INDIALANTIC RECORD

MARCH, 2000

STAND UP AND BE COUNTED

On April 1, an event of utmost importance takes place. This is the date of the Decennial Census, a national event that involves everyone. Census 2000 is a mammoth undertaking that will include more that 860,000 workers reaching out to an anticipated 275 million people across the United States.

To have a successful count your cooperation and participation are very important. Census figures tell us who we are as a people, how far we have come and where we are heading. The Census Bureau is the only government agency that has data on every person in the United States. The information you provide on your census form remains 100% confidential for at least 70 years.

It is very important to your community, county and state that every household is accurately accounted for. People who answer the census help their communities obtain federal and state funding and valuable information. Federal dollars supporting schools, employment services, housing assistance, highway construction, hospital services, programs for the elderly and more are distributed based on census data. According to the General Accounting Office, at least $182 billion will be distributed annually to state and local governments using formulas involving census population data.

Your census documents will arrive at your address in late March. Every address will receive a letter in advance of the census, a questionnaire and a thank you/reminder card. Every question is required by law to manage or evaluate federal programs. The census forms have been designed to be easy to read and understand, simple to fill out and mail back and to help people understand the importance of answering the census.

Please remember – YOU COUNT!

If you or anyone you know is interested in taking census counts in our community, you can apply for a position with the Census Bureau by calling the toll free number, 1-888-425-7733, for information on testing and hiring in this area.

POLICE BEAT

The Police Department responded to 253 calls for service in December and 267 calls for service in January. The following is a portion of the statistical breakdown for those months.

December 1999 January 2000

1 robbery

2 burglaries 4 burglaries

9 larcenies 4 larcenies

3 battery cases 3 assaults

32 arrests 42 arrests

20 vehicle accidents 26 vehicle accidents

17 disturbance calls 18 disturbance calls

51 suspicious incidents 52 suspicious incidents

Officer Michael Connor was selected as the Department’s Officer of the Year. Officer Connor made 160 arrests in 1999 consisting of 27 felonies, 96 misdemeanors and 37 traffic. Twenty one of these arrests were for individuals driving under the influence of alcohol and thirty five were for narcotics. Officer Connor was also instrumental in saving the life of a resident who was in cardiac arrest. Throughout the year he has received praise and recognition from all department supervisors for his effective work performance, motivation and dedication to his job. We congratulate Office Connor on a job well done!

As always, I urge you to call the Police Department for a neighborhood Crime Watch Meeting at 723-7788. I also ask that you call the Police Department if you would like us to attend any meeting you have planned to answer questions on any topic.

Thank you and have a safe new year.

Chief Jesse Geiger

FIRE FACTS

SPECIAL THANKS To Residents and Businesses:

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank each of you for your generous contributions to our Volunteer Fire Department Fund Drive.

Your generosity has enabled us to pay off the recently purchased marine transport vehicle. We have since donated this vehicle to the Town.

Be watching for more information on the Volunteer Fire Department’s annual barbeque at the beach in May.

Without your continued support, we would not be able to meet many of our goals. Donations are still welcome. Please come by and see our new vehicle. And remember to keep those cans coming!

Jesse V. Geiger, Sr., President

Indialantic Volunteer Fire Department

BAGGING FOR A CAUSE

The Town of Indialantic was well represented at the celebrity bagging event February 3rd at the Winn Dixie grocery store located at Eau Gallie and A-1-A. Mayor Bob Cochran was joined by Council members Vince Benevente, Bruce Bogert, and Mike Fischer. Town employees participating in this annual event included Ron Cassedy (Public Works Director), Officer Terry Tenpenny (Police Department) and Chief Tom Barker (Fire Department).

Proceeds are donated to the American Cancer Society. This Winn Dixie was tops in the County with $847 in tips.

We applaud these individuals for so generously giving of their time for this worthy cause.

Public Works Update

Ron Cassedy, Director of Public Works

The City of Melbourne Water Department began replacement of the 20 inch water main along the center and east relief bridges on the Melbourne Causeway on February 28, 2000. Work is to be completed within 180 days.

The Florida Department of Transportation is accepting bids to replace the street lights on the Causeway between U.S. 1 and Riverside Drive. The contract should be awarded in May with work beginning 1-2 months later.

Recycling statistics for multi family units is alarmingly low. Of 298 units serviced, only 75 units are recycling. I urge all of our residents to recycle more. The Town of Indialantic is eligible to receive grants each year based on our percentage of collection. These grants are used to purchase products made of recycled materials, such as our recycled plastic park benches and trash cans. Last year set out rates of 52% for single family homes and 25% for multi family units were recorded.

