Updated 3/19/20 2:30 P.M.: All library locations are closed to the public until further notice. We continue to offer online services, home delivery and other core offerings to customers. You also can sign up for a library card online from the comfort of your home.

Please check our website or follow us on social media for updates. Read the library’s statement on COVID-19 and what we’re doing in response. You can reach staff at 407-835-7323 or through online chat, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The administration of the Orange County Library System (OCLS) has announced that, to protect the health of our staff and customers, it will close all 16 locations for an undetermined period of time.

Library administration will closely monitor developments to determine a time when locations can reopen to the public safely. In the meantime, all library-sponsored events have been cancelled through April 30. The cancellation includes camps, classes, events, programs, studio sessions, tours, library pop-ups and outreach events. Online classes will continue to be offered.

Meeting room bookings through April 30 will be cancelled and refunds will be issued. Passport Services appointments have been cancelled through April 30.

Customers can continue to request books, DVDs, and other library materials during this time through our home delivery service. Materials can be returned at any library location using our book returns. Library fines will be suspended for anything due after March 13. Due dates for currently checked out materials will be extended to May 1. We are also extending the checkout period for home delivery items to 56 days.

Holds pickup from our locations will be suspended. If you have designated a location for your holds to be picked up and would like to change to having items delivered to your home, please contact us at mayl@ocls.info or call 407-835-7323 to make this designation. Our call center, Questline, will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Additionally, OCLS has a wide variety of digital offerings for library cardholders, including ebooks and audiobooks, live online classes, streaming TV and movies, music downloads, databases, digital magazines and more. Visit “How to Social Distance & Still Use Your Library” in our website at ocls.info for more information on how to access these services, or to sign up for a library card online.

The library’s administration is taking the spread of COVID-19 very seriously and will continue to monitor the situation as it develops. If additional cancellations or closures are necessary, we will announce them on our social media accounts and at ocls.info.

Posted 3/17/2020 2 p.m.

Beginning Wednesday, March 18, all library locations will be closed to the public until further notice. We will continue to offer online services, home delivery and other core offerings to customers.

From OCLS

How to Social Distance and Still Use Your Library

Amid ongoing concerns about COVID-19 and directives from public officials to implement social distancing practices, Orange County Library System has decided to cancel all events and classes. The library takes the safety and wellness of our customers and staff very seriously and will do its part in mitigating the current health crisis.

Despite these well-intentioned efforts, we know unplanned time at home can mean resources to keep yourself (or your children, if you’re a caregiver) entertained and away from stressful news coverage during this time can be a challenge to find or afford. You might be wondering how to find entertainment without taking on unexpected expense or where to find learning resources for your children when you’ve suddenly been thrust into homeschooling.

Here is a list of resources you can take advantage of remotely:

Reading

The library offers access to a number of digital lending platforms that offer e-books, digital magazines and audiobooks. If you find yourself stressed, this may be a good time to practice some self-care—a light-hearted memoir by your favorite comedian or a compelling suspense thriller may be exactly what you need at this time.

• Overdrive
• hoopla 
• RBDigital
• cloudLibrary 
• Freading 

• axis360
• ePULP 

In addition to our online lending platforms, we also offer free home delivery. At this time, the library plans to operate the service as normal. Through our home delivery program, you can request books, CD Books, CDs and DVDS (as well as new release entertainment DVDs). Visit our catalog to make your requests.

TV & Movie Streaming

If you discover that you’ve exhausted your Netflix queue or that you want to find movies you can’t see anywhere else, we also have a comprehensive collection of TV series and films available through several lending platforms.

• Overdrive
• Kanopy*
• hoopla 
• RBDigital

Kanopy is offering a collection of credit-free movies and documentaries for 30 days thanks to its partners.

Music

Music is a healthy tool to quiet the mind and raise your spirits. If you have children at home, an impromptu dance party can be a great way for them to burn off extra energy.

• CDs (available through our home delivery service)

• hoopla
• Freegal 
• RBDigital (full concert footage)

Learning Resources for Students

Experts recommend trying your best to stick to routines when caring for children during crises. This means that even though schools are closed that it’s helpful to encourage regular wake-up times and to provide structured activities throughout the day. While our digital lending services all offer something for kids, we also have free subscriptions to numerous online learning resources.

