Funky Skunk Makes a Stink

February 08, 2024

Good morning, Orlando! So do we care about Sunday’s Superbowl, or do we not?

In today’s Orlando Signal, Thursday (weekend fun) issue:

  • Making a stink in Orlando

  • Gingerbread RUN

  • Bored teachers are funny

  • + a boat load of weekend recs

If you enjoy this issue, please forward it to a friend. If you’re that sexy friend, subscribe here.

Let’s roll!

- Philip

P.S. 🎂 Happy 77th birthday to Felipe A!

3 QUICK NEWS BITS ⏲️
Funky Skunk Makes a Stink in Orlando

A giant skunk art car is causing double-takes across Orlando. Built by local contractor Brandon Willis, "The Funky Skunk" is his passion project brought to life. Willis designed it as a cute yet mutated creature with rainbow LED stripes that lift to blow bubbles, all while playing music. He took it to Burning Man and events across the country.

Willis was born in Central Florida, but moved after graduating UCF in 2008. About a year ago, he returned to Orlando. When not operating his business, he works on projects like The Funky Skunk. His vision was a never-before-seen art car that could showcase displays and visual gags.

Willis doesn't just take The Funky Skunk on the road - he also spreads joy locally. From the recent Orlando Maker Faire to the Longwood Holiday Parade, Willis introduces his creation to his hometown. He hopes to book more local events and parties for it.

Willis has plans for more art cars, both for himself and customers, hoping to cultivate a unique car scene in Orlando.

So keep your eyes open - you never know when one of Willis' quirky vehicles might cruise by brightening everyone's day.

The Early Bird Gets the Smile Mile

Before the first bell rings at Blankner Elementary School in Orlando, a unique morning tradition unfolds on the track—the Smile Mile. What started years back with a P.E. teacher arriving early and informally running laps with her son has evolved into a daily program engaging over 400 students.

Each morning from 8:00-8:30AM, different grade levels take turns pounding the pavement together before their academic day begins.

According to enthusiastic first-grader Remy Cahen, students can run alongside friends, log miles for prizes, and get their bodies moving to feel energized for learning.

Physical education teacher Linda Prusaczyk initiated Smile Mile through a math grant that promotes counting laps and tracking progress. Far more valuable, she says, are the health and social-emotional benefits witnessed from this positive, incentivized culture.

Studies show physical activity boosts focus and relationships. So these early bird students will continue seizing the miles, rain or shine.

Smile Mile gives them a head start on mileage goals and on each new day.

A Penny for Your Transport Plans

Mayor Jerry Demings still has high hopes for that elusive penny - the one cent sales tax hike that voters rejected in 2022 amid inflation and hurricane woes. But Orange County keeps growing, and traffic keeps crawling. So Demings glides back into the commissioners’ chamber, aiming to revive the transport tax tango.

If passed, the tax could pump $600 million yearly into upgrading transit and tackling congestion. Local Annie Lott supports the tax, remembering when biking felt safer in Orange County.

But after graduating college, a Prius replaced pedals when public transit couldn’t shuttle Lott to her Lake Mary job quickly enough. She hopes this next transportation tax bid steers money toward moving people, not just more vehicles on wider highways.

So while Lott’s pocket change sits ready, her ideals yearn for broader bike paths and botanical sanctuaries untouched by concrete.

Compromise looms as the fate of a penny awaits its next dance. But Lott and Demings share a dream - smoother streets and sustainable communities blooming across Orange County’s sprawling landscape.

WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
2024 Gingerbread RUN: Raise Some Dough to Make Wishes Possible


📍Give Kids The World. 210 South Bass Road, Kissimmee, FL. Map to this location.

🕐 Saturday, February 10th, 7:00am

Love is in the air at the whimsical Give Kids The World Village! Join us on February 10th, 2024 as we lace up our running shoes for a one-of-a-kind 5K through this enchanting 89-acre nonprofit resort.

