May 4, 2012 - City News

Mayor's Message

Dear Friend,

It is playoff time in the NBA, and the Orlando Magic is competing for a championship. Sports are a great way to build community spirit, and in Orlando, we cheer for more than one professional team.

Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative

On April 28, members of the Orlando Police Department (OPD) participated in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. During the event, more than 592 pounds of miscellaneous prescription pills were collected.

OPD thanks everyone who participated in the collection. Turning in unused prescribed medication eliminates the possibility of dangerous medications getting into the wrong hands.

Lake Eola Park Playground Closed from May 7 to May 14

The Lake Eola Park playground, located in the southeast corner of the park, will be closed May 7 - 14 to resurface the padding on the playground. The playground surface repairs involve removing the existing top layer and pouring the new surface. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Engelwood Park Neighborhood Association Dog Walk

On Saturday, April 21, the dogs of Engelwood Park brought their owners out on a cool, cloudy morning to be a part of the first Engelwood Park Neighborhood Association Dog Walk.

Each pooch received homemade dog cookies, nail trims and a free dog bandana outfitted with the Engelwood Park Neighborhood Association logo. A drawing was held at the end of the event with free doggie treats and prizes given out to ensure no one went home empty handed.

For information on Engelwood Park events and more visit their website at EngelwoodPark.com.

State of Florida Consumer Services Division Launches More Tools for Consumer Protection

Florida's Chief Financial Officer, Jeff Atwater, launched an OnDemand Library on the Department of Financial Services' website. This service offers interactive educational videos on a variety of topics to help you and your family make informed financial decisions. Topics include identity theft, credit scoring, long term care insurance, reverse mortgages and many more.

This new OnDemand Library is one more tool for consumers to use to make more informed financial decisions. To access the OnDemand feature, visit MyFloridaCFO.com/Consumers/OnDemand/default.htm.

Community Connections Workshop - Free Neighborhood Leadership Training

Hosted by the City of Orlando and Orange County Government
Topic: Neighborhood Organization Wellness Challenge
Date and Time: May 12, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m..
Location: Orange County Internal Operations Center I, 450 East South Street, immediately west of Channel 9 TV Station.

Description: How healthy is your neighborhood organization? Are you where you “want” or “need” to be as an organization? Has your organization mastered the basic skills for success? Evaluate your organization in the following categories: Solid Foundation, Nurturing Leadership, Neighborly Communication, Well-Executed Projects and Community Building. Participants will walk away with concrete ideas to make their organization more successful. We will also explore how to hold successful meetings and discover the secrets about how to grow your association.

Registration: To register, please visit http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2670899733 or call 407.836.0035.

Share your events, photographs, best practices and processes that are working in your neighborhood with other neighborhood organizations throughout the City. Contact Cindy Light with the Office of Communications and Neighborhood Relations at Cindy.Light@CityofOrlando.net.

The summit focused on a variety of Fair Housing Act issues and Mortgage Rescue Scams with more than 280 attending from Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, Atlanta, GA and Washington, D.C. Featured speakers included, John Trasviña, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Patrice Alexander Ficklin, Assistant Director of Fair Lending at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The Regional Fair Housing Summit was sponsored by the City of Orlando, Orange County, the Fair Housing Continuum, Inc., HUD, the Florida Commission on Human Relations and the Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida.

Entrepreneurs Academy

Orlando, Inc. invites you to attend their inaugural Entrepreneurs Academy at Rollins College. The academy is an exclusive, two-day, interactive session, where attendees will meet and work with experts and entrepreneurs who represent elements of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.

The Entrepreneurs Academy was created for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs to accelerate innovation and growth by helping companies navigate the rich set of resources available in the Orlando economic center.

Not only will you make crucial connections for your future growth that would otherwise take you years to assemble, these two power-packed days will help you achieve a competitive edge… setting your goals higher, solving problems faster and achieving more in less time.

Led by Dwain DeVille, entrepreneur and one of Central Florida's top CEO Coaches, this one-of-a-kind program will build your network and accelerate your growth.

If you are an entrepreneur with 2-25 employees looking to take your business to the next level you are encouraged to attend. City of Orlando business owners and residents will save 50% on admission to the Entrepreneurs Academy.

Price for 2012
$395 for non-members
$195 Orlando, Inc. members and for business owners/residents of the City of Orlando (City-issued business tax receipt or proof of residency required).

Academy Dates and Times:
Day 1: Wednesday, May 30, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Day 2: Thursday, May 31, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Graduation 4 to 5:30 p.m.

For more information or to enroll, please visit http://www.orlando.org/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=Entrepreneurs%20Academy%20Home#register.

SunRail Meeting

The Florida Department of Transportation is hosting a SunRail Transit-Oriented Development Forum on Monday, May 14, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Sheraton Orlando Downtown Hotel (400 West Livingston Street). If you wish to attend, please RSVP by calling 407.487.4035 or emailing rsvp@SunRail.com.

Did You Know?

City of Orlando's Youth Baseball League Opening Day

On Saturday, April 28, approximately 200 children participated in the City of Orlando's Youth Baseball League's opening day at Grand Avenue Elementary School. The league is a beginner's City baseball league that teaches youth the fundamentals of baseball.

Byron Brooks, Chief Administrative Officer of the City of Orlando, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Richard Weeks, president of the Orlando Monarchs, a Florida Collegiate Summer League team, gave words of encouragement.

To learn more about athletic programs and activities offered for Orlando youth, contact Families, Parks and Recreation at 407.246.4300 or visit CityofOrlando.net/fpr.

Wells Fargo Partners with Parramore Kidz Zone

Wells Fargo, in partnership with Parramore Kidz Zone (PKZ), held a budget planning workshop at the Orlando Downtown Recreation Complex for young adults and families from the Parramore area. Dawn Brass-Daponte and Daniel Navarro from the Wells Fargo Orlando Tower Store spoke about the value of managing and saving money. They led participants through the budgeting process, discussing how to identify needs and wants. As part of the session, attendees also completed personal budgeting workbooks to examine their monthly income and expenses to set financial goals.

PKZ recently partnered with Wells Fargo to offer one-on-one budget planning to families who are struggling financially. This workshop was arranged to bring financial services to a larger audience in the Parramore community. For more information about PKZ click here.

Looking for a Summer Job?

The City of Orlando is currently hiring lifeguards for the upcoming season. Click here for more information. Please Note: You must take a swim test prior to attending a lifeguard class.

Mayor in the Community

7th Annual John Young History Maker Celebration
On Wednesday, Mayor Dyer joined the Orange County Regional History Center in welcoming attendees of the 7th Annual John Young History Maker Celebration honoring Orlando Business Journal Publisher Ann Sonntag, the late City of Orlando Mayor Carl Langford and Orange County public high school student Kathryn Bradley as the John Young History Makers of Present, Past and Future. The event benefits the Historical Society of Central Florida.

Upcoming Events

City Hall
400 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: 407.246.2221
Fax: 407.246.2842
Email: Buddy.Dyer@CityofOrlando.net