• Little Pim 

(Introduces young children (ages 6 months to 6 years) to learning a foreign language. Using short videos and flash cards, this award-winning program immerses children into a new language)

• Miss Humblebee’s Academy 

(An award-winning, online curriculum for children preschool through kindergarten. The curriculum lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning success, providing strength in core subject areas: math, science and social studies, language and literacy, art, and music. The curriculum is theme based and fully interactive with sound cues)

• Brainfuse 

(Students can connect with a qualified tutor for expert help in Math, Science, Social Studies, English, English as a Second Language, Computer Literacy, Test Preparation (such as GED, SAT and ACT) and Writing Assistance)

• Science Online 

(Science online has experiments, essays, definitions, diagrams and more)

• Homework Help LibGuide 

(Offers Quick links to live online tutoring, school subject research guides, research paper writing tips, test preparation and other schoolwork assistance)

• Tumblebook Library 

(TumbleBook Library is an online collection of e-Books that have animation, sound, music, and narration added to picture books in order to produce an electronic picture book which you can read or have read to you).

• World Book Online

World Book Online is a comprehensive online resource to research a variety of academic topics.  Parents can utilize Curriculum Correlations to see how topics relate to their children’s school curriculum.

Learning Resources for Adults

If you are someone who works in a service-based industry that’s gone dark or you’ve been directed to work from home, you may find yourself getting through your regular tasks much faster, leaving you with more free time. Additionally, if you are practicing social distancing and just want to use your time constructively, here are some services that can help.

• Mango Languages 

(Mango prepares learners for realistic conversations and strengthens everyday communication skills in over 70 world languages)

• Lynda.com from LinkedIn 

(Lynda.com is a leading online learning platform that helps anyone learn business, software, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals through a video library of engaging, top-quality courses taught by recognized industry experts)

• Chilton Library

(This resource offers step-by-step instructions, photos, diagrams, and much more for automobile repair and maintenance)

• Business Plans Handbook 

(Starting a business and need a plan? Here is a collection of successful business plans compiled by entrepreneurs seeking funds for small businesses throughout North America)

• Gale General OneFile 

(Gale General OneFile is a one-stop source for information on a wide range of general interest topics. Whether you are looking for information on current events, health care, sports, technology or almost any other inclusive topic, Gale General OneFile has articles you can use)

• Morningstar Investment Research Center 

(Find comprehensive financial information on thousands of mutual funds, including the Morningstar star rating, exchange-traded funds, information on various investment indexes, types, sectors, and styles)

• Novelist Plus 

(NoveList has information on over 200,000 fiction and non-fiction titles, including popular author Read-a-likes, book discussion guides, award lists and much more)

• Live Online Classes

(Through our live online classes, you can learn invaluable tech and business skills through the guidance of one of our trained instructors from the comfort of your own home)

*Bonus*

At-home exercise is a good way to get your body moving (especially if you’re working at home right now). It’s also an effective way to distract the mind and focus on your overall well-being. The library offers a few ways for you to access free at-home workouts:

• Overdrive 
• hoopla 
• DVDs (available through our home delivery service)

There are literally dozens more online databases and resources available to you for free as a library cardholder. Browse the Learning & Research area of our website to see more. And if you’re not sure what to read next or need ideas on what’s worth borrowing, check out the Staff Picks section of our website to see personal recomemndations from library staff.

