What a start to September! Hurricane season is very much upon us. According to the National Weather Service, the peak for these storms occurs near the end of the season, with September producing the most hurricanes. Please make sure to visit www.ocfl.net/Storm for the latest updates and follow Orange County Government on its social media channels.
With that in mind, I’m pleased so many residents took advantage of our free sandbag giveaway at five of our Orange County Parks. 116,640 sandbags were made by residents, ahead of Hurricane Dorian. In additional, Orange County gave away 76,900 pre-made sandbags. The giveaway is over, but you can still watch this demonstration on how to properly use sandbags. If another hurricane approaches, we will once again make sandbags available to our residents.
It doesn’t take a hurricane to create flooding. Already this summer, parts of our area were hit hard with four to five inches of rain in a matter of hours. If you find your neighborhood experiencing flooding, please call 3-1-1 and report it. Our experts will assess the problem and make sure there is proper drainage in your area.
Finally, please consider attending our Orange County Community Conference on Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Orange County Convention Center. I look forward to meeting with you during one of the work sessions and hearing your ideas about my proposed Transportation Initiative, which would place a penny sales tax referendum on the November 2020 ballot.
If you can’t attend, please visit www.ocfl.net/TransportationSurvey to provide your insight on what’s important to you regarding transportation. We’ll formulate a proposed plan based on what you tell us is important. Visit www.ocfl.net/Transportation for more information and to view the first Transportation Town Hall, which occurred at LYNX on Aug. 21. Future transportation meetings are also listed there.
Orange TV serves as Orange County Government’s local TV station that provides local meeting coverage, award-winning programs and much more. Orange TV is proud to celebrate its upcoming 25-year anniversary.
Two K-9 Labrador retrievers named Tony and Millie recently raised their paw to be officially sworn in to the Orange County Corrections Department’s K-9 unit. Both dogs will help find and deter the use and distribution of contraband.
Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings recently announced an important new staff appointment to his administration. Marc Espeso has been named Special Assistant to Mayor Demings and will act as LGBTQ+ Community Liaison.
HOUSING FOR ALL TASK FORCE
Join the Accessibility & Opportunity Subcommittee meeting on September 11, 2019 from 1 - 3 p.m. in the Board of County Commissioner Chambers inside the Administration Center at 201 S. Rosalind Ave. in downtown Orlando. Dr. Tiffany Manuel will be addressing improving the perception of affordable housing. Visit www.ocfl.net/HousingForAll for more information.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Hispanic Heritage. Orange County has multiple events to participate in during Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15. Visit the newsroom webpage for details on the celebration kick-off and art exhibits.For more information, contact Ilia Torres at 407-836-7370 or ilia.torres@ocfl.net.
Honoring Gold Star Families. Join Mayor Demings and the Mayor’s Veterans Advisory Council as they honor the families who have lost a loved one while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. This free event takes place on Sept. 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Holden Heights Community Center, located on 1201 20th St. To RSVP or for more information, email Shasta.shaffer@mail.house.gov.
Don’t Pitch It, Fix It! Visit Blanchard Park on Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the free Don’t Pitch It, Fix It workshop. The workshop gives residents the opportunity to have broken items repaired by handy neighbors and skilled volunteers. For more information, visit www.ocfl.net/EPD.
Celebrate Small Businesses. The Pine Hills Neighborhood Improvement District will celebrate “Small Business Appreciation Week” from Sept. 9-13. Many festivities highlight the week of celebration, which honors small business owners who make our community thrive. For more information and how to get involved, contact Kea Cherfrere at 407-836-6267 or kea.cherfrere@ocfl.net.
Row, Row, Row Your (Cardboard) Boat. Register your team now through Sept. 29 to construct a cardboard and duct tape boat in Orange County Parks & Recreation’s annual Kelly Park Cardboard Canoe Regatta. Request race rules at KellyCamping@ocfl.net. Visit Kelly Park’s webpage for more information.
