Welcome
written by Eddy Solon, Northwest Village
East Orlando Realtor, Keller Williams
Realestate32828@gmail.com
Welcome neighbors. I am very excited to announce a new section in our Newsletter starting next month, titled "My Story." Every month we will have the privilege of reading a real story of one of Avalon Park Residents sharing the story (their journey to today). We foresee it being an exciting and inspiring contribution, and most of all an enriching experience for our subscribers. The Board of Overseers, responsible for the growth and integrity of this newsletter, is hard at work at establishing a functional organizational structure. Considering time is a valuable commodity, we have been very committed to addressing the realities and responsibilities needed to be successful. Dr. Purvi Gandhi, one of the original AP Gazette Contributors, AP YMCA Yoga Instructor, and an East Orlando psychologist nomination has been accepted and will be helping the Gazette meet some of their Sponsorship Goals for 2013, as Sponsorship Chair (dr.purvigandhi@yahoo.com). Mike Seif, an invested Avalon Park Resident, a contributor of ideas, and the Orange TV Operations Manager, nomination has also been accepted and will be contributing by leading the expansion of our Distributionship as its Chair (mpseif@gmail.com). As we expand, we will need input from you to help us to continue to grow into a community centered newsletter. We encourage and welcome any Interest Group Organizers in East Orlando to submit their articles to publishing@apgazette.com by the third Thursday of the Month. With a subscriber base of close to a 1,000 plus residence and growing every day, we are committed to providing the most up to date events and life style oriented articles. Last month alone, we saw a subscription increase of 7%.
The theme embraced for 2013 is "New Beginnings." Last year, considering our launch, it was "Embarking on a Journey Together." We also refined our creed, "To build community one issue at a time through practical, informative, and lifestyle oriented articles in commitment with Integrity, Trust, Honesty and Good Will."
Lastly, please welcome our newest contributors, Elizabeth Horn, Drama Director at Timber Creek High School, contributing in the "East Orlando Arts" section. Special thanks to Ingrid Klein, Avalon Park Residents, for coordinating this connection.
Avalon Park Neighborhood Watch: This Past Month
written by Brian Jones, Parkside Landing
Overall Neighborhood Watch Coordinator
brianj4u2@gmail.com
Thank you to those who attended our Annual Neighborhood Watch meeting. With our block captain and coordinator team, we kicked off the year with new safety and crime prevention initiatives. First Class Deputy OCSO Crime Prevention unit, Melissa Belmont, and Commissioner Administrative Aide to Jennifer Thompson, Jason Russo were both in attendance. We announced our plans to launch Business Watch. Using the neighborhood watch model, business watch takes the “neighbors looking out for neighbors” concept to the commercial level, creating a partnership between business, law enforcement, and other organizations. Bringing our business owners and employees together as a network connected to residents and law enforcements, it will help deter and detect crimes and diminish opportunities for crime in our community.
This past month the incidents reported on Avalon Park Neighborhood Watch website by neighbors were:
February 2013 Statistics
| Number | Incident Reported | Disposition by Off duties/ Update |
| 1 | 2/15 burglary false alarm | OCSO off duty deputy |
| 2 | Last night, 2/10/13, on the 2600 block of Wild Tamarind Blvd., someone broke into a resident's truck. It was parked in his driveway, which faces conservation. The vandal took his wallet. His wife's car was also broken into. It was located in the front of the house on the street. | OCSO off duty deputy |
| 3 | Vandalism Report.... Noticed a shattered car window this am. A student was walking by on their way to the bus stop this morning as we were outside looking at damage and said that they knew who did this. A student got off the bus stop yesterday pm and was throwing rocks at the car. Police report filed.....
| OCSO off duty deputy |
| 4 | We were out from 1230 pm till 530 pm and got home when i noticed the front porch was all wet and smelled of bleach. The welcome mat was strewn all the way to the mulch in the front yard. I also have a pot of plant on the side and it was moved. The patio chairs were soaked and front windows were wet as well.
My husband went to the back porch/pool area, and somebody came in there as well l since he just filled the pool w/ water and he noticed the hose was out of the pool. We did not notice anything missing and the inside of the house was not compromised.
| OCSO off duty deputy |
| 5 | Black GMC Acadia SUV with tinted windows, parked for 3hrs (2 - 5PM approx)in front of my house. Male inside the vehicle with the engine running. Called non emergency line around 3PM and reported it, police car drove by afterwards but didn't stop. A lady in a Black Chrysler Magnum drove by a couple of minutes after the police car and stopped, talked to the guy for a while and left. I called the non emergency number again close to 4:30PM but the no information was provided. The same lady in the Black Magnum drove by again and spoke to the guy for a second time and he left. She stayed in front of my house for about 20 minutes and left. I called the HOA office both times after I called the non emergency number.
| OCSO off duty deputy |
| 6 | Reckless driver could be under the influence on red small ford pick-up driving north on Avalon Park Blvd speeding and almost side swept 2 cars and rolling through stop signs. VERY dangerous individual and I fear for pedestrians in Avalon. Watch out for this person. Obviously up to no good.
| OCSO off duty deputy |
| 7 | A well dressed white male maybe in his 50's just came to my door trying to sell me Scott's Lawn Service. I told him that there was n "No Soliciting" allowed in Avalon Park. He told me that he was exempt from this since he had an Orange County soliciting permit | OCSO off duty deputy |
This month and every month after, we will report a summary of incidents and any updates from our off duty deputies in a table like above.
