Friday Night “Orlando Critical Mass” Community Bike Ride

The idea is simple…

On the last friday of the month gather at 4:30 PM the entrance of Lock Haven Park by the Science Center and take a bike ride. Stick the flier on the fridge and go ride every month!

For more info, email shredsofadrien@gmail.com

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Immerse Yourself in Central Florida’s Natural Beauty

Don't Forget to Bring a Friend

Looking for a green activity in sunny Central Florida, that won’t break the bank? The gem of Seminole County is the Wekiva River, which winds through Seminole County’s parks, providing rich, natural beauty.

Having lived along its border for nearly 20 years, I have witnessed its inhabitants in my own back yard many times. Raccoons, owls, hawks, woodpeckers, armadillos, bears, fox, does, and one precious sighting of a buck with a set of antlers that any avid hunter would drool over. Thank goodness he was in the sanctity of my back yard. I awoke the whole family coaxing them all to the back window, where we quietly peaked out at his majestic beauty. My daughter exclaimed, “Look, Mommy! It’s Bambi’s daddy.”

Recently, we took our Michigan guests along on a canoe outing on the Wekiva River. From a rental location just off Wekiva Springs Road, we rented canoes, vests, paddles and knee cushions to make the trip safely and comfortably. Given 4 hours for just over $40, we thought our Eco-outing was a terrific bargain—no gasoline refills or highway noise–Just peaceful bird watching, with a few entertaining canoe episodes.

Gators, water snakes, blue heron, and turtles were plentiful along our route, which allowed for a Y shaped tour of two areas of the river. What was not plentiful were my opportunities to snap photos—something I had planned to do in earnest. I thought it best to attend to my paddling duties with more diligence than my photography, lest we run aground and have to disembark.

Seminole County also offers Kelly Park at Rock Springs, which offers a large picnic area, swimming in the refreshingly cool spring water, along with its signature activity—tubing the river—and all for a meager $5 a carload.

There is nothing more inviting on a hot summer day than a cool dip. The tubing run is staffed by lifeguards, despite its shallow water.

There are always those who forgo the tube rental and simply swim or walk the river, enjoying the many treasures they can find along the bottom.  Not a water lover? The entire tubing run is lined with a wooden deck with ample viewing areas. With crystal clear water, Kelly Park’s visitors have often proclaimed success in finding sharks’ teeth along the bottom, where they are deposited by the spring’s input from the aquifer.

Whether you choose to enjoy the Wekiva River by canoe, tube, or your own foot-paddles, it is a beautiful way to enjoy nature. Close to home, inexpensive, and wonderfully peaceful, the river offers much to strip away the stresses of a busy week, while providing an Eco-adventure that does not stress the environment. That’s a Win-Win in my book.

Online resources for canoeing and kayaking the Wekiva River:

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/regions/eastcentral/trails/wekiva_river.htm

http://www.canoewekiva.com

http://www.wekivaadventures.com

http://www.floridastateparks.org/WekiwaSprings/

http://www.clubkayak.com/cfkt/trips/wekiva_river.html

http://www.floridaparks.com/floridacanoeing/canoe.htm

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Breastfeeding Awareness Fundraising Event Aug 29!

La Leche League of South Seminole and East Orlando is hosting an awesome Breastfeeding Awareness Fundraising Event in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week THIS SATURDAY at

SPARK Family Enrichment Center
5965 Red Bug Lake Rd.
Winter Springs, 32708

All community families are invited to attend our event on Saturday, August 29 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m!

We’ll have live music by local mom and dad team The Sunshines, a silent auction and raffle fundraiser, special activities, and delicious food! Fun for all members of the family!

We are offering amazing silent auction and raffle items. . . We truly believe that we have something that will appeal to every age!

A family ticket is $10 at the door, and, if you can name one benefit of breastfeeding, you’ll receive $3 off the admission price.

All proceeds will help LLL continue to help mothers and babies. To reach an LLL Leader about this event, for breastfeeding help, or for LLL Meeting information, please email lalechefl@gmail.com or call 407-679-6628.

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Applications for Exhibitors and Sponsors for 2nd Annual Green Fair (Tavares)

Just got the press release… sounds like fun!

EXHIBITORS

Organizers of the Second Annual Lake County Green Fair are currently accepting exhibitor applications for the Second Annual Lake County Green Fair on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wooton Park, located at 200 S. Rockingham Ave. in Tavares.