Please remember to recycle.

Household Hazardous Waste Roundup

It’s time for spring cleaning again. Homeowners will have the opportunity to turn in unwanted or leftover chemical products including motor oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, lawn and garden chemicals, pesticides, pool chemicals, batteries, paint and solvents. These products contain a variety of toxic substances that can cause not only health problems but also environmental damage when carelessly discarded. The Household Hazardous Waste Roundup gives homeowners the opportunity to discard and reduce exposure to these toxins.

The program is FREE to homeowners. Businesses must preregister through the Household Hazardous Waste Collection program by calling (321) 635-7954 two weeks prior to the event for participation and disposal cost information. Each event is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. only.

Saturday, March 25, 2000 Saturday, April 1, 2000

BCC Melbourne Campus DeLaura Jr. High

3865 N. Wickham Rd. 300 Jackson Ave.

Melbourne Satellite Beach

Sponsored by

the Board of County Commissioners

FROM PARKS/RECREATION/BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE

Hello Neighbors –

The Parks, Recreation and Beautification Committee will sponsor the popular annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 15, 2000 beginning promptly at 10:00 am in Orlando Park. Special guests will include the Easter Bunny and Winnie the Pooh. Music will be provided by Mr. Ron Cassedy and associates. So bring your children and grandchildren from toddler on up to share some fun, prizes and surprises.

Improvements in the parks to watch for this spring include the shoreline restoration project at Riverside Park and the gazebo replacement in Lily Park.

Our committee has instituted a Business Beautification Award presented to businesses for maintaining and improving the appearance of their building or landscaping. The winner receives a plaque to be displayed on their property. Awards are given quarterly and nomination forms are available at Town Hall. Chris J. Fadden Leasing, 424 Fourth Avenue and Designers West, 211 Fourth Avenue are our most recent honorees.

Ken Bohlmann, Chairman,

Parks, Recreation & Beautification

RECYCLE PHONE BOOKS

New telephone directories should be delivered to your doors within the next few weeks. Please remember that old telephone books will not be accepted in your regular curbside recycling bin.

Recycle your old phone books in the outdoor dumpster container with the bright yellow sticker. The drop off will be located in the parking lot just west of the Indialantic Fire Dept., 216 4^th Avenue.

The container will be in place from April 17 through May 19, 2000.

Keep Brevard Beautiful is sponsoring its 15^th Annual Trash Bash on Saturday, April 15, 2000 from 8:00 am to noon. Last year almost 2,300 volunteers removed over 270,000 pounds of litter from Brevard County road sides, shorelines and neighborhoods.

Volunteers should check in at Nance Park. All cleanup supplies will be provided.

A sense of friendly competition is being promoted with prizes offered by Waste Management based on the increase in volunteer participation.

Rain date for the event is Sunday, April 16 - 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Town Hall will be closed May 29 – Memorial Day

Once again, the Parks/Recreation/ Beautification Committee will host their Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 15 in Orlando Park beginning promptly at 10:00 AM.

Boys and girls (large and small) are invited to share in the prizes and surprises as they search for hundreds of eggs hidden by the bunny and his helpers.

Lifeguards Back on Duty

Brevard County Lifeguards will be manning the two beach towers from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. according to the following schedule:

Spring Break – March 25-April 2

Summer coverage – May 27-August 7

Weekend coverage through September 4

There will also be two roving patrols covering the beach between Nance Park and Eighth Avenue.

County supervisors caution swimmers to be wary of ocean tides. Dangerous undertows can occur in our area where there are drop-offs 10 to 20 feet off shore. Please swim near a lifeguard, never swim alone and check with the lifeguards for ocean conditions.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

MARCH 14 10:00 AM Parks/Recreation 15 7:00 PM Code Enforcement Bd 21 7:00 PM Town Council 28 5:30 PM Zoning and Planning APRIL 11 10:00 AM Parks/Recreation 18 7:00 PM Town Council 25 5:30 PM Zoning and Planning MAY 9 10:00 AM Parks/Recreation 16 7:00 PM Town Council 23 5:30 PM Zoning and Planning The Sunset Review Committee meets every Tuesday at 3:00 PM at Town Hall. The Volunteer Fire Department meets every Tuesday at 7:00 PM at the Fire Department, 216 Fourth Ave.

Upcoming openings on Boards and Committees for March thru May: Budget and Finance Committee Sunset Review Committee Currently there are openings on the Zoning and Planning Board Code Enforcement Board Board of Adjustment Sunset Review Committee The Parks/ Recreation/ Beautification Committee accepts new members throughout the year. Applications are available at Town Hall and on our web site www.indialantic.com