Whether you choose to meander or sprint past snoring trees and the world’s largest Candy Land game, this Gingerbread Run offers something sweet for fundraisers of all ages. Roll, stroll, or run—the choice is yours!

Proceeds from this delicious early Valentine’s Day event will provide magical week-long wish vacations to critically ill children and their families from around the world. By participating in person or virtually, you can help give the gift of joy to those who need it most.

So come with an open heart this February to run, roll, or stroll. With every step, we’ll turn Central Florida into a brighter place, one wish child at a time.

TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
The Boozy Cauldron Tavern: A Magical Pop-up Cocktail Experience

📍Gallery J. 920 Belle Avenue STE 1300, Winter Springs, 32708 Map to this location.

🕐 Thursday, Friday, & Saturday, February 8th-10th, 6pm, 8pm, and 10pm

Behind an unassuming door in Orlando lies The Boozy Cauldron, a secret pop-up cocktail lounge offering a bewitching experience for magic and mixology fans.

Professor Dolohov Draven, famed bartender and potions master, materializes with his top students to lead guests through an evening of spine-tingling tales and four signature elixirs, including Draven's iconic Butternilla Brew. However, the portal to this hidden tavern only opens on rare occasions, its location never guaranteed.

Don't miss your chance to hear stories of the resident ghosts said to inhabit the shadows of The Boozy Cauldron and master the enchanting cocktail craft firsthand before the professor and his nostrum-concocting apprentices vanish back into the night.

Tickets are limited for this exceptional event; claim yours and unlock the beguiling mysteries within The Boozy Cauldron while you still can.

Bored Teachers: We Can’t Make This Stuff Up! Comedy Tour


📍STEINMETZ HALL. 445 South Magnolia Ave. Orlando, FL 32801. Map to this location.

🕐 Thursday & Saturday, February 8th & 10th, 7:30pm. Saturday is already SOLD OUT, so they added a Thursday (Feb 8th) show you can grab.

With hundreds of millions of social media views under their belt, Bored Teachers Studios - the undisputed #1 for teacher comedy online - now brings their troupe of hilarious educator-entertainers off-screen and onto the live stage.

This sharp-witted group has entertained both teachers and non-teachers alike, amassing an internet following for their hysterical classroom-themed skits skewering academic life.

Whether you're an educator needing some comic relief or anyone wanting a good chuckle, don't miss Bored Teachers' long-awaited shows as the teacher comedy revolution that has conquered the internet storms the stage.

Paws In The Park

📍Lake Eola Park. Map to this location.

🕐 Saturday, February 10th, 10am-4pm

Canine companions take center stage at the celebrated Paws in the Park festival, uniting pet parents and tail-waggers alike for a pawsitively fun time.

Costume your cuddle buddy for the lighthearted costume contest, where fashion and fur collide delightfully. Let athletic pups make waves—literally—as they leap with abandon into the dock diving pool in an impressive show of beyond-the-leash bravado.

Even the leash-less need not miss the revelries, as potential adoptees eagerly await new families in the adoption zone. Here, that fated first meeting of eyes could launch the beginning of a lifelong friendship built on snuggles and belly rubs.

Entry is free for humans, but fundraising efforts give festival-goers a way to support the venerable Pet Alliance in their admirable mission to care for over 4,000 orphaned dogs and cats annually. Donations grant these furry friends a refuge, providing shelter, care and affection until the magical moment they meet their forever person and depart for furever homes.

MORE WEEKEND HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁 

Friday:

Saturday:

Sunday:

ORLANDO WEATHER 🌤️

Friday

77 🌡️ 57 | 🌤️ | Partly sunny and beautiful

Saturday

🌤️77 🌡️ 60 | 🌤️ | Partly sunny and beautiful

Sunday

80 🌡️ 63 | 🌤️ | Sun and areas of high clouds

How did you like today's newsletter?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

THANKS! 🙏

We’ll see you on Monday!

My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal