Last week saw the first murder ever in the Disney-developed (and much scrutinized) town of Celebration, Florida. Will this mean the 14-year old town of 11,000 has finally shaken off its idealized persona?
Robert Steuteville has spent some time in Celebration, and comments on the recent events and the flurry of press that followed:
"Celebration, of course, never did occupy make-believe terrain, a realm somewhere outside the real world. The residents have jobs, and lose them. They have families, which sometimes break apart. There are drugs, and disease, and mental illness. The town has not been immune from the nation's economic woes, especially in Florida, where housing values have plummeted."
Steuteville says that the press is missing the boat on this story:
"What's missing from this story is that the town - the streets, the squares, and the main street - have a deeper meaning than that of a stage set. "
Thanks to Robert Steuteville
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