Things To Do In SW Florida

By NICK KURCZEWSKI, Edmunds

SUVs deliver many attributes that car shoppers love in a vehicle. Thanks to their elevated height, they provide a commanding view of the road. They also deliver lots of passenger space, roomy cargo holds, and often have strong safety ratings.

Less appealing are higher fuel bills and the expense of buying an SUV that’s showroom-fresh. The experts at Edmunds have found five solutions on the used market to keep costs in line. Choosing a used hybrid SUV saves money at the point of purchase, and the hybrid engine helps lower the cost of refueling for many miles down the road.

Using a price cap of $25,000, Edmunds’ team has compiled five used hybrid-powered SUVs that are practical and kind to a car shopping budget.

Ford Escape

The Escape Hybrid is the fuel-sipping cousin of Ford’s popular compact SUV. Getting it down the road is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder paired to an electric motor. Front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive is optional. In terms of fuel economy, both the front-wheel-drive and all-wheel drive models delivers an EPA-estimated 39 mpg combined. Edmunds has complimented the Escape’s comfortable ride, easy-to-use controls and everyday practicality. read more

Shop local this holiday season by browsing Florida-centric gifts that, in some cases, also support good causes.

The Sunshine State offers goods that support the Save the Manatee Club, Surfing Santas T-shirts and hats and ResortPass gift cards to help sponsor a loved one’s sun-soaked getaway at one of Florida’s hotels.

Save the Manatee Club

Since its founding in 1981 by the late former Gov. Bob Graham and the late singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, the Save the Manatee Club has worked tirelessly to protect Florida’s beloved sea cows.

This shows up through advocacy efforts at the state, federal and local level with legal action, plus manatee rescue and rehabilitation, public awareness and education and manatee research. This is especially important as manatees face threats from a loss of seagrass, collisions with boats and cold stress.

It’s possible to support the club through volunteering and other actions, donations or through the Adopt-A-Manatee program, which allows people to symbolically sponsor an individual named manatee, complete with a certificate of adoption and a biography. Save the Manatee Club also offers an online shop, which supports the organization’s efforts. read more

We’ve got a past-present-future theme going for this holiday shopping suggestion list. And each item may have historic implications, depending on how seriously you take your football.

Or we can call it an up-in-the-air list with ventures, real and imagined, into the cosmos, plus a serious weather front.

Get popping

Central Florida’s biggest theme park story of the year is the opening of Epic Universe at Universal Orlando. There’s a dearth of park merch with 2025 branding, which would have been a nice debut-year touch.

Instead, we’ll seek out gifts from the Mysteries of 2020s Collection, more specifically, the popcorn container, to represent this slice of theme park life.

Universal sells the popcorn “buckets,” which are shaped like the golden compass-inspired Epic Universe logo and give off vibes from the Chronos, the 78-foot main-gate portal of the new attraction. It comes with a carrying strap, and the background, a sort of cosmos design, lights up.

The collectibles sell for $34.99 each, and that includes a load of popcorn, too. They’re available at stores at the theme park as well as Universal CityWalk. (Also check out shopuniversal.com.) read more

Gaylord Palms Resort is awash in holiday cheer as usual, with its annual “Ice” exhibition featuring characters from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and the return of “The Greatest Story,” a multicultural musical retelling of the birth of Christ.

But one festively theatrical show is hoping for a Broadway future — while giving Central Floridians a sneak peek as it develops and offering Orange County students the chance to see their creativity onstage.

“Pomp, Snow & CIRQUEumstance” is a 40-minute spectacle of music, movement and eye-popping circus arts. It’s based on the children’s book by Neil Goldberg and Nico Nickolao, and tells of three sprites-in-training who cause trouble and learn lessons after graduating from a secret wintry school where Santa himself hands out the diplomas.

“This is just testing the waters,” Goldberg said. “We’re getting the costumes out in front of people and seeing what works musically.”

The show also offers a special opportunity to an Orange County Public Schools student: In a contest through Goldberg’s Dream Foundation, students were able to submit their own costume designs for the production. The winning design will be chosen in the coming days and incorporated into the show for the rest of its Orlando run. read more

Q: Developers in our lakefront community have started land development that has disrupted animal habitats and seems to have pushed them toward our nearby part of the lake. This caused damage to trees on our property and some of our neighbors’ properties, resulting in significant costs to remove the damaged trees. Should the developers have taken steps to reduce this disruption, and are they liable for the damage to our property? —Kay

A: When developers undertake a project, they often need to follow environmental regulations and conduct assessments to reduce harm to ecosystems. This can involve measures to limit habitat disruption, such as creating buffer zones, relocating wildlife, or implementing erosion control measures.

However, whether they are legally required to address the specific impacts you are experiencing depends on the project details, local laws, and the permits they have obtained.

If you believe the developers did not take reasonable steps to prevent harm, start by thoroughly documenting the damage. Take pictures of the affected trees, your property, and any unusual signs of wildlife activity. Keep track of any expenses you incur, such as tree removal costs, and record the timeline of events. read more