Give Kids the World Celebrates 25 Years Remembering
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50 CENTS 112TH YEAR • SATURDAY EDITION MAY 21, 2011 For the May Journal of Osceola County Business, see page B-1. The focus this month is on businesses that cater to the home and garden. OOSCEOLASCEOLA NNEWSEWS-G-GAZETTEAZETTE www.aroundosceola.com • www.holaosceola.com News-Gazette Photo/Fallan Patterson Give Kids The World Give Kids The World founder Henri Landwirth, center, receives help from Alyssa celebrates 25 years Pietruszka, 13, left, whose kid- By Fallan Patterson GKTW founder Henri Landwirth, accommodate another 70,000 ney cancer has 84, said. “Looking back, I never stars, was built. been in remis- Staff Writer thought it would grow as it has Dreams will always come true Ari Cohen was one of the last sion since her today.” as long as Give Kids The World is children to place his star in the After serving more than fist visit to the operating. Castle of Miracles. organization at 107,000 children from all 50 “When you walk in there, you Given the expansions unveiled states and 72 countries, the orga- age 3, to officially at the Kissimmee-based organiza- can feel (the children’s) soul and open the Gallery nization’s Castle of Miracles, where spirits,” Leah Cohen, Ari’s mother, tion’s 25th anniversary celebration of Hope visitor every ill child makes a wish and said. April 14, children with life-threat- places a star with their name on it center during the Not expected to live past his first ening illnesses will see their dreams on the ceiling, had filled up. To birthday due to a rare chromoso- charity’s 25th become reality for years to come. continue offering this activity, the anniversary cele- “I never expected to see this,” brand-new Star Tower, which can See Celebrate, page A-3 bration. Osceola County School Board Commission Remembering Expulsion defends grant hearing flap spending plan By Marvin G. Cortner ongoing at Editor Osceola County commissioners Mon- day found themselves defending their recently advertised 2011 action plan set- School Board ting out how the county would use its annual allocation of federal Community By Fallan Patterson Development Block Grant money. Staff Writer Claire Dempster, a Buenaventura For years, Osceola County School Board member Lakes resident and community activist, Jay Wheeler has refused to attend bi-monthly expul- said the proposal to spend $175,000 to sion hearings and now his peers are crying foul, claim- help build a jobs training facility at 301 ing the hearings are part of his responsibilities as a Buenaventura Blvd. – at the edge of the board member and his failure to attend brings added recently renamed 65th Infantry Veterans stress to them. Park – is misguided. State rules do not require school board members to Dempster, who once ran for the attend expulsion hearings, however, four out of five County Commission, said Osceola County board members say they see the she isn’t opposed to a hearings as part of their duties. training center, only that In order to take action on an Osce- there are other vacant ola County School District expulsion buildings in the communi- case, a three-person quorum of board ty where such a center members is needed. Lately, however, could go and other exist- and due to Wheeler’s absence, the ing training or career pro- other four board members have been grams that could be forced to cancel prior personal or pro- expanded either at their Dempster fessional plans to attend a hearing to current sites or extended to a site in BVL. establish the quorum or waste parents’ Wheeler Money for the proposed training cen- and students’ time when a hearing is cancelled. ter represents only a portion of the over- “It’s shameful one board member out and out refus- all grant, which has not yet been received es to be a part of this team,” Board Member Tom but is expected to total about $1.08 mil- Long said. “By not participating, he’s lion. not upholding the School Board rules. “There already are training facilities in I’m not willing to shirk my responsibil- Osceola County like this, and a lot of ities.” empty buildings on Buenaventura Boule- Expulsions cannot be handled dur- vard,” Dempster said, adding that Com- ing regular public School Board meet- missioner John Quiñones, whose district ings as students’ disciplinary records 2 includes BVL, had not mentioned the are confidential, Kim McKnight, Osce- spending plan in a community meeting ola County School District spokesper- last week. “We were told originally there son, said. Students are referred to by a Long would be retail space at that corner to number and the windows of the boardroom are cov- help cover the costs of the park.” ered to maintain privacy during expulsion hearings. Dempster mentioned that the money Wheeler said his time is better spent “improving the could be used to expand programs at the School District” by cultivating