KEEPING THE NEWS LOCAL.... AND THE COMMUNITY CONNECTED.
VOLUME 2 EDITION 1
JANUARY 2021
Missing Middle Housing and the Need for Diversity
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By: Raven Halle Last month, we talked about the idea of placemaking, or the multi-facPAGE 2 eted concept involving the ways in which traditional neighborhood developments inspire their residents to reimagine public spaces as little hearts of a community. In this thorough examination of traditional neighborhoods, their characteristics, and how their characteristics intersect and define communities, we arrive at yet another PAGE 3 idea: the idea of “Missing Middle Housing.” Similar to the notion of mixed-use facilities, the term “Missing Middle Housing” refers to a way through which more PINECREST ACADEMY & AVALON PARK ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE housing and housing choices are developed in walkable, sustainable places like traditional FEATURING neighborhood developAlice In ments. Traditional neighPAGE 4 Wonderland borhoods diverge from conventional suburbia in FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021 | MOVIE STARTS AT 7PM I N T H E C A R L I N E L O O P F I E Lmany D | F R E E ways—as ADMISSION we have 2550 HUFFSTETLER DR, TAVARES, FL 32778 previously discussed— and perhaps the most notable of which is the idea that people of all social and economic strata are
LEARN
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PLAY
Pre-movie activities from 5-7pm. There will be a DJ, Pizza/Soda, Snack Shack & Pinecrest merchandise available for purchase!
Bring a blanket or a lawn chair & enjoy the movie, while practicing social distancing.
SEE WHAT IS NEXT! Friday, March 5th
PAGE 7
Friday, May 21st
COMMUNITY UPDATES
AVALONPARKTAVARES.COM | 352-204-1020
- The Cat in the Hat
Saturday, April 10th
- Dumbo
- High School Musical
able to live, work, and thrive comfortably in traditional neighborhoods due to their multiple types of living options. Essentially, “Missing Middle Housing” serves to support local business as well as diversifying housing choices, thus diversifying the people within a community.
closing the gap between small amounts of available housing and the high demand for walkability.
When looking at the characteristics of Missing Middle Housing compared to the characteristics of traditional neighborhood developments, many trends The words “Missing can be observed: both Middle” refer to their aim to aid and increase status as being between, walkability and feelings or in the middle of, typof community and interical housing: the bridge connectedness, decrease between apartment com- the need for automobiles, plexes and single-family and produce a more homes. From duplexes sustainable ecological to fourplexes, Missing footprint. This is why Middle Housing, then, they work well in concan be best described as junction. The similarities clustered housing similar in scale between single in scale to single-family Missing Middle Housing homes which aid to meet units and single-family the continuously growing homes allow for them to demand of living options be easily blended, again in walkable, urban spacencouraging diversity es. Above all, Missing both amongst living Middle Housing allows spaces and residents. for demographics such Missing Middle Housing as senior citizens, young is an example of comcouples, single parents, patible infill—a developteachers, and doctors to ment that does not take live comfortably amongst away from the privacy or one another in order to character of neighboring foster a deeper sense of houses—which is a direct community while also result of its perceived
low density, or the ability of these buildings to not appear dense or crowded. See photo below for a diagram that exemplifies these different types of Missing Middle Housing and how they can be implemented within a community. Overall, Missing Middle Housing creates more living usage and units on less land than do single-family homes. The idea that the Missing Middle is a spectrum, also indicated by the graphic below, means an increase in housing supply and a decrease in total cost for residents as compared to the supply and cost of single-family units. Most importantly, Missing Middle Housing directly impacts the need for affordable housing, and does so in a way that not only improves the lives of those seeking to live there, but also other members of the community who can watch their neighborhoods grow and diversify.
LIVE ORLANDO
Coffee Hour with BEAT his past is condemned to repeat it and paying a high price.”
