Avalon Park Sun Orlando October 2022

KEEPING THE NEWS LOCAL & THE COMMUNITY CONNECTED.

OCTOBER 2022

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VOLUME 3 EDITION

Oktoberfest & Spooktacular Headline an Active Month in Downtown Avalon Park

Prost! October starts off with a bang, with the annual Oktoberfest Celebration this weekend. Starting on Friday, October 7th, 5-10 pm will be the Beer Garden Preview. Friday night will be an evening of traditional food and beer, accompanied by live music by Euro pa and Alpine Dancing by Schuhplatter Gruppe Alpenrose all in Town Park. Saturday, October 8th, will be a fun evening for the whole family! In addition to all of the fun activities in Town Park Beer Garden, the community festival starts at 5 pm and features 150+ vendors, live music, dancing, car show, wiener dog races, bounce park and an inaugural stein holding contest by Bowigens Beer Company.

The fun does not end after Oktoberfest! Fall in Avalon Park tradi tionally means the start of an event season with a wide variety of recreational amenities designed to get you – and your family – out doors and active. With the weather changing, safe family-friend ly events, miles of paths for walking and biking and local dining, there are many ways to start some new fall traditions this year.

Here are some of the other exciting family-friendly activities hap pening this fall in Downtown Avalon Park:

Movie Under the Stars

Bring your blanket or lawn chair and enjoy free popcorn, local ven dors, and a free movie in the park. The movie starts at dark but come early to enjoy a picnic dinner and meeting friends and neigh bors.

October 28th:

Double Header Featuring: Zootopia & Hocus Pocus November 18th: Brave December 16th: The Grinch

Location: Town Park, 3651 Avalon Park East Blvd., Orlando, FL 32828

Food Truck Night

Join us at Town Park the 3rd Sunday of each month for beats and eats! Approximately 20 local food trucks featuring a variety cui sine are available for families to try something new or get an old favorite all while enjoying music!

Grace Foley Rock Your Socks 5K

October 15th, 7:00 a.m. Onsite Registration, 8:00 a.m. Race Start

Join us as we honor community member, Grace Foley, in the Ava lon Park Foundation Annual 5k Fun-Run to raise funds to support the Grace Foley Scholarship Fund.

Spooktacular:

October 29, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Dress up as your favorite character or in your favorite costume and join us in Town Park for a hometown Halloween celebration. At this complimentary event, you will be able to enjoy trick or treat ing, food trucks, performances, bounce houses and vendors!

Location: Downtown Avalon Park, Orlando, FL 32828

Fall Craft Fair

Saturday, November 12th, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Local vendor booths will feature homemade items such as holiday decorations, sweet treats, paintings, candles, plants and more!

Location: Town Park, 3651 Avalon Park East Blvd., Orlando, FL 32828

Turkey Trot

November 24, 7:00 a.m. Onsite Registration, 8:00 a.m. Race Start

Join the Avalon Park Foundation for this Annual fun run 5k for a cause through Downtown Avalon Park. Run Now, Gobble Later.

Avalon Park Arts and Culture Center

From Halloween Crafts for Kids to Disney Villain Painting Class for Adults there is something for everyone at the Avalon Park Arts and Culture Center this fall. The community is also invited to at tend Spooky Serenades, featuring the haunted sounds of the Or lando Philharmonic Orchestra’s Woodwind Quintet together with their storyteller to help you get in the mood for the Fall Season.

For an up-to-date listing of our shops, restaurants and professional services, visit our online directory and to stay in the know with what is happening in Downtown Avalon Park, follow us on Face book & Instagram and check out the online calendar.

#ILoveAvalonPark

Coffee Hour with BEAT

This December Avalon Park Orlando will be celebrating the 25-year anniversary of its groundbreaking. To commemorate this milestone, we will be putting together a special edition of the Avalon Park Sun in December which outlines in detail the process of building the town of Avalon Park from scratch. Below is the snapshot of where we have come from and where we are now, to which we will expand on in the anniversary addition.

a work in progress, and we will continue to work on this in Downtown Avalon Park.

Play:

While I love playing in Avalon Park, this category still has some room to improve. We are missing a park, which was promised by the County for more than a decade! We are missing a large pool, that our A-rated high school deserves, to be home when practicing instead of driving across town. We are missing a larger YMCA or gym like in Downtown or Winter Park! We are missing more football, baseball, and soccer fields!

But we do have…..

Live:

With housing options of all sizes and prices, including apartments, townhomes, single-family homes and assisted living, we are about 90% complete in this category. Left to come is additional housing for seniors, and we are working on that right now with an age-targeted home option for active adults to be located on the “Flag Pole Lot.”

Learn:

All Avalon Park schools from elementary to middle to high school continue to rank as A-rated. In fact, two schools, Avalon Elementary and Avalon Middle, have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools, meaning it is one of the top 300 schools in the United States! Additionally, Pinecrest Avalon Park charter school in Avalon Park South Village provides an additional education option and is an A+ rated school. Many families moved to Avalon Park because of its great schools and home price stability. I believe that we continue to realize abovemarket prices, directly related to the outstanding performance of all our schools. We will continue to grow the live category in our community with the addition of programming such as that offered at the Avalon Park Arts and Culture Center.

Work:

Commerce and jobs based on the size of Avalon Park are clearly above other communities of our size. Today you can find a job starting at age 16 in one of the many restaurants and all up to be a high paid manager at some companies with worldwide reach, like Data Transfer Solutions, Avalon Park Group and more. The 5th Floor has attracted over 30 start-up companies, many Avalon residents this day work from home and appreciate having all their daily needs within the community. Work/Jobs is always

The BEST community events in central Florida, for more than 20 years, with world-class fireworks and activities for families and neighbors to interact.

Long-time social groups like Jet Setters, Rotary Club, Kiwanis, continue to create a great sense of belonging, as well as the addition of some new ones like the Sewing Club and the Avalon Park Arts and Culture Center.

And the Marketplace food hall has created a place for the community to gather. With that addition, we now have 27 restaurants in Downtown Avalon Park, which gives us the largest number of restaurants in any of the new urban towns in central Florida.

