If you live in Celebration, there may be a kind of “time bomb” ready to go off in your house at any moment.  Thanks goes to a dozen or so residents who have called our attention to it, including Dennis Kennen (who started a thread on the Front Porch last month) and to Rick Amick (who posted a thorough explanation and warning).  The problem is sudden and unexpected water leaks inside the house.  The root cause: water pressure delivered to our homes that significantly exceeds County and Uniform Plumbing Codes, coupled with the omission by Celebration builders to install simple pressure relief valves.  

Just ask residents such a Thomas Muery, Renato Texiara, and William Abendschein.  All had expensive repairs totaling thousands of dollars.

The solution is relatively simple: a pressure relief valve installed in the water line just before it enters the home.

I just had one installed in my house in East Village, after I learned of the danger by reading the Front Porch thread started by Kennen.  Suddenly, recent incidents nearby suddenly became clear.  Earlier this year, my immediate neighbor suffered extensive water damage to the entire first floor of his house.  Three months later, his neighbor had a water pipe burst, flooding half his house and ruining the carpet.  A few blocks away, a friend had a burst water line just a week ago.  The next day I had a mysterious trickle of water form under our washing machine.

Kevin the Plumber verified my fear.  The pressure was about 120 psi, far exceeding the recommended maximum of about 80 psi.   In a bit over an hour, Kevin installed a pressure relief valve, his second such installation that day.  The water pressure time bomb has stopped ticking at my house.

But that raises an interesting issue.  Should not some public organization (such as the County, CCDD, or CROA) be warning residents of this danger?  Do the builders have an ethical responsibility to warn all the homeowners?  What about real estate agents who sell houses to unsuspecting buyers? 

Based on the talk around town, the attitude seems to be Caveat Emptor … Let the Buyer Beware.  The Water Department, CCDD, The Celebration Company, builders, and real estate agents all seem to be pointing their fingers either at the others or at the home owners themselves.

Thus it falls to the Fourth Estate (a term coined by Edmund Burke, meaning “the Press”). 

We urge you not to procrastinate.  Test your water pressure with a simple pressure gauge available at Lowe’s, Home Depot, or a good hardware store.  If it exceeds roughly 85 psi, buy and install a pressure relief valve.  Or call a reliable plumber like Kevin (their repair costs reportedly vary between $150 and $250, depending on the size of house and other factors).

Even if the water lines in your house have held until now, the excessive pressure month after month may eventually produce a weak point, causing what could be inconvenience (at best) and catastrophic, expensive damage (at worst).

Just because our public servants haven’t waived a red flag, it doesn’t mean there isn’t danger.  Just ask the residents with posts on the Front Porch, category “Place& Community.”

Originally posted 2010-02-07 13:03:52.

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Gatorland in Orlando combines the wonders of nature and the thrill of exhibits and entertainment. Come see Gatorland’s alligator wrestling show and take in the nature sites from one of the many observation towers. Don’t miss the Gator Jumparoo Show and witness gators jump over five feet for their dinner! Perfect for the whole family, Gatorland is located on Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, Florida.

Gatorland
14501 S. Orange Blossom Tr.
Orlando, FL 32837
407-855-5496

Originally posted 2009-12-03 10:40:51.

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Orlando is the premier vacation spot for families. The most challenging aspect of the vacation is how to get to and from the airport to the hotel and to all of the fantastic tourists destinations in Central Florida. Magic Ride Transportation provides families with comfortable transportation without the high costs of taxis or rental cars. For less than the cost of a taxi, families can ride in luxury town cars or SUVs.

“We are hassle-free and on time,” said owner Vinny Fonseca. “We have no extra fees. Once we give them the price everything is included except the driver’s gratuity and that is up to the client.”

Reservations can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week online. However, if someone needs to be picked up within two hours, reservations must be made by phone.

Once your reservation is made, families can enjoy your vacation with no worries. A chauffeur waits at the baggage claim with a sign with the person’s name. The chauffeur not only helps with the baggage but is also prepared to take the person wherever they need to go quickly. And if you flight is late—no problem. The company has flight trackers and does not charge if a flight arrives late or early. They will be there waiting on the customer.

