Chapter News

NAN Central Florida Chapter Community Update

 

For More Updates and to Get Involved For More Information Contact: Lawanna Gelzer at (407) 953-5599       Email: [email protected]  or  [email protected] ——————————————————————————————— MEDIA ADVISORY Date:        December 29,  2015 Contact:   Lawanna Gelzer, NAN Central Florida Chapter President Phone:      407-953-5599 Community Awareness Presentation about Environmental Threats To Headwaters Wetlands of Wekiva River and to Urban Communites Residents Health and Property   Residents of Endangered Communities Gather to learn more about how The City of Orlando, Developers CNL and VHB are Planning to Threaten their Property and Destroy Important Wekiva Wetlands on Wednesday, December 30th at 11AM at  3955 W. D. Judge Drive, Orlando, FL  32808 The National Action Network of Central Florida, Fight Back Coalition will join Dr. W. Jones, Speak up Wekiva, Environmental Activists, and concerned residents to learn more about the plans of the City of Orlando and local developers from CNL, CRE (Commercial Real Estate), Star Communications, and VHB (Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.) to build industrial warehouses and a communication building right in their neighborhood.  These developers will destroy critical Wekiva Wetlands that are important  headwaters of the LittleWekiva River and the Wekiva Riverto build these buildings.  Development of these headwaters wetlands will affect not only local residents but also residents that live along the Wekiva River. These wetlands and protected species habitat are an important part of the wetlands of the Little Wekiva Riverand the Wekiva River.   Developers CNL, CRE, VHB and Star Communications have no concern for the environment and want to build two industrial warehouses and a communictions building on over 146 acres of pristine and virtually untouched wetlands located near several residential neighborhoods. These lands also provide important habitat for several protected species including bald eagles, osprey, gopher tortoises, wood storks, swallow tailed kites, eastern indigo snakes, and a bat species that is suspected to be the endangered bonneted bat. Residents of the local community, especially the parents of school children and the many senior citizens, have been meeting regularly and are very concerned about the threat these developments present to the environment, the Wekiva wetlands, their property value, health, and public safety.   What:         Community Awareness Presentation about Environmental Threats To                                 Headwaters and Wetlands of Wekiva River and Threat to local and                                         Wekiva residents property and health. When:        Wednesday, December 30th at 11 AM Who:           LawannaGelzer, National Action Network Central Florida Chapter,                                      Dr. W. Jones and Concerned Citizens Where:       3955 W. D. Judge Drive, Orlando, FL. 32808   Availability for media questions after presentation.   ——————————————————————————————   Wetlands & Wekiva River Basin Under Attack from City Hall Insiders   A quasi-judicial hearing will take place tomorrow morning as residents continue to fight against a developer attack on wetlands and protected species habitat that are part of the Wekiva River Basin. A plan by City Hall insiders calls for wiping out more than one hundred acres of pristine and virtually untouched wetlands in Orlando to build two industrial warehouses which will threaten several residential neighborhoods, several protected species and the Wekiva River Basin. Developers close to City Hall want to build two industrial warehouses in this Orlando area near the Wekiva River Basin and destroying pristine and virtually untouched wetlands currently providing important habitat for several protected species. The property is located on W.D. Judge Road between John Young Parkway and Mercy Drive, and water on the property drains into the Fairvilla Canal, which drains into Lake Lawne. Lake Lawne is the headwaters, or beginning, of the Little Wekiva River. The area includes 146 acres of pristine and virtually untouched wetlands currently providing important habitat for several protected species including bald eagles, osprey, gopher tortoises, wood storks, eastern indigo snakes, and a bat species that is suspected to be the endangered bonneted bat. (Read More) What:        Quasi-Judicial Hearing  (QJ 2015-004 Princeton Oaks)  When:      Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at 9:00 AM Where:     Veterans Conference Room 2n Floor (400 South Orange Ave)                     Dr. Jones                     Marchelle Robinson ——————————————————————————————   MEDIA ADVISORY   Date:        November 16,  2015 Contact:   Lawanna Gelzer, NAN Central Florida Chapter President Phone:      407-953-5599   Community Leaders Respond to Environmental Threats To Wekiva River Basin Wetlands  The National Action Network Central Florida Chapter and Fight Back Coalition, in solidarity with other Social, Civic, and Civil Rights Organizations, will join Dr. Jones and Concerned Orlando residents on Wednesday, November 18th at 9 AM in City Council Chambers for a Quasi-Judicial Hearing in reference to the City of Orlando