We reported in a bit more detail about the city’s new temporary use permit pilot program for food trucks in this week’s issue. You can read that story here. But we did get a lot of additional information that, for one reason or another, didn’t make it into the story. Below you’ll find a handful of emails with interviews and details that didn’t make it into the “Food Truck Wars” story.

A reader forwarded us this email he received from the city of Orlando regarding his questions and concerns about the city’s new temporary use permit for food trucks. At his request, we have redacted his email address and name from the message. The rest of it remains intact and unedited.

From: Jason Burton <jason.burton@cityoforlando.net>
Cc: Kathleen Devault <Kathleen.Devault@cityoforlando.net>; Cassandra Lafser <cassandra.lafser@cityoforlando.net>
Sent: Wed, Jun 19, 2013 3:17 pm
Subject: Food Trucks

After we went to press we also got a couple of responses to requests for comment that didn’t make it in time for the print edition. What we got is below.

Gabrielle Arnold, who owns La Empanada Food Truck with partner Janelle Luce, says:

This is going to impact the entire food truck community on many levels…
Of course the first thing that comes to mind is how we’ll be impacted from a financial standpoint. Less access to locations and complete severing of some of our longest standing venues is a pretty big deal. Will that put some food trucks out of business? Let’s hope not, but it will certainly force some of us to shift our business models on the fly – which, when you’re running a business, is extremely stressful. We’ve all built trusted relationships within the community with both customers and our venues so my hope is that we can come to some kind of compromise with local government.

Another fear we all probably share is that these new rules will end up stifling the growth and progress of the food truck scene in Orlando. There will be a lot less opportunity around town and a lot more hoops to jump through from now on. I’m staying positive (or perhaps being naive) and hoping that this is a good opportunity for us trucks to come together and state our needs from this city, which we all support as business owners.

For one, we’d like to come to a more reasonable solution regarding the “one night per week” policy for bars, which impacts many of the trucks in town. Many of us met with and have spoken with the city planner who seems receptive enough so we shall see what can be done. It’s a damn shame we couldn’t have worked with him on this, or at least provided some input from the beginning.  I know he heard plenty of complaints and met with other business owners in town who oppose food trucks, as well as did research on food truck rules in other cities, BUT I have yet to talk to a food truck owner who had any idea this piece of city legislations was coming together. It’s been a shock and feels like we’re working backwards now to come to compromises.

Melissa Schumann, owner of the Falcon Bar and Gallery, says:

OW: What’s your take on the food truck rules/regs thing?

I am not sure what brought about the sudden changes with the food truck laws.  I have heard mixed opinions about it being started from complaints by brick and mortars locations, etc.  My initial reaction is if it “ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  One could argue that if regulations aren’t put into place then every public parking space in Thornton Park for example could be lined with Food Trucks, but prior to the recent enforcement, that has not happened.  Capitalism and consumer power would/does regulate. …

Outside of the shortsighted debate about the benefits and draw backs of food trucks bringing people to areas or taking away business from existing restaurants, I think local government can’t forget that one of the overarching big picture goals of the city is to bring cutting edge companies to Orlando and make places like Creative Village their corporate headquarters.  Food Trucks are part of our “cultural economy” just as much as the arts.  Food is art.  Creativity can improve a community’s competitive edge, create a foundation for defining a sense of place, attract new and visiting populations, and contribute to the development of a loyal skilled workforce.  People don’t want everything to be cookie cutter and cutting edge companies aren’t going to attract top level talent to a city that does not have a little more of a bohemian vibe.  Austin for example is booming and it’s in TEXAS!!

OW: Do you think the rules & regs make sense?

I think they were put together with little input of interested parties.  I do think this is a wake up call for Food Truck owners that they need to pay attention to local government and attend meetings that could affect their business.  I.e. the Food Truck Round Table Meeting.

OW: Were you part of the working group that helped put them together?

No, but I did send an email to the city planner sharing my thoughts prior to the council vote.  I explained that I think Food Trucks bring their own clientele.  This clientele then check out the area and come back to frequent the businesses.  Also I shared that recently there was USA Today article about the “10 best neighborhoods…” almost all listed Food Trucks as a component.

Currently I am a fan of “Food Trucks For Fairness” on Facebook.

And for now … that’s all we’ve got. We’ll keep reporting more on the subject as we get more information.

Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan is best know as a politician, but lately she's been building the “visual artist” side of her resume. Mayor Dyer joined the crowd congratulating her at Monday night's opening of the “Bad Kitty Art Show” at The Peacock Room.