“We have GPS technology and our chauffeurs are very knowledgeable so we not only pick you up on time but we know how to get you to where you are going on time,” Fonseca said. “All our chauffeurs are bi-lingual and can help the customers with any questions they have.”

For families who want to save money on food, the chauffeur will make a 30-minute grocery stop for no additional charge.

“A cab will keep the meter running and that will cost a lot of money,” Fonseca said.  “The families can also save money by getting snacks cheaper than they could purchase them at the hotel.”

And for families with small children, lugging a cumbersome car seat on the plane is a hassle. Magic Ride Transportation provides car seats for families at no additional charge.

Car seats, grocery stops and helpful chauffeurs are all about making the customer happy, Fonseca said.

“Customer satisfaction is our number one goal,” Fonseca said.

To learn more about the company visit www.magicridetransportation.com. For a limited time, the company is offering a free upgrade from a town car to a luxury SUV.

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Located in Celebration, Florida, the Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement (NCSA) was recently awarded $4.2 million by the federal government as part of the 2009 federal stimulus program.  The project was one of two earmarks requested by Congressman Allan Grayson that would have directly affected Celebration.  The House Appropriations Committee rejected the other, $750,000 requested to upgrade the planned Celebration library.

The Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement, located at Florida Hospital Celebration Health, develops and disseminates cutting edge surgical knowledge and techniques through state-of-the-art teleconferencing technology.  Participants perform minimally invasive surgical procedures at one of nine state-of-the-art endoscopically equipped stations, mastering invasive surgical skills.

The money will pay for the training of doctors and the development of robotic surgery techniques.  The money will create dozens of new high-paying jobs.  A primary goal of the project is to save the lives of U.S. troops in the field.  The directed spending (earmark) will come from the Department of Defense and is the largest single award in the 8th Congressional District for 2010.   

Doctors will eventually be able to use the technology to perform life-saving operations on troops in the field, long before they can get to a hospital, performed remotely by surgeons that might be located anywhere in the world.  The funding will lead to the direct creation of at least 50 high-tech jobs over a five-year period here.  The workers will make an average of $55,000 a year.

The award will help establish a new “Global Center of Excellence in Medical Robotics and Simulation,” which will be housed at the NCSA.

“It is our vision to expand the reach of the Nicholson Center and this grant will help us make this goal a reality,” said Lars Houmann, president and CEO of Florida Hospital. “The support of the local community and lawmakers has provided us with assistance that allows Orlando to continue on its path of becoming a medical destination.”

“It is so important that physicians have access to a training facility that advances the understanding of robotic and simulation technologies,” said Dr. Monica Reed, administrator of Florida Hospital Celebration Health. “Florida Hospital Celebration Health is so fortunate to house this outstanding facility where physicians from all over the world will have the opportunity to further improve their skills in robotic surgery.”

In a press conference following the announcement of the award, Congressman Grayson admitted that the award was an earmark that apparently did not have to pass much Congressional scrutiny, but defended it on the basis of 1) earmarks are such a relatively small percentage of congressional spending, 2) because it represented defense department spending that would ordinarily go to traditional defense contractors located outside the district, and 3) because it will be used to save lives of combat soldiers in the field.

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The annual Celebration Games, a kind of friendly Olympics among the residents of Celebration, have been rescheduled.  Originally slated for the traditional third and fourth weekends in February, they are now scheduled for the first two weekends in November.  The postponement avoids an overlap with the Celebration K-8 School Artrageous event that will benefit the School’s Tech-up Program.  When the Games finally occur in November, they will include three new events: kickball, Wii tournament, and Bocce.  In contrast to the regular international Olympics, all age residents will be able to participate in many of the events. 

Last February, a record number of Celebration participants turned out for the annual town event.  In spite of busy schedules of work, school, children, and other civic events, hundreds of spirited residents of all ages participated in the sometimes-chilly, early-morning air to have fun together competing for bragging rights among the town villages.  For the second year in a row, the Western District, comprised of Celebration Main Village, West Village, and Lake Evelyn, captured the most points.