It has always been and continues to be our philosophy that everyone belongs in Avalon Park. We have spent the past two decades committed to that ideal by changing the way the world lives, learns, works, and plays. So, whether you live, learn, work or play, or all four, we want you to know that You Belong in Avalon Park and we are committed to that for the next 25 years and beyond.

We would like to ask you for your assistance in celebrating the last 25 years by sending us your favorite memories and pictures to be included in the anniversary edition. We want to see how you have been living, learning, working, and playing over your time in Avalon Park. Please email your inclusions to Info@ AvalonParkSun.com.

From the Desk of Commissioner

Maribel Gomez Cordero

Happy October!

Fall is finally here, bringing a hopefully cooler climate. I hope we can all take this opportunity to spend time with our families and loved ones outside.

With the annual Hurricane Season continuing, please keep in mind that the period only ends on November 30th. While the first few months have been mild, please stay safe and take all necessary safety precautions when any weather changes occur. I encourage anyone interested in obtaining a free emergency weather radio to contact Orange County’s Emergency Management Division or my office as they are giving away these radios free of charge to the public.

I would like to thank all of the residents who took time to attend the community meeting for the upcoming Morgran Property park on August 24th. I encourage anyone who has questions/suggestions for this park to please contact my office or the Parks and Recreation Division. I am hopeful that this new park will be a valuable addition to our East Orange community.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, you can email me at district4@ocfl.net or call my office at 407-8365881.

Blessings, Commissioner Maribel Gomez Cordero

Mental Health & Selling Your Home

Why is it that selling your home may be one of your life’s most exciting yet stressful events. You’re feeling excited about the new chapter in your life yet so many of us feel the stress and anxiety surrounding sell ing it. Clients I’ve spoken with say their feeling of lack of con trol over when the home will sell and for how much, lead to feelings of anxiety. In my ex perience these feelings affect each of us differently but being aware and prepared leads to a sense of confidence the sale will be successful. My clients and friends have said that hav ing a carefully planned timeline of events and preparation made them feel so much better.

home for sale. Many of my cli ents found the process of starting decluttering and packing to be stressful. Having a mar keting plan offers a sense of se curity and understanding how we arrive at the pricing helps to reduce uncertainty. Having confidence in your local real tor’s expertise further reduces stress.

b. The second stressor: Your home has been listed for sale. My clients tell me it’s a lit tle unsettling and stressful hav ing to keep their homes clean and decluttered; not know when the home will be viewed. We work together to minimize the disruption to your day-today life by managing how and when buyers view your home. I good realtor will proactively and continuously prove you with feedback, reducing the unknow, increasing the feeling of “it’s all going according to plan.”

greatly reduce that “uncontrol lable feeling.” They’ve man aged these events in the past.

Some Tips to Make Your Life Easier:

1. Chose an experienced local Realtor who has an excellent reputation. A couple of critical things is responsive is your re altor answering your questions and keeping you constantly informed in a timely manner. Open, transparent communi cation will give you a sense of comfort and control.

2. There are 3 primary stages when selling your home.

a. The first stressor is pre paring you home for sale. An experienced realtor will offer advise on how to stage your

c. The third stressor: Your home is under contract. Peo ple worry about what the buy er will say about the building inspection, worry about the buyer’s financing, and worry about the appraisal. Trusting an experienced realtor who can alleviate these worries will

Preparing Yourself: Preparing yourself emotional ly and mentally is essential to reducing the stress of selling your home. So much of it is out of your control, as you spend time waiting,” waiting for showings, waiting for offers, waiting for your buyer to sub mit repair requests, and wait ing on the lender for the clear to close.” You’ll likely feel sad about leaving your home, it’s normal. Self-Care is important for you and your family. Being flexible is invaluable. Accept ing the facts as they presented to you is wise. Stay positive and trust on your realtor and the value they’re provided you. If you wish to discuss this topic further, without obliga tion you’re welcome to call or visit with me.

How Music Influences the Mental Health of Seniors

Music can be an excellent tool to help seniors stay active and alert, enhancing their mental health and well-being. Music can also help prevent or lessen the impact of sev eral issues that commonly affect seniors, including Alz heimer’s disease, dementia, depression, and anxiety dis orders. The following are some ways music can improve seniors’ mental health—and how you can make sure your loved one stays healthy through music throughout his or her golden years.

What is Music Therapy?

Music therapy is a holistic approach to mental health that combines music, sound, and movement. This modality can help reduce anxiety, stress, and depression in both children and adults. It is also used to improve memory. Research has shown that making music can also be help ful in treating Parkinson’s disease, dementia and Alzhei mer’s disease.

Improves Memory

One study, conducted by researchers at Sweden’s Karo linska Institute and published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, found that among people with Alz heimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, those who listened to music for just half an hour a day were much less likely to develop depression. The soothing effects of music may help lessen emotional distress in seniors as well.

Reducing Anxiety and Stress

When seniors are alone, they are prone to feelings of isola

tion and loneliness. If a senior’s children or grandchildren live far away, he or she may feel as if he or she has no one around. Fortunately, there are many ways to help reduce these feelings. One way is by playing soothing music that helps calm anxiety and stress.

Stimulating Recall

Dr. Carol H. Green-Risse and Dr. Suzanne C. Segerstrom, researchers from Tufts University, found that stimulating music can help seniors recall positive memories and im prove their moods. When we feel happy or upbeat, we’re better able to identify positive memories, said Segerstrom, who holds a Ph.D. in psychology with an emphasis on health psychology and behavioral medicine from Florida State University; she’s also a core faculty member at Flor ida State’s Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory.

Encouraging Physical Movement

Often, seniors think that because they are elderly, they should not move around as much. However, studies have shown that seniors who engage in physical activities like walking and gardening report lower stress levels than their sedentary counterparts. In addition to relieving ev eryday stressors, regular exercise also helps mitigate de pression among older adults—and it doesn’t matter if you start at age 65 or 80; it’s never too late to start moving your body and improving your mental health.

