September 2016 – The Current

Current Thoughts Issue 4

September 23rd, 2016Mike Smith0 Comments

By Mike Smith (originally published June 2015) Well, Sunrail celebrated its one-year anniversary last month! With that anniversary was the subsequent release of how it fared in its first year. The nay-sayers rejoiced when it was announced that the fledgling rail system only recouped 20% of its costs. They were delighted to be able to dust off the word “boondoggle” and gloat at the perceived failure of such a silly project. We feel that people who share that sentiment are short-sighted and/or don’t have a need for better public transportation as many in the area do. This first leg …

Sanford Local Writes Song to Honor Pulse Victims

September 19th, 2016currentstaff0 Comments

Orlando was heavy with heartache this summer after the tragic and violent loss of life at Pulse nightclub on June 12. Immediately, Central Floridians were selflessly giving of themselves to mourn in unity. For some, that meant donating blood. Others gathered in hospital waiting rooms to pray, and nearly fifty thousand gathered at Lake Eola to put their arms around each other, whether friend or stranger, as a declaration of solidarity. Local Sanford songwriter Shadow Pearson let the heartbreak draw up a communal cry for healing in the form of a song . . . a City Song. “June 12, …

Meet the (Sanford) Parents

September 19th, 2016currentstaff0 Comments

I don’t know what it is about 2016, but it seems like the year of the baby boom in Downtown Sanford. All of our favorite locals are bringing new little Sanfordites into the world, almost like there’s something in the water. (I think I’ll continue to stick with the beer.) As someone who grew up in Downtown, I find it heartwarming to watch couples settle into new homes and start their families here. My childhood memories are filled with scenes of bicycling down brick streets, making friends with local business owners, and dancing at street parties, and I love the …

The Actual Story of Oktoberfest

September 19th, 2016currentstaff0 Comments

Oktoberfest. The mere word evokes thoughts of full steins, sausages, pretzels, colorful tents, and busty dirndl-wearing women delivering tasty suds by the metric ton. For the most part, cool, I’m with you. However, the perennial favorite story of the first Oktoberfest and beer is very much romanticized, misrepresented, and in need of a level of clarification that I wish was wasn’t the case considering the modern evolution of beer culture. Let me explain by telling you the tale of the original Oktoberfest. In 1810, on October 12, the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig was to be married, and he invited the …

Chef Pat’s Cast Iron Thanksgiving Feast

September 19th, 2016currentstaff0 Comments

Chef Patrick Story has been serving delicious German food to the patrons of Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Cafe for ten years, so this guy knows a thing or two about pleasing a crowd. With the Hollerbach family celebrating fifteen years in Downtown Sanford, Chef Pat having just purchased a beautiful home in Uptown with his wife and two lovely daughters, and Thanksgiving being a holiday that’s all about Gemütlichkeit, how could we not ask Pat to share a recipe with us this season? With a taste of all your Thanksgiving favorites in every bite, Pat’s Cast Iron Feast is perfect for first …

Pushing Greatness: A Look Back at Sofas and Suds

September 19th, 2016currentstaff0 Comments

You’ve seen it. Five people rush down the street, hands forming a death grip on a piece of furniture found abandoned on the side of the road, their neon sneakers beating against the brick street with each new step. They push, pull, and grimace as they round the famed corner, their stomachs fluttering as the back wheels of their carefully modified sofa fly off the ground for the slightest second. With an adrenaline fueled grunt, egged on by the hysterical crowd, they push just that much harder, with that much more enthusiasm, as their eyes lock onto the finish line, …