Owning a boat is a lifelong dream for many East Orlando families, but it’s one many never reach because of their finances. Others purchase their dream vessel only to find out that they can’t use it as often as they like, or that maintenance costs and headaches are overwhelming. If you’ve found yourself in either one of those positions, the new world of shared boat ownership may provide a solution for you.

Shared boating is exactly what it sounds like: members pay a fee to use a collective, shared resource that costs far less than owning the fixed asset on your own. Think of it as a gym or a golf club membership but on the water. At your gym, you expect the equipment to be clean and ready to use. At your golf club you expect your tee time to reserve your round and for the course to be ready when it’s supposed to be. It’s much the same a shared boating experience.

“Our boats are maintenance free and delivered either to your door on a trailer or they’re housed and ready to use at marinas across the state,” says Derrick Meer, president of All Points Boat Club.  The All Points fleet consists of more than a dozen vessels of various sizes from smaller fishing boats to 40 foot and larger yachts. Boats in their fleet are either purchased by the club itself, shared with a member who wants to sell time on their boat or simply maintained for a group of owners who don’t want the headache.

The result is a more economical way of experiencing the oceans and waterways of Central Florida, and it’s catching on. “We grew by almost 40 percent last year,” says Meer. “We anticipate we’re going to see that type of growth again this year as more people find out about the benefits shared boating really offers.”

According to Meer, boats, on average, are only used 20-25 days by their owner. “These are generally $50,000 to $250,000 assets that sit for most of the year with a single owner,” he says. “The cost per use can literally be measured in thousands of dollars and it just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.” With his club in particular, members reserve a calendar spot, be it a weekend or a week, and a boat of their choosing. Then, they’re given a clean, turnkey vessel at a yearly cost that’s about one third of owning and insuring a boat on their own.

“About 75 percent of our members are people that have principal ownership in a small, local Central Florida area business,” says Meer. “The other 25 percent or so is made up of attorneys, doctors and white collar professionals.” One of the ways to help keep costs down for all member is making sure the right type of people become members of the family-friendly boating club. “It’s a shared privilege so we spend a lot of time meeting with people and making sure they are a good fit for the boats and the club,” he says. “Ideally, we want to turn boaters into yachtsmen.”

From the St. John’s River to Mosquito Lagoon and from Cape Canaveral to the Atlantic, Central Florida is home to some of the most diverse waterways in the country and members are encouraged to take their boats wherever they want to enjoy them and for whatever purpose they choose. With all that water to explore and all the member growth in the concept, scheduling conflicts must come up, right? “To tell you the truth, we’ve never really had an issue,” says Meer. Most members plan weeks or months in advance so they know what’s available and they are able to get the boat they request.

At the end of the day the idea for the All Points Boat Club, and others similar in concept, is to bring the perks of boat ownership to everyone without the hassle, according to Meer. “It’s something that’s incredibly relaxing and fun for the whole family,” he says. “Everyone should experience boating on their terms; you can’t replace the feeling you get out there.”

Article by Corey Gehrold

Avalon Park is bracing for a wave of new commercial development and new jobs when Orange County opens a temporary interchange linking the UCF campus and the Innovation Way corridor with SR 528, Lake Nona’s Medical City and Orlando International Airport.

Eric Marks, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Avalon Park Group, says Avalon Park is approaching the halfway point of its approved one million square feet of commercial space, and new development resulting from the transportation link could add as much as 550,000 square feet of commercial space at Avalon Park within five to seven years.

“As the middle link between the UCF campus and the UCF College of Medicine, we’re perfectly located to serve both hubs simultaneously,” says Marks. “The economic impact in terms of new employment and new development will benefit the entire East Orlando region, and we anticipate an increase in demand within the first year.”

Medical City, which also includes the new V.A. Hospital, Nemours Children’s Hospital and the Sanford-Burnham Institute for Medical Research, is expected to generate more than 5,000 new jobs over the next five years, including doctors, medical staff, technicians and support workers. The widening Alafaya Trail is set to begin next June.

Marks says Avalon Park will benefit from two types of commercial users.

“We will see a significant increase in demand for space to serve our existing community,” he says. Avalon Park now includes more than 3,500 homes, with a mixed-use downtown district that includes offices, shops and stores, along with condominiums and rental apartments.

“The evolution of a downtown is directly related to the maturity and needs of the surrounding community,” says Ross Halle, vice president of architecture and town planning for Avalon Park Group. “Access via a transportation network is critical to this evolutionary process and will be afforded to Avalon Park with the connection of innovation way to the Beachline. This type of “organic growth” results in a healthy development pattern and is the underlying principal of downtown Avalon Park.”

“Downtown Avalon Park is a tremendous asset,” says Marks. “The opportunity to walk out of your office building onto a downtown street within a block or two of dozens of restaurants, cafes, shops and stores is very appealing.”

Avalon Park’s equidistance from the main UCF campus and Medical City will attract a second group of service businesses and providers that want to serve both markets, according to Marks.

“From service businesses such as health care, insurance and legal to primary employers such as software, telecommunications and research and development firms, Avalon Park offers a unique environment,” he said.

According to the Public Log Report of the University Police Department, UCF officers made 16 arrests on and off campus for individuals driving under the influence of alcohol. The unsettling thing? These arrests happened in the span of under two months. Fortunately for the safety of students and East Orlando residents alike, the University of Central Florida is taking the necessary measures to make sure DUI prevention is available for students through two programs: UCF Safe Ride and KnightDrive.

