OSCEOLA NEWS-GAZETTE • County’S Population Hits 268,685
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50 CENTS 112TH YEAR • THURSDAY EDITION MARCH 24, 2011 The Battle at Nar- coossee Mill will be re- enacted Saturday and Sunday at Ralph V. Chisholm County Park. OSCEOLA NEWS-GAZETTE www.aroundosceola.com • www.holaosceola.com County’s population hits 268,685 By Fallan Patterson increase, with the population rising “There was nothing unexpected, at overnight increase we’ve seen in the Osceola County only about 12,000 residents in the last least to me, in the Census data,” Swan last 10 years,” he said. Staff Writer 10 years. According to Census num- said. “I think our population is going to In just 10 years, Osceola County’s The state’s population now stands County in the 1990s while he served bers, the city had 59,682 residents in remain relatively stable until the job at 18.8 million, an increase of 3.4 mil- population rose by nearly 100,000 on the Osceola County School Board. 2010. market improves and folks acquire lion residents compared to 2000. residents, from 172,493 in 2000 to “I don’t think it’s out of line,” he Kissimmee Mayor Jim Swan said some of the vacant homes.” 268,685 last year, according to Housing crash said. “With the amount of housing he was not surprised by the data as While Kissimmee is now the second According to RealtyTrac, a national 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data construction (in the past 10 years), that municipalities are kept abreast of pop- largest city in Orange, Osceola and released March 17. foreclosure database, one in 472 seems about right.” ulation estimates through annual mon- Seminole counties, Swan said the housing units in Osceola County County Commissioner Michael In St. Cloud, the population jumped itoring done by the University of Flori- county did not have as many residents received a foreclosure filing in Febru- Harford wasn’t surprised by the by 15,000 in 10 years, from 20,074 da. Population estimates are moni- as Kissimmee now has when he ary and there are 281,401 foreclosed increase, saying significant population in 2000 to 35,183 residents in 2010. tored by UF because elected officials’ moved to the area in the 1970s. gains were seen already in Osceola Kissimmee saw a slightly smaller compensation is based on population. “I think we’ll never see the virtually See Census, page A-5 New foster care agency Learning the ropes coming aboard April 1 By Fallan Patterson Cooper stressed that Family Services did not lose its contract; the 39-month contract Staff Writer The child-welfare system, including fos- was set to expire in December and by state ter children and social workers, in Osceola law, DCF must open the bidding process and Orange counties will soon be managed and look at new proposals. Three agencies by a new lead agency. submitted proposals for the contract, Last October, the Florida Department of including an out-of-state agency, and the Children and Families (DCF) announced vote came down to Community Based that Community Based Care of Central Care and Family Services. Florida, based in Seminole Community Based Care was unani- County, would take over mously awarded the contract, worth $215 April 1 for Family Services million over four years, by a 12-person of Metro Orlando, which independent panel, handpicked by Cooper, had the lead agency state in October. contract for eight years. Greg Kurth, CEO of Family Services, “We’re very excited. I said in an e-mail that he expects Commu- really feel like the horse at nity Based Care to continue with the the gate,” Glen Casel, “record of success” that Family Services president and CEO of the Casel had in Central Florida. new lead agency, said. “I really think we’re “We tripled the number of Osceola going to hit the ground running.” County foster homes while reducing by John Cooper, DCF’s central region one-third the number of children needing director over 16 counties, said the lead safe shelter in those homes,” Kurth wrote. agency holds “primarily an administrative “We created many significant groundbreak- function” and that Community Based Care ing value-added partnerships to serve chil- “will be held to the same high standards” dren in their homes, their schools and that Family Services was. wherever they may be.” “I’m excited about the model and struc- Joseph Durso, vice president of com- ture they bring,” Cooper said. munity relations for the new lead agency, Not everyone is excited about the stated that Family Services lost its contract switch. due to being “on pace to overspend its News-Gazette Photo/Andrew Sullivan “Due to the loss of our contract, we will budget by $3 million” in 2011. Eight-year-old