City of St. Cloud partners elections supervisor to host voter fair

The City of St. Cloud has partnered with Osceola County Supervisor of Elections to host a Voter Information Fair Tuesday from 1-6 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers. The fair is free and open to the public.

“It is very important that we all exercise our right to vote and it is our responsibility to register to vote,” said City Manager Tom Hurt. “Within our city, we have experienced low voter turnout. Therefore, we determined that a fair of this nature could help in improving voter turnout. We need to help our residents realize that registering and voting is a simple process and not time-consuming at all. Last November, we had almost 20,000 people in St. Cloud registered to vote, but only 1336 residents voted. Every vote can make a positive change in every community. We hope everyone stops by at any time during this five-hour fair to ensure they are properly registered and ready to vote this year.”

To register to vote in the state of Florida, a person must:

• be a citizen of the United States of America.

• be a Florida resident.

• be 18 years of age. A person who is otherwise eligible may preregister on or after his/her 16th birthday and may vote in any election on or after his/her 18th birthday.

• not be adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to voting in Florida or in any other state.

• not have been convicted of a felony without the right to vote having been restored.

• provide a valid Florida driver license or Florida identification card number. If a citizen does not have one of these, the last four digits of the citizen’s Social Security number must be provided.

During the Voter Information Fair, visitors may register to vote, check voter status, update name and home address, and learn more about the election process within Osceola County. To vote in the upcoming elections, citizens must be properly registered 29 days before the election. The Primary Election is set for Aug. 14 and the General Election is set for Nov. 6.

The St. Cloud Municipal Election is also set for Nov. 6, with a run-off election date of Dec. 4 (if necessary). St. Cloud City Council seats 1, 2, and 3 will be up for election.

Osceola County Supervisor of Elections also offers a new program called Check Your Voter Status.

“We are very excited about this program that reminds voters that they need to check and make sure their voter information is up to date,” said Supervisor of Elections Mary Jane Arrington. “For example, people may not realize that over time, their signatures change. The signature you had at 18 when you registered to vote may not be the signature you have now. The signature we have on file for a voter must match the signature they give at the polls on Election Day.”

For more information on the Voter Information Fair, call 407-742-6100 or 407-957-7303. For more information on the Check Your Voter Status Program, visit www.voteosceola.com or call 407-742-6100.

Parks and Recreation events planned for June in St. Cloud

The City of St. Cloud Parks and Recreation Department provides a variety of recreational programs and activities year-round for the residents and neighbors of the city of St. Cloud. Several events are planned for the month of June, including:

• Mother and Son Bingo Night: A night filled with fun for mothers and sons is set for Friday, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the St. Cloud Senior Center 3101 17th St. For $5 per person, mothers and sons will get to play bingo, eat banana splits, enjoy the creativity of a balloon artist and have a chance to win prizes.

• Swimming Lessons: Session 8 sign-ups will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Monday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Civic Center, 3001 17th St.. Thirty-minute classes are $35 for residents/$45 for non-residents and 60-minute classes are $45 for residents/$55 for non-residents. The two-week session 8 swim lessons will run from June 11 to 22, from 9 to 11 a.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. at the Chris Lyle Aquatic Center, 3001 17th St. Session 9 sign-ups will be Saturday, June 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Monday, June 18, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Civic Center. Thirty-minute classes are $35 for residents/$45 for non-residents and 60-minute classes are $45 for residents/$55 for non-residents. The two-week session 9 swim lessons will run from June 25 to July 6, from 9 to 11 a.m. and from 6 to 7 p.m., at the Chris Lyle Aquatic Center. Session 10 sign-ups will take place Saturday, June 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Civic Center. Thirty-minute classes are $35 for residents/$45 for non-residents and 60-minute classes are $45 for residents/$55 for non-residents.

• Youth Basketball: The Ron Riley Youth Basketball League games begin Saturday and will be played every Saturday through Aug. 4, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., at the Civic Center Gym A and Gym B.

• Summer Camp: The 2012 program begins June 11 and ends Aug. 17. Registration is under way now at the Civic Center during regular business hours. Visit the Parks and Recreation web page at www.stcloud.org to download a registration packet. The summer camp cost is $60 per week for residents and $70 per week for non-residents (discounts may be available).

• Marina Building Banquet Hall Open House: June 6, 4 to 7 p.m.; June 13, 4 to 7 p.m.; June 20, 4 to 7 p.m.; and June 27, 4 to 7 p.m. The Marina Building Banquet Hall is at 1104 Lakeshore Blvd., second floor.

Movie at the Lakefront – Friday, June 8, at sunset. “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” will be shown at Lakefront Park, 1104 Lakeshore Blvd. A family movie is shown every month on a giant inflatable movie screen. This monthly program is free to the community.

• Dive-In Movie – Two movies will be shown Saturday, June 16, starting at sunset at the Chris Lyle Aquatic Center. They will be “Clueless” and “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” Cost is $1 per person.

• Lifeguard Classes – A lifeguard class is scheduled for June 18 to 21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Chris Lyle Aquatic Center. Cost is $225. Applicants must pass a swim test prior to the start of the class. Swim test dates are: June 12 and 14, at 6:30 p.m., and June 16 at 1 p.m. Only one swim test must be passed. An apprentice lifeguard class for people ages 11 and up is scheduled for June 25 to July 6, from 9 to 11 a.m., at the Chris Lyle Aquatic Center. Cost is $75 for residents and $85 for non-residents.

• RAYS Recreational Swim Team – This program emphasizes good sportsmanship while participating in recreational swimming and helps build confidence and team skills. The program runs from June 25 to July 23, from 9 to 10 a.m. or 6 to 7 p.m., at the Chris Lyle Aquatic Center. Cost is $40 for residents and $50 for non-residents for four weeks. Registration must be completed one week prior to the start date.

For details on any Parks and Recreation activity, project, program, or rental facility, visit the Parks and Recreation web page at www.stcloud.org, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call 407-957-7243.

Note: Schedule is subject to change without advanced notice.

City debuts interactive multimedia kiosk at Marina Building

The city of St. Cloud unveiled an interactive multimedia kiosk May 23 at the Marina Building, 1104 Lakeshore Blvd., to provide another form of information dissemination to the public.

The interactive multimedia kiosk provides information on parks and recreation programs and activities and Marina Building Banquet Hall rental information. With the unveiling of the new interactive multimedia kiosk in the Marina Building’s first floor lobby area, city officials said they hope people visiting the St. Cloud lakefront and/or Marina Building will inquire about of the city’s recreational activities by merely tapping the monitor and following the directions that appear on the monitor.

“The kiosk contains an interactive 32-inch display and it is very user friendly; visitors can activate the kiosk by simply touching the screen,” said Parks and Recreation Director Stephanie Holtkamp. “We purchased the kiosk via marina equipment capital outlay funds and our Media Services Division staff designed, developed, and programmed the kiosk. This is a great asset that we hope residents and visitors alike will frequently use.”

This is the second interactive multimedia kiosk city of St. Cloud offers – the first kiosk debuted in 2009. The public records kiosk is at City Hall, Building A, first level. The kiosks encourage residents to use the latest technology to access city information. At City Hall, the public has immediate access to public records, agendas, minutes, ordinances, resolutions and the city’s website, which contains information on all city departments. At the Marina Building, the public has immediate access to parks and recreation programs and activities and banquet hall rental information.

For more details on the interactive multimedia kiosk or any Parks and Recreation activity, project, program, or rental facility, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 407-957-7243.