If you care about our youth, our environment, our lakes, your personal economic prosperity and the future of Winter Haven as a community, you will find important information in this message.

It's a new day in Winter Haven -- a new day for the greater community. Spring 2000 marks the completion of a 12-month visioning process that brought together more than 150 members of the Winter Haven community. These residents came from every neighborhood and walk of life. This process became known as "Our Future By Design: A Greater Winter Haven Community." The final result is represented in an extensive document that outlines hopes and dreams, goals and objectives for the next 20 years.

Consider for a moment our unique possibilities for a lakeside entertainment and restaurant complex; tree-shaded greenways connecting Rails-to-Trails, lake to lake. Perhaps a lakeside recreation and cultural complex would interest you, or better code enforcement. Ask yourself what it would be like to live in a community with a thriving, revitalized downtown -- a community that has not only excellent health care facilities, but also a commitment to healthy lifestyles.

This comprehensive community planning process has been enhanced further by several other important initiatives. The city of Winter Haven's move to establish two community redevelopment agencies (CRAs) has outlined form and function for vast areas of the incorporated city. In addition, the Florence Villa Community Development Corporation is pursuing the designation of a one square mile area as a "Front Porch Florida" community. This new state initiative streamlines access to state revitalization monies for communities so designated. CRA planning and the Front Porch Florida initiative are using the visioning document as a resource.

A tremendous energy is emerging within our community, an energy that transcends the physical "city limits" to embrace the greater Winter Haven area. There is a growing realization that for this community to reach its full potential over the next 20 to 30 years. All with a Winter Haven address must feel that their personal stake in that success is both represented and important.

"Our Future By Design," as a visioning effort, has established a 17-member implementation committee to oversee the progress of our plan. We stand ready to participate as a team player with the city of Winter Haven, community redevelopment agencies, Main Street Winter Haven, chamber of commerce representatives and the community at large.

A time of great potential requires that we all work to lay aside past differences and find ways to pursue those goals that produce "the greater good for all."

Walt Disney once said, "If you can dream it, you can do it." Our own Dick Pope, founder of Cypress Gardens, saw a tropical paradise where others saw a swampy stand of cypress trees. Winter Haven is poised for the future once more. The possibilities are ours to pursue; the plans are limited only by our collective resolve.

Implementation committee members include Cheryl Beckert, Frank Chichetto, Larry Durrence, David Ellsworth, Frank Fischer, Bob Gernert, Tony Green, Tom Jennings, Michael Kingham, Ron Morrow, Heidi Roberts, Gerri Thompson, Seretha Tinsley, Mark Turner, Susan Waddell and Nat West. Please feel free to contact them for further information.

An executive summary and the entire "Future By Design" document are available online at www.whfuture.com . If you desire a hard copy of the document or your club or organization would like to arrange a speaker on the visioning topic, call 293-2525.

Frank Fischer, M.D., is implementation chairman for Our Future By Design: A Greater Winter Haven Community.