Boy Scouts travel abroad … and more Neighborhood News!

compiled by Lauren Salinero


Dr. Phillips

Sally Kamrada, a longtime Dr. Phillips resident, recently joined The Real Estate Firm of Orlando’s Dr. Phillips office as a broker associate. She previously served for three years as the managing broker of Realty Executives Central Florida. Sally is very active with Rotary International through the Rotary Club of Dr. Phillips, which is a part of Rotary District 6980. She serves as a board member and past president of the club, as well as a board member of the Dr. Phillips Rotary Foundation. Sally has been married to Marty Kamrada for more than 30 years and loves working with both sellers and buyers.

Sterling Pointe

Rep. Robert “Bobby” Olszewski (left) of Sterling Pointe attends Gov. Rick Scott’s (at podium) press conference to announce his state environment budget.

Sterling Pointe resident Rep. Robert “Bobby” Olszewski joined Gov. Rick Scott to announce $1.7 billion in environmental funding to secure Florida’s beauty and natural resources. Gov. Scott held a press conference to declare the governor’s state environment budget.

Et Al

Congratulations to the following Southwest-area residents on their recent academic achievements:

  • Ocoee resident Joshua Burns graduated from Bethel University with a Bachelor of Science.
  • Barbara Hamberg of Dr. Phillips received a Master of Science in counseling and psychology from Troy University.
  • Hannah O’Malley of Kissimmee earned a Master of Arts in Teaching in the biological sciences from Miami University through Project Dragonfly.

The Orange County Clerk of Courts office will perform special wedding ceremonies on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. They will take place in the Clerk of Court’s newly renovated ceremony room at the downtown Orlando Courthouse. For Valentine’s Day only, couples will receive a package that includes the wedding ceremony fee, a reserved appointment time in the newly renovated ceremony room, a commemorative certificate and wedding photos on a flash drive for a $50 fee. Celebratory cupcakes will also be served.

“I want to provide a special day for couples getting married at the courthouse, and our newly updated and beautiful ceremony room is a great way to do this,” said Southwest Orlando resident and Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell.


Photo courtesy of WOCC
West Orange Chamber of Commerce members commemorate the first anniversary of Fully Promoted in Ocoee.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce members held a one-year anniversary celebration for Fully Promoted, located in Ocoee. WOCC builds partnerships, strong businesses and commitment to the community by serving as the leading business advocate in Central Florida, facilitating opportunity to nearly 1,000 member businesses. For more information, call 407-656-1304 or visit wochamber.com.


Rotary Club of Dr. Phillips President Steve Clapp welcomes Elizabeth Lynn, community relations of Orlando Union Rescue Mission, to speak at a recent meeting.

Rotary Club of Dr. Phillips President Steve Clapp (right) names Rudy Tapia Rotarian of the day.

Rotary Club of Dr. Phillips held its meeting last month at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge. During the meeting, Rudy Tapia was named Rotarian of the day. Also, Elizabeth Lynn, community relations of Orlando Union Rescue Mission, spoke to the group.


Yog Melwani of Southwest Orlando is the new president of the Indian American Chamber of Commerce of Orlando.

The new year brings new opportunities for business professionals across Florida. For the Indian American Chamber of Commerce in Orlando, 2018 brings a new president with a new vision for the future. Southwest Orlando resident Yog Melwani will serve as president for 2018 and 2019. As a new initiative this year, the chamber is taking a proactive role in Orlando’s Smart City initiative by facilitating meaningful dialogue with community leaders to see how the program can benefit the community, whether it be via health care, transportation or tourism.

 


Rotary Club of Lake Buena Vista President Eddie Fernandez (front, left) and club member Anne Peach (front, right) welcome visiting Rotary district governors elect and their spouses to a recent meeting.

Members of the Rotary Club of Lake Buena Vista hosted four Rotary district governors elect, along with their spouses, as they made their way to San Diego for Rotary training. The district governors elect hail from Sweden, New Zealand, Australia and Denmark. They will serve their districts from June 2018 to May 2019. The travelers also stayed with Rotary families during their time in Central Florida.


Boy Scout Troop 84 travels to Switzerland and Italy during the winter break.

Fifteen Scouts and leaders from Boy Scout Troop 84, chartered to the Southwest Orlando Jewish Congregation, spent the winter break at the International Scout Center in Kandersteg, Switzerland, and Milan. In Italy, the group visited Lake Maggiore Zipline Park, overlooking Lake Maggiore, where they had an opportunity to ride a steel cable strung 2,020 yards from one mountaintop to another with a drop of 300 yards. The ride went 75 mph and lasted 90 seconds. The troop also went to the Santa Marie Delle Grazie, which is famous for Leonardo Da Vinci’s fresco of the Last Supper, and hiked to the roof of the Gothic Cathedral Duomo for a view of Milan.


Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association officially announced its 2018 Executive Committee. Fred Sawyers of Dr. Phillips assumed leadership duties as chairperson, following outgoing chairman and Windermere resident David Bartek, who served as CFHLA chairman for 2016 and 2017. Brian Comes of Windermere will serve as 1st vice chairperson, Maylousie Fitzgibbon of Windermere as secretary, Sonja Giselbrecht of Dr. Phillips as assistant treasurer, Peter Kacheris of Bay Hill as historian, Jesse Martinez of Winter Garden as treasurer, and Keith Wolling of Windermere as 2nd vice chairperson.


The Wonderwomen Club of Kids Beating Cancer holds luncheons in support of community families and children dealing with life-threatening illnesses.

Supporters of the nonprofit group Kids Beating Cancer came together to form a new club to support the charity. The Wonderwomen Club of Kids Beating Cancer held its first meeting in November. It is led by Turtle Creek resident Dr. Francelis Gonzalez, president; Keene’s Pointe resident Celia Hartman, vice president; and Palm Lake resident Donna Boyer, secretary. The group’s goal is to establish and support relationships with each other in a fun, relaxed atmosphere while developing awareness for Kids Beating Cancer with the intention of helping children and families in the community who have been afflicted with life-threatening illnesses. The group meets for lunch to share stories and discuss ways to support families in need, including helping raise money for the Children’s Transplant Center at Florida Hospital. The next luncheon will take place at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes on Feb. 15.

Although we try to ensure that all information presented above is the most current, correct and dependable available, we do rely on others for the source of our news. Therefore, the Southwest Orlando Bulletin and Cornerstone Publishing & Multi-Media LLC cannot be held responsible for the validity of the information presented here, nor does mentioning it constitute an endorsement. In Your Neighborhood news is welcome and may be mailed to P.O. Box 851, Windermere, FL 34786; or emailed to Lauren@kearneypublishing.com. ♥