Parks & Recreation

Summer Camp Options

Hopefully all of us have our summer camp memories – mine are filled with cherished mementos attending summer camp at Cady Way Park in Winter Park. I remember sitting with all my new friends – sweaty with sunken eyes from playing so much, enjoying our boxed lunches and admiring our dirty shoes from our adventures in the fields. Oh, and the breaks the lifeguards made us take every hour. The high-dive at the pool seemed so intimidating back then that I couldn’t bear to dive head first and always decided to leap off the dive holding my nose with my legs together. In fact, I’d probably still dive that way today.

Summer camp was always a good option for my single-parent family because my mother worked and summer was hard when the kids were out of school. An organized summer program was relatively inexpensive for her and she knew that her kids were receiving quality care, good exercise and were even learning the occasion life lesson. Not to mention we were guaranteed to come home tired and ready for a good night’s sleep. Those were the innocent days of yesteryear and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Orange County has a program out there to help parents this year provide the same types of memories for their children called Camp Scooter.

Orange County Parks and Recreation Division will hold a registration March 28 – April 8 for lottery selection for this summer’s Camp Scooter program. Camp for grades K (must have completed kindergarten) through 5will be held at the following 10 Orange County Parks locations on weekdays from June 13 through August 12 (closed July 4) from 7:30am – 6pm:

Barnett Park, 407-836-6248, 4801 W. Colonial Dr., Orlando 32808
Bear Creek Rec Complex, 407-254-9040, 1600 Bear Crossing Dr., Orlando 32824
Bithlo Park, 407-568-4025, 18501 Washington Ave., Orlando 32820
Capehart Park, 407-254-9160, 715 Capehart Dr., Orlando 32822
Fort Gatlin Recreational Complex, 407-254-9820, 2009 Lake Margaret Dr., Orlando 32806
Goldenrod Recreation Center, 407-254-9025, 4863 N. Goldenrod Rd., Winter Park 32792
Meadow Woods Recreation Center, 407-254-9065, 1751 Rhode Island Woods Cir., Orlando 32824
Orlo Vista Park, 407-254-9050, 1 N. Powers Dr., Orlando 32835
Silver Star Recreation Center, 407-254-9250, 2801 N. Apopka-Vineland Rd., Orlando 32818
South Econ Recreation Center, 407-254-9070, 3800 S. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando 32829

Camp Registration Details

Registration for the lottery selection process will be held March 28 – April 8 as I mentioned previously. Lottery winners get first choice to reserve their weeks of camp. If selected, a parent/guardian must pay a non-refundable security deposit equal to the first and last weeks’ fee; if applying for one of the discounts, you must bring the School Board letter that indicates the student’s lunch program status or the family’s proof of qualification for food stamps.

Camp Cost

The following prices include one fieldtrip per week:

· $80/week per child

· $75/week per additional child

· $60/week for youth qualifying for Reduced Lunch program

· $50/week for youth qualifying for Free Lunch program

· $25/week for youth qualifying for Food Stamps

· $20/week additional cost for non-county resident

Parks and Rec

Orange County Parks and Recreation has 95 parks and trails, with five Orange County Orlando Magic Recreation Centers now open. For information on Parks’ programs for youth and adults, free dog parks, pavilion rentals, tent and RV camping and more, visit www.OrangeCountyParks.net. Fitness center memberships are available for $100/year for ages 18 – 54 and $75/year for ages 55+ at Barnett Park, Goldenrod Park, Meadow Woods Park, Silver Star Community Park, South Econ Community Park and West Orange Recreation Center; visit www.OrlandoMagicOCFLgyms.net or call (407)836-6200.

From the Commissioner’s Desk

Published in Insight Magazine, February 2011

Insight Magazine is an East / Southeast Orlando publication and this update is written specifically for this audience.

By Jennifer Thompson, Orange County Commissioner, District 4

What an incredible past 30 days it has been for me. After taking office officially as your new District 4 Commissioner for Orange County on January 4, I made it a priority to get the ball rolling on a number of different projects. This article is the first in a monthly series designed to inform you, the East Orange County resident, of what’s going on throughout the year. I look forward to serving you and hearing from you whenever there is an issue.

Here are some of the things I’ve been working on:

Alafaya Trail Widening – The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approved the construction bid for the widening of the road on January 25 and construction is finally scheduled to begin work in the next month or so. Construction should last just over two years. The road being built is far less than what was originally promised as it lacks lighting, landscaping and a bike lane during the initial phase; but, I will continue to press for the addition of the lighting and landscaping. The bike lane was removed by a vote of the BCC several years ago, and due to a lack of available right of way, cannot be added.

The official ground breaking ceremony for the Alafaya Trail widening is taking place in conjunction with the East Orlando Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Stoneybrook East on February 16 at 11:30am. We will also be hosting a community meeting on Thursday, March 3, from 6-8 p.m. at Stone Lakes Elementary to outline construction timelines, expectations and explore options for landscaping and lighting.

Narcoossee Road – The widening of Narcoossee Road continues to be a drain on local businesses, both in the County’s and the City of Orlando’s respective zones. My office is currently working with local businesses to improve communication regarding the construction timeline. Orange County’s portion of the road is scheduled to be completed by the summer while the city’s portion is scheduled to be completed by March or April.

Parks – I’ve spent this first 30 days working on several parks and recreation-related projects, including ball fields, and hope to have specific announcements on my progress in the next several months. If you represent a local team or organized athletic organization and would be interested in serving in an advisory/grassroots capacity to bring additional recreational facilities to East Orange County, please contact my County office.

Graffiti – My office has begun working with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Orange County Code Enforcement Officers to address the issues and identify potential opportunities to be proactive in dealing with it. If you are interested in being part of the solution, again, please contact my office.

Jobs – Jobs and economic development are my number one concentrations as your County Commissioner. I have already convened a meeting of the Innovation Way stakeholders and have begun working with Orange County staff on economic development issues and policy discussions to improve the environment for businesses looking to make Orange County home and/or expand here. Most of the calls I have received from business owners are related to communication and inefficiency issues. In that regard, my office is actively supporting the Mayor’s initiatives to streamline operations and provide better overall customer service. I recently traveled to Brevard County to attend a meeting of their Space Coast Energy Consortium and was quite impressed by the forward-thinking discussions and collaboration amongst businesses in this region. My desire is to work regionally to create new industry opportunities and help jumpstart job creation in our community.

Overall, it’s been a busy and productive first 30 days in office. I wanted to take a moment and remind you that I’m here for you, so if you need to reach my office, please visit my website at www.JenniferThompson.net or follow me on Facebook on the Jennifer Thompson, Orange County Commissioner page.

I hope that you will consider getting involved in your local government because I firmly believe that together, we will make a difference in Orange County.