Avalon Park Sun Orlando December 2021

KEEPING THE NEWS LOCAL & THE COMMUNITY CONNECTED.

DECEMBER 2021

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Santa Claus is Coming to Town Avalon Aglow - Saturday, December 4th, 3-9 p.m.

Parade at 3 p.m. and Fireworks at 9 p.m.

Indulge in the best of family holiday traditions at the 23rd Annual Avalon Aglow holiday event, Saturday, December 4th, 3-9 p.m. Watch the parade presided over by Santa Claus, sip hot cocoa as you shop at the local businesses, craft and maker vendors, laugh on the train ride around Founder’s Square, enjoy live performances, great food and Orlando’s premier winter fireworks extravaganza. You will feel transported to another time and place – but it all happens in Downtown Avalon Park. Join the fun and start a tradition with your family. The whole month of December is filled with festive ways to celebrate the holidays together with your friends and family. This event is free and open to the public. For more

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COMMUNITY UPDATES

VOLUME 2 EDITION 12

details visit us online.

This year the Marketplace at Avalon Park will be showcasing some of their amazing vendors at the Holiday Night Market on Sunday, December 9th, 5-8 p.m. on Avalon Lake Drive. Find the perfect gift to finish your holiday shopping with some great locally precured items by local vendors.

You also have the opportunity to make a holiday gift at a Mac-

The December Movie in the Park will feature everyone’s favorite, “Polar Express” at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 17th in Town Park. The movie is sponsored by Polo Wiederhold Law, PA. There will be train rides available around Town Park before the movie begins at 7 p.m. You also won’t want to miss the monthly food truck night on Sunday, December rame Class hosted by Made- 19th, 5-8 p.m. also at Town lyn Kennedy in the Gathering Park.

Kitchen at the Marketplace on Can’t wait to get the holidays December 12th, 3 pm. started? Then you will not Don’t forget to pick up a FREE want to miss the Annual HolAvalon Park Coloring Book in iday Wine Walk sponsored by the Avalon General Store locat- the Avalon Park Rotary Club ed inside of the Marketplace. and benefitting The Sacha PaAnd if you missed Santa at tin Memorial Scholarship Fund Avalon Aglow you can see him on Thursday, December 2nd, at the Marketplace on Decem- 6-9 p.m. Sip and stroll through ber 11th, 8-11am at the Annual Downtown Avalon Park. TickKiwanis Breakfast with Santa ets are limited and available by Event or the Milk and Cook- vising the Rotary Club Faceies Event where he will pick a book Page or by clicking here. child’s Coloring Book to read during the event on December To wrap up a great holiday 14th, 3-6 p.m. season, join your friends and neighbors at midnight at AvaWith Avalon Park lighting up lon Lake on December 31st to for the Holidays, you will want ring in the new year with the to see as much as you can this best fireworks in town! year! We are offering Holiday Hayrides on December 7th, 6-9 For a full list of events and busip.m. around some of the neigh- ness directory, visit us online. borhoods to view the Christmas lights. You can find tickets for this event here. If you can’t make it to the Hayrides, there will also be a Holiday Lighted Bike Tour on December 15th, 5-7 p.m. around Avalon Park.

There will be special stops along the way with treats! You can find tickets and more information with the map here.

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Coffee Hour with BEAT

Celebrating tions

Tradi-

Being born and raised in Switzerland, when I moved to Florida more than 25 years ago, at first, I truly missed the snow which for me was part of Christmas and the entire Holiday Season.

In Switzerland, one of our traditions is the way we celebrate Santa Claus, which is different than other countries. On December 6th Santa, together with his helper “Schmutzli”, arrives early in the evening to most kid’s living rooms. Santa brings a big book with him that has written in it how every child did in the passing year.

With a deep voice, Santa would bring up the good, and not-so-good deeds.

One particular year I heard, “Beat, you did help your Mom

a lot with the household chores this year and as well watched your younger sister often, however, your grades in math went down this year, and you did not always do the required school homework on time.” My brother, sister and I were half excited, and half scared about the visit of Santa and Schmutzli. With a few exceptions, the visit usually turned out well in the end, and Santa left the kids with many goodies like candy, oranges, and apples.

On Christmas Eve the parents in Switzerland generally divide up for the afternoon, and either Mom or Dad brings the Christmas tree into the living room (which had carefully been hidden in the basement), decorates it, and puts the presents under the Christmas tree.

While this is happening the kids then are taken ice skating or elsewhere, by the other parent to avoid seeing the “secret operation” by the parent placing the Christmas tree. When coming home, the door

to the living room would be locked and only after a festive dinner featuring a traditional ham, the doors open and the Christmas tree with the presents would be revealed to the children. In this tradition, it is known that Baby Jesus brought the tree and presents through the chimney.

