BREVARD

J. Stanley Payne, chief executive officer of the Canaveral Port Authority, has been named to the 2009-2010 executive committee of the board of directors of the American Association of Port Authorities. AAPA is an alliance of leading ports in the Western Hemisphere. The mission of the organization is to protect and advance the common interests of members as they connect their communities with the global transportation system. It is governed by a 57-member board, consisting of elected representatives of the corporate membership from each of the port regions. Payne represents the U.S. South Atlantic port region. With extensive experience in port operations and shipping, he began his tenure with the Canaveral Port Authority in 2004 after serving as a deputy executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. In addition to his AAPA service, Payne is chairman of the board of directors for the Florida Ports Council. He also is past chairman of AAPA’s Security Committee, past president of the North Atlantic Ports Association and a member of the Governor’s Seaport Security Standards Advisory Committee.

LAKE

For the first time in the county, a family has received funding through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and moved into a new home, located in Eustis. The aid arrived with the help of the Lake County Department of Community Services and Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter. The NSP was created by the U.S. Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 to respond to rising residential foreclosures and property abandonment. The NSP’s main purpose is to stabilize neighborhoods negatively impacted by foreclosures. Lake County received $3.1 million to acquire, renovate and sell foreclosed homes at affordable prices to eligible families. To have the most impact on neighborhoods hardest hit by foreclosures, the targeted areas were selected by ZIP code, including some in Clermont, Leesburg and Eustis.

ORANGE

In 2005, with a goal of replacing 10,000 trees by 2010, the city of Orlando began its 10,000 Trees Initiative. The planting of a final few trees citywide during the holiday season marked the achievement of that goal. In 2004, hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne wreaked devastation not only on residents and businesses, but also on Orlando’s landscape, with the city losing thousands more trees than it does in the average year. The city’s Parks Division, along with Green-Up Orlando and Keep Orlando Beautiful, brought together individuals and resources to restore the tree canopy. A core focus of the initiative was developing creative solutions for funding, such as seeking capital improvement funds, grants and donations. Orlando citizens and organizations joined the successful effort. The city continues to offer tree programs to residents and neighborhood organizations, and volunteer opportunities remain for tree planting through Green-Up Orlando.

OSCEOLA

Stacia Hetrick, aquatics agent with the University of Florida/IFAS Osceola County Extension Office, has won a national award from the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals for work on the office’s Hydrilla and Hygrophila Demonstration Project Web site (http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/osceola). Extension agents nationwide competed for the award, which honors those who have made significant contributions to natural resource education. Dr. Tina Bond, Osceola County National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System coordinator, also was recognized for contributions. The Web site provides information on a variety of topics, including hydrilla, hygrophila and other non-native invasive aquatic plants, as well as their management and what the county is doing to find solutions. The site represents one component of the outreach strategies of the Hydrilla and Hygrophila Demonstration Project, which seeks to find new, cost-effective solutions to better manage aquatic weeds and enhance the overall health and quality of lakes.

POLK

Energy 5.0, a renewable energy company, has announced plans to design and construct a 25-megawatt solar photovoltaic electric-generating station in the county. The Florida Solar I Project will be located on approximately 350 acres of reclaimed phosphate mine land. Preparation of permit applications and preliminary design work are under way. Staff members of the Central Florida Development Council had worked with Energy 5.0, Tampa Electric Co., Enterprise Florida and the county’s growth management personnel for the past year to help the company bring the project to Polk. Construction is slated to begin this fall. Under the terms of the agreement, Energy 5.0 will deliver the full output of the facility to TECO Energy at a fixed price per kilowatt hour. The project is expected to produce enough energy to power 3,400 households, and it’s anticipated that the clean technology will avoid the emission of more than 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide over the 25-year contract term.

SEMINOLE

The U.S. Tennis Association Florida named Seminole County Leisure Services Department as 2009 Member Organization of the Year. The USTA award is recognition of the organization’s contribution to tennis in the state of Florida. USTA Florida is a nonprofit tennis association composed of more than 1,000 member organizations throughout the state, with approximately 50,000 individual members. According to county officials, local residents also benefit from the recognition, which enables the county to continue to attract and reap the economic rewards of regional, statewide and national tennis tournaments. By winning the 2009 USTA Florida Member Agency of the Year, the Leisure Services Department gained considered for national recognition with USTA. Seminole County Leisure Services manages more than 6,000 acres of natural lands, 24 parks and 80-plus miles of trails.

VOLUSIA

The city of Daytona Beach has opened its first skateboard park, located within Bethune Point Park. City officials tout the skateboard park as one of a kind and one of the premiere facilities in Florida. Among the park’s features: a large precast concrete clam shell, precast skate-able art pieces and a precast bank textured with grooves — all elements in an innovative skating experience. The park also features an “in-ground bowl.” Skaters under age 17 must provide a signed parental consent form. Breaking Ground Construction, a Jacksonville firm specializing in skateboard park building, constructed the park, which was designed in partnership with Spohn Ranch, a California-based company known for designing courses for several “X-Games” competitions.