Family of Tyre Sampson awarded $310 million in Orlando Free Fall death lawsuit, Zebra Youth brings transitional housing for homeless LGBTQ+ young adults to Orlando, Randy Fine wants to repeal law banning teens from owning assault rifles, and other news you may have missed last week.
BY CHLOE GREENBERG, MCKENNA SCHUELER, AND THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
» Former Teak restaurant staff are abruptly laid off ahead of the holidays
The new American gastropub restaurant Jaspers Bar & Grill in Maitland, formerly known as Teak Neighborhood Grill, abruptly closed this week and axed its social media, without providing any public announcement. About 25 restaurant staff were given notice of the closure the day of via an email sent to staff by the restaurant’s general manager last Monday. “I was just told about this right now, so I am in the same boat as you,” she wrote. One restaurant lead and mother of four described the unexpected layoff as “extremely stressful” and upsetting. “To find out we were permanently closed, that ruined my kid’s Christmas this year.” Teak Neighborhood Grill, a restaurant that had seen business go downhill in the last year, was bought last month by Robert and Nicole Wilkinson. Robert Wilkinson is a part-owner of Parlay in downtown Orlando, and both were part of Park Avenue Concepts LLC, a partnership that purchased what is now the site of Ghost Kitchen Orlando’s Bricks & Bowls restaurant. They currently operate The Villages’ Cane Garden Country Club restaurant and Napolinos in Wildwood. At least two former employees of Jaspers say they haven’t heard from the owners since they received word of the restaurant’s closure. “They’re opportunists, and all they want is money,” one former server alleged. Orlando Weekly was not immediately able to reach the Wilkinsons or Robert’s brother Mike, who managed the restaurant, for comment.
» Family of Tyre Sampson awarded $310 million in Orlando Free Fall death lawsuit
The family of Missouri teen Tyre Sampson, who fell to his death from an Orlando amusement park ride, has been awarded a $310 million verdict, to be paid by the ride’s manufacturer. The 14-year-old student and football player died from injuries sustained after falling from his seat on the Orlando Free Fall tower ride, formerly sited at Icon Park, in March of 2022. According to the lawsuit, Sampson weighed 383 pounds and exceeded the ride’s weight limit by nearly 100 pounds. He fell 100 feet from the ride, which did not have seat belts; it was later determined the ride had undergone changes that contributed to Sampson’s death. The verdict was delivered in an Orange County courtroom against the Austria-based manufacturer, Funtime-Handels. Last year, the Sampson family reached a settlement with Icon Park and Eagle Drop Slingshot, the ride’s owner, also named as defendants. The amount of the settlement has yet to be disclosed. The Orlando Free Fall ride was permanently dismantled following an investigation into Sampson’s death. Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Tyre Sampson Act, a unanimously passed piece of legislation that aims to strengthen safety standards for amusement park rides across the state.
» Orlando City Council extends $200K grant agreement with anti-abortion charity for affordable housing
Last year, as part of an ongoing effort to address the city’s unaffordable housing problem, Orlando City Council gifted a local charity that openly opposes abortion access with more than $200,000 in federal grant money to renovate single-family homes into affordable housing units for low-income people. Catholic Charities of Central Florida, a not-for-profit affiliated with the national Catholic Charities organization, is a ministry of the Diocese of Orlando, a church that contributed $50,000 to a multimillion-dollar campaign that was launched to oppose Florida’s abortion rights initiative on the 2024 ballot. The nonprofit described the measure, Amendment 4, as “dangerous” and “deceptive” on a webpage that is still publicly visible online. Catholic Charities was one of several local organizations the city of Orlando designated to receive federal community development block grant funds last year. The funds earmarked for Catholic Charities are intended to go toward five single-family home renovation and rehabilitation projects in Orlando that the charity proposed for housing low-income individuals. The projects were supposed to be completed by Sept. 30, 2024, but the charity asked for a one-year extension this month due to delays. City Council approved the extension (on the council’s consent agenda for their Dec. 9 meeting) without comment.
» Zebra Youth brings more transitional housing for homeless LGBTQ+ young adults to Orlando
As Orlando faces an ongoing lack of housing affordability, local LGBTQ+ nonprofit Zebra Youth is getting ready to expand their transitional housing program just ahead of the holidays, with young
adult advocates leading the charge. Thanks to funds they received through the Homeless Services Network’s Brighter Days initiative — funded largely through federal tax dollars — Zebra is set to open up 12 more transitional housing units for LGBTQ+ adults 18 to 24 years old near downtown Orlando within the next few weeks. The units offer temporary, no-cost housing, and offer apartment-style living, plus a kitchen and private bathrooms. “Having a safe living environment away from the streets gives these young people the stability they need to address education, employment, mental and physical health issues,” said Zebra Youth executive director Heather Wilkie. “By pairing housing with supportive case management [this] increases their chances of self-sufficiency and eradicates homelessness from their future.” National estimates suggest that up to 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+, a statistic that Wilkie said largely holds true for Central Florida as well.
» Florida Republican wants to repeal law banning teens from owning assault rifles
In the latest salvo amid the long-running legal battle about the firearms issue, Republican state Sen. Randy Fine has proposed Florida repeal a law that prevents people under the age of 21 from buying rifles and other long guns. Fine, a Brevard County Republican who is running in a special election for a congressional seat, filed the proposal (SB 94) for consideration during the 2025 legislative session, which will start March 4. The bill is similar to a measure that passed the House during the 2024 session but failed in the Senate. In 2018, lawmakers and then-Gov. Rick Scott approved raising the minimum age to buy rifles and other long guns from 18 to 21 after a mass shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people. Federal law bars people under 21 from buying handguns.
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PROJECT CENSORED 2024: THE MOST IMPORTANT AMERICAN STORIES YOU DIDN’T READ THIS YEAR
The story being censored could be yours, whether you know it or not!
BY PAUL ROSENBERG
With any list, there’s a natural tendency to look first at No. 1, and neither I nor Project Censored would discourage you from doing that when it comes to their annual list of the top censored stories of the year. This year, the top story is about workplace deaths and injuries — with striking racial disparities, particularly for much-maligned foreign-born workers. Injury rates for Southern service workers, predominantly Black, are especially
alarming: 87 percent in one year, according to one poll. Sensationalized deaths and injuries make the news all the time, but workplace deaths and injuries (nearly 6,000 and 2.8 million, respectively, in a year) are another matter altogether. They’re a non-story, even when advocates strive to shine a light on them.
But this pattern of what’s deemed newsworthy and what isn’t leads to a deep point. In the introduction to the list, Associate Director Andy
Lee Roth writes that “readers can only appreciate the full significance of the Project’s annual listing of important but underreported stories by stepping back to perceive deeper, less obvious patterns of omission in corporate news coverage.” And I couldn’t agree more. This has always been a theme of mine as long as I’ve been reviewing their lists, because the patterns of what’s being blocked out of the public conversation are the clearest way of seeing the censoring process
at work — the process that Project Censored founder Carl Jensen described as “the suppression of information, whether purposeful or not, by any method … that prevents the public from fully knowing what is happening in its society.” It’s not just that somehow all the news assignment editors in America overlooked this or that story. Where there are patterns of omission so consistently, year after year, they can only be explained by systemic biases rooted in the interests of particularly powerful special interests. What’s more, in addition to patterns of omission in the stories as a whole, one can also find intersecting patterns within individual stories. The above description of the top story is an example: race, class, region, citizenship status and more are all involved.
The point is, as you do more than just simply read these stories — as you reflect on them, on why they’re censored, whose stories they are, what harms are being suffered, whose humanity is being denied — you will find yourself seeing the world more from the point of view of those being excluded from the news, and from the point of view that you’re interconnected with them at the very least, if not one of them too.
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No. 1: Thousands killed and injured on the job, with significant racial disparities in deaths and injuries
Working in America is becoming more dangerous, especially for minorities, according to recent studies reported on by Truthout and Peoples Dispatch, while the same isn’t true for other developed nations.
Workplace fatalities increased 5.7 percent in the 2021-2022 period covered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Tyler Walicek reported for Truthout. “Nearly 6,000 U.S. workers died on the job,” he wrote — a 10-year high — while “a startling total of 2.8 million were injured or sickened,” according to another BLS report.
The racial disparities were sharp. The average workplace death rate was 3.7 deaths per hundred thousand full-time workers, but it was 24.3 percent higher (4.6 deaths) for Latiné workers and 13.5 percent higher (4.2 deaths) for Black workers. The majority of Latiné deaths (63.5 percent) were of foreign-born workers, and 40 percent of those were in construction. “It’s not hard to imagine that communication lapses between workers on an active construction site could feasibly create dangerous situations,” Walicek noted. Transportation incidents were the highest cause of fatalities within both groups. Violence and other injuries by persons or animals were second highest for Black workers, while for Hispanic or Latiné workers it was falls, slips or trips. Black people and women were particularly likely to be homicide victims. Black people represented 13.4 percent of all fatalities, but 33.4 percent of homicide fatalities — more than twice the base rate. Women represented 8.1 percent of all fatalities, but 15.3 percent of homicide fatalities — a little less than twice the base rate.
The non-fatal injury rate for service workers in the South, particularly workers of color, is also alarmingly high, according to an April 5, 2023, report by Peoples Dispatch summarizing findings from a March 2023 survey by the Strategic Organizing Center. The poll of 347 workers, most of whom were Black, “found that a shocking 87 percent were injured on the job in the last year,” they reported. In addition, “more than half of survey respondents reported observing serious health and safety standard [violations] at work,” and “most workers worried about their personal safety on the job, most believe that their employer prioritizes profit over safety, most do
not raise safety issues for fear of retaliation, and the vast majority (72 percent) believe that their employer’s attitude ‘places customer satisfaction above worker safety.’”
“Compared to other developed countries, the United States consistently underperforms in providing workers with on-the-job safety,” Project Censored noted. “Walicek argued that this is a direct consequence of ‘the diminution of worker power and regulatory oversight’ in the United States.” U.S. workplace fatality rates exceeded those in the U.K., Canada, Australia and much of Europe, according to a 2021 assessment by the consulting firm Arinite Health and Safety, Walicek reported.
