Osceola County officials cut the ribbon Wednesday on a new public fitness pad – the first of its kind in the county – at 65th Infantry Park in Buenaventura Lakes and with Senses Park and a splash pad nearby the 65th Infantry Park in Buenaventura Lakes is a hotspot for outdoors-y types Now that a new exercise pad is now part of the park and open whose District 2 includes BVL and the park helped cut the ribbon and open the fitness pad on a blustery Wednesday – maybe not the best weather for an outdoor workout,  “If you’re looking to add to a healthier lifestyle without paying for a gym membership “This is added to the trail and right across from the playground so you can have your little kids here and watch them while you exercise.” It was a unique vision Janer said she had for the pad “I had this vision of adding it and I’m so happy to see it come to fruition have these right in the community,” she said where there’s already some fitness stations Whether you’re working on strength or flexibility the covered station right off Buenaventura Boulevard will help you get your reps in and its open design makes it accessible for individuals and families looking to incorporate fitness into their daily routines.  © 2025 Osceola News Gazette Osceola County is set to host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Buenaventura Lakes Exercise Pad at the 65th Infantry Veterans Park on Wednesday led by District 2 Osceola County Commission Chair Viviana Janer will mark the official opening of this innovative addition to the county’s recreational facilities Located at 301 Buenaventura Blvd in Kissimmee the exercise pad is the first of its kind in the county designed to encourage residents to prioritize their health and wellness This outdoor fitness space aims to provide more opportunities for physical activity aligning with the county’s commitment to fostering healthy lifestyles “I’m excited that this outdoor exercise pad that I envisioned for the community is finally ready This will be another tool to help our residents focus on their health & well being without a costly gym membership.” Residents are invited to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony and explore the new exercise pad Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Toho Water Authority leaders held the first of four community meetings Monday to discuss the fluoridation of water in Osceola County Toho Water leaders say they want to be as a transparent as possible when it comes to this discussion about fluoride as the conversation gets louder at the national level The Buenaventura Lakes Library in Kissimmee was the site for the first of four Toho Water Authority meetings to discuss fluoridation The water provider worked with Carollo Engineering to share the history of fluoride and what levels are considered dangerous Opponents of fluoridation say there’s data that shows fluoride levels above 1.5 milligrams per liter can have cognitive impacts on children Toho Water says their levels do not go above 0.7 milligrams per liter The Centers for Disease Control and the majority of dentists say water fluoridation is both safe and effective However, many towns have voted to remove fluoride from drinking water, such as Lake Mary and Lakeland Toho Water Authority officials say they want to make sure they hear from the community before a decision is made to continue or end the current fluoride treatment for their consumers in Osceola and South Orange counties “We want to know their thoughts on fluoridated water the supplemental supply that toho adds to its water supplies and want to really know their thoughts on it because they’re the ones that are drinking it," explained Toho Water Authority Director of Public Relations and Communications Caitlin Dineen Residents who attended Monday's meeting say they want to make sure they’re heard Toho Water also has an online comment form available via email and that’s the big thing I want our residents to take away Toho is not saying keep the fluoride or take away the fluoride," Dineen shared "We’re going to the residents to say tell us your thoughts and we will gather that information and present it to our Board of Supervisors for an August vote on this topic.” Dineen says the Toho Water Authority will take the feedback from the meetings and public comment to their board of supervisors for review in June The next meeting will take place on Friday    The Kissimmee home of 56-year-old Carmen Rosa Neira Ochoa who was shot and killed on her back patio shortly after midnight New Year's Day by what police suspect was celebratory gunfire [ ORLANDO SENTINEL | Orlando Sentinel ]By Natalia Jaramillo and Cristóbal ReyesOrlando Sentinel (TNS)Published Jan 2The Kissimmee community started 2025 with heavy hearts after one of their own was killed at her home — apparently by a stray bullet fired to ring in the New Year The Police Department said in a news release Wednesday it believed Carmen Rosa Neira Ochoa was struck by a bullet from celebratory gunfire with celebratory gunfire also blamed this year for killing a 10-year-old girl in Miami-Dade County Neira Ochoa’s son-in-law, Alex Marquez, described the grandmother to WESH as the