As always, you can follow the library on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the latest regarding any changes to services.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, measures have been taken by Florida state and local officials to slow down the rate of infections. With the closure of restaurants for dine-in and move to delivery / take-out, as well as the (hopefully temporary) closure of many tourism related businesses, a lot of folks are looking for jobs right now. Based on what we have heard, here is who are hiring:

Grocery Stores / Markets

Publix

is seeking to hire “thousands of associates by the end of March to fill positions in its stores and distribution centers.” link: https://www.publix.jobs

Wal-mart

Walmart said it is looking to hire 150,000 new associates, full time and part time, through the end of May to help meet “the everyday needs of customers.” Jobs are available in stores, clubs, distribution centers and fulfillment centers. Walmart says the jobs will be temporary at first, but can lead to permanent spots. The company is expediting its hiring process, particularly for cashiers and stockers, going from a two-week application cycle to 24 hours.  https://careers.walmart.com/

Target

Target is offering optional paid leave for vulnerable employees and boosting workers’ pay by $2 an hour during the coronavirus crisis, the Minneapolis-based retailer said Friday. The company said it plans to offer extra hours or hire more workers when needed. Target is also offering an optional 30-day paid leave for employees who are pregnant, have certain medical conditions, or who are 65 or older. (Source: Orlando Sentinel)

https://corporate.target.com/careers/

Winn-Dixie

The company has vowed to “expeditiously” hire residents whose hours have been cut or who has been laid off from their jobs due to the coronavirus
https://www.segrocers.com/careers

Freshfields Farms

– To Restaurant kitchen staff: Hiring for experienced production workers in both full and part-time positions with pay spanning from $12-$16 an hour. Apply at http://www.freshfieldsfarm.com/company/#careers

Walgreens

https://jobs.walgreens.com/

Whole Foods

https://careers.wholefoodsmarket.com/global/en

Gordon Food Service

https://jobs.gfs.com/

Costco

https://www.costco.com/job-opportunities.html

Sams Club

https://careers.walmart.com/stores-clubs/sams-club-jobs

Dunkin Donuts

https://www.dunkindonuts.com/en/careers/career-opportunities?location=orlando,%20%20fl

Delivery Jobs

Amazon

Amazon hiring 100,000 warehouse workers amid coronavirus boom – “We also know many people have been economically impacted as jobs in areas like hospitality, restaurants, and travel are lost or furloughed as part of this crisis,” the company wrote. The company also said it’s basically open to hiring everyone as temps just for the duration, adding, “We want those people to know we welcome them on our teams until things return to normal and their past employer is able to bring them back.” Amazon said it is increasing wages for warehouse workers across the board from a minimum of $15 to a floor of $17, with similar raises in other regions Links: https://www.amazon.jobs/en Amazondelivers.jobs

Amazon Flex Jobs

https://flex.amazon.com/

Uber Eats

https://www.uber.com/us/en/drive/delivery/

Door Dash

https://www.doordash.com/dasher/signup/

Grub Hub

Join

Bite Squad

https://www.bitesquad.com/apply

Other

Chewy

https://www.chewy.com/jobs

Bank of America

https://careers.bankofamerica.com/en-us/job-search

PR Jobs in Orlando

Job Bank

Tijuana Flats TuskAloma in Oviedo.

Inquires / Applications – Call 407.478.3468 or 402@tuskaloma.com

Home Depot

https://careers.homedepot.com/

Cellular Sales

Verizon’s largest retailer – successfully transitioned many people from the hospitality industry into wireless sales. Apply at jobs.cellularsales.com.

Basically if it is something to do with delivery or essential services during this crisis they are hiring.

CVS

CVS Health is hiring 50,000 workers and delivering bonuses to employees who are required to work on-site during the coronavirus pandemic. CVS is giving workers bonuses of up to $500. Eligible recipients include pharmacists, store employees and managers. The company plans to immediately hire 50,000 people for full-time, part-time and temporary jobs, including store positions, home delivery drivers, distribution workers and customer service representatives.

https://jobs.cvshealth.com/

More resources

Indeed – https://www.indeed.com/

https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=delivery&l=Orlando%2C+FL

Filing for “Re-employment” Assistance

Floridians whose employment has been affected by COVID-19 CAN apply for Reemployment Assistance benefits. Eligible recipients can receive $32 to $275 per week, based on prior income and benefits can last up to 12 weeks. As of Sunday, March 22nd, 2020 the “work search” and “online work registration” requirements for benefits have been suspended thru May 2, 2020 and apply retroactively to the week beginning March 15th, 2020. Stay tuned for updates. https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2020/03/20/how-to-file-for-unemployment-benefits-during-coronavirus-pandemic/

If you know of any other establishments hiring, kindly send us an email at tastychomps@gmail.com – thank you!