“Workers are increasingly organizing to fight back against hazardous working conditions,” Project Censored noted, citing a civil rights complaint against South Carolina’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration filed by members of the recently formed Union of Southern Service Workers “for failing to protect Black workers from hazardous working conditions,” as reported by the Post and Courier of Charleston, South Carolina. The USSW complaint alleged that “from 2018 to 2022, SC OSHA conducted no programmed inspections in the food/beverage and general merchandise industries, and only one such inspection in the food services and warehousing industries.” On April 4, 2023, when it filed the complaint, USSW went on a one-day strike in Georgia and the Carolinas to expose unsafe working conditions in the service industry. It marked the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination while supporting a sanitation workers strike in Memphis, Tennessee. Then on Dec. 7, USSW sent a petition to federal OSHA requesting that it revoke South Carolina’s state OSHA plan “because the Plan has failed to maintain an effective enforcement program.”
Neither the BLS findings nor the conflict between the USSW and SC OSHA have received much corporate media coverage. The BLS fatalities report was released in December 2023, with no U.S. daily newspaper coverage when Project Censored’s analysis was done. There was a story on the Minnesota findings by Fox in Minneapolis-St. Paul the month the report was released, and a full story on Green Bay ABC affiliate WBAY on April 12, 2024, “as part of its coverage of ‘Work Zone Safety Awareness Week,’” Project Censored noted.
“Corporate coverage of the conflict between the USSW and SC OSHA has also been scant,” they wrote. While independent nonprofits like DC Report “have consistently paid more attention,” there were but two corporate examples cited covering the second action: Associated Press and Bloomberg Law. But neither addressed the issue of racial disparities.
In conclusion, Project Censored noted, “The corporate media’s refusal to cover the harsh realities of workplace deaths and injuries — and the obvious racial disparities in who is hurt and killed on the job — makes the task of organizing to address occupational safety at a national level that much more difficult.”
No. 2: A “vicious circle” of climate debt traps world’s most vulnerable nations
Low-income countries who contributed virtually nothing to the climate crisis are caught in a pattern described as a “climate debt trap” in a September 2023 World Resources Institute report authored by Natalia Alayza, Valerie Laxton and Carolyn Neunuebel.
“After years of pandemic, a global recession, and intensifying droughts, floods and other climate change impacts, many developing countries are operating on increasingly tight budgets and at risk of defaulting on loans,” they wrote. “High-interest rates, short repayment periods and the coexistence of multiple crises (like a pandemic paired with natural disasters) can all make it difficult for governments to meet their debt servicing obligations.”
“Global standards for climate resilience require immense national budgets,” Project Censored noted. “Developing countries borrow from international creditors, and as debt piles up, governments are unable to pay for essential needs, including public health programs, food security and climate protections.”
In fact, The Guardian ran a story describing how global South nations are “forced to invest in fossil fuel projects to repay debts,” a process critics have characterized as a “new form of colonialism.” They cited a report from anti-debt campaigners Debt Justice and partners which found that “the debt owed by global South countries has increased by 150 percent since 2011 and 54 countries are in a debt crisis, having to spend five times more on repayments than on addressing the climate crisis.”
Like the climate crisis itself, the climate debt trap was foreseeable in advance. “A prescient report published by Dissent in 2013, Andrew Ross’ ‘Climate Debt Denial,’ provides a stark reminder that the climate debt trap now highlighted by the World Resources Institute and others was predictable more than a decade ago,” Project Censored notes. But that report highlighted much earlier warnings and efforts to address the problem.
The concept of an ecological debt owed to the global South for the resource exploitation that fueled the global North’s development was first introduced “in the lead-up to the 1992
Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro,” Ross noted. Subsequently, “The Kyoto Protocol laid the groundwork for such claims in 1997 by including the idea of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’ among nations, but climate activists did not fully take up the call for debt justice until the Copenhagen summit in 2009.” Prior to that summit, in 2008, NASA climatologist James Hansen estimated the U.S. historical carbon debt at 27.5 percent of the world total, or $31,035 per capita. While a “loss and damage” fund “to assist developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change” was established at the 2022 Climate Summit, its current commitments ($800 million) fall far short of the $100 billion more each year by 2030 which the 14 developing countries on the fund’s board have argued for. Some estimates place the figure much higher, “at around $400 billion,” according to a Euronews story last June.
The climate debt trap “has received limited news coverage,” Project Censored notes. Aside from The Guardian,“independent news coverage has been limited to outlets that specialize in climate news.” Neither of the two corporate media examples it cited approached it from debtor countries’ point of view. In May 2023, Bloomberg’s “analysis catered to the financial interests of international investors,” while a December 2023 New York Times report “focused primarily on defaults to the United States and China, with less focus on how poorer countries will combat deficits, especially as climate change escalates.”
No. 3: Saltwater intrusion threatens U.S. freshwater supplies
Sea level rise is an easy-to-grasp consequence of global warming, but the most immediate threat it poses — saltwater intrusion into freshwater systems — has only received sporadic and localized treatment in the corporate press. “In fall 2023, saltwater traveling from the Gulf of Mexico up the Mississippi River infiltrated the freshwater systems of the delta region, contaminating drinking and agricultural water supplies as well as inland ecosystems,” Project Censored notes. “This crisis prompted a scramble to supply potable water to the region and motivated local and federal officials to issue emergency declarations.”
While outlets like Time, CNN and CBS News covered the saltwater intrusion at the time, they “focused almost exclusively on the threat to
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coastal Louisiana,” but “a pair of articles published in October 2023 by Delaney Nolan for The Guardian and [hydrogeologist] Holly Michael for The Conversation highlighted the escalating threat of saltwater intrusion across the United States and beyond.”
“Deep below our feet, along every coast, runs the salt line: the zone where fresh inland water meets salty seawater,” Nolan wrote. “That line naturally shifts back and forth all the time, and weather events like floods and storms can push it further out. But rising seas are gradually drawing the salt line in,” he warned. “In Miami, the salt line is creeping inland by about 330 feet per year. Severe drought — as the Gulf Coast and Midwest have been experiencing this year — draw the salt line even further in.”
“Seawater intrusion into groundwater is happening all over the world, but perhaps the most threatened places are communities on low-lying islands,” such as the Marshall Islands, which is “predicted to be uninhabitable by the end of the century,” Michael wrote. Here in the U.S., “experts said the threat was widespread but they were especially concerned about cities in Louisiana, Florida, the Northeast and California,” Nolan reported.
“Fresh water is essential for drinking, irrigation and healthy ecosystems,” Michael wrote. “When seawater moves inland, the salt it contains can wreak havoc on farmlands, ecosystems, lives and livelihoods.” For example, “drinking water that contains even 2 percent seawater can increase blood pressure and stress kidneys. If saltwater gets into supply lines, it can corrode pipes and produce toxic disinfection by-products in water treatment plants. Seawater intrusion reduces the life span of roads, bridges and other infrastructure.”
While Time, CNN and CBS News focused narrowly on coastal Louisiana, Project Censored noted that some news outlets, “including Fox Weather and Axios,” misreported the threat as “only temporary rather than a long-term problem.” More generally,“corporate media typically treat saltwater intrusion as a localized issue affecting specific coastal regions,” they wrote. “Aside from a brief article in Forbes acknowledging the growing problem for coastal regions in the U.S. and around the world, corporate media have largely resisted portraying saltwater intrusion as a more widespread and escalating consequence of climate change.”
No. 4: Natural gas industry hid health and climate risks of gas stoves
While gas stoves erupted as a culture war issue in 2023, reporting by Vox and NPR (in partnership with the Climate Investigations Center) revealed a multi-decade campaign by the natural gas industry using tobacco industry-style tactics to discredit evidence of harm, thwart regulation and promote the use of gas stoves. While gas stoves are a health hazard, the amount of gas used isn’t that much. But “house builders and real estate agents say many buyers demand a
gas stove,” which makes it more likely they’ll use higher-volume gas appliances,“such as a furnace, water heater and clothes dryer,” NPR explained. “That’s why some in the industry consider the stove a ‘gateway appliance.’”
In a series of articles for Vox, environmental journalist Rebecca Leber “documented how the gas utility industry used strategies previously employed by the tobacco industry to avoid regulation and undermine scientific evidence establishing the harmful health and climate effects of gas stoves,” Project Censored noted.
“The basic scientific understanding of why gas stoves are a problem for health and the climate is on solid footing,” she reported. “It’s also common sense. When you have a fire in the house, you need somewhere for all that smoke to go. Combust natural gas, and it’s not just smoke you need to worry about. There are dozens of other pollutants, including the greenhouse gas methane, that also fill the air.”
The concerns aren’t new. “Even in the early 1900s, the natural gas industry knew it had a problem with the gas stove,” Leber recounts. It was cleaner than coal or wood — its main competition at the time — “but new competition was on the horizon from electric stoves.” They avoided scrutiny for generations, but “40 years ago, the federal government seemed to be on the brink of regulating the gas stove,” she wrote. “Everything was on the table, from an outright ban to a modification of the Clean Air Act to address indoor air pollution.” The gas industry fought back with a successful multi-pronged attack that’s being mounted again today, and “some of the defenders of the gas stove are the same consultants who have defended tobacco and chemicals industries in litigation over health problems.”
Documents obtained by NPR and the CIC tell a similar story. The industry “focused on convincing consumers and regulators that cooking with gas is as risk-free as cooking with electricity,” they reported. “As the scientific evidence grew over time about the health effects from gas stoves, the industry used a playbook echoing the one that tobacco companies employed for decades to fend off regulation. The gas utility industry relied on some of the same strategies, researchers and public relations firms.”
“I think it’s way past the time that we were doing something about gas stoves,” says Dr. Bernard Goldstein, who began researching the subject in the 1970s. “It has taken almost 50
years since the discovery of negative effects on children of nitrogen dioxide from gas stoves to begin preventive action. We should not wait any longer,” he told NPR.
“By covering gas stoves as a culture war controversy, corporate media have ignored the outsize role of the natural gas industry in influencing science, regulation and consumer choice,” Project Censored noted. Instead, they’ve focused on individual actions, local moves to phase out gas hookups for new buildings and right-wing culture war opposition to improving home appliance safety and efficiency, including the GOP House-passed “Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act.”
No. 5: Abortion services censored on social platforms globally
On the first national election day after Dobbs, PlanC, a nonprofit that provides information about access to the abortion pill, posted a TikTok video encouraging people to vote to protect reproductive rights. Almost immediately, its account was suddenly banned. This was but one example of a worldwide cross-platform pattern.
“Access to online information about abortion is increasingly under threat both in the United States and around the world,” the Women’s Media Center reported in November 2023.“Both domestic and international reproductive health rights and justice organizations have reported facing censorship of their websites on social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook and TikTok as well as on Google.” The governments of South Korea, Turkey and Spain have also blocked the website of Women on Web, which provides online abortion services and information in over 200 countries. At the same time abortion disinformation, for fake abortion clinics, remains widespread.
