March 2008
Community Paper

PUBLISHER'S LETTER
by Susan Titour, Publisher, Community Paper

I Love March In College Park!

It has been such an honor over the years to personally get to meet the EASTER BUNNY!!!! He comes once a year to College Park, and volunteers and members of the College Park Rotary Club and the College Park Neighborhood Association help him hide candy-filled eggs for the children of College Park to find and devour! The Egg Hunt is held each year the day before Easter (Saturday, March 22 this year). Albert Park is over-run with colorful eggs and excited children! The event begins at 9 a.m. sharp, and believe it or not, the park is wiped clean of over 2,000 eggs in less than 10 minutes!!!! What an exciting event!

When the kids line up, anxiously anticipating organizer Tom Jaeger’s cue to “GO!” the excite-ment in the eyes of the children is priceless. I LOVE running around after the little ones with my camera, capturing the first time they reach for their first egg... grabbing forever the look of amazement when they open it and surprise! There is candy inside too! They are so cute I wouldn’t miss it! They get to have their picture taken with Mr. Easter Bunny himself after they collect all the eggs. It’s free, bring your own basket and BE ON TIME.

Another reason I love College Park in the Spring, is the most awesome event of the year - Sunday in the Park! Each year it gets bigger and better! Wear your comfortable shoes and put a smile on your face because ALL of our neighbors will be there! Yes, I mean ALL! Estimates show that over 10,000 people bring their kids and and grand kids to have a blast in Dartmouth Park for this event! Sponsored by the College Park Neighborhood Association, SIP will be held on Sunday, March 16th from noon until 5 p.m. You know, most of us live in College Park because we want the Home Town Atmosphere in which to raise our families. Sunday in the Park is exactly what College Park stands for! Greet old friends and neighbors! Let the kids ride the ponies or play on the inflatable attractions! Get them their cotton candy and ice cream! MEMORIES ARE MADE HERE! There are individual ticket sales, and $10 wristbands will be sold allowing unlimited access to more than a dozen inflatable attractions and arcade games (all proceeds benefit CPNA).

More than 50 exhibitors will be there to welcome neighbors rto sample their food or buy their merchandise. Many exhibitors will have valuable information for you for free! Stop by each booth and see what College Park merchants have to offer! Some of them have home made ice cream, games for the kids, or unique products to buy.

Many thanks to Florida Hospital, title sponsor. They will present the Florida Hospital Pavilion, which will offer free screenings – such as blood pressure and body fat analysis – and free chair massages as well as information about the hospital’s internationally recognized programs.

On stage, you will enjoy only College Park’s best talent... performance groups from our own neighborhood schools will showcase their talents and local musicians will keep you entertained. College Park’s own Pat Duggins will return as M.C. and will be signing copies of his new book “Final Countdown: NASA and the End of the Space Shuttle Program.”

One of the most Prestigious Awards that anyone can win is College Park’s Best Brownies contest! Does that show you that we are a HOME TOWN or what???? I bet they don’t have THIS award in New York city! Each year contestants vie for the crown, are judged by the luckiest judges, and then their brownies are put up for sale to the public (proceeds benefit the CPNA). I have had the distinct pleasure of being a judge in previous years. I can tell you, it’s probably the best job a person could ask for! Grab those recipe books and bring your best brownies! The winner gets a prize and their picture in April’s Community Paper!

If you are not aware of the College Park Neighborhood Association, the event is an opportunity for you to get to know what they do, how they protect our community, and how to become a part of it. At the main gazebo in the center of the park, members of the association will be available for questions and will accept applications and renewals for annual membership ($15 per household - what a great deal!). This will be a great opportunity to join one of the most active volunteer neighborhood associations in Orlando.

Contact Bruce Thomas (BruceThomas@cfl.rr.com) for more information, or see www.CollegeParkOrlando.org.

Susan Titour, Publisher
College Park's Community Paper
P.O. Box 541159, Orlando, FL 32854-1159