Legislative Update: This week was the first week of House committee meetings in Tallahassee. On Wednesday, the Full Appropriations Council on General Government & Healthcare met for a budget workshop to begin discussing how to address the $2.3 billion budget shortfall for the current fiscal year. As the Ranking Democratic Member on the council, I will be working very hard to make sure our Democratic members present a unified voice in advocating common sense solutions on how to address this shortfall. The discussions were only preliminary, and over the next several weeks I will be sure to inform you of any major developments.

Free Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) Training for Women: The City of Delray Beach is holding a free Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) training for women over the course of four 3-hour sessions on January 6, 13, 20, and 27 of 2009. Pre-registration is required and can be made by contacting Sergeant Adam Rosenthal at (561)239-2828 or Rosentha@ci.delray-beach.fl.us (NOTE: there is not an “L” in Sgt. Rosenthal’s name in his email address), or Detective John Young at (561)243-7826 or YoungJ@ci.delray-beach.fl.us.

2009 Summer Internships in D.C. for Students with Disabilities: The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is looking for college students with disabilities to apply for AAPD sponsored internships in Congressional offices or the IT divisions of federal government agencies. Round trip airfare, accessible housing, and a living stipend will be provided for each intern. To apply, visit www.aapd.com/internships.html. Completed applications must be received by 5:00 PM EST, Friday, January 9, 2009.

Able Trust Youth Leadership Forum Taking Applications for New Delegates: The Able Trust is now accepting applications for first-time delegates to the 2009 Youth Leadership Forum, scheduled for July 22-26, 2009 in Tallahassee. The Youth Leadership Forum is a great opportunity to participate in learning activities about living with a disability, meet with disability leaders, business professionals and government officials, and participate in social activities. The deadline to submit an application is January 31, 2009. For more information, contact Natalie Lamb or Susanne Homant of The Able Trust at info@abletrust.org or 850-224-4493. Please forward this information on to anyone you know who works with students who have a disability, especially those who work in the school system.

Health Tip of the Week: There is never a shortage of cooking, candles, and lights during the holidays, which unfortunately can sometimes be a perfect storm for starting fires. The U.S. National Safety Council recommends always having at least one fire extinguisher available to make sure you stay safe and healthy. Consider keeping an all-purpose extinguisher in the kitchen, the garage, near your fireplace, or anywhere else in your home where something could start a fire. Fire extinguishers can be a life saver, but make sure everyone in your household knows where they are located and knows how to properly use one.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to be of service to you, and I hope you have a safe and happy holidays! We will resume our weekly update after the holidays, but please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff if you have any questions or concerns. Our district office number is (561) 470-6593.
Kelly Skidmore

Traffic Cautions
Roadwork at Congress and Atlantic Ave. continues to play havoc with traffic. Avoid that area if possible. Coming off I-95 especially blocked up. (Been there, done that. M.M.)

Additional Southern Palm Beach County Projects: U.S. 1 from the C-15 Canal just north of Hidden Valley Boulevard, north to Linton Boulevard
Construction began on March 24, 2008 on U.S. 1 from the C-15 Canal which is just north of Hidden Valley Boulevard in Boca Raton, north to Linton Boulevard in Delray Beach. This $3.3 million construction project consists of milling and resurfacing, roadway widening to add designated bike lanes, bridge widening over the C15 Canal to add a 3 ft. shoulder and 6 ft. sidewalks on both sides of the bridge, sidewalk improvements to construct a 5 ft. concrete sidewalk throughout the project, landscaping and drainage improvements and new signage and pavement markings. The project is being built by Weekley Asphalt Paving, Inc. and is expected to be complete by the end of December 2008. Restriction: No closures at this time. The project is nearing final acceptance by the Florida Department of Transportation.

Atlantic Avenue (S.R. 806) from Via Flora to McNab Avenue This $3.6 million, 2.7 mile construction project began on December 1, 2008, between Via Flora and McNab Avenue in Delray Beach. The work to be performed during this project includes: milling and resurfacing the roadway; replacing sidewalk curb ramps to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards; and signalization, widening, and storm water drainage improvements at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Congress Avenue. The project is being built by Weekley Asphalt Paving, Inc. and is expected to be complete in fall 2009. Restriction: Inside travel lanes will be closed intermittently between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday, December 22 and Tuesday, December 23. Work will be suspended from Wednesday, December 24 until Monday, December 29. There will be intermittent lane closures during non-peak daytime hours (9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.) Monday, December 29 through Wednesday, December 31. Work will be suspended from Thursday, January 1 until Monday, January 5, 2009.

Atlantic Avenue (S.R. 806) from NW/SW 12th Avenue to A1A This $4.2 million construction project will begin on January 5, 2009, from just east of I-95 to just west of A1A in Delray Beach. The work to be performed during this project includes: milling and resurfacing the roadway; replacing sidewalk curb ramps to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards; and signalization, widening, and landscaping. The project is being built by Weekley Asphalt Paving, Inc. and is expected to be complete in late 2009. Restriction: There are no restrictions at this time.

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To read my Sunday, Sept. 21 article that appeared in the Sun-Sentinel CLICK HERE.

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