PHCC 2023 Tulie Phillips Scholarship Recipient: Shekina St Louis

This Year the Pine Hills Community Council, Inc., awards the Annual Tulie L. Phillips Endowed Scholarship to Shekina St Louis, Evans High School graduate class of 2023. Shekina graduated Evans High School with a 4.3 GPA and will be attending Valencia College  in the Bridges to Success Scholars Program majoring in Criminal Justice with the desire to attend Law School following her undergraduate experience.

Shekina is a active student leader as a member of the United Foundation of Central Florida, Inc. - Future Leaders United After-School Enrichment and Mentoring Program, National Society of High School Scholars, Elevate Orlando, Evans Senior Class, Gospel Choir, Evans High Marching Band, just to name a few. 

About the Tulie L. Phillips Endowed Scholarship
Tulie Lucretia Phillips (1931-1997) was secretary and then president of the Pine Hills Community Council. Her energy and focus helped to revitalize the Council, giving it a sense of purpose and tangible objectives. She was a tireless community advocate. She tended the Pine Hills booth at the Central Florida Fair, worked as a realtor in her brokerage firm (Contemporary Real Estate and Investments, Inc.), and was a member of the Faith Lutheran Church. She served on the Orlando-Winter Park Board of Realtors as chair of the Professional Standards Committee and the Committee on Equal Opportunity. Tulie was named to the Princeton Hospital Council on Aging in 1996 and then to the Orange County Code Enforcement Board. She coordinated numerous community events bolstering pride among the residents of Pine Hills. She remains a positive force for improvement in the community and a continuing source of inspiration.

About The Pine Hills Community Council, Inc. (PHCC)
PHCC was founded in 1972. We are a 501(c)(4) nonprofit civic organization. We invest our efforts directly in our community and promote its interests at the county, state, and national levels to assure the continued vitality of a unique,  family-friendly, safe place to live, work, and play.

The Midtown Press Article: 2023 Pine Hills Global Earth Day Community Clean Up

By Kassandra M. Santiago

On April 22, 2023, The Pine Hills Community Council (in partnership with local community organizations) gathered over 70 volunteers at Barnett Park. The mission of the day was simple: To clean up Barnett Park and to do it together.

The 2023 Global Earth Day Community Clean Up and Family Fun Day, where youth volunteers, families, church leaders, and other excellent organizations were given the opportunity to have fun while making a difference. This event brought together energetic and motivated volunteers who were eager to help keep their environment clean and healthy. Global Earth Day is a perfect example of a positive initiative that not only benefits the community but also empowers everyone to roll up their sleeves and do their part. Their energy and enthusiasm were contagious, and it was clear that they took great pride in their work.

The groups behind this event did an outstanding job of organizing the day and providing the necessary tools and resources to make it a success. The volunteers were given gloves, trash bags, and cleaning supplies and were then divided into teams to tackle different areas of the park. The experience also provided valuable life lessons for the young volunteers from the Future Leaders United After-School Enrichment & Mentoring Program. They learned the importance of working together towards a common goal, the value of community service, and the impact that small actions can have on a larger scale. It was heartening to see young people taking an active role in making their community a better place and an opportunity for them to see a great example of what can be achieved when a community comes together for a common goal. They also gained valuable team-building skills and learned the satisfaction that comes from giving back to the community.

If you would like to learn more about the organization or get involved in future efforts, you can visit their website at www.pinehills.info

The Midtown Press Article: Treesilience Demonstration Project: Experience Christian Center

By Kassandra M. Santiago

In a region grappling with environmental challenges, every small step toward sustainability counts. One such heartwarming initiative recently occurred in our community. The Experience Christian Center Church and several non-profits joined hands to facilitate a remarkable moment for the once eye sore. The event brought the community together and served as a powerful symbol of hope, resilience, and a commitment to creating a greener future for all. Residents, leaders, and volunteers gathered to enhance their surroundings and foster a greater connection.

The event injected new life into the urban landscape, transforming it slowly into a vibrant area of greenery. The impact of this transformation on the neighborhood's aesthetic appeal cannot be understated, as it offers residents and those passing by a daily visual reminder of the power of small revitalization efforts that can occur alongside our roadways. The ceremony, led by the Orlando Metro Treesilience (and its partners) served as a platform for community members to connect, exchange ideas, and enjoy refreshments before planting along the building.