2021 . . . ..Is History Repeating Itself? I personally think that if one believes that the world is turning differently in these times and that we can’t learn from history, they are making a mistake. Is it still relevant today, what caused the downfall of the Roman empire, or can we identify something for today’s society when we analyze what factors led to the French revolution? Winston Churchill warned the house of commons not to think in the short term and to not just pay attention to headlines when he said, “Those who are not able to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” While that was over 70 years ago, I think it fits the current social media age well. This philosophy goes back even further, as Churchill borrowed his quote from the Spanish philosopher George Santayana who wrote in his book, “The Life of Reason” that “Somebody who is not remembering
For myself, I believe post-COVID-19, we will experience a new iteration of the “Roaring This analysis is often Twenties.” One hundred used to analyze war acyears ago, just ahead tivities. An example is of the roaring twenties, the various wars of the was World War 1. Addifferent armies against ditionally, 1918 to 2020, Russia. Sweden learned the Spanish Flu was infecting about 1/3 of the in the 17th century how world’s population. Afdifficult it is to win against Russia, how hard ter those horrific years, the winter is. A century people around the globe later Napoleon made the were hungry to live. same mistake, and in the The spirit of the Roaring second World War, hisTwenties was marked by tory repeated itself when a general feeling of novGermany lost almost 1 elty associated with momillion troops by trying dernity and a break with to take Moscow during tradition. Everything the winter. seemed possible through
2020 HAS NOT ONLY BEEN A TURNING POINT FOR AVALON PARK GROUP, IT HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR MOST ACTIVE YEARS EVER! modern technology such Often, we are told that as cars, movies, and rahistory is not anymore so dio. By the middle of the important, because the decade, prosperity was world is different than it widespread, with the was 100 years ago. But second half of the decade even while new trends known, as “the Golden are developing, they can Twenties.” often be found rooted in the past, because human I think 2020 will be nature has not changed. that game-changer and COVID-19 will be reWe often think that this membered as a turning time things will be difpoint. ferent, and while events from the past will not be COVID-19 has served repeated exactly, simias an engine of innovalarities between the past tion. Under lockdown, and present will always e-commerce as a share of exist. American retail sales increased as much in eight
weeks as it had in the previous five years. As people stayed in Avalon Park, almost overnight, businesses began to run from spare rooms and kitchen tables, an experiment that would otherwise have taken years to unfold, if ever. While this disruption is in its infancy, COVID-19 is proof that change is possible even in conservative industries like energy, education, or health care. 2020 has not only been a turning point for Avalon Park Group, it has been one of our most active years ever. Ask any of my 7 Senior Vice Presidents (we are working a combined 80! years together), and they all will tell you 2020 has been our busiest year ever! And it is just the beginning. While we should always proceed with caution, remember, the Roaring Twenties was also followed by the great depression, I encourage us to take the turn into health and prosperity this year. I am hopeful the vaccine will succeed; I am optimistic for a great 2021 and beyond. Wishing You a Happy and Healthy New Year!
LEARN ORLANDO
Pinecrest Tavares Update
WORK ORLANDO
Tavares Chamber Update
November Monthly Business Luncheon, Board Members and guests. Photo Credit: Byron Faudie
Hello again from beautiful Downtown Tavares; and a very Happy New Year to you! We hope that your holidays were enjoyable! We are ready for 2021, and have so many exciting plans that we can’t wait to share with you. We hope that your New Year’s Resolution includes a Chamber Membership! Visit our website (www. tavareschamber.com) to join the Chamber, and visit our Facebook page (@TavaresChamberOfCommerce) for the latest news! We look forward to seeing you in 2021!
Upcoming Events • January 14th – Business After Hours – 5:30pm – Ribbon Cutting, Ankle & Foot Center of Central Florida • January 19th – Networking Lunch – 12:00pm, Location TBA • January 27th – Monthly Chamber Business Luncheon - Sponsored by Elevate Lake, Guest Speaker CEO of Florida High Tech Corridor. Located at the Tavares Pavilion on the Lake.
