Modernity in moderation

It turns out designers, home builders and consumers have different ideas of the meaning and salability of the term "modern," and the industry is trying to bridge that gap. Seth Hart of DTJ Design in Boulder, Colo. explained how "moderated modern," – asymmetrical windows and color, and material combinations that provide high contrast – can be used on more traditional homes to provide an updated feel without breaking the bank or turning off buyers by going too far.

"It's not about doing wild roof forms," Hart told attendees. "It's all about how you create a modern design in something that still has a broad market appeal and is done affordably."

Eric Brown, a builder representative with Artisan Homes Realty LLC in Phoenix uses the term "comfortable contemporary" to help identify the style. "It's going to attract baby boomers," he predicted, noting this style offers "something that reminds them of their old home, but it's updated."

Another twist on this trend comes in the form of the "modern farmhouse," which was another popular buzzword at the show. Many of the winners of the National Association of Home Builders' 2016 Best in American Living Awards featured farmhouse sinks, reclaimed wooden beams, and barn doors layered into modern designs. Even the farmhouse elements themselves are being updated, as is evident in cleaner, more minimalist designs made of contemporary materials.

The secret hideaway

Another trending term at the show this year was "the messy kitchen," which is a hidden space away from the gleaming center island where homeowners can prep food and stow Mr. Coffee far from guests.

Wayne Visbeen, president of Visbeen Architects, told attendees he also uses this technique to hide away the "home management space."

"I put hidden rooms in offices a lot," he said. "I think it's a great place to hide the junk, and people think it's sexy." He notes that hidden space doesn't have to be huge to work well, suggesting a four-by-eight foot space would be sufficient. Also, with all the easy-to-install sliding barn and pocket doors in the consumer market now, this is a project some homeowners can undertake themselves.

Fewer bathroom barriers

One trend heavily featured in Orlando was the idea of an open shower or "wet room." Some even contained both a shower and bath in one, which designers reported saves space in master baths where homeowners don't want to skimp on a stall shower to fit in a pretty tub.

Beyond style, the open shower is an important consideration for those with limited mobility, which would help boomers who hope to age in place. However, Mary Jo Peterson, a kitchen, bath, and universal design consultant in Brookfield, Conn., said there are drawbacks.

"If I really want a hot, steamy shower, it's hard to do in these open spaces," she said. She also noted that it's difficult to calculate ahead of time if the water will escape the intended area and make the whole bathroom into a "wet room." She cautioned builders to avoid the temptation to put rain-style showers up too high, as a way to minimize the spray's radius.

Auto-smart homes

Smart home devices may change our lives forever, but Dave Pedigo doesn't think we're quite there yet. Pedigo, vice president of emerging technologies at the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association, told attendees that until we can move "away from using a mobile phone as remote control," we won't really have smart homes.

Pedigo said natural user interfaces – such as the voice commands consumers can use to control Amazon's Alexa and other smart home devices – are only the first step toward creating a truly smart home that can anticipate residents' needs ahead of time. For example, there are already sensors out there that "see" when a sleeper has gotten up at night and can automatically illuminate night lights to lead them safely to the bathroom.

"Ultimately, we are moving toward not having to deal with technology," Pedigo said. "You shouldn't have to tell the lights to turn off or tell the shades to go up."

Source: Meg White, Realtor® Magazine

© 2017 Florida Realtors

Central Florida is constantly expanding and improving. Often, unless we see it on our Facebook timeline in some viral post, we aren’t aware of the new things that are happening in our own city. This year, we have a lot to look forward to. From new sports stadiums to Frankie Valli in concert, it’s going to be an exciting year. Keep scrolling to find out what 2017’s bringing to Central Florida.

PLACES

In 2015, Orlando got its own Major League Soccer team, the Orlando City Lions. It is Florida’s first soccer team since 2001. The Lions have since been joined by the National Women’s Soccer League team, the Orlando Pride. Since “Lionnation” was aroused in 2015, soccer has taken on a whole new level of popularity in Central Florida. The Lions average over 30,000 fans at every home game. Due to its popularity and passionate fans, a brand new 25,500 seat soccer stadium is being built in Downtown Orlando. The Orlando City Stadium is schedule to open before the 2017 MLS season begins.