family’s matriarch “She went out of her way to help out anybody that was in need She would do anything to protect her family even me.” Marquez told the station he and his wife had just dropped Carmen off at her home Gull Court after having dinner I get a call from my sister-in-law saying my mother-in-law had been shot,” he said Crime scene tape at Neira Ochoa’s home in the Buenaventura Lakes area of Osceola County was gone Thursday morning and neighbors could see her red door lined with small potted plants But some residents of the Flamingo Lakes neighborhood are concerned and said this “never should have happened.” lives two doors down from Neira Ochoa and often waved as the two passed in the cul-de-sac Villacorta said it’s been peaceful during the 15 years she’s lived in the Buenaventura Lakes area — home to over 26,000 residents a majority of whom are descendants from Puerto Rico She was home at the time of the incident but not feeling well and said she didn’t hear anything Florida residents gain right to sue local governments for not enforcing ban on public camping “But then I saw a lot of police walking around and I said ‘Oh God’ … and I mean I was kind of scared because this has never happened before,” she said “People should start thinking about others because look what happened to this lady … you never expect anything like that to happen.” law enforcement agencies routinely remind folks to celebrate responsibly — not by firing gunshots in the air since the bullets eventually come down and can cause injuries or death But reports of celebratory gunfire remain — often with disastrous results Subscribe to our free News Alerts newsletter You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. The year before saw nearly two dozen reported injuries from accidental gunfire at least 12 from shots ringing in 2024. Neira Ochoa and the Miami-Dade child identified as Yanelis Munuguia are the only documented accidental deaths so far from this year’s celebrations “This heartbreaking incident serves as a devastating reminder that what goes up must come down,” the group said in a post on X. “Bullets fired into the air can take innocent lives.” is spreading the spirit of giving this Thanksgiving season by hosting a Drive-Thru Thanksgiving Meal Giveaway for Osceola County residents This community-focused initiative offers FREE frozen turkeys and essential items for a complete Thanksgiving meal to ensure local families can celebrate the holiday with ease so residents are encouraged to arrive early family-friendly experience in a drive-thru format ensuring convenience and safety for all participants 1 Courthouse Square Suite 1400 Kissimmee 34741 — Osceola County is working towards reducing flood risk by making stormwater improvements to Buenaventura Lakes Clara Coto-Shepardson’s home inside the Pebble Pointe community in BVL were flooded during Hurricane Irma in 2017 I have been living in this area for more than 30 years and this is a problem that has been here for 30 years,” said Coto-Shepardson previously received grants from the Florida Division of Emergency Management and matching contributions by County Commissioners total a $12 million investment in drainage infrastructure improvements to the Buenaventura Lakes community This website is unavailable in your location It appears you are attempting to access this website from a country outside of the United States therefore access cannot be granted at this time The new batting cage facility is next to Archie Gordon Memorial Park at 419 Buenaventura Boulevard Baseball and softball players looking to sharpen their hitting skills can take advantage of newly installed batting cages at the Buenaventura Lakes Baseball Park which is next to Archie Gordon Memorial Park at 419 Buenaventura Boulevard officially opens to the general public on Saturday  The seven new lighted cages will be available Mondays  “These batting cages are a home run for the residents,” said County Commissioner Viviana Janer “They will allow members of the community to fine tune their game with convenient operational hours and reasonable pricing I’m pleased we were able to place this equipment at a site that is the heart of local sports activities in Buenaventura Lakes.”  Advanced reservations for using the batting cages must be made through the Osceola County Parks reservation system (Active Net) or by walk up (credit card only  Current COVID-19 guidelines will be utilized including a temperature check prior to use  After the closing of the Osceola County Softball Complex Janer lobbied for the popular batting cages to be relocated to Archie Gordon Memorial Park at the request of residents There are two cages for fast pitch baseball two for slow pitch softball and two for fast pitch softball  Among improvements related to the installation was construction of a new ADA sidewalk  All trees planted are native to Florida and include Bald Cypress Long leaf pine and Live Oak.  