The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • B1

he years go by, but the reporters forget Orlando. gone on to CNN, Fox News Channel, CBS and ABC, yet Orlando was a crucial stop in these careers. They talk about Central Florida stories that made an impression, colleagues who made a difference and lessons they learned here. Byron Pitts Current job: A contributor to and chief national correspondent for Evening Years in Orlando: 1986-88 at WESH-Chan- nel2. What he remembers about this TV market: very competitive.

A number of people have left there and done wonderful things. I got my first international experience as a reporter in that market. I went to Europe France and Italy with Gov. Mel Martinez. He was looking at putting in a high-speed rail.

That kind of experience traveling abroad serves me well in my job at What he learned here: time at WESH was the first time I worked in an adult newsroom. The places I worked before had 20-something staffs, and everyone wanted to work at or or Morning In Orlando, I worked with people who decided for personal and professional reasons they were going to stay in Orlando. It was a valuable lesson. There are places where people hop around. You stay and become a real part of the Where did you hang out in Orlando? paying me enough money to hang Jessica Yellin Current job: Covers politics and elections for CNN.

Years in Orlando: 18 months from 1998 to early 2000 at Central Florida News 13. What she remembers about this TV market: think I learned almost everything I need to know about live TV reporting. It was better than going to journalism school. I shot my own video, edited my own tape, wrote my own story, did all the research, fronted it on the The stories she remembers covering: had great politics, the craziest crime were constantly catching on fire or were sinking. It had the best crime stories on earth.

I did stories about grandmas who had bodies in their On the personal connections she made here: news director was Robin Smythe.That woman knows how to run an assignment Deborah Roberts Current job: Correspondent for Fill-in news anchor on Morning Contributes to World Years in Orlando: 1987-90 at WFTV-Channel9. She left to go to NBC, where she worked five years. She has been at ABC 15years. and husband Al Roker of have two What she remembers about the TV market: covered the space shuttle. I was hired to be Brevard bureau chief.

What was hard about it, I have day-to-day camaraderie with the station. I had to work to establish relations and stay in the loop. I remember spending weekends with Barbara West and her husband, Wade. She reached out to me as a friend when I took her gig as weekend The stories she remembers covering: Cruse, who shot up the shopping center in Palm Bay. killed six and wounded 14 in It turned out to be this horrific story that got national coverage.

I was featured on ABC and And, of course, the space-shuttle coverage, because that was big breaking news anything and everything about that What she learned here that helps in her career: doggedness of it the Most of the time you go to cover a story, the end of it. With the space shuttle, you had to be up and ready day after Wyatt Andrews Current job: Correspondent with the Evening Years in Orlando: 1977-79 at WFTV. He went to WPLG in Miami for two years and has been at CBS ever since. What he remembers about this TV market: I left 31 years ago, Orlando was still a pretty small town, but you knew it was going to explode. I was there before the convention center was built.

One of the big controversies I covered was where to put the convention center: out at Disney or Orlando shaped many in TV news They talk about the memorable stories, the influential colleagues Hal Boedeker TV Guy DONNA Pleaseturnto Now at Fox Trace Gallagher, now in L.A. for Fox News Channel, took Shepard job at a local TV station. See where. B4 CENTRALFLORIDAEDITION Sunday Local News Join us online OrlandoSentinel.com now allows you to log in using your social-network sign-ons from places such as Facebook and Twitter. Our new system allows you to share content from OrlandoSentinel.com directly with friends and family much more easily.

Register today at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus his weekend, Americans celebrated the arrival of a new year in infinite ways. Some traditions involved football, fireworks or black-eyed peas, while others were more quirky or personal. The Ortegas had a long tradition of partying on New Eve from 8p.m. until 3 the next morning. They would feast on traditional Puerto Rican dishes of pasteles stuffed meat pastries) and pernil (roast- pork shoulder)and dance the night away.

At the stroke of midnight, the extended family of about 50 stopped to hug and kiss one another. Mothers Elisa and Katty Ortega would embrace their kids and break down crying from the joy of being together as afamily. That all stopped on New Day 2008. Since then, the Ortegas have spent eachNew Eveat Chapel Hill Cemetery east of Orlando and eachNew Dayat a makeshift memorial on Forsyth Road near Colonial Drive. The only thing that is the same is the tears but now they flow for a different reason.

On Jan.1, 2008, 15-year-old Luis Rivera Ortega was killed on his way to play basketball with his cousin. New means tears for them Pleaseturnto By Ruano STAFF WRITER Capitol View, B2 Deaths, B6 B2 This Just In, B3 Weather, B8 INDEX Central first baby of 2011! B3 Fire investigators are trying to determine what caused a roof to catch fire and force the evacuation of Dudley Ripsaw Falls ride at Universal Islands of Adventure. Toon Lagoon, where the water ride is located, reopened about 90minutes after fire and dark, billowing smoke closed it shortly after 5p.m. Saturday, officials said. Toon Lagoon also is home to Popeye and Bilge-Rat Barges.

The smoky, two-alarm fire erupted on the roof of an area through which cars that look like logs carry passengers, said Orlando Deputy Fire Chief Greg Hoggatt. It grew quickly. type of material puts out a lot of black he said. Forty firefighters, including some from Orange County Fire Rescue, were called to the scene. The fire was tamed in about half an hour and extinguished in an hour, Hoggatt said.

A few guests were checked at the park first-aid room, but none required hospitalization. No damage estimates were available, park spokesman Tom Schroder said. Dudley Ripsaw Falls will remain closed until the problem is pinpointed Smoke billows Saturday from Dudley Ripsaw Falls at Islands of Adventure. BRIAN SMITH Investigators seek cause of Universal fire By Susan Jacobson and Jeff Weiner STAFF WRITERS RIPSAW FALLS EVACUATED, CLOSED Pleaseturnto The building at 600 Rinehart Roadin Lake Mary speaks to the success and influence of Steve Strang. The circular glass entrance resembles the lobby of an upscale hotel trimmed in dark wood, polished stone and wine-colored furniture.

Christian publishing empire, which started with Charisma magazine 35years ago, is very much a family business. Steve Strang is the CEO of the multimedia company that publishes magazines, newslettersand books. His wife, Joy, is chief financial officer. sister is director of special events. 23-year- oldson, Chandler, works in accounting.

The only one missing from Strang Communicationsis Cameron Strang, oldest son and publisher of Relevant a magazine aimed at young evangelicals. always been an independent said Strang, 59, whose company has placed 13 books on The New York Times bestsellers list. The lives of the father and the son run parallel close together yet always separate but in a circular way that finds the son now advising the father, just as the father once advised the son. Christian publishers and son travel parallel paths A book about Sarah Palin is among those published by Strang Communications. STEPHEN M.

DOWELL ORLANDO SENTINEL By Jeff Kunerth STAFF WRITER Pleaseturnto Product: OS44Broadsheet PubDate: 01-02-2011 Zone: FLA Edition: ROP Page: User: estith Time: Color: CMYK.