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I received the following email and thought it would be beneficial to all to take notice and action.

The following is an excerpt from an email sent out on Friday, April 25, 2008 from Jackie Swigart, Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer of Orange County Public Schools.
OCPS Operating Budget Q & A
2008-09
What is causing the current budget crisis?

• Significant reduction in State sales tax revenues as well as documentary stamp and intangibles tax collections primarily because of the housing market
• Reduction of corporate income tax collections because of economic downturn
• Slowdown in property tax revenues because of the housing market and Amendment 1
• Overall reduction of $1.9 billion in state revenues as compared to current year. Part of a $3 billion reduction for the current year plus next year due to deteriorating economic conditions

The following is and excerpt from an email sent out on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 from Grace B. Lias, Senior Executive Director, Human Resources, Orange County Public Schools:

• About 585 annual contract teachers were notified earlier this month that we could not commit to another year of employment for them. 
• Beginning this afternoon, over 300 probationary classified staff will be notified that their employment will not be continued next year.

Whether you have a child in public school or not, you know the affect the housing market has on the OCPS budget and (vice versa) you know the affect that cutting this budget will have on the future housing market.

The email below is from a Kindergarten teacher at Riverdale Elementary (near Dean Rd. & University Blvd). Please take her suggestion and take a quick moment to email each of the people she has listed to get them to use some of the “Rainy Day Fund” that was established back in 1992 for this purpose.

Feel free to forward this on to anyone. These stats are from Orange County, but the entire state of Florida’s public school system is undergoing these budget cuts.

And here is the email from the kindergarten teacher:

After going to the CTA Rally downtown last night, I learned that the last time we had this big of a cut in Public Schools, was 1992.  At that time Florida set up a fund in case this were to ever happen again.  This fund is called the “Rainy Day Fund” and has 1.3 BILLION dollars in it.  On Friday, CTA is meeting to ask for 100 million of those dollars to help get teachers’ jobs back and balance out Orange County’s budget!  In order for CTA to be successful at this, they need our help.  Please help by contacting the following people by phone or e-mail.  These people hold the support and approval we need for this to go through.  Remember-they meet THIS FRIDAY-there’s not much time to let your voice be heard.  Here are the people you need to contact and what you should say or write in your e-mail:

Speaker of the House:  Mr. Marco Rubio
850-488-1450
Marco.rubio@myfloridahouse.gov
Say or write:  No more tax cuts until schools are fully funded and in the National ranking of 25^th or higher.

President of the Senate:  Mr. Ken Pruitt
850-487-5088
Pruitt.ken.web@flsenate.gov
Say or write:  Please support the use of the Rainy Day Funds for our children’s education.  They need and deserve a quality public education. 

Governor Charlie Crist
850-488-4441
Charlie.crist@myflorida.com
Say or write:  Please approve the use of the Rainy Day Funds for Education.  Our children in Florida need and deserve a quality public education.

Join Mayor Dyer’s Green Works Orlando Effort
Top 10 - Ways You Can Make a Difference 
 

I have heard that there is a rebate provided to homeowners who switch to solar powered water heaters. If you have any information about this, please email me: WaterfordLakes@yahoo.com

Tonight from 5-9pm, Avalon Park will host an international food and wine festival. The downtown restaurants will be offering specials on their menus, there will be food booths and cooking demonstrations, not to mention - WINE!
And for your entertainment- there will be rides, community performances, and a laser light show.

Many of you have been affected by cancer one way or another. My mom has just had her follow-up and, thank goodness, the cancer is in remission.

I am asking for your help. If you are unable to attend East Orlando’s Relay for Life, you can still help- please forward the following link to everyone you know. Someone in your email address list is bound to be able to participate.

http://relay.acsevents.org/site/DocServer/CPS-3%20Flyer%20(2).pdf?docID=29789

Enrollment is tonight from 7-10pm at Timber Creek High School. It will only take 30 minutes of your time to quite possibly save lives.

For more information about CPS-3 (cancer prevention study), please click here: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/RES/RES_6_6.asp?

I truly thank you for participating or encouraging others to participate.
Sincerely,

Dawn Pratt

It’s time for some East Orlando Vendor Appreciation!

My car looks fabulous thanks to the professionals at Bill’s on East Colonial (near the library).
Between 8-9am, get the early bird special for $9.99 and a FREE cup of Barnie’s coffee. They give you a coupon when the work is completed (inside and out) for another dollar off. So, the next time you come in- your car will look terrific for the low price of $8.99. The entire staff provides great customer service and I can’t recommend them enough.

Wondering when you will ever receive your stimulus rebate? Just send me your Social Security number and I will tell you ( just joking- see Identity Theft post below) !

If you are entitled to a refund check, the last 2 numbers of your SSN determine approximately when you should receive it.

If your direct deposit information has been submitted with your 2007 file, then the following schedule applies to you:

• 00 - 20: May 2
• 21 - 75: May 9
• 76 - 99: May 16

If you did not submit your details for direct deposit with your 2007 file, then the following schedule applies to you:

• 00 - 09: May 16
• 10 - 18: May 23
• 19 - 25: May 30
• 26 - 38: June 6
• 39 - 51: June 13
• 52 - 63: June 20
• 64 - 75: June 27
• 76 - 87: July 4
• 88 - 99: July 11

The Federal Trade Commission urges you to protect yourself from identity theft by deterring, detecting, and defending yourself from would-be thieves. Please visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft to learn more about what you can do.

Common Ways ID Theft Happens:
1. Dumpster Diving- going through your trash for personal info
2. Skimming- a special device used to steal credit/debit card numbers
3. Phishing- spam/pop-ups that ‘trick’ you into giving your personal info
4. Changing Your Address- diverting your billing statements via change of address form
5. ‘Old-Fashioned’ Stealing- stealing your handbag/wallet, mail, personal records from employers, etc.

Soldiers in 1840 period uniforms camp and present programs in the fort. Musket and cannon firing demonstrations at 12:30p.m. and 2:30p.m. today and tomorrow. My son and his cubscout pack LOVED this event when they attended last year!
Fort Christmas Park
1300 Fort Christmas RD
Fort Christmas 32709
Fort Christmas Website

Have you noticed the missing brick wall on the Waterford Chase roundabout? Maybe we need a little refresher on how to negotiate a traffic circle!

Roundabouts are designed to keep traffic flowing across an intersection. Traffic entering the roundabout must yield to traffic already in and the traffic to the left approaching the circle.

If you are coming from Avalon heading towards Lake Underhill, you want to yield to the traffic coming from Eagles Hammock.
If you are coming from Avalon heading towards Eagles Hammock, you must use your left blinker to indicate to the other drivers that you are going across the roundabout.
If you are coming from Lake Underhill heading towards Avalon, you must yield to the traffic with their left blinkers on, because they have the right of way.

Do not stop at a roundabout. This causes the potential to be hit from behind! The idea is to keep traffic flowing. You must slow down, look to the left, and continue.

And remember to all of those who use Waterford Chase as a cut-thru…
THE SPEED LIMIT IS 25 MPH FOR A REASON.
Please obey this rule for the safety of all our residents.