These trees were purchased at a much less expensive cost and smaller size three years ago and were “grown up” at the county’s Tree Farm A rendering of what the 60 senior-living units of Buen Vecino Apartments will look like at build in 2024 or 2025 We were thrilled to have hosted the groundbreaking celebration for our new senior housing complex the Osceola Council on Aging (OCOA) and its board members US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) administrators Osceola County representatives and the City of Kissimmee hosted a celebratory groundbreaking for our upcoming BVL housing development The project will consist of 61 bedroom apartments for low-income seniors With plans for completion in late 2024 or early 2025 the complex on six acres of land on Competition Drive will include an onsite community service coordinator for community resources with the option of one or two tenants per apartment Leasing contracts will be for annual occupancy after an extensive (and competitive) national application process the announcement was made last fall that the OCOA would be the only social service organization in the state of Florida to become the recipient of a $5.6 million grant from HUD Osceola County agreed to invest another $5.2 million and the City of Kissimmee added an additional $500,000 While the OCOA already owns the property on which the new development will reside and operate all aspects of the new residential facility “The OCOA Housing Management department’s primary mission is to provide affordable housing to community residents,” said Angelica Rodriguez “This new property in BVL is the perfect solution to support additional residents to help balance the demand of rising rental costs.” The “project-based rent assisted” development will allow tenants to pay rent based on their individual income with residents paying only 30 percent of their income for rent have an income at or below 50 percent of the area median income (AMI) which averages about $29,000 annually for one person the OCOA hosted a family and senior resource expo on our Kissimmee campus We want to thank all vendors who participated Florida Department of Health Osceola County This project is one more crucial step forward in supporting OCOA’s mission of enabling independence and self-sufficiency for our senior clients OSCEOLA COUNTY – Florida Highway Patrol troopers responded to a crash early Thursday in Buena Ventura Lakes that left a 60-year-old Kissimmee man dead and another man injured at Buenaventura Boulevard and Oakwood Drive the 60-year-old man was driving a 2013 Toyota Prius eastbound on Oakwood Drive approaching Buenaventura Boulevard in the left turn lane A 2011 Nissan Rogue being driven by a 33-year-old Kissimmee man was traveling southbound on Buenaventura Boulevard approaching Oakwood Drive in the inside lane When the Prius’ driver attempted to lake a left turn onto northbound Buenaventura Boulevard the sedan entered the Nissan SUV’s direct path The front of the SUV then struck the left side of the Prius causing the sedan to run off the roadway in a northeasterly direction The driver of the Toyota was pronounced dead at the scene while the Nissan’s driver was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries Photos shared with News 6 by viewer Jose Gonzalez show the aftermath of the wreck [EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos] Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved joined the ClickOrlando team in November 2021 TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us / Follow on Social Media Careers at WKMG Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications EEO Report Disability Assistance Copyright © 2025 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group — The Osceola County Sheriff's Office has arrested Kevin Christopher Torres of Kissimmee in connection with a triple homicide reported early Tuesday morning at an apartment complex at the intersection of Gardner Lane and Royal Palm Drive in Buena Ventura Lakes Other charges include: home invasion with a firearm abuse of a dead human body and tampering with evidence Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said Torres gave investigators a full confession to the murders Sheriff Marcos Lopez tells us that Torres gave investigators a full and detailed confession in regards to how he shot and killed all 3 victims @MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/2slgGzW06T Authorities identified the victims as Justin Atkinson The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office had named Torres as a person of interest and brought him in for questioning Torres was arrested in Orange County on charges of grand theft auto and armed burglary to an occupied dwelling Deputies were first called to the complex at about 6:50 a.m Tuesday by one of the deceased’s family members and a witness authorities said. When deputies arrived they reported finding two men dead in an apartment deputies found the body of a third individual in a building farther back behind the apartment where the first two victims were discovered The witness who initially called the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office also identified a person of interest but we do have a person of interest," Lopez said Tuesday The victims’ deaths appear to be the result of gunshot wounds Steven S. Paul, who has been working as the contractor on the building for the past few weeks said this complex has had a lot of issues with broken windows But he said it was a shock pulling up for work Tuesday morning and seeing the area blocked off and getting the news that three people had been killed “I happen to know them from the last five weeks Investigators located Torres in Orange County where he had reportedly barricaded himself inside a car Orange County deputies took Torres into custody after he eventually surrendered to them he’s a person of interest in these homicides we’re going to bring him back here (Osceola County) and talk to him see if he wants to talk to us,” Lopez said.  