Lake Nona announced today that PGA Tour player and Lake Nona resident Graeme McDowell has partnered with Bistro Concepts, LLC, to bring Lake Nona a modern tavern concept, NONA BLUE.

The group has signed a lease for a 5,618 square-foot restaurant at its retail shopping center Lake Nona Village, located on Narcoossee Road between the entrances to the renowned Lake Nona Golf & Country Club and NorthLake Park.

Continue Reading: NONAwise

This year, several Lake Nona businesses and neighborhood communities are helping save lives from cancer by taking part in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Lake Nona.

The event is May 5th from 2PM until May 6th at 8AM.

The event is FREE, and will have a variety of family friendly activities including games, bands, inflatable’s, movies, prizes, giveaways, and MUCH MORE!!

For more information, visit the Lake Nona ascevents page.

From Orlando Sentinel:
Family members, friends and law-enforcement officials are resuming their search this morning for Lois Garcia Wilmeth, a Lake Nona mother who went missing Tuesday after walking her children to school.

Wilmeth’s family told investigators it is unusual for the 40-year-old woman to not return home.

Garcia Wilmeth, who recently moved to the area from Venezuela, was last seen walking her three children to Lake Nona Middle and High schools on Narcoossee Road, according to mother-in-law Sharon Wilmeth.

Continue Reading: Lois Garcia Wilmeth: Search continues for missing Lake Nona mom

The Lake Nona Lions Tennis teams got their season started on Monday with a strong performance against the East River Falcons. Both teams won their matches with a score of 6-1. Individual winners for the ladies were Costanza Trimarchi, Maria Cespedes, Cecelia Bryant, Lura Normand, and newcomer Annabella Pujalte. The girls are looking for their 3rd straight regional title and to improve on their 2nd place finish at state in 2011. Winning in their individual match for the boys were Jitain Kumar, Michael Albino, Fernando Colon, Andy Liu, and Frenzy Besagar. The boys have a lot of new faces on the team, and look to be much improved for 2012.

The Preseason Baseball classic games on Monday were postponed to Wednesday. Today the Lions varsity baseball team is scheduled to play against Space Coast this afternoon at 4:00 pm. The winner of today’s game will play on Friday vs. tomorrow’s Oak Ridge/Harmony winner, with the losing team playing on Thursday. All games are at 4:00 pm and admission is $5.00 each day.

***Correction to the game location for the Boys Basketball team tomorrow. The boys will play vs. Merritt Island @ Rockledge HS. Game time is 6:00 pm.

The following is the Lake Nona Athletic Schedule for the next few weeks:

Wednesday, February 8th
02:30pm – 04:30pm V Boys Tennis at Timber Creek High School
02:30pm – 04:30pm V Girls Tennis at Timber Creek High School
Thursday, February 9th
04:00pm – 06:00pm V Girls Softball at Lake Highland Prep School
Tuesday, February 14th
04:00pm – 06:00pm V Boys Baseball at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy
04:30pm – 06:30pm JV Girls Softball at Freedom High School (Orlando)
06:00pm – 08:00pm JV Boys Baseball at The First Academy
Wednesday, February 15th
02:30pm – 04:30pm V Boys Tennis vs Cypress Creek High School
02:30pm – 04:30pm V Girls Tennis vs Cypress Creek High School
Thursday, February 16th
04:00pm – 06:00pm JV Boys Baseball vs. Freedom High School
04:00pm – 06:00pm V Boys Baseball @ Freedom High School
04:00pm – 06:00pm V Girls Softball vs University High School
04:30pm – 06:30pm JV Girls Softball at University High School
06:00pm – 08:00pm JV Girls Softball at University High School
Friday, February 17th
04:00pm – 06:00pm JV Boys Baseball vs The Master’s Academy
Tuesday, February 21st
04:00pm – 06:00pm V Girls Softball vs Rockledge High School
05:00pm – 07:00pm JV Boys Baseball at Merritt Island High School
07:30pm – 09:30pm V Boys Baseball at Merritt Island High School
Wednesday, February 22nd
04:00pm – 06:00pm JV Girls Softball vs East River High School
04:00pm – 06:00pm V Girls Water Polo vs Colonial High School
04:00pm – 06:00pm V Boys Baseball vs Oak Ridge High School
05:00pm – 07:00pm V Boys Water Polo vs Colonial High School
06:00pm – 08:00pm JV Boys Baseball at Harmony High School
07:00pm – 09:00pm V Girls Lacrosse vs Timber Creek High School
Thursday, February 23rd
03:30pm – 05:30pm V Boys Tennis at Lake Highland Prep School
03:30pm – 05:30pm V Girls Tennis at Lake Highland Prep School
04:00pm – 06:00pm JV Boys Baseball vs The First Academy
06:00pm – 08:00pm JV Boys Lacrosse at East Ridge High School
07:30pm – 09:30pm V Boys Lacrosse at East Ridge High School
Friday, February 24th
04:00pm – 06:00pm V Boys Track at Lake Highland
04:00pm – 06:00pm V Girls Track at Lake Highland
05:00pm – 07:00pm JV Girls Softball at William R. Boone High School
06:00pm – 08:00pm JV Boys Lacrosse vs William R. Boone High School
07:00pm – 09:00pm V Girls Lacrosse at Colonial High School
07:00pm – 09:00pm V Girls Softball at William R. Boone High School
07:30pm – 09:30pm V Boys Lacrosse vs William R. Boone High School
Saturday, February 25th
11:00am – 01:00pm V Boys Baseball vs. Poinciana

