Haines City Nowl Issue 22-145 | September 15, 2022

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Please feel free to send information you would like highlighted to our citizens and staff members to Margie Wells mwells@hainescity.com. Upon review and approval by our City Manager, we will list your information (flyers, links, etc.) under our "Community Information and Events" section which is sent out on the 15th of each month. Please ensure your event is within the timeframe of the monthly e-mail or in advance of an upcoming month.

Link: Northeast Polk Chamber of Commerce

We exist to create and sustain a prosperous and diverse business community. In concert with government, investors, educational, and economic development partners; the mission of the EDC is to build a diverse economy. This mission will be achieved by initiating business investment and trade, and by leading the city’s efforts, thereby positioning Haines City as an excellent business location. Click here for detailed information on what the Haines City Economic Development Council can do for you www.hainescityedc.com

Omicron Update From AdventHealth - Some COVID-19 cases are mild, but this “is not the common cold,” cautions AdventHealth epidemiologist. Click HERE to read more.  

With this milestone, we know there are many questions from our community. We have prepared this short video featuring our leading experts who address some of the most frequently asked questions about the vaccine.

We also continue to update our new website, www.CoronavirusVaccineFacts.com and so I also encourage you to share that with your team and the community.

AdventHealth latest Community Briefing.  Click HERE for more info.  

Public Transit in Polk County offers a Travel Training program to familiarize individuals with their transportation services; a TD program - a Transportation Disadvantaged program to assist individuals who lack transportation due to disability, income, age or being an at risk child, and an ADA program available for persons with disabilities who are unable to ride the fixed route buses.​ Forms and applications available at the Chamber office or download: Travel Training app . Travel Training overview TD App. TD Overview. ADA App.

New Direction Academy - An accredited private school for grades K–12, students benefit from: Individualized Learning Plans;  Outlining Academic Goals; Dedicated Teachers Trained to Teach; Rolling Start Dates Every Semester; Accredited by FDOE and AdvancED; Full Scholarship Opportunities. More Info click here.  

Ambassadors Christian Academy is a 501c3 in need of laptops and tablets. If you are able to help please contact Pastor Eryk Anglin at 863-852-4031.

In partnership with the George Jenkins Foundation Ending Hunger Initiative and The United Way of Central Florida, Central Florida Health Care is proud to announce a FREE food distribution for the families of Polk county . No qualifications necessary, each family* will receive a week's worth of free food that will feed a family of four. Click  HERE  for a calendar including all dates, or you can visit the  Resources page  on the CFHC website to access the calendar. Feel free to contact 863-216-2816 for more information. *Available on a first-come, first-serve basis, while supplies last.  

Parkview Housing Food Pantry needs donations - Ravioli (all types), spaghetti and meatballs, Mac and Cheese (bowls), Vienna sausage, peanut butter, sandwich crackers, fruit cups, Jello, breakfast bars, juices (packs/pouches). Donations can be dropped off at the Chamber office during normal business hours.

The Haines City Community Theatre has recently announced its 2022-2023 season of plays. They are currently looking for businesses or individuals that would be willing to purchase a business ad. The theatre operates as a nonprofit organization and as such, donations are tax deductible. Click HERE for more info. 

From UF/IFAS Extension Polk County - UF/IFAS Extension Polk County Family and Consumer Sciences offers a variety of food and nutrition classes! Click the link: www.PolkFCS.eventbrite.com Click the link for gardening and landscaping classes. www.polkgardening.eventbrite.com

East Area Adult School has GED and ESOL Classes, in person and online. Click HERE for a list of classes and locations.  

Hands of Hope America - 4 Corners Resource Center & Food Pantry - Assistance for those with food insecurity & resources for those in need within the Four Corners of Lake, Polk, Osceola & Orange County. 9230 Hwy. 192, Clermont, FL 34714 - 352-432-3353 - Monday - Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Click HERE for the flyer.  

The Lake Eva Aquatic Center and the Janet J. Smith Aquatic Facility closed for the season on September 5. Senior swim has also concluded and will start back up Spring of 2023.

The 2023 pool season dates, swim lessons, and other programing details will be released early spring 2023.

Haines City resident and Senior Swim participant, John Sermons was featured by Spectrum News (Bay News 9) on their Everyday Hero segment. Mr. Johnny keeps Haines City seniors active in the pool (baynews9.com)

Heidi recently graduated from the Abrahams-Jones Academy for Leadership Excellence!