Our Featured Business this month is Elevate Lake, our January Luncheon Sponsor. The Lake County Office of Elevate Lake is an office of the Lake County Board of County Commissioners. With a mission to aggressively retain, attract and grow jobs in Lake County, we are relentlessly focused on being the most proactive County in Florida for economic development and business friendly practices. Our professional staff is dedicated to providing excellent service and support for businesses of any size and across all industries.
WORK (Cont.)
ORLANDO UPDATE Meet the Member
Isabella Johnston founder of Intern Pursuit
The 5th Floor, an international co-working space at the Avalon Innovation Center is scheduled for Spring 2021. With it, an influx of entrepreneurs is coming on the scene in Downtown Avalon Park. The Intern Pursuit Software Platform, one of the finalists in the Avalon Innovation Awards 2020 competition, is among the 28+ companies that will occupy this state-of-the-art pro-working office space. Isabella Johnston, CEO and founder of Intern Pursuit’s software platform, identified an opportunity in the market to make intern recruitment and management fast, affordable, and a positive experience for employers and students alike. Intern Pursuit’s proprietary algorithm matches employers and students based on job preferences, top 6 trending PowerSkills and culture fit. Additional platform features include 2 types of assessments, individual development plans and an employer learning academy. The software is designed to provide interns and
employers with the best resources necessary for a productive and measurable internship. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the need to innovate and improve intern management that included remote opportunities for employers both nationally and internationally. President and CEO of the Avalon Park Group, Beat Kahli, shares the same vision to expand internship opportunities globally. Kahli stated, “As an international entrepreneur, I appreciate Intern Pursuit’s efforts to provide more international internships in the United States, while supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs as they grow.” Kahli and a group of international judges selected 28 finalists from over 150 applicants to fund through
cash, space and services. Intern Pursuit Software Platform was one of the 28 companies chosen as the ground-breaking leaders in this APG cohort. One of the key standouts to the international jury was Johnston’s innovative marketing approach to take the product to market. In order to provide a well-packaged educational experience for employers and students alike, Johnston also created The Intern Whisperer Podcast. Affiliated with the Intern Pursuit platform, The Intern Whisperer Podcast allows employers to share their company’s origin story, predictions for both industry and job opportunities five years from now, and share mentoring advice to the student listening audience.
Intern Pursuit gamified their marketing approach to reach the game industry by launching the Intern Pursuit Game on Steam. The game is a third-person tower defense game where players must use critical thinking, problem solving, and other key trending PowerSkills to save the world and while earning talent. For more information on Intern Pursuit, visit https://www.internpursuit.tech/ or reach out to Isabella Johnston at email: info@internpursuit.tech or office number: 321-4222166.
15 Things Successful Entrepreneurs Do to Start Every Day—and Year!—On the Right Foot As a new year approaches, hope is high, and expectations are even higher. It is easy to buy into the promise of New Year’s resolutions and then quickly become disappointed in yourself for not sticking to them. If you, like I, find yourself in this position year after year, let’s try something new: creating and engaging in small practices and habits to improve our quality of life, all without the feelings of failure that come from not sticking to huge resolutions. Here is a list of 15 things successful entrepreneurs do every day to start on the right foot—and you don’t even have to be an entrepreneur to do them!
Year’s resolutions or expecting to amass a million dollars within the next ten years (although these are great goals to have!). Rather, I mean setting small, attainable, short-term goals, such as not procrastinating on a work project or exercising 5 times a week. When you begin by placing huge expectations, you will more often than not feel disappointed in yourself; creating shorter-term, easier goals, however, will fill you with a deep sense of pride and accomplishment upon reaching them. Start small and you will surprise yourself, which, in turn, builds the self-confidence that will eventually allow you to create and achieve larger, long-term goals.