Avalon Park has a long and rich tradition of celebrating the holidays. This year we will be holding the 23rd Annual Avalon Aglow holiday event. I remember fondly the first year we held Avalon Aglow. It was 1999, the year that we broke ground, and at the time of the event in December we had approximately 75 homes.

There were no restaurants, schools or stores and Avalon Park Boulevard was

a 2-lane road that ended at Founders Square. I remember it was cold, however no snow, and we had about 50 people gathering at Founders Square for the inaugural Avalon Park event.

Since then, Avalon Aglow has grown with Avalon Park.

I felt the 50 people then and today the 10,000+ people who participate at Avalon Aglow are made in the same spirit, they all found in Avalon Park a place of belonging and safety.

I am looking forward to celebrating this holiday season with my family and you all as we continue our holiday traditions.

I wish you a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season.

GET IN TOUCH - Have an inclusion for the Avalon Park Sun?

Email: info@AvalonParkSun.com - Editorial Staff:

Publisher: Beat Kahli

Copy Editor: Stephanie Lerret

Graphic & Layout Editor: Kenzie Farrish 407.658.6565 3801 Avalon Park East Blvd. #400 Orlando, FL 32828

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From the Desk of Commissioner

Maribel Gomez Cordero As we gather for the holidays, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge our wonderful District 4 Avalon Park community. In the past year, we have made significant progress towards going back to pre-pandemic living standards. I am proud to be the representative for such a careful and considerate community, who have all worked hard to preserve the greater good.

ic of discussion will be community development block grant information for small businesses and non-profits.

Staff from the County will be present and available for questions and answers.

I would like to invite everyone to my District 4 CDBG Grant Information Town Hall. This event will be held on Wednesday, December 8th at 6pm at the Renaissance Senior Center (3800 S Econlockhatchee Trail). The top-

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like to receive my newsletter, you can email me at district4@ocfl.net or call my office at 407-836-5881. Blessings and Happy Holidays!

In addition, I would like to remind everyone that the vaccination site at Barnett Park (4801 W Colonial Dr) is still open seven days a week from 9am to 4pm.

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Tips for Caregivers When Looking for a Senior Living Community The decision to transition a senior loved one to a senior living community can be difficult, but one thing that can make the process easier is knowing that your beloved senior will be living somewhere that they are welcomed, comfortable, and cared for.

To find the right place, here are some tips that you, as a caregiver, can use to find a great senior living community for the senior in your life.

care. a comfortable feel, and plenty of friendly faces when taking Consider Central Florida’s Premiere tours.

Senior Living Community 3. See if Seniors Have Access to AcIf you’re looking tivities. Senior livfor a senior living ing is about more Senior Living Com- than just eating and community for your senior loved one, sleeping. Seniors munity Searching consider Encore at should also be kept Tips Avalon Park. engaged with the world around them 1. Pay Attention through enriching to Security. Your activities. When you number one priortour a senior livity when finding a ing community, be senior living comsure to ask to see munity should be a schedule of that ensuring that the right safety measures day’s events. A good are in place. This in- schedule will cover all different types of cludes making sure events, from sudoku the community has attentive staff, secure competitions to knitting circles, that will entrances, and enclosed outdoor areas. entertain and engage the seniors living there.

2. Look for a Positive Environment.

4. Talk to the Staff.

The atmosphere of a senior living com- The most important munity and attitude aspect of any senior living community is of its staff is a good indicator of what life the staff. When visiting a senior living will be like living community, it is imthere. Your senior will surely be unhap- portant to speak to staff members to get py in a place that is frigid cold with poor an idea of their genlighting, drab décor, eral personalities and ensure that they posor unengaging personalities. Therefore, sess the proper trainmake note of senior ing and experience to properly serve the living communities with warm lighting, seniors under their

At Encore at Avalon Park, we serve our senior residents delicious, home-made meals and provide them with plenty of opportunities to socialize through recreational and social events, making us one of the best senior living solutions in the Central Florida area. Your senior will love our friendly staff, welcoming atmosphere, and comfortable accommodations.

For more information on our senior living community or to schedule a virtual tour, call us at 407270-7500 today.

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Holiday Giving Tree at Encore At Avalon Park

Encore Assisted Living has unveiled their Senior Santa Giving Tree, a firstof-its-kind initiative that allows the community to donate gifts to Encore residents and senior citizens in need in the community.

December 20th.

If you are not able to stop by and would still like to give back, you can consider visiting our Amazon Wishlist.

For more information on this event or the programs at Encore Assisted Living and Memory Care, please call 407-270-7500 or email Info@EncoreAtAvalonPark. com.

You can help brighten the holidays for a senior this season by stopping by Encore December 1st-19th and selecting an ornament from the Senior Santa Tree in the lobby. Each ornament features a need or a wish for a local senior.

