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1967- 1973 were turbulent
(This week's edition covers the history of Winter Springs The use of radar by the police department was first from 1967 through 1973.It is the second in•three part introduced in the early seventies,and construction was at
series]. an all time high.
By NANCY A.BOOTH In mid 1972,a special election of the voters changed the
April of 1967 saw the resignation of the North name from the Village of North Orlando to the City of
Orlando village attorney, Orville Johnson III. and city Winter Springs.
officials were concerned about a possible increase in city December of 1972 showed voters turning out in records
traffic due to the opening of Seminole Downs (now the numbers. Elections results show Granville Brown as
Seminole Harness Raceway). Mayor, Troy Piland, Vic Miller, David Outlaw, Vicki
In May of 1967, a young attorney. Thomas freeman, Baker. and John Booth as council members. The group
was hired.His services would include the usual attorney took office in January of 1974.
duties, setting up a municipal court system, and But the night the new members took office,instead of a
'becoming acting judge on a temporary basis.It would be calm turnover of government, the small. one room city
at least a year and a half before his"temporary"status as hall erupted with a mob scene, and Seminole County
judge was over. deputies were called to assist in keeping order.
1967 was also the year that a criminal code ordinance The furor was again over Police Chief Bachelor. The
was discussed and adopted by the city. new council, approving the appointment of a new police
By mid-year, newspaper clippings were talking about chief, Donald Dobson, provoked the citizens to disrupt
a revival of community spirit and called North Orlando a
"town on the go."
Smiling public officials were in the news expounding on
how healthy the finances of the village were that year.
And there was growth. A change of zoning to allow
construction of a "high class" mobile home park came
.before the council, but it would be several years before
Hacienda Village would become a reality.
Results of the 1968 elections show Cliff Jordan as
Mayor, and Granville Brown running successfully for
re-election to a council seat.Resignations from police and
'fire chiefs and councilmen continued, but these did not
cause the furor or bad press the earlier ones did.In fact,
between 1959 and 1974 Winter Springs had no less than
''12 police chiefs. Most of the resignations were over
money. new jobs, or personal reasons.
Mayor Jordan resigned his office in 1969 to run for
selection to the Seminole County Commission and a new
face entered the political scene: Troy Piland was on
:.-council.
But by the early seventies, the city was again
negatively "in the news." Controversy over Police Chief
Walter Bachelor hit the headlines. Bachelor quit over a
salary dispute and then was rehired after his demands
were met. Petitions against and for the controversial
Chief were circulating throughout the city. It would not
1, be the last time Bachelor would be the center. of
controversy in the city.
The first women police officers were then hired, in the
early seventies. Eunice Quackenbush and Nancy
Zaidenski served as unpaid auxiliary policewomen,and it
was the first time in the history of the city that women
served in this capacity.
North Orlando joined the Council of Local
t Governments,then being called CALNO for the cities of
Casselberry, Altamonte Springs,Longwood and North '/
Orlando, and discussion of annexing the 9,500 acres 7 9 0 6 f 7
known as "Winter Springs" was before council. The
annexation,when Ynally passed,doubled the land size of
the city.
years in winter Springs
the council meeting with jeers, cries and threats of A humorous note was added to the dispute when a
violence against the new council, and in particular private citizen, with much pomp and ceremony,
Councilman John Booth.Booth had the"swing vote"that presented the council with a noose "to hang themselves
would have kept Bachelor on the payroll, and angered with",at a council meeting. Mayor Brown, promptly had
Bachelor supporters when he voted with two other the noose framed and hung on the wall of the council
coudcihnen to hire the new chief. chambers where it stayed for months until it
Mlas next step Bachelors supporters took was to urge mysteriously disappeared.
Baetpalar to seek aid from the State Attorney's office. Amazingly, the city still managed to move forward.
BROhelor Nand Mayor Brown, and Councilman and Cable vision came into the area; the first half of the year •
'sad Miller with violations of the Sunshine Law. He saw much construction; (Hacienda Village was occupied
charged that they met in secret and sought a new and still adding on) the city welcomed its first church;
applicant for his position. the Seventh-Day Adventist),and a golf course was bunt
MMayor Brown refused to discuss his reasons for at Sheoah.Other subdivisions were either occupied or in
red gilteeding Dobson over Bachelor, and this action the process of being built.Plans were again underway for
crMtd more furor. It was some months before Brown, a city hall and police and fire complex. '
.Pitied and Miller were completely exonerated of all The City of Winter Springs was beginning to grow up.
charges. During that time the city again was "in the It had a couple of stores,a church, a golf course and was,
news." ' beginning to look like a city.
7 ,06 iy