“Women’s rights advocacy groups are calling the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade the catalyst for the suppression of reproductive health information on social media,”
Project Censored noted. “Hashtags for #mifepristone and #misoprostol, two drugs used in medical abortions, were hidden on Instagram after the Dobbs decision, the WMC reported,” as part of a wider pattern.
Within weeks of the decision, U.S. senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) wrote to Meta, Ars Technica reported, questioning what the company was doing to stop abortion censorship on their platforms.“The senators also took issue with censorship of health care workers,” Ars Technica wrote, “including a temporary account suspension of an ‘organization dedicated to informing people in the United States about their abortion rights.’”
“U.S. state legislatures are currently considering banning access to telehealth abortion care,” Project Censored noted. “Furthermore, CNN reported that ‘at the end of 2023, nine states where abortion remained legal still had restricted telehealth abortions in some way.’”
There are similar censorship problems with Meta and Google worldwide, according to a March 2024 report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate and MSI Reproductive Choices, which provides contraception and abortion services in 37 countries. This sparked a Guardian article by Weronika Strzyzynska. “In Africa, Facebook is the go-to place for reproductive health information for many women,” MSI’s global marketing manager, Whitney Chinogwenya, told The Guardian . “We deal with everything from menopause to menstruation but we find that all our content is censored.” She explained that “Meta viewed reproductive health content through ‘an American lens,’” The Guardian reported, “applying socially conservative U.S. values to posts published in countries with progressive policies such as South Africa, where abortion on request is legal in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.”
Abortion disinformation is also a threat — particularly the promotion of “crisis pregnancy centers,” or CPCs, which masquerade as reproductive healthcare clinics but discourage rather than provide abortion services. WMC reported on a June 2023 CCDH report which “found that CPCs spent over $10 million on Google Search ads for their clinics over the past two years.” Google claimed to have “removed particular ads,” said Callum Hood, CCDH’s head of research, “but they did not take action on the systemic issues with fake clinic ads.”
“Women’s rights organizations and reproductive health advocates have been forced to squander scarce resources fighting this sort of disinformation online,” Project Censored noted, which has gotten some coverage, but “as of June 2024, corporate coverage of abortion censorship has been limited.” The sole CNN story it cited ran immediately after the Dobbs decision, before most of the problems fully emerged. “There appeared to be more corporate media focus on abortion disinformation rather than censorship,” they added. “Independent reporting from Jezebel and Reproaction via Medium have done more to draw attention to this issue.”
Paul Rosenberg is a California-based writer/ activist, senior editor for Random Lengths News, and a columnist for Al Jazeera English and Salon.
STAY AWAKE
Bohemian hub Austin’s Coffee is facing a potential closure or move — again
BY HOUDA ELETR
The back door, used as a canvas for a painting by Kelly Berry, swings open as starving artists flood in. The room becomes an improbably harmonious balance between the hum of conversation with steaming milk and microphone tests. Anxious poets approach a sign-up list placed almost too close to the stage. It challenges would-be artists to jump through not just one hoop of fear, but two. Navigate the narrow walkway to that piece of paper, and then stand up on the stage and bleed. It must be another open mic night at Austin’s Coffee in Winter Park.
“I don’t know where I’d be without this place,” says long-time local poet Haley Graves.“It’s home.” Nestled snugly on a busy strip of West Fairbanks
The city of Winter Park has committed $4 million to the project, aimed at adding a left turning lane on each side of the intersection of Fairbanks and Denning Drive to improve traffic flow, and eventually expanding MLK Park. However, that plan requires the demolition of Austin’s Coffee and neighboring businesses.
If this sounds familiar, that’s because this scenario was proposed back in 2021, but the vote didn’t pass. The motion was tabled then with a decision to further review traffic and pedestrian impacts. This time, the outcome was very different.
After operating for more than 20 years and even surviving a pandemic, employees of Austin’s find themselves caught in a loop of wearying déjà vu.
Speaking to OW, assistant manager Bob Barnett, an employee of five years, says he was there for the last go-around, right after the pandemic, as small businesses were already taking a tremendous hit.
The recent news caught both the shop and most locals off-guard. Barnett says that a regular informed a barista after seeing the road project mentioned in the city council minutes, with a vote scheduled within days.
“There’s nobody on staff who’s paid to read the city council meeting minutes, and there’s nobody on staff here who’d pay to read the schedule,” Barnett deadpans.
Barnett says he’s been working day and night to come to an agreement with local officials and plan pop-up events to help raise money in case Austin’s has to relocate. Barnett’s efforts to raise awareness have even extended to the social media realm; a new Instagram account @saveaustinscoffee shares updates and information on the situation and rallying events.
“In this instance, we are asking the city to either help us relocate, which is within their power, or to extend our lease, so we can try to figure it out,” says Barnett, “or both.”
The importance of Austin’s in the community goes way beyond its physical address. It has become, organically, a performing-arts incubator.
Local poet Dream Engert, a regular at Austin’s for years, attests to the opportunities offered.
“The first time I ever performed poetry on a mic was here,” Engert says.“To say that was a milestone would be so understating.” Engert says they’d always struggled with getting on stage, but here they felt secure enough to give it a try.
poetry mics are struggling to stay alive and keep the creative community engaged. When they lose prominent venues, it’s a huge setback. He hopes that this isn’t the case with Austin’s.
“When these kinds of spaces close down, it becomes a void that cannot be filled,” says Bala. “It’s devastating.”
A couple of weeks ago, Austin’s hosted a “Save Austin’s” open forum, inviting attendees to pass the mic and share opinions, questions, solutions or just their stories.
On that Friday evening, the shop was packed with a mix of regulars, artists, concerned citizens and even a few civic leaders.
Inside and out of the overflowing room, folks chatted about their worries of seeing Austin’s tumble, while sharing cigarettes and tea.
“I wanted to sing and uh … they let ya here,” led off Kendal Rivera, lead singer and guitarist of Holding on For Dear Life, who got their start on the creaky stage of Austin’s Coffee. Rivera underlined the fact that the café fostered an environment where you felt comfortable enough to do anything you felt artistically possible.
Orange County District 5 Commissioner Kelly Semrad soon took the mic — surprising the gathering with her opening line.
“I want you to know this is one of the very first places that my husband and I had a date, years and years and years ago. Actually at that table,” Semrad said, pointing at a booth.
The entire shop lit up in snaps and claps. Semrad expressed her empathy for the situation, saying Austin’s is a unique gem in the community.
Anna Eskamani, the ubiquitous State House Representative for District 42 in Orlando, showed up in solidarity, saying that Austin’s has a special place in her heart.
Avenue home to sundry bars, restaurants and businesses, Austin’s Coffee has long offered a refuge for performers wanting to ply their craft, finding regulars void of judgment at nightly events running the gamut from open mics to drag to freewheeling jazz jams. It’s a bohemian haunt that stands out in Winter Park. You can almost imagine Jack Kerouac, during his brief tenure as an Orlandoan, posting up in a booth to watch the wordsmiths do their thing during open mic nights.
The future of this local institution, however, is once again in peril. Last month, Winter Park city commissioners unanimously passed a motion for the city to purchase the one-acre plot of land on Fairbanks Avenue where Austin’s currently sits — as does Michelin-starred restaurant Soseki Omakase.
“This is the safest place I’ve ever been,” Engert says. “This place is therapy for people who don’t have it and a safe space for people who can’t be themselves anywhere else.”
Orlando punk musician Lena Alkhaldi says that it’s disheartening to see the city try this again, knowing the impact Austin’s has on the community.
“My hopes are that the city decides to listen to the locals and the community. This is not the first time they’ve tried to do this. The first time, people didn’t take it well and this time we’re not going to take it well either,” Alkhaldi says. “It’s like they’re trying to tear the community apart and it sucks that it’s during a time where it feels like community is all we have left.”
Arjun Bala, the host of Wednesday Open Words at Austin’s, says that local shows like these
“When I finally got to get a car and make it out to parts of Orlando and Winter Park and actually see city life outside suburbia, I was just taken away by these incredible historic establishments that are creating safe creative spaces for every type of person to be their authentic selves,” Eskamani said.“And we are losing that throughout Orlando.” Eskamani also stated that she had a positive conversation with the mayor regarding the situation. But she was clear-eyed in her assessment of the larger problems and stressed that our society (and by extension, leadership) often doesn’t prioritize community nor protect establishments that have significance beyond just the bottom line.
“At the end of the day change is inevitable, but we want to be a part of that change, not left out of it,” Eskamani said.
The hopeful crowd dispersed after many more stories regarding lives that would’ve been much poorer without Austin’s Coffee and tips on how to “legally harass your politicians.”
Then it was time for the singer-songwriter mic to begin.
In true Austin’s fashion, the second half of the night began with the strum of a guitar and a guy in a beanie introducing a tune that’s “a love song … about drugs.” And that abrupt left-turn kind of sums up the beauty of this place.
arts@orlandoweekly.com
Anna Eskamani speaks at a ‘Save Austin’s’ gathering | Photo by Houda Eletr
TRADITIONALLY NONTRADITIONAL
The Renaissance Theatre Co.’s annual holiday show should be on your seasonal to-do list
BY GRAYSON KEGLOVIC
How many letters are in “camp”? As many letters as there are years in business for Orlando’s Renaissance Theatre Co.
If you need help with the math, the answer is four and the Ren is celebrating the end of its fourth year with their annual tradition: The Office Holiday Party Musical Extravaganza Show. The original musical was created by director and Ren co-founder Donald Rupe in 2021, the same year the theater opened.
With each year, the Ren experiences a new set of triumphs, tribulations and transformations, but this madcap holiday show has become a constant. The Office Holiday Party Musical Extravaganza Show and late-night after-party Holiday Drag Exxxtravaganza Show have become pivotal parts of many Orlandoans’ holiday celebrations.
“This show is sort of the Ren’s answer to a traditional holiday show that’s very adult, very fun and very much not for a family audience,” Rupe says.
“It’s inappropriate at times and it pushes boundaries, but it still has moments that celebrate the heart of the holidays for different people.”
The Ren first took Orlando by storm during their inaugural year with their other tradition, the immersive Halloween show Nosferatu. The Ren is a year-round affair, though, garnering a loyal local fanbase for original productions, drag shows like Off the Record Wednesdays, adventurous takes on classic musicals and infamous parties.
“When we opened, we did not intend to do the kinds of plays that we do now. We thought we would do more traditional stage work,” Rupe says.