A new delicious Vietnamese restaurant hits the streets with popular Vietnamese dishes. It is owned and run by a local family who wants to share Vietnamese street fare with the Orlando community. I’m glad they’re not saving these dishes for only their family gatherings and are sharing the dishes with everyone instead.

Take a look at their menu:

What’s better than delicious, flavorful dishes that are also great for your wallet!? A little bird also told me how they have special menu items here and there on weekends. Make sure you ask them if they have any if you visit during the weekends.

Don’t forget to Pho It Up with a bowl of pho, where you can decide each step what to add from the broth to how much noodles and protein you’d prefer. They even have vegetarian options (photographed here)!

The next popular Vietnamese dish is the Vermicelli, which I love with their well-seasoned pork. Their fish sauce isn’t as fishy as other places, which is nice. It has a sweetness to it, but it’s not overpowering because they are pretty good at making their own. Many of you may not know that fish sauce served to you with dishes isn’t coming directly from the bottle you find in stores, but it is diluted with vinegar, sugar, etc.

Street Fare options also include Roti Paratha Cakes. The sauce is like a curry and the roti is made nice and warm. Be careful because it comes out steaming. I crave this every day since I have had it. I can’t wait to have my foodie meet up and share it with other foodie enthusiasts so I hope I see you there.

Phoresh Noodles also has chicken wings, which are super crispy on the outside yet moist and tender on the inside. They’re made with garlic butter and fish sauce. It sounds odd, but it tastes great. Trust me.

Yum Squid is another that you may not run into often. The squid is served shredded with papaya, red onion, cilantro, and a Thai chili sauce. Although it says Thai chili, it’s not Thai hot so don’t sweat it.

While you wait for your food, enjoy some fresh lemonade. It was my first time having fresh lemonade the Vietnamese way and I wish ordering this had free refills because I’d drink it all day.

Don’t forget to grab a Vietnamese iced coffee, which is known to be made with condensed milk. I fancy my Vietnamese iced coffee with less condensed milk so I can taste all the notes coming from the coffee. Shout out to Made In Orlando for being one of my hand models.

For more information on the Foodie Meet Up, visit Yelp or check out my Flyer. With COVID19-19, the meet up is currently on hold for further notice. Do still RSVP so we have your information for updates when we do have the event!

For more about Phoresh Noodles, visit their website.

Located inside The Grand Bohemian in downtown Orlando, The Boheme is an upscale restaurant featuring amazing dishes from Chef Laurent Hollaender. We had the opportunity to experience a selection of The Boheme’s newly reimagined menu featuring brand-new vegan items.

Starting with appetizers, there are options such as Beef Carpaccio, Tomato & Burrata, Calamari, and Grilled Peach Salad.

The Beef Carpaccio is marinated dry aged Wagyu with shaved parmesan, arugula, crispy capers, and mustard aioli. The dry aged Wagyu was just as tasty as you could imagine!

The Tomato.& Burrata is great for cheese lovers as the Burrata is served with heirloom tomatoes, olive oil, aged balsamic, fresh oregano, fleur de sel, and cracked pepper.

My favorite appetizer was definitely the Calamari. The calamari is fried perfectly with jalapeños, olives, pequillo peppers, Capote capers, Meyer lemon, oregano, and Moroccan harissa sauce. The calamari and Moroccan harissa sauce pair so well together!

For those who love their salads, the Grilled Peach Salad (filed greens, pecans, goat cheese, raspberries, cornbread croutons, fig and sherry vinaigrette) is a pretty and delicious option.

Next, we were able to sample items from their brand new Vegan menu!

The Spiced Chickpea and Lentil Soup has a lovely flavor and a perfect starter to a meal.

However, it was the Beet Poke Bowl blew me away. If I hadn’t had known beforehand, I would have never guessed these were beets. They’re marinated so well, that they have such a similar flavor to the fish you typically would get in poke bowls. And it’s served with kimchi cucumbers, radish, carrots, grilled scallions, avocado, and jasmine rice.