Investigators said they hope to gather more information about what happened.  The Osceola County Sheriff's Office has said deputies are not currently searching for suspects This is a developing story and more information will be posted as it becomes available A Kissimmee man who was reported missing in Orlando was found dead on Friday afternoon after first responders pulled the man’s submerged vehicle from a pond in Buena Ventura Lakes in Kissimmee Officials said 36-year-old Jose Lebron was reported missing after having last been seen on May 15 near Ward Road and Bishop Landing Way Lebron had been driving a 2013 Black Cadillac ATS the Cadillac was traveling southbound on Waters Edge Drive near Blue Bayou Drive but failed to negotiated a curve and drive off the roadway on the left the car struck a utility box and drove into a pond Lebron was trapped inside the car as began to fill with water Sheriff’s Offices from Orange and Osceola Counties worked together to recover the vehicle Lebron was pronounced dead at the scene and the crash is under investigation Deputies found two adults and a child at the complex in the Buenaventura Lakes community near Kissimmee, Osceola County Sheriff Marcos López said in a news conference on Tuesday. Two people were in one apartment and the other was in another unit, he said. The sheriff said a witness was able to identify Kevin Christopher Torres as a suspect, and he was taken into custody after barricading himself in a car during a standoff with authorities. Torres was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries that were not related to his interaction with law enforcement, the sheriff said. He was later booked into jail on 20 charges, including three counts of premeditated murder, home invasion, kidnapping, aggravated child abuse and abuse of a dead body. Torres was being held without bond. Jail records don’t list a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. The sheriff said the victims are apparently not related to Torres. He said Torres has a history of mental health issues and drug use. – A man was found dead on Friday afternoon after first responders recovered a submerged vehicle from a nearby pond in Buena Ventura Lakes according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Deputies said 36-year-old Jose Lebron was reported missing after having last been seen on May 15 near Ward Road and Bishop Landing Way the Cadillac was recovered from a pond in Buena Ventura Lakes on Friday afternoon Sky 6 video shows that the Cadillac was towed out of a pond off Blue Bayou and Waters Edge Drive around 3:30 p.m Deputies later announced that Lebron had been found dead inside of the vehicle [TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider] Troopers explained that the Cadillac had been driving south along Waters Edge Drive but the driver failed to negotiate the curve the car struck a utility box and crashed into the pond trapping the driver inside as the car filled with water No additional information has been provided at this time News 6 reported that the vehicle was recovered in Lake Buena Vista The wreck was actually recovered in Buena Ventura Lakes The article has been corrected to reflect this fact Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved District 2 Osceola County Commissioner Viviana Janer is inviting the community to a free drive-thru Thanksgiving Dinner Distribution on Saturday November 18 beginning at 10am at Archie Gordon Memorial Park in BVL The Thanksgiving meal will include a frozen turkey and will be distributed to families on a first-come Commissioner Viviana Janer for District 2 has led numerous food events in the BVL area which are typically held at Archie Gordon Memorial Park The park’s location allows Commissioner Janer along with a team of volunteers to provide a safe and well organized food distribution for the community As this is a first come first served event it is recommended to those who are planning to attend to the food distribution to arrive early The Kissimmee man who police say shot three residents to death at a Buenaventura Lakes apartment complex in November was set to stand trial next week was scheduled to face a jury and begin his trial in Ninth Circuit Judge Keith Carsten’s courtroom on Monday the state gave notice of filing to seek the death penalty in the case Torres’ defense also filed a motion for a continuance due to an incompetency finding filed in open court since it pertained to a filing in a different case The court set a future competency hearing; there’s no word on whether that delayed the start of