UCF Safe Ride is a program for students that offers free taxi rides, up to a $35 fare. The Activity and Service Fee - a payment made by students based on how many credit hours he or she is taking each semester - covers the cost of the taxi ride through a voucher. If a taxi ride exceeds the amount of the covered cost, students are responsible only for the remaining amount of the drive.

The voucher can be obtained from the Student Government Assocation Ticket Center, which is located in UCF’s Student Union. With a valid student ID card, students are allowed to get one voucher every 60 days. Because money used for the Safe Ride program was recently cut down, the number of vouchers given out each semester is limited, according to an anonymous representative at the SGA Ticket Center. Currently, the Ticket Center still has vouchers for this semester, the representative said.

Although Safe Ride seems like an ideal DUI prevention and safety program, it could soon be taken over by KnightDrive, a driving program similar to Safe Ride that may provide a cost saving alternative.

KnightDrive is a program that will offer “free, non-judgmental” rides to a designated address for UCF students, according to the UCF Student Government Association Web site. If a student doesn’t feel safe driving, he or she can call KnightDrive, give their location, and where they need to be. KnightDrive will then dispatch a driving crew - two volunteers, one male and one female - who will bring the student to the location they requested. The service will operate on Friday nights, from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. initially. The Web site did not say if SGA plans to expand the days or hours.

Currently, KnightDrive is in its final stage of review, according to a recent article published by the Central Florida Future, UCF’s official school newspaper. The program could be up and running by the week after spring break if approved according to the article.

Rob Love, a student at UCF majoring in film, has obtained vouchers for Safe Ride, but hasn’t felt the need to use one yet.

“Since I can only get one every 60 days, I didn’t want to waste it,” he says.

Love believes that the money allotted towards Safe Ride through the Activity and Service Fee could go to plenty of different places if KnightDrive turns out to be a success, such as more free testing supplies for students or new on-campus programs and clubs.

“KnightDrive is a really good idea,” says Love. “It definitely has the potential to be better than Safe Ride.”

Article by Nicole Lauber

March is National Nutrition Month and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association wants to provide Central Florida residents with some food for thought.  Stroke is the No. 3 killer of all Americans and African Americans are at higher risk for having a stroke.  Stroke is a cardiovascular disease that affects the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain.  Every 45 seconds someone dies of a stroke, however, people can work to reduce their risk of stroke.

“Be aware of your risk factors; those are the personal characteristics and habits that may increase your chances of having a stroke,” said Dr. Evan Allen, Neurology Medical Director, Florida Hospital Neuroscience Institute. “There are some risk factors that you cannot change like your age, gender or family history but you should work on the risk factors that you can change with your doctor. For example, quit smoking, increase your amount of physical activity and eat a balanced diet.”

A healthy diet is one of the best weapons you have to fight cardiovascular disease. The food you eat - and the amount - can affect other controllable risk factors: cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes and overweight. Choose nutrient-rich foods - which have vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients but are lower in calories - over nutrient-poor foods. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole-grain and high-fiber foods, fish, lean protein and fat-free or low-fat dairy products is the key.

High-sodium diets are linked to an increase in blood pressure and a higher risk for heart disease and stroke. Reducing the amount of sodium you consume can help lower high blood pressure or prevent it from developing in the first place. In fact, the American Heart Association recently suggested that most Americans over age 20 should restrict daily sodium consumption to no more than 1,500 milligrams. Keeping your blood pressure at healthy levels is important as high blood pressure is often referred to as the ’silent killer’ simply because it does not typically present symptoms, although very dangerous.

Learning the warning signs of a stroke is also vital is preventing death and long-term disability from stroke.  The warning signs are:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

If you are someone you know has one or more of these signs, don’t delay, call 9-1-1 immediately. For more information about stroke, call the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association at 1-888-4-STROKE or visit StrokeAssociation.org. Join the Power To End Stroke program and assess free tools and resources to lower your risk factors at PowerToEndStroke.org.

The University of Central Florida Student Athletic Trainer’s Organization received a big check (both literally and figuratively) this February thanks to Orlando Orthopaedic Center (OOC).

Hosting a record crowd of more than 500 individuals for their 2010 6th Annual Cutting Edge Concepts in Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Seminar, OOC was able to donate $2,250, the largest check ever written from the seminar’s proceeds to the UCF group. Throughout the past six years, more than $18,000 has been donated back to UCF in an effort to help students experience the orthopaedic profession hands-on. “We are thrilled to continue our innovative seminar series while encouraging students as they prepare to shape the future of our industry and medicine in general,” says Bob Hammons, director of client services and sports medicine outreach coordinator for Orlando Orthpaedic Center.

Conference leaders and speakers will fly in from around the country to take part in the nationally recognized educational seminar. In addition to speaking on various orthopaedic and sports medicine issues ranging from advanced recovery therapies to state-of-the-art surgical procedures, proceeds from the day are donated back to the UCF student group in an effort to help students interested in the profession gain valuable hands-on experience with industry leaders today.

Representatives from the UCF Student Athletic Trainers Organization were joined by hundreds of physicians, physician assistants, certified athletic trainers, registered nurses, physical therapists, physical therapy assistants and other allied healthcare professionals.

“The students in this organization at UCF are the future of the athletic training profession, hands down. They are present day leaders and future coworkers; so we try to do everything we can to help them develop and gain the skills they need to be successful in our profession,” says Hammons. “The young minds at UCF and programs like theirs around the country, coupled with new technological advances in surgical and rehabilitation procedures, will continue to revolutionize the sports medicine profession for years to come.”

Article by Corey Gehrold