Beyond the benefits of shade and beauty, the tree planting ceremony on Hiawassee Rd. holds long-lasting environmental advantages. The new plants and more will improve air quality, reduce carbon dioxide levels, and support local biodiversity. This event has sown the seeds of a greener future alongside one of Orlando’s busiest streets, one that deserves our attention.

The warm weather, coupled with the opportunity to actively participate in the ceremony, ignited a renewed sense of collective responsibility. The ceremony was a testament to the strength of collaboration between The Experience Christian Center Church, residents, and the community organizers that serve us. Each partner brought their unique expertise and resources to the table. We applaud The Experience Christian Center Church, Orlando Metro Treesilience initiative (by The Nature Conservancy), and the rest of the organizing partners for planting seeds in Pine Hills.

PHCC Receives Treesilience Orlando Metro Program Grant

Orlando Metro Cities Program

OVERVIEW

Once lakes and pine forest wilderness, and then farms, ranches and citrus groves, today Central Florida is home to the Orlando Metropolitan area. Stretching across six counties—Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia—the Orlando metro area is a diverse and beautiful region with both natural spaces and growing urban development. As the fastest growing metro area in Florida and the third fastest-growing metro in the nation, the population of metropolitan Orlando is increasing and the urban footprint is expanding further into environmentally sensitive lands to meet the needs of ongoing growth.

Often as cities grow, natural systems degrade, greenspaces disappear, temperatures increase and communities become more vulnerable to climate change impacts. The Orlando Metro area is faced with the need to balance rapid development and controversial proposals that impact regional ecosystems, the habitats that help supply our drinking water and support iconic wildlife and biodiversity in Florida. The time is now to guide a bright future for the region, to ensure that valuable greenspaces and sustainable practices are at the forefront of urban planning.

TNC is committed to making that vision a reality, keeping nature in focus as a solution to challenges and a valued asset, so that both nature and people can thrive. We are focused on integrating conservation in urban planning to transform city landscapes for the benefit of people and nature, and to advance urban resilience. 

But what exactly do we mean by urban conservation?

Urban conservation is the active management of the natural resources and systems of a city to preserve, maintain and restore their functions; deliver a wide array of benefits to protect biodiversity; and enhance the well-being of residents, while ideally prioritizing the needs of under-resourced and frontline communities. Urban conservation focuses on protecting nature for cities, thereby improving the functions of the systems on which cities rely, as well as improving the lives of people in cities.

TNC is playing an important role connecting scientists, decision makers, community members and nonprofit organizations in the Orlando Metro area so that, together, we can find solutions to development challenges and threats to natural ecosystems. Here at TNC, we know urban conservation has the potential to strengthen the bond between cities, nature and people by deploying nature-based solutions that protect biodiversity and improve the quality of modern urban life, while informing the next generation of environmental stewards.

Program Priorities

TNC has identified various areas in which we can lend our expertise and energies to the most impactful use. Our goals include efforts to:

1. Mitigate hazards & improve disaster preparedness

2. Alleviate extreme heat & urban heat islands

3. Connect greenspaces & increase urban forests

4. Connect people with nature & protect biodiversity

TREESILIENCE PROJECT

Trees in urban areas provide many benefits that help alleviate urban environmental challenges. Trees reduce heat, provide shade, block wind and provide habitat. They also reduce flooding, capture and store carbon, boost physical and mental health and provide aesthetic value.

However, when a storm hits the Orlando metro area, severe winds and wind-born rain create hazards such as flooding and downed trees in inland and coastal areas across the region. Damage caused by uprooted or falling tree limbs is one of the most severe impacts of hurricanes and tropical storms—causing power outages, loss of property and infrastructure and even fatalities. And the loss of tree canopy reduces available shade and decreases heat and pollution absorption.

Local governments frequently encourage homeowners to prepare for hurricane season by trimming trees, but communities that are more vulnerable to, and disproportionately impacted by extreme weather events often lack the resources for preventive tree maintenance. This increases their risk of damage caused by unhealthy or dying trees.