The Academy is designed for Senior Managers who are able to meet certain prerequisites, and aspire to become a member of an executive level leadership team within a parks and recreation agency. The Academy provides an opportunity for participants to explore and develop their leadership capacity, create personal leadership advancement plans, and encourages personal introspection, group activity and individual assessment

The year-long experience commences with the initial training and continues throughout the year with suggested readings, group interaction through conference calls and social media, and one on one mentorship from a coach. Combining the initial training and post-Academy activity, participants begin to transfer theory into practice in preparation for assuming executive level leadership positions in the parks and recreation field.

***New Class Alert*** Computer Class - Beginning Monday, September 12^th at 10:00 a.m., the Haines City Public Library will be conducting computer classes at the Oakland Neighborhood Center. Every other session (starting September 12^th) will be an open assistance for computers, iPads, Kindles, etc. The other sessions will be focused learning experiences on computer basics.

Participants must contact and sign up in advance with the Oil Painting Instructors to participate at 863-289-4047 or heresnicky@hotmail.com. 

It’s that time again! Our 6^th annual event will be on Friday, November 11^th and Saturday, November 12^th. The entry fees are still a modest $10 per junior and $40 per adult team, so most of the funds for the charity will be raised through sponsorship. Title Sponsor - $1000, Gold Sponsors - $500, Silver Sponsors - $250, and Bronze Sponsors - $100. Reach out to Tennis Professional Jeff McCardle at 863-651-7408 for more information.

Girl Scouts participants will learn Girl Scouts traditions, financial literacy, leadership skills, outdoor skills, community service, and STEM skills. This group meets Wednesday evenings at the Oakland Neighborhood Center from 5:30-7:30 p.m.. This program is free of cost. Reach out to Program Leader Bonnie Soto for more information: bsoto8@outlook.com. 

Do you know anyone who is passionate about their hobby, craft, or wellness? We are looking to add more Haines City Parks & Recreation Program Instructors to the team! Reach out to Recreation Superintendent Brooke Spruell at bspruell@hainescity.com or by phone at 863-421-3700 about ways you can get more involved with giving back to the community!

Mayor Anne Huffman cordially invites you to participate in the Mayor's 5K, benefitting Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society. The race will be held on Saturday, October 15^th starting at Lake Eva Park. Race start time is at 7:15AM. The 1st place finishers will receive a trophy and all participants will receive a t-shirt. T-Shirts handed out at the event are only guaranteed for anyone who registers prior to October 1, all others will be available for pick up once they arrive. Registration is available online via Community Pass: Community Pass Catalog (capturepoint.com)

The City of Haines City and Miracle Toyota is excited for this year’s trunk-or-treat located at Lake Eva Park on Saturday, October 29th from 5:00-8:00 p.m.. Participants should expect to see all types of vehicles including construction equipment, emergency vehicles, public transportation vehicles, tow trucks, & much more! Attendees are encouraged to dress up in their Halloween costumes and enjoy trick-or-treating, music & free hot dogs! Join us for a spooktacular time.

The City of Haines City and Visit Central Florida invites all seniors ages 55+ to come out to the Lake Eva Event Center on Friday, November 4, 2022, for the Senior Expo. Local businesses and organizations will display their services and programs, and allow for one-on-one time for you to ask questions - and of course pick up some free goodies! The Senior Expo includes vendors, raffles, health screenings, giveaways, and more! Come see what Haines City has to offer. Admission is free!

For more information on becoming a vendor, please reach out to Abigail Hunter at 863-421-5570 or email at abigail.hunter@hainescity.com.

The Haines City Parks & Recreation Department is now accepting applications for Veteran of the Year. If you have a loved one that has honorably served our country, we encourage you to nominate them for this award. Applications can be picked up at City Hall, the Lake Eva Community Center, and the Oakland Community Center. For more information, please contact Abigail Hunter at 863-421-5570 or email at abigail.hunter@hainescity.com. The award will be presented on Veterans Day, Friday, November 11, 2022 at the annual Veterans Day celebration at Railroad Park in downtown Haines City. The recipient will be awarded a plaque and a paver in their honor, and a paver will be placed in the Military Court of Honor.

Are you or your business interested in holding a special event at one of our parks or facilities? There is special event application that you will need to fill out and return to Parks and Recreation staff. Please contact ljohansmeyer@hainescity.com to receive the application or if you have any questions.

The Lake Eva Event Center offers accommodations for any size party, meeting, wedding, and/or reception. Our large ballroom can be divided into smaller rooms or combinations of rooms. Got questions about pricing or facility availability, please contact our Event Center Coordinator, Holly Gorsline at holly.gorsline@hainescity.com or via phone at (863) 421-9963.

