January 2009 Top Stories

Holiday on the Drive, December 6, 2008!
Click here to see pictures!

FIRM’S ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY BENEFITS THE MARCH OF DIMES For the fourth consecutive year, Dellecker, Wilson, King, McKenna & Ruffier used the occasion of its annual holiday party to support a local non-profit organization. This year, guests invited to the firm’s Havana-themed event on November 13 donated $5,000 for the March of Dimes. Past events have benefited McDonald House Charities of Central Florida and Habitat for Humanity, among others. “We are so grateful for this donation from Dellecker, Wilson, King, McKenna & Ruffier and for their support of our mission to ensure that every baby has a healthy start by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality,” said Betty Stuart, executive director of the March of Dimes Florida Chapter, Central Florida Division. Firm partner Bob Dellecker is a member of the organization’s board of directors and will serve as president of the board in 2009.

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Dellecker, Wilson, King, McKenna & Ruffier, llp (www.dwklaw.com) is a plaintiff’s personal injury law firm dedicated to serving clients who have suffered serious injury through the negligence of others. Founded in 1989, the firm has seven attorneys and 15 support staff, and practices in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, car accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, defective products, premises liability, insurance company bad faith and business torts. The firm serves clients located throughout the State of Florida.

Thanks for helping to raise $1400 for Lee Middle School’s Safe House! Dear Neighbors, On behalf of CVS, thank you all so very much for helping to make the garage sale on Saturday, November 22, such a huge success. The sale made $1,400. This money was presented to Lee Middle School Principal, William Pylant, to support the Safe House which assists students in financial need. Many of them are in desperate need of assistance we should be proud that our community pulled together to raise $1,400 for this cause. Our friends at CVS wanted to be sure that I expressed their sincere thanks to everyone who helped in this effort. Thanks to CVS for orchestrating this sale to support Lee Middle School, and also for supporting Maury Road Neighborhood Watch organization over the past two years. Please keep in mind that the Safe House also needs canned food, dry goods, and cash donations throughout the year. Feel free to drop your donations off any time during school hours at the front office. This is a wonderful way to build community by supporting children who attend our neighborhood school. Thank you all for being such great neighbors and best wishes to everyone for a safe and happy holiday season! Craig M. O’Neil, Block Captain, Maury Road Neighborhood Watch 407-422-4300 • mauryroadwatch@cfl.rr.com

Comings & Growings - who's in, who's out, who's changed - If you have a new business, e-mail Info@CommunityPaper.com or call 407-297-8497. - who's in, who's out, who's changed - - Goodbye Princeton Diner. After more than 24 years of serving College Park residents, Princeton Diner closed its doors on November 26th. It was a mixed emotion day, ranging from sadness at the loss of our local meeting place, to the joy of old friends who met one another to come and revel in the friendships. The shopping center where the diner was located has been taken by the Orange County School Board for the expansion of Edgewater High School. Demolition is scheduled to begin in January. Thanks for the memories, Frank & Sue, and all the Princeton Diner staff! Welcome Back Saxon Clark! Founded in 1996 in College Park, Saxon-Clark grew so quickly they expanded and opened a second store in Altamonte Springs. Still expanding, they moved the College Park store to Downtown Orlando. Now they are back, to be College Park’s number one source for home decor! Full service home accessories, florals, window treatments and furniture store with a wide variety of traditional, transitional, and eclectic pieces from all over the world. Dark woods; light woods; glass tops; iron; stone - truly unique! Saxon-Clark Showrooms: 2421 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL 32804; 995 North State Road 434, #509, Altamonte Springs, FL. 32714 Phone: 407-788-0039. Visit the website at www.Saxon-Clark.com. Balance Massage & Structural Bodywork in now in College Park! Located at 1220 Edgewater Drive, # 7, give them a call at (407) 704-8867. They offer Deep tissue massages, Assisted Stretching, Rolfing Structural Integration. Email: info@balanceorlando.com Welcome College Park Orthodontics, P.A. to 2511 Edgewater Drive. Call Orthodontist Noelle Williams at 407-648-5511. Visit their website at www.CollegeParkOrtho.com. City Commissioner Bill Segal Sworn In It was a solemn honor  to be sworn in for my second term of office.  I was re-elected without opposition and grateful for the time to keep working on County business without the distraction of running a political campaign.  I am especially thankful for the hard work of the staff at Orange County.  From my first days in office, they have supported my efforts to effectively serve the people of District 5 and Orange County.  I look forward to continuing to work with Mayor Crotty and my fellow Commissioners.  As Commissioner Scott Boyd begins his term, I want to extend my best wishes for his coming term. We have all shared successes in the last 4 years, such as building a regional consensus on commuter rail, addressing the need for affordable and safe housing through the work of the Workforce Housing Task Force that I chaired, and re-instituting a green ethic throughout the County.    No one is painting a rosy picture of the coming years.  The future holds  many challenges - within which are critical opportunities to develop creative solutions.  Our Commission will decide how to run Orange County on a reduced budget that demands tough decisions on what is necessary and what will be eliminated. Mayor Crotty has begun to put us on a footing of working smarter and doing with less. He has my full support.  Our Commission must put aside narrow interests and self-promotion - and work collaboratively to address problems that are truly global in scale.  During this difficult time, I ask everyone to support all our newly elected officials – federal, state and local.  With hard work and the blessings that have been bestowed on us, we can rebuild foundations for a bright future.  I pledge to work to the utmost of my ability in this endeavor.  This holiday season, remember those less fortunate.  I have donated  some of my leftover campaign funds to local charities, including $5,000  to the Second Harvest Food Bank, which faces growing demands in this time of need. In the true spirit of the holidays, let’s embrace giving this year!  Have a safe and happy holiday season,  Commissioner Bill Segal District 5, Orange County

