August 7, 2009 - City News

Mayor's Message

As part of our Strengthen Orlando initiative, the City is conducting training workshops to give our local organizations the tools to be competitive and improve their project management skills.

The Project Planning and Budgeting workshop focuses on project management skills, pricing projects, justifying resources and tracking the actual project. The Outcome Measures workshop shows participants how to measure the impact of their work, an important element necessary to win and retain grants. Taken separately or together, these workshops provide valuable tips to help organizations grow stronger and become better candidates for grants.

The City is also hosting a separate series of workshops to help local organizations apply for the City’s Neighborhood Matching Grant and the Faith-based Matching Grant. These workshops are required for any organization wishing to apply and cover how to plan, present and execute a successful grant project.

For more information on times and locations, see the related articles in the Strengthen Orlando section of today’s newsletter or visit cityoforlando.net.

Sincerely,

Buddy Dyer
Mayor

Training Workshops for Organizations

The Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs offers technical assistance and capacity-building workshops to neighborhood organizations, schools and nonprofit organizations. Workshops are free of charge. Call 407.246.3787 to reserve your seat at one or more workshops.

Project Planning and Budgeting

This workshop will introduce participants to project management methods, as well as techniques for justifying needed resources, projecting costs, budgeting, tracking and controlling work related to the project.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
Rosemont Community Center, 4872 Rose Bay Drive
See additional dates

Outcome Measures

Organizations are recognizing the importance of providing evidence that their services are improving the lives of participants. This training will provide an overview of the outcome measurement process, identify specific process steps and provide suggestions for evaluating and using the information.

Thursday, August 13, 2009, 2 - 3:30 p.m.
L. Claudia Allen Senior Center, 1840 Mable Butler Blvd.
See additional dates.

Mayor’s Neighborhood and Matching Grant Workshops

Mayor’s Faith Based and Community Matching Grant Workshops

Buy Local Orlando Business Profile

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.

• Looking for promotional products? Buy Local Orlando consumers receive free set-up on any imprinted promotional product order of $250.00 or more at Ad Tangibles (222 East Concord Street). Visit adtangibles.com or call 407.649.7790 for more information.
   
• Orlando Magazine recently named Funky Monkey Wine Company (912 North Mills Avenue) Orlando’s best eclectic restaurant to open since January, 2008. Order an entrée and Buy Local Orlando consumers get a free dessert. For more information, visit funkymonkeywine.com or call 407.427.1447.
   
• Need a cold smoothie on a hot afternoon? Stop by one of the two Downtown Planet Smoothie locations (898 East Washington Street or 37 North Orange Avenue) to receive 10% off your purchase. Call 321.297.8522 for more information.

For more information on the Buy Local Orlando program, please visit buylocalorlando.net.

Healthy Heroes Back to School Bash

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer invites you to attend the 5th annual Healthy Heroes Back to School Bash on Saturday, August 8, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 3 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.

To schedule your appointment for immunization/physicals, please visit healthyheroes.org or call 1.866.229.6368.

On Tuesday, August 4, 2009 the City of Orlando celebrated the 26th Annual National Night Out, a crime and safety event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW). This year, the City of Orlando and its neighborhood watch groups held 67 parties, with over 6,200 residents participating.

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 held rallies within their neighborhoods to increase crime awareness in their community.

To involve more residents, National Night Out expanded to community centers, churches and senior centers. In addition to the Watch groups' events, six Orlando churches held National Night Out Goes to Church events, inviting their members and surrounding community to attend. National Morning Out for Seniors hosted an additional 200 senior citizens, and National Night Out Goes to Summer Camp held on July 31 involved 238 children.

For more information regarding this event, call 407.246.2369.

Keep Orlando Beautiful is recruiting volunteers to work the next Downtown Concert Series event featuring Sugar Ray in front of City Hall on August 15 from 3 - 11 p.m. Volunteers are needed to staff the informational booth to distribute educational information and pocket ash trays to prevent cigarette liter. Volunteers may work the entire event or choose a shift. Shifts are 3 - 7 p.m. and 7 - 11 p.m. If you are interested, please call 407.246.2752 or email Jody.Goostree@CityofOrlando.net.
 

New Events Center now "Amway Center"

Orlando’s new Events Center, which will open in the fall of 2010, has been named Amway Center. The facility will replace the current Amway Arena and will host major national events, concerts and family shows, while serving as the home to the Orlando Magic. Amway, Inc. is a direct selling industry headquartered in Ada, Michigan. Its flagship brands include Nutrilite and Artistry, primarily focused on health, wellness and beauty. Amway has committed to a ten year agreement for the naming rights of the new facility located at the southwest corner of Church Street and Hughey Avenue.

Events Center Webcam

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 online.

Community Venues Construction Update

Did You Know?

This past Monday, the University of Central Florida held its first White Coat Ceremony to initiate new medical students into the UCF School of Medicine. Forty-one students gathered at the Student Union on Monday to receive their white laboratory coats, which symbolize their commitment and dedication as medical students. This inaugural class will receive four-year scholarships, and a surprise donation allowed the school to add an additional student.

The UCF School of Medicine is located in the Medical City at Lake Nona, which also includes the Burnham Institute, the future Veterans Hospital and Nemours Children Hospital. This community of facilities will deliver better healthcare as well as expand the facilities needed to advance our community.

(Photo courtesy UCF News & Information)

LYNX Public Workshops

The Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX) has scheduled public workshops to discuss proposed route realignments, new services and service changes. The workshops are an opportunity for the public to view these initiatives and to offer comment.

Two of these workshops are being held in the Orlando area.

Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009, 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Pine Hills Community Center, Building B
6408 Jennings Road, Orlando, FL 32818
 LYNX service available via Link 48

Wednesday Aug. 26, 2009, 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
LYNX Central Station
2nd Floor Meeting Room
455 North Garland Avenue, Orlando, Fla. 32801
LYNX service is available on any bus whose destination is the Lynx Central Station.
Parking is available in the Centroplex II Parking Garage.
LYNX will validate parking.

Additional public comments will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Sept.18, 2009 at golynx.com.

Upcoming Events

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