We checked out 21,548 items to patrons of the library during the month of August.

The Haines City Public Library also welcomed 232 NEW cardholders!

Want to know what is going on at the Haines City Public Library? Check out our Facebook page and get the scoop. You can also see what's going on at the Library by viewing our calendar for adults and children!

Beginning Monday, September 12^th at 10:00 a.m., the Haines City Public Library began conducting computer classes at the Oakland Neighborhood Center. Every other session (starting September 12^th) will be an open assistance for computers, iPads, Kindles, etc.

The other sessions will be focused learning experiences on computer basics.

The Haines City Public Library is offering scholarships to selected qualified adults to obtain a high school diploma from an online accredited high school. Details about the program are available at https://fl.careeronlinehs.gale.com. If you know anyone who is interested, please have them contact Mary Ellin Barrett (863-421-3633 | mbarrett@hainescity.com).

Thursdays | 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Preschoolers can enjoys some hands-on experiences with toddler friendly activities, games, and puzzles.

Ancestry.com® is a website that brings together science and self-discovery to help anyone find their story. Bringing together science and self-discovery, Ancestry.com helps everyone, everywhere discover the story of what led to them. Our sophisticated engineering and technology harnesses family history and consumer genomics, combining billions of rich historical records, millions of family trees, and samples more than 7 million people in the AncestryDNA database to provide people with deeply meaningful insights about who they are and where they come from. Access to Ancestry.com is available to our patrons through the computers at the Haines City Public Library.

ProQuest® African American Heritage is a groundbreaking digital resource exclusively devoted to African American family history research. ProQuest is committed to empowering researchers and librarians around the world. Its innovative information content and technologies increase the productivity of students, scholars, professionals and the libraries that serve them. Through partnerships with content holders, ProQuest preserves rich, vast and varied information – whether historical archives or today’s scientific breakthroughs – and packages it with digital technologies that enhance its discovery, sharing and management. For academic, corporate, government, school and public libraries, as well as professional researchers, ProQuest provides services that enable strategic acquisition, management and discovery of information collections. ProQuest is available to our patrons through the computers at the Haines City Public Library.

The Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program (EHEAP) assists low-income households, with at least one person age 60 and older, when the households are experiencing a home energy emergency. A home energy emergency may result from a delinquent utility bill, lack of fuel or wood, or the receipt of a shut off notice. Payments are for home heating or cooling and other emergency energy-related costs during the heating (October-March) and cooling (April-September) seasons. Eligible households may be provided one benefit per season, up to $600 per season. Payments are made directly to the vendor or by a two-party check to the vendor and client for electricity, natural gas, propane, fuel oil, kerosene, or wood.

Link to website: http://elderaffairs.state.fl.us/doea/eheap.php

1.    Commercial Building Permit Process:

2.    Residential Building Permit Process:

To obtain a comprehensive guide for Building Permits contact the Development Services Department, Building Division at 863-419-3229. Also available on the City’s website www.hainescity.com under Departments - Development Services/Building Division tab.

Omar DeJesus, CPA, CGFO

Finance Director

Thomas Murphy, Jr.

Fire Chief

Our very own hometown heroes at HCFD have been very busy lately performing pre-incident planning throughout our vastly growing city. Not only does this improve the safety for the residents and the ones rushing in to help, it is a requirement per NFPA 1620 (National Fire Protection Association). This standard provides criteria for developing pre-incident plans to help responders effectively manage emergencies so as to maximize protection for occupants, responding personnel, property, and the environment

Crews have recently switched to the FireWorks reporting system to enter our emergency calls, and this software also allows the integration of pre-incident plans. By having them linked together, crews are able to view the pre-incident plans while responding to the emergency on the computers in our trucks. A pre-incident plan of a building not only maps out the layout, but points out key hazards and locations of fire hydrants, fire alarm panels and utility shut offs.

Having this added capability will assist vastly is Haines City moving FORWARD to the next level of public safety!

Veronica C. Hairston

Human Resources Director

Governor Ron DeSantis | State of Florida | Executive Orders

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | National COVID-19 Center

Florida Department of Health | COVID-19 Information Center

City of Haines City | Website | Facebook

Online resources: Click here

Email: uw211help@gmail.com

Online Chat: Click here to begin the online chat

In an effort to equip the public with the facts to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, AdventHealth is launching a free phone service for Floridians who have questions about the virus and will provide an opportunity to speak with a nurse as appropriate. The AdventHealth Coronavirus Information Line, 877-VIRUSHQ is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It will serve as a one stop shop to connect Floridians with resources such as the CDC and the Florida Department of Health.