The Vegan Linguini Bolognese is made with ground cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots, onions, pumpkin seeds, and sun-dried tomatoes topped with cashew parmesan. And to make it even better, the linguini was cooked perfectly al dente.

Now for my favorite part of the evening, The Tomahawk Experience. A 42 oz. 1855 beef tomahawk is flambéed and carved table side for a fun little show. It’s served with Porcini mushroom sauce and sides of grilled asparagus, grape tomatoes, Yukon golden potatoes, and a yellow beet mash.

We finished the evening with two different dessert offerings. The Black Bee Honey Cheesecake is an orange blossom honey cheesecake, Grand Marnier caramel sauce, and a honeycomb waffle crisp. And you can’t forget about the cute, little chocolate bees!

The Blueberry Lavender Gelato is served with a lemon almond crisp. The lemon almond crisp was like a light cookie (somewhat comparable to the texture of a macaron).

Visit The Boheme at The Grand Bohemian Hotel at 325 S Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801. https://www.kesslercollection.com/boheme-restaurant/

Sixty Vines brings wine country to Winter Park, FL with 60 wines on tap with their Grand Opening on March 17, 2020.

It is a Texas-based restaurant that currently has two locations — one in Dallas and another in Plano, with a Houston location slated to open this summer. This location in Orlando is the first outside of Texas.

Sixty Vines bring brunch, lunch and dinner options as well as tappy hour and specials throughout the week.

Sixty Vines gives you an open kitchen experience where you can watch the chefs do their magic, especially with their amazing pizza oven.

Pizzas with their oven can be made in 6 minutes to bring it out fresh to your table sooner than later for you to enjoy. You can have the chef be creative and make you something special. Yet, their most popular pizza is the Fig & Prosciutto with white sauce, mozzarella, local honey, arugula, and sesame seeds.

This Margherita pizza is made with basil pesto, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, romano, and micro basil.

All of the ingredients used by Sixty Vines are fresh and you can tell. Maybe you’ll even catch the chef and his salt bae impression like we did.

Goat cheese and pickled veggies to enjoy with some small, crisp flatbreads as the delivery system.

What wine restaurant would it be without a charcuterie board? Luckily, we don’t have to answer that question.

With this machine, that charcuterie board is made in a pinch.

There are many vegetarian friendly dishes and/or vegan dishes as well for everyone to enjoy. These are Toasts, which is a vegetarian friendly dish that combines sweet and savory notes. It consists of sea salt ciabatta with avocado & togarashi, brie & candied dates, raclette & tomato bacon jam.

The Meatballs are made with pork & local wagyu, san marzano tomato sauce, and pecorino romano. They’re so tender, moist and flavorful.

I’m not big on sweets, but holy cow would I order desserts at Sixty Vines. Their desserts are so decadent and enjoyable with any type of wine or to enjoy on their own.

Don’t forget to stop by the bar with Beau and his pals as your bartenders. They make such delicious cocktails.

This thyme influenced drink is one of their most popular. They infuse watermelon juice/water into the drink to make it lightly sweet, but more of that idea of summer on your mind.

Something a little more sweet is this peach and tequila drink. Tequila seems to be a girl’s best friend from what my close friends seem to enjoy. You won’t go wrong with this whether or not tequila is your jam.

There are a number of cocktails on the menu for you to explore and enjoy. I recommend trying them all. Maybe not all in the same night. Or do. I won’t judge.

OR you could go with one of the 60 wines on tap, which the menu shows them all categorized by type and they each have their own description too.

For more information, visit Sixty Vines for more information. I hope to see you there opening night of March 17, 2020!

UPDATED: Friday March 20, 2020

– Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-71, directing all restaurants and food establishments within the State of Florida to suspend on-premises food and alcohol consumption for customers. The listed establishments may, however, operate their kitchens for the purpose of providing delivery or take-out services.
– This Executive Order lifts the restriction that prohibits a specially licensed food service establishment from selling package sales of alcohol for delivery, take-out or consumption off-premises for restaurants complying with Executive Order 20-68, through the expiration of the state of emergency declared in Executive Order 20-52. Alcohol sales to go with food that is pick-up or delivered will be permitted and I.D. will be required for orders including alcohol.
– Additionally, the Executive Order requires the closures of gymnasiums and fitness centers within the State of Florida. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) shall utilize its authorities under Florida law to further implement and enforce the provisions of this Executive Order and shall take additional measures as necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare.

