Parade grand marshal nominations being taken
The city of Kissimmee is accepting nominations for the role of grand marshal for the 2010 Festival of Lights Parade.
Nominees for grand marshal should display commitment to the community through volunteerism. 
To make a nomination, visit www.kissimmeeciviccenter.com and click on the link entitled, “Downloads,” then select “Grand Marshal Nomination.”
Nomination forms can be submitted either online or a printed form can be faxed. Individuals may only enter one nomination. The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, Dec. 3.
The individual who receives the most nominations will be selected as the grand marshal for the holiday parade. The winner will be announced on Monday, Dec. 6.
The Festival of Lights parade will be Saturday, Dec. 11, at 6 p.m. in downtown Kissimmee. 
For more information, call the Kissimmee Civic Center at 407-935-1412.

Stapf is September employee of the month
The city of Kissimmee has announced the employee of the month for September is Dawn Stapf, event coordinator for the  Parks and Recreation Department at the Civic Center for nearly four years.
According to a city press release, she is often the first point of contact for the numerous private functions hosted at the Civic Center. Stapf is responsible for booking and facilitating a variety of events and is always thinking of ways to improve the experience of the guests and providing a welcoming environment for visitors. She is knowledgeable, committed and takes great pride in providing outstanding customer service, city officials said. She often gives the extra measure, while she simultaneously works with many clients to ensure the city meets their expectations.
Stapf regularly seeks ways to improve operations in an effort to make event logistics more efficient and effective, the press release stated. She assisted with developing an event checklist and assumed the lead role in supervising the large arena events. She also takes ownership of generating additional revenue for the Civic Center. This was evidenced when she produced the city’s first Bridal & Quinceanera Expo. Despite limited funding, the expo was a success and resulted in support and partnerships with several local businesses.

Camps taught children to be community-minded
The city of Kissimmee Parks and Recreation summer camps focused on teaching campers to care about others in the community.
The youngsters, who participated in the Camp Discovery and Teen Extreme camps, coordinated four different donation drives. These drives were located at each of the campsites, collecting items to give the community. This was an opportunity for the students to realize they can do their part to help those in need.
• The first and most successful event was a clothing drive, which benefited the Community Free Market. The campers collected children’s and adult clothing valued at $350.
• The second event was a toy drive, donating more than 75 toys to Chambers Park for this year’s Breakfast with Santa event.
• The third event was a canned food drive, which generated $100 in non-perishable items for Helping Others Make the Effort.
• The last event involved a school supply drive, which resulted in $50 worth of supplies, benefiting Chambers Park and its Back-2-School Jam. 
For more information about this or any Parks and Recreation programs, call 407-847-2388.

Stormwater division wins award
The city of Kissimmee Stormwater Division is the recipient of the Storm Water Solutions award.
Storm water professionals were asked to nominate innovative projects, which will be featured in the November/December issue of Top Storm Water and Erosion Control Projects.
The city of Kissimmee nominated its Stormwater Monitoring Project. The main objective of this project is to monitor the city’s stormwater quality to improve water discharged into Lake Tohopekaliga and address the concern of flood management. The positive outcome of such a project is a water quality program which protects citizens, property, businesses and the environment as a whole.
The city’s Stormwater Monitoring Project includes regular sampling at 20 monitoring stations strategically located throughout Kissimmee. The locations of the monitoring stations were specifically chosen in order to determine water quality conditions within the city, as well as the exterior boundary and prior to discharge into Lake Tohopekaliga.
This allows staff to determine the water quality entering the city versus water being discharged into the lake.  The monitoring data collected also provides the city of Kissimmee with locations and rainfall amounts at specific locations in order to allow the city to identify, address and maintain flood hazards within the city. 
Data from the monitoring stations is accessible on the city’s website (www.kissimmee.org) and provides current information, such as location, temperature, rainfall and velocity. 
For more information, contact the city’s stormwater division at 407-518-2179.