Welcome
written by Eddy Solon, Northwest Village
East Orlando Realtor, Keller Williams
Realestate32828@gmail.com
Welcome neighbors. What a busy month! Time can be evasive, time can be rewarding, time can be healing, and time can be punishment, but in any case, as parents, brothers, sisters, and neighbors, we all are fighting for more of it. This past month in East Orlando, specifically in our quaint little community here in Avalon Park, our residents had many opportunities to join in on the local events, like Kite Day and the 5K runs. As we continue to grow every issue and receive the great contributions from neighbors, our purpose and vision becomes clearer and clearer. We are a Neighborhood Watch community centered newsletter who believes in the Avalon Park vision. As the New York times is to the world's political and financial community, the Avalon Park Gazette will be to Lifestyles and Safety community of East Orlando, and hopefully all of Orlando. Hence, we are always excited about new series that we are considering and old ones that we are shelving. One of the new series we are excited about is “My Journey." Every month, we will have the opportunity to be inspired by one of our neighbors and peek inside their life journey. We will share their challenges, disappointments, triumphs, and reflections. It will be enriching, rewarding, and most of all a great contribution to our monthly articles. In this Issue, we have the opportunity to read the journey of Nina Yoakum, a dedicated East Orlando Resident, Avalon Park Cheer Leader, and a great neighbor.
Lastly, we would like to take a moment to share one of our major milestones accomplished in this issue. This issue will also be our very first print issue distributed to areas in the 32828 zip code. With the support of our contributors, reviewers, and subscribers, we continue to grow. Thank you!
Avalon Park Neighborhood Watch: This Past Month
written by Brian Jones, Parkside Landing
Overall Neighborhood Watch Coordinator
brianj4u2@gmail.com
Since the last publication, no incidents have been reported to the Avalon Park Neighborhood Watch website. Although, residents have reported to me some general traffic safety concerns. It is important for all residents to know, we are working daily with Orange County Sherriff Office (OCSO) off-duty deputies on all reported concerns. In response, the OCSO off-duty deputies have organized traffic detail on numerous occasions over the past 30 days. The effort from the deputies is present at all times. With spring break approaching, I’ve asked for extra patrols during that time. Please report all suspicious activity, even if minor in nature to avalonparkwatch.org.
You are invited!
Neighborhood Watch meetings are held at the South Village Clubhouse on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 7pm. All residents are welcome to attend
This past month the incidents reported on Avalon Park Neighborhood Watch website by neighbors were:
March 2013 Statistics
Neighborhood Watch: 0
Orange County Sector 2 Zone 22: below
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 athttp://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 deputie Sal.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.
Timber Creek High
Gabriel Berrio, Principal
Retrieved from TCH Newsletter
Thank you to all of our students and parents and community for all of your continuous support. Congratulations to our TCHS Cheerleaders who won the State Championships recently! They worked hard all year and truly earned this recognition. Congratulations to the Debate Team for their most recent victories at UPenn the weekend of July 15. There were many individual and team trophies awarded to our students as well as the overall team championship trophy. Congratulations to Sarah Costello who won first place in a local Shakespeare competition and won a trip to New York to compete nationally. Good luck Sarah! Congratulations to Mr. Dencker and the Programming Team students who won 2nd place in the 16th Annual Invitational at University HS. They won a total of $120,000 in scholarships in competitions recently!
We are in full swing with March Madness! Please help support Timber Creek with our goal of adding technology and resources for our students to utilize. You can do this by participating in the many events to come. These events include the Timber Creek Gala which will take place April 21st from 4-7PM. This event will include our first TCHS “Picnic in the Park” in downtown Avalon. A silent Auction will also give participants an opportunity to contribute while having a chance to walk away with some
amazing treasures.
I want to take a moment to recognize all students for a wonderful year thus far. Thank you students especially the many of you who have taken on leadership roles either through SGA, NJHS, BETA, ROTC, Pit Crew, Athletics, or clubs. I want to send a special thank you to seniors, who have truly led the way in many areas, and will be graduating soon. Graduation is only three months away on Friday May 31 at UCF at 2PM. Seniors, if you are on track to graduate, make sure you stay on track. Any senior who is not on track to graduate has been notified and given options for getting back on track.