“I remember the first show of Nosferatu, looking
around and being like,‘Wow, we’ve stumbled upon something different here in terms of who was coming to the show.’”
Rupe says that the immersive nature of many shows at the Ren is something that connects with audiences. The characters and action spill out from the stage and surround the crowd, making them feel like they are a part of the show.
The Office Holiday Party’s foundation is the same as in past years: the Gripp and Pfister annual holiday work soiree, which the audience is attending alongside the characters. But you’ll never see the same show twice, Rupe promises.
“A show like this depends on the performers — who is in it dictates everything,” Rupe says.“There’s nothing like a good laugh from an audience, and that really does fuel higher energy from performers. If you have an audience that is just filled with extroverts, that very much impacts what the actors do and who they talk to.”
Rupe says the back-and-forth relationship between performer and audience plays a crucial part in dictating the interactive flow of the play. He says that the performers are trained to read audience members to make sure that each attendee is comfortable with being included, and to what level.
The Office Party usually comes together in a few days — and over email, at that. It writes itself, really, claims Rupe. New cast members are added in a nonlinear way that helps direct the storyline.
“For this show, we do it a little differently where
actors who are submitting for the show submit character ideas where, of course, normally you’re submitting for a character that is already written,” Rupe says. “When you create really interesting, fun characters, you don’t have to work too hard. In total we do like six or seven rehearsals, which is kind of unbelievable. Usually you rehearse for six weeks.”
The fun doesn’t end after the cast takes their bows. On select nights, The Holiday Drag Exxxtravaganza Show follows the musical, hosted by some of the cast members.
The drag portion of the nightcap features a rotating cast of artists, including Myki Meeks, Black Magix Royal, Coco Cavalli, Shané Turn Cavalli, Ella Mayo, Angelica Sanchez and Orusha San Miguel. Just like the musical, this after-party will be different from night to night.
Rupe says the holiday drag show is “campy in the best way.” Instead of the usual “lip-sync and serve” performance, the Ren is “doing drag differently than I have ever seen it,” adds Rupe. He says it’s not just a drag presentation, but a unique choreographed production.
“The thing that stands out about the stuff we do is that the shows are never what you expect them to be,” Rupe says. “People see the title of this show and think it’s a standard musical or a traditional corny holiday show, but they leave saying, ‘That’s not at all what I thought it was gonna be.’”
The Office Holiday Party Musical Extravaganza runs through Dec. 29; tickets at rentheatre.com. arts@orlandoweekly.com
Attendance is mandatory at the Ren’s immersive Office Holiday Party Musical Extravaganza Show | Photo by Andrew Tolbert
These temperate closing weeks of 2024 might be your last, best chance to enjoy Central Florida’s theme parks before some classics permanently close
Even though I’m an enthusiastic annual passholder, I’ve often advised locals to avoid Orlando’s attractions during the peak holiday season — at least until the locust-like swarms of tourists leave with the new year. However, after a stifling summer and storm-filled fall, these temperate closing weeks of 2024 might be your last, best chance to enjoy Central Florida’s theme parks in their current form, before some classics permanently close and Universal’s Epic Universe arrives. Here are some area holiday offerings that I think are worth enduring the crushing crowds for, whether you’re hosting out-of-town guests or only entertaining yourself.
As always, Walt Disney World’s holiday celebrations center around the Magic Kingdom, where the sold-out Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties offer the rare opportunity to ride 2024’s most talked-about ride — Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — without a Virtual Queue or Lightning Lane pass. Fortunately, you don’t need scalped tickets for that after-hours event to enjoy the Jingle Cruise overlay, nor to get one last “wildest ride in the wilderness” aboard Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, before it begins a year-plus overhaul in early January. While you’re there, bid adieu to the prominent role for Biden in the Hall of Presidents (post-Inauguration Day futures for both are TBD), and don’t forget to take a raft over to Tom Sawyer Island, so you can squeeze through the fort’s escape tunnel before the Rivers of America are drained and demolished for a coming Cars land.
If you are still looking for a hard-ticket holiday party inside a Disney park, Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios still has availability on select nights through Dec. 21, and the returning event is receiving rave reviews from
attendees compared to its inaugural year. Sadly, Jim Henson fans will find the party’s headlining “Holidays in Hollywood” live show, hosted by Kermit and Miss Piggy, to be bittersweet, knowing that the nearby MuppetVision 4D attraction is not long for this world. The only consolation under the Christmas tree for Muppet fans is knowing that Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem will remain in the park at Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster after Aerosmith’s upcoming eviction.
The one-two punch of Merry Menagerie folkart puppets by day and Tree of Life projections at night makes Animal Kingdom home to Disney’s most understated and underrated holiday celebration. But the most important reason to visit this season is the imminent extinction of Dinoland U.S.A., whose Dino-Rama side permanently shutters in mid-January. Few will mourn the tacky carnival games as they give way for an elaborate Encanto dark ride, but Chester & Hester’s roadside gift shop — and especially the nearby dinosaur sculpture by acclaimed outsider artist Mr. Imagination — are true works of art that I wish could be preserved. (Fear not, fans of Dr. Grant Seeker: You still have a full year to catch that iguanadon before Indiana Jones repossesses the Institute’s time rovers.)
EPCOT remains the Disney park that delivers the most added value to ordinary park guests during this time of year, thanks to its expansive International Festival of the Holidays. First stop inside The Land pavilion’s Glimmering Greenhouses, the Living With the Land boat ride’s illuminating overlay, and Soarin’ Around the World, which was recently updated with
a less-bendy Eiffel Tower (IYKYK). Then take your time enjoying the abundance of live entertainment found around World Showcase, which features scores of performers between the celebrity-narrated Candlelight Processional and intimate cultural storytellers. In only a few hours at EPCOT, I was entranced by global superstar Whoopi Goldberg, as well as local superstars Karin Amano, Adam DelMedico and JD Sutton. Finally, in the back of the France pavilion you’ll find Disney’s greatest holiday gift of all: the Ratatouille ride’s recently opened single-rider queue, which regularly cuts hour-plus waits down to 10 minutes or less.
Finally, Disney’s holiday celebrations grab the lion’s share of attention, but I’ve long pointed out that Universal arguably offers even more, without restricting access to favorites like the perennial parade featuring Macy’s balloons behind paywalls. So although I never expected to encourage anyone to invest in seasonal upcharges at Universal, my recent experience as a hosted media guest on their VIP holiday tour has changed my mind. For under $100, guests receive reserved viewing at the Broadway-style Grinchmas musical and Hogwarts Castle light show, get to skip the multi-hour wait to meet the Mean One himself, plus they get sweet and savory snacks and an encounter with Santa. But it’s the exclusive meet and greet with Max (the Grinch’s adorable dog), along with the opportunity to linger in the parks after other guests have left, that made Universal’s holiday tour my most memorable VIP experience of the season. skubersky@orlandoweekly.com
It would be naughty not to visit Dinoland U.S.A. pre-extinction | Photo by Seth Kubersky
SUNSET PROVISIONS
Oza Izakaya, inspired by the sunsets over Mount Fuji, glimmers in Williamsburg
BY FAIYAZ KARA
Tim Liu, the man behind Mikado Sushi in Metrowest and Boku Sushi in Maitland, spared no expense in bringing Oza Izakaya to life. Two cumulative years spent traveling to 26 factories in 22 cities in China, Japan and Vietnam in search of artisans to construct Oza’s customized furnishings and wares (stem, flat and plate) paid off, right down to the koishaped chopstick rests. You’ll coo over Oza’s AD-worthy Zen garden and dreamy outdoor seating area with bar, then stop to stare at the two butterfly koi fixtures dramatically suspended above the inside entrance. It’s a moody space inspired by sunsets over Mount Fuji, so bright it’s not (apart from the lustrous sushi bar bathed in striking hinoki wood). The Fuji motif plays throughout, but there’s an inconsonance to it all — brown channel-leather booths, flourishes of rattan, Hans Wegner-style round chairs, sleek contemporary bar … moss.
Yes, more is sometimes less, though seldom when it comes to food.
Binchotan-licked beef tongue ($16) seared on a custom grill and yakitori of chicken skin ($9), chicken meatball ($14) and chicken oyster
($11) got us stoked to sample, you guessed it, more. And more was certainly crammed atop uni toast ($22), a two-bite indulgence with spot prawns, toro tartare, nori puree, trout caviar and sea urchin from Hokkaido. The two pieces looked pretty served on a flowered green napkin set atop white river rock in a clear Plexiglas tray.
The iced platter holding a quartet of Shigoku oysters ($14) dressed with apple cubes, soy-marinated wasabi, trout caviar and white ponzu was just as attractive. Even more appealing was the price. Only we were told these oysters were from Japan. The menu we scanned on our phones said so, too. But Shigokus are actually from Washington State, not Japan.
What is from Japan: many of the cuts in the premium sashimi set ($76), another stunner served with a cruet of smoking liquid nitrogen. Please don’t pour that non-potable onto the fish or, worse, drink out of the cute little decanter. Just chew on the lovely slivers of goldeneye snapper, young sea bream, knifejaw and fluke in between sips of sake (this is an izakaya, after all).
Then move on to lush cuts of akami, toro and Oro King salmon. Fresh wasabi is served with the
OZA IZAKAYA
5310 Central Florida Parkway 407-778-1038 ozaizakaya.com
set, though we had to remind our server to bring it, as well as dishes for soy sauce. Other small quibbles — chopstick rests never materialized, nor did those just-add-water towel tablets, which I’d expect at a nice restaurant like this. It didn’t stop us from popping kinki nigiri ($28), the channel rockfish that gets its delectable flavor from a diet of shrimp, with our digits.
Back to the sushi bar for a moment: It struck me how deep it was, and how difficult it would be for sushi chefs to reach over it to serve those seated at the bar, especially if omakases are ever offered at Oza. A form-over-function sensibility may also have seeped into the Kyoto paitan ($17).
The ramen’s components — onsen egg, black garlic, corn, fermented bamboo shoots and superb grilled chicken — all looked the part. But unlike the sushi bar, the 18-hour chicken broth lacked depth; specifically, that umami-filled chickeny-ness that gives the soup its comforting feel.