All of you golfers (or those married to one) will be happy to know that Top Golf is opening an Orlando location in the fall of 2017. Never heard of Top Golf? You’ve been missing out! Top Golf combines your love for golf with your love for socializing, drinking and eating. They’ve created unique, point scoring golf games to play in their extensive climate-controlled hitting bays where they use advanced technology to track how far and how accurately you hit. You can play competitively with your golfing buddies, or relax and have fun playing with your family. Check out this video to get a better idea of what it’s all about!

SPORTING EVENTS

Football fans will be happy to know that the NFL Pro Bowl will be held in Orlando this year in just a couple of weeks on January 29 at the Camping World Stadium. The Pro Bowl brings together the best professional players as well as up and comers. From youth football to the pros, you’ll have the opportunity to not only watch events, but also participate. Do you have a grandchild that loves football? They’re going to love this. For a list of events, click here. For tickets, click here!.

If basketball is more your game, then you’re in luck too, because this year NCAA March Madness will be held at Orlando's Amway Center! The First and Second Rounds of the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship will be held March 16 & 18. Get your tickets here.

CONCERTS:

Who doesn’t love a good concert? A stadium filled with the energy of hundreds of other people who love the musician as much as you—not to mention the presence of the performer! Concerts always turn into unforgettable memories. This year, Central Florida is hosting a number of wonderful artists and we’ve selected just a few that we’re really excited about. Click on the artist’s name for ticket information!

Billy Joel - You can’t wait too long on this one! The Amway Arena will be hosting Billy January 27 at 8pm.

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - will also be here this month, so don’t wait on buying tickets if you want to see this concert! Frankie and his band will play at the Walt Disney Theater in Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on January 31 at 7:30pm.

60s Spectacular - The Peabody in Daytona Beach will be hosting this one night only concert event on February 4 at 7:30. It will include music from The Associations, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, and many more!

Tony Bennett - The Walt Disney Theater in Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts will be hosting another amazing talent on March 5 at 8pm, Mr. Tony Bennett. New York Magazine said, “His voice is still a technical marvel, and no one else on Earth can make a lyric written eight decades ago sound as natural as a conversation at a coffee shop.”

Wish Upon A Star… A Disney Revue - This will be a wonderful concert to enjoy with your kids and grandkids, all who grew up with the magic of Disney. Central Florida Community Choir will be featuring the music of classics like Cinderella, Peter Pan and The Jungle Book along with the more contemporary favorites like Frozen. This show will be held May 11 & 12 at 7:30pm at Northland Church in Casselberry.

THEATER:

Theater is an art that is underrated in Central Florida, but we have some fabulous shows come to town, and they don’t just come from the theme parks.

Blackberry Winter: The Orlando Shakespeare Theater in partnership with UCF presents this poignant play by Steve Yockey from January 4 to February 5.

“Years of success, meticulous planning, and an eye for detail have in no way prepared Vivienne Avery for her mother's slide into the grip of dementia. Vivienne recounts memories of her aging mother and the difficult decisions regarding her care. Interwoven with these stories is an evolving, wondrous 21st century Alzheimer's creation myth -- an origin story about a White Egret who tries to protect forest animals as they lose their memories to a blind, oblivious Mole. Blackberry Winter is a moving, occasionally humorous,  and deeply human new work.”

Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical - This lighthearted musical is sure to be a hoot. It will be running at The Winter Park Playhouse from March 10 to April 8th!

“This wacky musical is a merry romp through the hot flashes, trials, tribulations and oddities of middle age as it pokes fun at all of the above as well as tickling the funny bone.  From reading glasses and mammograms to weekend warriors and proctology exams, everyone will relate to this hilarious, and at times, touching musical about the curiosities and inevitabilities of middle age.”

Jesus Christ Superstar - From March 31 to April 23, The Titusville Playhouse will be presenting this broadway hit on the Main Stage. This pop opera was created by sensations Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice. Rated PG.

