Florida history is filled with important dates including 1513 when Juan Ponce de Leon\u2019s European expedition landed in La Florida. More than three centuries later in 1845 Florida officially became a state. Henry Flagler completed construction of his railroad to the Florida Keys in 1912 only to die the following year. For the state\u2019s hoop fans, a year of renewed hope occurred in 2010 when the Miami Heat signed 25-year-old LeBron James. A memorable year for residents of the central section of the state was 1971 when Mickey and Minnie Mouse arrived. The opening of Walt Disney World near Orlando brought major changes to Central Florida, and for many Floridians, not necessarily for the better.<\/p>\n
We departed Florida for graduate school in 1970, returning two years later to a state on steroids with economic and population growth that continues more than 50 years later. The metropolitan area of Orlando, a sleepy town with a population under 300,000 when we departed in 1970, is now home to over 2 million people. Orange and grapefruit groves have been replaced with housing developments, malls, service stations, warehouses and parking lots. Pleasurable two-lane roads of the 60s have morphed into multiple-lane white-knuckle racetracks.<\/p>\n
kAmu@C E9@D6 @7 FD H:E9 7@?5 >6>@C:6D @7 E96 DE2E6\u2019D A2DE[ :E \ud83d\ude00 7@CEF?2E6 A@4<6ED @7 ~=5 u=@C:52 92G6 DFCG:G65 |:4<6J 2?5 |:??:6] q@< %@H6C ?62C {2<6 (2=6D C6>2:?D 2 EC2?BF:= A=246 @7 362FEJ[ H9:=6 >6C>2:5D 4@?E:?F6 E@ 8C246 E96 H2E6CD @7 (66<:6 (24966] ~42=2\u2019D $:=G6C $AC:?8D 2?5 :ED 8=2DD\\3@EE@> 3@2ED DE:== @776C G:D:E@CD DEC:<:?8 F?56CH2E6C G:6HD] (6 G:D:E65 6249 @7 E96D6 2EEC24E:@?D 2D 49:=5C6? 2?5 282:? 2D 25F=ED] u@C FD[ ~=5 u=@C:52 92D ?6G6C 8@EE6? @=5]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAm(6 C646?E=J 5:D4@G6C65 2 ?6H WE@ FDX =@42E:@? E@ 6?;@J 2 E2DE6 @7 ~=5 u=@C:52 \ud83d\ude15 2 DFCAC:D:?8=J A62467F= 2C62 @7 E96 DE2E6] |:DD:@? #6D@CE Z r=F3[ EF4<65 2H2J \ud83d\ude15 E96 C@==:?8 9:==D @7 {2<6 r@F?EJ ?@CE9 @7 ~C=2?5@ @776C65 2 C6DE7F= E9C66 ?:89ED H:E9 4@>7@CE23=6 C@@>D[ 6I46==6?E 7@@5[ 2?5 7C:6?5=J 6>A=@J66D] w:==D \ud83d\ude15 E96 u=@C:52 !6?:?DF=2 2C6 D@ F?FDF2= E96 2C62 \ud83d\ude00 D@>6E:>6D 42==65 \u201c%96 u=@C:52 p=AD]\u201d xE H2D @?46 9@>6 E@ @G6C `a_[___ 24C6D @7 4:ECFD EC66D E92E \ud83d\ude15 E96 `hg_D H6C6 564:>2E65 3J 5:D62D6 2?5 D6G6C2= D6G6C6 7C66K6D]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAm(9:=6 E96 4:ECFD 8C@G6D E92E 2EEC24E65 A6@A=6 E@ E9:D C68:@? @7 u=@C:52 \ud83d\ude15 E96 62C=J `h__D 92G6 G2?:D965[ 2 ?