Florida Governor Charlie Crist recently announced March as Florida Bicycle Month, and as a way of recognizing the theme, the City of Winter Park Pedestrian & Bicycle and
Advisory Board will be hosting the annual Bike from Park to Park, now on its 2nd straight year.

The event, taking place on the 26th of March at 8 in the morning, begins with avid bikers starting the ride at Winter Park, Florida’s, picturesque Mead Garden. Participants at the event will be treated to some morning refreshments compliments of Panera Bread.

Bike from Park to Park is a project that’s in line with the goal of promoting Winter Park as a city that’s friendly to pedestrians and bikers, an environment where innovations are embraced without severe consequences to the environment.

This event is also a part of Winter Park’s “Green Local Government” initiative, a mission to transform the city into one of the United States’ premiere eco-friendly cities through “green” policies and programs. Bike from Park to Park was also created to raise awareness on the importance of living an active and healthy lifestyle.

Individuals interested in joining this event are requested to RSVP on or before the 23rd of March, Tuesday, via e-mail. Send your responses to trafficguy@cityofwinterpark.org or call 407-599-3233.

With spring just around the corner, it’s time once again to enjoy the great outdoors and the fast green scenery here in Winter Park, Fl. The city is holding an event next month that’ll let you do just that. Interested? Read on.

The Multifaith Education Project, together with the City of Winter Park is proud to once more bring you the 7th annual Trees for Peace Interfaith Tree Planting Project, which takes place on the 19th of April, Monday, at Lake Island Park, situated along West Morse Boulevard here in the city. Winter Park Mayor Kenneth W. Bradley will be present during the opening ceremonies to officially kick things off at 11:30 in the morning. The program will be led by the director of the Multifaith Education Project, Louise Sheehy.

Over 60 students from 3 different schools in the Central Florida region will come together next month to plant trees for peace. And as a way of bridging the gap between different cultures and beliefs, students get to bless the newly planted trees according to their respective faiths.

Of course, such an event wouldn’t be complete without a bit of celebration. A picnic will be held right after the activity on the lawns of Lake Island Park.

The Irish fever hits Florida next month and the City of Winter Park, Fl, is once more proud to present the 31st annual Winter Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade, taking place on the 7th of March at 2 in the afternoon, here at our very own Winter Park. It’s worth noting that this St. Patrick’s Day parade is the only recognized parade in the Central Florida area, so you can’t afford not to take part in it. The parade kicks off at the Winter Park Country Club, passes through Park Avenue, and then over to City Hall. Over 75 units are expected to participate in this year’s parade, making it one of the most jam-packed ever.

But that’s not all. As a tribute to the Irish, the celebrations will feature Irish music accompanied with step-dancing in the city’s Central Park. Indeed, this is one party you shouldn’t miss.

Of course, such a large event of this kind would not be possible without the help of sponsors. Special thanks goes to the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, the Schenck Company, and Fiddler’s Green Irish Pub and Eatery.

For details and information on the parade, logon to www.cityofwinterpark.org. You can also call 407-694-8228 for inquiries and the like.

Earlier this month the Winter Park Police Department (WPPD) was pleased to receive its re-accreditation status from the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, Inc. (CFA) – the state’s respected authority in charge of accrediting local police agencies that meet their 250 stringent standard points. Each law enforcement group has a specific set of standards outlined by the CFA that’s exclusively designed for them.

According to Bob Merchant, CFA’s Commissiner and Police Chief of the Altamonte Springs Police Department, receiving the commission’s recognition is a mark of a law enforcement agency that puts the utmost importance in serving the interests of the community above all else. The long-time police officer spoke about the importance of accreditation at a City Commission Meeting held in Winter Park on the 8th of February.

The WPDD first received accreditation in 2000, and received the status twice more in 2003 and 2006. December of last year marked the end of the designation, during the period, a team of law enforcement reviewers from other agencies in Florida came to Winter Park to asses the competence and work ethic of the city’s police force.

With the WPDD’s re-accreditation, we think it’s pretty safe to say that they passed with flying colors.

Residents from the City of Winter Park, Fl, have a reason to celebrate after the Department of Homeland Security lent some assistance in the form of $224,100 as part of the government department’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The money will be used by the Winter Park Fire-Rescue Department to purchase new, state-of-the-art cardiac monitor/defibrillators for the department’s existing Advanced Life Support Units.

On most cases when the WBFD s called to an emergency situation, cardiac monitoring is performed by paramedics and sometimes even firemen. Those suffering from sudden heart attacks have a higher chance of surviving thanks to the defibrillator’s use of therapeutic electrical charges. The new monitors will also be used to provide ECG readings, helping medical personnel root out the cause of the heart attack.

The new monitor/defibrillators use the latest in today’s medical technology and are especially useful due to their compact and lightweight design. Durability is also not a problem – something that is a major concern for the fire department since most of the time, they’re called to extreme emergency situations and environments. Each machine features color, scratch-resistant displays that are also water resistant.

Fire Chief Jim White could not be happier with the news, saying that the grant will finally help them replace their 10-year old machines.