Another candidate in district 1The latest candidate to file to run in the 2012 district 1 Osceola County Commission race is Paul Owen.

Owen, who filed Friday as a Republican and who is a former county commissioner, joins Democrat Carmelo E. Garcia and fellow Republicans Jay Wheeler, Jerry Gemskie and Drew Locher.

Michael Harford, a Democrat in his first term, now holds the seat.

KUA hosts free student days at fair

To provide financial relief and a bit of fun to families during this economic downturn, Kissimmee Utility Authority will host two student days at the 67th annual Osceola County Fair in Kissimmee.

The KUA Student Days feature free fair admission for all students today from noon until 5 p.m. and on Friday. In addition, student armbands for unlimited rides can be purchased at a discounted price of $15 today (gates open at 5 p.m.). Armbands for unlimited rides on Friday can be purchased for $25 (gates open at noon; ride until 7 p.m.).

The fair runs through Sunday at Osceola Heritage Park.

Commissioners’ Corner launched

Osceola County government has launched a new, resident-focused, interactive website feature called the Commissioners’ Corner, which was designed in direct response to the county’s new Community Outreach Program.

The Community Outreach Program is intended for residents to help improve awareness of county functions and provide an accurate understanding of the county’s mission and goals.

“To accomplish that goal, the Commissioners’ Corner will serve as a tool to inform the citizens through videos, E-newsletters, calendars and press releases for each district,” county spokeswoman Bethzaida Garcia said in a press release.

In a monthly video, each commissioner will discuss his current priorities and goals as a member of the Board of County Commissioners. Every month, residents can tune in to find out what their county commissioner is working on to improve his district, Garcia said.

To view the Commissioners’ Corner, access the county website at www.osceola.org and click on “Commissioners’ Corner.” There you will find links to each commissioner’s profile. Click on the commissioner’s profile to access the video.

For more information, contact the Osceola County Community Outreach/Public Information Office at 407-742-0101.

St. Cloud City Council retreat set for Feb. 26

The St. Cloud City Council and city staff will gather Saturday, Feb. 26, at the City Hall Bridge for a planning retreat.

“The purpose of this retreat is for City Council members to offer guidance to staff on what their thoughts and ideas are for planning purposes,” City Manager Tom Hurt stated in a press release. “This would be the first retreat for our newly elected council. We have two new members, Mayor (Rebecca) Borders and Councilmember (Russell) Holmes, and it’s important to have a clear understanding of those ideas for the council as a whole and for staff.

“We are in good shape in this city, but it’s because we plan ahead and think out of the box, that we get to be as successful as we are in providing the services that our citizens expect and deserve. Our efforts are always in the interest of

the community. With these retreats, council and staff have the opportunity to discuss extensively the city’s present and future.”

An informal retreat is traditionally held every year. Last year, the council agreed on conducting two separate retreats so that enough time was dedicated to strategic planning for the next five years and for the next fiscal year’s budget.

For more details on the retreat, contact the City

Clerk’s Office at 407-957-7320/7334.

School District has training session on VendorLink

The Osceola County School District Purchasing Department from 4 to 5 p.m. today will host a training session on how to do business with the district.

The training will be at the Media and Instructional Technology Training Room 2, 817 Bill Beck Blvd. (Building 2000), in Kissimmee. This session

will provide an informative overview of VendorLink, the district’s automated online solicitation notification system.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the district’s solicitation process, obtain assistance with VendorLink’s online registration process and receive answers to questions about specific commodities and services that the district procures.

Call the Purchasing Department for additional information and to RSVP for this event at 407-870-4630.

Bridal & Quinceañera Expo to be Sunday

The city of Kissimmee Parks and Recreation Department from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday will sponsor its second Bridal & Quinceañera Expo at the Kissimmee Civic Center.

Prospective brides and young ladies planning a wedding or quinceañera will have an opportunity to meet local vendors who specialize in providing services for special events.

The expo also will feature a fashion show, sponsored by Jerr A Bel’s Bridal, beginning at 2:30 p.m. The runway models will showcase bridal gowns, quince ball gowns, tuxedos, bridesmaid dresses, flower-girl dresses, mother of the bride attire and ring-bearer suits.

A special gift will be given to the first 150 brides and quince girls who arrive at the event. Admission is $5 in advance and $8 at the door. Parking is free and doors will open at 1 p.m.

