Dear friends,

Join me this Saturday, February 17, at the first annual Blues-B-Q, a celebration of blues music and barbecue at City Hall Plaza from 4 to 9 p.m. The headliner for this event will be famous blues legend Buddy Guy. Buddy Guy is a five-time Grammy award winner and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. The Blues-B-Q will also feature a local blues group, the Sam Rivers Trio from Apopka, and Blues Image’s Mike Pinera. In addition, there will be several types of tasty BBQ available for purchase and sampling. Don't miss this free concert, made possible by our community partners: the Downtown Development Board, the Orlando Utilities Commission, All Florida Mortgage Centers, 96.5 WHTQ, McCree Construction, Star 94.5, Monarch, Lynx, WDBO and the Jimmy Dean Breakfast Tour.

Enjoy a wonderful evening of music and be a part of a new tradition in Downtown Orlando.

Sincerely,

Buddy Dyer
Mayor

This section of City News provides public safety updates on new and ongoing City initiatives and opportunities for citizens to become engaged.

Public Safety Web page
CityofOrlando.net now features a new interactive section highlighting the Mayor’s Public Safety Initiative, public safety updates, information about crime prevention programs and volunteer opportunities. Presentation materials and videos of public safety related meetings and press conferences are also available on this site. The new section can be found at CityofOrlando.net/publicsafety.

Public Safety Information Series
City residents are encouraged to attend one of the seven remaining Public Safety Information meetings being held throughout the city. These meetings will inform citizens about Orlando’s public safety efforts and will empower citizens to help reduce and prevent crime in our neighborhoods. The first meeting was held at the Rosemont Community Center on Tuesday, February 13.

For more information, please call the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs at 407-246-2169.

Tuesday, February 20, 9 a.m. - L. Claudia Allen Senior Center, 1840 Mable Butler Avenue

Tuesday, February 20, 7 p.m. – Howard Middle School, 800 East Robinson Street

Tuesday, March 6, 7 p.m. - Rock Lake Community Center, 440 North Tampa Avenue

Monday, March 19, 7 p.m. - Dover Shores Community Center, 1400 Gaston Foster Road

Tuesday, March 20, 7 p.m. – Blankner Elementary School, 2500 South Mills Avenue

Wendesday, April 4 at 7 p.m. – Dr. James R. Smith Neighborhood Center, 1723 Bruton Boulevard

Monday, April 16, 7 p.m. – NorthLake Park Community School, 9055 NorthLake Parkway

Hazardous Weather Awareness Week

On Monday, February 12, Mayor Buddy Dyer, the City’s Office of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross of Central Florida hosted a roundtable discussion with more than 20 community organizations and agencies to generate awareness and remind people about the risks of local hazardous weather.

The roundtable discussion focused on each organization’s role in the emergency management process; from preparedness to response coordination to post-weather mitigation.

Orlando residents are encouraged to participate in Hazardous Weather Awareness Week by developing and testing family plans and creating a disaster supply kit. More information can be found at the Office of Emergency Management’s website at CityofOrlando.net/emergency.

Building a Disaster Kit :

Your disaster kit should include enough of these supplies to last you and your family for a minimum of three days. Disaster supply kits should also be provided for your pets.

	Water - 1 gallon of water per person, per day.
	Non - Perishable food, such as:

		Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables
		Canned juices
		High energy foods
		Vitamins
		Food for infants
		Comfort/stress foods

	First aid kit
	Non - prescription medication
	Sleeping/bedding supplies
	Foul weather equipment (rain jacket, poncho, etc.)
	Battery powered radio
	Flashlight
	Baby items (diapers, wipes, etc.)
	Games/books for kids
	Prescription medication
	Personal hygiene items
	Batteries
	Corded telephone
	Duct tape
	Tarp or plastic sheeting
	List of emergency contact numbers
	Important family paperwork (birth certificates, home owners deed, etc.)
	Money

As part of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, the City of Orlando and the ExtraCredit Campaign Coalition’s effort to promote the Earned Income Tax Credit, Super Saturday will be held on Saturday, February 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lynx Central Station, 455 N. Garland Avenue.

No other federal program has been more successful in helping working families and moving children out of poverty than the Earned Income Tax Credit Program. For the 2006 tax year, the IRS estimates that more than $32 million is waiting to be put into the hands of working families right here in Central Florida.

This event provides free tax refund preparation and other economic assistance for anyone whose household income is less than $39,000 a year.

For more information or to find out what to bring with you, go to www.orlando.org, call 211 or 407-839-HELP.

Throughout the month of February, City News will highlight individuals that have made tremendous contributions to our community. Each of these citizens has been honored by having City parks and City buildings named after them.

Gilbert McQueen – Gilbert McQueen Park was re-dedicated in 1972 in memory of Gilbert McQueen, an Orlando soldier who died in the Korean conflict. Formerly known as the Lake Mann Recreation Area, this neighborhood park is situated on more than 850 feet of Lake Mann shoreline. The park is located on Lake Mann Drive between Spaulding Road and Domino Drive. Slightly over six and one-half acres, Gilbert McQueen Park is a recreation facility with a nice blend of passive and active park uses.

John Jackson – Clifton Tobias Williams, a successful business owner and tireless activist for the black community of Orlando in the 1930’s, encouraged City officials to organize recreational activities for black children in the community. The Orlando City Council designated an area on Carter Street for recreational use for blacks. Williams took it upon himself to prepare the site to be a recreational area. The area became known as Williams Ball Field and later as the John H. Jackson Community Center. John H. Jackson dreamed of a place where Orlando’s youth had access to positive recreational and educational opportunities. As Orlando’s first black Recreation Superintendent, he began working towards his dream in 1941 and began transforming the vacant piece of land at 1002 West Carter Street into a premiere recreation site. On February 25, 1995, the doors opened to a newly renovated John H. Jackson Community Center, which fulfilled the dreams of Mr. Jackson, Mr. Williams and the Parramore Heritage community.

L. Claudia Allen - L. Claudia Allen spent 48 years as an educator. She was an elementary school teacher, assistant principal, county supervisor and coordinator of migrant services. Allen founded Orlando's first black Cub Scout pack and Boy Scout troop in 1938, in addition to the first black Girl Scout troop in 1940. Her passion for children expanded into organizing the Orlando Council for Retarded Children. In 1957 she worked tirelessly to build a school for blacks with mental retardation and her dream was achieved in 1964 with the opening of a school. She served as a dedicated member of the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross from 1960-1972, and opened a school for severely mentally challenged children on West Cypress Street in 1964. The L. Claudia Allen Senior Center was built in 1980, four years after her death. On February 24, 1984, the City of Orlando dedicated the Washington Shores building in her memory as a celebration of her life.

This special feature will continue next week in honor of National Black History Month.

On Tuesday, February 13, Mayor Dyer participated in a radio-thon to benefit the Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald House of Orlando is a "home-away-from-home" for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at local hospitals.

On Friday, February 16, Mayor Dyer spoke at the 5th Annual Mayors’ Black History Month Luncheon to benefit the United Negro College Fund in Orlando. Mayor Dyer and Orange County Mayor Crotty co-chaired the event, featuring keynote speaker Charles Greene, Executive Director, White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Join Mayor Buddy Dyer at the first annual Blues-B-Q, a celebration of blues music and barbecue at City Hall Plaza, February 17 from 4-9 p.m. The headliner for this event will be famous blues legend Buddy Guy. Buddy Guy is a five-time Grammy award winner and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. The Blues-B-Q will also feature local blues group Sam Rivers Trio from Apopka and Blues Image’s Mike Pinera. In addition, there will be several types of tasty BBQ available for purchase and sampling. Mark your calendars now so you don't miss this free concert. This free concert was made possible by our community partners: the Downtown Development Board, the Orlando Utilities Commission, All Florida Mortgage Centers, 96.5 WHTQ, McCree Construction, Star 94.5, Monarch, Lynx, WDBO, and the Jimmy Dean Breakfast Tour.

City Hall
400 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: 407.246.2221
Fax: 407.246.2842
Email: buddy.dyer@cityoforlando.net