Freedom Ride is the last program of 
> its
> kind in Central Florida.\ GEORGE SKENE/ORLANDO SENTINEL. Mark Schlueb can 
> be
> reached at mschlueb at orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5417..
>
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