Letter from the Editor: Action Plan

Power, family, memories, diversity. It's all here.

I've never been one for planning. That may sound a bit surprising, coming from an editor who is charged with coming up with themes and stories for the city's magazine each month. So perhaps I should say I've never been one for over-planning.

Because sometimes the coolest stories appear out of nowhere. That was the case for a feature piece that came about when a large envelope arrived in my office mailbox a while back. Inside was a typewritten manuscript from Neil Haldeman, an Ann Arbor, Michigan, resident who grew up in Winter Park. He had decided to submit a reminiscence of his time playing Little League baseball back in the mid-1950s with the likes of future Major Leaguers Davey Johnson and Jack Billingham (who was then known as “Jackie’’).

But what drew me most to Haldeman’s story was the memories of he and his older brother playing for the perennial cellar-dwelling Indians—until one day their coach decided he just couldn’t take the losing  anymore. You're in for delightful read. And thanks to Winter Park's Bill Cross for providing some great vintage photos.

Elsewhere, in our Dine section, critic Joseph Hayes discovers an assemblage of Asian restaurants in a setting that is modest to say the least—a mall from yesteryear on West Colonial Drive. Yet in this expanse can be found eateries featuring tremendous examples of authentic cuisines from Korea, China, Vietnam and Japan, especially at BBB Tofu House and Chef Wang’s Kitchen. Then there’s the bounty of food at 1st Oriental Market and the delectable offerings both savory and sweet at Sun Pearl Bakery. Perhaps you had no plans before now to stop by this collection of culinary spots, called Chinatown. But now we’ve given you reason to.

Finally, we move to the showcase feature in this issue—our annual look at Orlando's 50 Most Powerful People. Okay, that does require planning, and lots of it, but the choices themselves are not foreordained: We research and keep watch on people and developments throughout the year. For instance, five months ago, I could have never predicted that our No. 1 choice would be, collectively, the women who appear on the list. But it simply fell into place, like it was meant to be. Writers Dan Tracy, Megan Stokes and Jim Leusner talk to some of those subjects, along with other women leaders in our community, about the challenges they have faced in a power structure dominated by men. Then we have profiles of the individuals on the list, both men and women, along with a compilation of 15 more leaders to watch in the near future.

Sound like a plan? Scroll through the pages and enjoy.

BARRY GLENN
BARRY.GLENN@orlandomagazine.com