50 CENTS 112TH YEAR • THURSDAY EDITION SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 For the latest community events, activities and classes, see Community, page B-3 in both Around St. Cloud and Around Kissimmee. OOSCEOLASCEOLA NNEWSEWS-G-GAZETTEAZETTE www.aroundosceola.com • www.holaosceola.com St. Cloud Marina plan set for Hopper A special day hopes to Oct. 17 showdown By Marvin G. Cortner Editor County retain seat 4 The commercial airboat By Fallan Patterson marina proposed for a 4.5-acre tial adverse impact airboat site off Cherokee Road on the Staff Writer tours would have on the endan- After 10 years on the St. eastern shore of Lake gered snail kite, which nests Cloud City Council, seat 4 Tohopekaliga is headed for a and forages on Lake incumbent Mickey Hopper said showdown Oct. 17 at the Tohopekaliga. she feels she isn’t finished serv- evening Osceola County Com- In addition to Passmore’s ing the residents of a town she mission meeting. conditional use, county staff is calls her “passion.” After two previous continu- working on a request for pro- “I love St. Cloud. This is such ances, the commission Monday posal, or RFP, relating to allow- a great place to evening voted 3-1 to set the ing a commercial airboat oper- live, especially date for considering Jim Pass- ation at Partin Triangle Park. to raise a fami- more’s request for a condition- That facility is where Passmore ly,” Hopper, a al use permit to build the mari- launched his airboats prior to a 31-year resi- na on lakeside property he has county ban on all commercial dent, said. “I owned for several years. Pass- airboat use of public boat really love what more needs the permit to oper- ramps and docks that went into I do.” ate his business, Marsh Land- effect in early June. The office ings Adventure, because it is in “We’ve got ourselves two coordinator for Hopper an area zoned residential positions,” Commissioner Stewart Approved Title in St. estates. Michael Harford said. “We’ve Cloud by day, the rest of her County staff had recom- got an RFP that will be coming time is spent in the public vol- mended the matter be contin- out when we (the commission unteering or serving on commit- ued until Dec. 19. The prior prior to the November 2010 tees where she hopes residents two continuances were at Pass- election) voted not to have any will approach her with their more’s request. airboat operations. Obviously, concerns and recommenda- Residents oppose the plan this commission has voted to tions. for two reasons: the noise air- reverse that. This is a zoning “People are frustrated some- boats would generate and the issue; I will not support moving times and I like helping people traffic to and from the marina this to Dec. 19.” work through it,” Hopper said. site. Environmentalists oppose the plan because of the poten- See County, page A-5 See Hopper, page A-5 Trying to Two dining events unseat the on tap Friday night incumbent By Peter Covino Wild Wings, Carrabba’s, Champions World Restau- By Fallan Patterson News-Gazette Photos/Andrew Sullivan Lifestyles Editor rant & Lounge, Dove Choco- Above, Highlands Elementary School staff, members of the Osceola County School Friday night is traditionally Staff Writer the night to go out to eat. late Discoveries, Formosa Richard Estill is known in St. Board, parents and students on Sept. 13 celebrated the grand opening of their rebuilt This Friday, you can eat and Subway, French Bistro, Fun Cloud more for his photogra- school at 800 W. Donegan Ave., Kissimmee. The new facilities accommodate more eat some more at 30-plus Spot Snack Bar, Gator’s phy skills than his political students and eliminates portable classrooms. At left below, Highlands Elementary restaurants at two big dining Dockside, Savor@Osceola views but the six-year St. Cloud Principal Nadia Winston addresses the crowd prior to the school's ribbon-cutting. events in Osceola County. Heritage Park, Smokey resident is running against City Kissimmee Main Street in Bones Kissimmee, Take Council seat 4 incumbent Mick- downtown Kissimmee and Sushi, Tarantino’s and Taste ey Hopper. By Fallan Patterson the Kissimmee/Osceola of China. “I have a perspective that Staff Writer County Chamber of Com- The Kissimmee Main is currently absent from the A new generation of students will merce are both hosting food Street events mark the first council,” he said, as a small enjoy a newly-rebuilt Highlands Ele- events, and one, the Flicks time the city has become part business owner, life-long mentary 50 years after the school first on the Bricks event in down- of the food truck craze, with blue collar opened, thanks to construction on the town Kissimmee, features a restaurants, many of them worker and new building being completed in time first of its kind in the county featuring menu items beyond family man. for the 2011-12 school year. — a food truck event. the usual hot dog/hamburger “Do I have all School staff, Osceola County Unless you have a really the answers? School Board members, Superinten- fare, serving out of a truck. big appetite, you are going to No. Do I have dent Terry Andrews, parents and cur- Kelly Trace, executive have to choose where to dine as many rent and former students celebrated director of Kissimmee Main Friday. answers as Sept. 13 the grand opening of the Street, said the list of partici- The Taste of Four Cor- anybody else? rebuilt school, at 800 W. Donegan pating trucks has swelled to ners, in west Osceola Coun- Yes.” Estill Ave., Kissimmee. 13, more than what was ty, the chamber’s event, fea- Part of Estill’s platform is to “This is a very special day for High- expected for the inaugural tures many restaurants from reform St. Cloud into a bustling lands,” Principal Nadia Winston said. food truck event. west Osceola County, includ- economic hub filled with small Restaurants operating out See Highlands, page A-3 ing A Roll with a Hole See Estill, page A-5 Bagels, Beacon Deli, Buffalo See Dining, page A-3 Valencia College to break ground today Valencia College will break library, cafeteria, bookstore, ground on a new $35 million classrooms, science labs and a Graphic/ building on its Osceola Cam- learning support center that Valencia College pus in a ceremony today. will contain tutoring stations, This is an artist’s The groundbreaking cere- computers and small-group rendering of the mony will take place at 9:15 study rooms. south view of the a.m. Designed in Southern Cali- The new four-story building, fornia “mission style” architec- new Building 4 designated Building 4, will be ture, the building has two at Valencia Col- the largest building on any wings attached by a four-story lege’s Osceola Valencia campus – with atrium. The library also fea- Campus for 150,000 square feet in aca- tures a curved, two-story space demic and support space. with windows overlooking the which ground Expected to open to stu- lawn and commons area. will be broken dents in spring of 2013, the building will house the campus See Valencia, page A-2 today. Inside Homefinder Sports News for you Classifieds . C-4 Local Real- County football Around Kissim- Community . B-3 tors enhance teams begin mee, Around St. Homefinder . C-1 their leader- district play Cloud and sur- Legals . C-7 rounding areas Opinion . A-4 ship skills. Friday. Police news . A-3 featured in zoned Sports . A-6 editions. Page C-1 Page A-6 Section B Page A2, NEWS-GAZETTE • Online All The Time • www.aroundosceola.com • Thursday, September 22, 2011 Local news Graphic/ Valencia College Building 4 at the County jobless rate 9.1 percent for August, the signs and stickers at businesses same as July, and down from and parking lots throughout Osceola Cam- at 11.2 percent 9.6 percent in August 2010. the city,” Police Chief Fran pus of Valencia Osceola County’s August non-seasonally adjusted jobless Kissimmee police Iwanski said in a press release. College is being “Our goal is to continue to rate was 11.2 percent, down remind residents to built in a South- slightly from July’s 11.3 per- remind citizens and visitors to cent; the rate in August 2010 secure their vehicles protect their property and to ern California Kissimmee police detec- was 12.4 percent. reduce the chance of becom- tives are reminding residents mission style. According to the latest ing a victim of crime.” to lock their cars, keep their report from the Florida The view shown keys and take their belong- Commercial vehicles Agency for Workforce Innova- here in an ings with them when exiting checked tion, the August jobless rate their vehicles. On Wednesday, Sept. 14, artist’s render- for the Kissimmee-Orlando- During August, the Kissim- between 7 a.m. and noon, ing is of the Sanford metropolitan area was mee Police Department the St. Cloud Police Depart- 10.3 percent, compared to courtyard. received 104 reports of vehi- ment Traffic Unit along with 10.5 percent in July, and 11.7 cle burglaries, an increase of the Osceola County Sheriff’s percent a year ago. The metro nearly 27 percent from July, Office, Kissimmee Police area includes Lake, Orange, according to Stacie Miller, Department and Florida Osceola and Seminole coun- department spokeswoman. Highway Patrol Bureau of Valencia ties. Jobs gained for the Of the 104 burglaries, 58 Commercial Vehicle Enforce- Continued from page A-1 month in the metro area in all percent were committed on ment conducted a check- sectors numbered 3,600.