Getting a pastry chef on board would also serve Oza well — if anything, the beautiful dessert plates seem deserving of one. That said, the yuzu cheesecake ($11) with Maldon salt and strawberry coulis proved satisfying enough. Which is how we felt when exiting the restaurant — content, but not necessarily on a high. We glanced back at the dining room, took note of the circle of frosted glass painted with Mount Fuji, and rode off into the sunset. fkara@orlandoweekly.com
OPENINGS & CLOSINGS:
Scores of local restaurants will have a presence at Orlando International Airport starting as early as next year as part of a multiphase renovation plan for the airport. Some of the local eateries you’ll see: Maxine’s, Stasio’s, Smoke & Donuts, Otto’s High Dive, Hinckley’s Fancy Meats, SoDough Square, Milkhouse, Jam-Eng, Eola Wine, Black Bean Deli and Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream … Gyukatsu Rose, Sonny Nguyen’s fried wagyu cutlet concept, will soft-open Jan. 16 next door to his poke stall, Rion’s Ocean Room, inside East End Market. The 10-seat counter space is where patrons will be served Japanese beef that’s been seasoned, coated in breadcrumbs and flash-fried before being sliced and served alongside a mini stone grill for diners to sear to their liking … Look for Piacci Eatery to pop up inside Vinia Wine & Kitchen in Hannibal Square Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. beginning Jan. 9. Piacci will serve a fresh-casual Italian menu featuring sandwiches, salads, pizza and pasta … Nola’s Ice Cream, the new concept from Marie Mercado (The Greenery Creamery, Sampaguita Ice Cream) will soft-open next week at 7988 Via Dellagio Way at the Dellagio Town Center in Dr. Phillips. Nola’s will specialize in fried doughnut ice cream sandwiches and will occupy the front of an almost 3,000-square-foot space that it will share with Nabe, the wagyu shabu-shabu concept by Lewis Lin (Susuru, Juju) slated to open next month … Brazilian steakhouse behemoth Fogo de Chão has opened its second area location at 111513 Regency Village Drive at Vineland Pointe … Eight months after opening in the Curry Ford Plaza, Thai Spoon has closed.
NEWS & EVENTS:
Smokemade Meats + Eats has launched Sunday brunch from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. offering such items as breakfast tacos and brisket-egg-and-cheese biscuit sandwiches … 4 Rivers Smokehouse is celebrating its 15th anniversary (wow, I feel old) with a host of limited-time specials and collaborations. Visit 4rsmokehouse.com for more …
As he does every year, James Beard-nominated pastry chef Rabii Saber has unveiled his gingerbread house in the lobby of the Four Seasons Resort. The creation is in a Candyland-esque theme accompanied by a Moroccan-inspired Nutcracker (a nod to Chef Saber’s home country). All in all, 800 pounds of gingerbread, 600 pounds of sugar, 400 pounds of chocolate and 300 pounds of fondant were used to make the holiday confection.
Grilled octopus and assorted robatayaki at Oza Izakaya | Photo by Matt Keller Lehman
REDLIGHT REDLIGHT
The gastropub is resuscitated inside Redlight Redlight in Audubon Park, thanks to deftly executed and creative comfort dishes plated by chef Jes Tantalo. Even the brunch-averse should pay a visit to the brewpub on Sundays. Dinner served Thursday through Saturday from 5-9 p.m.; Saturday breakfast burritos served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Sunday brunch served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed Tuesdays. 2810 Corrine Drive, 407-893-9832, instagram.com/ redlightredlight, $$$
MAROUSH SHAWARMA & GRILL
The Syrian and Levantine dishes served at Maroush in Waterford Lakes are well worth indulging in, but their beef and chicken shawarma is where they truly shine. Open daily. (reviewed Dec. 4) 783 N. Alafaya Trail, 407-2707649, maroush-food.com, $$
TURCI PASTA
House-made pasta is the calling card of this neighborhood noodle house in Orlando’s Little Italy, aka College Park. Black truffle ravioli, lamb shank pappardelle and ravioli served with a red wine-poached pear are stellar choices. Tableside cannoli and tiramisu affogato are comfort endings. Wine list veers toward pedestrian. Open daily. (reviewed Nov. 27) 2120 Edgewater Drive, 407-985-2577, turcipasta.com, $$
MILLS MARKET
Tien Hung Market’s transformation into Mills Market brings Kai Kai’s Cantonese barbecue and dim sum, Banh Mi Boy’s sandwiches, pastries and summer rolls, and UniGirl’s onigiri and Japanese small bites to Mills 50’s madding crowds. Open daily. (reviewed Nov. 20) 1110 E. Colonial Drive, instagram.com/millsmarket.orl, $$
KOYLA PAKISTANI BBQ
Koyla’s kebab game is strong, particularly its bihari and gola kebabs. Go on a Sunday when chef-owner Bilaal Dugan grills the meats over open charcoal outside and serves them for a buffet-only experience. Other Pakistani staples, like comforting nihari with beef shank, are offered Monday to Saturday. Open daily. (reviewed Nov. 13) 4990 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee, 407-507-1205, koylabbq.com, $$$
POCHA 93
The Korean pub from the owners of Shin Jung in Mills 50 pays homage to pojangmacha —
covered food stalls and food carts specializing in street fare in South Korea. The army stew, a fusion broth of Korean and American ingredients, is an ideal opener to the myriad small plates offered. Hanger steak and LA galbi short ribs make for fine Korean barbecuing. Cocktails, sojubased and otherwise, are also offered. Closed Monday. (reviewed Nov. 6) 7379 W. Colonial Drive, 407-420-0157, pocha93.com, $$
SOREKARA
Chef William Shen’s high-concept tasting menu restaurant may offer the best dining experience in the city, thanks to a focused stream of dishes fusing Japanese ingredients with French technique, an architecturally stunning venue and a superb level of service. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. (reviewed Oct. 30) 4979 New Broad St., sorekarafl.com, no phone, $$$$
LAMP & SHADE CRAFT KITCHEN AND COCKTAILS
Chef Ryan Stewart’s pan-Asian interpretations are a hit in any language, the charred baby bok choy and squid ink squid in particular. Really, nothing on the menu disappoints — from addicting Caeser salad bites on toasted brioche to shiitake risotto with wild mushrooms, miso and parm to mussels in green coconut curry. Cocktails are studied. Castella cake is the best way to cap your meal. Open daily. (reviewed Oct. 23) 1336 N. Mills Ave., 321-417-3477, throwsomeshadeorl.com, $$$
TOSHKA SYRIAN STREET FOOD
This food truck — permanently parked behind Longwood’s RI Smoke Shop — specializes in toshka, which are grilled pita sandwiches filled with lamb mince and cheese and served with a creamy garlic sauce. Pressed sujuk sandwiches, house-made chicken shawarma and goldenhued, donut-like falafel are also stellar offerings. Open daily. (reviewed Oct. 9) 1520 S. U.S. Highway 17-92, Longwood, 321-850-4044, toshka.menu, $$
CORO
Coro’s ever-evolving, always creative menu of Italian-leaning, globally inflected dishes is full of surprising and spectacular turns courtesy of chef-owner Tim Lovero. Servers are as skilled as they come. And the wine list, while hyperfocused, is far from dull. One of the best restaurants to open in Orlando in 2024. (reviewed Oct. 2) 3022 Corrine Drive, 407-6295005, cororestaurant.com, $$$$
COUCHSURFING
Streaming premieres you won’t want to miss this week.
BY STEVE SCHNEIDER
Premieres Wednesday:
The Manny Season 2 — Mexican cowboy Gaby (Iván Amozurrutia) is back to impart more life lessons to the kids he’s been hired to watch, while making a different kind of impression on their increasingly intrigued mom, Jimena (Sandra Echeverría). “We’re going to make the longest Hallmark movie ever — and Mexico is gonna pay for it!” (Netflix)
Premieres Thursday:
Beast Games — YouTube sensation MrBeast presents a test of mental and physical acumen that has more than 1,000 contestants vying for a prize of over $4 million. For results of the class-action suit that’s been filed alleging gross mistreatment of the participants, stay tuned to Netflix — because if they let a competitive opportunity like that slip by, they deserve to go out of business. (Prime Video)
The Dragon Prince: Mystery of Aaravos — The seventh and final season will reveal if we’re getting a peaceful conclusion to the 1,000year war between the human world and the land of magic, or if life and death themselves
will end up trading places in the grand scheme of the cosmos. Split the difference? Dead magicians get free Crazy Bread while supplies last? (Netflix)
Fast Friends — Friends fans test their knowledge of the show in a fast-paced competition that plays out on exact replicas of the original sets. Remember the old saying: If you don’t know who the Ugly Naked Guy is in a room, it’s probably you. (Max)
The Head Season 3 — They’ve visited the Antarctic, the Pacific and now the middle of the desert, but our team of scientific researchers are perennially in the soup — this time thanks to malevolent forces that announce themselves by leaving the project leader decapitated. Ninety percent of the American workforce can guess what happens next: Project gets completed, correctly and on time. (Max)
Laid — The Australian series of the same name gets a U.S. counterpart, with Stephanie Hsu as the bewildered single gal
Lammers) is drawn back into the life at the behest of his second cousin. There’s an important lesson here, and it’s that if you don’t cut ties with your family after Thanksgiving, you’re going to regret it by Christmas. (Netflix)
Ilana Glazer: Human Magic — The Broad City alum takes to the stage in Toronto to discuss, among other things, how difficult it is to be a mom while retaining your weed habit. Well, for one thing, it makes it harder to teach the importance of sharing. (Hulu)
The Six Triple Eight — Tyler Perry goes for his own Hidden Figures (sorta) with this dramatized portrait of the only Black unit of the Women’s Army Corps to serve in World War II. Kerry Washington headlines the cast of a historically based drama that fortunately made it to screen before the Wayans Brothers’ competing take on the material, That Sh*t Was WAC. (Netflix)
Umjolo: Day Ones — A South African guy and girl who have always been the best of pals start to wonder if they were meant to be more — but only after they’ve married other people. Heck, I’m more interested in following the story of the unwitting starter spouses. (Especially if they can both be played by Bill Pullman.) (Netflix)
UniverXO Dabiz In a fresh twist on the culinary-reality genre, acclaimed Spanish chef Davis Muñoz is seen navigating a crossroads in his life that will take him to either new heights of glory or early retirement. If you’re really into chicken, you know that crossroads as the intersection of 17-92 and Fairbanks. (Netflix)
who learns that all of her former sex partners are dying off, one by one. The difference is that when it’s an Australian chick, YOU DON’T MIND. (Peacock)
Rose Matafeo: On and On and On — In her second stand-up special, the New Zealand-born comic shares some trenchant observations, like how different life and relationships look when you’ve reached the ripe old age of 32. Listen, I don’t care if that’s only the setup to a joke, because it’s comedy gold just the way it is. (Max)
Virgin River — Nurse practitioner Mel and her barkeep beau, Jack, are headed to the altar in Season 6, only to find their path to wedded bliss blocked by one final obstacle. I’m not going to say what it is, but don’t dismiss it as coincidental that Nancy Mace just followed Mel into the ladies’ room. (Netflix)
Premieres Friday:
Ferry 2 — In his second full-length feature spun off from the Belgian series Undercover, ex-drug kingpin Ferry Bouman (Frank
Premieres Sunday:
What If …? — The third and final season includes an anime-inspired segment in which the Avengers go mecha and another episode centered on fan favorite Agatha “All Along” Harkness. But the final installment is by far the biggest gamble: “What if that next Captain America movie is actually good?” (Disney+)
Premieres Monday:
2024: Back That Year Up With Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson — The quick-witted comic duo offer their traditional postmortem of everything that made the last 12 months of American life ridiculous. The satire takes an Inception-like turn this time, as they broaden their focus to include their own coverage of the Olympics. (Peacock)
Premieres Tuesday:
Your Friend, Nate Bargatze — After a brief detour to Prime Video, “the nicest man in stand-up” returns to Netflix for his latest special. But will anything he says or does manage to equal his 2024 personal best of getting to introduce Coldplay? (Netflix)
Tyler Perry tells the story of Black WACS in WWII in The Six Triple Eight | Photo courtesy of Netflix
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WE ARE NOT JUST MARKETERS; WE ARE CULTURAL ARCHITECTS.
