News & Bizness Briefs - 08/16/12

Goodwill Industries of Central Florida and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida Inc. collected more than 6,500 pounds of food during Goodwill’s Fill the Need food drive. Residents were encouraged to drop off nonperishable food items to support Second Harvest’s Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope campaign, which helps feed children during the summer months while school is out.
Goodwill stores and donation centers in Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties participated in the drive. For more information, visit www.feedhopenow.org on the Web.

Orange County officials decided to update a 2003 proposal for a $37 million Horizon West Sports Complex in west Orange County. This is due in large part to finding sand skink tracks on the 219-acre site. Skinks are 4- to 5-inch lizards and are an environmentally threatened species found only in Central Florida. There are only a few areas where sand skinks are known to reside.

“We have to make sure we know where they are and plan around them and preserve that habitat,” said Orange County District One Commissioner Scott Boyd.

Boyd said there is flexibility to work around the lizards, including the county-owned water-reclamation property that is north of the sportsplex site.

Orange County owns the sportsplex site, where people can hike, bike, fish or ride horses. But the county has additional plans for the property, including a multiuse stadium for cricket and gridiron sports, and baseball and lacrosse fields. Boyd would like to see the West Orange Relief High School on the site to share the recreational space.

However, according to Orange County Public Schools spokesperson Kathy Marsh, “The West Orange Relief High School site is still officially located at The Beck Property, known as the West Windermere Rural Settlement.
“A lot of folks do not want it there,” said Boyd, who hopes to move the school to the sportsplex site.

In the meantime, the county needs to find money to build the sportsplex. It has about $7 million in park impact-fee funds.

“The funding for the sportsplex has always been a serious issue, because we don’t have the money to build this out,” Boyd said.

“We have [a] study ongoing, and there’s a lot of attention out there,” Boyd said. “What’s nice about the sportsplex located where it’s at, there is some ability to be flexible with it.”

Biofit Health Center, located in The Shoppes at Windermere at 8917 Conroy-Windermere Road in Orlando, celebrated its grand opening last month. The event included an Alzheimer’s and brain health presentation by renowned neurologist Dr. Ira Goodman. The first-of-its-kind facility offers a holistic approach to a healthful lifestyle, including brain fitness, stress management training with biofeedback, yoga, tai chi and acupuncture. The center’s directors are Drs. Diamond Lakhani and Nasrin Lakhani. For more information, call 407-217-6977 or visit
www.biofithealthcenter.com on the Web.

Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining Month will take place from Sept. 1-30. During the seventh annual culinary event, more than 60 of the area’s finest restaurants will offer three-course, prix fixe dinner menus for $30, and $1 from each meal will be donated to Edgewood Children’s Ranch. For more information or to view a list of participating restaurants, visit www.orlandomagicaldining.com on the Web.

Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, located in Suite 300 at 8031 Turkey Lake Road in Orlando, offers a Coal Fired & Craft Beer weekly special. Each restaurant has a unique craft beer menu and features local brews. Every Monday and Tuesday, Florida locations offer half off craft beers. For more information, call 407-363-9466 or visit www.anthonyscoalfiredpizza.com on the Web.

Just in time for the 2012-13 NFL season, Teak Neighborhood Grill is now outfitted with 27 high-definition TVs. The GastroPub focuses on quality products in a hip, fun pub environment, and it is known for its 25 signature 100 percent Angus-beef hamburgers. Its menu also includes seared ahi tuna, steak, mussels, crab cakes and more. Teak, located at 6400 Times Square Ave. in Orlando, is open daily from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and serves brunch, accompanied by a bloody mary bar, each Sunday from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, call 407-313-5111 or visit www.teakorlando.com on the Web.

Bravo Cucina Italiana, located at 7924 Via Dellagio Way in Orlando, is offering a $7.95 lunch menu and $19.95 three-course dinner menu through Sept. 30. The menus do not include tax, gratuity or beverages. Bravo’s $7.95 lunch menu is offered Monday through Friday until 4 p.m., and the $19 .95 dinner menu is available Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. until close. For more information, call 407-351-5880 or visit www.bravoitalian.com on the Web.

The Crab Stop, located at 3749 S. Kirkman Road in Orlando, celebrated eight years under the leadership of Chang and Layla Pagan. The restaurant has been in the area for more than 25 years, and will soon offer a sit-down option in its facility. In addition to other fresh menu items, the restaurant is known for its garlic-marinated Maryland blue crabs. Franchise opportunities are available. For more information, call 407-292-6161, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty closed a $1.125 million cash sale of a four-bedroom, 4.5-bath luxury home overlooking Lake Robert at Waterford Pointe in Windermere. Roger Soderstrom, founder and owner of Stirling Sotheby’s, said international luxury home specialist Benjiman Hillman negotiated the sale on behalf of the seller, who lives in New Zealand. According to Hillman, the sale of the 7,344-square-foot home took 72 days from listing to closing, and the seller received more than 95 percent of the list price. For more information, call 407-581-7890 or visit www.stirlingsir.com on the Web.

As part of its grand-opening festivities, WhirlyDome, located at 6464 International Drive in Orlando, held the inaugural WhirlyDome Olympics. Teams competed in five events — laser tag; bowling; laser frenzy; the F1 racing simulator; and WhirlyBall, the venue’s centerpiece attraction, which is a combination of bumper cars, basketball, jai-alai and hockey. Congratulations to Southwest Orlando Bulletin team members Justin Allen of Stoneybrook West, Dustin House of Southwest, Diana Mainieri of Stoneybrook West, and Peter and Jessica Strack of Eden Isle, who took home the silver medal. For more information, call 407-212-3030 or visit www.whirlydome.com on the Web.

