Basket Brigade helping out for Thanksgiving

Gatorland, Kenney Communications and CenterState Bank are once again teaming up to bring Thanksgiving holiday meals to 1,000 families in need as part of the fifth annual Basket Brigade of Osceola County.

The notion behind the Basket Brigade is that one small act of generosity on the part of one caring person can transform the lives of hundreds, organizers stated in a press release, adding that it takes only one light to dispel the darkness, and even just one basket or a few, to bring hope.

“This has been a really tough year for many families in our community,” Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland, stated. “We are incredibly thrilled to be able to give back to our neighbors in need this holiday season.”

Throughout the Thanksgiving and holiday season in more than 200 cities across North America, Australia, Canada, England and Singapore, Basket Brigade volunteers such as the team in Osceola County will deliver food, clothing and hope to those who need it most. Hundreds of thousands of hungry and needy individuals are fed by this effort every year.

Donations for this effort are being accepted until Nov. 19 at Gatorland and all local CenterState Bank branches. Donation commitment forms and additional information can be found at www.basketbrigadeosceolacounty.com.

Donations requested include non-perishable food items and traditional holiday fare, baby food and baby care items, gift cards for perishable items, personal hygiene items and small toys and crafts for children.

Gatorland is a 110-acre theme park and wildlife preserve with alligators, crocodiles, an aviary, breeding marsh with observation tower and a petting zoo.

CenterState Bank has its main office at the corner of Oak Street and John Young Parkway in Kissimmee. CenterState Bank has branch offices in St. Cloud, Poinciana, South Chase and on Osceola Parkway.

Kenney Communications is a tourism media company.

Friday is first county furlough day

With the exception of public safety and other specific operations, all Osceola County Board of County Commission offices and departments will be closed Friday for an unpaid staff furlough day.

At the Sept. 20 board meeting, commissioners as a budget-cutting measure approved 10 employee furlough days for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

Most county departments and buildings, including libraries, parks, road and bridge, animal control, permitting and others will be closed to the public.

The furlough days will be spread throughout the year to minimize the impact to residents, county officials said in a press release. The 10 furlough days will save taxpayers nearly $2.8 million.

Deadline nearing for tourism grant applications

The Kissimmee Convention & Visitors Bureau is now accepting applications for funding through its Tourism Enhancement Grant program.

Government and nonprofit organizations based in Osceola County for at least two years are eligible to request funds to support their marketing and promotion of special events and projects that appeal to tourists.

Applications are available at the visitors bureau offices at 1925 E. U.S. Highway 192 in Kissimmee; office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Requests for funds must use the official form. Call 407-742-8211 or e-mail tcole@floridakiss.com if you have questions or for more information. Completed applications must be received by 5 p.m., Wednesday.

This year’s application places greater emphasis on specifically identifying how tourist development funds would be used to promote to tourism, bureau officials stated in a press release, adding that the funding review and approval process will give weight to the clarity and effectiveness of the detailed marketing and promotional efforts.

Open house at Starling dealership

Starling Chevrolet in Kissimmee from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday will hold an open house featuring the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and Cruze vehicles.

The Volt, an electric vehicle, can travel up to 40 miles on an initial electric charge. When the battery is depleted, a gasoline engine comes on and provides up to 300 additional miles of range. The Cruze is Chevrolet’s new compact sedan.

The open house also will feature an opportunity for the public to interact with Chevrolet engineers, manufacturing and marketing specialists. GM employees will be available on-site for interviews, to listen to concerns or to answer questions. American Express Prepaid Gift Card will be given out while supplies last.

The open house is for the whole family. Food will be provided by Fat Boy’s restaurant and K92 FM will broadcast a live remote from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, call General Manager Ray Icaza at 407-933-8000.

Starling Chevrolet is at 2500 N. Orange Blossom Trail.

Farewell reception for commissioner

There is a farewell reception tonight beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Osceola County Historic Courthouse for County Commissioner Ken Smith, who is retiring from the commission after 12 years. Smith, a former Kissimmee mayor and former high school history teacher, did not seek re-election in district 4.

Executive session to be on master plans

The Osceola County Commission at its Nov. 1 meeting will hold an executive session at approximately 3 p.m. to discuss legal strategy for replying to the Florida Department of Community Affairs’ contention that three conceptual master plans submitted earlier this year to the agency for approval are out of compliance with state regulations.

The three plans, which the county resubmitted in August with revisions following state suggestions, cover the Northeast District (an area comprised of Deseret Ranches property south of the Orange-Osceola County line) and the South Lake Toho and East of Lake Toho areas, which are south and east of Lake Tohopekaliga.

The state contends that the 17,150-acre Northeast District, which the county has touted the most as a jobs-generator because of its close proximity to the Lake Nona area in Orange County, would contribute to urban sprawl and would fragment a sensitive environmental area.

The South Lake Toho plan covers 16,350 acres and includes the Green Island development of regional impact, or DRI, and the smaller Tranquility development of county impact, or DCI.

The East of Lake Toho plan covers 11,250 acres bounded by the Florida’s Turnpike, Friars Cove Road, Neptune Road and Lake Tohopekaliga. This area includes the Toho Preserve, Tohoqua, Edgewater and Friars Cove DRIs and the Bella Tara DCI.

Tohoqua land purchase delayed

Osceola County commissioners postponed until Nov. 1 action on the proposed purchase of the 370-acre Tohoqua property for the county’s land conservation program.

According to County Attorney Jo Thacker, the reason for the delay is that an informal wetlands survey for the site, which is along the eastern shore of Lake Tohopekaliga, has not been provided yet by the owners, Orlando-based Neptune Road Investments. The South Florida Water Management District is conducting the survey.

The negotiated price for the property is $9.495 million.