WHAT’S HAPPENING IN METROWEST?

MetroWest Public Safety Offers

Back-to-School Tips to Protect Our Children

By Nancy Glasgow

As Orange County schools begin classes August 10, MetroWest Public Safety urges everyone to follow these tips for safely sharing the roads with our children, whether they are walking, riding the bus, or riding their bikes to school.

When sharing the roads with young pedestrians:

• Don't block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn, forcing pedestrians to go around you and potentially putting them in the path of traffic • When flashers are blinking in a school zone, stop and yield to crossing pedestrians • Always stop for a school patrol officer or crossing guard holding up a stop sign • Take extra care to look out for children in school zones and near playgrounds and parks • Don't honk or rev your engine to scare a pedestrian, even if you have the right of way • Never pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians

When sharing the roads with school buses:

• If you're driving behind a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car to give you more time to stop once the yellow lights start flashing • Never pass a bus from behind – or from either direction if you're on an undivided road – if it is stopped to load or unload children • If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop • The area 10-feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough away to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus • Be alert; children can be unpredictable, and they may ignore hazards and take risks

When sharing the roadways with kids riding bikes:

• Bikes can be hard to see and children riding bikes create special challenges for drivers because they often aren’t able to accurately determine traffic conditions • When passing a bicyclist, proceed in the same direction slowly, and leave three feet between your car and the cyclist • When turning left and a bicyclist is approaching in the opposite direction, wait for the rider to pass • If you're turning right and a bicyclists is approaching from behind on the right, let the rider go through the intersection first, and always use your turn signals • Watch for bike riders turning in front of you without looking or signaling; children especially have a tendency to do this • Watch for bikes coming from driveways or behind parked cars • Check side mirrors before opening your door

MetroWest Food Truck Connection

Hosts Orlando’s Best Food Trucks

By Nancy Glasgow

The MetroWest Food Truck Connection is held every fourth Thursday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the MetroWest Golf Club. Each MetroWest Food Truck Connection features a variety of food trucks serving delicious and innovative dishes created by some of Central Florida’s most inventive chefs. The June 24 event showcased tasty fare from these outstanding food trucks:

• Brazilian Express – Serving Feijoada de Ogum, Brazil’s national dish of black beans stewed with Brazilian dried beef, smoked sausage and smoked pork ribs, served with rice, farofa, and collard greens; Chicken Rose; beef empanadas and shrimp empanadas, and homemade tamales. (emanjastl.com/foodtruck) • Paula’s Jamaican Cuisine – Serving jerk chicken and pork, curry chicken, oxtail, beef patties, and a variety of side dishes including mac and cheese, rice and beans, and fried plantains. (facebook.com/Paulas-jamaican-cuisine-291625091627019) • Jour de Crepe – Serving sweet and savory crepes, including their famous strawberry or banana with Nutella crepe, pizza crepes, and the best-selling lobster tail crepe, among many others. (facebook.com/jourdecrepe) • Up In Smoke BBQ – Serving small batch traditional Memphis-style barbeque using homemade rubs and a delicate blend of woods. (facebook.com/upinsmokebbq) • Rubio’s Baja Grill – Serving Baja skirt steak and shrimp tacos, fish tacos, steak tacos and chicken tacos. (facebook. com/rubios.grill) • Jeremiah’s Italian Ice – Serving over 40 flavors of Italian ice, as well as soft ice cream, and The Gelati, the perfect layering of Italian ice and soft ice cream. (facebook.com/ jeremiahsice)

METROWEST FOODTRUCK CONNECTION RETURNS METROWEST FOODTRUCK CONNECTION RETURNS

EVERY 4TH

THURSDAY

• 5:30-9:00 PM

EVERY 4TH THURSDAY • METROWEST GOLF CLUB

• 5:30-9:00 PM • METROWEST GOLF CLUB

Social distancing guidelines will be observed.

MetroWest Food Truck Connection is organized by Food Truck Crazy. MetroWest Golf Club is located at 2100 S. Hiawassee Rd.

Simplify and Save Money on

Back-to-School Shopping

By Nancy Glasgow

Back-to-school shopping can put a bit of a dent in parents’ bank accounts depending on how many school-age children they have, not to mention the stress of spending hours looking for the best deals. Read on for some back-to-school shopping advice that can save parents money, time and frustration.

• Shop online: It’s easier to stick to a shopping list and compare for best prices and you’ll save yourself the time and aggravation that can come from going from store-to-store in search of specific items or sales.

• Look beyond traditional big box

stores: Give resale shops a try, especially if your older kids are enamored of trendy labels. Even the most label-conscious teen can enjoy shopping at resale stores because they can buy more designer/brand names for less. • Take advantage of sales tax holidays: Get moving on this! Florida’s back-to-school tax holiday ends

Aug. 9. During this sales tax holiday period, qualifying items will be exempt from tax including: most school supplies selling for $15 or less per item; clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item; and the first $1,000 of the sales price of computers and certain accessories, when purchased for noncommercial or personal use. • Don’t do it all at once: If possible, spread out your shopping over time. If you try to do it all in just a few days, you’ll be exhausted and frazzled.

• Keep your shopping list on your

phone: Have your list handy so that you’re always ready to grab a good deal. • Hit the sales racks first: Especially when it comes to clothes, check

out the clearance section first before looking at the regularly priced items. • Compare prices on e-books: For classes with reading lists, perhaps buying the electronic version of a book would be less expensive than purchasing a physical copy. • Use coupons and watch ads: Use coupons (digital or print) and keep an eye on back-to-school ads for deals on must-have items. • Ask your friends: Do you have friends with children a bit older than your kids? If so, see if they have any gently-used school supplies that they’d be willing to part with.

For instance, in Florida an item like a winter coat might not get much wear before it’s outgrown and your friends might want to clear out their kids’ closets in anticipation of new back-to-school clothes.

MetroWest

National Night Out Returns Oct. 5

By Nancy Glasgow

After a hiatus in 2020, National Night Out returns to MetroWest Oct. 5 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at MetroWest Golf Club. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes strong police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie, enhancing the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of connection.

To celebrate National Night Out, neighborhoods across the nation host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and much more. National Night Out is celebrated by more than 38 million neighbors across 16,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide.

MetroWest’s National Night Out will feature vendors and exhibits, food trucks, kids’ events, crime prevention and safety demonstrations, and seminars. As admission to National Night Out is free, families can enjoy and plan for an evening of fun dedicated to strengthening our community bonds.