Promoting Awareness in Daily Activities

Add some music to your day, both as a way to lift your mood and to help you avoid distractions. Studies have shown that listening to music while you work can make you more productive, so blast away while performing me nial tasks like cleaning or laundry. If nothing else, you’ll have something good playing in the background while doing chores—and if it’s good enough, you may just not notice how long it’s taking to finish!

Is Your Loved One Ready for a New Song?

Music doesn’t cure Alzheimer’s, but it does make symp toms more manageable and improves your senior’s qual ity of life. With certified dementia practitioners, Encore at Avalon offers special memory care-focused living commu nities for residents suffering from Alzheimer’s. Through community partnerships, we have access to services and activities, including music, that enrich our residents’ ex periences. To schedule a tour, call today at 407-270-7500.

LEARN

Congratulations Teachers of the Year

Please join us in congratulating two local principals for their outstanding achievement and recognition as Teachers of the Year: Principals Dr. Kelly Paduano of Timber Creek High School and Karen Furno of Avalon Middle School.

Congratulations and thank you for making Avalon Park the best community to Live, LEARN, Work and Play.

Pinecrest Avalon at the Educational Freedom Report Card Panel Discussion

Pinecrest Academy Avalon would like to thank the Heritage Foundation, along with the Florida Commissioner of Education, Manny Diaz Jr., for inviting our principal, Mrs. Khan, and our Pinecrest Board Chair, Mr. Alvarez, to the Educational Freedom Report Card Panel Discussion.

Sunshine Ankle & Foot Experts October Health Fact

The average person walks the equivalent of three times around the equator in their lifetime.

That’s a lot of walking! Your feet/ankles are important!

If you are experiencing pain or have trouble with your feet/ankles, come and visit us at Sunshine Ankle & Foot Experts! Dr. Kiana Karbasi and Dr. Timothy Miller are located in

Suite 225 of the Keith Ewing Medical Building. We are excited to be a part of the Avalon Park Community and look forward to keeping it’s members SAFE and keeping them going!

The Songbird Program with Avalon Middle & Encore at Avalon Park is Back

Songbird is an incredible program where 7th and 8th grade Chorus and Musical Theatre students at Avalon Middle School share music and establish relationships with elders living with dementia.

Following a 4-week training period, students are partnered with Memory Care Residents at Encore at Avalon Park Assisted Living. Using Music & Memory strategies, the students learn about what kind of music their residents love and connect to, then they research and share that music during weekly visits.

The results are breathtaking – people whose disease has taken away their ability to fully and authentically

express themselves are gifted with moments of clarity and joy. Their reactions range from a simple smile, to engaging conversation, to memory sharing, to dancing and playing instruments. These moments bring incredible joy to the residents and give students a greater understanding of the power and importance of music and community.

After 2 ½ years of being unable to have this wonderful program, Avalon Middle School and Encore at Avalon Park Assisted Living are thrilled to have the opportunity to connect music students and memory care residents once again.

The 5th Floor Opening Fourth Location in Malaysia

Ravi Kumar, Partner of Launchpad and Executive Director of The 5th Floor Malaysia. “With historic buildings like the Sentul Depot across the road, and the MSC Malaysia Cybercentre Zone next door, this location is truly the intersection of history and innovation. Choosing D7 Sentul as the home of The 5th Floor allows us to celebrate Malaysia’s past and future, and pushes forward our vision for the country and Asia Pacific as a whole.”

Avalon Park Group and sitEX International “APG” announced that The 5th Floor is adding to their global presence with an expansion to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. The 1,400 sq ft workspace will be located at D7 Sentul, a charming and vibrant space in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

This marks the fourth location of The 5th Floor brand over the last two years. The first location opened in 2020 in Basel, Switzerland and two others, Orlando, Florida and San Juan Puerto Rico, opened up during 2021.

“The growth of Sentul in Kuala Lumpur over the past few years reflects Launchpad and The 5th Floor’s philosophy of bringing fresh eyes to conventional approaches, while still respecting the foundations that have been laid,” says

The D7 building is a project by YTL Group that offers retail and office spaces, as well as trendy cafes throughout. The 5th Floor Malaysia will bring creative, innovative ideas to the area. Members have access to a business hub environment that includes private offices, dedicated desks, multiple hot desks, unlimited virtual offices, conferences rooms, presentation and event rooms and your very own business mail address.

“The expansion to Malaysia is the beginning of our deepening focus on the Southeast Asian region. We see it as a key growth area as supply chains continue to diversify,” says Beat Kahli, President and CEO of Avalon Park Group/sitEX. “Bringing The 5th Floor there will allow for our members to strive in a growing environment as well as making global connections.”

This new location is set to open by October 24, 2022.

The 5th Floor Orlando Debuts The 5th Floor Services, Offering Clients Growth Strategy Services via nØught labs

As fall ushers in new beginnings, The 5th Floor Orlando is happy to announce that we will be making way for new opportunities with the official launch of our in-house growth strategy agency, The 5th Floor Services (T5F Services).

Launched in partnership with nØught labs, a business strategy firm with a global presence, T5F Services is aimed to provide members of The 5th Floor Orlando with a full range of in-house services to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses and achieve their goals in the unpredictable economy of today. Their expertise will include market research, business model development and analysis, marketing campaigns, web solutions, operational improvements, and more for businesses of all sizes.

Working with T5F Services can give your business the push it needs to open up to more opportunities, while working alongside you throughout the process to help craft a more sustainable and

long-term growth plan. Their dynamic team employs realistic, proven methods and recommendations to help clients increase sales, streamline operations, and improve efficiency without bogging things down with unnecessary fluff and jargon.

Ravi Kumar, nØught labs’ CEO, shares their sentiment on this matter.

“All this digital talk can be very intimidating, especially for homegrown community businesses,” comments Ravi. “A lot of it is hidden behind a wall of jargon and consultants, making such services completely inaccessible to most. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

We believe this partnership with The 5th Floor is a great opportunity to help bridge this gap and offer real value in helping people navigate these changing times.”

