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Dear friends,
 Imagine standing on the corner of Church Street and
Orange Avenue in just a few years. As you look south you see a
new Performing Arts Center with a beautiful plaza where people
are outside sipping drinks, eating dinner and watching a free
performance by a local actor. Some of those people will soon
go into the main theater hall and watch the latest Broadway
production while others will watch a performance by a local
dance company in the smaller theater. A group of kids is
leaving the Center after attending an after-school program
where they are learning to act.
You turn and look west on Church Street.
The 55 West building has been completed and there are people
waiting to be seated at restaurants or walking down to the
commuter rail station to travel home.
Church Street has been closed off for the
evening, so you start walking toward I-4 and you begin to see
the outlines of the new Events Center. People are arriving for
a concert and are enjoying pre-event festivities happening out
on the street in front of the Events Center. Just around the
corner, there are people sipping coffee and surfing the
Internet as they take advantage of the new free wireless zone.
You continue along Church Street toward
Parramore and begin admiring the newly redone streetscaping.
Trees shade the street and brick-lined sidewalks that guide
you to a new art gallery where people are enjoying an exhibit
featuring several local artists.
A little further down you come to the
newly completed Parramore Heritage Park - similar to Lake Eola
but a bit smaller. Couples are strolling along the walkways
that run through the park while kids are playing in the open
space.
 You notice lights in the distance, and as you come
closer to the Florida Citrus Bowl you remember that tomorrow
the City will be hosting a college football game between two
nationally ranked teams – say Notre Dame and Michigan. You
imagine that the fans that have flown in for the game must be
enjoying our beautiful weather as you recall all the tourists
taking pictures of the downtown skyline back on Orange Avenue.
I don't think that this is just a dream.
It is what our region should become. It's within our grasp,
and we need to come together and realize our vision of
enhancing the lives and enriching the culture of the people
who call Orlando and Central Florida their home.
Sincerely,
Buddy
Dyer
Mayor
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Next week, the Orlando City Council and
Board of Orange County Commissioners will consider approval of
the Interlocal agreement, which guides the funding mechanism
for the three downtown projects. City and County approval of
the Interlocal is the final step in the plan to secure the
future of these critical downtown projects.
Monday, July 23 at 2:00 p.m., Orlando
City Council
Thursday, July 26 at 2:00 p.m., Board of
Orange County Commissioners
For latest developments on the Regional
Community Venues, please visit CityofOrlando.net.
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This section of City News provides
public safety updates on new and ongoing City initiatives and
opportunities for citizens to become engaged.
Safety Safari on Saturday
Bring your kids to the Orlando Fashion
Square Mall this Saturday, July 21st, for Health and Safety
Day with MIX 105.1 Safety Safari from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The
Safe Kids of Orange County will fit kids with free bike
helmets while supplies last and the City of Orlando Police and
Fire Departments will be on hand to give your family great
safety tips. Keep your kids safe this summer and enjoy a cool
day of shopping! Health and Safety Day at the Orlando Fashion
Square Mall is brought to you by Arnold Palmer Hospital for
Children, E-Pass and the Expressway Authority.
Cyber Safety
 Being safe with your money online is as important as
being careful with your wallet or purse. Follow these safety
guidelines to protect your privacy and avoid being victimized
online.
GENERAL INFORMATION
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FOLLOW THE SAME COMMON-SENSE RULES
THAT YOU FOLLOW IN "REAL LIFE."
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| 2. |
DO NOT GIVE OUT PERSONAL
INFORMATION TO STRANGERS. Never tell your computer
passwords to anyone who asks for them in a chat room or
by instant message. Think very carefully before giving
out your real name, address, telephone number, work
place, or any other bit of information that someone
could use to hurt you.
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| 3. |
NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY
NUMBER. If you are registering for a service that has a
legitimate need for your Social Security number, provide
the information through traditional mail.
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| 4. |
KNOW WHO YOU ARE DOING BUSINESS
WITH. Check out who you do business with on the
internet, just as you would if you were trying to get
your lawn mower repaired, looking for someone to do your
taxes, etc.
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| 5. |
BE VERY SELECTIVE ABOUT WHO YOU
GIVE YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER TO. Some web sites have set
up systems for conducting secure credit card
transactions by encrypting your information when you
order merchandise. They are PROBABLY safer than sites
without similar programs. Remember rule 4.
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| 6. |
DO NOT DOWNLOAD FILE ATTACHMENTS
FROM PEOPLE YOU DO NOT KNOW. This applies both to other
web sites and e-mail. Most computer viruses come in the
form of executable files.
