Community Bulletin and Business Briefs

Community Bulletin

Architect Jack Scott of Winter Park Design has completed the design of the 2010 Home at Last House, a special project of West Orange Habitat for Humanity that builds mortgage-free homes for disabled veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Designed to meet the needs of this year's recipient, Sgt. Maj. Patrick Corcoran, the one-level home is entirely handicapped accessible. Visit www.habitathomeatlast.org for details.

From Sept. 1-30, more than 60 of the best restaurants around town will offer three-course dinners at a pre-fixed price of $30. This is an opportunity for people to save money while trying some of the most upscale restaurants in the area such as The Ravenous Pig, Emeril's Tchoup Chop, The Capital Grille and Norman's. For more information, visit artsandculturalalliance.org.

Whole Foods Market and the nation's "Renegade Lunch Lady," Chef Ann Cooper, have joined forces for a second year to raise awareness on healthier school food through a project that will fund 300 salad bars for public schools across the country. Through Sept. 29, shoppers can donate during checkout or online at saladbarproject.org.

It wasn't your typical Santa's sleigh, but a 2010 Honda Pilot delivered new clothes, backpacks and soaps to children at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. It was part of Holler Honda's Christmas in July collection, benefitting 65 children in kindergarten through 12th grade with gifts including a new back-to-school outfit bought especially for each child.

Crealde School of Art culminates its popular summer ArtCamp program with a youth art exhibition at the school through Sept. 25 featuring works of young talented artists. ArtCamp is designed as an experience for children ages 5-12 to develop their competency in the visual arts while working in a stimulating, non-competitive environment.

To celebrate Rollins' 125th Anniversary and to honor Winter Park's historic relationship with the college, the inaugural Winter Park-Rollins Community Recognition Awards has been developed. The purpose is to recognize the outstanding individual efforts that sustain and nourish the "town-gown" partnership. Winter Park employees and residents and Rollins staff, faculty and students are eligible. Visit www.rollins.edu/125 for more information.

"The Arts Matter" is more than a slogan to the United Arts of Central Florida, which recently launched www.TheArtsMatter.com, as an outlet for art enthusiasts, donors, artists and art lovers to share their personal experiences, memories and emotions connected with the arts.

Karen Dee, president and CEO of Fifth Third Bank (Central and North Florida), was recently recognized by the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council as one of the "2010 Women of Distinction." Winner in the business category, Dee was one of nine recipients honored.

If you are an Orange County Utilities customer who uses at least 15,000 gallons of water per month, you may be eligible for a free irrigation audit. Participants will receive a complete audit of their in-ground irrigation system from a certified specialist. Call 407-254-9850, (select option 1, then option 2) to see if you qualify and to schedule an appointment.

Business Briefs

Attorney Meredith Level, a partner with Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, P.A., was nominated for a 2010 Women of Distinction Award during the 13th Annual Women of Distinction Gala.

Victor Farina, president of Farina and Sons Inc., a 60-year-old Central Florida remodeling company, received the distinction as the most recent "Builder of the Year" by the Master Custom Builders Council.

Orlando-based CPA firms Averett Warmus Durkee and Osburn, and Henning and Company recently merged their practices. The merged entity now has about 100 employees and provides assurance, tax and consulting services to clients throughout Florida.

Peterbrooke is expanding its recipes to include four gourmet coffee products — Chocolate Hazelnut, Chocolate Raspberry Mocha, Milk Chocolate and a Premium Roast — created to capture the appetites of its customers and a growing market. For more information, visit www.peterbrooke.com or call 904-483-5302.

The Central Florida office of SIKON Construction, Maitland, completed Regency Centers' new $4 million Publix-anchored Seminole Shoppes retail center in Neptune Beach in Duval County.

The 2011 edition of the Best Lawyers in America includes four lawyers from Floridian Intellectual Property Law Firm Allen, Dyer, Doppelt, Milbrath & Gilchrist, PA — Herbert L. Allen, Ava K. Doppelt, Stephen D. Milbrath and Brian R. Gilchrist.

Thanks to a $110,000 Museums for America grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Orlando Science Center will begin work on several key initiatives of its new strategic plan. These efforts will inform and support efforts to completely revitalize all the exhibit areas within the Science Center by 2015.

Florida's first cutting-edge Chinese medicine clinic, the Florida Natural Healing Clinic, has opened at 1355 N. Orange Ave., in Winter Park. The clinic offers hope to patients with chronic pain, using advanced I-CHING Acupuncture/Tai Chi Lue Ho Treatments.