Musical elections
The filling of Mildred Fernandez’ District 3 Orange County Commission seat could have a domino affect that will impact several LGBT and friendly candidates for political office. Gov. Charlie Crist removed Fernandez from her position after she was charged with taking bribes. Crist—now an Independent—has yet to appoint a replacement, although many have applied. Among them are openly gay businessman Michael Reilly and openly supportive District 36 State Rep. Scott Randolph. Randolph is currently running for a third term, but if he is appointed to the County Commission that could benefit Greg Reynolds, an openly gay Republican who is running against him for the District 36 seat. That district—embracing Metrowest, Downtown Orlando, West Winter Park, Eatonville and Azalea Park—was designed to carve out Democrats from surrounding Republican districts, and it includes large numbers of active LGBT voters that have supported Randolph in past elections. So Reilly, Randolph and Reynolds are all watching for the governor’s announcement—expected any day now. Meanwhile, there is a fundraiser for Randolph at Pulse on July 16.
Dorman is HGTV diva
Local real estate agent David Dorman just filmed another episode of House Hunters. Dorman first appeared on the popular HGTV staple in July 2008. This time he helps buyer Julie Young search for a home in the West Orange area. Those who know Dorman are not surprised by the repeat performance. The part-time actor and singer has appeared in several local theatrical productions, and he brings a telegenic enthusiasm to real estate sales. It’s helped him earn several awards, including induction into the Century 21 Honor Society. The new episode of House Hunters featuring Dorman will air later this year.
Manly men
Orlando was recently ranked as the 16th manliest city in America. Combos evaluated America’s 50 largest cities, measuring the concentration of sports franchises, home improvement stores, steak houses, pickup trucks, motorcycles and other factors including… salty snack sales. The study also looked at manly occupations like firefighters, police officers, construction workers and EMT personnel (and overlooked line dancers in theme park shows). The top five manliest cities were: Charlotte, Columbus, Kansas City, Nashville, and Baltimore. Orlando’s “sister” city Tampa, ranked 44th.