Thank you so much for considering donating to our seniors here in Avalon Please return the wrapped item with Park. We all aprreciate it more than you the ornament you selected to Encore by know!

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5 Ways to Decorate Your Apartment this Holiday Season apartment.

candles, potpourri and incense into your 2. Incorporate Fami- holiday decorating plans? A nice touch ly Memories is to add a few drops There’s no better way to decorate your of essential oils like apartment than with eucalyptus, pine and cinnamon oil in sima few childhood keepsakes. Whethmering water. The scent will permeate er it’s a cherished throughout your Christmas ornaapartment. For examment or a picture of Grandma sitting on ple, if you want an Santa’s lap, you can earthy smell you can incorporate family mix orange, patchoumemories into your li and sage essential holiday décor by oils with a drop of framing and hanging vanilla extract.

If you’re living in them around your an apartment, then decorating for Christ- apartment home.

5. Decorate One or More Small Trees mas can seem like 3. Stick to a Theme One of the easiest a challenge. While or Color Combinaways to get your you may have limapartment ready for ited space and no tion fireplace, there are Apartment living can Christmas is with a many ways to bring seem to get cramped small tree. Purchase a pre-lit artificial tree some holiday cheer and crazy during and place it in a corinto your place. To the holiday season, help your holiday but there are a few season go smoothly simple ways you can and quickly, here are bring it back down some tips for decoto size. By sticking rating a small apart- with either a Christment during Christ- mas-tree theme or one of your favorite mas. Follow these colors, you can add steps, and you’ll personality without be able to enjoy an apartment that feels overcrowding your cozy and warm even space. Start with if you don’t have any something small (like an accent pillow), extra space. and work your way up from there—and 1. Decorate Your if you don’t have Front Door anything on hand, If you’re decorating it’s never too late to your apartment for start shopping.

Christmas, starting with your front door 4. Incorporate Holiis a great way to add a festive touch. day Scents With just a few sup- Instead of spending lots of money on explies, you can make a simple wreath that pensive ornaments will warm up your and decorations, why doorway and set the not consider incorholiday tone for your porating scented When most people think of holiday decorations, they think of their house, not their apartment. But this doesn’t mean that those who live in an apartment home can’t have some fun!

Here are 5 simple ways to decorate your apartment for the holiday season so you can enjoy yourself and be the envy of all your neighbors!

ner of your living room. Smaller trees are more ideal for tight living spaces as they’re easier to decorate and transport when you’re moving out. Ensure that your artificial tree is fireproof!

Happy Holidays from The Flats If you are in the market for a new apartment, we would love to tell you about The Flats. Please visit us online at www.TheFlatsAtAvalonPark. com or give us a call at 407-273-4337 for more details about uptown living at The Flats.

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Real Estate Investing: Is Now the Right Time? the several years but at a slower rate than this year.

As prices rise, homes become more expensive pushing some potential buyers out of the market making renting more attractive.

Current low-interest rates drive down the mortgage payment on an investment loan. Purchasing a real estate can be a hedge against inflation as you will have locked in your loan at a Is Now The Right Time To cashflow there are plenty of low interest rate. As interest Invest In Real Estate? The online resources or contact rates rise, yours remain low for short answer is both YES me. the life of the loan. and NO because now may be the right time for you, but it 4. Are You An Experienced 7. Here’s the paradox: It’s a may not be the right for your Real Estate Investor or will more difficult time to buy, but neighbor. Let’s start with a this be your first investment? much more affordable time few questions and add some If this is your first investment, to own. Homes are selling guidance from a realtor who quickly making it nearly details below: has experience investing in impossible to buy anything 1. Do you have an investment his/her own properties will under market value. As an strategy? For most people be critical. investor, if the numbers work, investing in Real Estate a the cash flow is positive, and long-term investment, at 5. Where is your investment if the property and location property going to be located? meet your investing strategy, least 7-10 years.

If this is your first investment there’s no reason not to move 2. Do you have 20-25% having it close to home forward. In fact, interest rates down payment? A typical generally works best. can only go up. investment loan will require 20% down payment with a 6. Are Homes Over-Price Click On This Link or slightly higher interest rate Today? If you’ve ready my Visit My Blog at www. article in the September issue avalonrealtygroup.com/ than a primary residence. of the Avalon Sun, statistical Blog for a more in-depth 3. Are you looking for a current prices are in line with discussion. monthly cashflow? Rental a conservative 3.5% annual income can provide this appreciation over the past You’re also welcome to call assuming income is greater 17 years. In our area of East me at 407-312-4928 to discuss than expenses.

If you’re Orlando, it’s forecast that investing in Real Estate. not sure how to calculate prices will continue to rise over

LEARN Pinecrest Academy Updates

We are so thankful for our teachers, faculty, students, and families. A special thank you to our wonderful cafeteria staff for the delicious Thanksgiving lunch and to Mrs. Khan and Mrs. Brown for the yummy dessert bar!

