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	A LETTER FROM YOUR MAYOR – December, 2009 My Fellow Neighbors…. I hope this Newsletter finds all of you well…. WE HAD AN INTERESTING THANKSGIVING WEEKEND…… By now all of you are aware that a minor accident in Isleworth cast Windermere into the national and international spotlight. Even though Isleworth is not in our town limits, the Windermere Police Department responded providing mutual aid and did what they do best: provide safety and aid. It is not the responsibility of the Windermere Police to conduct the investigation or to file charges. I am sure you are also aware that the ensuing media blitz was having an impact upon traffic and safety and we took action as soon as we were able to insure we had the legal authority to do so. ITEMS OF INTEREST TO YOU….. WHEN WILL THE IMPROVEMENTS AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL INTERSECTION TAKE PLACE? We are very close to getting the final approval from the Florida Department of Transportation to proceed and I will admit that this process has taken much longer than I had hoped. One we receive approval to proceed we will go to bid. If there is a positive side to the delay, we may see lower construction costs based on other construction efforts that have recently been bid. We need to give ample time for bidders to respond and I would anticipate that we could award the bid in the first quarter of 2010 and see construction during the second quarter of 2010. Construction should take approximately 4 weeks depending on the weather. GRANT MONEY IS FUNDING THIS IMPROVEMENT. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT? By now you are probably aware that two local businessmen have purchased the downtown property and have no current plans to construct anything. In addition, they have sold the Windermere Union Church property to the First Baptist Church of Windermere and they are beginning some refurbishments and it will remain a church. DON’T MISS THESE UPCOMING EVENTS Our 2010 Treebute will be held on January 16th. And on February 20th we will have a very special ceremony when we honor our First Responders and dedicate our 9/11 memorial which is an Eagle Scout project from Mr. Jeff Cox. The 630 pound steel girder from the World Trade Center will sit atop a granite base and will be located between our Town Hall and our library. As we begin a new year, I thought I would share with you one of the messages that I shared with you this time last year….. PREVENTING CRIME STARTS WITH EACH OF US…I continue to send the same message and with a new year upon us I want to urge each of us to do what we can to continue to make Windermere the safest community in Orange County. With the economy in its current state, these are difficult times for many people. And during difficult times we find people doing desperate things. But we can do a lot of things to help prevent crime and assist our officers. Every work day 20,000 vehicles travel through our town. That’s over 6 times our population which is just under 3,000. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON’T MAKE IT EASY FOR CRIMINALS! Over the past year we have seen crimes that might not have taken place had we not made it so easy. Lock your vehicles when you are not in them and do not leave valuables and your keys in your car. Do not leave packages and purses in plain view, especially at night. We have had cars broken in to because valuable items were just sitting in the front seat. Lock your doors at night. Many of you have told me that you never lock your front door. The difference between a locked door and an unlocked door can prevent you from being a victim. Do not leave your garage door open. An open garage door with no vehicles says no one is home. And if some one is home, it puts that person at risk. An open garage door allows easy entry into your home unnoticed. Do you have bushes and shrubs that make it easy for people to hide near your home? A quick trim may prevent this. You may also want to consider a motion activated spotlight in certain areas. And remember, if you are going to be away from your house for an extended period, you can contact our Police Department and they will check on your home.