The 5th Floor Orlando has high hopes that launching T5F Services will help

give an edge to more local businesses and let Avalon Park’s neighborhood businesses truly shine.

Professional Co-working Spaces at The 5th Floor Orlando

If you’re looking to kick off your startup, are running your own business, or just need a prepped and ready office space that’s already available for use, The 5th Floor Orlando provides a range of co-working spaces that are suitable for businesses of all sizes.

To inquire more about our coworking spaces, you can check out our the5thfloororlando.com or call us today at 407-730-3493.

Simplifying Cybersecurity for Small and Mid-Size Business

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and we are participating in it by educating our community on basic cybersecuri ty practices.

The world of cybersecurity is complicated, especially for small and mid-sized business owners. To help you understand and simplify cybersecurity for your organization, we will use the National Insti tute of Standards and Technologies Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) to focus on basic controls you can implement to protect your organization.

NIST CSF has five primary domains that seek to answer five ques tions to help you protect your business.

1. Identify - Do we have a clear understanding of our requirements, our assets, and our risk?

2. Protect - Are we protected from reasonably expected threats?

3. Detect - Do we have appropriate situational awareness to detect a securi ty incident?

4. Respond - Do we have trained people and tested processes to respond to a security incident?

5. Recover - Can we sustain the business operations if security incidents happen today?

Let’s look deeper at each of the domains and associated securi ty controls.

Identifying Risk. Do you have a clear un derstanding of your regulatory, contrac tual and compliance requirements? Do you know what dig ital assets you need to protect (i.e., com puters, applications, data)? Here are the minimum controls you should consider:

1. Run an annual risk assessment to under stand your risk. You can do this with your internal team or external help.

2. Put technology and security policies in place and let your employ ees know what management’s expectations are and everyone’s roles and responsibilities.

3. Understand who your critical vendors are and what type of access to your data and assets they have.

Protecting your Assets. A complex area due to the number of cy bersecurity technologies and controls. During the COVID-19 prac

tice, we started practicing some “hygiene controls” that had always been available but we never paid attention to, such as maintaining distance from one another or washing our hands thoroughly. These basic controls were complimented by others that also became “basic” quickly, such as using a face mask. Likewise, the term cyber-hygiene is used in technology to help people understand that basic controls to protect sensitive data and assets should be in place. Here are a few:

1. Protecting your Identity/Access. Everyone has two items: a user ID and a password. Here are a few low costs controls to protect your identity:

a. Use long passwords. Use passphrases such as My-dad-is-aLegend-1959 (and it is complex and easy to remember)

b. Use Multifactor Authentication (MFA). MFA is the combi nation of at least two different things:

i. Something that you know (password)

ii. Something that you have (like a code received via text)

iii. Something that you are (fingerprint or face recogni tion)

c. Use different passwords for your accounts

d. Use a Password Manager App – so you only need to re member the master password to the App, and all your passwords are stored and encrypted in it

2. Enable Automatic Updates. Everyone also has computers and mo bile devices and uses software; update them! In addition, most oper ating systems like Windows or Apple can be automatically updated for new security patches. Turning this feature on will get the latest updates as vendors deploy them.

3. Backup your Data. This is critical, and we will cover it later.

4. Training Staff on Cybersecurity. You should regularly train your staff about cyber risk issues to ensure they are aware of enterprise cy bersecurity policies and procedures and their role in protecting your company. Make security part of your next staff meeting by guiding a discussion on the topic or bringing a Security Specialist to help you.

Detecting Threats. If you’re a small business, you should do two things.

1. Have a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) that is constant ly looking at your infrastructure and data and trying to detect if there are unauthorized access or anomalies

2. If you already have an MSSP, then ask them what they are doing to monitor your environment

Responding to a Cybersecurity Incident. A cybersecurity incident is going to hit your business at some point. Thus, you are responsi ble for having a plan so everyone knows what actions must be taken when something happens.

1. Document your Incident Response Plan, which should include roles and responsibilities; how to report an incident; who the first responders are; who communicates; and more.

2. Test your plan yearly. Have a conversation with your critical staff and discuss a scenario to go through your plan. This is known as a tabletop exercise.

Recovering from an Incident. If that incident happens, can you re cover from it? If, for example, you are hit with Ransomware, will you pay the ransom?

1. Can you restore your data from backups? Earlier I mentioned that data backups are critical to your business. This is due to the emer gence of Ransomware, an attack combined with an extorsion that seeks to encrypt your data first, to then ask you to pay a ransom to get it back. If your data is encrypted, having a backup can help you recover it and avoid paying extortionists.

2. Have a Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plan to contin ue running critical business operations when a significant incident disrupts normal operations.

3. Finally, you protect you most important assets and family with different type of insurance policies that you never want to use. One of those assets is your business; therefore, acquiring a Cyber Liability Insurance Policy is an important protection to have. Know that the insurance carriers are asking for most of these controls to be in place when they are underwriting your policy; another reason to imple ment them.

When building a cybersecurity program, seek to answer these five critical questions: 1) do I understand my risk? 2) are we reasonably protected from threats? 3) Do we have situational awareness of our environment? 4) do we have processes to respond to a security inci dent? And 5) can we sustain critical business operations? By answer ing these questions and implementing some basic hygiene security controls, you can protect your business without having to boil the ocean.

A Global Co-Working Space Where Work, Innovation and Connectivity Collide

Co-working is more than just providing a shared office for remote workers. It transforms the most essential and expensive business expense — the workspace — into a service that benefits both entrepreneurs and individuals. The space-as-a-service model reduces the need for a company to bear the whole expense of maintaining an office by themselves and increases workforce flexibility.

Taking this already innovative model to the next level, The 5th Floor aims to not only provide a space, but a place for professionals to connect and grow their businesses, locally, regionally and globally.

After two years of effort and dedication, The 5th Floor has successfully opened four locations — Switzerland, Orlando, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Malaysia (coming soon). The vision is to leverage the company’s existing global,corporate connections and have a location on each continent, with over 30 locations in the next 5 years. Below you will find more information on each location, as well.

