For immediate release - September 16, 2005

Academy provides in-depth view of County government

TAVARES — Lake County citizens are invited to sign up for the fall edition of the Lake County Citizen’s Academy.

This session of the Citizen’s Academy is scheduled for Sept. 29 to Nov. 17 and is offered at no cost to residents. Classes are held each Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. and provide citizens with information and materials explaining how the various departments within Lake County Government work to serve the community.

The three-hour classes offered during the next eight-week session, allow citizens to learn and ask questions about aspects of government operations in an informal setting. Each week, a different branch of County Government is featured. For example, a popular class is during the second week of the academy when the four divisions of the Department of Public Safety (Fire Rescue, Emergency Management, Animal Services and Communications Systems) convene at the Lake County Animal Shelter.

The facilitator of the academy is Denise Gainer, Public Education Specialist for the Department of Environmental Services. Besides learning more about Lake County Government, other benefits of the program are free refreshments, an official class shirt and a certified academy diploma.

For more information and to register for the free course, call Denise Gainer at 343-3776 ext. 224 or register on the Lake County Web site here. The academy is limited to 24 citizens.

###

Contact information:
Christopher Patton
Communications Coordinator
Office: (352) 343-9609; Cell: (352) 455-0445
cpatton@co.lake.fl.us