Sheehan reported selling haf of her displayed canvases, featuring painting of her favorite feline forms (as previously seen on the power box Virginia Drive and Ferncreek Ave). Better still, the evening raised $331 and 400lbs of cat food in donations to support the SPCA and Humane Society shelters.

What better place to experience the band that recorded “the loudest CD in history” than at the Winter Park bar that regularly hosts the loudest bands in town? No, Guitar Wolf isn’t actually playing at Odin’s Den, but the next best thing is happening: a movie night featuring Wild Zero, the cult classic in which the Japanese rockabilly-thrash band saves the world from outer-space zombies. (Expect lots of splatter, lots of guitar solos and lots of pompadours being carefully rebuilt after lots of zombie ass is thoroughly kicked.) Matador Records, the label that made the aforementioned claim to historic loudness, also says of Guitar Wolf that their story proves that “if you rock hard enough, you can break the laws of physics.” Just try not to break any furniture … or bones. – Jessica Bryce Young

via cfnews13.com

CF News 13, which is promising minute-by-minute coverage of the entire George Zimmerman case, has been posting constant updates from the Sanford courtroom where jury selection for the trial has been taking place. But as anyone who’s ever sat through an entire court case already knows, it’s a slog, and not everything that’s said in court is really all that riveting. However, the live updates from jury selection are, we must admit, somewhat fascinating – a glimpse into the soul of America. We went through the live updates and selected some of the highlights (and low lights) for you to peruse. If you want more, all you have to do is check out the CF News 13 website. They’ll be riding this trial til the wheels fall off.

Juror P67

The juror said he remembers hearing that somebody got shot, and then the protests that followed. He said, laughing, that he got quickly tired of hearing about the case. He said he saw photos of George Zimmerman’s injuries, and he remembered seeing Trayvon Martin’s “mom and dad” on TV.

Juror B67

Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda asks the juror what she has seen or heard about the case so far. She said she has heard people talking about “someone killed in Seminole,” but doesn’t remember much detail.

The juror said she recalls seeing photos of Trayvon Martin “wearing something over his head.” She likely means the black-and-white photo of Trayvon wearing a hoodie.

The juror said she isn’t sure if she could judge this case, saying she believes “the only person that can judge is God.”

Juror N18

[Zimmerman defense attorney Don] West asks about a disability the juror indicated he had. He said his head has been spinning, and he is having back pains from sitting. He then went on to say that he prays every night for both families, and he can’t sleep. He also prays or God to give him “strength to be here.”

Juror E75

Defense attorney Don West asks Juror E-75, “Aren’t you cold?” noting the juror is wearing a tank top. “A little bit,” the juror replied, chuckling.

“Is it hot in the jury room?” West asked. “A little bit,” E-75 said again.

The juror said he’s not sure if his job will pay him for days he’s on jury duty, but he said his personal funds are sufficient, and he would not face hardship. He added his parents would help pay for car insurance and other bills, and he lives with his parents, so he does not have to pay rent.

The juror explains the Facebook news feed to West, saying that the posts he saw were from his friends online.

The juror reveals he was a junior in high school when the shooting happened. He just graduated a few weeks ago. …

West asks the juror about his “OBEY” shirt, if it means anything. The juror explained that was simply the name of a brand, and he didn’t wear it for any other reason. West concluded questioning by suggesting that the juror that he might want to “bring a jacket next time.”

Juror E50

[Zimmernan defense attorney Mark] O’Mara asked what photos the juror has seen of George Zimmerman. The juror said he recalls Zimmerman being “less in weight.” Zimmermnan smiled and quietly laughed to himself.

The juror said he does not use the Internet, joking he remembers when Western Union was considered to be fast. He reflected on when he felt times were safer. Nowadays, he said, everything feels like it’s “TMI.” [too much information] O’Mara comments, “That’s an Internet term.” The juror explains his daughter uses it.

Juror H35

“I want to be there for America and do this, but I have obligations,” she says, adding that she has to move at the end of the month. She also says she has social anxiety.

Juror E7

A juror dismissed Wednesday over a Facebook post made shortly after the Trayvon Martin shooting has been escorted from the courthouse after showing up again Friday.

The former Juror E-7, identified as Jerry P. Counelis, was escorted off the property for trespassing.

Counelis made a comment on Facebook in March 2012 on a link to a pro-Trayvon website, saying “I can tell you this: Justice is coming,” and bashing the “corrupt” Sanford Police Department for not arresting George Zimmerman.

Juror G63

Defense attorney Mark O’Mara begins questioning Juror G-63.

The juror began talking about “archetypes,” or stereotypes, with O’Mara, offering the examples “bro” and “hipster.” He said he doesn’t know anyone who matches such archetypes.

