July 2008
Community Paper
copyright ©2008 by Community Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.


From the Desk of City Commissioner Robert Stuart

Dear College Park Neighbor,

With school out and summer in full swing, families have more chances to spend quality time together and what better ways to bond than to play a round of golf together, attend a 4th of July celebration, prevent crime, and prepare a family disaster plan?

On July 10th, the Historic Dubsdread Golf Course will re-open with the History at the Turn Golf Tournament. This renovation has been a shining example of the partnership between the City of Orlando, the Florida Department of Transportation, and the St. John’s River Water Management District. As many of you know, this revitalization opportunity was only realized due to the funding that the City received from the Florida Department of Transportation in conjunction with the expansion of I-4.

If you have walked or driven around the golf course, you will notice the increase in water hazards (storm water runoff and retention), the new amenities (remodeled clubhouse, new outside snack bar/comfort houses, and new driving range), as well as the landscape of each fairway and green. Many of you have complimented the overall appearance and we are thrilled to see the amount of community support that is being generated by the Grand Re-opening. To see the information about the re-opening, CLICK HERE.

On July 11, 2008, the course will be officially open to the public. If you are interested in participating in the July 10th History at the Turn Golf Tournament or scheduling a tee time for you and your family for July 11th or beyond, please check out Historic Dubsdread’s web site at www.dubsdreadgolf.com, for more information.

We are also excited that Dubsdread has been designated a Kids on Course golf course by the United States Golf Association and the National Golf Course Owners Association. Kids on Course allows students who participate in local youth golf programs to play designated courses, such as Dubsdread, for extremely reduced greens fees. As a municipal course, we are excited for this great opportunity to expose more Central Florida children to the sport of golf.

Please also join us on July 4th at Lake Eola for the City’s annual Fireworks at the Fountain event. Live entertainment begins at 4 p.m. and will include the K92FM “Colgate Country Showdown” at the Amphitheater and classic rock on the 96.5 WHTQ stage. Then at 8 p.m., as a prelude to the fireworks finale, enjoy the Orlando Concert Band performing at the Amphitheater. Also on site will be other Central Florida top radio stations: Star 94.5, AM 580 WDBO, 98.9 WMMO, and Power 95.3. Plus, we’ll have the Orlando Magic, two bounce houses in the kids’ area and a state of the art, full-motion driving simulator allowing participants to experience NASCAR racing. The highlight of this free event will be the spectacular 20-minute fireworks finale that will begin at 9:15 p.m. Commercial vendors will be displayed throughout the park and assorted food and beverage refreshments will be available for purchase.

While there has been no lack of information about the fact that hurricane season is now upon us, my hope is that families are truly taking time to get prepared and not procrastinating because the last few seasons have spared Central Florida from any major catastrophes. Take the time now to build a disaster kit, create a family plan and secure important documents. These are things that will be helpful during any kind of natural disaster, including brush fires and tornadoes. Please know that while your City and other levels of government work very hard to be prepared for any kind of emergency situation, we need your help. The general rule is that you should have three days of supplies readily available for your family in the case that first responders can’t get to you immediately. For more helpful information and safety tips, visit the City’s website at www.cityoforlando.net.

We here at the City are also excited about the 25th Annual National Night Out (NNO) taking place on August 5, 2008. National Night Out is a unique crime/drug prevention program where involved citizens join the Orlando Police Department in taking a stand against crime by holding community events throughout the City. There are some wonderful NNO parties planned in College Park, so please consider getting involved. If you are part of a Neighborhood Watch and would still like to sign up to host a party, you can now do so on-line by going to www.cityoforlando.net/police and clicking on the Neighborhood Watch link. And for our youngest crime fighters, the Neighborhood Watch Division is holding a National Night Out coloring contest. Winners in each age group will receive passes to Sea World or Universal Studios. For more information, please visit the website or call our Neighborhood Watch Division at
407-246-2369.

As always, thanks for your continued support of our College Park community and our Great City!

Robert
Robert F. Stuart, District 3 City Commissioner
400 S. Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: 407-246-2003; e-mail Robert.Stuart@cityoforlando.net
or check out Orlando's website (www.cityoforlando.net)