Enter Treesilience, a national TNC initiative focused on creating a resilient tree canopy in urban areas. In Orlando, we are working in vulnerable communities to maintain mature trees, plant new ones and a long-term goal of recruiting youth from underrepresented backgrounds for jobs in urban forestry and conservation. Thanks to a generous grant from Walt Disney World Resort, Treesilience provides tree health assessment and maintenance, dead tree removal and replacement and new plantings of Florida-friendly shade and fruit trees to address heat and food insecurity concerns.

In an effort to support our goal to mitigate hazards and improve disaster preparedness, we are partnering with the Pine Hills Community Council, Infinite Zion Farms, IDEAS For Us, and Davey Tree Experts on the Treesilience project. Treesilience provides preventive tree maintenance for low-income homeowners in under-resourced communities and offers plantings of wind-resistant trees to restore tree canopy.

Conventionally, the notion of maintenance in many cities has focused on the built environment, specifically bridges, roads and power lines known as gray infrastructure. Treesilience draws attention to trees as a key part of natural infrastructure, which can be susceptible to costly failures, when not maintained. The Treesilience project emphasizes safeguarding our natural infrastructure, moving us toward our goal of building sustainable and resilient communities.

SURBURBAN SPRAWL This aerial photo depicts new housing development in Reunion, Florida sprawling outward from Orlando. © Carlton Ward Jr.

Orlando Development Facts

Facts about growth and development in the Orlando Metro area in Florida.

1. Florida's Population

   Florida is the third most populous state in the nation with multiple large and fast-growing metro areas.

2. Orlando Metro Growth

   A large portion of this growth occurs in the Orlando Metropolitan area, the fastest-growing metro area in Florida and the third fastest-growing metro area in the U.S.

3. Central Florida Development Projections

   Orange County is projected to be the fastest-growing County by 2030, while Osceola County will increase in population by more than 50%. Brevard County is projected to undergo concentrated development along the Indian River Lagoon with profound implications on natural lands and lagoon health.

4. Orlando Metro Natural Areas

   The Orlando Metro area is comprised of multiple regional, state, and national parks including the Wekiwa Springs State Park, Blue Spring State Park, Charles H. Bronson State Forest, Hal Scott Regional Preserve and Park, Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, and Canaveral National Seashore.

5. Orlando Metro Growth Projections

   The Orlando Metro area is currently facing the fastest sprawling development patterns in the state and projected to experience explosive growth in the future.

---

THE MONARCH INITIATIVE Educating Central Florida on the importance of pollinators. © Full Sail University

The Monarch Initiative

Launched in 2018 with the support of Full Sail University, The Monarch Initiative is focused on the iconic and imperiled monarch butterfly, a symbol of the many conservation challenges that pollinators and wildlife, natural systems and people face in Florida and around the globe. The unique program aims to increase awareness of the value of nature in our lives and encourage conservation action by educating the Central Florida community on the importance of pollinators and healthy natural systems through outreach and collaboration. This project moves TNC toward our goal to connect people with nature and protect biodiversity.

WHY MONARCHS?

The iconic monarch butterfly’s recognizable and beautiful appearance make it the perfect pollinator to start a conversation about the connections between people and nature.

Monarchs are known for their impressive multigenerational migration, spanning from Mexico to Canada. However, they have suffered a severe decline in population—decreasing from approximately one billion in 1996 to only about 100 million in 2016.

The monarch’s decline highlights the important role insects, pollinators, and natural systems play in our daily lives and the urgent need for protection efforts. It is thanks to pollinators that we have honey, potatoes, tree fruits, berries, grapes, avocados, coffee, tomatoes, chocolate, sugarcane, agave and other dietary staples.

Florida is home to both migratory and non-migratory populations of monarchs. This is believed to be caused, at least in part, by abundant evergreen milkweed. Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars can eat, and the only plant upon which adult monarchs will lay their eggs, making its prevalence critical to the monarch’s survival.

VISIT THE MURALS IN ORLANDO

A series of murals created by Ink Dwell studio as part of their Migrating Mural series highlight threatened and endangered wildlife along the migration corridors they share with people. These murals expose the public to endangered, elusive and transient animals that may otherwise go unseen.

MILKWEED GALAXY Mural is located on the campus of Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. © Full Sail University

The premier central Florida mural, titled Milkweed Galaxy, features monarchs painted in exacting detail and spectacular color and appears on the campus of Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. The mural appears across the entire front façade of Full Sail Live 3 located at 3150 University Boulevard in Winter Park. It is surrounded by butterfly-friendly landscaping. The mural is highly visible to the public from University Boulevard, where approximately 40,000 viewers pass by each day.

