“Our Women Have the Vote” read the headlines of the September 26, 1918 “St. Cloud Tribune”.  But as quickly as they gained it, they lost it.

Held annually each February, the Kissimmee Valley Livestock Show and Fair we are familiar with originated in the 1940s with the Kissimmee Valley Livestock Market being used as its venue.  Interrupted briefly by World War II, the fair and show returned, was incorporated and became an association which continues the tradition of an annual fair and livestock show.

 Janet Schick started “Social Enterprisers” in 2015, working on projects for small businesses and local organizations.  Janet’s passion is helping small business owners and members of local organizations realize the benefits of personal marketing outreach including, making telephone calls and other marketing elements. The mission of Social Enterprisers closely reflects Janet’s passion, to educate and inform people on how to best communicate market messages to promote business products and services.

 Forty years ago, on November eighth,  people in the Shingle Creek area may have had a real monster on their hands. This story of the Shingle Creek Monster (pictured in this blog) was the headline for the Osceola-Polk section of the Sentinel Star. I followed Frank Carroll's footsteps when writing about this mysterious creature, nicknamed the “Loch Shingle Monster”, which doesn't flow like the Loch Ness Monster.  Many  people that lived in the area brushed off the beliefs that it could have been something other than a very large catfish.  Many made it a personal goal to catch the moster of Shingle Creek, but they all came up empty handed.  

As the quarter moon rises over Downtown Kissimmee on Friday October 27^th, the Osceola County Historical Society will whisk you away on a spirited lantern-lit ghost tour. As your host guides you through the twilit streets, you will hear spine-tingling tales of some of Kissimmee’s dearly and infamously departed residents. Look and listen carefully, because you never know where you might encounter a spook or two. This 45-minute, kid-friendly adventure will be the perfect ‘trick’ to your Boo! On Broadway treats. This event is $10 for adults, and $5 for children 12 and under. Sign up now, before this terror-ific offer passes away.

Feeling a bit adventurous and wanting to disconnect with the hustle and bustle of the city? My husband and I decided to plan a trip out to Wild Willy’s Airboat Tours to experience Central Florida’s natural beauty. The summer heat played a huge role in deciding when to book our tour and with time slots available as early as 9AM, the decision was a no brainer.

 Toho Water Authority plays a huge part in the lives of local students in Osceola County. Over the summer, Toho offered their Toho WaterWorks Summer Camp, which ran from July 17, 2017 to July 21, 2017 to about 20 middle school students. Each day, the campers were able to learn about the importance of water through hands-on experiments, group building activities, and tours of various facilities.

The Kissimmee/Osceola Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Experience Kissimmee and X Factor Institute offers an amazing program to local hospitality businesses called the Kissimmee is Me Ambassador.  This free program gives area businesses an opportunity to make lasting connections with each other, as well as a chance to learn some tried and true customer service techniques.

K & M Rentals is a minority owned business that has been in operation since 1993. Mary Brodie, founder of K & M Rentals, realized there was a need for a more specialized equipment rental company in Orlando and Kissimmee to offer a variety of rentals to guests arriving from Overseas and the USA. It was from this idea and a lot of hard work from Mary’s loyal employees that K & M Rentals has grown to become one of the top equipment rental companies in Orlando and Kissimmee.

After selling their haberdashery business in Chicago, Emanuel J. “Manny” and Theresa Budinger moved to St. Cloud, Florida in 1944. The Budingers established the Clock and China Museum at 1725 Missouri Avenue in St. Cloud a few years later. They began to collect clocks from all over the world and a museum was established, with a special building to house Theresa’s rare china collection. They charged no admission fee and refused any monetary donations. Theresa realized that with such a large elderly population in the community, St. Cloud should have a hospital so she decided that by accepting donations from the visitors, she could raise funds for this purpose. Once the St. Cloud Hospital Foundation was chartered, clubs and organizations held benefit affairs, giving proceeds to the Foundation. Groundbreaking was held in October 1957 and the hospital officially opened its doors on March 19, 1964.