Go to Employment Opportunities | Haines City, FL! Find the job that meets your qualifications and interests, and apply online (click on the "Apply Now" tab at the bottom of the page).

Some of our benefits include: fully paid health and dental insurance, tuition reimbursement, paid sick and vacation, flexible work schedules, wellness programs, free gym memberships, monetary incentive programs for degrees, training and certifications, employer contribution to a defined contribution retirement plan, computer loan programs, longevity program, sick buy-back program and more. Through hard work and commitment to excellence we are able to turn our resources into opportunities for our community members as well as create a City where our families are proud to call home.

Greg Goreck

Chief of Police

_________________________________

(Street drainage, spills, general road problems and traffic signal problems)

Cell Phone # (863) 837-0847

(Wastewater plant issues)

(Water plants issues)

·       Customers who need their water turned on or off for leaks

·       Water main breaks, wastewater overflows and manholes/sewer backups

·       Lift stations and pump & motor issues

In order to qualify, a homeowner must be a City of Haines City Utility Customer. Homes with private wells do not qualify for this program. Toilets being removed must currently use 3.5 gallons per flush or more. The newer replacement toilets must use 1.28 gallons per flush and be recognized as a Watersense unit. Limit is two toilet rebates per household for residential customers.

To find out more about our rebate program or request an application call 863-421-9977 or e-mail Casey Platt at cplatt@hainescity.com

Link: http://www.hainescity.com/DocumentCenter/View/213

For more information go to www.watermatters.org

Scammers and cyber-criminals often use links in email, and even smartphones, to deploy their attacks. Watch for suspicious activity that asks you to do something right away, offers something that sounds too good to be true, or needs your personal information. Think before you click. When in doubt, do NOT click. Look out for spelling mistakes in URL (ex: www.amezon.com versus www.amazon.com) and links that lead to peculiar URLs. Sometimes the link could appear to go to a reputable site, but hovering the mouse over the hyperlink displays a different URL.

Install and maintain an active antivirus software on your device at home. Some Internet providers offer a subscription to an antivirus for being a paid subscriber to their service. Reach out and inquire if such a software is offered. You can also purchase an antivirus subscription from companies such as Norton (www.norton.com), McAfee (www.mcafee.com), or Webroot (www.webroot) to name a few. Antivirus software will keep your system safe by downloading the latest virus/malware/spyware definitions and block them from running on your computer.

These tips above only scratch the surface of keeping yourself secure from cyber criminals and cyber-attacks. You can find more resources at https://www.ready.gov/cybersecurity on what to do before, during, and after a cyber-attack. If you have already been a victim of a cybercrime, you can make a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (https://www.ic3.gov). They also have information about types of scams, frauds, and consumer alerts. For even more information on cyber security and what you can do to protect yourself online, check out https://cisa.gov/shields-up. 

Fraudsters generated fake Microsoft notifications claiming computer issues, such as viruses or hacking, and containing a telephone number to call for support. Individuals who called the telephone number were advised of fraudulent monetary transfers or charges to their financial accounts. They were asked to provide their financial account information and remote access to their computers using a tool named UltraViewer (https://www.ultraviewer.net). In some cases, the individuals were directed to their purported financial institution for assistance where they were then instructed to send funds, typically via cryptocurrency accounts or gift cards, to stop the fraudulent transfers or charges.

An internet connection is required to use the app. You can use, either, your carrier’s cellular data^*, or connect to the free WiFi network named HC-WiFi-Public at most of our City facilities.

*any data overages are responsible by the plan owner and not the City of Haines City.

To access the Utility Bill Pay portal, navigate to our website www.hainescity.com and click on the “PAY UTILITY BILL” icon below the Welcome banner. Upon arrival, enter your account number in the respective field, which is displayed on the utility bill. The default password is the number of your street address.

By default, the amount due on the current utility bill displays in the Pay Amount text box. You can change this number to pay a different amount. Clicking the Go To Point And Pay Website directs you to the City’s payment processor Point and Pay. Enter all required information under the Cardholder Information section and click Continue. The Review and Submit page allows you to review all charges before you submit. Point and Pay does charge a convenience fee to use the online payment system and the fee schedule is as follows:

After reviewing the charges, review the Terms and Conditions and then check the I Agree to Terms and Conditions check box. Finally, click Submit Payment to begin processing. Once you reach the Confirmation and Receipt page, print this for your records.

City Commission Meetings*