All commercial, not-for-profit and governmental entities that are promoting green products and services are invited to participate in the Lake County Green Fair. The cost for each exhibitor at the Second Annual Green Fair is free for not-for-profit groups and $25 for businesses. To fill out an exhibitor application, go here.

The first Green Fair was deemed a success by organizers. More than 1,500 visitors and 75 exhibitors attended the fair.

“The Green Fair’s attendance was remarkable,” said Amye King, Director of the Lake County Department of Growth Management. “I think the community as a whole was eager and wanted to learn more about how they can be environmentally friendly. The Green Fair gives local businesses, organizations and governmental entities the opportunity to share some of these sustainable-living ideas with the community in a fun, fair-like atmosphere.”

In addition to environmental information shared at the event, the Green Fair provided an opportunity for the community to properly and safely dispose of household hazardous chemicals, recyclables and old thermometers and thermostats containing mercury.

For more information about the Lake County Green Fair, call the Lake County Department of Growth Management at (352) 343-9647 or visit here.

SPONSORS

The Lake County Green Team, a group of County employees tasked with bringing County government and the community to the forefront of conservation awareness and practices, is also seeking sponsors. The Green Fair presents educational programs and informative displays that highlight best practices in environmental issues. The Green Fair provides an opportunity for sponsors to promote sustainable products and services to an audience that is interested in leading a greener lifestyle. Sponsorship levels and benefits are as follows:

Platinum ($2,500)

Announcements acknowledging sponsor, one-time use of Green Fair vendor mass e-mail list, logo and name on all Green Fair promotional materials, including street banner, advertisements, printed materials, program, signage and T-shirts, expanded space in special sponsorship area provided for product exhibition, acknowledgment on County’s Green Team Website and logo link, logo on Green Fair T-shirt and 10 official Green Fair T-shirts.

Gold ($1,000)

Logo and name on all promotional materials, including street banner, advertisements, printed materials, program, signage and T-shirts. Also includes expanded space in special sponsorship area for product exhibition, space for printed materials and giveaways at Green Fair informational booth and five official Green Fair T-shirts.

Silver ($500)

Logo and/or name on some promotional materials, including program and signage. Also includes expanded space in special sponsorship area for product exhibition, space for printed materials and giveaways at Green Fair informational booth and two official Green Fair T-shirts.

Bronze ($250)

Name in Green Fair program, space for printed materials and giveaways at Green Fair informational booth.

For more information or to sign up to become a Green Fair sponsor, call Amye King, Director of the Lake County Department of Growth Management at (352) 343-9647 or e-mail aking@lakecountyfl.gov.

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NURSE-IN this Friday 12 PM — Support the Right to Nurse in Public

An action alert for breastfeeding I read this morning:

Mamas and breastfeeding advocates,

This is the situation. There will be a “nurse-in” taking place this Fri at 12 pm at the Chick-Fil-A on University & Forsyth (address is below).

A local mama was asked to cover up by the GENERAL MANAGER and given a kitchen towel to do so. She politely declined and when she got home letters were written to the corporate office as well as the general manager of this location.

No apology has been issued for violating this mama’s rights and they’ve not yet said they were wrong and they would make sure this doesn’t happen again. The letters written all included the Florida Statute that gives mamas the right to breastfeed their child anywhere regardless of what is showing (even though nothing was showing).

A large group of mamas (their main clientele…duh!) breastfeeding their babies, filling their entire restaurant would definitely get their attention. Lets be there to support this mama and to support our right to nurse our babies in public (as is the norm in other countries!)

Address to the Chick-fil-A
3391 University Blvd.
Winter Park, FL 32792
(407) 673-9661

Florida Statute 383.015 Breastfeeding.

The breastfeeding of a baby is an important and basic act of nurture which must be encouraged in the interests of maternal and child health and family values, and in furtherance of this goal: (1) A mother may breastfeed her baby in any location, public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother’s breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding

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Volunteers Needed for Depugh Nursing Center Community Garden Aug 15!

The call is going around for volunteer gardeners!

Hey all,

GARDEN WORK DAY AT DEPUGH NURSING CENTER – All are invited to our first Garden Work Day to clear the grounds for the building of our new community garden at 550 W. Morse Blvd in Winter Park. Please join us on Saturday, August 15th from 8:00 am – 10:30 am.

Volunteers can bring: shovels, rakes, clippers, wheelbarrows or just themselves with some water and sunscreen. We are also looking for volunteers with trucks to haul debris away to the dump.

