 |
|||||||||||||||||
|
July 24, 2009 - City News |
|||||||||||||||||
|
Mayor's Message |
|||||||||||||||||
|
Dear Friend, The City of Orlando has taken important steps to ensure that our children have access to quality places to play. Since 2003, we have opened 16 new parks/playgrounds, renovated 14 parks/playgrounds and currently have three parks under construction. These efforts have resulted in the City receiving the Playful City USA recognition for the second straight year. Through the Playful City USA program, Orlando serves as a role model to other communities across the country. This recognition, by the national non-profit KABOOM!, is a true honor. Orlando residents should take pride knowing that the actions we take here in our City are not only making a difference for our children, but will benefit children across the country. As part of our commitment to offering quality outdoor amenities, we have also organized a committee to determine the next steps the City should take to best serve your recreation needs. I invite you to take part in our survey to help us prioritize what residents would like to see in our parks and recreation facilities, click here. I invite you to learn more about the City's recreation programs and to visit our new parks and playgrounds. For information, visit cityoforlando.net/fpr or call 407.246.4300. Sincerely, |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
Facing the Mortgage Crisis The Heart of Florida United Way and WMFE are co-hosting a series of forums with local experts to help Central Florida residents avoid foreclosure and navigate the process more effectively. Called "Facing the Mortgage Crisis," the presentations will include a panel discussion and question and answer session with experts from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Consumer Credit Counseling Service, the banking/lending industry and legal services. Discussion topics will include how to avoid foreclosure and mortgage scams, free programs and resources and tips to help homeowners who are in foreclosure. The forums will be held on the following dates:
These events are
free and open to the public. For questions or
additional information dial 2-1-1, United Way's
24-hour referral/helpline or visit
wmfe.org/mortgage.
Buy Local Orlando Business Profile
For more information on the Buy Local Orlando program, please visit buylocalorlando.net. Healthy Heroes Back to School Bash
To schedule your appointment for immunization/physicals, please visit healthyheroes.org or call 1.866.229.6368. |
|||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||
|
National Night Out On Tuesday, August 4, 2009 the City of Orlando will celebrate the 26th Annual National Night Out, a crime and safety event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW). Last year, the City of Orlando finished with record numbers; 65 parties, 367 block captains and 7,982 residents participating. As a result, the City was awarded second place overall by the NATW. National Night Out promotes police-community partnerships, crime prevention and neighborhood safety. This community-oriented event brings neighbors together for a crime and safety awareness night. Watch groups around the City will hold rallies within their neighborhoods to increase crime awareness in their community. This year, National Night Out is reaching out to our community centers, churches and apartment complexes. In addition to the Watch groups' events, celebrations such as: National Night Out Goes to Summer Camp; National Night Out Goes to Church; and National Night Out Goes to the Apartments will be taking place throughout Orlando. For more information regarding these events or to join Neighborhood Watch, call 407.246.2369. For more information regarding this event or to join Neighborhood Watch, call 407.246.2369. Emergency Information Center Volunteers Needed Volunteers are needed to staff phone lines in the event of hurricane activation of the Emergency Operations Center. Formal training is mandatory for all phone line volunteers. Training will be held at the Emergency Operations Center, which is located at 110 Andes Avenue, Orlando FL 32807. Training dates to choose from are:
Please RSVP to Jasmin Rodriguez at 407.246.3787 or jasmin.rodriguez@cityoforlando.net. |
|||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||
|
City Unveils
Environmentally-Friendly Basketball Court
Funds for the newly renovated basketball court were donated to the Orlando Community and Youth Trust, Inc., a non-profit organization that fundraises to enhance facilities and supplement scholarships, programs and activities offered by the City's Families, Parks and Recreation Department. |
|||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||
|
Events Center Roof Truss Assembly Begins Locally