attempt to change the zoning of Wekiva River Basin Wetlands. Save Our Communities from Environmental Threats to Our Future  Wetlands and protected species habitat that are part of the Wekiva River Basin are once again under attack by developers who have no concern for the environment and want to build two industrial warehouses on 146 acres of pristine and virtually untouched wetlands located near several residential neighborhoods. These lands also provide important habitat for several protected species including bald eagles, osprey, gopher tortoises, wood storks, eastern indigo snakes, and a bat species that is suspected to be the endangered bonneted bat. This is the latest example of Environmental Injustice by the City of Orlando. We must stop the threat to our Environment and Wildlife. We must stop the threat to our Health. We must stop the threat to our Public Safety. We must stop the increase of Pollution. We must stop the  Bad Development. It’s time to stand up together for OUR Community and OUR Environment and fight back against the special interests of Mayor Dyer’s City Hall.             What:        Quasi-Judicial Hearing on Environmental Threats To Wekiva River                                        Basin Wetlands When:      Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at 9:00 AM Who:        Lawanna Gelzer, National Action Network Central Florida Chapter,                                        Dr. Jones and Concerned Citizens Where:     Veterans Conference Room 2n Floor (400 South Orange Ave) Availability for media comments before and after hearing at City Hall. ——————————————————————————————   Lawanna Gelzer, President of the NAN Central Florida Chapter, was featured on an Environmental Justice panel discussion, titled Killing US Softly: Environmental Threats To Our Future, during the three-day national convention in New York City earlier this month. “This is a civil rights issue,” Gelzer said to applause from the crowd. Gelzer joined an impressive panel including Sierra Club National Environmental Justice Director Leslie Fields, NAACP Director of Environmental and Climate Justice Jacqueline Patterson, and other national figures. (Read More)   —————————————————————————————— Parramore Contamination Land is a Topics at   2015 National Action Network Convention in NYC Fight Back Coalition released a detailed ground contamination map for the square-mile Parramore neighborhood based on official records from the City. Major local environmental issues including the Parramore contamination and Orlando brownfields will be discussed on an official panel at the 2015 National Action Network conference in New York City. Lawanna Gelzer, President of the NAN Central Florida Chapter, has been invited to join an Environmental Justice panel discussion, titled Killing US Softly: Environmental Threats To Our Future, during the three-day national convention. The focus of this panel is to address the impact of environmental issues that often times hurt poor communities, especially in communities of color that are directly related environmental hazards. The 90-minute panel discussion hopes to spark a robust conversation and will also include a Q & A session. Gelzer will join an impressive panel including Sierra Club National Environmental Justice Director Leslie Fields, NAACP Director of Environmental and Climate Justice Program Jacqueline Patterson, Deputy Director of We Act for Environmental Justice Cecil Corbin-Mark, Director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance Eddie Bautista, Founder of Project Urban Renewal Energy Djuan Coleon, and President of the Hip Hop Caucus Lennox Yearwood. The panel will be moderated by Quentin James, COO of Vestige Strategies. (Read More) —————————————————————————————— Contamination in Orlando: Earth Day Warning for Parramore Issuing an Earth Day warning about widespread contamination in Parramore, the Fight Back Coalition, the Central Florida Democratic Environmental Caucus and members of the local Sierra Club chapter launched a new community awareness campaign calling for more transparency, public outreach and direct action to help residents. The group also revealed a shocking detailed ground contamination map for the square-mile Parramore neighborhood based on official city records and a report by Environmental Data Resources which was funded by the city. That environmental report details 454 contaminated site locations just within Parramore. All of the information and data presented originated from public records requests directly with the City of Orlando and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Read More) Mike Cantone and Jim Callahan discuss contamination in Parramore with media.     Fight Back Coalition organizers have long warned the City of Orlando about contamination in Parramore as well as environmental and health concerns with the Parramore Community Garden. Lawanna Gelzer even called on City Hall to promote raised gardening to protect against contamination, but as the photo reveals, the Parramore Community Garden plants directly into soil. Enough is Enough. The Community will Fight Back. For More Updates and to Get Involved For More Information Contact: Lawanna Gelzer at (407) 953-5599       Email: [email protected]  or  [email protected]