Read the Executive Order here:

https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/orders/2020/EO_20-71.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3HPNULeJnO-CMst2yDOja5dXsToMynzFM4dZKveZvhCc9lA19sh7MyUi4

Things have been getting real in Central Florida these past few weeks. The Coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic has been rapidly spreading across the world including here in Florida. This documentary showcases what life was like in Wuhan, China during the lockdown – and currently the Italian healthcare system is crippled under the strain of so many patients that they are deciding who lives and who dies because there are not enough ventilators – it is serious.

According to the New York Times, a dire scientific report gave warning that, without action by the government and individuals to slow the spread of coronavirus and suppress new cases, 2.2 million people in the United States could die.

As flights are canceled, conventions are canceled, reservations are canceled, schools are closed, etc. in order to flatten the curve on this very real health crisis, there is a concurrent economic crisis unfolding as restaurants and their workers see less hours and money coming into the region.

The situation is fluid, with new updates from the CDC and the Florida state government each day – as of March 16, 2020 the CDC recommends people congregate in groups of no bigger than 10, use social distancing of 6 feet of more, and washing hands.

Ways to Help the Central Florida / Orlando Restaurant Industry

1. Order to Go / Curbside Pick Up / or Delivery

2. Tip more than usual if you can 

3. Buy Gift Cards to help increase current cash flow to local businesses and use them later

   4. Call your local elected officials to support suspending rent, debt, utilities payments and other relief measures

To be honest, this is uncharted territory for many as this can possibly last not just weeks but months.

Below are a few resources as well as updates from local Central Florida / Orlando restaurants – including providing curb side pick up and more delivery options:

Central Florida / Orlando Restaurants Providing Curbside Pick Up / Delivery / Updates – Call Ahead

Se7en Bites

Pom Pom’s Teahouse and Sandwicheria

Proper and Wild / The Sanctum Cafe – Realdamngoodfood.com

The Ravenous Pig

Oh My Gyro

MX Taco

Hook and Reel Cajun Seafood and Bar

Saffron Indian Orlando

The Tap Room at Dubsdread

First Watch

Taglish

Stefano’s Trattoria

Smoke and Donuts

The Meatball Stoppe

Market on South

JJ’s Fusion Grille

Hungry Pants

Hunger Street Tacos

Farm and Haus

Cafe Madrid Deli and Bakery

Bites and Bubbles

Bad As’s Sandwich

Aashirwad Indian

Antonella’s Pizzeria

American Social Orlando

The Old Jailhouse

Cress Restaurant

East End Market

Maxine’s On Shine

Tandoori Bowl

Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbakoa

La Femme Du Formage

Vines and Forks by the Wine Barn

The Hammered Lamb

Taverna Opa

Taverna Opa

Tapa Toro

Talk of the Town Restaurants – Charlie’s Steakhouse, Moonfish, Johnnie’s Hideaway, Vito’s Chophouse

Orlando Restaurants with Free Meals for Students/Kids Out of School

Toasted

Git N Messy BBQ

Maple Street Biscuit Company

Chicken Fire

Bad As’s Sandwich

GIVING AND RECEIVING ASSISTANCE

Heart of Florida United Way 211 Information and Referral Crisis Line is connecting with residents to share information about available resources in the community including locations of nearest food pantries, crisis mental health services, and more. The service is provided 24/7, 365 days a year. Translation services are available around the clock. Residents can connect by dialing 2-1-1 from a phone, texting their zip code to 898211 or by chatting online at HFUW.org/Chat

Second Harvest Food Bank
The best way to connect those in need to locations in their local community that are distributing food is through the Second Harvest Food Bank’s online food finder tool on their website. Find it here: feedhopenow.org/findfood

People who want to help and donate food can do this online by starting a virtual food drive. Information can be found here: virtualfooddrive.org. Physical food drives are discouraged at this time to protect the safety of the food chain.

