Winter Park Chain of Lakes book wins award

Florida high school students from Oak Ridge High and Apopka High School are collaborating with Rollins College undergraduate students on cutting-edge scientific research. As part of Rollins’ Student-Faculty Collaborative Scholarship Program, Visiting Associate Professor of Chemistry Luis Martinez is overseeing innovative and challenging research projects being conducted by Rollins students Jaciel Ferrera and Diana Cox, who are both chemistry majors.

Collaborating with them are two high school students from the Rollins Upward Bound Program, a pre-collegiate program designed to reinforce academic preparation and success for low-income or first-generation college aspirants. Pictured, Oak Ridge High School junior John Ducilon is assisting Ferrera with synthesizing a prescription drug (metformin) with a fluorescent label that will be traceable in microscopy experiments to track where the drug is acting on the cellular level.

Cox and Marjory Delva, a senior at Apopka High School, are also attempting something that’s never been done before. They are identifying a new catalyst for a chemical reaction that can be used for the synthesis of a number of bioactive compounds.

Chain of Lakes book wins award

At the annual Printing Industry Association of the South (PIAS) conference in Destin, Fla., McQuiddy, a print and marketing solutions company in Nashville, Tenn., was presented with a Best of Category for Soft Cover Books award for its work with the Winter Park Chain of Lakes book, a piece by Elaine Sullivan.

Elaine Sullivan grew up in Winter Park and owns a condo there with her husband where she enjoys the lakes frequently. She worked with David McQuiddy to put together a book that incorporated the history of the hotels and homes and the importance of the lakes to Winter Park.

She is currently working on another book about Winter Park. The book can be purchased in Winter Park at various stores and museums, including Interiors, Millers, The Winter Park Historical Museum and the Morse Museum.

You’re no dummy — vote!

Comedian/ventriloquist Ed Thomas of Altamonte Springs and his dummy partner, Hugo, are performing shows with the message to get out and vote. Thomas said, “This was Hugo’s idea. He was upset that he couldn’t vote because he is a dummy, so he wants to be sure that everyone who is not a dummy votes.” Thomas believes if you don’t vote, you don’t have a right to complain about politics. Hugo agrees, which makes this the only thing that Thomas and Hugo have ever agreed on. Visit edthomasandhugo.com or call 407-332-7233.

Doyle makes dean’s list

William Doyle, class of 2015, of Winter Park, was among more than 750 students from Union College who made the annual dean’s list. Doyle, a computer engineering major, is a 2011 graduate of Lyman High School.

Feeding children in summer months

Goodwill Industries of Central Florida recently collected more than 6,500 pounds of food during its “Fill the Need” food drive with Second Harvest Food Bank. Residents were encouraged to drop off non-perishable food items, along with their Goodwill donations, to support Second Harvest’s “Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope” campaign, which helps feed children while school is out during the summer months. To find the nearest retail center, please visit goodwillcfl.org

Bowl-A-Thon raises $800K

Junior Achievement of Central Florida (JA) recently completed its 29th annual Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser. More than 8,500 employees from nearly 145 local companies were able to raise nearly $800,000 to help JA provide practical economic programs to 30,000 students in Central Florida. If your company is interested in participating in next year’s Bowl-A-Thon, call 407-898-2121, ext. 18.

Morse season preview

In its 2012–2013 season, the Morse Museum draws from new acquisitions as well as its permanent collection to provide further perspective on the art of the fin de siècle and deeper insights into the Museum’s collecting activities. Highlights include a focus exhibition on a recent gift, an Orientalist painting by Lockwood de Forest; a special show celebrating the mesmerizing “line” of Art Nouveau objects; and a vignette on the art of fountain pens. The following are new exhibitions from the Morse collection and public events scheduled for the upcoming season:


Focus Exhibition: Lockwood de Forest’s The Wreck, opens Oct. 23

Secrets of Tiffany Glassmaking, opens Oct. 23

Vignette: New Acquisitions, Oct. 23, 2012–Jan. 6

Art Nouveau from the Morse Collection, opens Feb. 12

Vignette: The Art of Fountain Pens, Feb. 12–Oct. 6

Arts are economic engine

New research released on June 8 by American for the Arts indicates that the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $264 million in annual economic activity in the seven-county Central Florida region. According to the Arts & Economic Prosperity IV (AEPIV) national economic impact study, local arts and culture also supports 8,966 full-time-equivalent jobs, and generates $36 million in local and state government revenues. For more information about this project, as well as breakout reports for select participating counties and cities, please visit http://tinyurl.com/UAresearch.

Volunteer at Center for Independent Living

The Center for Independent Living (CIL) — a Winter Park-based nonprofit dedicated solely to helping individuals with disabilities and seniors achieve independence — is offering several volunteer opportunities for students and individuals seeking office experience, earning college credit or simply looking to help others. With the end of summer sneaking up on us, many students may still be looking to volunteer in the community. Services CIL offer include housing assistance, employment, mental health counseling, deaf services and aging in place. For more information, visit cilorlando.org

Volunteer opportunities for tour guides

Orange County Regional History Center, 
 65 E. Central Blvd., has volunteer opportunities for school group docents (tour guides). After a period of mandatory training, shadowing and classroom instruction, docents are responsible for taking school groups on tours of the History Center. Call 407-836-8523 for more information.

Apply for college scholarship

The Women’s Executive Council (WEC) is accepting scholarship applications for women attending Rollins College, University of Central Florida, Valencia College and Seminole State College. Ten recipients will be awarded $1,500 scholarships on Sept. 28. The event is at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Orlando. Visit wecOrlando.com

Winter Park families can apply to host international students

Ayusa is looking for American families in the Winter Park area interested in hosting international high school students for the 2012-2013 school year. Visit ayusa.org or contact Ellen Barr at 407-310-8330.

Road to Recovery program looking for volunteers

The American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program is currently recruiting volunteers to drive local cancer patients to and from their chemotherapy and radiation treatments in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. For more information, contact your local American Cancer Society office at 1-877-901-2862. If you are a cancer patient seeking more information about the Road to Recovery program, call 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org

Schools in Orange and Seminole counties need volunteers

Junior Achievement (JA) of Central Florida needs volunteers for the upcoming fall semester to teach JA classes in Orange and Seminole county elementary, middle and high schools. Training is held monthly at Junior Achievement’s office at 2121 Camden Road. For more information, contact Rachel Whitmire at 407-898-2121, ext. 30, or [email protected]

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