Maitland City Talk

Maitland continues its commitment to our families by providing quality, fun, and exciting events throughout the year. This week was no exception.

Movie in the Park

The Karate Kid originally aired in 1984 — the year I graduated from college. The remake of the movie, Karate Kid, debuted for the first time in Maitland at Quinn Strong Park on Saturday, Oct. 9. Movies in the park are becoming a must-attend event for many families in Maitland as hundreds of families enjoyed this fun, action-packed adventure film. The movie was shown on a huge, 35-foot screen in high definition stereo. Kids played in the field for hours during and after the movie and other family members had a great time. Best of all, the movie was provided at no cost, helping provide family entertainment during challenging economic times.

Maitland Art and History Auction

For over a decade, the Maitland Historical Society had organized a benefit auction in order to offset total monies provided by the City of Maitland. This past year was significant in that it was the first where the new Maitland Art and History Association would put on the event. There was some concern during the merger process that these types of events would not draw enough attention to meet the needs of a combined entity, but the doubters were proved wrong in that this event was absolutely the most successful ever! Groovy in the Grove, as it was dubbed, raised more money than ever while providing entertainment and great deals for all. This year’s event was especially memorable in that it honored the past accomplishments of Senator Paula Hawkins.

A new Maitland City Hall is coming!

With firefighters and emergency service personnel expected to move into new, temporary digs in December, Maitland will break ground shortly thereafter on a new fire station at Maitland Avenue and Packwood. More exciting news includes Maitland putting the finishing touches on the design of the new city hall, which will be the fire station’s next-door neighbor at the corner of Independence and Packwood. Groundbreaking for the new city hall is expected to come in the first quarter of 2011. The exciting, new design and rendering may be viewed at Maitland’s current city hall, located at 1776 Independence Lane.

Library courtyard gets a facelift

Members of Maitland’s Interim Improvement Committee (IIC), headed by Councilwoman Bev Reponen, worked hard this past Saturday to provide a much-needed facelift to the Maitland Library’s courtyard. New plants were provided by residents and the city. The new plantings will provide additional space for more seating. We put the new director of the library, Ellen Schellhause, right to work and a special surprise was uncovered in the form of an antique fountain, previously hidden by underbrush. Many thanks to all who participated, including our very own Brian Dierks. If you are interested in volunteering on the IIC, please contact Councilwoman Reponen at [email protected].

You and your family won’t want to miss the following upcoming events in Maitland:

Nov. 6: Movie in the Park, ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, Quinn Strong Park, 6 p.m.

Nov. 15: The Taste of Maitland, Lake Lily Park, 5:30 p.m.

Dec. 4: Season of Light, Lake Lily Park, 5 p.m.