Robin Malatino, one of the main organizers of the Games since they were initiated in 2007, credited the hard work of the District captains, plus ongoing expansion of the Games to more activities and all age groups.  “The first year involved only adults,” she said.  “During the second year we added board games for which children were eligible.  Last year we added some new activities, including croquet, women’s basketball, and a talent show.”

The talent show was particularly a huge success by any measure.  Emceed by Celebration resident DJ and entertainment extraordinaire Joe Magic, the two hour show featured twenty-one acts that included dancing, singing, gymnastics, cheerleading, musical instruments, comedy, and even karate. It was an opportunity for residents of all ages, children, teens, and adults to demonstrate the breadth of talent here in Celebration. The Celebration K-8 School Gymnasium bleachers were filled to overflowing as residents enthusiastically applauded their appreciation, while the judges (Jacqueline Hazen of the Central Florida Talent Agency, Michelle Bastone of Radio Disney, and former child star and current talent agent Stephanie Brown) carefully marked their score sheets. 

With the popularity of video games in our culture today, it was not surprising that “arcade wars” was also an added event last year and were held at the Family Fun Station on Front Street.  It may not be recognized by the International Olympic Committee (at least not yet), but admittedly video games do require a great deal of eye-hand coordination, as well as mental acuity and fast reaction time.  Most importantly, the event had been one more way of including more residents in the Games, not to mention giving children and teens an opportunity to easily best their parents.   This year arcade wars will be replaced by the Wii competition.

Again this year the various villages of Celebration will be organized into four Districts that will compete against one another: East District Pirates (East Village, Roseville Corner, Condo Terraces, and Aquila Reserve), North District  Knights (North Village, Georgetown Condos, and Acadias), Western District Alleycats (Celebration Main Village, West Village, Lake Evalyn, and The Downtown Condos), and South District Leprechauns (South Village, and Artisan Park Homes and Condos).

Residents interested in learning more should go to www.celebrationgames.org.

Originally posted 2010-02-06 11:40:22.

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Screaming teenage girls strain the reach Justin Bieber as he sings favorites from his newest album My World at the December 19 concert held in the Town Center in Celebration, Florida.

Celebration Town Center became an entertainment happening on a recent Saturday night with the appearance of teen-age phenom Justin Bieber (aka “JB”) at the annual Radio Disney Holiday Concert.   JB was joined by Jasmine, another 15-year old singer, who had recently been named winner of a competition that earned her a spot on the venue.

Crowd estimates ranged from 24-35,000 fans, who jammed Market and Front Streets to watch first Jasmine and then JB perform their latest hits. Many fans drove from as far away as Georgia to attend the event, and we talked with other avid JB fans who flew in from Colorado and Los Angeles.  For Celebration Town Center, the size of the audience was second only to the appearance last year by Hootie and the Blowfish.

Being a largely teenage audience, the cheers and screaming were often deafening.  Fans near the stage strained to reach out and touch JB’s hand when he occasionally approached the edge during his performance.  Those few that did may not have washed their hands for some time.

Thanks to the restraint by the fans and with the help of deputies from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Department, the concert was safe with virtually no injuries.  No less than eight Sheriff’s Deputy cars were spotted nearby just before the concert began.

In this reporter’s exclusive interview with JB prior to the concert, he revealed that he keeps up with school studies with the help of a tutor who travels with him.  His favorite subject is writing.  His favorite sport is Hockey, not surprising for a native Canadian who grew up and still resides in Stratford, Ontario.  His Christmas present wish?  A Segway.  (No word as to whether he actually got his wish gift or not.)

JB recently released the first part of a two-part album My World; the second part is due to be released soon. He is the only artist in Billboard history to have four singles from a debut album appear in the Top 40 of the Hot 100 before the album’s release.  Those four included One Time, One Less Lonely Girl, Love Me, and Favorite Girl.

Also appearing onstage was another 15-year old singer named Jasmine, who the week before had been named winner of Radio Disney’s “Next Big Thing” competition.  A Nashville native, Jasmine had just arrived from Los Angeles where she recorded an acoustic performance and appeared onstage with Justin Bieber at a Citadel Concert. Her singles Make a Movie and Nothing Left Said are already hits.  Jasmine is home schooled and particularly enjoys American History and Language Arts.  Her Christmas gift wish list?  Clothes, make-up, and another hamster.