The I-Ride Trolley service — that has logged more than 25.5 million trips since it began in 1997 — unveiled a new, state-of-the-art transportation system. The new fleet of 15 trolleys is equipped with an automated vehicle location system known as NextBus. Branded as NextTrolley, visitors can now obtain predicted trolley arrival times and live maps from the Internet, mobile devices or via text messages. The trolleys operate from 8 a.m.-10:30 p.m. daily, and a single fare is $1.25 per ride and free for children younger than 12. For more information, visit www.iridetrolley.com or www.internationaldriveorlando.com on the Web.

Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, located at 14100 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane in Orlando, is offering its SummerBlast promotion, which includes special events, activities and programs, through Sept. 4. The summer-long schedule features pool parties, rubber duck races, dive-in movie nights, arts and crafts for children, pool activities and more. For more information, call 407-597-3600 or visit www.hiltonbonnetcreek.com/summerblast on the Web.

After eight years in Celebration, HH Fine Jewelry relocated to The Marketplace at Dr. Phillips. Its original store is located in Sebring and has operated continuously since 1950. The family-owned store offers exclusive lines, and its specialty is custom designs. Any client can visit with an idea, and HH Fine Jewelry will translate it into a wedding set or exclusive piece of jewelry. Associates, who do not work on commission, pride themselves on customer service, and the store never holds sales, because customers always receive the best possible price. For more information, call 321-939-2640 or visit www.shophhfinejewelry.com on the Web.

More than 35 singers were selected to compete in the second annual Southwest Orlando Idol competition, with eight contestants having already advanced to the finale, which will take place Aug. 26. The remaining singers will compete Aug. 19, with the top four singers also advancing to the finale. Both performances will be held at 3 p.m. at B.B. King’s Blues Club at Pointe Orlando on International Drive. Southwest Orlando Idol is co-sponsored by the Southwest Orlando Bulletin, Maximum Entertainment Group and B.B. King’s. This year’s winner will be featured on the cover of the Sept. 20 issue of the Southwest Orlando Bulletin, as well as record a single with MEG. For more information, call 407-351-1573 or visit www.southwestorlandoidol.com on the Web.

For almost a month, all 56 CiCi’s Pizza locations throughout Florida participated in the Buy a Smile, Be a Fan fundraiser for the Special Olympics. CiCi’s diners purchased Special Olympics paper logos, which were displayed throughout the restaurant, for $1 each. All of the proceeds benefited Special Olympics Florida. For more information, visit www.cicispizza.com on the Web.

Huntington Learning Center, which offers SAT and ACT prep, and tutoring in reading, math and study skills, recently celebrated the success of two of its students. Laura Oliveira increased her SAT score by 250 points, and Enzo Spinelli improved his reading scores by 61 percentage points. For more information, call 407-290-1111 or visit www.huntingtonhelps.com on the Web.

The Peabody Orlando, located at 9801 International Drive in Orlando, debuted its new, elite accommodation experience — The Loft at The Peabody. The Loft’s 52 rooms are located within three private-access floors and feature boutique accommodations and upscale amenities. Each room boasts premium comfort items, including plush blankets, robes and slippers; upgraded bath amenities, featuring spa-inspired and aromatherapy products; and Keurig coffee makers and an assortment of coffees and herbal teas. The Loft experience is completed with private lounge access and a daily wine reception from 5-6 p.m. For more information, call 800-732-2639 or visit www.peabodyorlando.com on the Web.

The World Chapter affiliated with the national Disneyana Fan Club will host a Mini-Mouseketeer Reunion with several of the original Mouseketeers on Dec. 1 from 5:30-11 p.m. at Disney’s Contemporary Hotel. The event will feature live and silent auctions to benefit the Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases, as well as a holiday buffet dinner with dessert, coffee and tea. A cash bar will be available. The cost is $95 per person. For more information, call 407-256-3936 or 407-876-1429, or visit www.disneyanafanclub.org on the Web.

Chef Lorrie Ann Buckley, owner of Taste & See Catering, located in Suite 106 at 8060 Via Dellagio Way in Orlando at the Dellagio, catered a private dinner party for golf legend and Southwest resident Arnold Palmer. The 30 guests dined on beef tenderloin, whipped mashed potatoes and a Caprese salad. Dessert consisted of fresh strawberries, custard and vanilla-infused whipped cream, garnished with a sweet chocolate golf ball. For more information, call 321-345-3663 or visit www.tasteandseecatering.com on the Web.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce Vice President Krista Carter graduated from the Institute for Organization Management, the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Carter received IOM Graduate Recognition, which signifies the completion of 96 hours of course instruction in nonprofit management. The curriculum includes required courses, as well as electives in the areas of leadership, advocacy, marketing, finance, membership and more. For more information, call 407-656-1304 or visit www.wochamber.com on the Web.

Offering the best in functional medicine

Advanced Integrative Care, located in Suite 203 at 7450 Dr. Phillips Blvd. in Orlando, is not the typical medical practice. Consultations with Drs. Delia Magaly Ruiz-Paedae and Mariam Tovar are 1.5 to two hours long. AIC is great for those who are diagnosed with chronic diseases. AIC physicians practice functional medicine, which looks for the root cause of diseases. They use specialized Western lab tests, including blood, urine and saliva. AIC utilizes holistic methods, including Chinese herbs, acupuncture, nutraceuticals, food therapy, lifestyle changes and more. The facility prides itself on its Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging camera, which can detect breast cancer up to 10 years sooner than other technologies. The office performs full-body screenings and detects inflammation-related diseases. Genetic testing is also offered. The office is patient-centered, and patients are given the doctors’ personal cellphone numbers. For more information, call 407-345-5622 or visit www.advancedintegrativecare.com on the Web.