One Blood
Over the past week, because of fear about the coronavirus, blood centers throughout the country and here in Central Florida, are experiencing a significant drop in donations which is limiting the ability for the nation’s blood supply to be adequately replenished. The coronavirus does not pose any known risk to blood donors during the donation process or from attending blood drives. Blood centers are regulated by the FDA and must follow specific guidelines to ensure safe blood is available for patients at all times. The FDA has also confirmed that there have been no reported or suspected cases of transfusion-transmitted coronavirus and the virus poses no known risk to patients receiving blood transfusions. To donate blood today, visit oneblood.org/covid19/.

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO)
Governor Ron DeSantis announced the activation of the Business Damage Assessment survey to assess the impact of COVID-19 on Florida’s local business operations. The survey, managed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), will evaluate businesses affected by COVID-19 and the impacts the virus has had on the local economy so actions to implement appropriate relief programs can begin. The Business Damage Assessment Survey can be taken online at https://floridadisaster.biz/. Results from this survey will be shared with state agencies and local partners. Surveys submitted by small businesses can be used to access the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan, made available for COVID-19 through the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act. For inquiries or assistance with the survey, businesses can contact the State of Florida Emergency Operations Center business liaisons at ESF18@em.myflorida.com

Florida activates website for free student meals during school closure

On Sunday, Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) activated their Summer BreakSpot website, where families can find free meals for children under 18 during the current coronavirus school closures. The meal locations may be found at SummerBreakSpot.FreshFromFlorida.com.

As of March 15, there are 934 active BreakSpot sites statewide in the following counties: Alachua, Baker, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Miami-Dade, Duval, Franklin, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hardee, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Manatee, Marion, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Santa Rosa, and Seminole.

BARTENDER EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM from USBG 

https://www.usbgfoundation.org/beap

If you feel sick

The Florida Department of Health has opened a COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Agents will answer questions Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.

LINK: Florida’s COVID-19 website

Although Chicken Fire is not currently doing pop ups, it doesn’t stop Kwame from working with other locals to bring delicious and creative comfort food to Central Florida. His latest collaboration is with The Lunch Rotation for brunch.

Isaac from The Lunch Rotation created some delicious french toast that came with two tenders as a Brunch Box. You can still get the tenders at the heat level of your choice, which mine is mild heat with extra honey for that sweetness pop.

However, you won’t need any extra honey when they give you these tasty french toast and some maple syrup for the Brunch Box.

However, if you didn’t think that was enough then feast your eyes on some of Isaac’s cornbread.

How beautiful are they after they were placed on the grill?

The cornbread is served with maple whipped butter that Pedro from The Lunch Rotation was helping him whip up and serve.

Although they didn’t start taking orders until 11:30am, there was already a long line out the door by 10:30 because these collaborations are always limited on how many orders they can create on top of their usual menu items.

While fans were camping out front, everyone was busy inside working hard to make their magic.

Stub after stub, the orders came in fast. The Chicken Fire and The Lunch Rotation teams  had such smooth systems in action to the point they didn’t sweat the rush.

Oh boy, did they deliver the magic. Looks like the dishes were approved by A Quick Spoonful.

What do you think? Would you try these dishes yourself?

Do you need another look at the Brunch Box?

What about the cornbread?

Get ready for more collaboration announcements by following Chicken Fire on Instagram.

For their next collaboration, they’re with Pig Floyd’s! Check it out.

PRESS RELEASE FROM OCLS

The administration of the Orange County Library System has announced that, to protect the health of our staff and customers, all library-sponsored events and programs scheduled from March 14 through March 30 will be cancelled.

The cancellation includes camps, classes, events, programs, staff-assisted studio sessions, tours, library pop-ups and outreach events. Online classes will continue to be offered.

Early voting at library branches will continue as scheduled, and Census 2020 is still scheduled to set up tables at our locations as planned. Meeting room bookings will be honored, but customers who wish to cancel a meeting due to concerns about the virus can have their meeting room fees refunded by calling 407-835-7323.