the trial Torres is charged with three counts of second-degree murder in the Nov The state originally levied 20 total charges against Torres but eight were dropped leaving the murder charges and those for burglary grand theft and abuse of a dea d human body Torres came to his Flower Place Apartments home in the morning and found Justin Atkinson who he’d “known from the neighborhood and did drugs together.” Assuming he was there to rob him Torres then went to Atkinson’s apartment in another building in the complex believing Mull would be angry that he shot Atkinson Torres forced them to collect any items of value from the apartment where the Orange County SWAT team apprehended him in the car where Sheriff Marcos Lopez said Torres gave “a full Prosecutors have noted Torres’ prior felony cases — a 2019 charge for dealing in stolen property and a 2017 aggravated assault case charges were dropped when he was found incapable of standing trial and he asked for treatment at Park Place Behavioral Center in Kissimmee children and family dog in their Celebration townhouse in January 2020 has been moved back another nine weeks into early April the state filed a motion to continue in order to better put together its discovery documents and the one of he attorneys in case passed away in December 2021 Osceola County Tax Collector Bruce Vickers got to “come home” on Tuesday — but he isn’t moving along with members of his Tax Collectors department team and members of the County Commission broke ground on a $5.5 million satellite office that will also have space for Supervisor of Elections office staff training and a voting precinct location What put the smile on his face is that he grew up just minutes from the location on John Young Parkway just south and west of Ham Brown Road “We looked into this when I first took office (in 2016).” The county purchased the land in 2018 for $1.5 million and the site will eventually also have a fire station and a community center Intercession City and points north and west The location will help better serve the western part of the county; for instance Celebration can be up to a 45-minute ride to the department’s main offices at Partin Settlement Road at U.S “We worked very closely to work with the county to find a great location and working in partnership with the county we were able to secure the property,” Vickers said “This location will be more cost effective for taxpayers and be more convenient and accessible for a greater number of Osceola County taxpayers.” And while it will replace the Poinciana branch office The current office has 3,000 square feet; the new one will have 11,000 square feet large enough for access to birth and death records and a full,closed course for driver’s license testing something the current Poinciana office and the other St Cloud and Buenaventura Lakes offices do not People on the west end won’t be driving 35 miles – One man was killed and another was injured early Tuesday when flames destroyed a home in Osceola County The state fire marshal’s office said two adults were sleeping inside the home when the fire started in the kitchen A man in the back bedroom suffered smoke inhalation but was able to escape the blaze The man who died was found on a couch near the front of the home “I opened the door and my neighbor was outside I just want you to keep an eye out,’” said Riesa Pascal who lives behind the house that caught fire “I ran outside and the smoke -- just the flames were going up and I saw embers coming over my house and I was shaking and terrified.” “he smoke was just billowing up in the sky You could feel the heat from where I was standing in my patio Pascal said her heart hurts for her neighbors you’re sleeping peacefully in bed and the next your home is engulfed in flames (I’m) almost in tears just thinking about what they’ve lost right here.” The cause of the fire is under investigation BREAKING: An investigation is underway after a deadly house fire in Osceola County.One man died near the front of the home. Another was taken to the hospital with smoke inhalation.The State Fire Marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire on Hidden Springs Cir. pic.twitter.com/01Q4GDtRtI Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009 When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby BREAKING: An investigation is underway after a deadly house fire in Osceola County.One man died near the front of the home. Another was taken to the hospital with smoke inhalation.The State Fire Marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire on Hidden Springs Cir. pic.twitter.com/01Q4GDtRtI Osceola County deputies are asking the community to help locate a 56-year-old woman in Osceola County who is missing was last seen within the area of Mante Drive in Buenaventura Lakes a missing report was filed by a family member after Fernandez-Rivera was missing from her home on Tuesday around 4 am Surveillance video footage shows Fernandez-Rivera leaving the home at 2 am Fernandez-Rivera is described to have brown hair and brown eyes 6 inches tall and weighing about 190 pounds She was last seen wearing a gray or black zip-up jacket and sweatpants and all of her