@E23=6 C6D@CE C6>2:?D E@ H6=4@>6 G:D:E@CD] %96 724:=:EJ C6A=2465 2? 62C=:6C 9@E6= 2?5 4@F?ECJ 4=F3 4@>A=:>6?ED @7 }:49@=2D q6F496C[ 2? x==:?@:D 3FD:?6DD>2? 2?5 :?G6DE@C H9@ AFC492D65 E96 AC@A6CEJ 2?5 DA6?E 7:G6 J62CD C6?@G2E:?8 E96 8@=7 4@FCD6 2?5 4=F39@FD6 367@C6 4@?DECF4E:?8 2 =@58:?8 724:=:EJ E92E @A6?65 \ud83d\ude15 `hf_] q6F496C 4@?E:?F65 E@ 255 2?5 FA52E6 E96 4@>A=6I 5FC:?8 E96 ?6IE 7:G6 564256D] %96 C6D@CE C6E2:?D E96 @C:8:?2= `h`f t= r2>A6@? 8@=7 4@FCD6 A=FD 2 >@C6 C646?E `hha 4@FCD6 H:E9 =@?86C 72:CH2JD 2?5 7=2EE6C E6CC2:?] t249 @7 E96 :??\u2019D `fe 8F6DE C@@>D @776CD 8@=7 4@FCD6[ E6??:D 4@FCE[ @C H2E6C G:6HD] ~?6\\ E@ E9C66\\365C@@> DF:E6D 2C6 2=D@ 2G2:=23=6] %96 C6D@CE 92D E9C66 5:?:?8 724:=:E:6D :?4=F5:?8 @?6 \ud83d\ude15 E96 8@=7 4@FCD6 4=F39@FD6]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAm%96 2EEC24E:G6 d__\\24C6 AC@A6CEJ \ud83d\ude00 9@>6 E@ ?F>6C@FD >28?:7:46?E =:G6 @2< EC66D E92E 255 E@ E96 8C66?6CJ @7 E96 8@=7 4@FCD6 72:CH2JD 2?5 8C66?D] x? 255:E:@? E@ 8@=7[ E96 C6D@CE @776CD E6??:D[ A:4<=632==[ 2?5 G@==6J32== 4@FCED[ 3:4J4=6 2?5 ;@88:?8 EC2:=D[ 7:E?6DD 46?E6C[ DA2[ 4@?76C6?46 46?E6C 2?5 2? @FE5@@C A@@=] %96 724:=:EJ 92D 364@>6 2 A@AF=2C G6?F6 7@C H655:?8D] x7 E96D6 762EFC6D 5@?\u2019E DA2C< >F49 :?E6C6DE[ 7@==@H @FC =625 2?5 DA6?5 2 76H 9@FCD C6=2I:?8 H:E9 2 8@@5 3@@< @? E96 A2E:@ @G6C=@@<:?8 E96 8@=7 4@FCD6]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAm{6DD E92? 2 >:=6 7C@> E96 C6D@CE \ud83d\ude00 E96 w@H6J |2?D:@?[ 2 9@>6 3F:=E \ud83d\ude15 E96 `ha_\u2019D 3J (:==:2> w@H6J H9@ 244F>F=2E65 e_[___ 24C6D @7 =2?5 @? H9:49 96 4F=E:G2E65 4:ECFD EC66D] w@H6J 2=D@ 7@F?565 E96 =@42= 4@>>F?:EJ @7 w@H6J\\:?\\E96\\w:==D] %@FCD @7 E96 >2?D:@? 2C6 2G2:=23=6] %9C66 >:=6D 62DE @7 E96 C6D@CE \ud83d\ude15 E96 E@H? @7 *2=292 \ud83d\ude00 *2=292 q2<6CJ[ 2 v6C>2? 32<6CJ E92E C:G2=D E96 36DE 32<6C:6D H6 92G6 D2>A=65 \ud83d\ude15 v6C>2?J] t:89E >:=6D ?@CE9 \ud83d\ude15 E96 E@H? @7 %2G6C6D G:D:E@CD 42? 6?;@J 2 D46?:4 D62A=2?6 C:56 2E y@?6D qC@E96CD $62A=2?6D H:E9 2 49@:46 @7 7=:89ED C2?8:?8 \ud83d\ude15 4@DE 7C@> S`a_ E@ Sae_ A6C A6CD@?] tI4FCD:@?D 2?5 7=:89E EC2:?:?8 2C6 2=D@ @776C65] u@==@H:?8 J@FC 7=:89E[ 5:?6 2E ?62C3J !F55=6 yF>A6CD 2?5 6?;@J D@>6 4@>7@CE 7@@5 :?4=F5:?8 2 DE24< @7 @FEDE2?5:?8 @?:@? C:?8D]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAmx7 =:<6 FD[ J@F H2?E E@ 6?;@J D@>6 H2C> H62E96C H9:=6 2G@:5:?8 E96 4C@H5D[ EC277:4 2?5 ?@:D6 E92E ?@H A6CG256D >F49 @7 E96 $F?D9:?6 $E2E6[ 4@?D:56C 2 G:D:E E@ w@H6J\\:?\\E96\\w:==D H96C6 ~=5 u=@C:52 H:== H6=4@>6 J@F]k^Am<\/p>\n