Libraries will remain open for normal hours to provide essential library services to customers.

The Orange County Library System has a wide variety of digital offerings for library cardholders, including ebooks and audiobooks, live online classes, streaming TV and movies, music downloads, databases, digital magazines and more. Visit our website at ocls.info for more information on how to access these services, or to sign up for a library card online.

The library’s administration is taking the spread of COVID-19 very seriously and will continue to monitor the situation as it develops. If additional cancellations or closures are necessary, we will announce them on our social media accounts and at ocls.info.

Celebrate St. Patty’s 2020 With Liam Fitzpatrick’s, Graffiti Junktion, Duffy’s And F&D Cantina At The 12^th Annual Lake Mary St. Patrick’s Block Party On Saturday, March 14

Central Florida’s #1 Irish Pub Joins Together with Colonial Town Park Plaza Neighbors For the Biggest, FREE St. Patty’s Block Party in North Orlando Featuring Festive Live Entertainment, Multiple DJs, Drinks and Supporting Orlando City Youth Soccer

Orlando, FL (February 20, 2020) – It’s time again to go green and join the luck of the Irish at Liam Fitzpatrick’s Restaurant and Irish Pub, Graffiti Junktion, Duffy’s Sports Grill and F&D Cantina for the 12^th annual St. Patrick’s Lake Mary Block Party on Saturday, March 14.  North Orlando’s biggest block party is FREE to attend and kicks off at Colonial Town Park plaza at 4pm.  The epic event features festive live entertainment throughout the night from Orlando Firefighters Bagpipes & Drums, three live DJs, drink specials and authentic Irish food and fun.

The Lake Mary St. Patrick’s Block Party also supports Orlando City Youth Soccer, who will be on site collecting donations.  Orlando City Youth Soccer is the preeminent youth club in Lake Mary, whose core values are player development, parental guidance, coaches education and community outreach.

“While we strive to deliver a traditional Irish pub experience 365 days a year, St. Patty’s is, without question, our most highly anticipated main event,” says Liam Fitzpatrick’s General Manager Dominick Coloni.  “We are excited to join back together with our plaza neighbors and Orlando City Youth Soccer, start 2020 off strong and see all of our loyal patrons at the best, the biggest and the most memorable St. Patrick’s party.”

Enjoy the 12^th annual Lake Mary St. Patrick’s Block Party on Saturday, March 14 starting at 4pm at Colonial Town Park located at 951 Market Promenade Avenue, Suite 1115, Lake Mary, FL 32746.  For more information, visit www.facebook.com/liamfitzpatricks.

Club Wyndham, the world’s largest vacation club with more than 100 resorts, has partnered with renowned chefs from around the U.S. to launch a new culinary series – Suite Meals by Club Wyndham™.

The digital culinary series features simple and delicious recipes that families can prepare right in their vacation club suite, crafted by James Beard Award nominee Julie Petrakis, local chef and restaurateur of The Ravenous Pig, Cask & Larder and The Polite Pig, from Orlando, Florida.  

Club Wyndham has also partnered with two other chefs: Chef Gabriel Paredes from Austin, TX and Chef Karl Holl from Portland, OR.

Each recipe features local ingredients and is simple to prepare, using the tools found in the in-suite kitchens or kitchenettes.  Guests will be able to recreate dishes at the resorts located in the chefs’ hometowns, thanks to in-suite recipe cards and demo videos on the resort’s TV channel and website.

We were invited to Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek resort to meet Chef Julie Petrakis who prepared for us her three signature Suite Meals dishes and they were all simple to make and delicious!

Southern-Style Breakfast Sammy

Florida-Style Shrimp and Grits

Florida Farmer Salad with Honey-Dijon Pork Chops 

Petrakis aimed to provide family-friendly dishes that everyone can enjoy while taking a break from a busy day at the theme parks.

For more information, visit: SuiteMealsbyClubWyndham.com

Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort
9560 Via Encinas, Orlando, FL
(407) 238-3500
wyndhambonnetcreek.com