So what do you do when you see something suspicious? First, contact the non-emergency like at 407-836-HELP or 911, if needed. Secondly, submit an online incident report so neighbors who live in your area can be notified. You can submit an online incident report at http://www.avalonparkwatch.org/incident_report.htm Please only monitor and report suspicious activity. Do not engage any criminals or suspicious individuals.
Have a safety concern? Feel free to email our off duty deputiesSal.Saldano@ocfl.net He is very responsive! What does off duty mean? It really does not mean they are completely off duty. They are hired by funds set aside by our HOA dues, on their off duty hours, to help secure the safety of our Avalon Park community. We have four deputies, and Sal is the primary coordinator.
East Orlando Art Life:
East Orlando Festival of the Arts Offers Fun for All
Aerial arts presented by Orlando Aerial Artist's performance company, "Suspended Artistry." Photo courtesy of Jennifer Drabik Pierce.
Written by Elizabeth Horn
Timber Creek High School, Festival Coordinator
Elizabeth.Horn@ocps.net
Description: Family-friendly performances, entertainment, food, and crafts will bring together East Orlando organizations and community members while raising money for Give Kids the World Village at the inaugural East Orlando Festival of the Arts in March.
The Timber Creek Thespians will host the inaugural East Orlando Festival of the Arts on Saturday, March 9, 2013 at Timber Creek High School. “We are thrilled to have so many great performances at the Festival, which represent some of the finest performing arts organizations in East Orlando,” says Elizabeth Horn, Festival Coordinator. Performing organizations will include Orlando Aerial Arts, Magic Curtain Productions, Avalon School of Music, and Timber Creek High School Performing Arts.
“The Festival will also feature an improv comedy show, hosted by a guest performer from the SAK Comedy Lab, and a ‘Play in a Day’ competition - where teams create original plays over a 24-hour period,” Horn says. These specialty acts will take place in addition to more traditional plays, dance, and music performances.
Ten percent of the Festival proceeds will be donated to Give Kids the World Village, a nonprofit storybook resort that provides children who have life-threatening illnesses and their families with an all-expenses paid dream vacation to experience all of Central Florida’s attractions. “Give Kids the World gives such hope and joy to the children and families it serves, and the Timber Creek Thespians volunteer at the Village regularly. When looking for a charity to support, it was a natural fit,” Horn says.
Attending the Festival is free, with some ticketed performances at $5 each. Attendees may purchase wristbands good for all ticketed performances for $12. Additional outdoor entertainment will be free or low cost and includes food, a bounce house, a balloon artist, face painting, games, storytelling, character meet and greets, a petting zoo, and arts and crafts. Avalon Park Jewelers, a sponsor of the Festival, will raffle off two $500 pieces of jewelry.
The Timber Creek Thespians is a division of Timber Creek High School in Orlando, FL. Its mission is to strengthen the bond between Timber Creek High School students and their community through the timeless art form of live theatre. Founded in 2009, the Timber Creek Thespians annually engages over three hundred students in its program, and reaches thousands of audience members with its diverse and quality productions and special events.
Contact Information:
Timber Creek Thespians
1001 Avalon Park Boulevard, Orlando FL 32828
AP Real Estate
written by Brenda Kolbrich, Remax Avalon Park, Village Two
We want to welcome all of our current and past readers in East Orlando and area and we hope you enjoy our monthly newsletter which will come out the first week of each month. We will have pertinent and local real estate information for East Orlando and area. Many of you know me and Pamela from the East Orlando Sun where we wrote our real estate article Chit N’ Chat for a number of years. We will also have a lender and a title company update for you each month as well. So please look for our newsletter and always feel free to ask us any questions on the market as we are here for you. Thank you and enjoy!
BRENDA: The market to say the least is very busy and a lot of new construction going up which is a good sign for the market. The inventory of existing homes for sale is at record lows. This matched with record low interest rates has driven up the home prices in the past year. We have seen multiple offers going in on homes for the past year especially. Many of the homes I list are sold before they go on the market as we have so many buyers looking for homes. And when the homes go on the market they are often sold within a week or less depending on the asking price and condition of the home. Pamela what are you seeing for your buyers in this market?