We weave your unique local flavor into every social media campaign. We don’t just navigate the social media landscape; we own it! Your success is our success, and we believe in the power of community. Ready to embark on a social media journey that celebrates your local culture and propels your brand to the forefront? Let’s create, connect, and conquer together.
LOCAL RELEASES
Last year, Orlando dirty-rap act Luscious Lisa ended a four-year concert hiatus. Now, they’re about to break an even longer release lull with their first new collection in nearly a decade, and it should take many by surprise.
Fear not, freaks. The too-live crew of Luscious Lisa, Scotty Pizza and Shakes Vanilla are still plenty horned up. Be it member or fan, no one in the Luscious Lisa realm enters with softcore intentions. But with their new, long-gestating material, Lisa and the boys are showing some new looks and new hooks.
Released on Dec. 20, the six-song Fuck Your Glamour EP is a chapter for Luscious Lisa that’s not just new but fresh. While the act’s cartoonish burlesque tends to steal the spotlight, there’s always been a core of empowerment underneath all the spectacle.
“Realizing our songs were mostly about my own sexual encounters and the female perspective of those encounters, I guess you could say it was unintentionally comical, much like my love/sex life was at the time,” Luscious Lisa says about their beginnings. “But I always felt I had something to say. I felt women had something to say about sex, especially through music, that was not being said.”
In this record, that determination hits a new peak. For much of their career, they did straightforward party-rap jams in the classic mold of J.J. Fad and Salt-N-Pepa. On Fuck Your Glamour, however, Lisa and company are coming harder with new depth. There’s even some political commentary here, like the pounding social justice scorcher “Civil War.”
Besides being more serious, this EP is also
‘I have more to say. Women have more to say. Our world is everchanging. I am mad. I am sad. I am stronger.
I have a fire that I hope will create change,’ says Luscious Lisa
seriously good, with newfound musical sophistication. These indie dance bangers rock a darker step and a sharper edge. Top to bottom, the delivery here packs more heat and mission than ever before. Luscious Lisa are still bringing the party, but they’re definitely not fucking around.
“Fifteen years later, I still feel I am writing about what I know,” says Lisa. “I have more to say. Women have more to say. Our world is ever-changing. I am mad. I am sad. I am stronger. I have a fire that I hope will create change. This new album was written with that fire.”
Fuck Your Glamour is everywhere Friday. That night, the Orlando release show will feature Luscious Lisa, Stiletto and Double Bubble. (8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, Will’s Pub, $15-$20)
CONCERT PICKS THIS WEEK
Holiday Heartstrings: A CeCe Teneal Experience: Oh, thank sweet baby Jesus in
the manger! This year, there’s an alternative to Trans-Siberian Orchestra for rousing holiday music. For those more uplifted by real soul than corny power metal, the two-night stand of local vocal powerhouse CeCe Teneal will conjure the sounds of the season with high-flying soul fireworks sure to bring down the house. Guests are encouraged to wear red like she will, to make the whole room glow. Really, though, all it takes to make the holidays smolder is CeCe Teneal on the mic. (7 & 9 p.m. Thursday-Friday, Dec. 19-20, Judson’s Live, $34.50-$49.50)
Happy Birthday, Chet Baker: Let this special multimedia event be a reveille for all the jazz heads. First, Stardust’s parking lot will transform into a sit-in movie theater for a screening of 1988 documentary Let’s Get Lost about eternally cool jazz titan Chet Baker. Afterward, local free-jazz supergroup Bongus will perform a live set that’ll likely be the total antithesis to Baker’s chill but will thrill nonetheless. It’s a free event, so bring a lawn chair and hang. (7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, Stardust Video & Coffee, free)
A Very Conduit Punkmas: Because punks do the holidays their own way, Conduit’s rounded up anthem-punks Petty Thefts, power-pop punks Virginity, feminist punks Stiletto, goth punks Caustic Bats and hardcore punks Trashworld to stir up a good old-fashioned Yuletide pit. And since this is punk, you may finally know what a Christmas sweater looks like with cutoff sleeves or how a Christmas cookie tastes dipped in beer. (6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, Conduit, $15 — or $10 if you wear an ugly sweater) baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com
Luscious Lisa | Courtesy photo
of the
THURSDAY, DEC. 19
Pinky Patel
Orlando is getting an unfiltered visit from Pinky Patel. The Chicago-based PTA momturned-comedian and internet personality got her comedic start sharing what soon enough become viral videos from her “glam cave” post-pandemic. Often sporting a jeweled crown, Patel is known for her bubbly, unapologetic takes on life, which have helped to garner her more than 97 million likes on TikTok and a loyal fanbase of more than 5 million. Patel’s #isaidwhatisaid Tour hits Funny Bone Comedy Club Thursday. Tickets are still available and include options for general admission, a dinner package and VIP, which comes with a meet-and-greet after the show. 7 p.m., Funny Bone Comedy Club, 9101 International Drive, funnybone.com, $37. — Chloe Greenberg
FRIDAY, DEC. 20
Barclay Crenshaw
Renowned electronic musician Barclay Crenshaw is gracing Orlando with his genre-bending sounds. Originally making music and garnering fans under the nom de beats Claude VonStroke — a very familiar name to the EDC set locally — Crenshaw has a career spanning two decades. He has produced a handful of albums, heads up Dirtybird Records and has built a rich legacy in the dance music world. Now, he’s inching away from EDM and moving closer to a world of blended genres and new horizons. Crenshaw’s newest album, Open Channel, dives into house music and funk in addition to dubstep and electronic beats. And he’s bringing all these sounds to the Beacham. 8 p.m., The Beacham, 46 N. Orange Ave., foundation-presents.com, $30-$50. — CG
FRIDAY-SATURDAY, DEC. 20-21
Phantasmagoria
Local dance-and-storytelling troupe Phantasmagoria is uniquely equipped to capture the spirit (so to speak) of a holiday where one of the tales of record is a miser getting the bejeezus scared out of him by a quartet of ghouls. The darkly inclined theatricals are ready to get both gothic and Dickensian on your ass with An Even More Haunted Victorian Christmas, which promises a feast of “holiday ghost stories” lit by candles instead of a Yule log. During this “whimsically macabre” event, perhaps Krampus might make a run-in. Naughty and nice alike are welcome. 8 p.m., Alexis and Jim Pugh Theater, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.org, $42.28-$52.93. — Matthew Moyer
FRIDAY-SUNDAY, DEC. 20-21
One Man Christmas Carol
Here’s another welcomingly weird and locally grown holiday tradition back this weekend — for a 27th year. Orlando actor David McElroy is taking on Charles Dickens’ holiday tale … all by his lonesome. That’s right, McElroy plays all 37 roles in his iron-man reading of A Christmas Carol. This happens for three nights only and is noteworthy just for the sheer ambition of the task. But for McElroy it’s just a way of spreading some eccentric cheer. “What it’s all about for me is to bring everyone together in a holiday spirit of camaraderie, because there’s so much division nowadays with things,” said McElroy to OW a few years back. “It makes me feel good to say ‘God bless us, every one.’” And that includes the multitudes within McElroy. Imagine Performing Arts Center, 1220 Oviedo Mall Blvd., Oviedo, imagineperformingartscenter.org, $18$25. — MM
PHOTO BY CHRIS BRIDGES
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, DEC. 21-22
Ginger Minj: “Southern Comfort and Joy”
Ginger Minj is everywhere this holiday season! Fresh off a featured role in last weekend’s Sugarplum Ball, this weekend she’s at Savoy with her new solo holiday cabaret, “Southern Comfort & Joy.” The RuPaul’s Drag Race AllStars standout and local drag legend promises “holiday classics, original songs, audience participation” and doubtless a festive OTT wardrobe. Minj has been touring this show everywhere from Atlanta to Provincetown, so this hometown performance could very well be the reason for the season. 8 p.m., Savoy Orlando, 1913 N. Orange Ave., savoyorlando. com, $30–$45. — MM
SUNDAY, DEC. 22
Holiday Milk Mart
Dodge the crowded big-box stores and shop local at the Milk Mart’s holiday edition in the Milk District. This Sunday, only three days before you-know-what, head in the general vicinity of The Nook on Robinson to tick all the final boxes on your holiday to-do list. More than 250 Orlando-based artists and vendors will proffer items you didn’t know you needed until now. Hand-embroidered art?
Perfect for moms. Crocheted stuffed animals? Stocking stuffers. Holiday-themed treats? Just put them in the tote already. The lineup of vendors includes Rock Star Ceramics, Sand Hill Supply Company, Pop Pastel and Dipped by Steph. Enjoy live music, festive food and drinks and much more merriment. Noon, The Nook on Robinson, 2432 E. Robinson St., milkmartorlando.com, free. — Lucy Dillon
MONDAY, DEC. 23
Bad Santa and the Angry Elves
As another holiday season slowly winds down, so Bad Santa and the Angry Elves wind down their decadently jolly tour of
WEDNESDAY–TUESDAY, DEC. 18–24, 2024
Orlando’s dives and toilets. This year the band landed the sleigh everywhere from Celery City Brewing to Ten10 brewing, and it ends ho-ho-ho-ishly Monday night at Will’s Pub. We’d imagine lead Santa Christian Kelty’s robes must smell particularly, ummm, naughty by now,
but all the better to stumble and swear through sets of rock hits and misses given a deviantly festive sheen. There can’t be a better way to celebrate Xmas Eve’s eve. 8 p.m., Will’s Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave., willspub. org, $15. — MM
BY
PHOTO
JIM LEATHERMAN
Monday:
Bad Santa & the Angry Elves at Will’s Pub
CONCERTS
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18
Candlelight: Holiday Special: The Nutcracker and more 6:30 & 8:45 pm; The Abbey, 100 S. Eola Drive; $37$63.50; 407-704-6261.