University of Central Florida administrators scrapped a multi-million dollar plan to build a dental school near its college of medicine in Lake Nona.

The university’s plan to build the dental school was announced in May. A key committee was set to review its plans Wednesday and the Florida Board of Governors would have voted on the matter Thursday.

But UCF withdrew its plan.

In a written statement, a UCF spokesman said the project would not require state money, but the university decided not to go continue with it anyway.

Read more: http://www.wesh.com/news/29720900/detail.html#ixzz1gK8GsBua

The Lake Nona Lions hosted the Cypress Creek Bears Friday night.

The Lions held a seven-zero lead at halftime. The third quarter started off terribly for the home team because of penalties. Bears QB Carl Bronislawski threw a pass into quadruple coverage intended for Isaac Cenescar and defensive pass interference was the call at the five-yard line. It set up a Viliami Netane touchdown plunge as the Bears marched their way into the endzone to tie things up at 7-7. But, before the third quarter was complete, Lake Nona found a groove as Tucker Israel (Fr.) hit a diving Riquerdy Miranez (Jr.) for a first down pass play to get the team past midfield. With one second remaining in the third quarter, Wadzaire Blanc (So.) took a handoff and got by the defense with some nifty moves and put the Lions back on top 14-7. Lake Nona then scored 20 fourth quarter points en route to their first game of the season. 34-14 was the final score. Israel finished the game with 260 yards passing and 5 TD’s, Ryan Sousa (So.) had over 100 receiving yards and 2 TD’s, and Tyler Arrington (Sr.) added a TD Rec of his own. The Lake Nona defense held Cypress Creek to less than 100 yards of total offense.

Next week the team travels to Eustis HS, game time is 7:00 pm.

Orlando’s biggest park was supposed to open two weeks ago, but now it might not be finished for three more years.

Under a deal with the city, the developers of Lake Nona donated the land and planned to build the park on the south end of the sprawling development in southeast Orlando.

But the park, like much of the country, has fallen victim to the housing slump.

The agreement approved four years ago required the park to open by Aug. 6, 2011, or within a year after the developer built the 1,000th home in Lake Nona South, whichever came first. It was lauded as a win-win deal: Lake Nona would have an amenity to promote to would-be home buyers, and City Hall would get a park long before taxpayers could afford to build one.

And it would be quite a park: At 334 acres, it would be the biggest of Orlando’s recreation areas, more than twice the size of Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake and more than seven times Lake Eola Park.

Continue Reading: Orlando gives backers 3 more years to build city’s biggest park

Written by: Lloyd N. Werk, MD, MPH
Parents often struggle when guiding their child to eat healthy nutritious meals and establishing healthy eating habits for children at an early age with balanced meals is important. Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) replaced their “food pyramid” model with MyPlate to make it easier to figure out how to feed kids nutritious, balanced meals at home and on-the-go. MyPlate helps to simplify meal planning by illustrating ideal servings of the fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy food groups on a colorful divided plate.

MyPlate helps parents train their children to devote half their plate to fruits and vegetables. Grains and lean protein each take up a quarter of the plate. A side helping of dairy shows kids will also need a serving of low-fat milk or another dairy product to complete their meal.