Real Estate 32828
written by Eddy Solon, 32828 Realtor, AP Resident
Keller Williams Advantage Realty II
What a dynamic market! This past month by the numbers: 112 homes sold in the 32828 zip code, the average price per square feet was $79.60 (numbers taken from http://eastorlandorealestatenews.blogspot.com). It is good to note that the price per square feet can be misleading, because it isn't quite reflective of the upward trend in home prices, but a reflection of homes that sold after months of waiting, when home prices were selling in most cases at a considerably lower price. Today, in Avalon Park, inventory is starting at the high to mid-100ks, where in less than six months ago, home sales started in the low $100ks. It is definitely a solid sellers’ market and a dynamic one at that. We still have several neighbors locally that are working with their banks for modifications and some have simply given up because of the lack of progress. Every situation is different and I tell my buyers and sellers that regardless of what an institution is requesting, they should do what is best for their specific circumstance without pressure. Don't allow fear to dictate your next move, since you have the control. There are several options out there and a little education in understanding what is fully in front of you and how to navigate the terrain is really what is needed. In real estate there is a place for everyone. Making the best decision requires education, understanding the market realities, and planning.
My Journey: Nina Yoakum
One Neighbor's Story
Written by Nina Yoakum, Avalon Park Resident
marksmom9a@aol.com
It has been requested that I take you on my journey. I shall liken it to the Wizard of Oz! We shall follow my yellow brick road. It only seems natural. Perhaps you'll see why. I was born in Kansas City, Missouri. The two houses I grew up in were two blocks away from Kansas. Everyone confused me as a Kansan unless they were a geography buff. You see, Kansas City, Missouri is a much larger metropolis than Kansas City, Kansas. Nonetheless, when I told people where I was from they would respond, "Oh, I see like Dorothy, Toto, and Auntie Em. I bet you have tons of tornados!" According to my research, Florida actually has more tornadoes than Kansas; Texas has the most of all, but back to the Wizard of Oz. When I grew up we watched the Wizard of Oz annually. It was a big to do. I chuckled because one of the munchkins was a coroner and one was a mayor just like my dad. Only my daddy wasn't a munchkin but he too was and continues to be adorable. Kansas City, Missouri is the home of the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, and at that time was home of the Kansas City Kings basketball team. Growing up, we even had a hockey team called the Kansas City Blues. Kansas City was full of amenities including the Starlight Outdoor Theater where I fell in love with musicals over many hot summers. There were concerts at Brush Creek on the Country Club Plaza. It's a spectacular festivity to see the lighting of the Plaza Christmas Lights every Thanksgiving night at the outdoor shopping center: it's a ritual for thousands. It is a gorgeous event to take part in if you ever get the chance. The city was even large at that time with well over a million people living in the city and surrounding suburbs.
This brings me back to my original point: for people to confuse Kansas City, Missouri with Uncle Henry, a farm house, and pig sty in rural Kansas is outrageous. Kansas City has so much to behold. I loved Kansas City, Missouri and took offense when anyone confused it with Kansas. I still give them a quick geography lesson when this happens. I worked as an usherette at the Royals Stadium during college at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg. This gave me spending money and afforded me the opportunity to pay for my sorority. I was lucky in that I got to work in the section behind home plate. Therein, I met management for both baseball clubs, baseball players on both teams, employees that worked there, fans, and last but not least the baseball scouts. In my humble opinion, scouts are the unsung heroes in baseball. They sat right underneath my nose. My job was to wipe everyone's seats when they arrived. I greeted them and spoke to them. I made sure they were seated in the correct place. In between innings I would stand down in the front of the aisle and make small talk with whomever was sitting in my section. On some days Dave Yoakum would sit in my section. He scouted for the Toronto Blue Jays back in the day. Dave would ask me whom I was dating, then with whom I was married, and then asked when my baby was due. You see I had a "starter-marriage" and had quit my job at Kauffman Stadium. I was a fulltime employee as a counselor and Employee Assistance Professional for Southern Pacific Railroad. I was also a mother, wife, and domestic goddess. I asked Dave Yoakum if he wanted to come to my home, meet my new husband, and meet my baby-boy Mark, for dinner. He said he would love that. Unfortunately, my marriage to Mark's daddy was terminated before we had the chance. On the first weekend without my Mark, who kept me ever so busy, I went off to Chicago to get away from Kansas City and not miss my baby as much as possible. I went to the Comiskey Park and ran into Dave Yoakum there scouting a White Sox game. A coincidence you say? I think not ... merely miracles from God in which He chooses to remain anonymous. He wanted to take me out after the game and show me Chicago but I was with a friend. I passed. He then said, "I will be in Kansas City next weekend and maybe I will see you at a game." The next weekend my girlfriend Sheila asked me to attend the Royals game with her. We had great seats right down by the scouts' section.