“Based on the New Testament's account of the last days of Jesus, this unique opus underscores intense drama with exciting and electric melodies. As Jesus’ radical teachings are evermore embraced, Judas increasingly questions the enlightened motives of his new prophet, resulting in betrayal. Christ’s final days are dramatized with emotional intensity, thought-provoking edge and explosive theatricality. Propelled by a driving score, Jesus Christ Superstar illuminates the transcendent power of the human spirit with a passion that goes straight to the heart.”

A Few Good Men - The Central Florida Community Arts Theatre Program will present this military based Broadway hit on select dates from February 17 - March 5 with showtimes at 7:30pm and/or 3:00pm. A Few Good Men will be presented in the CFCArts Black Box Theatre.

“This Broadway hit about the trial of two Marines for complicity in the death of a fellow Marine at Guantanamo Bay sizzles on stage. The Navy lawyer, a callow young man more interested in softball games than the case, expects a plea bargain and a cover-up of what really happened. Prodded by a female member of his defense team, the lawyer eventually makes a valiant effort to defend his clients and, in so doing, puts the military mentality and the Marine code of honor on trial.”

"It's a really fun game to play," Mayo said. "I enjoy trying to get other people interested in the game. It really does teach you a lot."

Every Tuesday afternoon, Mayo heads a Chess Club meeting at the Fruitland Park Library designed to help children learn how to play.

Eleven-year-old Caleb Ryan, who has been learning how to play chess for almost a year, said that these weekly meetings have improved his game.

"Chess helps me calm down," Ryan said. "It gives me more concentration and helps me learn about strategy."

Mayo also hosts a chess club catered to adults that meets Thursday afternoons at the Leesburg Public Library.

Towns all over Lake County have ambitious plans for improving their communities in 2017. Here is a look at a few:

Clermont

Clermont City Manager Darren Gray calls 2017 “The year of our master plan.”

Many of the big projects being implemented this year are part of the city's master plan, starting with Victory Pointe, an $8.6 million project in the northern part of downtown Clermont that will serve as the city’s main retention pond. An area alongside called Triathlon Beach will also become the start and finish points for all of the city’s waterfront events.

“Victory Pointe is going to be the game changer for the city,” Gray said. “It is a retention pond that will look like a passive park. The biggest thing it will do is connect our downtown area with our waterfront.”

Other projects to be implemented in Clermont this year are:

The Gateway Project at 8th Street and State Road 50, which will promote the downtown area and merchants by guiding traffic to its entrance. “There are 65,000 cars per day that drive down (State Road) 50, and many of them don’t even know our downtown is there,” Gray said.
Clermont’s Legacy Loop, in the design phase this year, will also get people into downtown Clermont off the South Lake Trail, which is part of the Coast to Coast Connector. An offshoot of the trail will take people into downtown Clermont.
During 2017, the city will also continue working on a plan to relocate the existing public boat ramp north, near Lake Hiawatha Preserve. The new Lake Hiawatha Preserve boat ramp will provide more room and parking for boaters.
The city will also begin designing a new, and much larger, public works facility and will start renovating Palatlakaha Park and Hancock Park. New fencing, improved ballfields and restroom renovations will occur at Hancock Park. Work on the parks is set to begin next week.

Astatula

Mayor Judy Tice said officials are embarking on many projects for the first time since about 2008.

Astatula's community building, originally built in 1934 and currently being used as the city’s movie house, will be brought up to ADA standards. A playground has been donated and installed, and the building will be marketed as a rental venue for weddings, funerals, birthday parties and other special events.
New soccer and baseball fields will be built.
The city will hire an assistant to the city clerk and a part-time public works employee. Tice said until now public works duties were contracted out.
The city will lead a cleanup effort with the help of area churches and residents, of areas in town littered with old tanks, sheds, tires, etc. “It’s something that we’ve needed done for a long time. It will give people a better impression of our little town,” Tice said of the cleanup.

Eustis

City Manager Ron Neibert said "there’s a lot going on" in Eustis.

Neibert said one of the biggest goals for 2017 is to continue the influx of new businesses like Panera, Aldi, Pacific Dental, Vitamin Shoppe and T-Mobile.

Those businesses will get support from existing residents but also from about 500-600 new residents expected to move into Valencia Groves, a housing unit the city invested about $21 million into. A ribbon cutting of the facility is scheduled for Jan. 18.