MyPlate offers simple messages that are easy to incorporate in your family’s daily diet:

• Fill half your child’s plate with vegetables and fruits
• Make at least half the grains you serve whole grains, like oatmeal and brown rice
• Serve fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk and water rather than sugary drinks
• When buying pre-packaged foods, choose ones low in sodium
• Avoid serving oversized portions. Consider smaller plates for younger aged children.

One of the most important features of MyPlate is its emphasis on fruits and vegetables. Vegetables are one of the largest portions on the plate because they provide many of the vitamins and minerals kids need for good health, plus vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and contain fiber. For parents with picky eaters, adding more vegetables to their child’s plate may seem difficult at first; however, a few simple preparation tips can help your family enjoy fruits and vegetables this summer.

Ten Tips to Liven Up Meals with Fruits and Vegetables

1. Be Ahead of the Game – Cut up peppers, carrots, or broccoli in advance and refrigerate. Also, keep some packaged vegetables in the freezer as they are just as nutritious as fresh vegetables.
2. Seeing is Enjoying – Keep a bowl of whole fruit out as a visible reminder.
3. Brighten Up Your Salad – Add black beans, sliced peppers, chopped red cabbage and other colorful vegetables for color and taste.
4. Fruit at Breakfast – Top cereal or oatmeal with sliced bananas, peaches, grapes, or strawberries. Also, try mixing fruit in fat-free or low-fat yogurt.
5. Fire Up the Grill –Grilling brings out great flavor in vegetables. Try grilling mushrooms, carrots, peppers or potatoes on a kabob skewer – kids will enjoy a fun, new way to eat their vegetables. Grilling fruit can be a tasty new experience too!
6. Expand the Flavor of Casseroles – Peas, pinto beans, squash, tomatoes and sautéed onions add color to this convenient, weekday meal.
7. Pair with Pasta – Planning something Italian? Slip some peppers, spinach, red beans, onions or cherry tomatoes into your traditional tomato sauce. Vegetables provide texture and satisfying low-calorie bulk.
8. Get Creative with Sandwiches – Vegetables make a great addition to your favorite sandwiches and wraps. Substitute mayonnaise with creamy avocado or try sliced tomatoes and romaine lettuce for extra flavor.
9. Savor Stir-Fry – Try a new cooking method! Stir-frying vegetables like broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, or green beans are a quick and tasty addition to any meal.
10. When Eating Out – ask for an extra side of vegetables, side salad, or whole fruit.

It may take several attempts to acquire a taste for some vegetables. Encourage your child to try just two or three bites of a vegetable and then offer it again at another meal. Try including fruits and vegetables in each meal and for a snack.

While MyPlate is a guide for healthy eating, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Portion size will vary by age, and depending on a child’s needs, some food groups will be increased and others decreased. Talk to your health care provider to find out what’s best for your kids.

For more information about developing healthy eating habits for your children, please visit www.KidsHealth.org.

Lloyd N. Werk, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.P. is the Division Chief of Consultative Pediatrics at Nemours Children’s Clinic and provides services to diagnose and treat children of all ages with obesity issues in the Nemours Healthy Choices Clinic.

If you live in Narcoossee or Lake Nona, there’s a good chance you’re excited about the future development of our area. Not sure how this info came to me, but I woke to an email telling me about a new shopping center coming to the area that should be opening in the beginning of 2012.

According to the flyer, it is a standard shopping center with a large grocery store as its anchor. The flyer is info for leasing space, so it doesn’t seem anyone has locked into the building yet, but with Publix 2 miles away, I’m curious to see who ends up here.

Here’s a map of the location:

View Larger Map

And here’s the flyer I received:

Lake Nona Plaza – Flyer

Any idea what’s coming here? Tell us about it in the comments.

For years this editorial board has encouraged and applauded the development of Orlando’s Medical City at Lake Nona. We believe its success is critical to building a broader, stronger economy in Central Florida — an economy that goes beyond tourism and construction.

So we can’t help but be drawn to a proposal to locate a new University of Central Florida College of Dental Medicine at the Medical City. The proposal, to be considered this week by UCF’s Board of Trustees, calls for a dental school that would open in 2014 and graduate about 100 dentists a year.

A dental school would be a natural fit with the medical facilities already operating or under construction at Lake Nona. They include the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, UCF’s College of Medicine, the Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Nemours Children’s Hospital. A dental school would be another Medical City magnet for highly trained professionals and research grants. You know…jobs.

UCF projects the dental school would pump $73 million into the region’s economy during its construction, and at least $69 million a year during its operation.

Continue Reading: UCF dental school at the Medical City would boost the region’s health care and economy