Before going, I told her there was a scout that was going to be there that I would love to introduce her to. I have always thought myself a matchmaker extraordinaire. We went to the game on Friday night. I was in my black and white striped top, black jeans, and black and white striped tennis shoes from Payless Shoe Store. My outfit was from thrift stores and the shoes cost $1.00. My entire outfit cost $20.00. Sheila's outfit cost over $1,000.00. Sheila told me if I ever wanted to get a date again in my life I better ditch the shoes. I said, "If a guy wants me for my shoes I don't want him anyway!" We laughed but I meant it. We saw Dave after the game. I asked him where he was going after this, hoping to learn what restaurant or bar he was headed to. He told me that he was headed to Minnesota, Toronto, and then back to Florida. Such is the life of a baseball scout. I told her what he said and again we laughed. We decided to head to the Adam's Mark Bar for a drink. Our cars were parked in the lot in front of it and we thought we'd let traffic clear. Then we would proceed home. We went in and she ordered her scotch and water and I ordered an O’Doul’s. Someone got our drinks and kept ordering them for us. That's just dandy if you are drinking scotch but with non-alcoholic beverages it becomes harder to stomach. I had about eight of those bad boys lined up with a big vat of popcorn. Sheila and I were chatting up a storm when Dave entered the room. First words out of his mouth were "Nina, I LOVE your shoes!" I about tipped over in my barstool sober. We visited for hours and then Dave asked Sheila what she was doing tomorrow. She replied going to garage sales then heading to Payless Shoes! We all got a good laugh out of that one. Then Sheila arose to use the facilities. Dave grabbed my arm. In 11 years of knowing him, I never knew he had any attraction to me. Suddenly electrical currents went through my body. He said softly yet sincerely, "I know you want to set me up with your friend but I am interested in you. I would like to see you again." Gulp. I was taken aback 100%. Sheila returned from the restroom then Dave went into the restroom. She said, "I can tell he is interested in you. Go for it.You have my blessing. He has restored my faith in the male species." I asked her if she was sure and she nodded yes. Dave then returned to the bar and the night wound down. Sheila then went home. Dave said goodnight to me. We planned to meet again the next day.
In The Wizard Of Oz Dorothy said, "If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard, because if it isn't there, I never really lost it." For me I feel like Dave was right there for me in section 101 all along. That is where he proposed to me on August 11th, 1993. We took the Hot Air Balloon (Chevy Nova) with Mark to Orlando, Florida where Dave and I still reside. This is now my home. I started out my life in Orlando as a substitute teacher at Dover Shores Elementary School. I enjoyed that job immensely, but I didn't enjoy where I lived. It was no place to raise munchkins. I gave Dave a good old ultimatum: we either need to move back to Kansas City or head off to see the Wizard in the Emerald City (Avalon Park). Having family nearby, Dave did not want to head north to Kansas. He tried to talk me out of moving many times. Finally, he gave in and we built a new home in Village three. He has never looked back and this is one thing in our 20-year marriage he truly thanks me for. We have lived in Avalon Park for nine years now. One of the legacies I want to be remembered for is walking. I love the fact that I got to walk Anna and Dax to preschool and elementary school. Now Anna is riding her bike to middle school with friends. One day soon she will be riding her bike to high school. We have so many friends and neighbors who look after my children and we look after theirs. We truly have a community: I guess it does take a village. We are members of the YMCA and love it. My Nikes say RUBY RED SLIPPERS on the back of them. My kids participate in various sports at the Y and I did a couple of triathlons put on with the assistance of the Y. The triathlons were a first for me; I was fifty years old when I started them. We rarely leave the Emerald City (Avalon Park) because we don't have to. We have a church here, we have a pool across the street, we have community events nearly every weekend, and we have restaurants to frequent and support. I have always said, "Help build Avalon Park and shop local." That's why you might see me out and about walking with our little dog Toto, I mean Cali. We always try to keep our business dealings right here in Avalon Park; saves on gas too these days. We can always go "porching" (sitting on our front porches watching life go by), play sports with our kids in the fields, or visit with our neighbors. I'm even lucky enough to be a block watch captain. My journey in life has truly has had many ups and downs, like yours I would guess. Some days I'm a good witch and some days I'm a bad witch. Sometimes I'm Glinda and sometimes I'm Elphaba the wicked witch of the west. I have sad moments and I see musicals to snap out if it when I do. They are my very favorite source of entertainment. If one is not showing, I listen to the soundtrack of one of my favorite musicals and belt out the lyrics. It does not matter if my kids are in the car, I will sing the lyrics anyways.