Flagship Space - The 5th Floor, Muttenz

The 5th Floor Muttenz features a variety of workspaces, including hot desks, dedicated desks, private desks, and private offices, to fit the preferences of each individual. Members also have access to our high-tech meeting rooms, phone booths, high-speed WiFi, cafeteria, healthy food and snacks supply from a partnership with FELFEL Fridge, fitness center, in-house daycare facility by KiMi Krippen, and a variety of

The 5th Floor Muttenz is currently home to over 20 high-growth startups and large corporations, three of which were recently listed among the Top 100 Swiss Startups in 2022. The 5th Floor Muttenz has also been selected by the Swiss Location Award 2022 as one of the top meeting venues. To learn more about our flagship location, please visit our website at www.the5thfloor.ch

The 5th Floor, Orlando, Florida

The 5th Floor Orlando was the second location to open for the global brand in March 2021. Located in the heart of Avalon Park Orlando, the space includes 22 private offices, 12 dedicated desks, multiple hot desks, unlimited virtual offices, 3 conference rooms, presentation/event room, wellness room, podcast room, mail room and café. The demand for this unique space quickly required the addition of an Annex location, also located in Downtown Avalon Park, just a block from the original space. The 5th Floor Orlando Annex adds 10 private offices, 1 conference room, reception area and a breakroom/kitchen. Both locations are centrally located allowing for easy access to the services and amenities the urban downtown offers, including 150+ businesses, parks & green space, schools

5th Floor Puerto Rico has signed over 10 outstanding local entrepreneurs and has hosted multiple events for the local community. The 5th Floor Puerto Rico also has partnered up with the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce to support and grow the island’s entrepreneurial scene. For more information about The 5th Floor Puerto Rico, visit www.the5thfloor.com/

other additional services and amenities.

The 5th Floor Muttenz also offers two shared laboratories, CO.LAB, which provides research-based startups and project teams of existing businesses with direct access to certified chemistry and biology laboratories, as well as specialized tools and equipment to enable a seamless research process. Additionally, each laboratory includes complimentary co-working desks, equipment rental, and a laboratory waste disposal service.

Aside from the various workspaces and laboratories, The 5th Floor Muttenz provides an innovative Ideation Space to encourage creative individuals to break free from form and familiarity to experiment. The Ideation Space is equipped with arts and crafts supplies, innovative workstations, a small stage that is ideal for presentations, and comfy seating for any type of seminar, workshop, or team-building activity.

and services.

The 5th Floor, Puerto Rico

Following the opening of The 5th Floor Orlando, it was a natural progression for The 5th Floor brand to expand to Puerto Rico. This location not only enhances the business relationships of its members, but also provides global connectivity for entrepreneurs looking to expand to the larger US market. Puerto Rico being the third location of this global co-working space, along with the flagship location in Basel, Switzerland, which debuted in late 2020, it joined a sister location in Orlando, Florida, which opened in March 2021.

The 5th Floor Puerto Rico was designed to provide much needed resilient services on the island such as 24/7 reliable supply of electricity and fiber optic internet cables so that it can remain operational even during natural disasters. Additionally, the space provides local entrepreneurs with a modern business hub environment that includes private offices, dedicated desks, multiple hot desks, unlimited virtual offices, conference rooms, and a presentation/event space where they can conduct business, network, and elevate their businesses. Members also have access to a variety of additional offerings, including concierge service, business address, mail handling, locally sourced coffee, and other amenities.

Since its opening in October 2021, The

puerto-rico/

The 5th Floor, Kuala Lumpur

The 5th Floor will expand its global reach by opening its fourth location in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in October 2022. The expansion to Malaysia marks the start of a deeper regional focus on the Southeast Asia market as The 5th Floor aspires to develop its global footprint. Through this expansion, The 5th Floor will be able to foster business partnerships between international organisations and aid them with a “soft landing” when entering foreign markets.

Located at D7 Sentul, a charming and vibrant space in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, The 5th Floor Malaysia is situated at the intersection of history and innovation, allowing us to celebrate Malaysia’s past and future while advancing our vision for the country and Asia Pacific as a whole. The 5th Floor team is excited about this opening and eager to share our mission of elevating local businesses to the global stage with the people of Malaysia.

The 5th Floor Malaysia aims to foster innovation and creativity by providing a high-quality working environment with private offices, dedicated desks, multiple hot desks, unlimited virtual offices, conference rooms, presentation and event spaces, and more. It will launch at 100% capacity, having already been engaged by local and global businesses in the country.

Read the official press release at www. avalonparkgroup.com/news to learn more about the launch of The 5th Floor Malaysia.

Local Entrepreneur Competes in Reality Docu-Series for Startups

firm located at the 5th Floor in downtown Avalon Park. JKC establishes and elevates branding initiatives to help businesses stand out in a noisy market. They work with a variety of clients on projects such as logos, print design, websites, social media, strategy, and more. JKC was also an Avalon Innovation Award recipient in 2020. Julie is somewhat of a serial entrepreneur as she also runs two other businesses: Ever Ella, an event branding company for weddings and special events. And theorlandodinks.com a monetized blog and social media platform where she (along with her husband Andrew) write about things to do, see, and eat in Orlando and beyond.

A local Avalon resident and business owner recently competed on a reality competition show for startups and small businesses. Out of thousands of applicants Julie Kostic was one of the 60 entrepreneurs selected to appear on Season Four of The Blox. This series follows a group of business owners from around the country while they live together, learn together, and ultimately compete against each other.

The Blox was founded by Wes Bergmann, an American reality TV star known best for appearing on MTV shows such as The Real World and The Challenge. He is the founder of Beta Blox – a business incubator located in Kansas City. The Blox TV series was his vision to expand entrepreneur education beyond the limits of his hometown.

The show introduces the audience to an eclectic group of entrepreneurs as they learn key business knowledge and then face off in “startup games” to prove mastery of the topics. The competition is judged by successful and up-and-coming business celebrities. The series aims to educate entrepreneurs anywhere, while using the competition aspect to provide content in a digestible and entertaining manner.