personal belongings were left behind at her home If anyone has information on the whereabouts of Fernandez-Rivera please call the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office at 407-348-2222 or 911 The Osceola Council on Aging broke ground on its Buen Vecino Affordable Housing Project in Buena Ventura Lakes on Tuesday thanks to grants from HUD the Buen Vecino Apartments will be 60 one story one-bedroom apartments for Osceola County seniors 62 years of age or older who receive housing and we have waited 15 years for this to be built and I cannot express to you how excited we are to do this groundbreaking with you today We are just over the moon that we are able to do this,” Osceola Council On Aging CEO Wendy Ford shared at the opening of the Buen Vecino groundbreaking The Buen Vecino affordable housing project will be developed on six acres and will include a community area/club house that will host congregate meals and activities for the seniors Rent will HUD subsidized and tenants will pay 30% of their income toward rent The Osceola Council on Aging received a$5.69 million  HUD grant An additional $5.7 million will be invested into the project The Osceola Council on Aging is the sponsor and landowner of Buen Vecino The council works hard to improve and increase rental units for our seniors and it’s becoming such a great demand and Buen Vecino apartments will be a great addition to their admission,” former Osceola County Sheriff Bob Hansell shared at the opening of the groundbreaking ceremony “This is a great moment for the council!” affordable housing is much needed here in Kissimmee and like any other cities around the country we need more homes I am thrilled to witness The Osceola Council on Aging and the City of Kissimmee being part of the solution to increase affordable housing in Central Florida,” said Jose Alvarez “Housing supply is a solvable issue and the best thing we can do to ease the cost burden is to boost the supply of quality housing including building more new homes and preserving existing federally supported and market-rate affordable housing.” “We are excited to break ground on this project so we can begin meeting the needs of our senior population in the BVL community,” said Wendy Ford “We are beyond blessed to be the only organization in the State of Florida to receive this grant for our affordable housing project due to the need for housing in our community,” “We are committed to our senior population especially when it comes to providing affordable housing in Osceola County.” “The Osceola County Board of County Commissioners is committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing for our residents especially our seniors who struggle financially on a fixed income Chairwoman of the Osceola County Board of Commissioners “The partnership with Osceola Council on Aging will include added benefits for the residents of this much needed affordable housing project.” Houses that went for $100,000 and $125,000 just over 10 years ago are now going for $300,000 or $350,000 communities like this are becoming more and more out of reach so while here today we’ll be able to help 60 families and seniors who don’t have a place to live Congressman Darren Soto said during the groundbreaking Construction will begin and the application process for rentals begins toward the end of 2023 for the apartments Clearing of an unused portion of the 65th Infantry Regiment Park for a new fire station that will serve the residents of District 2 began recently The station is the second that will be built using a new prototype design which will lead to quicker and more efficient response by firefighters The new Station 62 will have features that pay homage to the deserving heroes of the 65th Infantry Regiment — or as many people know them The park will remain open during construction with an entrance for temporary parking off of Buenaventura Boulevard “This is an exciting time for the Buenaventura Lakes community because it is finally getting the attention it deserves from roads and infrastructure to a major public safety improvement,” said Commissioner Viviana Janer Hispanic-Americans have served in the United States Armed Forces and demonstrated courage President Obama awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the valiant men of the 65th Infantry Regiment I am proud to announce that to commemorate their heroism bronze replicas of these Congressional Gold Medals will be on display outside Station 62 I think this is a great way to remember the sacrifices of the Borinqueneers and to acknowledge their contributions to our country.” A few doors down people eat plantains at Puerto Chino a Puerto Rican-style Chinese spot where Spanish is the new lingua franca and Puerto Rican flags propped in windows is now a common sight Janet Colon remembers less than ten years ago when the area was different “The environment was only white people,” she says “There was nobody there that speaks Spanish And now there’s Spanish people there that they can help you out Census data from 2013 show just over 900,000 Puerto Ricans living in Florida The majority of them have settled in Orange and Osceola counties But Colon expects