PAMELA: The resales have been extremely active which has driven the inventory of homes for sale down tremendously. There are not many homes to sell and when a home comes on the market it is often in a multiple offer situation with many homes selling for over the asking price depending on the list price of the home. The SOLD homes for January 2013 are: Avalon Park 15, Stoneybrook 6, Avalon Lakes 2, Eastwood 7 and Waterford Lakes 13. The ACTIVE homes for sale as of Jan. 31 on the market are: Avalon Park 22, Stoneybrook 8, Avalon Lakes 4, Eastwood 21 and Waterford Lakes 34.
BRENDA: The absorption rates tell us if the market is a sellers or a buyer’s market and this is Definitely a Seller’s market. A balanced market is six months' supply of homes on the market for a community. This would mean it would take six months to sell all of the inventory of homes for sale. The absorption rates as of Jan. 31 are: Avalon Park one month, Stoneybrook one month, Eastwood two months, Waterford Lakes two months, Avalon Lakes Less than one month. No wonder we are seeing so much new construction out there as not many homes for sale.
AP Special Events: 2nd Annual Park Kite Day
Written by Russ Mozier, Safety Advocate, Avalon Park Resident
russmozier@yahoo.com
Saturday March 16, 2013 - 10am – 4pm
P repare for a fun day of kite flying and kids kite making in the Avalon Park town park along Avalon Park East Boulevard. The band shell stage will be used for
free kids' kite making and the area in front of it will be for flying and a picnic area. There will be a vendor selling kites and a community group selling lunch. The open field to the right of the band shell stage will be used for other kite flyers that attend. Banners should be set up in areas along Avalon Park East Blvd so as to be visible for traffic. The field to the left of the band shell stage near the CVS can be used for overflow parking.
If you want to see the general overview of the fields the closest address is 3600 Avalon Park East Blvd, Orlando, FL 32828 and zoom in on the satellite view. For more information contact Russ Mozier atrussmozier@yahoo.com or call at 407-208-1455.
Relay for Life: Avalon Park Residents Fighting Cancer Together!
Submitted by Courtney Tomasi, Insight Magazine Kindergarten Teacher, East Orlando Resident Courtney.Tomasi@ocps.netWalkers will go around the clock in the battle against cancer when the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Avalon Park gets underway with teams of residents gathering at Timber Creek High School on May 10, 2013 at 4:00 pm. Relay For Life events are held overnight as individuals and teams camp out at the Timber Creek High School track, with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track or pathway at all times throughout the evening. Teams do most of their fundraising prior to the event, but some teams also hold creative fundraisers at their camp sites during the Relay. The Relay brings together friends, families, businesses, hospitals, schools, faith-based groups and people from all walks of life – all aimed at furthering the American Cancer Society’s efforts to save lives by helping people stay well, get well, by finding cures and fighting back. “Relay is a unique opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember those we’ve lost, and fight back against the disease,” said Alyson Muse Relay For Life of Avalon Park chair. “Many of the participants are cancer survivors, which serves as a reminder that the Avalon park community is not immune to this disease and that by participating in Relay, we are joining with the American Cancer Society’s efforts to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.” Funds raised at Relay For Life of Avalon Park help the American Cancer Society to impact the lives of those touched by cancer within the community. In 2012, Relay For Life events across great state of Florida raised over $21 million to help cancer patients and their families in local communities and to fund lifesaving cancer research. The Relay For Life of Avalon Park has raised more than $65,000 that helped to fund lifesaving programs and services locally! All of this is made possible by Relay For Life. We welcome you to join us in the fight against cancer today! If you are interested in joining the fight, go to www.relayforlife.org/avalonparkfl to register your team for the event! All businesses, schools, churches, and organizations, etc. are welcome to register their team!
Pics of the Month
 Avalon Hawk submitted by AP Resident, Michael Rhing Live music presented by Avalon School of Music.
Photo courtesy of John Kolbrich submitted by Elizabeth Horn.Thank you for all the submittals. Ones not used, may be used in future publications. To submit a pic of the month, please email Publishing@apgazette.com
AP Gazette Opportunities
As a new and growing newsletter, we have many opportunities for neighbors to contribute and volunteer their writing talents/ time to help build community. Below are several positions still needing to be filled:
1. Reviewers- to review final submittal of newsletters prior to publishing
2. Education Contributor- An article written by an Educator in one of East Orlando schools. Topics may be anything to do with Education and teacher, student, and parent awareness. This will be a good place to highlight top achievers in our school (teachers and students).
3. Sports Contributor- To discuss East Orlando Sports, anything from little league and up
4. Political Contributors- Discuss local politics that impact East Orlando Residents along with other Political contributors
To be able to participate, you must be an East Orlando resident, if writing, submit an article prior to 3rd Thursday of the Month 12:00 pm, and send your interest and brief description of your background to Publishing@apgazette.com Keep in mind, any neighbor can submit an article.
5. Tell us your story- Have a personal story about a triumph or a life transition that took place and you think it will benefit others, tell us your story by
emailing publishing@apgazette.com
6. Have A Birthday or Anniversary coming up, Email us and we will showcase in the associated issue. Email publishing@apgazette.com |
No comments:
Post a Comment