An expansion to the city’s Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement will also serve to promote development and growth by allowing the city to annex county property. With that, the city will be able to lower taxes and offer better fire protection for both Eustis and Lake County residents, Neibert said.

Other projects slated for 2017 are:

The implementation of an extension to the city’s Community Redevelopment Area and a boost to the projects and programs it offers. A streamlined development plan approval process and a partial sewer impact fee waiver program will assist existing businesses in expanding and attract new industrial businesses to town.
In 2017, city officials have plans to work closely with the owner of a 4-acre parcel in the heart of downtown Eustis. Officials would like to aggressively market it, sell it and develop it.
By the end of April, the city hopes to have installed all 275 new LED street lights. The city’s 1,265 existing street lights will also be converted to LED for maximum efficiency by then.
The Eustis Fire Department is expecting a brand new Pierce Pumper Truck by the end of January. A push-in ceremony will be held sometime in February or March.

Fruitland Park

City Manager Gary LaVenia said Fruitland Park has some projects set to get underway in 2017 that city officials are very excited about.

“We’ve worked really hard to get where we are,” LaVenia said.

He explained that the four projects will have the most impact on the city and its residents.

By the end of this month, the city hopes to begin phase one of a $2 million construction of a new wastewater line at 446a to be connected to an existing sewer line at the Lady Lake Wastewater treatment plant. LaVenia said completion will take about 6 months.
By mid-year, LaVenia said the city will begin construction of a new library. The library, at a cost of $1.5 million, will be funded by state and county grants. It will be 12,000 square feet, 50 percent larger than the current 8,000-square-foot facility, will become the city’s new community center and will be used for senior socials, civic events and public rentals.
2017 will also mark the start of the design process for a new public safety center to house the city’s police and fire departments. By the end of the year, LaVenia said about $2 million in impact fees will have been set aside for the project. LaVenia called the departments’ old facilities dated.
By the end of the first or second quarter, the city will also begin construction of new soccer fields. LaVenia said the new fields will provide greater recreational opportunities for families in the area.

Case in point, in San Francisco's Sunset District, a fire destroyed a home for sale leaving it inhabitable. Despite that, last February, the home sold quickly for just under $1 million. Seven months later, the home was transformed into a four-bedroom home and sold for $1.77 million.

In San Francisco, land is a premium, and buyers often pay more for the land than the home is actually worth.

"Over time, the physical structure usually depreciates in value, while land appreciates," realtor.com notes in a recent article. "That's because the property is in limited supply. Developers can stack more homes onto lots by building high-rises, but they can't produce more land. And that's why the value of land naturally goes up when population growth creates more demand."

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy data provides a snapshot of the 10 housing markets where land comprises more than half of a home's total value. The majority of the cities are in California, where buildable land tends to be scarcer. For example, in San Francisco, the average home value was $1.35 million in 2016. But about $1.09 million of that was attributed to the cost of the land, or 81 percent of the total price, the study found. On the other hand, in St. Louis, Mo., land is only about 10 percent of a home's total value.

Here are the cities where land costs exceeds property values by the highest amounts:

• San Francisco, Calif.: 81%
• San Jose, Calif.: 77%
• Santa Ana, Calif.: 76%
• Oakland, Calif.: 71%
• Los Angeles, Calif.: 71%
• San Diego, Calif.: 66%
• Boston, Mass.: 60%
• Miami, Fla.: 54%
• Seattle, Wash.: 53%
• Portland, Ore.: 51%

Source: "Not Dirt-Cheap: 10 Cities Where Land Is Worth More Than the Home on It," realtor.com (Jan. 11, 2017)

© Copyright 2017 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

“It highlights the commitment that our community and volunteers have for our schools,” said Carman Cullen-Batt, chief executive officer of the Educational Foundation of Lake County of the honor. "We were excited to have received this recognition. Countless volunteers, business leaders, staff and board of directors have worked tirelessly to support our mission, so national recognition is an honor."

While Lake County Schools is ranked 44th out of 67th districts in the state, Cullen-Batt said the new report highlighting the foundation shows “the community is willing to put their time, talent and treasures to improve the whole school district.”