They tell me I sound like an angel that has descended from the heavens. Wicked is my favorite musical. Ironically, it is an offspring about the witches in the Wizard of Oz. I just finished a book today where the author mentioned in a chapter near the end of her book the song "For Good" from Wicked. I cried when I read it. I have always said, "I want that song sung at my funeral." It has an important message and reminds me of how much people impact us along our journeys. It reminds me of the people I've met in Kansas, Missouri, and Avalon. It even reminds me of those here with me, those no longer in my life, and the departed. Thankfully, I have not departed from this earth and my journey continues. I want to see my kids graduate from college, I want to live in a retirement home built in Avalon Park, and I want to live there at least 30 years. The words in the song direct me towards the past more so than the future. The lyrics say, "Because I knew you I have been changed for good!" I am home here in Avalon Park. I have made this place my home and love it. I am still on my life journey and not at my destination; I continue to walk across my yellow brick road. I've been journaling daily about it since 1985. It is one of my favorite hobbies. One day I want to turn my journals into a book. I love where I'm at in life and can truly say there is no place like home!
East Orlando Events: Beer Festival
Enjoy beer (2 oz.) and food sampling along with local area business displays. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the gate. Price of admission gets you unlimited tastings of a great selection of beers and also food samples from some great area restaurants. Entertainment will be provided by Clear Channel Radio along with contests and giveaways. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit www.floridabeerfestivals.com
Relay for Life: Avalon Park Residents Fighting Cancer Together!
Submitted by Courtney Tomasi, Insight Magazine Kindergarten Teacher, East Orlando Resident Courtney.Tomasi@ocps.netIf you are interested in more information, please contact aly.muse@ocps.net
Lake Underhill Road Construction
Construction continues from Alafaya Trail to Waterford ChaseFrom the Waterford Lakes March E-Blastby Ken Zook, Becky Black, & Lynn Simonton, Aleyda Morales, Brian Patton and Kyle
The Lake Underhill road construction from Waterford Chase to Alafaya and back continues. This last month was tough on everyone. The contractor has been working on the second phase of the project between Bradfordt Lakes and the conservation area on the westbound side for some time now. The contractor found that the base of the roadbed contained tree roots and stumps that were used as fill years ago. This unsuitable base is what has been causing a lot of the issues because the base shifts and causes the cracking and pot holes in the road. The contractor had to go back to the county requesting a change order for the problem which created a delay in the work. Also, during the construction, the contractor damaged a large lateral irrigation line for the Waterford Lakes Community Association (WLCA) that was not located and was not on any of the original construction plans for Waterford Lakes. After a couple of weeks of discussion with the county and a special meeting at their John Young Parkway office, a new bore was completed under the road bed for a new 4-inch sleeve in which we then ran a new line through the pipe. Within 24 hours of that work being completed, the contractor tore open the new pipes, and since repaired things back together. They have
added this “new pipe” to the drawings for future identification and I’m happy to report that this section of roadbed should be completed soon. The bad part is that we were told the opposite side of the street is the next phase. So our neighborhoods like Lakeshore Landing, Sapphire Place, Emerald Trace, and Bradfordt Village will still
be subjected to the “Detours” through the neighborhoods.
Should anything change with this project and I hear about it, I will communicate that with you as fast as possible. Remember, construction on roads is never an easy process; things happen, surprises are found underground and the reality is that there is never a good time to do construction. It is a painful process and all we can do is grin and bear it. Stay calm and don’t let it raise your blood pleasure and please don’t get so irritated that it may cause you to do something dangerous and potentially hurt yourself or someone else. Remember, be safe and slow down and always anticipate the need for extra time.
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 |
