Assignment 5a-Identifying Local Oppurtunities

• "Gonna sit right down and read myself a letter" by Amy Mangan of the Ocala Star Banner
•  http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/16C3F594C4F7BA80?p=WORLDNEWS 
• This is an article discussing the authors reflection on her attachment to physical letters. Amy Mangan opens about how although she is not a hoarder, she does hoard one thing, and that is personal letters. She then goes on to talk about how letters have positively impacted her life, and how she wishes people wrote more letters. She talks of how once every few months she will drink some wine and read all the old letters written to her, as a way for her to remember good times in her life. She also discusses how much she regrets not saving the letters her parents wrote her as a child or when she first went away to college. Amy closes with a call to action for the reader to pick up some stationary and a pen and write someone a letter. 
• The Problem: In this article, Amy discusses the issue of people not writing enough letters. She even talks about how Letter writing and card sending has become a lost art, and says that for her, text messages just don't cut it. I believe this points towards societies push towards being extremely technologically driven, and never valuing personal interactions. 
• The People: This issue applies to everyone, young and old. While it is easy to point towards the younger generation as becoming to engrossed in technology, this occurs to parents and grandparents as well.
• "Few answers for residents near Villages, Fore Ranch cave-ins" by Austin L. Miller of the Ocala Star Banner
• http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/16C3F59511AFC560?p=WORLDNEWS
• This article discusses the issue of sinkholes opening up in The Villages of Marion on May 21. Steve Morrows, who lives across the street from the sinkhole reported that the sinkhole has already been filled up, and that officials from the Villages have already asked the homeowner, Dorris Morrill, if the can come onto her property and test the ground. Morrill and her neighbor, the Newman’s, have been evacuated for over a month. Other large sinkholes have opened in Fore Ranch in Ocala, causing 8 homes to be evacuated. The city is still pursuing permits to start work, but these permits have not been approved yet, and still might be pulled. 
• The Problem: The issue in this article is that not only are sinkholes occurring, but that the city is being slow to resolve the issue. People are already being forced out of their homes, but the city has been slow on responding and fixing the issue. 
• The People: This issue has affected the people who are being forced out of their homes by the sinkholes and having to remain outside their homes due to slow service by the city. 
• "Proposal to further limit prison visitation draws critics" by Cindy Swirko of the Ocala Star Banner
• http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/16C2A19B38F00CC0?p=WORLDNEWS
• The Florida Department of Corrections is considering changing the visitation limits for people in prison from once every weekend to once every other weekend. The reason for these changes is an issue with staff, and the city not being able to provide enough workers for these weekend visits. Another issue that arises from these visits is the smuggling of illegal substances into jail by visitors, which is one of the many reasons that visiting hours are potentially being shortened to 2 hours per visit. This is an issue for Jhody Polk, who spent 8 years in the jail system, and claimed that seeing her family is the only reason that got her to turn her life around. Jhody is now outreach coordinator at the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding in Gainesville. She is very upset at the fact that these people are potentially going to be cut off from their families in order to save the state money.  
• The Problem: The Florida Department of Corrections is considering changing prisoner visits from once a week to once every other week in order to save money.
• The People: This change affects not only the inmates who will get to see their family’s way less, but it will also impact the families who get to see their loves one less as well.
• "Equine industry leaders oppose Coastal Connector routes" by Carlos E. Medina of the Ocala Star Banner
• http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/16C1AC104FECB0D0?p=WORLDNEWS
• The state of Florida is considering opening a "Coastal Connector" from Tampa to Jacksonville but is receiving a lot of backlash from Mario County residents, specifically those in Ocala. The connector would run right through the heart of horse country in Ocala and would damage the beautiful farmland that has made Ocala so popular. Samuel Reid and his family have spent 27 years making the Live Oak Intranational a popular event for horse jumping and would be very upset if the state of Florida took the land to make a highway. George Isaacs, who is the general manager of Bridlewood farms, says that the Malones are also against the highway. The Malones are the largest private landowners in the country, with more than 2 million acres in holdings. While the city has opposed the plan, the state is willing to re-evaluate the routes and work with the city on this issue. 
• The Problem: The state of Florida is considering building an interstate that cuts right through the heart of Ocala's farmland, and could severely lessen Ocala's value if a large interstate were to run through its peaceful countryside.
• The People: This issue affects the people who own the farmland that are in danger of losing their land. This issue also affects the city councilors, as well as the builders who will have to wait for an official clearance from the state. 
• "Driverless shuttle about ready to roll in Gainesville" by Andrew Caplan of The Gainesville Sun
• http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/16C05E13EBEE5A68?p=WORLDNEWS
• The city of Gainesville is releasing their first autonomous bus in a few months and was out giving test rides for citizens. The city is on their way towards making Gainesville safer to travel and believes that these buses will help with that issue. The bus sits 6 people and allows 6 more to stand. It comes with sensors on all sides of the bus, and two flat screen tv's displaying the bus route and the bus's battery and speed. It also comes with the ability to facetime dispatchers in case of an emergency, and travels only 10 to 20 mph. By 2019, city officials hope to create an on-demand service, similar to Uber or Lyft rides.
• The Problem: Autonomous busses are going to need people who know how the buses function, how to repair them, how they work, and apps that will help citizens have access to their services. With none of these in place, the busses are going to remain in standstill until the city hires enough workers for the busses to function.
• The People: With autonomous buses on their way to Gainesville, this could potentially hurt the workers who work for RTS, as well as Uber and Lyft drivers