Juror G47

He said his news watching is “sparse,” because he finds it depressing, describing himself as a “very happy person.” He said he only cares about news that affects him personally, explaining “a tsunami in Japan or an earthquake in India” would potentially impact his life more than the Zimmerman case.

Juror G29

When she got her jury summons, she said to herself, “Not again.” She has served jury duty before.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how jury selection has been going so far.

photo courtesy xojane.com

In the wake of a pyrrhic human-resources victory in its fight for what’s best for its staffers (which certainly isn’t earned sick time), it looks like this week Disney has another public relations disaster of the employment variety to contend with. Yesterday, xojane.com – the feministy brainchild of Sassy and Jane magazine maker Jane Pratt – posted the latest in its riveting first-person “It Happened to Me” series, and this time the “it” that happened involved the rape of a young Disney College participant last year and the subsequent failure of Disney’s staff to do anything substantive about it. Without taking too much away from the story – which I sincerely urge you to read – it’s safe to say that Disney’s approach to handling the date rape of a cast member is akin to what you’ve come to expect from a small town police force in, say, 1956.

I made an appointment to see one of the counselors in Disney’s Employee Assistance Program. I tried to be optimistic.Of course they’ll listen to me. It’s Disney, a company built on childhood innocence and happiness. Wouldn’t they want to fire an accused rapist immediately? (Spoiler Alert: No.)

I recounted everything that happened that night while the counselor stayed silent and seemed at least mildly sympathetic. When I told her we had been drinking, her face changed from “concerned” to “you made a mistake.”  Still, I told her, I said “no” the entire time and he never listened.

The first thing she said to me was “Well, now you know not to be hanging around boys in the middle of the night. You know what they want.”

Take a few seconds and re-read that. Now let’s unpack it.

A certified counselor was insinuating that it was my fault that my coworker decided to rape me — as if I should have known better than to interact with any man after dark. Not only that, but she was advising me to approach every interaction with a man as if he is a potential rapist, including every man that works at Disney World.  If I react to a man with anything less than hostility after sundown, whatever happens is my fault.

I told her that “no” means “no” whether it’s day or night. That was apparently too radical an idea for her, as she said nothing in reply. She continued to make excuses for my rapist. She asked where he was from and I told her, “France.” She remarked that “cultural differences” were probably part of the problem, telling me that the French have a “different view of love” than we Americans do.

It was at that point that I completely let go of any hope that this woman would help me.

I made an appointment to meet with Cheri in Employee Relations. When I got to her office, I wrote down my statement recounting everything that happened the night of the assault and waited to be called in. Unfortunately, she handled the situation even worse than the counselor had.

“You were drinking?”

Yes, I’m over twenty-one. That is legal.

“Why didn’t you scream? If his roommates were home, they would have heard you.”

Thank you for your brilliant insight. I haven’t beaten myself up enough for that already.

“Why didn’t you push him off you? You said he wasn’t that big.”

I froze. The rape took me a little by surprise.

“Why did it take you this long to report the assault? Are you sure you’re not reporting this as a rape because you wanted him to be your boyfriend and he said no?”

… Fuck you.

“Now what I don’t understand is why you didn’t call the police first.”

Because of literally everything you’re saying to me right now.

We collect them on trips, from thrift stores, at concerts. We swipe them from family members. We praise them for designs. We wear them to make statements. Hell, some TV writers even use them to drive story lines.

Just last month, the Internet went nuts when Mad Men posed Megan Draper on-screen in a simple T-shirt with a red star on it. The shirt was instantly recognized by T-shirt junkies who wondered if the shirt served as a red herring that Megan would be killed off the show, because the shirt bore a strong resemblance to one worn by a similarly situated up-and-coming actress in the ’60s, leading to musings that the show’s writers were drawing Megan’s story line in an arc that closely matches slain ’60s actress Sharon Tate’s real life story. One shirt spoke that loudly.

Source: Vulture

And while that’s interesting if you like TV trivia, what it reiterated to me was one recurring trend that seems to always be in vogue: memorable T-shirts.

We’re looking for Orlando’s best shirts, and whether you make T-shirts for a living or just live for finding awesome shirts, we want to see what you’ve got. To sweeten the deal, we’re giving away two vintage Orlando Weekly shirts to a random winner, so that, I dunno, years from now, you can remember how you won a contest in Orlando and all you got was a stinkin’ T-shirt.

Submit your shirts by emailing abelanger@orlandoweekly.com or by using the hashtag #owSummerT on Instagram or Twitter, and I suppose now, Facebook by 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 19.

