2021-06-01 News ArticlesJu9t8 9, 202Y Lake Oiceechobee News - merger ot o �bee News, ci�wiston nl•aws, Giadas Ceunty Domocrat, and 7he oi
�'roclam�tion for Gay Pr�de �, �„� '����-.�� ,t�_ k ::.��
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�I�nth is voted down ��
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'$y C'a#9�y'a�os�$>9e cause a:; i United 3tates Marine veteran, �
Lal:e Olceechobee Dlews an Afghani.;tan War veterari, who fuugh�
OKEECHOBEE In a tour to onP vote, �d almost died protectmg the treedoms
the f,ay Pride Month pro�lernution was thai most Arnericans talce for granted, h? �'
voted �Icwn dunn� the Jnne i neetinv of chose to fi. ht (�r tne fr e lor��s :>I his fellow � �
flie OkPech �bee City �ouncd. citizens. Hr s�.id his only inient wrth ihe �
The oun��l chambers was hlled w�tii Pr<xlamati �n was to r. o n�.e eyual Tigh45 `'��t
Ixal pasto�s and cunrerned ci[izeas as Ihe �� equal p�o�ection prr,viderl tu al! citizens
meetmg beqeui. under the Constiniticn of the t_�nited States. .�
May _ r D�wlin� Ws[furd explained wtiy "Th�s i;: not a moral issue or a rehgious '�' �
the proclamalio�i was un the a,enda. He issue It ;s an PyuaLty issue,' i�e said. ��
said nomally a pro.:lamation is j! ist s�gned Kee(e read the meanm� of the word
by t6e mayor a�i�l cresented �luring the "bigot." HF ,aid a bigot !s a person who is �
meeting. Ii does noi normafly ia'.;e coimcil �bs[inately or uru�ersonably aitached to a
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�. �����o� 2��� a�n �s s�ec�a� sai��e aa�
2cti�,n, but in thu �ase, Natford did not e e, opuuon or �acLon, .,speu�ity c�ne ., �a�,��,��,�;�����,�,� �,,gews on Jaane 3mi#a ama��,���f
fer.l cumfortahle sfgning the pruclamatioa �'�'ho is prejudiced against or aritagonistic ,,.. ,.,
Oui of re.spect to the council memt�er who toward � person ��r peoplz on the bztais of Ca���S� �EI�e 011 JUf�j� � S�:
requesied it, he feit if sLould be �.�I���eA on their memhership iri a particular group.
the agenda and voteci nn by the council. "i'�l admit. I useci to be a bi�nt," he said. Sianply submit your phota alang ��2i�
'9t':� im{�+�rtant to him. and I res{�r� ihai. 1 "I used to he a hater oi ga;y people until ��a�oa �e
staya.d awalce all Fri: �ay night irying ¢o deter- somebody whn I loved dea'rly, my bia�tier, '�� � t�1e �OY711 h���OW d0:
mine whaP In do about it," said the mayor. shared •✓�ith ow� famity thai he was gay ... i �°�� �'��'�p g6z�)
The mayor weoi on to expfair thai in made a chuice to 6e accepr�ng of other, _.
order (or the procla.�ation to be consid- Ye who are wiihout sin, cast the nrst str�ne."
ered, a motiou would nead [u be made and AS Kee(e spoke, there werw several out-
then secc+nded !o open a discussion aboul hursts fro:n ihe audience, and the mayor
iL Rather Ihari makin� !hat motion, Councl- had to ask evsiycre io be yuiel ezch lime.
msui Noel Chandler mzcte a nwtion not to Watforcl said he ar�reaated K=eta's cr>n
consider it, and this mnrion wz� ;econded cam and he !�as se�e�al gay friends hirtiself.
Cy Councilmar r,ot lvriel but ii did not malce h�m v✓ant to con;ider
Coiaicihnan Sooby Keafe Sa�d he chosz the pmclan�ation
to put the item qn C�e ayendz c��spiie A-�ote m�y; taicer. f1�T to romsi<ler ?he
knowin u ron�Jci b� _,nnovri-;ia!, be- rnc,clamt:tiou.
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,Al�+tm: Salut��g tluur S�ia19�?rz�
707 S.W, l7tl� �t. 5+te. L1,
oke�hobee, FL 3a97a
llse �he 3ink at
sou4hcen2e�alfloridali3e. carr�/soldiers
ar e-vnaql th2 iaaform�diore 3n the iorm,
a9onb we�th a �rhoto 'to:
jllmoges@ Ir�iusa.org.
Please include
"Saluting Our Soldlers"
in the subject 1➢ne.
Please, no copyrighted o�iotos
withoui proper release.
Submission Deadllne: June 24
OfHca h9ox�rs:
Mon • Thurs 9-4; Fri 9- 7
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June 9, 2027 LBke OkeeChobee News - merger ecfiobee News, Clewiston News, Glades Courrty Democrat, and TIc�:: , 1 g
Noel Chandler is �wo�r� in
as city council �ember
By Cathy Woinbte
Lake Okeechotee News
OKEECHOBEE — Ncel Chandler wa;
sworn in for his term as city council iriem-
ber before the counciPs June I meeting.