1. Reading: Reading daily is proven to benefit all people, regardless of who you are and what you do. Reading has positive effects on memory and other cognitive functions, among which include teaching empathy and life experience, improving vocabulary and communication skills, keeping your mind active and fostering creativity. Setting aside 30 minutes a day to read—whether it be a novel, biography, or newspaper—is a peaceful act that relaxes you while also benefiting your brain’s many functions and abilities.
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Fail: The truth is, nothing grows inside of your comfort zone—so how can you unless you take risks? Few people become successful by playing it safe; if you’re sinking all your shots, you’re probably not aiming high enough. Sure, you’ll start out by hearing one “yes” for every ten “no’s,” but that’s more than growth—it’s vulnerability. If being vulnerable doesn’t come easily to you, watch Brené Brown’s “The Power of Vulnerability” TED Talk. She says it best: “vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.” And courage is key to success.
2. Sleeping Well: It is not uncommon to hear that a trait shared by many strong and lucrative people is that they wake up early, because it is for good reason: sleeping well and on a good schedule is thought to be one of the most underestimated yet important aspects of being successful. Creating and sticking to a sleep schedule can affect every aspect of one’s life, from appearances to decision making. Sleep is a pause button, allowing you to recharge while your subconscious examines and analyzes current situations and challenges, which is helpful especially to a successful entrepreneur. 3. Exercise: We live in a society that places the most value on looks resulting from exercise, which is why it is necessary that we, ourselves, autonomously choose to place greater value on the mental and physical health benefits that come from exercising. If you’re unsure where to start, you can refer to my article “10 Exercises To Do At Home—No Equipment Necessary!” for some ideas. Just one hour of exercise and time outdoors per day is a habit that produces lifelong results. 4. Setting Goals: When I say “setting goals,” I’m not talking about New
6. Building Connections: Tying into the notion of vulnerability is the idea of building and maintaining meaningful relationships. Above all else is the human need for connection—the longing to belong—and this is achieved through vulnerability and emotional intelligence. Rather than investing only money, invest in relationships, too: creating a network of people you understand and who understand you pays off big time in the world of business. 7. Journaling: Journaling daily is a habit that incorporates and improves multiple facets of your life. Writing down your goals is journaling; filling out a calendar with deadlines and meetings is journaling; writing down dreams, things about your day, and feelings is journaling. It all boils down to the mindful acts of reflecting, thinking, and planning for the future, which can help to increase motivation as well as staying in touch with your mental and emotional well-being. Continued on next page...
WORK (Cont.) 11. Practicing Gratitude: Yet another tie into the notion of mindfulness is the idea that many successful entrepreneurs claim to practice gratitude daily. This can be done in a journal, through an app, or even in your head—all it takes is acknowledging a few things you are grateful for and meditating on them for a short period of time. Not only can practicing gratitude help your business flourish, but it helps to set you and your business apart from a sea of others and can also serve as the key to creating or solidifying important relationships. 12. Eating Well: As this list continues to grow, a few common threads can be found throughout all sections—one of them being teaching and stimulating your brain. You can follow all of the tips this article offers and not see results if you do not engage with this tip, as well: eating well and healthy. Maintaining good nutrition and fueling yourself with healthy foods is the most direct way to impact energy levels and brain output. Loading up on carbs, sugar, and processed foods can seriously decrease your energy and productivity levels, which can detriment both your body and your quality of work.