MIDNIGHT DREAM Mural located in downtown Orlando, Florida. © Full Sail University

The second mural, titled Midnight Dream, is located in downtown Orlando across the entire rear wall of 520 South Magnolia Avenue, next to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and across the street from City Hall. Facing Orange Avenue, the arresting and dramatic mural highlights monarch butterflies among their essential milkweed.

MONARCH LIFECYCLE Progression of the monarch from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. © Full Sail University

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP MONARCHS?

• Visit one of the Migrating Murals in Florida or beyond.

• Explore nature at a one of our two preserves in Central Florida—Disney Wilderness Preserve and Tiger Creek Preserve. Here you can experience old Florida restored to its natural beauty just a short drive from Orlando.

• Explore TNC's work to support monarchs in Oklahoma and Nevada.

• Plant a pollinator garden on your lawn or patio.

• Learn about the Monarch Joint Venture, a partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses and academic programs working together to protect the monarch migration across the United States.

• Support science education in your schools. Nature Lab provides standards-aligned curriculum to help students learn the science behind how nature works for us and how we can help keep it running strong.

• Take action and advocate to keep nature on the federal agenda. Share your concern with your elected officials and urge them to act to protect people and nature.

• Encourage your friends, family and community to speak up for nature. Share your commitment. Ask people to join you. Speak up for science-based solutions that support nature and people.

• Support our work in Florida and around the globe.

2023 Oath of Office & Open House

On Tuesday, January 10th, 2023, the Pine Hills Community Council held its 2023 Oath of Office Ceremony at the Pine Hills Community Center. The "changing-of-the-guard event" saw the organization's leadership change from outgoing President Patricia Rumph to Sandra Fatmi-Hall. The Honorable Monique H. Worrell, State Attorney, administered the ceremony.

The Pine Hills Community Council is a volunteer civic organization that advocates for the people of Pine Hills. Board members and Directors-at-Large are committed to making a difference through community action.

1st Vice President Dr. Latanya Nichols shared some exciting news regarding a grant for which the Council applied. The group received word in December 2022 that they were being awarded a $5,000 grant aimed at focusing on tree health and tree canopy in the unincorporated Pine Hills area. The Council is proud of being a grant recipient and looks forward to working with The Nature Conservancy, and its partners (Davey Trees, Infinite Zion Farms, and IDEAS For Us) collectively on the Treesilience Orlando Metro Program 2023! Mrs. Nichols encourages residents and citizens, whether they live in the Pine Hills community or not, to get involved and to be part of this exciting journey as we work together to positively impact the change we want to see in our neighborhoods and community.

PHCC 2023 officers: President Sandra Fatmi-Hall, 1st Vice President Dr. Latanya Nichols, 2nd Vice President Melissa Service, Secretary Bertina Busch, Treasurer Evangeline Richardson; Trustees: Noel Martin, Pastor Joseph 'Joey' Boston, Dennis Hall; Past President, Patricia Rumph; Directors-at-large: Kenneth Dwyer, Dr. Idler Bonhomme, Erica Atterbury, Julien M. Serrano-O’Neil

Orlando Sentinel: Pine Hills Neighborhood Guide

Pine Hills Neighborhood Guide

By Michael Candelaria

Correspondent | Orlando Sentinel

Jun 21, 2018

The community sign of Pine Hills greets visitors with its slogan "An Orange County Community with Pride" located on north Pine Hills and Clarcona Ocoee road in Orlando. (Aileen Perilla/ Orlando Sentinel) (Aileen Perilla / Orlando Sentinel)

Pine Hills is one of Orange County’s oldest and largest neighborhoods, with the start of home construction dating to the 1950s. In recent years, significant change has been underway, as county officials and area leaders work together to revitalize and redevelop the area. The results are evident in a generally improved vibe within this diverse community, a stronger retail presence and now-thriving schools.

A claim to fame

In May, college scholarship money totaling $15.3 million was offered to the 537 graduates of Maynard Evans High School, an average of more than $27,000 in scholarships per student, a record for the school. Evans opened in 1955 and was reconstructed in 2012 at a reported cost of $70 million. It is a community school, designed to offer student-centered, family-focused and school-based services to students, their families and community members.

