Ask any DeLandite his or her opinions on the housing development boom of South DeLand or the newest roundabout just south of downtown and you’ll get a variety of opinions and probably start some heated arguments. However, you ask the same residents about the improvements made to Georgia Avenue in Downtown DeLand, and you’re likely to hear a chorus of approving responses. ​

Cemeteries are a place to memorialize loved ones that have passed on before us. They provide a rich history of our past and help shape stories to tell future generations. Cemeteries, like any property, require maintenance, that if left unattended will let those stories fade. That has been the recent case at Union Cemetery, a traditionally African American cemetery that has been in disrepair until now. ​

​Our founding father, Alexander Hamilton, once said, “Look around. Look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now.” Okay. He didn’t say it, but his character in the Tony Award winning show Hamilton did. And he was right when one looks at the epic line-up coming to 2018-2019 Fairwinds Broadway Across America series at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando.

The Georgia Avenue streetscape renovations are nearing the home stretch. There is not much work left to do other then paving the street and installing decorative pavers. The project is the foundation to the continued revitalization of the area and is expected to attract new businesses that fit the vibrant SoNy (South of New York) district. One key component to the revitalization may come from a property swap between the city of DeLand and Volusia County, according to the West Volusia Beacon. ​

​Anyone who has walked the streets of DeLand knows what a jewel it is. After all, its downtown was named “America’s Mainstreet” in 2017. But, what you may not know is that DeLand is home to a new local “celebrity” thanks to a commercial for the prescription drug Chantix. Mark Blanchette, a fine arts photographer who calls DeLand home, was featured in the commercial that started airing in January. One of the settings is DeLand's Forno Bello restaurant. 

Construction has begun to transform Georgia Ave. in Downtown DeLand into an attractive area for the already busy Artisan Alley district. Now an integral part of the city’s SoNY — short for “South of New York” — district, the diminutive street hosts Persimmon Hollow Brewing Co., Cafe DaVinci, BakeChop and Neighbors Artisan Taqueria, to name a few popular businesses. An extension of the popular weekly Artisan Alley Growers and Makers Market stretches onto the avenue each Friday, as well. The tiny thruway connects South Woodland Boulevard and South Florida Avenue, making it a popular shortcut for vehicles and pedestrians alike. Over several years, the traffic has rendered the pavement cracked and worn, and the infrastructure of the road is in need of repair as heavy summer rains caused flooding issues in the building occupied by Trilogy Coffee Roasting Co. ​

Construction officially began in November on the highly-anticipated Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center, a Stetson University facility that will provide a permanent home for Stetson's intercollegiate rowing teams, along with study/research space. What many are not aware of is that the new facility will also give public access to Lake Beresford as part of the center's 10-acre site.