Here are some of the shirts we’ve seen submitted so far on Instagram:

American Party Machine

Tuesday, June 18 – Tuesday Night Juggernaut One-Year Anniversary
10 p.m.
Backbooth
37 W. Pine St.
407-999-2570
backbooth.com
$3

Apparently, your concept of time really flies when you’re killing brain cells with headbanging and cheap whiskey, because we can’t believe Tuesday Night Juggernaut is turning a year old already. Against impressive odds, downtown’s only real metal/punk/hardcore night has, thankfully, persisted. To celebrate, the usual (and insanely charitable) $3 cover buys you access to a total blowout featuring hardcore metallists Space Brain (also celebrating their official record release), extreme-metal humorists Primary Colors, sludge beasts Demons, big-dick rockers American Party Machine and dirty tech-thrashers Dissident Aggressor. Shit’s gonna be ridiculous. No, seriously – did we mention that this is a pro wrestler costume party? American Party Machine and Space Brain themselves have already vowed to suit up for the occasion, and APM hosts the costume contest and crowns the Best Dressed during their set for prizes. Oh, boy. – Bao Le-Huu

John Fogerty
7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Hard Rock Live
6050 Universal Blvd.
407-351-5483
hardrock.com
$37.50-$125

Down the road:

Generationals, June 26 at The Social
Beach Day, June 27 at Will’s Pub
Bob Dylan and His Band, Wilco, June 27 at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Juanes, June 28 at Hard Rock Live
Adam Lambert, June 29 at Universal Studios
Luke Davids, June 30 at Backbooth
Ben Prestage, July 3 at Will’s Pub
AAHZ Legacy (The Final Reunion), July 3 at The Beacham
The Oak Ridge Boys, July 4 at Hard Rock Live
TGT: Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank, July 6 at Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre
Matt Pond, July 11 at The Social
Kathy Griffin, July 12 at Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre
Lil’ Wayne, July 13 at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Hanks Williams Jr. & Gregg Allman, July 13 at UCF Arena
RX Bandits, July 15 at The Beacham
Dave Matthews Band, July 17 at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Marilyn Manson, July 18 at Hard Rock Live
Swanky Tunes, July 18 at The Beacham
I Wayne, July 19 at The Social
Cedric the Entertainer, July 20 at Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre
Nico Vega, July 22 at The Social
311, July 23 at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Zach Deputy, July 25 at The Plaza Live
Jason Derulo, July 26 at House of Blues
W. Kamau Bell, July 27 at The Plaza Live
Vans Warped Tour ’13, July 28 at Central Florida Fairgrounds
Black Sabbath, Andrew W.K., July 29 at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Molotov, July 30 at The Beacham
KEN Mode, Aug. 1 at Will’s Pub
Fuel, Aug. 1 at House of Blues
The Molly Ringwalds, Aug. 3 at House of Blues
Matchbox Twenty, Aug. 4 at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Saigon Kick, Aug. 9 at The Social
Adam Ant, Aug. 10 at Hard Rock Live
OneRepublic, Aug. 12 at Hard Rock Live
The Cult, Aug. 14 at House of Blues
Hunx and His Punx, Aug. 14 at The Social
Icona Pop, Aug. 16 at House of Blues
The Killers, Aug. 16 at Hard Rock Live
KISS, Aug. 16 at Amway Center
Victoria Justice, Aug. 17 at Hard Rock Live
Ted Nugent, Aug. 19 at House of Blues

For complete show listings, visit our online calendar.

FROM: A concerned reader

Dear Mr. Blanchard:

I read with great interest your “Editor’s Desk” column of June 6, 2013 , particularly the portion in which you revealed that one of Watermark’s contributing writers had recently appropriated material from another publication without acknowledgement. (I would have responded earlier, but I honestly hadn’t seen that admission until now, as it was located in the “after the jump” portion of your column, and was thus not visible on any of your site’s other pages.)

I sincerely appreciate the concern for your paper’s reputation, and for the cause of journalism in general, that you say motivated you to divulge this unfortunate situation to Watermark’s readers. “The world of mass media is a tough world to live and work and the free flow of information via new technologies can entice some writers to use inappropriate methods to meet deadlines,” you wrote. “But lifting information from another source without proper attribution is an insult to all of us in journalism, whether it’s newsprint or in new media.” I couldn’t concur more.

With all of that established and agreed upon, I have a few questions to ask:

Why did you at no point name the Watermark contributor who had lifted the content? It’s Erik Caban. Why did you not name the publication he had lifted from? It’s Orlando Weekly. And why did you not identify the writer who had created the content Caban stole? It’s Steve Schneider (see byline, above). These are names that, as I understand it, are all well-known to your readership. So if you were worried about confusing them, I honestly don’t think that would have been a problem.