Schuff Steel has a workforce which is 39 percent diversified in administration and 64 percent diversified in operations and production at its Orlando plant. An estimated 95 percent of Schuff's workforce resides in the City of Orlando and Orange County. DR. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center Announces Harriett Lake's Legacy Name For her $1 million gift to the Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center, philanthropist Harriett Lake has selected the first floor ladies room as her legacy naming opportunity affectionately named Harriett's Ladies Lounge. With the construction of the performing arts center, signage for Harriett's Lounge will be installed. Located in the central lobby, it is the largest restroom facility in the building. Previously announced named gifts include the Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center building with a $25 million gift from Dr. Phillips Charities, the Bill and Mary Darden Box Office with a $1 million gift from Darden Restaurants, the Richard Kessler Hospitality Suite from a $1 million gift from Richard Kessler, the Peter Family Stage, the proscenium stage named with a $1 million gift from Annette Neel and the Lynn and Chuck Steinmetz Stage, with a $1 million gift from Lynn and Chuck Steinmetz. Events Center Webcam
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
Did You Know? |
|||||||||||||||||
|
Orlando's Planar Energy
Receives Award for High-Tech Energy Work On Thursday July 16, 2009, Orlando-based Planar Energy Devices Inc. took one of the top honors at the World Technology Network's annual summit in New York City. Planar is leading their industry in designing energy-efficient micro-batteries for technology products ranging from medical devices to aerospace equipment to personal computers. With these efforts, the company took first place in the energy category of the global organization's annual innovation honors. Planar's cutting-edge work competed with hundreds of entries in a wide variety of categories such as medicine, communications, environment, entertainment and the arts. A judges' panel cited Planar's cutting-edge work as having "the greatest likely long-term significance" in the modern energy industry. Planar hopes this honor will support its effort to obtain a $56 million energy grant from the government stimulus program. This venture is Florida's only entry in the energy technology stimulus program and Planar plans to use the money to establish a hybrid-vehicle battery factory located in Gainesville. Wells'Built Museum Unveiled Orlando Magic Exhibit The Wells'Built Museum has unveiled an exhibit on the Orlando Magic, featuring historic photos, jerseys and other items of interest from the franchise. Featured in the exhibit are Magic General Manager Otis Smith, the first African-American general manager for the Magic; Magic Community Ambassador Nick Anderson, the first African-American player drafted by the Magic; and Director of Player Development, Morlon Wiley, the first African-American player signed by the Magic, will be featured in the exhibit. The Wells'Built Museum, located at 511 West South Street, is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information about their rates and exhibits, call 407.245.7535 or visit pastinc.org. Former Parramore Resident Returns Home to Help Local Youth
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
Upcoming Events |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
 |
City Hall |
||||||||||||||||
Buy
Local Orlando is under way and each week
we want to make sure you know that you can get
great deals, discounts and offers. There are
more than 150 merchant members participating in
the Buy Local Orlando campaign
offering special offers and discounts
exclusively to Buy Local Orlando
consumers. 
Orlando
Mayor Buddy Dyer invites you to attend the 5th
annual Healthy Heroes Back to School Bash on
Saturday, August 8, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m. at Amway Arena (600 West Amelia Street).
This event provides free immunizations, school
supplies, back packs and school physicals for
children attending Central Florida schools.
Mayor Buddy Dyer was
joined by the NBA, Toyota and the Orlando Magic
as he unveiled two refurbished basketball courts
at the John H. Jackson Community Center. The
center is located in the Parramore neighborhood,
an area both the City of Orlando and the Orlando
Magic have been committed to revitalizing for
the past several years. The courts were
refurbished using recycled materials and will
provide hundreds of children in Parramore with a
safe place to play.
A short seven miles from the site of the new
Events Center, six 380-foot long, 150-ton steel
roof trusses for the world-class arena will be
fabricated by Schuff Steel. The entire structural
steel portion of the new Events Center is in
excess of 3,000 tons. The cutting, shaping,
assembling and installing of the raw steel
involves more than 200 local steel workers. 
Watch
the progress of the construction of the new
Events Center with the Events Center Webcams.
Showing multiple bird's eye views of the two blocks
south of Church Street and west of I-4 which
will become the home of the City's new venue for
sports, music and entertainment, the cameras
take a picture every 15 minutes and saves the
photos so viewers can watch the progress like a
movie. The webcams can be found 
Indiana Pacers
Guard and Orlando native Marquis Daniels
returned to his hometown to help international
hunger relief organization, Feed The Children,
distribute boxes of food and personal care items
to 400 Parramore families on Friday, July 17 at
the City of Orlando's Downtown Recreation
Center. The boxes were designed to help
supplement a family's groceries for up to one week. The City
of Orlando's Families, Parks and Recreation
Department partnered with Marquis Daniels and
Feed The Children to distribute the boxes to
families in need.