The school year is winding down and with summer right around the corner, parents everywhere are searching for the right summer camp for their child. Identifying the perfect summer camp for your child can be challenging, but taking a few basic factors into consideration can make the selection process much simpler. The first choice to consider is whether an overnight camp or a day camp is suitable. Overnight camps nurture independence skills while giving children a vacation-like experience. But, day camps can give children a similar experience while allowing them to come home at the end of the day to share their experiences with family and friends. Ask... [Read more]
Summer in Orlando brings a host of new opportunities and challenges. The kids are out of school, the weather is sunny (except for those pesky afternoon showers), and the tourism dollars start flowing. However, the weather can bring some unwanted dangers as well. Here are some typical Florida concerns and ways to stay safe during the summer. While Swimming: Summer is the perfect time to head for the water. While Orlando itself does not have beaches, there are plenty of local alternatives like a YMCA pool or local campground. Florida is a leader in child drowning. The good news is that drowning under the age of 18 has been reduced drastically... [Read more]
Orange County Government spends $400 million on public safety programs for citizens, $150 million on corrections and jail operations, $185 million goes to the sheriff’s office and $150 million is allocated for the fire department. Together this amount accounts for $885 million of the $3.1 billion total budget for Orange County. Keeping citizens safe is a fundamental function of government, and making the investment in people, training and proper equipment is essential for maintaining the public sense of safety. For the past year, I’ve spent Friday mornings learning more about the departments within Orange County Government and its... [Read more]
Every day in the United States, 202 children are arrested for violent crimes, and 377 children are arrested for drug crimes. Every day, 2,175 children are confirmed as abused or neglected, and every day, 2,222 high school students drop out. These numbers, according to a study in December 2009 by the Children’s Defense Fund, confirm that at-risk youth is a problem in our country. At-risk youth can be defined as any person under 18 that faces violence in schools, an unstable family structure, drug abuse, pressure from the media, gang activity or a combination of any of these, according to At-Risk.org. Teenagers who don’t know how to... [Read more]
On March 2, 2010, around 8:00 p.m., Andreau Yankton approached his wife’s checkout lane at the Publix supermarket in downtown Orlando and shot her in the face, killing her almost instantly. His two former wives had filed injunctions against him in 1996 and 2002. On February 8, 2010 Cocoa resident Alissa Blanton, 23, was gunned down by a man who stalked her at her home and workplace, the AT&T Wireless Call Center near UCF. Domestic violence costs American businesses an estimated $3 billion per year, not including the costs to victims. In December 2009, a Sanford man fatally shot his wife and then took his own life. In June, a father fatally... [Read more]
