October 9, 2009 - City News

Mayor's Message

Orlando has always been known as the happiest place on earth but now it will also be known as the healthiest.

This week, the collaborative efforts of our community to create a Medical City were realized as we celebrated the opening of the Burnham Institute for Medical Research. This state-of-the-art research facility will create lasting benefits for both the medical industry and our Central Florida community.

The Burnham Institute joins the UCF College of Medicine, the Veterans Hospital and Nemours Children's Hospital at our Medical City at Lake Nona. These new facilities are quickly expanding medical care options for Central Florida residents and creating the jobs of tomorrow in some of the most cutting edge fields of healthcare and bio-medical research.

The opening of the Burnham Institute is a testament to the power of this community’s collaborative spirit, a spirit that is shaping the future of Central Florida.

Sincerely,

Buddy Dyer
Mayor

Buy Local Orlando Highlights

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.

Hungry? Check out these Buy Local Orlando dining specials:

• Show your Buy Local Orlando card at Wildsides BBQ & Grill (700 E. Washington Street) to receive 10% off your purchase. Call 407.872.8665 or visit wildsidebbqorlando.com for more information.
   
• Stop by the Pita Pit (1 S. Orange Avenue #101) and receive a free fountain drink with the purchase of a regular pita or salad. Call 407.447.7482 or visit pitapitusa.com for more information.
   
• Buy Local Orlando consumers receive a free cupcake with the purchase of an entree, salad or sandwich at Caffe Ritazza (200 S. Orange Avenue). Call 407.237.6780 or visit cafferitazza.com for more information.

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

Wells Landing

On Tuesday, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, District 5 City Commissioner Daisy W. Lynum and Wells Landing Developer Hanton Walters broke ground on Wells Landing. This new urban-planned community in Parramore features a variety of mixed-income, single-family, owner-occupied houses and townhomes.

Wells Landing is part of the Mayor’s Pathways for Parramore initiative, which aims to revitalize the historic neighborhood. Since the initiative launched, the City has leveraged more than $35 million of City, state, federal, public and private investments to make significant strides in transforming this one square mile community by helping lifelong renters own their first homes, opening new restaurants and stores and even attracting national headquarters to invest in Parramore. Home ownership opportunities have grown substantially in Parramore resulting in a total of 34 new and rehabilitated homes with 271 new housing units in the near future including the Wells Landing development.

The City of Orlando is accepting applications for the next Citizens Police Academy that will begin in March 2010. As one of the first cities to develop a Citizens Police Academy and over 1,000 graduates strong, the Orlando Police Department continues to offer this program free of charge. Citizens are invited to learn about uniformed patrol, special operations, criminal investigations, youth/criminal law and more. The academy is offered twice a year and classes range from 12-14 weeks which are typically held in the evening. For more information, call the Orlando Police Community Involvement Section at 407.246.2461 or download an application.

Teen Police Academy

The Orlando Police Department invites teenagers 13-18 years old to participate in the Teen Police Academy. This eight week course consists of 90 minute classes discussing topics such as drinking and driving, assault and battery, drug enforcement and more. Applications are currently being accepted for the next class beginning February 2010. All students within the Orlando city limits are eligible to attend this program free of charge. For more information, call the Orlando Police Community Involvement Section at 407.246.2461 or download an application.

The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) is installing photovoltaic solar system panels on utility poles along Curry Ford Road to help generate power and improve the electrical grid. Together the panels can generate up to 2 kilowatts, about enough to power a small home.

“Through projects like this, OUC continues to investigate and evaluate various alternative power sources that can help us continue to deliver reliable, affordable and clean electricity to our customers,” said Byron Knibbs, Vice President of Sustainable Services for OUC.

The solar panels will also enhance the electrical grid by monitoring voltage and electrical consumption and communicating that back to the utility control center. The panels were developed by Petra Solar which worked in collaboration with the University of Central Florida.

The pole-mounted solar system is just one of several clean energy initiatives being undertaken by OUC. OUC also offers solar and thermal programs that help lower the upfront costs of solar for residential and commercial customers. For more information, contact OUC’s Conservation Support at 407.236.9603 or visit OUC online.

Amway Center Webcam

You don’t have to drive downtown to see the progress of the Amway Center. Watch the progress of the construction with the Amway Center Webcams. Showing a bird's eye view 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 save the photos so viewers can watch the progress like a movie. The webcams can be found online.

Did You Know?

The Phantom of the Opera is helping refurbish the Lake Eola Fountain by donating $5 to the fountain for every ticket purchased during October to any performance of The Phantom of the Opera.

The Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Theatre Company, Inc. production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, directed by Harold Prince, returns to the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Orlando January 20 through February 14, 2010. The four week run of Phantom could translate into over $300,000 to help repair the Lake Eola Fountain – if tickets are purchased in October.

Tickets for The Phantom of the Opera start at $32.00 and can be purchased at the Fairwinds Broadway Across America – Orlando Box Office, Amway Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. Online purchases can be made at OrlandoBroadway.com. To charge-by-phone call 1.800.982.2787. Group orders for 20 or more may be placed by calling .407.423.9999 x17 or 1.800.950.4647.

Upcoming Events

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