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Sunshine Ankle & Foot Experts December Health Fact Each foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Many structural elements come together to hold the foot together and allow it to move in various ways. A problem with any one of these can lead to pain and discomfort!

If you are experiencing pain or have trouble with your feet/ankles, come and visit us at Sunshine Ankle & Foot Experts! Dr. Kiana Karbasi and Dr. Timothy Miller are currently seeing patients in Suite 225 of the Keith Ewing Medical Building.

Please call 407-8633655 or visit us at www. sunshineankleandfoot. com to schedule an appointment! We are excited to be a part of the Avalon Park Community and look forward to keeping it’s members SAFE and keeping them going!

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CLICK HERE FOR FULL DIRECTORY! STNEVE 1202

October 8-9th October 30th November 13th December 4th December 31st

Oktoberfest Spooktacular Fall Craft Fair Avalon Aglow NYE

Movie Under the Stars Food Truck Nights

4th Fridays Monthly (September - April) 3rd Sundays Monthly

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Holiday Book Drive In the spirit of the holidays, The 5th Floor has collaborated with Avalon Church, the Rotary Club of Avalon Park, TD Bank, UCP of Central Florida, Timber Creek High School, Platinum Signs, Orange County Library System, and Iron Body Fit of Waterford Lakes in a Holiday Book Drive. This drive serves to spark the creation of a library at UCP Bailes Early Childhood Academy (UCP), which serves children 4 weeks through 5 years old (VPK and serves children under the age below) and currently does not of 5, all books will be accepted have a library. and distributed to other UCP campuses where appropriate.

Groups and individuals are encouraged to drop off new or Each donation receives an gently used books December invitation to a celebration 1st through the 14th, 8 am – 6 holiday event on December pm, at The 5th Floor Orlando, 15th, 4:30-6:00 pm at The 5th located at 3801 Avalon Park Floor. The holiday themed Blvd. East, Ste. 200. While the event will have a hot chocolate Early Childhood Academy bar and refreshments

provided by The 5th Floor.

Additionally, Avalon Church Youth Ministry will be providing both fun and serving activities including, make and take bookmark craft projects, Virtual book Buds video recordings, and the labeling of donated books.

Attendees are encouraged to donate a book, however, the event is open to all in the community who would like to support the service-based activities.

For more information on this event of The 5th Floor, please call 407-730-3493 or visit us online at www. the5thfloororlando.com.

The 5th Floor thanks you for helping make the holidays happier for the kids at the UCP Bailes Childhood Academy!

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Captivea is The Leader of Odoo Integration Worldwide

This year has been an exciting year for Captivea marked by an expanding team and new changes that have challenged and pushed the software integration company in a growth-forward direction. Improvements to methodology and service level have been at the forefront of Captivea’s efforts this year. In addition to helping the company increase its size and number of referenced clients, these efforts have officially helped establish Captivea as the leader of Odoo integration worldwide.

“We’ve come a long way in a short period of time,’ said

Joshuah, CEO of Captivea, ‘but what brought us here is our team. We have some amazing people that we work with. We have some amazing clients that we work with, and I’m really excited to see where we go.”

Growth in The Right Direction In 2007 Captivea got its start in France and later opened its doors in the United States in 2018. In the period leading till now, the organization has done more than just continue to grow in size. Captivea continuously strives to update its project method and resource pool to provide a level of service, experience and skill that sets it apart in the information and software industry.

The company has supported its projects with a deployment method that prioritizes quickness and flexibility to better serve its clients. In addition to this, its core values of customer satisfaction, performance and cultural diversity have come to be some of the main aspects of Captivea that clients can really get behind.

“We’ve got clients in 12 countries now, and it’s just great to be able to learn from them, grow, and be able to bring fresh ideas to them. So that way we’re not just, saying, ‘oh, well, here’s just another ERP system.’ Instead, let’s look at how we can to actually craft something that reinforces the way that you want to do business, not the way you had to do business. And I think that’s really awesome.”

A Global Vision Captivea belongs to the international software deployment firm, Riss Group, and shares its global vision. It comes as no surprise that the company has personnel working in various locations throughout the world and having such a global reach has been valuable to both the organization and its clients.

Captivea’s expertise does not end at software integration.

The software information company has over 10 years of experience in enterprise consulting and industry knowledge in areas such as accounting, sales and manufacturing.

Leveraging this knowledge, Captivea has been able to provide the guidance needed to help organizations navigate, improve and simplify some of the most complex organizational processes. In doing so they have helped many companies identify and realize new opportunities for success.

“I’m really excited to continue growing. And I think that it’s amazing because as we’ve grown we’ve continued to, update our method and increase our resources to where now we’re able to provide a level of service and so many different skill sets that honestly, we could never have dreamed of before.”