8. Do the Hardest Thing First: Like Mark Twain once said, “Eat that frog:” get the most-feared thing out of the way first. Whether the task is the hardest, scariest, or longest task of the day, doing it first to get it over with is the route which ultimately causes the least amount of stress. As soon as you get the hard thing out of the way, you free up a large amount of time and energy to complete your other easier or less stressful tasks. 9. Be Mindful: In the same vein of exercising and journaling is the concept of mindfulness, or the state of being conscious and aware of the present moment. This is something that takes practice, and exercising, journaling, and meditating are a few of the easiest ways to do so. Successful people are intensely focused on whatever it is they are doing, whether it’s giving a work project acute attention, producing the most effective results from a meeting, or absorbing information from a book. The key to mindfulness is noticing when your attention shifts from the task at hand to something else, recognizing that shift, and refocusing on the task. This brings a sense of peace while also ensuring that the best work is being achieved. 10. Fostering a Creative Hobby: Although entrepreneurship is not widely thought of as a creative venture, creativity is necessary for a successful entrepreneur. In order to keep up with the speed and demands of business in the twenty-first century, many successful business people dabble in a creative hobby. Just as reading gets the creative wheels turning, so too do things such as playing music, drawing, painting, and writing. Not only will a creative hobby maximize your output of creative ideas, but it also serves as a great way to unwind and practice the previously-mentioned idea of mindfulness.
13. Staying Organized: While the concept of being organized differs from person to person, the main goal of organization is to make the most out of your time and keep your brain and body in order. Whether it be creating daily to-do lists, keeping a clean workspace, or making sure your inbox is decluttered, committing to your personal organization routine is what’s most important in order for you to be your best and most productive self. 14. Unplug Yourself: In a world that’s both physically and digitally demanding, it is important and necessary to take breaks from social media and technological devices when you need to. Keeping up with your social status and digital presence is extremely exhausting, so unless you’re a social media influencer or have another job that is centered around social media, time away from technology gives your mind and body a chance to slow down and recharge when your battery is drained. 15. Learn to Say No: One of the most demanding aspects of working and/or running a business is the amount of decision making that takes place. At all times, there are so many variables and things to consider that make saying “yes” even easier than it already is. However, learning to set boundaries and say no is crucial to maintaining focus and productivity. If you are unsure whether saying yes to a new project will affect your ability to manage and complete your current projects, say no—be mindful of what you are already juggling and how to complete your tasks to their fullest potential, instead. For more information how your business can connect and collaborate with The 5th Floor Co-Working team, please call 407-658-6565 or email Info@The5thFloor.us. By: Raven Halle
Elevate your business with a unique marketing video or a creative live event. With over 30 years in the entertainment industry Marsico Creative can help take your business to another level.
PLAY ORLANDO
PINECREST ACADEMY & AVALON PARK ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE
FEATURING
Alice In Wonderland FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021 | MOVIE STARTS AT 7PM IN THE CARLINE LOOP FIELD | FREE ADMISSION 2550 HUFFSTETLER DR, TAVARES, FL 32778 Pre-movie activities from 5-7pm. There will be a DJ, Pizza/Soda, Snack Shack & Pinecrest merchandise available for purchase! Bring a blanket or a lawn chair & enjoy the movie, while practicing social distancing.
SEE WHAT IS NEXT! Friday, March 5th
- The Cat in the Hat
Saturday, April 10th Friday, May 21st AVALONPARKTAVARES.COM | 352-204-1020
- Dumbo
- High School Musical
Coming together to create a healthy community
An East Orlando Health Alliance
ORLANDO
Why Your Kids’ New Year’s Resolutions Should Be Part of Your Own This new year is the perfect time to reflect back on the ups and downs of the last 12 months. This has been a challenging year for everyone, and it’s valuable to think about a fresh start in the coming months. As you set your personal goals for the new year, consider looping in your children during these times of reflection. Even little resolutions can make a big impact on your child’s — and your entire family’s — life.
specific and manageable. Schedule routine check-in periods. This could be during a family meal once a week or biweekly to review progress, reinforce accountability, and work through challenges or adjustments that need to be made. Regular check-ins give parents the opportunity to spread positivity, be role models and help motivate kids as they are working on their goals. Make sure to recognize accomplishments, no matter how small.