relationships with cur- Osceola County School District’s Techni- rent and potential vendors and industries, attending cal Education Center Osceola, or TECO. News-Gazette Photos/Andrew Sullivan school functions and helping to implement programs Career programs there include: architec- Officers with the Kissimmee such as the middle school Talent Identification Pro- ture and construction; arts, audiovisual Police Department gathered gram. The expulsion hearings are held at 1 p.m. on technology and communications; busi- Tuesday afternoon to remember Wednesdays and can last as long as four hours. ness, management and administration; their fellow fallen officers during a “In order to bring in higher academic achievement, health sciences; hospitality and tourism; memorial ceremony at the down- we can’t do things the way we have always done information technology; and transporta- town Kissimmee station. During them,” Wheeler said in an email. “I think I can bring tion, distribution and logistics. the ceremony, Chief Fran Iwanski more to the School District in other activities the other Commission Chairman Brandon unveiled a memorial to KPD's two board members don’t have the wherewithal to do.” Arrington said the block grant money According to Board Member Julius Melendez, could help the county bring mixed uses to officers who died in the line of duty: Patrolman Thomas Wheeler is “missing out” by not attending the hear- an undeveloped site along Buenaventura ings, which, Melendez said, “allows us to engage with Boulevard. Bartholomew on July 18, 1983, students, adjust policy and be there for staff.” “This is an opportunity we are looking and Sergeant Douglas Parsons “Going to expulsion hearings has value to a board at; it may never be a reality,” Arrington on April 27, 1993. Bartholomew member,” he said. “It’s the good, the bad and the ugly said. “And as far as having a training cen- was killed in the line of duty while of the schools.” ter there, that is not a negative.” Parsons suffered a fatal heart attack while on duty. See County, page A-3 See Expulsion hearings, page A-5 Inside Sports Lifestyles Community Classifieds........... D-1 Osceola High Film critic Peter For the latest Community ......... C-4 athletes sign listing of Legals.................. D-4 Covino reviews Lifestyles ............. C-1 scholarships “I Am Number activities and Opinion................ A-4 for baseball Four,” a sci-fi events, see ... Police news ......... A-2 and football. Sports................... A-6 thriller. Page A-6 Page C-1 Page C-4 Page A2, NEWS-GAZETTE • Online All The Time • www.aroundosceola.com • Saturday, May 21, 2011 Local news KUA to host customer gatherings As part of its ongoing customer out- Submitted photo reach, Kissimmee Utility Authority will The Silver host a series of customer informational gatherings this summer. Spurs Riding Utility managers and staff will be Club June 16- available at each meeting to provide 19 will host the information on customer service, cus- National Barrel tomer assistance programs, bill pay- Horse Associa- ment options, service reliability, electric tion Florida rates and energy conservation as well state finals at as tips for hurricane preparedness. the Silver KUA also will have customer service Spurs Arena at Photo/Osceola County Historical Society representatives on hand with laptop Osceola Her- Osceola County Historical Society and Disney Helping Kids computers for those wishing to discuss itage Park in Shine officials recently gathered for a $5,000 check passing individual account issues. Kissimmee. from the Disney group to the society. On hand were: Philip “We realize these are difficult times There is no Jackson, society program coordinator; Tawnie McMorrow, and we hope to bring solutions that will cost to attend help customers manage their energy Shine executive assistant; Rachael Pinkert, Shine grant coor- the event. bills and keep their service on,” Jim dinator; society president Abby Horner; Osceola County Drug Welsh, KUA’s president and general Court Coordinator Michelle Jones; society executive director manager, stated in a press release. “We Donnita Dampier (receiving the check); and Matt Thurson, vow to continue these efforts to bring Silver Spurs to host The association has more than Walt Disney representative, presenting the check. information and assistance options to 23,000 members of all ages across the the communities we serve.” barrel race state finals United States and affiliates in five other The 60-minute meetings will begin June 16-19 countries: Canada, Italy, France, Pana- Historical Society gets at 7 p.m. on the following Tuesdays: The largest barrel race in the nation ma and the Netherlands. Find out more June 14, Lakeside Community Center, will move into its weekend home dur- about barrel racing’s international pres- 2253 Lakeside Drive; June 28, Barney ing the National Barrel Horse Associa- ence at NBHA.com/ibhf.