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Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings Announces Launch of Bizlink Orange

One-stop Website That Supports Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners ange County Government was a founding sponsor of the National Entrepreneur Center and this new tool provides the next step for connecting business owners throughout Central Florida to the resources that will support their growth.

This initiative benefits our entire region.”

In partnership with Central Florida’s National Entrepreneur Center, Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings today announced the launch of BizLink Orange®, an innovative online platform to seamlessly connect Central Florida entrepreneurs and small business owners to business assistance organizations in over 50 different languages.

“Orange County is home to some of the most innovative and hard-working business owners in the world,” said Demings. “Or-

The service is free and includes access to business coaches, research materials, a regional business event calendar, and a variety of business-building services across the six-county region of Central Florida. BizLink Orange® utilizes the proprietary SourceLink® software, which is already in use in many communities throughout the United States.

tracted more than 50 participating organizations.

“Entrepreneurs have different needs at different times,” said Jerry Ross, President of the National Entrepreneur Center. “Our community has been at the forefront of building dynamic resources to support our business community at every stage of growth. BizLink Orange® expands our existing collaborative model exponentially, while providing quick and easy access to business services.”

BizLink Orange® is funded by Orange County Government and managed by the National Entrepreneur Center. The online platform is free to the public to access and free for non-profit resource partners to The National Entrepreneur Center join. For more information, visit will launch and manage BizLink www.BizLinkOrange.com or call Orange® which has already at- 3-1-1.

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ORHE-0286 RANDAL PARK_AVALON PARK_10x7.2.pdf

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A service of Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital This is not an urgent care. Its services and care are billed at emergency department rates.

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Avalon Mail Center

Happy Holidays from Avalon Mail Center! This year we are bringing in the season with our Holiday Stamps and festive packaging. As seen in our graphic, we have a range of postage stamps here for purchase, including our Holiday delights red and green Christmas Ornament stamps, as well as our Sparkling Holidays Santa Claus stamps.

We also have festive holiday boxes, perfect for shipping out all those presents. This is the opportunity to brighten up your friends and family members’ winter season with a fun and festive memento.

While we are all gearing up for the Christmas season, it is important to remember the history that goes along with it. We have all come to love and appreciate our holiday stamps, but I am sure many of you have wondered why exactly they have become so popular. It all started with what was first known as “Christmas seals,” which were quite different to the stamps we know today. These seals actually had no postage value at all, but were used by charities to sell them in order to raise funds for good causes such as hospitals treating those who were very ill. It was not until 1903 that Einar Holbell, a post worker in Denmark decided to use these seals when sorting all the Christmas mail. It was then that the

post offices decided they might need their own holiday postage, separate from the seals. However, it was highly debated on if the post offices should continue to use and sell holiday themed stamps, as many were skeptical about their actual profitability, and feared it would cause them to lose money and sales. However, many postage masters advocated for the holiday stamps and insisted they would improve sales and encourage people to send Christmas letters. These postal workers turned out to be more than right, as the first Christmas stamps had record breaking sales, with a demand that was almost impossible to keep up with. Despite the debates of the importance of Christmas themed stamps, to this day the USPS holiday stamps continue to be a hit, and many look forward to collecting the new designs every year.

We hope that you stop by to come check out all our new collector stamps designs, and to pack and ship out all your holiday gifts. Make sure you get in early so all your goodies and letters to Santa arrive by Christmas!

Come visit us at: AvalonMailCenter.com 3564 Avalon Park Blvd E Ste 1, Orlando, FL 32828

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Tis the Holiday Shopping Season Would you agree that this holiday season seems different from the past? Did you notice that many national retailers were closed for Thanksgiving? Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Simon Malls and countless others did not open. In recent years, retailers started opening earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving, trying to get that jump on Black Friday sales, to the point that it was like any other business day. I remember as a kid, celebrating the Turkey Day holiday then getting up early on Black Friday to get out to the stores to take advantage of the sales. Then people started camping out for the best deals, sometimes even days before black Friday, saving their place in line with tents, sleeping bags and lawn chairs, so they could be one of the first to get that special pricing or item. Do you recall the mobs of shoppers storming into the stores as the doors opened, where some shoppers would even fight others to get the last sale item? Well, I welcome this change of stores being closed for the holidays. I believe the holidays should be celebrated with family, friends and loved ones.

COVID has changed the landscape for many businesses, people are avoiding large crowds, employees have learned about quality of life finding alternative careers, and companies are experiencing supply issues. Many of these retailers closed for Thanksgiving due to the shortage of staff, at the same time it has allowed employees to have

time off to spend with their families. Consumers buying habits have also been changing over the past few years. Amazon and online shopping have really come to the forefront, especially when many of us were staying and working from home due to COVID, it was convenient and easy. Retailers also started offering Black Friday sales earlier in the season, not having to rely on the one day or weekend of sales to make their quotas.

