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March 7, 2008 - City News |
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Mayor's
Message |
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Dear Friend,
Have you ever
wondered how the City treats
billions of gallons of water every day? Have you
ever been curious about what it’s like to sit 110 feet in
the air in the bucket of a fire engine?
The
Mayor’s City Academy is your chance to get an
inside look at City government, including
touring police headquarters, seeing our busiest
fire station, taking a backstage tour of the
Amway Arena and even visiting a waste water
treatment facility.
During this 10-week program, you will have an
opportunity to see our City family in action,
through road trips, field demonstrations,
department tours and other experiences.
I encourage you to apply for the Mayor’s City
Academy. Citizen involvement is essential to
successful local government. This is an
excellent chance for you to become involved in
the community and informed about your City. For
more information or to apply, visit
CityofOrlando.net/cityacademy.
Sincerely,
Buddy Dyer
Mayor
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This section of
City News provides public safety updates on new and ongoing City
initiatives and opportunities for citizens to become engaged in their
neighborhoods.
OPD Wins Justice Assistance Grant
The Orlando Police Department was awarded a $350,000
Justice Assistance Grant for high tech equipment and electronics,
including automatic external defibrillators, mobile computers, lasers
for traffic enforcement, tasers, lighting for crime scene technicians, a
forensic computer lab, lights, holsters and a video editing system.
This grant money will further equip the Orlando Police Department with
the most
up-to-date tools necessary to keep people safe.
OPD Online Reporting
The Orlando Police Department has initiated a new service
on CityofOrlando.net that allows residents to file certain police
reports online. These include lost property,
 harassing phone calls, pickpocketing, vandalism, petit theft and vehicle theft.
This enhanced feature provides a convenient way for people to file
reports on these crimes. After filing the report, a resident will
receive a temporary case number and can print out an unofficial copy of
the report.
OPD Online Reporting is not to be used for emergencies, incidents
involving a gun, incidents where you know the suspect or incidents that
take place outside the Orlando city limits. OPD Online Reporting is
listed under “Online Services” on CityofOrlando.net and on the
Orlando
Police Department home page.
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Homeless Prevention Coordinator
At the City
Council meeting on Monday, March 3, the Council
approved the creation of a Homeless Prevention
Coordinator. This position will help implement
the City’s homeless action plan in partnership
with the Regional Commission on Homelessness.
Dr. Bill Vagianos has been appointed to the
position and comes to the City with a wealth of
experience working with veterans and the
homeless in Brevard County.
Senior Services
Grant
The City Council also approved a grant from the
Senior Resource Alliance and the Communities for
a Lifetime for $2,973. The Office of
Neighborhood & Community Affairs will use the
grant to build a self-sustainable network of
faith-based organizations that will provide
services, especially transportation, to seniors
and those with special needs in our
neighborhoods.
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St. Johns River Clean
Up
 Join
the City of Orlando and other Central Florida
communities on March 15 to help clean the lakes
and streets that ultimately drain to the St.
Johns River. The City of Orlando will be holding
lake shore clean-ups at Lake Ivanhoe and Lake
Underhill and a road clean up near Lake
Underhill. The March 15 event runs from 9 a.m.
to 11 a.m. Volunteers can register by calling
407-246-2125 extension 17 or e-mailing
Katie.Kulbaba@cityoforlando.net. The events will
be held at the following locations:
Lake Ivanhoe
Gaston Edwards Park
1236 N. Orange Avenue
Lake Underhill & Adopt-A Highway Cleanup
4355 Lake Underhill, West of Conway Road
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Did You Know? |
Earned Income Tax Credit
For the past 3 years, the City of
Orlando, Orange County, the Orlando Regional
Chamber of Commerce and the Edyth Bush
Charitable Foundation have partnered to raise
awareness about the Earned Income Tax Credit.
This campaign has helped working individuals in
our community claim up to $673 million in income
tax refunds. However, there are still millions
left unclaimed.
To qualify you must meet all of the following
requirements:
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Must have a
valid Social Security number |
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You must
have earned income from employment or
from self-employment. |
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Your filing
status cannot be married, filing
separately. |
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You must be
a U.S. citizen or resident alien all
year, or a nonresident alien married to
a U.S. citizen or resident alien and
filing a joint return. |
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You cannot
be a qualifying child of another person. |
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You cannot file
Form 2555 or 2555-EZ (related to foreign
earned income). |
You need to have worked and
have earned income less than
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$37,783
($39,783 married filing jointly) with
two or more qualifying children |
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$33,241
($35,241 married filing jointly) with
one qualifying child |
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$12,590
($14,590 married filing jointly) with no
qualifying children |
Residents are encouraged to take
advantage of this program by calling United
Way’s 2-1-1 resource and referral helpline to
find out if they are eligible and how they can
apply for the credit.
Change Your Clocks,
Change Your Batteries
Don’t forget to set your clocks
ahead an hour on Saturday evening, as Daylight
Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 9.
While you are at it, remember to replace the
batteries in your smoke alarms as well. Smoke
alarms are vital in saving lives if a fire
should occur in a home. If you are a City
resident and you do not have a working smoke
alarm in your house, please contact the Orlando
Fire Department at 407-246-3128. The Orlando
Fire Department offers a free smoke alarm to any
City resident who does not have one.
See Shakespeare’s Macbeth
The City of Orlando invites you
to a free performance of Macbeth on Saturday,
April 5 at 8 p.m. The Orlando Shakespeare
Theater presents the famous play that opens with
three mysterious witches giving Macbeth a
prophecy that he will become king. Spurred on by
his ambitious wife, he quickly decides to take
power at any cost and plunges his country into
war, destruction, intrigue and murder.
To reserve up to four seats call 407-447-1700.
Tickets must be picked up by 7 p.m. on the day
of performance after which seats will be
released.
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Upcoming
Events |
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Road Closure |
• For information on
road closures please visit:
our site.
• For up-to-date
information on I-4 lane and ramp closures please
visit:
trans4mation.org
• For the latest
East-West Expressway updates please visit:
http://www.oocea.com/constructionupdate/roadupdates.shtml |
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City Hall
400 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: 407.246.2221
Fax: 407.246.2842
Email:
buddy.dyer@cityoforlando.net |
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Florida has a very broad public records law.
As a result, any written communication created or received by City of
Orlando officials and employees will be made available to the public and
media, upon request, unless otherwise exempt. Under Florida law, email
addresses are public records. If you do not want your email address
released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic
mail to this office. Instead, contact our office by phone or in writing.
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