Jazz Common Ground 7 pm; Judson’s Live, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave.; $19.50-$34.50.
Keep Flying, Bay Street, Petty Thefts, Rainout 7 pm; Will’s Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave.; $15.
Nesto’s Jazz Trio 10 pm; Lil Indie’s, 1036 N. Mills Ave.; free.
THURSDAY, DEC. 19
Holiday Heartstrings: A CeCe Teneal Experience 7 & 9 pm; Judson’s Live, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave.; $34.50-$49.50.
Jinglerock Orlando: The Forum, Weather Boys, Gary Lazer Eyes 7 pm; Will’s Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave.; $13-$15.
FRIDAY, DEC. 20
Barclay Crenshaw 8 pm; The Beacham, 46 N. Orange Ave.; $30-$50; 407-648-8363.
Black Guayaba, 3RG Miami 7 pm; House of Blues, Disney Springs, Lake Buena Vista; $47.50-$142.50; 407-934-2583.
Bodysnatcher, Southpaw, Tracheotomy, Thirst 7 pm; Conduit, 6700 Aloma Ave., Winter Park; The Vile Winter tour.; $20; 407-673-2712.
Default Friends, Jagg, Kitty Kitty Meow Meow, Arcsine 7 pm; Stardust Video and Coffee, 1842 E. Winter Park Road; $10; 407-623-3393.
Distant Stations, Mange, Elliott Countess 8 pm-midnight; Barley and Vine Biergarten, 2406 E. Washington St.; donations encouraged; 954-258-0307.
Holiday Concert With Santa: BlueMoon 7 pm; Cranes Roost Park, 274 Cranes Roost Blvd., Altamonte Springs; free; 407-571-8863.
Holiday Heartstrings: A CeCe Teneal Experience 7 & 9 pm; Judson’s Live, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave.; $34.50-$49.50.
Open Mic: Singer/Songwriter 7:30 pm; Austin’s Coffee, 929 W. Fairbanks Ave., free; 407-975-3364.
Sanford Punk Night #9 With Colorblind Dinosaurs, Knives, Degenerates and Signals Over Skylines 8 pm; West End Trading Co., 202 S. Sanford Ave., Sanford; free; 407-322-7475.
The Taylor Party: The TS Dance Party 8 pm; House of Blues, Disney Springs, Lake Buena Vista; $15-$65; 407-934-2583.
Samantha Fish: Dec. 30, The Plaza Live
Nile & Six Feet Under: Jan. 10, 2025, The Abbey
Sarah Silverman: Jan. 10, 2025, Hard Rock Live
Judy Collins: Jan. 12, 2025, The Plaza Live
Pink Martini: Jan. 18, 2025, Steinmetz Hall, Dr. Phillips Center
Nonpoint: Jan. 19, 2025, The Beacham
Dweezil Zappa: Jan. 21, 2025, The Plaza Live
Melissa Etheridge: Jan. 23, 2025, Hard Rock Live
Southern Culture on the Skids: Jan. 23, 2025, Will’s Pub
Bad Santa and The Angry Elves 8 pm; Will’s Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave.; $15.
Kaleigh Baker 7 pm; Lil Indie’s, 1036 N. Mills Ave.; free.
Open Mic: Rap and Hip-Hop 9:30 pm; Austin’s Coffee, 929 W. Fairbanks Ave.., free; 407-975-3364.
Kraftwerk: March 19, 2025, Steinmetz Hall, Dr. Phillips Center
Alice Cooper: Feb. 6, 2025, Hard Rock Live
Nessa Barrett: Feb. 24, 2025, House of Blues
Kate Pierson: Feb. 27, 2025, Plaza Live
They Might Be Giants: Feb. 27, 2025, The Beacham
TUESDAY, DEC. 24
Dayve Stewart 7 pm; Judson’s Live, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave.; $14.50-$29.50.
Open Mic: Singer/Songwriter 7:30 pm; Austin’s Coffee, 929 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park; free; 407-975-3364.
EVENTS
Idiot Time Machine 4:30 pm Saturday; Lil Indie’s, 1036 N. Mills Ave.; free; willspub.org.
Midnight Movies at 8: Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 8 pm Saturday; BSide at Ten10, 1110 Virginia Drive; ten10brewingcompany.com
One Man Christmas Carol 7:30 pm Friday-Sunday; Imagine Performing Arts Center, 1220 Oviedo Mall Blvd., Oviedo; $18-$25; imagineperformingartscenter.org.
Kraftwerk: March 19, 2025, Steinmetz Hall, Dr. Phillips Center
Deftones and Mars Volta: March 20, 2025, Kia Center
Riki, Donzii: March 23, 2025, Will’s Pub
Trey Anastasio: March 26, 2025: Walt Disney Theater, Dr. Phillips Center
Violent Femmes: April 3, 2025, Cocoa Riverfront Park
Rascal Flatts: April 4, 2025, Kia Center
Poppy: April 12, 2025, House of Blues
Kylie Minogue: April 13, 2025, Kia Center
Dropkick Murphys: March 6, 2025, House of Blues
Bright Eyes: March 7, 2025, The Beacham
Alan Jackson: March 7, 2025, Kia Center
Gary Clark, Jr.: March 14, 2025, Hard Rock Live
Napalm Death & The Melvins: April 25, 2025, The Beacham
The Damned: May 12, 2025, House of Blues
Shakira: June 4, 2025, Camping World Stadium
Post Malone: June 10, 2025, Camping World Stadium
BY ROB BREZSNY
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): What is the perfect gift I could offer you this holiday season? I have decided on a large square black box with nothing inside. There would be a gold ribbon around it bearing the words, “The Fruitful Treasure of Pregnant Emptiness.” With this mysterious blessing, I would be fondly urging you to purge your soul of expectations and assumptions as you cruise into 2025. I would be giving you the message, “May you nurture a freewheeling voracity for novel adventures and fresh experiences.”
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): One of my paramount wishes for you in 2025 is this: You will deepen your devotion to taking good care of yourself. You will study and learn more about the sweet secrets to keeping yourself in prime mental and physical health. I’m not suggesting you have been remiss about this sacred work in the past. But I am saying that this will be a favorable time to boost your knowledge to new heights about what precisely keeps your body and emotions in top shape. The creative repertoire of self-care that you cultivate in the coming months will serve you well for the rest of your long life.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): To fulfill your life mission, to do what you came here to earth to do, you must carry out many tasks. One of the most important is to offer your love with hearty ingenuity. What are the best ways to do that? Where should you direct your generous care and compassion? And which recipients of your blessings are likely to reciprocate in ways that are meaningful to you? While Jupiter is cruising through Gemini, as it is now and until June 2025, life will send you rich and useful answers to these questions. Be alert!
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Mysteries of the past will be extra responsive to your investigations in 2025. Persistent riddles from your life’s earlier years may be solvable. I encourage you to be aggressive in collecting previously inaccessible legacies. Track down missing heirlooms and family secrets. Just assume that ancestors and dead relatives have more to offer you than ever before. If you have been curious about your genealogy, the coming months will be a good time to explore it. I wish you happy hunting as you search for the blessings of yesteryear — and figure out how use them in the present.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): If you worked eight hours per day, seven days a week, it would take you 300 years to count to the number 1 billion. I don’t recommend you try that. I also discourage you from pursuing any other trivial tasks that have zero power to advance your long-term dreams. In a similar spirit, I will ask you to phase out minor longings
that distract you from your major longings. Please, Aries, I also beg you to shed frivolous obsessions that waste energy you should instead devote to passionate fascinations. The counsel I’m offering here is always applicable, of course, but you especially need to heed it in the coming months.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In 1951, minister and author Norman Vincent Peale was working on a new book. As he wrote, he would regularly read passages to his wife, Ruth. She liked it a lot, but he was far less confident in its worth. After a while, he got so discouraged he threw the manuscript in the trash. Unbeknownst to him, Ruth retrieved it and stealthily showed it to her husband’s publisher, who loved it. The book went on to sell 5 million copies. Its title? The Power of Positive Thinking. I hope that in 2025, you will benefit from at least one equivalent to Ruth in your life, Taurus. Two or three would be even better. You need big boosters and fervent supporters. If you don’t have any, go round them up.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I love how colorfully the creek next to my house expresses itself. As high tide approaches, it flows south. When low tide is on its way, it flows north. The variety of its colors is infinite, with every shade and blend of green, grey, blue and brown. It’s never the same shape. Its curves and width are constantly shifting. Among the birds that enhance its beauty are mallards, sandpipers, herons, grebes, egrets and cormorants. This magnificent body of water has been a fascinating and delightful teacher for me. One of my wishes for you in 2025, Gemini, is that you will commune regularly with equally inspiring phenomena. I also predict you will do just that. Extra beauty should be on your agenda!