What about the small business owners? According to the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy as of August 31, 2021, there are 32.5 million small businesses employing 46.8% of the private workforce. Our local mom and pop restaurants, coffee shops, general stores, etc., who pour their blood, sweat and tears into every part of their business need our support and patronage, now more than ever. New opportunities are opening all over Orlando, especially in Avalon Park with the new Marketplace opening. You can dine on unique food options, enjoy a cup of locally roasted coffee or brewed beer while checking out the quaint general store who offers unique and locally sourced items.

Small businesses make up most of our economy and now with limited supply, you may just find that interesting locally sourced gift for the holidays. So, get out and shop at a small business.

The East Orlando Chamber of Commerce is a champion for our members and work diligently to assist our area businesses to thrive.

We are an advocate for commerce, offer opportunities to gain more exposure, and connect with the community. The Chamber has established the East Orlando Chamber Foundation to financially support small businesses through micro grant programs. If you are a small business owner or a supporter of entrepreneurs, we are assembling the Board of Directors to lead this endeavor. Contact the Chamber at 407-277-5951 or EOCC@eocc.org for more details.

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For 75 years we have supported our business members and communities in East Orange County providing a voice, opening doors for success, connecting members with opportunities, educational business development and building professional relationships. Our members support our mission to advocate and help sustain a robust economy, fostering companies with employment opportunities and merchants who provide the goods and services our community needs.

Additional information available at EOCC.org.

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DINING

DINING

Coming together to create a healthy community

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Ways to Stretch Your Budget this Holiday Season chopped vegetables, or pre-shredded cheese. These are often more expensive than the whole options, so you can usually save money if you’re willing to do a little bit of work. Bagged salad mixes cost more—and might not stay as fresh—as a head of lettuce. Buy a whole chicken and cut it into parts, shred or grate your own cheese, and avoid instant rice or instant oatmeal.

It’s no secret that everyone is a bit more conscious about budgeting during the holiday season. Between buying gifts for friends and family, potential travel, and other seasonal costs that may arise, you can’t forget about one area that remains important all year: your food budget.

All of our favorite holiday treats that we may only indulge on once a year oftentimes force us to do a juggling act to ensure we’re still serving plenty of healthy and nutritious meals as well.

So, how can you stretch your holiday food budget? Here’s a secret: healthy eating doesn’t have to cost a fortune! Here are a few tips from Chef Gary, Director of Healthy Eating at the YMCA of Central Florida.

Keep these Grocery Store Tips in Mind Consider store brands over national brands. Quite often they are exactly the same or pretty close to what you normally buy, and are cheaper!

Look at the unit price. Even if something is on sale, it’s not always a better price. The small stickers on the shelves don’t just tell you how much the item costs, but they also list the cost per ounce or per pound.

Compare these prices to ensure you’re are getting the best value.

Convenience often costs more.

Think pre-shredded carrots, pre-

Serve Meals on Smaller Plates By serving meals on smaller plates, it creates the illusion of more food and will help to match actual serving sizes of meals. This will help you get the most for your money and may even help you to better manage your fat, sugar, salt, and caloric intake as well as your waistline. This will also aid in avoiding food waste.

Cook Larger Amounts Freeze any leftovers you may have and place them in containers that are perfect one- or two-meal servings. This makes it easy to reheat a healthy meal if you have a busy day.

Plan Ahead of Time Creating a meal plan for the week may sound like an overwhelming task, but it will help you to buy only what you need, reducing your food waste as well as saving money.

Also, try to think of different ways that you can use the same ingredient twice. Chicken, for example, can grilled up and used for pasta dinner one night and overtop salad another day for lunch.

Add in Fruits and Vegetables In-season and local fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables are a great and affordable addition to a healthy diet. Local seasonal produce is generally cheaper and is at its peak in nutrition and flavor. Produce that is not in season has often been trans-

ported halfway around the world to get to your store, which is not ideal for either the environment or your budget! Make sure you store your fruits and vegetables properly when you get home so they’ll last longer.

Bananas, apples, oranges, cabbage, sweet potatoes, dark green leafy vegetables, green peppers, and regular carrots are typically economical and packed full of nutrition. They’re also rich in nutrients and are quick and easy to use. Take veggies as a side to your lunch. You can heat them up in the microwave and season with some salt and pepper, dried herbs, lemon juice, and a splash of vinegar. Frozen fruits are a great snack when you’re feeling the need for something sweet, or simply throw them into a blender for a quick smoothie!

Make Soup This may not sound like a filling meal, but homemade soups are a healthy and nutritious way to use fruits and vegetables—especially those that you might be ready to toss out. Add in some beans or lentils for a protein boost or potatoes for something a bit more fill-

ing. You can even use that leftover grilled chicken. Freeze soup in single-serve containers, which is great for lunch on a cool afternoon. I also encourage you to check out some of our savory soup recipes! You can find them by choosing “Soup” as a category.