Predictably, the crowds resulted in the usual traffic gridlock through town, especially after the concert, causing some irate comments by residents on the Town’s Front Porch website.  But Lexin Celebration Property Manager Gillian Walker was both pleased and relieved after the concert.  “These sorts of events really help the business owners here in Celebration both short and long term,” she commented.  “Their viability is important to the vibrancy of the community.”

Originally posted 2009-12-23 13:50:43.

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The Casa di Bella boutique in Celebration provides Central Florida brides with the experience they dream of their whole life. In addition to a wide selection of wedding dresses and tuxes from numerous designers, Casa di Bella offers unparalleled customer service, catering to each bride’s every whim. The team at Casa di Bella understands that a wedding is a woman’s biggest day in the start of her new life and will do everything in their power to ensure each bride the magical experience she deserves.

Casa di Bella also carries a wide selection of tuxedos, suits, evening wear, shoes, and accessories. Whether you are shopping for Prom or your daughter’s Sweet Sixteen, Casa di Bella has everything you need. Casa di Bella even gives back to the community; a portion of the proceeds from each tux rented is donated to Celebration High School!

When planning your wedding or dressing for your next special event, visit Casa di Bella and receive the experience you deserve. Casa di Bella is located in Celebration, Florida, just minutes from Disney World.

Casa di Bella
613 Celebration Ave.
Celebration, FL 34747
407.566.9198

www.contact@casadibellacelebration.com

Originally posted 2009-10-27 12:01:56.

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Enjoy all the beauty that Central Florida has to offer while living in this gated community located just minutes from Orlando’s major theme parks and 30 minutes from Orlando International Airport.  Walk the footsteps of great golf legends at the unparalleled Reunion Resort.  These championship golf courses are designed by golf legends Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer. 

This Florida golf resort and community offers a wide variety of everyday activities and entertainment such as spas, boutiques, a 5-acre water park, state-of-the-art fitness center, personal concierge services and the ANNIKA Academy, just to name a few.

Let Seth Flaugher and his team will assist you on your journey toward attaining the luxury life you’ve always wanted.  Seth Flaugher has been actively involved in the real estate market for five years whilst specializing in upscale resort golf communities such as Reunion.  Additionally, Seth and his team specialize in vacation homes, new home construction, and bank owned/REO properties.  Not only is Seth a member of the Florida Association of Realtors and the Orlando Realtor Association, he is renowned as one of the leading local experts in the area of property and club operations and is well prepared to diligently assist both buyers and sellers in their real estate endeavors throughout the greater Orlando area. 
 
For more information on Reunion Real Estate properties, visit www.homes-for-sale-reunion.com or email Seth at seth@reunionsalesteam.com.

Reunion Sales Team
910 Bleak Street
Celebration, Fl   34747
407-375-4566

Originally posted 2009-10-27 12:37:29.

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CNA Kwik Track Orlando – CNA Kwik Track

 Are you considering a career as a CNA? It’s no secret that America is aging.  Healthcare workers in Florida are in demand now more than ever!

At CNA Kwik Track, you will learn all the skills necessary to become a CNA in just one week!  CNA Kwik Track is a local CNA training facility in Orlando that offers a quality CNA training program like no other. This program specializes in hands-on training, allowing each student to practice the skills needed to pass the Florida State CNA exam.  CNA Kwik Track in Orlando has competent instructors and helpful staff to assist you with the process of becoming a certified nurse’s assistant in Florida.  Additionally, CNA Kwik Track offers AED training and CPR training and renewal classes. 

If would like to learn more about becoming a CNA, visit www.cna-training-orlando.com.  Make your reservation today at http://www.cna-training-orlando.com/class-reservation or call (407) 209-6478.  New classes start every week but fill up fast, so don’t delay! Begin your new career as a CNA today!

CNA Kwik Track
3599 W Lake Mary Blvd, Suite 1C
Lake Mary, FL    32746
407-209-6478
407-402-5823

Originally posted 2009-10-31 06:30:27.

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