December 2007

 www.CharlotteCountyFL.com
 

The Charlotte E-News is distributed by the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners. If you have any questions or comments please direct them to the Communications & Marketing Department ENEWS@CharlotteCountyFL.com or call 941.623.1092.

 

HOT TOPICS

Courthouse Renovations - A grand reopening of the historic courthouse, located in downtown Punta Gorda, has been planned for February 29, 2008.  More details on the event will be available later. For a current status report on this (and many other) County construction projects, check out the slideshows on our website.

Live Cam - Construction is currently underway at the Charlotte Sports Park, future home of Tampa Rays Baseball spring training.  You can now watch every detail of the renovation process via web cams.  Seven cameras have been installed at various locations around the stadium and they will be active 24/7. Many thanks to the Hunt Mathews/Taylor team for making this happen. Watch the men at work with our live on-site cameras!

Joint Meeting - The County Commission and the Punta Gorda City Council held their quarterly joint meeting to discuss common issues. Updates were given on the Courthouse renovations and the Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center, both located in downtown Punta Gorda. The members also discussed the City's proposed annexation of areas currently within the County's jurisdiction.  The City has developed a detailed annexation plan and will present it at the next joint meeting in March 08.

Radio Schedule for January -  This Is Charlotte County, our new radio program on WCCF 1580 each Monday at 11:05 a.m., continues to draw interest. If you have any suggestions for topics or speakers, please let us know at communications @CharlotteCountyFL.com.  Can't listen to the radio on Mondays?  All shows are available for on-demand listening on the County website.  The schedule for January: January 7 - Commissioner Tom D'Aprile; January 14 - Commissioner Adam Cummings; January 21 - Jim Barrett, Veteran Services Office; and January 28 - Commissioner Tom Moore.

CCU Certified to Perform Water Analysis - Congratulations go out to Charlotte County Utilities Operations division and the East Port Laboratory.  Following an arduous, nearly two-year application process, the lab has been certified to perform select drinking water analysis in addition to the wastewater testing it has traditionally performed. Performing these tests at East Port will be more cost-effective than using an outside laboratory and, further, will improve access and response time.

Holiday Pickup - Garbage pickup - NO garbage pickup on Christmas Day or New Years Day.  Your garbage pickup will resume on your next scheduled pick up day. Recycling pickup – North of the Peace River will have pickup on Wednesday, December 26, 2007. South of the Peace River will have pickup on Wednesday, January 2, 2008. For more information check online.

Household Product Reuse Shop is now open at the County's Mini-transfer & Recycling Facility in Murdock!  Residents can take home reusable household products at no charge.  Selections change frequently and include such items as:  Automotive products, household cleaners, lawn care items, paint, pool supplies and spray paint.  The Reuse Shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is located at 19675 Kenilworth Blvd. in Murdock. For more information call 941.764.4360 or Englewood 941.697.4000.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Explore Nature: Through the Eyes of Florida’s First People  - The Charlotte County Historical Center presents a new Youth Club Adventure program, called Explore Nature: Through the Eyes of Florida’s First People, on both Thursday and Friday, January 3 & 4, 2008, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm for children ages 8-12. A walk through the Dotzler YMCA Park will begin two days of nature fun on the Harbor.  A look at “Florida’s First People” will guide us through exciting crafts created from nature. The registration fee for this special two-day program is $32 for members and $40 for the general public. Space is limited, so to reserve your place by calling 941.629.7278.

Chanukah Traditions Now on Exhibit - Charlotte Harbor – The Charlotte County Historical Center has opened the new holiday exhibit Reason for the Season: Chanukah Traditions, which will be on display through January 5, 2008.  Exhibit hours are 10:00 am through 5:00 pm Tuesday through Friday and 10:00 am through 3:00 pm on Saturday. This year’s Reason for the Season: Chanukah Traditions theme explores the wonderful traditions of Chanukah, as well as the history of Port Charlotte’s own Temple Shalom. Special guest curators are Marlene Friedman and Odette Port.  Discover the meaning of this holiday worldwide, and learn about the faith and good works of the Jewish community right here in Charlotte County.  Admission is $2 per adult and $1 per child, which includes admission to the permanent exhibits. Also on display at the Historical Center are Bicentennial Time Capsule, Shopping in Charlotte County depicting changes in retail over the years, 16 original Heritage Paintings of local historical buildings by Betty Reese, and Charlotte County: Telling Our Story in several galleries. The Charlotte County Historical Center is located at 22959 Bayshore Road, Charlotte Harbor.  For more information call 941.629.7278.

MEETINGS

Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners holds its regular meeting at 9:00 a.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.  Land use issues are addressed on the third Tuesday and Commissioner's Roundtable is held on the first Tuesday of each month. These meetings are held at the Murdock Administrative Complex, 18500 Murdock Circle, Port Charlotte, Room #119.

To view the agenda for the Board meetings click here: Commission Agenda.  The meetings can also be viewed live on CCTV-20, (Comcast Channel 20) or can be viewed via live stream on our website - Streaming Video. 

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A variety of government meetings are archived for on-demand viewing. Check out our inventory here: On Demand Video.

Charlotte County has dozens of official meetings and activities each month.  For an itemized listing click here: Meeting Calendars

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