Any help is greatly appreciated! Any questions, please contact Joann Ruiz at joann@stmargaretmary.org or at 321-356-0989.

More info click here.

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Free Admission to the Science Center in Exchange For Your Old Cell Phone

Just caught wind of this…

Free Admission to the Science Center in Exchange For Your Old Cell Phone

Thanks to Nokia, people can bring their old cell phone for recycling to the Orlando Science Center between August 8 and 16 and receive a free, general admission pass. Just bring an old cell phone from any manufacturer and get free access to all the Science Center’s hands-on exhibits and giant screen films – including the spectacular underwater adventure, Wild Ocean.

Full story here.

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Yomedics offers Unique Health and Wellness program for Kids

Yomedics is a health and wellness program for kids that was created by Dr. Lisa R. Ramey of Integrative Pediatrics in Oviedo and Heather Quillen, a health care advocate and mom of two. I met with both of them a few weeks ago and was impressed with their vision and passion for children’s health. They have put together an impressive and extensive program to help children and their parents get on track with making consistently healthy choices in all areas of health and wellness for long term health.

The goals and benefits of the program are:

• To educate children and families on healthy lifestyle changes to improve the health of the child.
• To allow the child to obtain his or her optimal weight.
• To improve mental health thus allowing the child to have a sense of well-being and confidence in themselves and their ability to deal with the issues of daily life.
• Decrease the risk of obesity related chronic disease such as, but not limited to, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease and orthopedic abnormalities.
• Improve the child’s ability to obtain more successful career later in life.
• To decrease the financial burden on society of obesity related health care costs.

Yomedics 12 week program can be facilitated by a licensed facilitator.   The program is ideal for any wellness setting such as integrative medicine practices, chiropractor offices, public and private schools, enrichment centers and fitness centers.  Any organization interested in facilitating the program can get information at www.yomedics.com or by calling 407-314-8749.

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Misty Forest Launches New Home Education Center

Contributed by Ru’e Lam, Secondary Homeschool Coordinator at Misty Forest Home Education Center

Misty Forest opened in the fall of 2007 as a community enrichment center offering alternative education focused on the theme of  “self esteem and being green”.   The after school program has been highly successful and now the Director and Founder, Chimene Pindar-Hurst, has organized a team to help officially launch the Misty Forest Home Education Center.  The Misty Forest Home Education Center is intended to be a learning community designed especially for homeschooling families.  The center will offer community, classes, and more for learners of all ages by providing academic and social enrichment in a family-friendly environment. The vision of Misty Forest Home Education Center is to be a community model for family-centered, home-based education that inspires and supports self-directed, lifelong learning.

Classes begin the week of September 2nd!  Regular Registration for the Fall Term will be taken at the Open House on August 8th, 1-4 pm as well as at the Orientation on the 24th, 10am-2pm. The catalog of Fall offerings will be available to view online by August 8th.  Fore more information go to the website at www.mistyforesthomeschool.com.

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Disability and the Law Workshop

Today’s the last day to register! If you are a caregiver for your child, parent, or other loved ones… it helps to be informed!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

9AM – 2PM

Held at First Unitarian Church of Orlando

1901 E. Robinson St

Orlando, FL 32803

Public participation in the Disability and the Law Workshop is free as it is part of First Unitarian’s 97 year commitment to the education of Central Florida residents on subjects of social importance. We have secured speakers from a diverse group of charitable organizations as well as government institutions, businesses and activists.

The workshop goals are:

• To inform people with disabilities as well as the general public on the current status of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable federal, state and local laws
• To teach how those laws are, and can be, applied.

We will have panel discussions during the workshop.  The key to the workshop will be the interaction between the panelists and attendees.

We will also have tables for information about the our presenting organizations as well as workshop sponsors. Attendees will be able to visit the information tables during registration, breaks and at lunch.

Scheduled speakers:

• The Center for Independent Living
• The Office of U.S. Representative Alan Grayson
• The Agency for Persons with Disabilities
• Attorney Bradley Conway
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• The Orange County Disability Advisory Board
• The National Alliance on Mental Illness

…and others!

Cost and Registration:

The Disability and the Law Workshop is free to all registered participants.  This includes all sessions, lunch, and workshop materials.

Space for the Workshop is limited. Call (407) 234-2481 to register. Attendees must register by Thursday, August 6.

For further questions contact Susan Anastasio or Tom Cook, co-chairs of the workshop at SocialJustice@orlandouu.org

Accessibility:

• Facilities are accessible.
• American Sign Language interpreting provided.

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