that to change as Puerto Ricans outgrow Kissimmee and Orlando “They’re moving from county to county,” she says Colon came to Central Florida during the last wave of Puerto Rican migration twenty years ago That’s around the time Julio Huert decided to move here from New Jersey The 85-year-old left Puerto Rico at 17 years old for better opportunities “Moving here in Central Florida because Disney but it’s a hot place…pretty comfortable place.” taxes on imports have raised the cost of living on the island Electricity and water cuts complicate routine life Residents who cannot afford to stay are buying one-way tickets here “They sit here and tell me stories,” says Jeanette Agosto She works at a clothing store in Buenaventura Lakes They worked in hospitals or whatever the case may be.” But not all of Central Florida’s Puerto Ricans are coming directly from the island He goes to Puerto Rico every month to see his wife and kids it’s like hundreds of hundreds of people that have part of their family in Puerto Rico and part of their family here,” he says Because we’re $300 away and two hours away from Puerto Rico Torres heads Initiativa Accion Puertoricannia a non profit that advocates for wage fairness and overtime benefits for Puerto Ricans in Central Florida He says Puerto Rican from other cities come here because they can keep benefits they would otherwise lose in Puerto Rico With Puerto Ricans now the largest Latino group in Orange and Osceola Counties Torres’ vision in the next ten years is for Central Florida to see a Puerto Rican mayor and police chief “We’re going to have what the Cuban community have in Miami,” he adds “What we want is what the brothers and sisters from Mexico have; what the African Americans have in Georgia and other places.” Back at the Spanish bookstore at Buenaventura Lakes shopping plaza Janet Colon is resolving to stay in Florida even though her father and sister still live in Puerto Rico “Living in there is not easy unless you have money or unless you have a career like a doctor or something like that She worries about home but has resolved to find comfort in her life in Central Florida BUENAVENTURA LAKES | After four months of construction work the Robert Guevara Community Center was officially opened during a Nov this is the heart of the community," John Quinones chairman of the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners said as more than 50 residents of Buenaventura Lakes gathered outside the newly remodeled center for the evening ceremony who said her mother had used the center because of the senior programs offered was among the crowd on hand for the ribbon-cutting "I'm here for the opening and to see what things they're going to offer," she said "I'm hoping they have things for the youth who has maintained an office in the center ever since he was elected to the county commission said the building will provide space for youth activities as well as those for senior citizens and community groups More than 2,900 square feet of space has been added to the quarter-century-old community center during the renovation meaning there is now a total of 9,400 square feet of interior space that feature offices multipurpose assembly room that has a dance area that can accommodate nearly 400 people The building will also house an Osceola County Sheriff's satellite office and may be used as a base for Neighborhood Watch meetings Henry Comacho was particularly interested in the Neighborhood Watch idea because he runs the program in his own neighborhood within Buenventura Lakes adding that "The fact that it's a community center may mean people will take more of an interest in community activities." Contact Mike Grogan about this article at reportermailbox@gmail.com BUENA VENTURA LAKES - When Hank and Toody Prehol bought their house in what was a new subdivision outside of Kissimmee 18 years ago they were looking forward to spending their golden years playing golf "We thought we were going to be on a golf course," Toody Prehol said as she sat across from newly elected Osceola County Commissioner John Quinones "We have lost value on our home," Hank Prehol pointed out The two were meeting with Quinones in the satellite office he has just opened in the Robert Guevara Community Center on Florida Parkway in Buena Ventura Lakes taking the opportunity to talk about new and old local issues with the man who now represents them on the county commission The golf course is both an old and new issue Having gone through a couple of ownership changes the financially troubled course closed in 2004 leaving those who bought homes along its fairways looking out at a golf course they can no longer use A Tampa investor has purchased a large portion of the property but has not announced what he plans to do with it There is talk of creating a lake where the 12th fairway was Quinones also wants a youth center constructed on the ninth hole "We don't have anything like that here," he said there are too many kids who don't have anyplace to go." Himself a resident of Buena Ventura Lakes - which is locally known as BVL - Quinones won the county commission seat in a special election held in May shortly after being elected to