“Without the community there would no funds,” she said.

The Educational Foundation was one of only two educational foundations in Florida to rank in Division 2, which “is reserved for foundations grossing between $1 and $2 million in annual revenue,” according to a press release from the Foundation.

The Caruthers Institute, a nonpartisan think tank that conducts research and provides solutions on youth issues, conducted the report: Stepping Up: The Nation’s Top K-12 Education Foundations 2016.

Focusing on K-12 education foundations in the 200 largest districts, the study ranked the Educational Foundation 40th in the nation among 188 K-12 education foundations from 220 school districts included in the study, according to the Educational Foundation.

A non-for-profit organization that is the direct support organization for Lake County Schools, the Educational Foundation sponsors many programs in Lake County such as the county’s Teacher of the Year, Stepping Out for Education and the Renaissance Faire.

School Board Chairman Marc Dodd praised the foundation’s work.

“When I think about the volunteers, board members and the staff of the Educational Foundation, I would struggle to identify a harder working group of people,” he said. “They pour so much energy in the work they do and do so much to support our students and school district. They really are top notch.”

This year will bring its share of exciting developments, innovative design, progressive trends and brand new technology to the high-end real estate market.

There is never a standstill in this upscale industry. Here are four reasons why it will flourish.

New mortgages

During 2017, it will be easier for buyers to finance their luxury real estate purchases.

Beginning this year, government-owned mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will provide backing for larger mortgages for the first time in more than 10 years.

Foreign buyers

International buyers still want U.S. luxury property, and they are expanding their horizons.

Foreign purchasers continue to seek out luxury real estate in major American centers. Yet they are also showing interest in high-end homes in other metropolitan regions across the nation.

International buyers are going far beyond their own borders to find safe investments. Like any homebuyer, they look for affordable prices and the best return, including long-term growth opportunities.

Foreign purchasers crave the luxurious lifestyle and ultimate security that come with a high-end home in an affluent neighborhood.

This wealthy group is not expected to lose interest in U.S. luxury real estate anytime in the foreseeable future. Both Europe and the U.S. will continue to attract increasing amounts of foreign capital, especially from Asian buyers.

Historical growth

During the next 12 months, the ultra-luxury market should see more affordable prices.

Keep in mind that consistent and steady growth is a good thing. Indeed, this circumstance follows frequently behind periods of high asking prices and decreasing absorption numbers.

Post-election period

Following all the preoccupation and distractions that emerge during any election period, things return to a more leisurely pace after a campaign and its results.

The post-period becomes a time of restoration for the campaign-weary when ones thoughts turn closer to home. A final resolution can restore certainty to a sector, and uncertainty can be replaced with new development.

Toward the end of 2016, there was a spike in contracts for New York City real estate valued at more than $4 million. According to the weekly Olshan Luxury Market Report, the last week of November recorded a $371.6 million year-high for contracts in the Big Apple.

As well, the Olshan Report for the first week of January noted that 26 contracts of $4 million or above were signed during that period in New York City.

This data makes January 2 through 8, 2017, the best first week of a new year in three years for ultra-luxury residential properties in New York City. In addition, more development is expected in the lower end of the luxury market.

Elsewhere in the nation at this time there is also a robust market, for example, in Miami. Of course, waterfront real estate enjoys consistent popularity, but now non-beachside mansions are equally attracting the eye of the luxury buyer.

Copyright © 2017 Universal Solutions S.A.E. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. All rights reserved

Nearly two-thirds of builders reporting low to very low supply of available lots in their markets, according to a survey conducted last year by the National Association of Home Builders. The supply of vacant developed lots has dropped by more than 20 percent across more than 80 major U.S. markets since 2011, according to Metrostudy, a housing research firm. Notably, markets like Nashville, Tenn., and Charlotte, N.C., have seen inventories of vacant lots plunge by more than 40 percent over the past five years.

Shortages have caused median single-family-home lots to surge to record highs of $45,000 last year, according to NAHB data.

