Early this year the Celebration Area Council began planning a Town Hall event at which they hoped to bring the community's questions to the candidates for Osceola County Commission, District 1. This hotly contested race will be decided in the August 18 primary this year between four Democratic candidates.
With the arrival of COVID-19, the CAC worked to find a new way to bring the candidates' message to those who will vote for them. Today, the Council will share candid conversations between CAC Chair Amy Buehler and the candidates framed around the following six questions.
In addition to addressing these key points of interest, Mayor Alvarez was quick to point out his successes with the City of Kissimmee over the past eight years. Likewise, the incumbent, Commissioner Choudhry shared many of her highpoint as a County Commissioner over the past four years. We must note that the other two candidates for the District 1 seat, Michael Harford and Janette Martinez declined the invitation to participate.
As you prepare to vote in the primary on August 18, check out the CAC's interviews below to learn more about the candidates. Also, look out for the Chamber's Virtual Hob Nob which will launch on our website later this month.
Celebration Area Council Chairman Amy Buehler and Vice Chairman Charles Castellon interview Osceola County Commission District 1 candidate Kissimmee Mayor Jose Alvarez
Question Timestamps:
2:42 - Available office space along West 192
4:50 - Economic impact of the pandemic
9:18 - Working with the County or new & emerging businesses
13:54 Potential future tax increases for transportation
19:20 - Rent control 21:48 - Pandemic-related moratorium on evictions
Celebration Area Council Chairman Amy Buehler and Vice Chairman Charles Castellon interview Osceola County Commission District 1 incumbent candidate Commissioner Peggy Choudhry
Question Timestamps:
4:28 - Available office space along West 192
7:48 - Economic impact of the pandemic
13:37 - Working with the County for new & emerging businesses
18:49 - Potential future tax increases for transportation
24:20 - Rent control
30:38 - Pandemic-related moratorium on evictions
On July 8, the Poinciana Area Council held their first virtual PAC Lunch. Guests were invited to partake in their own lunch while enjoying an educational and informative topic from the safe comfort of their home or office.
The topic of the day was "The Benefits of Halo (Salt) Therapy," presented by Crystal Bethea of Riviera Spa Massage. Interestingly, Salt Therapy can have positive effects on the respiratory system, as well as the skin and overall well-being - both mentally and physically - of a body. While Crystal was quick to point out that salt therapy is not intended as a "cure" or replacement for any kind of medication, and that anyone seeking any new kind of treatment for a particular condition should first consult with their doctor, she also conceded that the benefits of salt therapy that she has witnessed in her practice and in her personal life could be a welcome lifestyle addition now amidst the pandemic.
Crystal began by explaining how the sensory experience of sound, salt, and light that is part of a salt booth or salt room session can have a positive effect on bringing the body, mind, and spirit into a state of balance. She then explained the science behind how halo therapy, which make use of pharmaceutical grade salt, works. She offered a bit of information on how salt therapy might be beneficial to those wishing to ward off coronavirus. While coronavirus has no vaccine or cure at this time, salt therapy is a proactive action to guard the respiratory system that the virus seems to so aggressively attack.
Crystal also discussed salt therapy's benefits for the skin, and ways it can positively impact sleeping problems, snoring, anxiety, stress, and mental fatigue. Finally, she covered some basic FAQs and then took questions from our attendees.
If you would like to view Crystal's presentation, it is available below.
Keep up with the Poinciana Area Council on Facebook. They will announce an August "luncheon" event very soon. If you are a member who is interested in attending one of their virtual board meetings, contact us at cpilkington@theosceolachamber.com.
With the sudden onset of COVID-19, the the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber did what many of our member businesses and peer organizations did and moved much of our communications, meetings, events, and general connection with our members to an online platform. Beginning April 1, we launched a weekly “Wednesday Livestream” on our Facebook page to connect our members and Facebook followers with community leaders and experts as we navigated the uncharted territory of Coronavirus. If you missed this series, or would like to review a particular presentation or conversation, you can find all of our COVID-related Wednesday Livestreams archived on our blog.