Stretching your family food budget doesn’t have to take away flavor or variety. With a little bit of planning, you can avoid wasting food and money while still providing your family with nutritious meals throughout the holiday season. Making smarter choices at the grocery store, eating at home, and bringing your lunch to work are all simple ways to help you to eat better without over-spending, too. If you’re looking for more creative meal ideas, I encourage you to check out the large variety of Healthy Living recipes we have on our website.

From our YMCA of Central Florida family to yours, we wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season and start to the new year!

COMMUNITY CORNER

COMMUNITY

Pickleball Brings People Together

By Ed Lynt, South Village

2022.

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and Canada. In Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio plays pickleball everyday according to the “How Pickleball Won Over Everyone” article in the 10/21/2021 issue of Vanity Fair. George Clooney’s wife Amal beats him regularly. Pro golfers Annika Sorenstam and Phil Mickelson play pickleball as do the Kardashians, Owen Wilson, Larry David, Jamie Foxx, Melinda Gates, and the Chicago Cubs the article said.

Orlando will get to see pickleball pros and amateurs compete January 1316, 2022 at the U.S. Tennis Association National Campus in Lake Nona. Avalon Park South Village resident Matt Salamon is playing in the Men’s Singles amateur competition on Thursday January 13th. Come out and cheer him on!

Pickleball started on Bainbridge Island, WA. in 1965.

It is easy to learn and inexpensive. Florida has thousands of players, especially in The Villages and in Naples where the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships will be held April 23-30,

Kids love the game too Matt’s 8 year old son Zev Salamon and partners Matt and Lori Kaminsky won our October pickleball tournament.

Avalon Park has about 50 pickleball players, ages 8 to 80, and the number of players is growing. In South Village, there are 4 tennis courts, 2 of which have been painted for pickleball too. At least 5 different

groups of players play all week and weekend. We’ve had pickleball players from Hawaii, Canada, California, Michigan and Georgia visit Avalon Park and play with us. Pickleball is a very social game.

Garden. You can also find pickleball courts in Eastwood, Ventura, Fairways, Cady Way Park, Mount Dora, Clear One Sports Centre and the South Econ Rec Center.

As 3 time Avalon Park Pickleball tournament winner and South Village resident Linda Kroog remarked, “we not only play pickleball together throughout the week, but we also have built a bond that supports each other through trying times in such a positive way that makes us feel proud and blessed to live in this beautiful community!” The Flats resident Sheila Harvey calls us a “pickleball Orange County has rec- family”. ognized the huge growth of pickleball and is build- Give pickleball a try. You’ll ing courts at Downey Park be glad you did - and mayon Dean Road and adding be you’ll be a little healthmore courts to Veterans ier mentally and physically Memorial Park in Winter too.

Pickleball brings people together from all walks of life like no other sport. Top ranked women’s player and Florida resident Simone Jardim said “on the same court you can have a millionaire and someone living paycheck to paycheck. No one is interested in what you do for a living, only how long you have been playing!” she told Vanity Fair.

COMMUNITY

2022 OUC Water Color Project Calendar Cover Contest OUC has announced that the winner of its 2022 Water Color Project calendar cover contest is Kaelean P., a fifth grade student at Arbor Ridge K-8. Kaelean’s artwork (attached), titled “Give a hand to save our land,” will grace the cover of the 2022 Water Color Project calendar.

For the first time, OUC customers and the community were able to vote for the calendar’s cover artwork. Kaelean’s artwork received more than 900 reactions in the contest held on OUC’s Facebook page.

Fourth- and fifth-grade students across Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) were invited to create calendar artwork, and each school selected a maximum of 10 entries to submit. Approximately 113 students from 13 elementary schools submitted entries. OUC employees selected 13 submissions for the 2022 calendar based on originality, artistic skill, water conservation message or slogan, and suitability for reproduction in the calendar. The other 12 entries will represent the months of the year.

Since 2006, OUC’s Water Color Project has taught future generations about water conservation and the importance of this natural resource through art. Students receive a lesson on water conservation and then develop artwork, messages and slogans for submission for OUC’s annual Water Color Project calendar. OUC and OCPS are partners in the program.

Over the past 15 years, more than 100 elementary schools and over 25,000 fourth and fifth graders have participated in the annual calendar contest.

More than 5,000 calendars are distributed each year.

COMMUNITY

Kiwanis Club Updates The Kiwanis Club of Avalon Park participated in the beach cleanup in Cocoa Beach last month.

The Kiwanis Club of Avalon Park collected food along with most of their service leadership clubs and took to the Woodbury Food Pantry as well as Second Harvest Food Bank. The K-Kids at all the schools did a fantastic job once again.

