Wonderful event
To the editor:
This letter is to thank all those who helped to put together The Winter Blast event in downtown Kissimmee during Christmas week at the Civic Center.
We can only appreciate the enormous work entailed to get an ice rink in Kissimmee on the circle roadway in front of the Civic Center. I would like to personally thank Randy Austin, Gourav Mukherjee, John Fields, Cheryl Fisher Melvin Welsh, Gregg Smith (chief of operations, Civic Center) and all of his staff for their extraordinary work ethic and commitments in getting ice skating in the Kissimmee downtown area.
The Winter Blast committee wants to say thank you to all the businesses in Kissimmee and the surrounding area, including Gaylord Palms for its generous donation to help offset our costs in providing ice skating in downtown Kissimmee. We need to say thank you to all the people who donated their time and efforts to help get this project done.
The great city of Kissimmee and all of its employees need to be thanked for their part in getting permits and designs approved in an unrealistic schedule from us. There was an enormous amount work in getting the necessary paperwork completed in time. Many thanks are necessary for the effort the city has shown in the cooperation with the local business community.
But one person who stands out in his effort and commitment was Randy Austin, of Austin Environmental Services, of Kissimmee. His dedication was unsurpassed. Countless hours were put in by Randy and that cannot be ignored by the businesses of Kissimmee or the city of Kissimmee. Without Mr. Austin, this event would not have happened at all and the efforts of all those involved would have been lost.
Mr. Austin, our appreciation is nothing short of giving you the keys to the city of Kissimmee. We thank you for all you have given us. We hope that this event will bring more attention to your firm for its excellent work ethic shown and your commitment of excellence to provide the very best community service for everyone involved.
We hope the news of this event and your efforts will bring your firm more business and for the business you could have been concentrating on if you were not sidetracked by the Winter Blast event.
All the businesses and residents of Kissimmee would like to thank Gourav Mukherjee, of the Kissimmee Ice Rink and Cool School Foundation, for his work from his own personal efforts and that of his staff in getting all the necessary parts and equipment in place to have an ice skating event in downtown Kissimmee. They certainly deserved a standing ovation from everyone involved.
The Downtown Business Association and all the other civic committees of Kissimmee need to be thanked as well for their unbelievable efforts and the extraordinary amount of time committed to this event. We thank you.
Randy J. Littlefield Sr.
Kissimmee

Robertson ignorant
To the editor:
Press the crazy button. The rantings of the demented and senile Rev. Pat Robertson claiming the Haiti catastrophe is somehow related to God’s wrath over presumed events of more than 200 years ago is the very height of nincompoopery.
What we now witness in Haiti is the destructive force of raw nature, not some Biblical voodoo of a vengeful god.
Rev. Robertson’s latest verbal diarrhea adds to a string of similar comments in the recent past, such as blaming the Hurricane Katrina destruction of New Orleans as heaven’s punishment for a sinful people. This TV buffoon has the mental capacity hardly matching that of an australopithecine and an understanding of Christian charity less than that of an eggplant.
Robertson’s nonsense simply exposes his encyclopedic ignorance of history and reality, which is way beyond the aforementioned nincompoopery.
Ron Drew
Kissimmee

Help with school project
To the editor:
Each member of our class is working on a project called “Parade of States.” We are responsible for gathering as much information as we can.
I have Florida for my state. If any of your readers would help me out by sending any pictures, postcards, a used license plate, facts, products, etc., from your state, it would be greatly appreciated.
Griffin Grubb
Fifth Grade
Cascade Christian School
601 9th Ave. SE
Puyallup, WA 98372