This series continued all through spring and the month of June. Now, as our County and the nation hope to navigate away from Coronavirus, we want to expand our scope of conversation and information to a wider range of topics. On July 1, we launched our new “15 Minutes Series,” which will continue in our Wednesday morning timeslot with 15 minute presentations or conversations featuring community leaders and elected officials, practical applications for businesses, topcis to inspire business professionals and entrepreneurs, timely topics for our members and community, and occasional bits of fun.
To view our new “15 Minutes Series,” join us live on the Kissimmee/Osceola County Facebook page every Wednesday at 9:30 am. Some topics will be live, and we will welcome questions from viewers in real time. All programs in the series for the months of July & August will be archived below with later programs to follow in additional posts.
August 26: 15 Minutes on Timely Topics Featuring a Utilities Update
Our utilities here in Osceola County are prepared to work with you if you are finding it difficult to cover utilities payments at this time. Hear directly from Kissimmee Utility Authority, Duke Energy, OUC – The Reliable One, and Toho Water Authority about the programs they have in place, during COVID-19 and at all times, to provide business assistance. We also touch on the latest with solar energy and preparations during hurricane season. Find a quick guide to the utility companies’ business assistance options on our blog here.
August 19: 15 Minutes with Our Community Leaders Featuring Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis
Should college football happen? What are the conversations surrounding business liability protections? How will the re-opening of our theme parks impact Florida’s economy? Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis spent 15 minutes with Chamber Board Chair Adrianna Sekula for our 15 Minutes Series on August 19 to explore these topics and more.
August 12: 15 Minutes of Practical Business Applications Featuring a Customer Service Skills Re-Charge
Jennifer McGinnis of Mantis Shrimp Consulting, a professional development and coaching company here in Osceola County, sits down with John to talk about how to recharge your customer service skills. What has changed in the world of customer service in a post-COVID world? What can you or your staff do to keep those customer service skills – in person or from a distance – fresh? Sponsored by Kissimmee Utility Authority.
August 5: 15 Minutes with Our Community Leaders Featuring An Election Update
We spent 15 minutes with former Seminole County Supervisor of Elections and Florida Secretary of State Michael Ertel to discuss all things Election 2020. Watch to gain clarification regarding early voting, voting by mail, the August primary, and write-in candidates, then visit our Virtual Straw Poll Site at www.theosceolachamber.com/osceola-elections to learn more about the candidates and cast your straw poll votes. Time stamps below.
July 29: 15 Minutes on Timely Topics Featuring an Update on Our Hospitals
Once again we welcomed an update from our local hospital systems. We heard from Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital President Brent Burish, AdventHealth Kissimmee CMO Dr. Dennis deLeon, and Osceola Regional Medical Center CEO Davide Carbone. Ken Peach with the Health Leadership Council was our moderator.
July 22: 15 Minutes on Timely Topics Featuring an Update on the Chamber
Chamber President/CEO John Newstreet was joined by 2020 Board Chair Adrianna Sekula for an update on the Chamber. View their discussion to learn what the Chamber has been up to during the pandemic, what exciting things are coming in our future, and what advice we can offer our members at this time.
July 15: 15 Minutes on Inspiring Better Business, Featuring Time Management with Tim Weisheyer
Our guest speaker, entrepreneur and consultant Tim Weisheyer, chatted with 2020 Chamber Chair Adrianna Sekula about improving time management. Is time management really about “managing time,” or about managing your priorities?
July 8, 2020: 15 Minutes with Practical Applications for Your Business, Featuring Grant Opportunities with Osceola County
David Rodriguez, Economic Development Manager with Osceola County, discussed the County’s new CARES Act Osceola County Emergency Economic Relief Grant Program.
|July 1, 2020: 15 Minutes with our Community Leaders, Featuring Congressman Darren Soto
We were thrilled to kick off the new series on July 1 as Rep. Darren Soto of the U.S. House of Representatives joined us for a conversation with Chamber President John Newstreet and 2020 Board Chair Adrianna Sekula. Hear about the Congressman’s top priorities, what current issues of legislation could impact your business, and how he tackles important issues in our district.