Longtime forensics and mechanical engineer Paul J. Halyard, PE, has been appointed by Governor Charlie Crist to the Florida Board of Professional Engineers (FBPE). He was sworn in by Gov. Crist in November. Halyard, whose extensive experience spans more than five decades here and abroad, will serve a four-year term on the Board which is responsible for regulating the practice of engineering in the state. It is the first time Halyard, who serves as President of College Park-based Peninsula Forensic Engineering and Chairman of Property Condition Assessment, also in College Park, is serving on the Board. The 72-year-old Halyard, who recently was honored by UCF for his contributions to the school’s engineering department, is one of 11 persons on the Board that is comprised of engineers from six different engineering fields and two non-engineers. His offices are located at 1877 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL 32804.

Rotary Club of College Park News On December 4, 2008 the Rotary Club of College Park gave more than $17,000 to local organizations at the club’s Thursday morning meeting at Dubsdread Golf Club. The donations are made possible through the club’s annual fund-raising efforts, including its signature event, the Taste of College Park Food and Wine Festival.   Organizations are nominated and chosen by the Rotary Club of College Park members. This year’s groups to receive donations include: Adult Literacy League, Bahay Bata Center for Street Children in Angeles, Causes for Change International, Inc., Christian Service Center for Central Florida,Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences, 4C (Community Coordinated Care for Children), Foundation for Foster Children, Inc., Girl Scouts Citrus Council, Heart of Romania, Hospice of the Comforter, Kids Across America, Lake Silver Elementary, Lockhart Elementary, New Hope for Kids, Orlando Marine Institute, Orlando Volleyball Academy, Primrose Center, Inc., Princeton Elementary, Rotary Foundation, Schnauzer Love Rescue, Inc., Sentinels of Freedom, Shelter Box USA, The Salvation Army, US Lacrosse-Orlando, Inc. The popular event is made possible by showcasing tasty samples of College Park’s best restaurants and pairing the food with wine selections from ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. In addition, silent and live auction sales boost revenue. A wide variety of unique items are donated by local businesses for the auctions. Participants in the 2008 Taste of College Park included: Adriatico Trarroria Italiana, Blackwater Bar-B-Q, Harmoni Artisan Meal Market, Jade Bistro, Juliana’s Fine Tuscan Cuisine, K Restaurant and Wine Bar, Logan’s Bistro, Nonna Trattoria Ed Enoteca, Publix, The Tap Room at Dubsdread and Trio Gelato & Desserts.   In previous years, the Rotary Club of College Park has raised more than $20,000 for the following beneficiaries: • Ronald McDonald House of Orlando – The idea behind the Ronald McDonald House program is simple: Provide a “home away from home” for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.  It serves as a temporary residence near the medical facility where family members can sleep, eat, relax and find support from other families in similar situations. • The PolioPlus Initiative of Rotary International – PolioPlus is a program to immunize all the world’s children against Polio. To date, the program has contributed $616 million to the protection of more than two billion children in 122 countries. • Rotary Club of College Park Local Projects – Each month, the Club honors one student from Lee Middle School, St. Charles Catholic School, Edgewater High School, and Bishop Moore High School. Along with the recognition as “Student of the Month,” the students are presented a $50 gift to designate to a special in-school interest. The Club also provides annual scholarships to a graduating senior from both Edgewater and Bishop Moore High Schools. This amounts to more than $2500 in gifts that are given directly to College Park area students! • By joining forces with Winter Park and downtown Orlando Rotary Clubs, we also have been able to place solar ovens to two African organizations: Mukuru School and Good Samaritan Children Home. Plus the College Park club is joining forces with other Rotary clubs to expand the placement of these highly beneficial solar technologies which go a long way in combating world hunger. “For more than 16 years, the Rotary Club of College Park has been giving back to the community, locally and internationally,” said Paul Kish, president, Rotary Club of College Park. “Our members nominate additional organizations to benefit from our fund-raising efforts... One hundred percent of profits raised benefit local students and charities both locally and internationally.” The 2009 Taste of College Park is scheduled for April 23.  For more information and tickets, visit the Rotary Club of College Park’s web site: www.collegeparkrotary.org

JANUARY 2009 ARTICLES: • From The Desk Of City Commissioner Robert Stuart • Cutting Edge Consciousness - by Diane Ross • Jewel of the Month - by Phyllis Stewart-Tuell, Stewart Jewelry • Real Estate - by Mike Derenthal, Derenthal Realty