Also, why did you state that the pilfered material had been limited to “an article”? Actually, the words Mr. Caban pinched had come from two separate Orlando Weekly postings: our reviews of the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival shows God is a Scottish Drag Queen and Celebrity Match Game: The Musical (And a Game Show).  I know you were aware of this, as you had removed Mr. Caban’s reviews of both of these shows — as well as all of his other Fringe Festival reviews – from your site as soon as the situation was brought to your attention.

While we’re on the subject, let’s talk about your admission that Mr. Caban’s Fringe material was not “completely original work,” but rather “strangely and too conveniently similar to a story from another publication.” Do you think that phraseology fully conveys the severity of what had happened? Let’s look at what Orlando Weekly – okay, I – had to say about God is a Scottish Drag Queen:

“Delamont is smart enough to recognize the essential spiritual sweetness at the heart of his routine, and he trusts us to perceive it, too.”

Here’s what Mr. Caban said (I didn’t get a screen grab before you took the content down; you’ll just have to trust me, I guess): “Delamont is smart enough to recognize the essential spiritual sweetness at the heart of his routine, and he trusts his audience to perceive it, too.”

Here’s what I posted to Orlando Weekly about Celebrity Match Game:

“The game itself advances at the pleasant pace of a snail on Maker’s Mark, since the performers – including Wanzie’s helpmate, Douglas White — keep getting recruited to deliver musical numbers instead. They’re taking their marching orders from the disembodied voice of Fringe producer Mike Marinaccio, whose bossy prerecorded instructions frequently step on the live performers’ lines, and sometimes even repeat themselves nonsensically.”

Here’s how it looked under Mr. Caban’s byline:

“…the game/show seems to advance at a snail’s pace. … As part of the staged ‘improv,’ the performers – including co-host, Douglas White — keep getting recruited to deliver over-extended musical numbers by the pre-recorded voice of Fringe producer Michael Marinaccio, whose instructions frequently step on the live performers’ lines and sometimes even repeat themselves senselessly.”

That’s a little more than “strangely similar,” don’t you think? Honestly, I don’t know if I could have recalled that passage so closely without having the relevant Orlando Weekly page open on my screen – and I wrote the thing.

A few more questions here. You told your readers, “You have my word that Watermark will continue to provide original, exciting and accurate content within its pages and online…” Why, then, did you post another article by Mr. Caban mere hours after having to take down his Fringe content? Why is that article still live on your site? Were you not worried that this piece as well could be suspect?

You say that you “researched” the content-swiping “incident” – what does this mean? Readers of your column are left to guess. What were the results of this “research”? Did Mr. Caban admit his wrongdoing to you? All of this remains unsaid in your piece. Will he be allowed to contribute more material to your paper and/or website in the future? If so, under what parameters? Have you not yet decided? If so, when will you? Is your company considering any new internal procedures and protocols to ensure that nothing like this happens again?

These, I’m sure you will understand, are not trivial questions. As you correctly identified, “lifting information from another source without proper attribution” is a serious infraction. That’s why publications that discover they have been guilty of it are customarily expected to own up in full. It’s believed that a complete and public explanation – one that names names — is the only way for them to repair the professional injury they have inflicted on the victimized media outlet. It’s also instrumental in warning readers and other publications alike that the correspondent who did the stealing is not a source to be trusted.

I eagerly await your response to my concerns, which I think you’ll agree are thoroughly valid ones.

Best regards,

Steve Schneider

Content provider, Orlando Weekly

By now, you’ve no doubt heard about the city of Orlando’s passage of a temporary use permit pilot program for food trucks. If you’re in the dark, see our story here, and check Wednesday’s issue of the Weekly for an updated piece about where things are at with the new law. Local food truck fans are wringing their hands about what’s to become of our beloved food truck scene, and it appears we’re not alone. According to the National Food Vending Initiative of the Institute for Justice, more than 60 U.S. cities are going to battle with food truck. Why? The institute’s reports have found that a lot of restaurateurs find the presence of food trucks threatening – they’re concerned that the trucks are drawing customers away. But what the Institute for Justice determined is that food trucks don’t damage existing businesses. Rather, they help build a stronger local economy and help draw more potential customers to the areas they serve.

The Institute for Justice has a downloadable PDF on its website that spells out what the organization thinks are reasonable legal requirements for food trucks, and uses case studies from various cities as examples. It’s required reading for anyone who wants to talk to the city about making changes to the restrictions posted in the temporary use permit pilot program.