Why I live here

“Pine Hills is a community that is thriving; we are one of the fastest growing in unincorporated Orange County,” says Sandra Fatmi, president of the Pine Hills Community Council. “This is simply a very nice place to live, work and play for several reasons. I am tremendously excited about the growth of our young people and what their prospects are. … We have a lot going on around here.”

Coming soon

A $3 million Lynx Bus Transfer Station is on the way along Belco Drive in a building design that officials say will serve as the prototype for future LYNX transfer centers. It’s expected to essentially become a town center for Pine Hills. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2019.

Don’t miss

• The Central Florida Fairgrounds: Covering 87 acres, it hosts an array of events throughout the year, including concerts at its amphitheater and the Central Florida Fair, as well as a farmers market and flea market. (603 W. Colonial Drive, 407-295-3247; centralfloridafair.com

Members of Lac Hong, a Virtnamese cultural group, perform a New Year dance . The Vietnamese community shared their culture and food during a New Year celebration Sunday at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. Tom Benitez / Orlando Sentinel

• Barnett Park: Located behind the Central Florida Fairgrounds, the park provides a wide range of recreational amenities, including ball fields and courts, two areas for fishing, pavilions, playground, dog park and an area for Frisbee golf. It is perhaps best known as for its BMX bike track. (4801 W. Colonial Drive, 407-836-6248; orangecountyfl.net)

Barnett Park located of west Colonial Drive houses a recreation center and gym among other amenities. Aileen Perilla / Orlando Sentinel

• Pine Hills Community Performing Arts Center: Opened in 2011, this facility focuses on the area’s youth and provides programs that encompass theater, dance, visual art and poetry, among other disciplines. The center is based at the Pine Hills Community Church (1305 N. Pine Hills Road) and the Wayne Densch YMCA (870 N. Hastings St.). (407-234-9619; http://www.pinehillsperforms.org)

Dig in!

Dining options from OS Foodie Lauren Delgado:

● 340 Caribbean Restaurant: Cuisine from the Virgin Islands is on the menu here. Look for conch, saltfish and more. (4529 N. Pine Hills Road, Orlando)

● Negril Jamaican Restaurant: Tuck into island fare such as jerk chicken, rice and peas, ackee and more at this small restaurant. Time your meal right to take advantage of the lunch specials. (6301 Silver Star Road, Orlando)

Evans High School student group pushes for change in Pine Hills

Students from Future Leaders United at Evans High School attended the Pine Hills community meeting Tuesday and engaged Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph on taxes and the budget. (Erin Murray, Staff)

By Erin Murray, Reporter
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 08, 2017, 11:02 AM EST News 13 Article Click Here

ORLANDO -- 

The sirens heard outside of Evans High School are drowned out inside by young voices who are ready for change.

• Evans High School group gets involved in community

• Future Leaders United attended Pine Hills meeting

• Young people engaged local leaders

"What do you guys want to be?” asked Kedrine Gayle, to another student. “You look like a business man.”

Gayle is a senior at Evans High School and the president of the after school program Future Leaders United (FLU). On Tuesday, she and other club members worked on homework and discussed local government.

“Our goal is to really engage with the community, to really understand where Pine Hills is at,”  said Gayle.

The students in FLU understand well the stigmas and issues that surround the area of Pine Hills.

“Pine Hills is known as 'Crime Hills,'” said Gayle. “It’s known as a place with a lot of food deserts and so on, and the incarceration rates are up, as well as we have a lot of unemployment.”

But the students also understand that creating change means getting involved. So after their FLU meeting ended, the same young students attended the Pine Hills community meeting a few hours later.  

Tuesday’s main topic on the agenda was the budget for the next year and how it works. Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph, Orange County District 6 Commissioner Victoria Siplin, and Orange County Budget Manager Kurt Petersen all took turns fielding questions and sharing information.

Many people in the crowd asked questions, including three FLU students.

“Is there a specific time for that money to be used up or is it automatically go into the next budget year?” asked Gayle. She and her fellow students left inspired and with ideas about how to apply for grants.  “I do believe we shouldn’t let finance be an excuse for not achieving our goals, for not achieving our dreams,” said Gayle. “So I do believe this money will be used in a very good way.”

“News 13 Reporter Erin Murray”