Teacher of the Month Awards Camelot:

Madison Schafer Castle Creek: Andrea Aguilar Stone Lakes: Ana Rivas Timber Lakes: Stephanie Nordenmalm East River HS: Arlen Frasqueri Timber Creek HS: Kevin Woodard

COMMUNITY

Rotary Club’s 2021 Year in Review

After a year of COVID-19, the Rotary Club of Avalon Park (RCoAP) declared 2021 a “Year of Giving.” Not an unusual concept for a civic club who supports more than 100 service projects per year and rarely says no to requests within and around the community. However, the exceptional year they just had is certainly with noting.

In response to a request for a list of service projects, the club responded. “We have provided as many as we can possibly remember,” stated RCoAP President, Jim McQueeney, “The recap is very impressive for our small club of 32 members, and we are proud of what accomplish year after year.”

Rotary Club of Avalon Park 2021 Service Projects Highlights: 1. Neighborhood Clean Ups (throughout the year) 2. Fly a Flag (all patriotic holidays) 3. Book Sharing via Three Little Free Libraries 4. Mikey Stroz Family Foundation Contribution (one of our own, memorial) 5. Blessing Bags for Samaritan’s Resource Center 6. Harbor House Donations Pocketbook and Purse Drive 7. Alex Net Kids (fishing gear) 8. NIC U Family Supplies 9. Boy Scouts Troop #33 (camping gear for a local chapter) 10. Clean the World 11. The Miracle League (baseball equipment) 12. 9/11 Ceremony Events (20th Anniversary) 13. Octoberfest Dunk Tank in support of education 14. Reinforcement Association in Haiti – 55 Students 15. Operation Christmas Child

16. Adriana’s Attic Thanksgiving Meals 17. Harbor House Food Drive 18. 2nd Harvest Food Bank Thanksgiving Meals 19. American Heart Walk team 20. Word on the Street and Orange County Academy Service Projects 21. Supporting local businesses and restaurants (always) In addition to the above list, RCoAP delivers a food donation to two organizations: Samaritan’s Resource Center (Wednesdays) and Word on the Street (Sundays) sponsored by Publix.

Worth Mentioning: The Holiday Book Drive is in the works through December 15. Donations are being collected during business hours on The 5th Floor (2nd floor above Marketplace) in association with United Cerebral Palsy of Central Florida. This project will be directly contributing to the creation of a library at UCP Bailes Early Childhood Academy.

“We also tied in a request for book donations to the Holiday Wine Walk asking participants to bring a new or gently used book,” said McQueeney. “It was a huge success.”

In closing, the club asks, “What can we do for you?” Please send them ideas and ways they can serve next year: http://www.rotaryclubofavalonpark.org. Or, simply come by and check them out! They meet every Wednesday at 7:30 am at the Avalon Park Community Center, 13401 Tanja King Blvd.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Ray Villegas from University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program speaking to our group.

The 9/11 20th Anniversary event at Avalon Park Foundation. Great turn out!

Beautiful early morning representing the club at the Greater Orlando Heart Walk and get some exercise at the same time. At UCF.

COMMUNITY

5 Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Season

For some, any mention of the holidays immediately induces stress. Presents to buy, schedules to coordinate, family politics, and holiday weight gain top the list of many people’s worries.

3. Do what gives you and your family joy. If your favorite holiday memories are of baking with your grandmother, and it brings you joy to do the same, go for it!

If anything else on your to do list doesn’t bring you joy, follow rule no. 4.

a weary soul. Go out for a deep breath of fresh air and listen to the sounds of birds and rustling trees. You’ll find yourself refreshed from some time spent outside.

Enjoy a calmer and more We can do this year differmeaningful season. Our ently while looking forward convenient Zoom Whitening to togetherness! These 4. Say no. You likely have Pen may also simplify your tips will help you stay cool a busy schedule. If you’re preparation. It is great for amidst the holiday hustle overwhelmed by all the invi- holiday party touch ups or and bustle. tations from family, friends for a teen’s stocking. Please and coworkers, know that it stop by to get yours. Now 1. Have the right perspecis perfectly fine to decline. bring on the cozy fireplace, tive. Don’t let distractions Opt for a night in with your peppermint mochas, and obscure what this holiday favorite holiday movie infuzzy sweaters! season is all about. Purchas- stead, or enjoy a relaxing ing every item on the best bubble bath.

Happiest of Holidays to you gift list, ultra clean basefrom all of us a Elite Dentistboards, and a dozen side 5. Find time to be in nature. ry! dishes shouldn’t be your pri- Nature often instantly calms mary focus. Remember the reason for the season.

2. Keep it simple. In your holiday preparation, not everything needs to be made from scratch or the home festively decorated. If you’re striving for perfection, and stressing out, then simplify.

Bake only that one dessert you enjoy, let it be enough.

Find one meaningful gift for your loved one, let that be enough.