“This was such as amazing experience to fly across the country to meet strangers who I can now call friends.” Said Julie. “To be around so many entrepreneurs at once while jam packing in a ton of knowledge in a short amount of time was quite the whirlwind. I thought I was pretty confident being someone who can speak in front of audiences and present to clients, but something about those cameras being around all day was certainly a little nerve wracking!”

Julie Kostic is an award-winning designer with 15+ years of experience creating solutions for brands such as Under Armour, National Parks Conservation Association, The Cleaning Authority, and more. Julie is the founder of JK Creative, a visual communications

Make sure to catch Julie on Season 4 of The Blox, airing in early October. The entire series can be watched for free on The Blox mobile app, on Google Play and the App Store. For a sneak peek, check out the trailer here.

Networking vs. Networks

Many people join the Chamber looking to “Network”, we like to say, “Networking is one letter off from “not working.” We are firm believers that the East Orlando Chamber pro vides opportunities to build your network and formulate professional business relationships. When members utilize the Chamber for Busi ness Development, the magic happens. Almost all of us have been sold to… i.e. Telemarket ers, pushy car dealers, sales reps at the big box stores, to the smiling faces of girls scouts sell ing cookies outside of Publix. When we need something, we typical ly Google it, research it, and comparison shop, but isn’t a referral from a friend or colleague more impactful? Don’t you find it refreshing to be introduced to someone who is genu inely interested in your products, services or help solve an issue or problem? When you foster and cherish rela tionships and assist in creating business de velopment opportuni ties, people trust you, notice that you are in terested in them. Typ ically, they tend to repay the favors.

The East Orlando Chamber of Com merce has embarked on a legacy build ing, transformation al business develop

ment program for our members. Throughout October until Novem ber 10th members will be strengthening pro fessional relationships through these business development strate gies. Any size business can participate with opportunities abound. This is the first time the Chamber has offered these opportunities during a limited cam paign period. There are many new and familiar business development offerings which are available. It is recom mended to stay tuned and visit www.EOCC. org for more details or contact the office to learn more about this initiative.

The East Orlando Chamber strives to help your business grow and many members are doing the same. If you would like more information regarding Chamber opportuni ties, network building and more, contact us today.

For over 75 years, the Chamber has been a leader in Advocacy, Community Engage ment and Region al Connections. Visit www.EOCC.org or call 407-277-5951 to learn how more about these and more business de velopment opportuni ties.

Contact EOCC to find out more about these Business Development Opportunities

Coming together to create a healthy community

Four Numbers to Know for Your Heart Health

that is found in the body and produced in the liver and other cells. It can also come from eat ing foods that are high in fat. High levels of cholesterol can cause blockages of the arteries, potentially leading to a heart attack.

A desirable total cholesterol level is less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). An an nual blood test can monitor your levels and help your doctor make recommendations tai lored to your health.

3. Blood Sugar

Your heart: It’s the engine that helps your body function and allows you to enjoy all life has to offer — from favorite activities to rela tionships with friends and family members. This February, celebrate this amazing organ during National Heart Month.

Heart disease affects approximately 84 million Americans and is the number one cause of death for men and women every year. Take control of your heart health by learning about four key numbers — and what you can do to keep them where they need to be.

1. Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart failure and stroke. Also called hypertension, high blood pressure can cause blockages in the arteries, reducing the flow of oxygen to the heart and making it work harder.

The American Heart Association released new guidelines for blood pressure and treatment.

Normal: Under 120/80

Elevated: 120-129/80

Stage 1 Hypertension: 130-139/80-89

Stage 2 Hypertension: Higher than 140/90 Your doctor will help you understand what these new targets mean for you and if any treatment is necessary. Treatment may include a heart-healthy diet, more physical activity or medication to help control your blood pres sure.

2. Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a naturally occurring substance

High blood sugar levels may indicate that you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, two conditions that can greatly increase the risk of heart dis ease and stroke. The American Heart Associa tion considers diabetes to be one of the major controllable risk factors for heart disease.

A normal blood sugar level after fasting is 100 mg/dL.

4. Body Mass Index (BMI)

Being overweight or obese is a major risk fac tor in many life-threatening diseases, includ ing diabetes, cancer, high cholesterol, metabol ic syndrome and heart disease. Your BMI is a calculation based on your height and weight and can indicate whether you are overweight or obese.

People are considered overweight starting at a BMI of 25 and obese at 30 or higher.

15 Minutes

Fifteen minutes is all it takes to save a life. That’s how long it takes to get a simple health screening that gives you the information you need to live a heart healthy life. Talk to your primary care provider about what preventive measures or screenings are right for you.

Your doctor can also assess your heart health at your annual physical, an important part of managing your whole health. It’s just one of many reasons you should see a doctor in times of both health and wellness.

9 Simple & Tasty Ways to Boost Your Immunity

The foods we eat have a direct relationship to the way our bodies protect us from toxins and infections. And now— more than ever—we all want to have a healthy and strong of an immune system as possible. While it can be hard to avoid, anxiety and panic can actually weaken your immune system.

People of all ages often don’t receive the proper immuni ty-boosting nutrients from food, and I understand how difficult it is to get the picky eaters in your family to load some fruits and vegetables on their plate. But did you know that foods like nuts, fish, and even red meat are packed with important vita mins and minerals that keep you and your loved ones healthy? In conjunction with normal sleep patterns and a healthy dose of exercise, a balanced mix of vitamins and minerals is exactly what your body needs.

Here are nine important vitamins and minerals that ensure a healthy immune system, found in simple and tasty foods even the meat lovers and picky eaters at your table will love.

Vitamin C

We’ve all heard of vitamin C. It’s one of the first vitamins we turn to when we start to feel unwell or come down with a cold. And, it’s an important vitamin to help build a healthy immune system. What most of us don’t know is that you can find vi tamin C in foods other than citrus. Foods such as leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale, bell peppers, brussels sprouts, strawberries, and papaya are other awesome options to boost your immune system.

