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November 20, 2009
- City News |
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Mayor's
Message |
Dear Friend,
The holiday season
is a time for celebrating with family and
friends, but it is also a time to be thankful
for what we have and represents an opportunity
to give back. This Tuesday, I visited the Second
Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida to help box
donated food items with the Retired and Senior
Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Orange County.
Second Harvest is in need of food donations year
round, but especially during the holidays.
We also kicked off
the City of Orlando’s Holiday Food Drive
benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank. Through
December 1, residents can bring their
non-perishable food items to City Hall, the
Downtown Information Center, any City of Orlando
fire house and any City of Orlando community
center. (For exact locations, visit our food
drive
web page.)
I encourage you
to participate in our Holiday Food Drive. As I
noticed when I helped box contributions on
Tuesday, even small donations help. Combined
with the donations of your neighbors, they can
make a huge impact for the people in our
community who rely on the Second Harvest Food
Bank.
And speaking of
positive impacts on our community, this weekend
is the 30th annual Florida Classic, with
the Florida A&M Rattlers and Bethune Cookman
University Wild Cats football teams competing
the Citrus Bowl. I welcome all the fans to
Orlando, and I hope they enjoy the weekend’s
festivities.
Sincerely,
Buddy Dyer
Mayor |
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OPD
Participates in the Fight for Air Climb
 On Saturday,
November 14, 2009, members of the Orlando Police
Department (OPD) S.W.A.T., Crisis Negotiation
Team and Emergency Response Team participated in
the American Lung Association’s Fight for Air
Climb. Members of the OPD team raced up 25
stories of the Bank of America building in
Downtown Orlando. OPD raised approximately
$4,220 for the American Lung Association, the
research and advocacy of lung cancer and their
community-based programs. |
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Prescription Drug Discount Cards
 The City of Orlando is making free prescription
drug discount cards available to City residents
through a program sponsored by the National
League of Cities (NLC). You can save an average
of 20% off the regular retail price of
prescription drugs anytime your prescription is
not covered by your insurance. For more
information or to locate a participating
pharmacy, logon to caremark.com. To print out
your card,
click
here.
Volunteers Needed for Project Homeless Connect
 The City of
Orlando is co-sponsoring the fourth annual
Downtown Project Homeless Connect on
Friday, December 4, 2009, from 8 a.m. until 3
p.m. at the Downtown Recreation Center on
Livingston Street next to the Amway Arena. Mayor
Buddy Dyer will be volunteering and encouraging
the community to do so as one of his service
work-along projects. If you are interested,
please sign up online at hsncfl.org.
Buy Local
Orlando
Highlight
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 300 merchant members participating in
the Buy Local Orlando campaign
offering special offers and discounts
exclusively to Buy Local Orlando
consumers.
Need a mechanic?
Buy Local Orlando consumers
receive 10% off labor at AJC Engine Shop, Inc.
(31 N. Westmoreland Drive). Call 321.303.4201
for more information.
Don’t let back or
neck pain prevent you from enjoying the
holidays. At Cadle Chiropractic (3020 Corrine
Drive) Buy Local Orlando consumers
receive a free initial consultation, exam and
adjustment and 25% off x-rays. Call 407.228.1150
to make an appointment.
Grab a friend or
family member for lunch or dinner at Caridad
Restaurant (1163 S. Semoran Blvd.). Buy
Local Orlando consumers buy one regular
lunch or dinner and receive a second lunch or
dinner at 50% off. Call 407.382.1522 for more
information.
For information
on how you can get your Buy Local Orlando
card or how your business can be a part of this
program, visit
buylocalorlando.net.
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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.
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- On Monday,
the Orlando City Council approved several
housing and community development agreements
to support the City’s efforts to increase
attainable housing, prevent homelessness and
support our social service agencies in
furthering their missions.
- A special
projects grant from the U. S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was
approved by the City Council for the
redevelopment of blighted areas in the
Parramore neighborhood. The City will use
these funds to acquire land in the Parramore
neighborhood that will help eliminate
blighted areas.
- The City
Council approved two grants for the Orlando
Police Department (OPD) totaling more than
$90,000 for advanced technology, expanded
forensic lab abilities and access to
integrated systems state-wide. These grants
provide a significant benefit to OPD’s
efforts in keeping our City safe during
difficult budget times. Last year alone, OPD
received 14 grants for a total of more than
$6 million.
- Beginning
the process of evaluating proposals for the
potential design of the Downtown Intelligent
Transportation System (ITS) was approved by
City Council on Monday. The ITS will improve
the movement of traffic, increase safety and
better inform drivers through a network of
message boards for motorists. The City
received $3.8 million in federal economic
stimulus money to build the Downtown phase
of the ITS. That money is now set to reach
local businesses as the process of
evaluating proposals from potential
design-build teams begins.
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Mayor in the Community |
 On
Tuesday, November 17, Mayor Buddy Dyer worked
along with volunteers from the Retired and
Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Orange County
to help sort food items at the Second Harvest
Food Bank of Central Florida “Food Rescue Center”
warehouse.
Mayor Dyer hosted
seniors from several local senior centers for
Senior Cinema Day at the Plaza Cinema Café in
Downtown Orlando on Tuesday, November 17.
Seniors received lunch, popcorn and a viewing of
Love Happens.
On Wednesday
morning, Mayor Dyer participated in a Teach In
at Rock Lake Elementary School. |
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Did You Know? |
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Florida Classic Parking
and Shuttles
The Florida Classic
brings many football fans to our City. For
information on parking for the event, visit the
City’s Parking Division. The City of Orlando
provides non-stop shuttle service for football
fans attending the bowl game from the Central
Florida Fairgrounds. The Central Florida
Fairgrounds shuttle lot charges charge $5 per
car. Free shuttle service begins at 11:30 AM for
the Florida Classic. For additional information
on the event, visit the official site at
floridaclassic.org.
Volunteer for the
Citizens' Review Panel
The City of
Orlando is looking for volunteers to serve on
the Citizens' Review Panel, a partnership
between the City of Orlando, Orange County
Government and the Heart of Florida United Way.
You must live in the City of Orlando and be
available during the work day between January
and March to attend several funding panel
sessions and workshops (2-3 hours, every other
week). You will make a difference in our
community and help local government prioritize
funding for human and social service agencies.
Contact Julie Tindall at 407.246.3275 if you are
interested. |
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Upcoming
Events |
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City Halll
400 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: 407.246.2221
buddy.dyer@cityoforlando.net |
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