For more information, contact Dawn Stapf at the Kissimmee Civic Center at 407-518-2575.

Kissimmee offers special events grants

The city of Kissimmee Parks and Recreation Department is offering groups or organizations the opportunity to apply for a special event grant, formerly known as fee waivers.

This grant applies to any event or function that would be on city property or for any function that would require city services (police department, fire department, traffic division, tent permits or Parks and Recreation staff) to host the event.

Grants will be issued for events taking place between Oct. 1, 2011, and Sept. 30, 2012.

Applications for these grants are available at the Kissimmee Civic Center, 201 E. Dakin Ave., or online at www.kissimmeeciviccenter.com.

The deadline to submit applications to the Kissimmee Civic Center is Friday, March 11. The submission of an application does not guarantee a grant of fees or approval of an event. For more information, call Cathe Iveson at 407-518-2573.

School District now has live webcasts of meetings

The Osceola County School District Tuesday started broadcasting its meetings live on the Internet and will archive them online in a searchable format.

Viewers who visit the district’s website will have the option to watch live or on-demand webcasts of School Board meetings. The agenda and minutes of the meetings also will be displayed, and synchronized with the video. This will allow viewers to search, browse and click on a document or any agenda item and instantly jump to that part of the meeting on the video.

“This new capability helps with the goal of increased access and transparency for the School District,” Superintendent Michael A. Grego stated in a press release. “It allows individuals who may not be able to physically attend our meetings to stay informed and abreast of important decisions being made. An informed public makes better choices; that’s what it’s all about.”

Residents can easily find the meetings by visiting the district’s website at www.osceola.k12.fl.us, and selecting “School Board” on the top menu bar and then “Board Meeting Information.” The software that will run the video is supported by most Internet browsers but viewers will need broadband access and Windows Media Player to view it.

Commissioner to hold virtual town hall meeting

Osceola County Commissioner Fred Hawkins Jr. on Wednesday, March 2, in St. Cloud will host the first-ever county virtual town hall meeting, allowing district 5 residents to watch and participate in the meeting from their homes.

The meeting will be streamed live on www .stcloud.org. Anyone wishing to participate in the “Question and Answer” session can e-mail questions to the commissioner’s county e-mail address, at fhaw@osceola.org, on the day of the meeting, beginning at 5:30 p.m., and he will respond to the questions live.

“This will be the opportunity, as a community, to address concerns and viewpoints regarding the future for our area and our county,” Hawkins said in a press release. “During my tenure as commissioner, citizen input has been my greatest asset for representing our community. Citizen participation in the past has proven that together, we can and will continue to work for a better Osceola County.”

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the St. Cloud Council Chamber (City Hall), 1300 9th St., Building A, third floor, in St. Cloud. Residents of district 5 are encouraged to attend the meeting in person or watch it live on www.stcloud.org.

To view the public meeting online: Go to www.stcloud.org; go to “Access St. Cloud SCTV Cable Channel 199” on the directory (left-hand side); click on the “Watch Meetings Live Online Here;” and refresh the Web page as necessary.

For more information, contact the Osceola County Public Information Office at 407-742-0100.

Applicants sought for Capital Collateral Regional Counsel

The Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting applications for a Capital Collateral Regional Counsels appointed by the governor within the Middle region of the state.

The Middle Region consists of the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, 10th, 12th, 13th, and 18th judicial circuits. Applicants must indicate the region for which they are applying. Osceola County is part of the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

Capital Collateral Regional Counsel applicants must have been members in good standing of The Florida Bar or a similar organization in another state for the preceding five years.

Applications may be obtained from The Florida Bar at www.floridabar.org. Eleven copies of the completed application, with attachments, must be received by Martin Lee Garcia, Chair, Supreme Court JNC, 1700 S. MacDill Ave., Suite 240, Tampa, FL, 33629, phone 813-253-3999, no later than Feb. 18. Interviews will be announced at a later date. Three qualified applicants to the governor for each appointment will be recommended. Subject to Senate confirmation, each counsel will serve for a term of three years with an annual salary ranging from $76,625 to $137,194 per year. A description of the counsel’s duties can be found in Section 27.702, F.S. A person appointed as a regional counsel may not run for nor accept appointment to any state office for two years following vacation of the counsel office.

There also is a counsel vacancy for the Southern region of the state.