Special to the Lake Okeechobee News
The Guardians of the Glades partnered with McDonald’s in Belle Glade to host Conversation With a Deputy.

Upcoming legislative session
As the start of the 2020 legislation session approaches, the Guardians of the Glades are preparing our advocacy agenda that we will use as we speak with Florida legislators about Glades-area concerns.

Critically important to the Guardians is economic development and career training for residents in the Glades. We will continue to advocate for continued support for career training dollars that will be used to provide training and certification programs in the local community. This will assist residents in acquiring jobs that currently exist in the area or those opportunities that are slated for the area.

Additionally, housing is very important to our community and the Guardians will work alongside our local leadership and advocate for housing dollars, as well as continued funding to address infrastructure concerns.

We remain committed to ensuring that the voices of the residents are heard when conversations are being had about Lake Okeechobee. The water levels in the lake are important. Too much water causes concerns related to dike failure. Too little water can mean water supply problems. The Guardians are committed to protecting our community as well as the water supply for those that rely on Lake Okeechobee.

Additionally, we have said over the last three legislative sessions that Florida has hundreds of aging septic systems and they’re causing continuous harm to our waterways. We will continue to have those conversations in Tallahassee and throughout the Lake Okeechobee service area to raise awareness of the need for septic-to-sewer system conversions.

Special to the Lake Okeechobee News
Members of the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office met with members of the community and spoke with them about what they were doing in the community at the Conversation With a Deputy event.

Conversation with a deputy
Oftentimes, people do not engage with law enforcement until they are required to do so. However, communities thrive when they have law enforcement members that have relationships with the community, and being active and available in the community. Recently, the Guardians partnered with McDonald’s in Belle Glade to host Conversation With a Deputy where members of the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office met with members of the community and spoke with them about what they were doing in the community. Residents were able to engage law enforcement personnel and receive a free cup of coffee at the same time. More than 35 residents took part in the two-hour, face-to-face opportunity.

Special to the Lake Okeechobee News
Community members could have conversations with a member of the PBSO staff.

Preparing for the holidays
As we approach the holidays, the Guardians are working with local partners to assist residents in having a happy holiday. From turkeys to toys, the Guardians are working to make sure that assistance is available to those that need it.