News and information from throughout our community

By the Numbers

No. 1
Orlando’s ranking among 150 cities when it comes to great places to “staycation,” according to WalletHub.com. The report judged cities on 36 qualities, with the City Beautiful leading in food and entertainment options.

95
The number of homes that will be built if the owner of the Windermere Country Club has his way and gets permission to turn the former golf course into a residential housing development— a plan opposed by current residents.

1,500
The amount of jobs that will be created by a new Amazon warehouse near Orlando International Airport. The 2.4 million-square-foot facility will handle order fulfillment for the region, and it’s expected to open in 2018.

$1,540
The median monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Lake Mary, per ApartmentList.com. The website also noted that the Seminole County city had the region’s largest rent increases since the same time last year.

$20,000
The funding that Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake received to create a new fitness trail. The money was provided by the National Recreation & Park Association and The Walt Disney Company.

Hit or Miss

In 2022, SeaWorld Orlando will welcome a new land based on the long-running children’s show Sesame Street. The area, which is yet to be designed, will take over the space currently occupied by Shamu’s Happy Harbor, and a new, standalone Sesame Street theme park is being planned for a to-be-determined location in the U.S.

Weekend train rides using vintage rail cars will return to Tavares later this year, thanks to a partnership with Orlando & Northwestern Railway. Called the Royal Palm Railway Experience, the service will travel to Mount Dora and Eustis. Fortunately, given Florida’s heat, the trains will be air conditioned.

The UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management has revealed plans for the Marriott Foodservice Lab, a 3,500-square-foot facility for restaurant industry training. The new lab is being funded in part by a $1.5 million grant from the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, and it’s expected to open in 2019.

In June, the Orlando Magic and Walt Disney World Resort reached an agreement through which the Disney logo will appear on Magic players’ jerseys, beginning with the 2017 season. The partnership stems from the NBA’s pilot program for sponsor ads on jerseys and is set to last for at least three years.

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings has thrown his hat in the ring to succeed current Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, who’s precluded from running again due to term limits. Demings, whose wife Val is the 10th district’s U.S congressperson, would be Orange County’s first African-American mayor if he wins.

Orlando Police Officer Michael Favorit Jr., who was fired in July 2016 after receiving 25 citizen complaints, has been rehired in advance of pending arbitration and reassigned to Orlando International Airport. Favorit was fired after he and another officer attempted to cover up an unauthorized chase in 2015.

Datebook

POPCORN FLICKS IN THE PARK
Aug 10 (recurs monthly)
In the latest installment of its monthly series, Maitland’s Enzian Theater presents a free showing of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. All are welcome, and the show stars as soon as the sun goes down. 8 p.m., Enzian Theater, free

OPEN HOUSE & MOVIE NIGHT
Aug 19
Hosted by the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, this event will include scenic, lighting and sound demonstration; crafts and coloring for children; story time with characters; discussions; and much more. 2 p.m., Orlando Shakespeare Theater, free

TITANIC THE MUSICAL: IN CONCERT
Aug 25-26
Come sail away with the CFCArts Community Choir & Symphony Orchestra as they present this Tony Award-winning show, which features lyrics from Maury Weston. Various times, Calvary Orlando Church, $10 and up (children 3 and under free)

Did You Hear?

“No amount of money can ever truly heal the ache and the pain and the trauma that our community suffered nearly one year ago. I want to commend [Florida Senate] President Joe Negron for working closely with me to put this funding back into the state’s budget.”

— STATE SENATOR LINDA STEWART (D-ORLANDO) on the inclusion of $2.5 million in the Florida Senate’s 2017 budget for funding UCF restores trauma management therapy program, which was established at university of Central Florida for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Voice & Vent

This month, we examine the passage of H.B.7069. What are your thoughts on the new legislation’s most controversial aspect? Share your opinion by visiting OrlandoFamilyMagazine.com’s Polls section and answering:

“When it comes to siphoning money from public schools to fund charter schools, are you for or against it?”

Click on “Vote” to make your choice count.

Next month, we’ll report back on what our readers are thinking.

In June, we asked: “Would you rather live in a small town with easy access to a major metropolitan area, or do you prefer true city living?”

71%of you said TOWN LIFE

29%of you said CITY LIVING

This article originally appeared in Orlando Family Magazine’s August 2017 issue.