BREVARD

In November, NASA successfully launched from Cape Canaveral the prototype for a new generation of space rocket, advancing its plans to return humans to the Moon by 2020. The rocket was the prototype of the Ares I, designed to carry a new capsule-shaped crew exploration vehicle, the Orion, into low Earth orbit for missions to the International Space Station, the moon and beyond. With more than 700 sensors, the rocket is expected to provide engineers with important data for fine-tuning its design. The Ares, along with Orion, is intended to replace NASA's aging space shuttles, due to be retired later this year. Ares and Orion are part of Constellation, NASA's grand program to send astronauts back to the moon by 2020 and then perhaps to Mars and other destinations in the solar system. The Orion perches atop the Ares rocket, and NASA has incorporated a special launch-abort system to enable the capsule to jettison out of harm's way should something go wrong.

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LAKE

After several years of making improvements to purchased property, the Lake County Parks & Trails Division has opened the 192-acre Ferndale Preserve, located off County Road 455 in South Lake County. The preserve is the first county park to feature an equestrian trail. Other activities include biking, hiking, picnicking, bird watching and wildlife viewing, thanks to diverse habitats, including shoreline along Lake Apopka, meadows, forests and wetlands. In addition, the preserve’s elevation allows for picturesque views of Lake Apopka and the hilly countryside along C.R. 455, a state-designated scenic byway called the Green Mountain Scenic Byway. The county partnered with the Lake County Water Authority and the St. Johns River Water Management District to buy the property in 2006.

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ORANGE

Orange County Government’s fleet of vehicles has been named as one of the “Top 20 Greenest Fleets in North America” — No. 19, to be exact, as determined by Government Fleet Magazine. There are more than 38,000 public fleets in North America. According to the magazine, “greening” the fleet improves its impact on the environment by reducing emissions and fuel consumption; the county also recycles tires, batteries, oil, antifreeze, shocks, sheet metal and more. In addition, Orange County Fleet Manager David Roussel was one of only 20 recipients of the magazine’s inaugural Fleet Environmental Leadership Award, designed to recognize individuals who are implementing initiatives and programs that “significantly improve their fleet’s impact on the environment.” More than 45 percent of the county’s fleet vehicles are powered by some type of alternative fuel.

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OSCEOLA

Osceola County Public Works recently was featured in an article in Public Works Magazine for its innovative use of the construction manager–at–risk program for the county's numerous road-construction projects. (The national industry magazine has a print circulation of 65,000 along with an established Web site.) The article highlights the efficiency and effectiveness of the program, which can see up to 90 percent local participation in a given project and emphasizes the synergy between county leaders and staff to make the program a success. County Chairman John Quiñones called the article “good recognition” of efforts and noted that the goal of the program has always been to “get more projects through the process in such a way that our citizens get the best service for the best price.”

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POLK

The year 2060 might seem a ways off, but the Polk Transportation Planning Organization’s Citizens Advisory Committee and the Polk TPO board have related work high on their current agendas. Last month, the two groups met separately to hear presentations on the Heartland 2060 Regional Vision, the Draft Tentative Transportation Work program and the proposed Bartow Regional Intermodal Transportation Headquarters. The Heartland 2060 Regional Vision covers seven inland counties in Central Florida, including Polk. This visioning effort will help develop a regional blueprint to guide growth and development over the next 50 years. The Draft Tentative Transportation Work program outlines priority transportation projects, congestion management, multiuse trails, and transit and transportation enhancement. These projects are presented to the Florida Department of Transportation as input for the development of FDOT’s 2010-2015 Work Program for Polk County.

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SEMINOLE

County officials have created a 2010 Census Complete Count Committee to help prepare for the Seminole County Census. The committee is composed of volunteers who have a pulse on the community, representing education, government, business-industry, faith-based and ethnic/cultural-based organizations. The committee has begun spreading the word about the importance of the 2010 Census, literally neighbor to neighbor. The 2010 Census questionnaire, which will begin to be delivered throughout the country and Puerto Rico in March, will be one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10 questions. Strict confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the information they provide. Census data determines the number of congressional seats allotted to each state and distribution of billions in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year. It is also vital to decision making about which community services governments need to provide.

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VOLUSIA

A significant decline in the number of turtle nests last summer on Volusia beaches has county officials concerned and looking for answers. The county recorded 338 nests — 324 loggerhead, eight green and six leatherback nests—which was the lowest total since 2004, when the nesting season was interrupted by a series of hurricanes. And, although the beach habitat rebuilt and revegetated naturally, the number of nests this year was the third-lowest in the past 19 years. In Volusia, each nest counted this season had an average of 100 to 110 sea turtle eggs. It’s estimated that 27,000 eggs successfully hatched this season, compared to 40,000 during an average year. Notably, the same trend appears to be happening on other Florida beaches.