Vitamin E

Much like vitamin C, vitamin E is key for a healthy immune system and may help your body fight off infection. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed properly. Nuts such as almonds, peanuts, hazel nuts, and sunflower seeds are all packed with vitamin E. You can also find it in spinach and broccoli.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is another critical vitamin to help our immune system function. Foods containing vitamin B6 include bananas, lean chicken breast, cold-water fish such as tuna and salmon, spinach, sweet potatoes, and avocado. And guess what? If you like hummus, chickpeas have it, too! Here’s a link to our quick and easy hummus recipe.

Vitamin A

Not only is vitamin A important for growth and development, but it also plays an important role in helping us keep a healthy immune system. Plus, it’s good for our vision. Vitamin A can be found in many fruits and vegetables, including carrots, mangos, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, cantaloupe, and squash.

Vitamin D

We all know we get vitamin D from the sun. But most of us don’t spend enough time in the sun to be able to absorb enough of this important vitamin. You can increase your intake through foods such as fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines), mushrooms, and fortified foods such as milk, orange juice, and whole-grain cereals.

Folate/Folic Acid

Folate is found naturally in many foods, and as folic acid in fortified foods. Legumes, leafy greens, eggs, beets, citrus, and asparagus are all great sources of folate. One hundred percent whole-grain products, enriched bread, pasta, and rice are other sources of folic acid.

Iron

Without iron, our bodies wouldn’t be able to carry oxygen to our cells. Iron can be found in protein sources such as lean poultry like chicken or turkey, red meats, beans, broccoli, and kale.

Selenium

You may never have heard of this important—yet power ful—mineral on which our immune system depends. Selenium seems to have a powerful effect on the immune system and may help prevent cardiovascular disease, thyroid problems, as well as other chronic diseases. You can find it in garlic, broccoli, sardines, tuna, brazil nuts, and barley.

Zinc

Zinc is an often-overlooked mineral that’s important to help build a healthy immune system. Shellfish such as crab, lobster, and mussels can be a terrific source of zinc. It can also be found in lean meats and poultry, yogurts, and chickpeas. Zinc appears to help slow down the immune response and control inflamma tion in your body. But be careful—too much zinc in your diet can actually inhibit the way our immune system functions.

Keep in Mind...

If you can’t find fresh produce, it’s okay to buy frozen. Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked and packed at the “peak” of ripeness, so their nutritional value remains intact. Try to stay away from fruits and vegetables that have added sugars, sauc es, and sodium.

Remember to take care of yourself—as well as your family. While it may not seem like a priority, it’s important to take the time to drink lots of water, de-stress, and connect with your family. May we all be healthy in, spirit, mind, and body.

COMMUNITY

CORNER

Hello fall! We’ve been patiently awaiting your arrival! These 100 degree afternoons are soon to be a thing of the past, fall decor is up in every store and #PSL is here! We love all things fall! That’s why we are bringing you our Ultimate Guide to All Things Fall! Filled with things to do, make and enjoy throughout the City Beautiful and surround ing areas!

xo ~Eryn, Owner- Orlando Mom Collective

Included in this Guide:

- Ultimate Fall Bucket List

- Arts & Crafts

- Things to do this fall

- Recipes

- Spooky Season Streaming

- Decor ideas, and more!

Bucket List:

In sunny Florida it is still a blistering 90+ degrees out there, but the calendar says fall is coming and according to Starbucks + Dunkin Donuts, it was fall on August 30th {#PSL!} So, regardless of the Florida heat, are you ready to dive into all things Fall?!?

To help all of us mamas get in the mood for some fun for what lies ahead of us over these next few months, we have put together a “Florida friendly” Fall Bucket List. Most of these things we can do, even if we are still enjoying warm weather and shorts & flip flops!

https://orlando.momcollective.com/fall-bucket-listprintable/

Spooky Season Streaming Lineup: If you ask me, this scorching weather is all a bunch of hocus pocus! The kids are back in school. Star bucks is selling its pumpkin spice latte. As far as this Flori da girl is concerned, spooky season should already be here!

Did I say Hocus Pocus? Yes, this year’s streaming TV lineup is everything we 80s and 90s babies could dream of! Grab your bright orange plastic pumpkins and put on your homemade costumes (thanks, mom!), we are diving into all things fall TV, spooky season style!

https://orlando.momcollective.com/spooky-season-tvwill-hit-you-right-in-the-childhood/

Spooky Movies Printable for Moms Who Don’t Like Be ing Scared:

https://orlando.momcollective.com/wp-content/up loads/2022/09/OMC-Holiday-Printables-dragged.pdf

Pumpkin Patches, Farms & Mazes: There is no shortage of Pumpkin Patches in Orlando this year! Our Guide to Pumpkin Patches in Central Florida should keep your weekends packed! Are we missing your favorite pumpkin patch?

Please be sure to check with each venue, as times and dates may change.

https://orlando.momcollective.com/guide-pump kin-patches-central-florida/

A Busy Late Summer and Fall for Rotary Club of Avalon Park

Orange County Academy

Rotary’s new fiscal year kicked into high gear with a full Saturday in July repainting the school in Bithlo, called Orange County Academy. More than a dozen of Rotarians and their friends showed up to paint the hallways, classrooms, and a few bathrooms. “This service project is near and dear to us as we have been volunteering in the town of Bithlo for over decade,” said Rotary Club of Avalon Park President, Jean Zambrano. “There is always a need to fill at Orange County Academy and we plan to keep it on our radar.”

Pancake Breakfast

A few weeks later, they sponsored a pancake breakfast for seniors and veterans. “Our pancake breakfast is a special event we have been hosting for more than a decade and has been well attended,” said club secretary, Jim Foulks. “It lost a little steam during the pandemic and we are very excited to bring it back! A special shout out to sponsors: Publix and Nuno’s café.”

Million Meal Challenge

Also in August, Rotarians volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank in support of the Rotary Million Meal Challenge. “Our club put together 850 boxes,” stated Mary Braud, club member. “We also packed potatoes which fed 2,000+ families.”