Here are some of the benefits of making new year’s resolutions with your kids. 1. Boosting Family Togetherness Resolutions can be good for children and families, as it encourages them to work together to form or improve habits. You can start as early as pre-school age, as long as the resolution is age-appropriate, something of which the child is capable, and gains the support of the family. Resolutions that involve the entire family foster teamwork and support; families come together and encourage one another, which also inspires healthier habits for the whole family. 2. Understanding Time and Resource Management Creating and following through with resolutions helps children learn how to plan. When you’re making resolutions, it requires thinking about how to accomplish certain things by breaking a goal into smaller steps. A child must think how these steps fit into their day. They have to be proactive and tell a parent if they need a resource to help them meet their goal or alter their schedules to get their tasks completed. And if there’s a bump in the road (which there inevitably will be), going through this process helps kids learn to problem solve, pivot and get back on track. 3. Learning Accountability Setting a goal naturally encourages a level of accountability and responsibility. When you make a firm commitment with your child to help them get more active, you want to help them follow through with it. Helping your child with their goal
makes you reflect on your goals, too. You might think: Maybe I could do a little bit more in that area and be more accountable as well? Your child is also watching you work on your personal goals and you want to model positive behavior for them. 4. Boosting Mastery and Self-Confidence Increased self-confidence can be a wonderful result of achieving goals attached to new year’s resolutions for kids. Make sure their goals are small, realistic and accomplishable at first. When they’re successful, it bolsters their confidence and creates momentum. And when they experience success, they feel like they can do more and set bigger goals. Success is a contagious motivator to keep moving forward. How to Guide Children in Their New Year’s Resolutions Come together and decide goals for the new year as a family. Resist the urge to make a lot of suggestions on what your child could improve upon. Try to let them originate their own ideas from self-reflection. If it comes from them and it’s on their mind, they’re more likely to commit to it and see it through. Then, your parental role is to guide each child’s ideas and offer support to fine-tune them so that they are reasonable and realistic. For example, if a very young child wants to exercise every day, a parent might help the child shape that goal into something more achievable. Perhaps it’s suggesting that the child starts with exercising three times per week and increase from there.
You can start the resolution process by setting a family meeting. Sit down with your kids and have a conversation about what resolutions are, field their interest in having a family resolution plan, and then work together to set some family goals and each child’s personal goals. If ideas come up and you need further assistance in a particular area, seek help from the appropriate expert, such as your child’s pediatrician, or get a referral to a more specialized program or a dietician, if necessary. It’s always a good idea to discuss your child’s health goals with his or her pediatrician or family medicine physician because this person knows your child and can offer guidance and support on a clinical and personal level. Sometimes discussing these health goals with other family members and caregivers is also very important to support you and your child in a positive manner. Goal-Setting Tips Start with short-term, attainable goals. Some short-term goals can be tied to a long-term goal but keep the focus short-term and stick to two to four goals at one time. For example, if your goal is to eliminate soda from your diet, banning all soda at once would likely set you up for failure. Instead, set your short-term goal to reduce soda intake from three cans to one per day for the first week, and graduate up from there. In addition, goals should also be reasonable, concrete,
To Reward or Not Reward Sometimes, motivating children is tricky business. And parents can fall victim to the reward cycle for positive behavior. In the case of New Year’s resolutions or health goals, success alone should be the primary reward or motivating factor to foster in kids. Self-accomplishment and verbal praise should be enough. It’s an important lesson to learn that not everything comes with monetary or tangible rewards. That said, if there is a certain area with which the child is struggling, or the experience has been a tough process, thinking about a reward could be appropriate. However, it should not be monetary or food-related. If your child is doing really well and they meet their goal, maybe it’s scheduling a family movie night or an experience together to acknowledge and support your child for a job well done. Partnering to Help Families Achieve Health Goals While the holidays are a perfect time for self-reflection and goal setting, it’s important for families to realize that healthy goals can be set at any point in the year, as long as the entire family is on board, ready and willing to make the commitment together. As always, the experts at AdventHealth are here to support your family in whole health, year after year.
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COMMUNITY CORNER ORLANDO
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