Community Bulletin

House-sized hole

Workers at the east end of Morse Boulevard are installing a large storm water treatment system that will treat storm water before it enters Lake Osceola. The hole right by the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour is so huge that an entire house could fit into it.

Taste winners

On Wednesday, April 18, the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce hosted the 27th annual Taste of Winter Park presented by CenturyLink, the organization’s annual food festival. The Ravenous Pig was honored with Best Main Course for its lobster “hot dog” (pictured). Best Side Dish was presented to Mi Tomatina, Paella Bar for its braised ox tail. The Bohemian Baker’s lavender tea cake was awarded Best Dessert. The Best Booth Display went to 4 Rivers Smokehouse. Finally, a new award this year recognized the Best Healthy Dish and was presented to The Ancient Olive/ The Spice & Tea Exchange for the pairing of Waterkist Farms’ heirloom tomato with olive oils, balsamic vinegars and specialty salt.

New Hope raises $200K

The New Hope for Kids 11th annual Art of the Vine at Fields BMW on April 13 netted $218,299 for their Center for Grieving Children and Wishes for Kids programs. Ken Champion of Winter Park won a new 2012 BMW 128i in a chance drawing.

Princeton top teacher

Rollins College Associate Professor of Communication Rick Bommelje was named one of “The Best 300 Professors” by The Princeton Review and RateMyProfessors.com this week. Bommelje has more than 30 years of professional experience in leadership, supervision, management and adult education. “This man changed my life. He’s not warm and fuzzy — but he’s very fair and an incredibly good, inspirational teacher. He not only teaches the course content but he gives you life lessons that will stay with you forever,” commented one student.

Gold Key scholar

Winter Park’s Rose Chirillo, a junior Marketing Communication at Emerson College, was inducted into the Gold Key Honor Society at a ceremony on Wednesday, April 18, at the Tufte Performance and Production Center’s Semel Theater; 10 Boylston Place, in Boston.

Hall of famer

Kenn Hall, a Central Florida resident, businessman and former All-American college pitcher, has been inducted into the athletic Hall of Fame at Nassau College in Garden City, N.Y. Hall currently owns and operates KR2H Marketing and Media Relations in Apopka.

Personal finance challenge

April is national financial literacy awareness month and to celebrate Fifth Third Bank of Central Florida has committed to a “JA/53 Challenge,” in which representatives will teach 53 five-week personal finance classes in local high schools. The JA/53 Challenge will begin in Orange County at Edgewater and Evans high schools, followed by high schools in Seminole, Volusia and Duval counties. Visit jacentralfl.org

Library director to retire

After two and a half decades of service, Winter Park Public Library Director Bob Melanson has announced to the Library’s Board of Trustees his plan to retire no later than Dec. 31, 2013.

Under Melanson’s leadership, the Library has seen tremendous growth and innovation including the migration from a paper-based card catalog to a digital catalog, a major facilities expansion that added the third floor, and much more.

“We have built a library that is responsive to and reflects the needs of this community for information, education and entertainment,” Melanson said.

Free mammograms

The Central Florida Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure has awarded a $50,000 grant to Health Care Center for the Homeless to provide free mammograms to patients from Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties. The grant from Komen for the Cure will support the Femmes de Coeur Mammography Program, an initiative to ensure that homeless patients and uninsured patients have access to regular screenings. Visit hcch.org

Send submissions to [email protected]