9/11 Flag Display

Carried over from the tradition of last year’s 20th

Anniversary of 9/11, and with the help of volunteers from TCHS’ ROTC, the club constructed a memorial flag display this year at the large field in Avalon Park. “We plan to make this display happen on an annual basis,” stated David Donais, club leader for this endeavor. “It is a significant memory for our country and for our community.”

In addition to the above events, the club helps feed those in need at Word on the Street and Samaritan’s Resource Center on a weekly basis. In partnership with Kiwanis, Rotary conducted a week-long book drive to restock the three Free Little Libraries in our community. More about Rotary and to get involved is listed below.

Rotary, Opens Opportunities. Rotary Club of Avalon Park is one of the highly recognized clubs in the area and noted by the regional directors for outstanding leadership and innovation.

You are invited to join them each week at the Avalon Pavilion @7:30 a.m. located at 13401 Tanya King Blvd. Meet your neighbors, find out what Rotary is about and how you can Serve to change lives. For more information visit: RotaryClubOfAvalonPark. org/?s=20reasons

Complimentary refreshments and inspiring guest speakers!

20th Avalon Park Pickleball Tournament

The 1st boxer to earn more than $100 million in total prize money, Sugar Ray Leonard, loves to play pickleball and was spotted at a recent California pro pickleball tournament. Here in Avalon Park, the 18th edition of the longest running $1.00 registration monthly Pickleball and Pizza tournament in Florida was won by Avalon Park residents Ryan Hamley and Leslie Radcliffe. This was the 3rd win for Ryan, who has been playing about 9 months, and the 1st win for Leslie, who has been playing about 3 months. Six teams competed, including a 4-person team consisting of our pickleball friends from Stoneybrook-Shawna Sherry, Vicky Dangelo, Vickie Singleton and their friend Karin Hammond.

Learn the fastest growing sport in the U.S. at the South Village Pickleball Courts,4033 Cleary Way, Monday-Friday 8:30am10:30am, some Tuesdays and Thursday evenings around 6:30pm, and some Saturdays around 8:30am. All ages welcome.

Bring a chair and a beverage and come watch our special 20th Avalon Park Pizza and Pickleball Tournament Celebration Friday November 4th,2022 at 7 PM, weather permitting. Families, seniors, children and anyone in a wheelchair are welcome to come watch.

Ross & Raine Are Ready to Soar!

Ready to soar! That’s the perfect way to describe Ross McKinney and his co-au thor, little sister Raine. The duo are avid learners, who love to share their actual and imagined adventures. When they bring their stories to life, they awaken the thrill and wonder of childhood while overcoming challenges.

Ross and Raine are no strangers to defy ing norms. Both born prematurely, they have supported in other in love through medical, emotional, and personal goals. Stronger than they realize, they learn to make decisions, discover the world, problem solve, and build friendships.

Ross enjoys swimming, golfing, playing basketball at the local YMCA, traveling with his family, and being a great big brother. Raine enjoys swimming, golf ing, and ballet. Their favorite activities together are bike riding, bird watching, and you guessed it, swimming!

The support they’ve received over the

years has been incredible. Through shar ing their stories, they have been able to raise money and awareness for prema ture babies and their families for Winnie Palmer Hospital, the American Heart Association, Harbor House, and other charities. In 2022, they found the perfect way to amplify their voices. The Adven tures of Ross and Raine is their new book series that highlights their passions, les sons, and adventures.

The first release in the Adventures of Ross and Raine is Weekend Fun. It’s an

inviting story about considering each other’s opinions on a family outing. Readers are not only captivated by the story but also with the accompanying activity book. The coloring and activity book has over 80 pages of brain engag ing activities and scenes from the Week end Fun storybook.

Visit RossandRaine.com to follow their adventures, new releases, and updates.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide

There are so many great ones! One that sticks out is when I was selected Associate of the Year and Paul Ryan spoke about my value to the company. Every time Mr. Ryan visits, he stops by to say hel lo and acknowledge how long I have been with the company.

What is the best part of working in the travel in dustry?

I love being able to interact with so many different guests. I enjoy being able to provide guidance or suggestions about the local area to the guests.

What advice would you give to someone consider ing a career with Marriott Vacations Worldwide?

I always recommend people to work here. The leadership and team are great. There are so many opportunities for growth.

When Adriana Rendon first joined the Marriott Vacations Worldwide team in Orlando, she never imagined her job would turn into a fulfilling ca reer that would allow her to meet people from so many interesting backgrounds and cultures, and that would allow her to grow and develop profes sionally.

Below, Rendon shares what she enjoys most about her career.

What do you love most about working at Marri ott Vacations Worldwide?

I LOVE it here. I have been here 20 years, and love my job and coworkers with all my heart. I hope to retire with the company!

Tell me about your role and career journey with Marriott Vacations Worldwide

When I started here, the company offered so many opportunities for growth and development and they still have. I began as a housekeeper and moved to public space.

What’s your favorite memory of working at Mar riott Vacations Worldwide?

Marriott Vacations Worldwide offers generous discounts on exciting vacation experiences and stays at its global resorts for associates, their fam ilies and friends. Associates have access to a com prehensive benefits package including medical, dental and vision plans; paid time off; enrollment in a 401(k) retirement plan and employee stock purchase program; tuition reimbursement; em ployee assistance counseling and financial coun seling; and other support, such as onsite parking, monthly educational webinars and more.

Recognized for its caring culture, Marriott Va cations Worldwide is dedicated to the holistic well-being and professional growth of its associ ates. In fact, 15% of Phoenix area associates have been employed with the company for more than 10 years.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide was named a 2021 “Best Employer” globally by Kincentric, an ex pert consultant company helping organizations use employee driven data to add value and drive business results. In June 2022, Marriott Vacations Worldwide was certified as a Most Loved Work place®, based on the Love of Workplace Index™, which keeps track of employee satisfaction and sentiment and is backed by Best Practice Institute (BPI) research and analysis.

If you are interested in job opportunities with Mar riott Vacations Worldwide in Orlando, visit www. workatmvw.com/Orlando to apply online.