Chandler was elected in - -
the special election held
in May. He has served as
councilrnan in thc past � ,
ar�d is happy to gel bacl< in
Ihe saddl= again. . - �
During the meeting •
the rnuncil discussed �
�v� addendum to [he
intedocal agreen�ient Noel
with Okeechnbee Utiliry Chandler
Authority. tipecifically, the
addendum would allow For compensa[ion
of Goard members. J��hn Geasman, OUA
Board Chairman, sa�d it is often ��ifficull to
get people who are �nliing tn serve, and
the board (e!t comper.satinn would help
wiih ih�s problem He said the board is
very active, putling m many l�ours each
month. Councilman Bobby I<eefe said his
concern would be that the cost ro OUA
customers could increase. He wanted to be
sure compensating board members would
not negafively affect custome�s. Cmasman
assured him ihis would not happen and
said they wem considering other means of
wmpensalion lhat were �ot mnnelary. In
the end, Ihe decision was made M have [he
ciry attorney John Fumero draft language
to add inio the agreement which would
allow for compr_nsation but would require
an approval prucess by thz city and county.
The council is not opposed lo compensa-
tion, buf v�iants safegiiards in place before
approving.'I'he iteir: will he discussed again
after Furnero brings it bacic to lhe table.
Olceechobee Cuunly Board at County Com-
missioners wi11 be voting on the same iiem
during its.lune 10 meeting.
TYie Okeechobee f'ounty Tax Collector's
Office requested a temporary closure of
Northw« st Third Avenue between Norit�-
west Fairth Street and Northwest Fifth
Streei dunng weekdays for the pur��se
of administenu� !he diiver's license road
test. This would be done as needed whe❑
someone comes in to talte a tesL Councfl-
man Bobby Keefe said he felt they shoWd
have planned fnr this when buildiny the
new nffices rather than do;ing a,treet.
Councilwoman Monicz Clazi< said ihe
driver's licease office was down near the
lake For years wiihr�ut closiog a street, and
she helieves it someone is tal:ing a driver's
lest, Ihey should knnw hnw [o drive iu traf-
fic CiN Administratur Marcos ivlontes Ue
c2.a said he was told part d the problem
w�s parallel parlang. They have nowhere
fr.r the test talcers to parallel paric witliout
closing the street. Kee(e sug�ested they set
�p c�,nes m ihe p�rl���q lot, but the ��ouncd
voled IhreP to Mro to approve �Iosuig the
street
Nt agreement for funner counr.ilman
C;ary Riite, to serve as city adrninistrator
was discussed The cuntract presented by
Fwnero calls for Ritter to ser✓e as interim
ad�ninistrator for a three month probation
peri� �d. As long as council approves, he
would move from interim tu admmisira
tor at the end of three months His salaty
wo� dct be $93,000 p=r yea� Counci!man
Ncel Chandler sa�c he would l�ke [o see a
resume, and Ri;te, agreed to � rc�ride one
The council voted unanimousSy to accept
Ritler as mterin! administrator eifective.lu�
21.
Changcs to elia Charter :(evievi Co� nrm
[ee membership Nere d�scussed. Chandlei
had to resign when he was elected to city
council, and Ritter will be resigning to tal:c
on the role of administrato!. Former Coun-
cilman Wes Abney was servin� as an ex of-
ficio member, and now ihat he is no longer
a counciiman, he could be made an o(ficial
voting member said the mayor. This move
was ananimously approved by the council.
They made a decizion not to replace Ritter,
because the board is almo,t flnished with
its review of the charter.
The councf di;cussed appoinYments as
ciry lizison io various boards and cornmi�-
tees . Thes-� chaaiges are needed, berause
Atrne9 ha; cnmpleted his term en the cuun-
cil and can no Ionger serve as li�ison.
f3ecause Montes de Qca, who is a�i
engineer, is no longer serving as city ad-
rninis¢rator, Ihe city will also need [o hire an
engineer. They will he sending out an RFQ
to fill the position.
This wa, Montes de Oca's lasi meeting
as adrninistrator, and he ihanlced everyone
(or a happy almos4 sv ycars in ser�ce to
the city.
IRSC offers certification �� Ii�omecl��al Sciences
Special to the Lalce Okeechobee
FORT PIEkCE —This fall, Indian River
State College (IRSC) malces it easier (w� s[u-
dents preparing for acceptarice into gr8d-
uate-level medical school, dental school,
pharmacy school, or another health-eelated
professional school. The college's ne�N
I S�credi[ post-baccalaureate certificate in
upper-level biobgy courses prepares stu-
denis (or graduate school curriculum and
entrance exarns. IRSC is the firsi and only
� c�llege in the Florida College System to of-
fer this partiwlar Certificate of Professional
Preparatlon (CPP).
"At IF2:iC, immunolog,y and biotechnol-
ogy are part o? our baccalaureate biolo3y
curriculum, but for many colleges and
universities, biology degre=s doNt require
biochemistry or other biomedical uppertli
visiou electives," states Dr. Healher Belmont
IRSC V;ce R�esidenl (or Academic A(fairs
and Chief Academic 0(ficec "6Ve've estab-
lished the CPP in Eiomediczl Sciences to
help brid�e the gap for studenLS who need
required cuursework as admi;sion rvquire-
ments for health-rela[ed graduate school."
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CLEAN �41R, F�#EA6.THY Si91�.
AND �LEA,N VI/,A.TEl2 ,�►R�C
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R''" ; he peonle of U.S. Sugar grow the food that i'�
feeds America while pz�uiecting out
` communities where zNe live.
Water leaving our farms is znuch cleaner than when
it enters because we use tt�e latest technology to '��
manage water levels and conirol soil sediments. '
And Hendry and Glades counties' air quality ranks
second and third best of Florida's 67 counties - ���,3
xr_uch cleaner th�n congested urban areas. ''��
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Oiar sustainable farmir.g aad conservation ,
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practices ensure that our lands, air and '�;� :�.
waters remain healthy for
future generations. .-.
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