By Bertie Hunt, Safety Committee Chair and Carol Francis Craig M. O’Neil was named Block Captain of the Year for District 3 yesterday at Leu Gardens during the City of Orlando’s leaders Luncheon. Craig works endlessly to make sure his neighbors and friends in College Park / Maury Rd. are as safe, and informed. Craig’s Neighborhood Watch Group, Maury Rd. was named best in the city.
His achievements:
Reducing Crime Craig is a great neighborhood watch block captain for College Park / Maury Rd. He is also part of the North College Park Neighborhood Watch Group. He is always sending information to the Maury Rd. residents that may concern them as to safety or crime. He is always one of the first persons to contact OPD when necessary to get the correct information. When the CVS Store was robbed Craig went down there to let the management know we in College Park were concerned, and if neighborhood watch could we be of any help. He told them that we would not be shopping there anymore until they made it safe for us. They installed additional parking lights and added night security at the door.
Neighborhood Involvement
Over the past 2 years Craig has organized “Clean up Maury Rd”, with the help of the City of Orlando’s Jody Goosetree . He brings neighbors together walking up and down Maury Rd. picking up trash along the way.
In April 2009 he along with Janice Rahill with the City of Orlando and volunteers organized by Craig planted 28 trees along Maury Rd. to beautify the area.
Craig was a driving force behind National Night Out 2007 and 2008, placing 2nd.
When CVS had a garage sale last December in conjunction with the Lee Middle School Safe House, Craig immediately stepped in to support this project and made sure that the Neighborhood watch group got involved with donations of items to be sold. $1,400 was made.
Promoting Personal SafetyOver the past two years Craig has organized meetings with the neighborhood residents and Comm. Stuart and City representatives to have sidewalks installed along Maury Rd. on the south side of the street. These sidewalks will run when completed from Ardsley Dr. to Edgewater Dr. This project was just started Nov. 2009. He is very concerned about school safety and speaks with EHS / Lee Middle School SRO when the occasion arises.
He worked with the City of Orlando to have new speed limit signs installed and that changes were made to the school zone lights so that cars slowed down where there were students.
Building RelationshipsI personally have seen Craig out in the rain delivering information to the neighbors, wanting to make sure they got what they needed. Craig has attended every neighborhood watch meeting we have had for Palomar for the last 7 years, until he started his own about 4 years ago.
Now he attends all of them. He also helps others form their own groups.
Craig was also involved with the Luminaries along Maury Rd. last Christmas. This project supports the EHS baseball program. Maury Rd. was beautiful.
OtherNot only does Craig find time to devote to Neighborhood Watch but is the Assistant Director, For the City of Winter Park Communications Department.