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THINK BEFORE YOU POST YOUR E-MAIL
ADDRESS. Otherwise your computer may end up being a
dumping ground for junk-mail. If you have already become
a spam or junk e-mail victim, try contacting your
service provider to change your e-mail name and leave no
forwarding address. If this is unsuccessful, you may
need to change your service provider. Then, let only
those you wish to communicate with know your new
internet
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Mayor's Budget Address
On Monday, June 16th, Mayor Dyer held a
City Council workshop on the City's budget.
Mayor Dyer first commended City
Commissioners and City staff for their financially astute
decision-making and actions over the past four years. It is
through such actions that the City of Orlando has been able to
continuously enhance core city services and build upon public
safety without raising taxes or compromising City jobs.
Mayor Dyer emphasized that this year, the
City aims to maintain financial stability despite
state-mandated budget cuts due to the recent property tax
reform. The City intends to achieve this by crafting the final
budget using the following principles:
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Maintain Commitment to Public
Safety
| This tenet of the
budget serves to ensure that the second year of the Public
Safety Initiative is fully funded – ultimately keeping Orlando
safe at all costs. Results have proven this initiative to be
effective, citing the success of the Illegal Gun Bounty
Program and Operation All Hands On Deck, and the
implementation of SAFE Orlando Task Force recommendations as
evidence.
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Back to Basics: Focus on Core
City Services
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priority underscores the delivery of quality urban services
and dedication to accessible, accountable and transparent
government. Improvements will be evident in areas that are at
the core of effective local government, such as paving roads,
filling potholes and building sidewalks, installing and
maintaining street lights, and providing first-rate sanitation
services.
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Directive to Find
Efficiencies
| This year,
the City will further develop proven strategies to help
sharpen its "culture of conservation" in all departments. The
City's cost-cutting measures will range from allowing
employees to voluntarily shift schedules, to cutting out paper
in favor of electronic communication and promoting accessible
online services to our citizens.
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Orlando's Green Initiative:
Saving Money and the
Environment
| The City will
launch its environmental action agenda to transform Orlando
into a leading "Florida Green City". The City is already
forging ahead in this direction with the conversion of traffic
lights and street signals to LEDs, leading to projected
savings of over $27,000 a month and an 80 percent reduction in
energy usage. The City also participated in the State Summit
on Global Climate Change last week and will sign the United
States Conference of Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement
later this year.
To read or watch Mayor Dyers 2007 Budget
Address, please visit http://www.cityoforlando.net/elected/mayor/speeches.htm.
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New Jefferson Street Parking Garage
Opens
 On July 17, Mayor Dyer and District 5 Commissioner
Daisy W. Lynum officially opened the new Jefferson Street
parking garage which provides convenient parking and access
within in the downtown core. The garage is the City's first
energy-efficient parking facility, furthering the City's
environmental action agenda.
 Using a "smart lighting system," the
garage adjusts the lighting inside according to the time of
day and weather changes. This "smart lighting system" coupled
with the use of fluorescent bulbs, helps the City save 30% on
energy costs.
The 1,040-space garage serves downtown
Orlando employees and residents in addition to visitors to the
Amway Arena, Bob Carr and the proposed Community Venues.
Through the development of a Community Venues Master Plan, the
City has planned for more than double the current parking
availability for the Proposed Events center and Performing
Arts Center. |
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Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts
Center Commits to Minority and Women Business Enterprises
Opportunities
The Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center (DPAC)
released a statement of commitment to the City of Orlando's
Blueprint initiative and Chapter 57 of the City code which
supports offering long-term business opportunities to Minority
Business Enterprises and Women Business Enterprises
(MBEs/WBEs) for the construction and operations of the
performing arts center.
"This commitment demonstrates the arts
center's partnership with the City of Orlando and the
community by supporting a plan that positively impacts the
economic sustainability of the people of Central Florida,"
said Jim Pugh, chairman of the DPAC board of directors. "It
also follows our mission to be a multi-cultural center for
everyone, establishing community pride and encouraging
participation."
DPAC and Hines, the arts center's
development partner, will assist MBE/WBE firms through
mentoring, partnering, joint ventures and strategic alliances.
This assistance will enable MBE/WBE firms to learn and grow as
they participate in this legacy project for the Central
Florida community.
For more information on this and other
DPAC initiatives, please visit http://www.orlandopac.org/
Inside Orlando
 Inside Orlando returns to Orange TV with highlights
of recent Orlando events. The WWE Wrestlemania announcement
comes alive with special clips from the press conference,
professional wake boarder J.D. Webb talks about his
record-breaking jump over the Lake Eola fountain and a special
feature from Lynx highlights how to use bike racks on the
buses to get around town. Inside Orlando airs on Brighthouse
Channel 9 on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Inside
Orlando is another creative product by the City's Office of
Communications.
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Mayor's Message