In Cobb County, Ga., a subdivision known as Cameron Springs had become a place of dying landscape and plagued with abandoned lots that were left behind in the 2000s. Only a fraction of the homes that were to be built had been. Investment firm Drapac Capital Partners purchased the 101 remaining lots in the neighborhood for $375,000. The firm spent $550,000 to finish half-built lots as well as upgrade the pool and clubhouse. It hoped the renovations would be enough to attract homebuilders back to the neighborhood and to finally finish it.

The firm's gamble paid off. Drapac received 12 bids in the summer of 2016 for the neighborhood. It eventually sold to D.R. Horton for $6 million.

"I think they're all panicking," Sebastian Drapac, chief operating officer of Drapac Capital Partners, told The Wall Street Journal. "They're trying to get lot positions wherever they can."

Some developers and investors are changing the name of developments to remove any stigma left behind from the abandoned neighborhoods. Drapac Capital Partners, for example, tweaked the name of the neighborhood from "Brightwood – Established 2007" to "Brightwood on the Lake, Est. 2016."

Source: "With Lots in Short Supply, Builders Revive Abandoned Projects," The Wall Street Journal (Jan. 3, 2017) [Log-in required.]

© Copyright 2017 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

The county’s new superintendent of schools, who will take over the helm on March 11, has been credited with increasing graduation rates and student achievement within all subgroups as Clay County deputy superintendent.

Kornegay said she implemented a strategic plan to expand the district’s career and technical educational programs to 30 in the district.

“I believe engaging in relevant learning in a field of interest is a powerful way to increase graduation rates,” she said. “When they have that connection they are more likely to stay in school.”

Kornegay said she also put systems and interventions in place to observe those students as they entered the ninth grade to try to accelerate, remediate and help them graduate.

Such strategies have proven effective in raising the bar on student achievement, according to Kornegay.

In the coming months Kornegay will be tasked with making changes at Lake County Schools, which has struggled over the past two years with a decline in student achievement. It is ranked 44th out of 67 districts in student achievement. The graduation rate has also slipped below the state’s at 78.1 percent.

Despite those challenges, Kornegay said she remains optimistic she can improve the district. But she said there is work ahead. She is candid in stating that there are tough decisions that may have to be made to improve the district, such as reviewing the organizational structure of the district and making sure programs and positions are geared toward improving student achievement.

Kornegay has a detailed plan for what she will accomplish in her first 100 days. The plan includes five specific goals: enhance the School Board and superintendent relationship; build public trust, open communication and collaboration; evaluate the Strategic Finance Plan, which identifies the district's priorities for instruction and allocates resources in those areas to determine budget priorities; evaluate the instructional structures, programs and policies; and evaluate operations and facilities to enhance safety and maximize resources.

The transitional superintendent took the time to answer some of our questions this week as she prepares to move to Lake County.

Q: How did you come up with the specifics for your 100-day plan? What did you base it on?

A: I looked at the climate stakeholder surveys, and I highlighted common trends. I was looking for key words that kept reoccurring. Some were what you expected to see, such as communication. One that kept coming up was morale. I took those common trends and looked to see the context of those trends. I also looked at the student performance data and at the root cause of the academic deficits I would want to identify. Another area I saw was school safety. I knew that was an area I wanted to focus on. Building relationships is going to be critical in an organization and getting the stakeholder input. That is critical for school improvements to capture the different perceptions and values of the community.

Q: In the past, you mentioned you had to make tough decisions in eliminating positions. Is this something you will have to look at in the case of Lake County? Do you think the administration is too top heavy?

A: It is early in the process. One of the things that I am committed to is looking at our budget priorities, identifying what is working and what is not working. That is where the decisions have to come. If we are doing things that are not benefiting kids or improving student achievement, that is something in my mind that wouldn’t be a priority. I am absolutely going to look at the organizational structure and at all the positions and see if there are any duplications of roles and responsibilities.

Q: There have been concerns raised by School Board Chairman Marc Dodd about personalized learning, a new program in which learning is tailored to individual students. The program has produced a mixed bag of results in Lake County. Do you think it needs to be studied further? Is it meeting the needs of students and a key to improving student achievement?

A: It is one of the programs I would want to evaluate. I want to know what is working and not working. I want to know what the impact is on student achievement. In some cases it is going extremely well. We need to look at the root cause. Why does it work well in some places and not in other places? Is it giving the maximum benefit for kids in each individual school?