his third term in the Florida House of Representatives He gave up his seat in Tallahassee to run in the local election after a federal judge forced the postponement of county voting last November after ruling that at-large elections in Osceola were unconstitutional because they disenfranchised Latino voters Voting districts were shuffled and District 2 which has a large Hispanic population and includes BVL now has a Latino representative in Quinones "There's a learning curve to go through," he told The Reporter five weeks into his new job "There is a difference between the way things are done in the county and the way they are done in Tallahassee." working with a commission of five members instead of the House of Representatives means his voice doesn't get lost as easily when he has something to say And the bureaucracy operates much more quickly at the local level His decision to open a satellite office in the neighborhood came because he wanted residents to have a place within their own community where they can reach him to discuss the issues with which they feel county government can help them they don't have to come all the way to downtown Kissimmee to talk to me," he said The office is open one day a week - Wednesday - from 4 to 7 p.m and Quinones meets with people only with an appointment because his time is so limited But even with the effort he is making to stay in close contact with the district he represents Quinones said it would be a mistake to concentrate only on those issues that relate directly to his District 2 constituents 1 priority in Osceola County is to diversify the economy," he said "Right now the median income in the county is $40,000 a year and the price of an average home is between $230,000 and $250,000 How can you afford that on a $40,000 income?" He thinks a connector road is going to be needed between Poinciana and St He'd like to see Osceola County mirror Orange County's "Innovation Way," the lofty plan for bringing a medical school veterans hospital and medical labs to South Orange County But he is also looking at the needs in his district and feels that the new voting regulations placed upon the county by a federal judge means that District 2 will get more direct representation than in the past Youth programs are among his top priorities within his district and throughout the county A youth center with perhaps a YMCA or Boys and Girls Club on the golf course property is one thing he has in mind And he wants to provide more after school programs to the county's youngsters The newly opened satellite office is a place where he can hear the ideas of his constituents as well as put forth some of his own "I want to hold a town hall meeting on this particular issue at the end of July or early in August," he told the Prehols as they discussed the future of the golf course and the effect it will have on their property "We'll have the developer in and ask him what he plans to do." "That's a good idea," Hank Prehol said as he and his wife got up to go home Quinones said that is what opening the office was all about giving his constituents the opportunity to meet him and discuss the issues Then he locked up the office and headed for home himself LAKELAND -- The weekend's wet weather did minimal damage in Polk County soaking yards and roads in some low-lying areas but otherwise helping to replenish lakes The incessant rain has been more of a nuisance in other parts of Central Florida Families in more than a half-dozen houses were flooded out in the Four Corners area where Lake In the Buenaventura Lakes subdivision in Kissimmee residents were placing sandbags in their yards to prevent flooding A retention pond overflowed Friday in Polo Park a manufactured home community in Northeast Polk flooding several dozen yards and Menlo Park Avenue Homeowners had to wade through approximately a foot of water to reach their doorsteps but the water wasn't high enough to cause damage The problem was exacerbated because county pumps broke down several times throughout the weekend and repairs couldn't be made until parts stores opened Monday morning Most of the water had been drained by late Monday afternoon many of the county's lakes are at their highest levels in five years He said water managers are keeping a close eye on Lake Lowery near Haines City where another foot or more of water could threaten homes Currently the lake level is 130.9 feet above sea level "It would take a pretty serious rain event to start flooding," Mahler said In the Lakeland Highlands area some residents were on edge as water levels rose in the Lake Seward basin where standing water has been a problem for weeks The county plans to install a retention pond to prevent future flooding problems but it's too late for several homes that have been abandoned and are scheduled for demolition The home at 5809 Oakmont Lane should have been razed weeks ago but standing water has prevented workers from entering the property "It (the water) cleared out once and we pulled a permit to raze (the property)," owner Eilene Patton said Material from The Associated Press was used in this report Eric Pera can be reached at eric.pera@theledger.com or 863-802-7528.