Zachary Ringer, of Kissimmee, learns from Katheryn Hall, at right, how rope become a company with a bold and com- Cooper said the deficiency was closer to was made in earlier days using a hand crank device that spun single strands of twine. Hall pelling mission but no money or mandate $1 million but that Family Services report- was one of several exhibitors at Saturday's Kowtown Festival. The annual event, held at to carry it out,” Bart Mawoussi, Family Ser- ed a $3 million surplus for the last two Toho Square in downtown Kissimmee, features a meatloaf cook-off and a hot dog-eating vice’s director of communications, wrote in years. contest, as well as food and craft vendors. an e-mail. See Lead agency, page A-2 Kissimmee agency has new office and museum By Brian McBride detail was absolutely amazing.” So much so that the agency Associate Editor Kissimmee The Kissimmee Community submitted the final product to Redevelopment Agency doors to the public March 17 to compete in the Florida Trust for unveiled its new office and offer a glimpse of the finished Historic Preservation’s restora- tion contest and is awaiting final museum to the public March project. The grand opening drew a crowd that wanted to see results. 17, a refurbished historic home history come to life. But when the project started that Manager Gail Hamilton “I think they did a very good five years ago, the house was in hopes will inspire other rehabili- job,” Kissimmee Mayor Jim rough shape. Parts of the roof tation projects and serve as a Swan said. “Anytime you can and porches had been damaged teaching tool for Kissimmee’s retain and restore a historic by Hurricane Charley in 2004. past. building, it’s a good thing.” “I was nervous we wouldn’t The 3,000-square-foot, two- The CRA hired a historic get to do an accurate restoration story Folk-Victorian house at preservation consultant, The because of the damage to the News-Gazette Photo/Kelly Trace 804 Bryan St. in downtown Durable Restoration Company, home,” Hamilton said. Gail Hamilton, director of the Kissimmee Community Redevelopment Agency, explains Kissimmee, called the Bryan a national building restoration But because it was such a what it took to restore the Bryan House – the new home of the agency – back to its orig- House, is a five-year, $1.2 mil- company, which completed the successful project, Hamilton inal state. The project took five years to complete and the first-floor museum in the build- lion project that sits near the job. State grants and money hoped the desire for others in ing is now open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays. Osceola County Courthouse budgeted by the agency funded the area to do renovation work and administration building. the work. would be contagious. One of town area) can come and look “The CRA really wants to set us apart from other commu- The house, built in the early “They literally took every the goals of the agency is to get at what we are doing here and encourage the rebuilding of his- nities.” 1900s, was fully restored from board off the building and people living downtown to take (it will) inspire them,” Hamilton toric homes in the district,” A special feature of the the hardwood floors to the fire- examined it to see if we could advantage of the area’s shops said. Hamilton said. “As the CRA, agency’s new building is the places. The new agency office, use it and put it back as it was and restaurants. The agency has several dif- we look at what makes Kissim- first-floor museum. Visitors can which moved from a site on 100 years ago,” Hamilton said. “My hope is that people who ferent grants it can offer to help mee unique. Our historical Monument Avenue, opened its “Their painstaking attention to have an old home (in the down- restore homes. assets are one of the things that See CRA office, page A-3 Inside Homefinder Sports News for you Classifieds . C-4 Andrew Downard Osceola High Around Kissim- Community . B-3 will be at the Cen- wins Orange mee, Around St. Homefinder . C-1 tral Florida Home Belt Confer- Cloud and sur- Legals . C-7 rounding areas Opinion . A-4 & Garden Show set ence softball Police news . A-2 for April 15-17. champi- featured in zoned Sports . A-6 onship. editions. Page C-1 Page A-6 Section B Page A2, NEWS-GAZETTE • Online All The Time • www.aroundosceola.com • Thursday, March 24, 2011 Police news Lead agency car located two pounds of marijuana. The victim stated that on Feb. 26 she Continued from page A-1 After further investigation, deputies had been alerted by her bank about Kurth defended his agency, outlining “Osceola County has been pretty signif- were able to obtain a search warrant suspicious activity on her account.