Q: Why do you think morale is low in Lake County schools?

A: I have asked teachers about morale and why that is the case and the overarching reason goes back to the state accountability system: the fact that their evaluation is tied to a single student measure. They are deemed effective or not effective based on a student’s performance on a single test. I don’t agree with connecting state assessments to teacher evaluations. I will address this issue in Tallahassee and talk with the legislative delegation. It is not a fair or accurate way to evaluate a teacher.

Q: Does putting more dollars into the classroom equate to positive student achievement outcomes?

A: It is not the quantity. It is the quality of what is put in the classroom. I feel our best investment is in improving student achievement and investing in the right people to work with our kids.

Q: What have you been most impressed with in your visit with stakeholders, teachers and the community in Lake County?

A: The most exciting thing is the commitment of the people: the sense of community and a real genuine interest in working together to improve the school district and to do some great things for kids.

Q: How do you improve student achievement in Lake County, including low Algebra I scores?

A: The state changed the school grading formula, making it more challenging for students to show any annual learning gains. Our students failed to make annual learning gains. That is going to be a primary concern, especially the students that are in the lower quartile. That is an area that we need to focus on. We do that by looking at what intervention programs and support systems are in place to support those in the lower quartile. One of the things that I would like to see us look at is a way to provide greater financial incentives for teachers who want to teach Algebra I. You want your best math teachers to teach Algebra I.

Q: Are there ways at the local level to reduce the amount of testing in the schools?

A: I will look at the local assessment calendar and where we might be able to reduce the number of those tests.

Q: How do you improve teacher morale?

A: I think the best way to improve that is to give teachers a voice in the decisions being made. They are the ones in the trenches. They are the ones working with the students. I want to invest a lot of time in talking with teachers, getting their input and their feedback. I plan on being in schools as much as I can. That will allow me to better support teachers and ensure they are getting the support they need.

Q: Are you hopeful the Lake County School District can improve?

A: I have no doubt there is great potential by ensuring that our kids have what they need; that teachers have what they need to meet the individual needs of the kids; and getting the collective commitment of all stakeholders to support our schools. We will do great things and we will not be a ‘C’ district in the future.

The dozen floats and entries featured church groups, pageant winners, elected officials, civic organizations, drummers and twirlers, law enforcement, and other groups from Lake and Sumter counties — with messages of King’s dream of equality written on placards.

The Plantation Democrats of Lake County carried signs that read "Peace For All" and "Economic Fairness.” Kathy Williamson, president of Plantation Democrats, said she thought it was important to recognize King.

“What a difference he made,” Williamson said.

The parade is one of a number of annual activities held by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Committee of Lake & Sumter Counties to honor King’s Jan. 15 birthday, which is celebrated nationally on the third Monday of January.

The theme this year is "Continuing the Legacy."

“We are still in it,” said Lillian Lockette, president of the Lake County Democratic Black Caucus, as members walked beside her.

Some groups carried pictures of President Barack Obama and civil rights leaders.

The crowd lining the streets to watch the parade was predominately black but there were other races, too, and parade participants were an array of colors.

“He marched for all of us,” said Tommy Rogers, of Tavares, as he watched his young children scramble for candy thrown by parade participants.

There were plenty of bands and music.

The Men of Distinction drumline attracted a crowd as they presented two percussion shows — one with children and the other with adults — in front of the parade stand.

The Villages Twirlers & Drum Corps paraded along the street in their red, white and blue uniforms.

A red ladder fire truck held Clermont Police Chief Charles Broadway and his wife, playing the roles of King and Coretta Scott King to close out the parade.

The committee’s activities will continue Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in Lake and Sumter counties with:

— Dr. MLK Jr. Day Festivities from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Genesis Center, 1414 W. Main Street, Leesburg. Join students and their families in a celebration of King's holiday with a day of art, exhibits, step show and food.

— Royal MLK Parade/March at 10 a.m., at Community of Royal Park, 9569 County Road 235, Wildwood.

— Banquet at 5 p.m. at the Royal Community Center, 9569 County Road 235, Wildwood. Kwanzaa youth celebration, entertainment, dinner and more.