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Just 81 billionaires have commandeered half of the world’s wealth. Even worse, those greedy hoarders are usually taxed the least. That’s hard to believe! How is it even possible that such a travesty has come to pass? I also wonder if many of us non-billionaires have milder versions of these proclivities. Are there a few parts of me that get most of the goodies that my life provides, while other parts of me get scant attention and nourishment? The answer is yes. For example, the part of me that loves to be a creative artist receives much of my enthusiasm, while the part of me that enjoys socializing gets little juice. How about you, Cancerian? I suggest you explore this theme in the coming weeks and months. Take steps to achieve greater parity between the parts of you that get all they need and the parts of you that don’t.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Anthropologist Robin Dunbar theorizes that most of us have limits
to our social connections. Typically, our closest circle includes five loved ones. We may also have 15 good friends, 50 fond allies, 150 meaningful contacts and 1,500 people we know. If you are interested in expanding any of these spheres, Leo, the coming months will be an excellent time to do so. In addition, or as an alternative, you might also choose to focus on deepening the relationships you have with existing companions and confederates.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Uncle Tom’s Cabin was the best-selling novel of the 19th century. It was written by a Virgo, Harriet Beecher Stowe. Her story about the enslavement of African Americans in the United States was not just popular. It awakened many people to the intimate horrors of the calamity — and ultimately played a key role in energizing the abolitionist movement. I believe you are potentially capable of achieving your own version of that dual success in the coming months. You could generate accomplishments that are personally gratifying even as they perform a good service for the world.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): According to my reading of the astrological omens, you will be teased with an abundance of invitations to grow in 2025. You will be encouraged to add to your current skills and expertise. You will be nudged to expand your understanding of what exactly you are doing here on planet Earth. That’s not all, Libra! You will be pushed to dissolve shrunken expectations, transcend limitations and learn many new lessons. Here’s my question: Will you respond with full heart and open mind to all these possibilities? Or will you sometimes neglect and avoid them? I dare you to embrace every challenge that interests you.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio-born Rudolf Karel was a 20th-century Czech composer who created 17 major works, including symphonies and operas. His work was interrupted when Nazi Germany invaded and occupied his homeland. He joined the Czech resistance, but was eventually arrested and confined to Pankrác Prison. There he managed to compose a fairy-tale opera, Three Hairs of the Wise Old Man. No musical instruments were available in jail, of course, so he worked entirely in his imagination and wrote down the score using toilet paper and charcoal. I firmly believe you will not be incarcerated like Karel in the coming months, Scorpio. But you may have to be extra resourceful and resilient as you find ways to carry out your best work. I have faith that you can do it!
Yukon (A390159) is one of our senior dogs, but you’d never think he was 8 years old. He is strong, athletic, intelligent and has the energy of a 2-year-old. Believe it or not, we met Yukon back in 2017, when he was just a pup. He came in as a shy and skinny stray, full of life and curiosity. He was adopted quickly, and this is when Yukon’s life sadly took a turn for the worse. He was rehomed, abandoned, and then picked up as a stray seven years later. Yukon was once again back at the shelter, and since February of this year, he has been under our care in one way or another.
Yukon is a gentle and affectionate dog who loves nothing more than being by your side. He has a calm and relaxed demeanor, but he also has a playful side that comes out whenever he sees a rope or a squeaky toy. Hobbies: long walks, playing tug-of-war with his rope, and snuggling on the couch with his humans. He loves a Kong with kibble and pumpkin. Yukon may look big, but he’s a big softy at heart. All he wants is someone to play with and love.
Orange County Animal Services is located at 2769 Conroy Road in Orlando, near the Mall at Millenia. The shelter is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. every day except Wednesday, when it’s open 2-6 p.m. For more information, please call 407-8363111 or visit ocnetpets.com.
Meet Yukon!
RV Sales RV Repairs
WANTED - All motorhomes, fifth wheels and travel trailers. Cars, vans and trucks any condition. Cash paid on the spot. RV transport service available! Call 954-595-0093!
Legal, Public Notices
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: December 27, 2024 at the times and locations listed below. The personal goods stored therein by the following:
12:00 PM Extra Space Storage 831 N. Park Avenue Apopka, FL 32712 (407) 450-0345 Shaye Fernandez - Clothes. Roderick Haynes - Household Items. Audreka Fair - Household items. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to comlete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: December 27, 2024 at the times and locations listed below. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:00PM Extra Space Storage 1101 Marshall farms rd., Ocoee FL 34761, 407-516-7221 Eric Meeks- Household items. Tatiana Reid- household items. Tarrence Owens- household items. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in orer to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: December 27th, 2024. at the times and locations listed below. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:00PM Extra Space Storage 11920 W Colonial Dr Ste 10, Ocoee FL 34761, 407794-6970. Emily Britt - Household items, Santiago Aviles - household items. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 2631 E Semoran Blvd. Apopka, FL 32703 (407) 408-7437 on December 27,
2024 12:00PM Elsy Velaquez-Household items. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: January 7th, 2025 at the times and locations listed below. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:00 PM Extra Space Storage 610 Rinehart Rd. Lake Mary, FL 32746 (407) 637-1360 Chris Reed-christmas decorations, Chris Reed-Household items. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 8235 N Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando FL., 32810, 727.428.6564 on December 27th, 2024 @ 12:00PM Isabel Delapaz-Vacuum, Stroller, Shoes, Couch, Toys Wilfredo Collazo-Dresser, Bed Frame & Mattress, Boxes Justin McLeod-Boxes, Toys, Blanket, Shoes Wedly Joseph-Electronics The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility inorder to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: January 2, 2025 at the times and locations listed below: The personal goods stored therein by the following: 2:00PM Extra Space Storage, 11971 Lake Underhill Rd Orlando, FL 32825 407.516.7913: ***NONE*** The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:00PM Extra Space Storage, 11071 University Blvd Orlando, FL 32817, 321.320.4055: Jacques Patrick boxes, house furniture. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 11:00 AM Life Storage 11583 University Blvd Orlando FL 32817 407.777.2278: ** None Scheduled** The personal goods stored therein by the following: 11:00AM Life Storage, 9001 Eastmar Commons Blvd, Orlando, FL 32825, 407.901.6180: Alberto Medero Febres: Furniture, toys, boxes. Gabrielle Small: Furniture, Totes, boxes, bags. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 10:00AM Life Storage, 12280 East Colonial Drive, Orlando FL 32826, 321.286.7324: Rafael Carion Ramos: boxes, clothes, household Goods, bike,
electronics; James Joseph: Boxes, Electronics, household goods; Sharmeen Sanchez: tools, doors, seats, totes, generator, Blue Chevy Camaro* Black Chevrolet* (* Cars not included in sale); Ashanti Cleveland: household goods, bikes; Anthony Chambers: luggage, totes, household Goods, bike. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 10:00AM Life Storage, 14916 Old Cheney Hwy, Orlando FL 32826, 407.917.9151: Peter Morgan: surf board, helmet, luggage, boxes; Beverly Rodriguez: dresser, baby rocker, bags, boxes, clothes; Jose Luis Vasquez: paint, construction equipment, floor cleaner, doors, tools, concrete; Tiffanie Olivero: baby bassinet, chairs, stroller, totes, toys, clothing; John Crain: four wheeler, bunk beds, nightstand, ladder, mirror. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 10:00AM Life Storage, 3364 W State Rd 426 Oviedo, FL 32765, 407.930.4293: Kayla Brooks: Boxes, Sports & Outdoor, Electronics. Ingrid Helga Gillespie: Furniture, Tools and Supply, Boxes, Clothing & Shoes, Wall Art, Household Goods 4115: The personal goods stored therein by the following: 10:00AM Life Storage, 1010 Lockwood Blvd Oviedo, FL 32765, 407.930.4370: Omar Alay: Boxes and Bins, Amy Stevenson: Landscape tools. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 10:00AM Life Storage, 6068 Wooden Pine Drive. Orlando, Florida 32829 407.974.5165: Clark Birkett: Stroller, crib, hoverboard, tools, wine cooler, microwave, washer & dryer, ladder, boxes, totes, wheelchair, beauty supplies, Cricut. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 1:30PM Extra Space Storage, 10959 Lake UnderhillRd Orlando FL 32825, 407.502.0120: Jannell Alston: Furniture, documents, clothing, cabinets. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 11:15AM Extra Space Storage, 1305 Crawford Ave. St. Cloud FL 34769, 407.504.0833: Amanda Allen, Household items The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:30PM Extra Space Storage, 14800 Narcoossee Rd. Orlando, FL 32832 407.987.4115: Benjamin Nieves; Clothing / furniture The personal goods stored Therein by the following: 2:00PM Extra space storage, 12709 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, Fl 32826, 407.634.3990: Seth Wiesbrook, furniture, electronics, clothing; Yann Brierre, household, furniture; Jessica N Rosa, household goods; Cherie Aucoin, household, furniture, electronics; Rebecca L Bowman, household goods; Reuben Smith, furniture, household; Mohamed Al Shaqsi, camping gear, bedding, tools The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:00PM Extra Space Storage, 12915 Narcoossee Rd. Orlando, FL 32832 407.501.5799: Tysen Meyer: Household furniture, table & chairs; Maria Sanchez: Golf clubs, mattresses, toys, clothing, furniture, boxes; Valerie Cross: Clothing, boxes, luggage. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 2:30pm Extra Space Storage, 15551 Golden Isle Blvd, Orlando FL 32828 407.710.1020: Ramon Ospina: Furniture, boxes The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12PM Extra Space Storage, 342 Woodland Lake Drive Orlando FL 32828, 321.800.4793: Kyel Francis: furniture, file cabinet, books, lamp, art; Tylus Joseph: household items; Christein Hayles: Furniture, boxes. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 1:15PM Extra Space Storage, 11261 Narcoossee Rd. Orlando FL 32832, 407.280.7355: Kaia Hilson- furniture and totes The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:45 PM Extra Space Storage, 9847 Curry Ford Rd Orlando, FL 32825, 407.495.9612:
Jean Rosambert-household items; Deanna Rogers-boxes, furniture; Frances Rivera- furniture, clothing, shoes. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: Extra Space Storage 6035 Sand Lake Vista Drive, Orlando, FL 32819 December 27, 2024, 11:00AM Tonniesha Thompson- Clothing & Shoes, T.V.’s and, Boxes Kavita Lutchmedial- Boxes, Totes and, T.V.’s Rahul Patel- Furniture, Boxes and, Electronics Guillermo Maggiolo- Mattress & Bedding, Bike and, BoxesStaci Stander- Furniture, Boxes and, Clothing & Shoes Kamaria Arrington- Bags, Toys, Baby & Games and, Dressers Percy Jackson- Totes, Furniture and, Boxes Candice GausmannLamps, Mattress & Bedding and, Bags Terra Mehaffey- Appliances, Dishes & Kitchenware and, Table Pamela CobbMattress & Bedding, Bins and, Suitcase Nicholas Oliver- Appliances, Lamps and, Dresser Cynthia Cartaxo- Chairs, Carpet and, Furniture Jorgen Twede- Toys, Baby & Games, Clothing & Shoes and, Personal Effects Nicholas Gonzalez- Cabinets & Shelves, Sports & Outdoor and, Electronics Abelardo Perez- Boxes, Basketball and Fishing Poles Paul Contreras- Wall Art, Luggage and, Couch Lashawn Merritt- Boxes, Mattress & Bedding and Furniture. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 2650 W.25th St. Sanford, Fl 32771, 407-324-9985 on January 7th, 2025 at 12:00pm Jeff Gonzalez: household goods, Erica Menefee, Unit 113, green 1999 Pontiac Firebird, VIN#2G2FV22G9X2222356, license plate #Z186VG-owner:Domonic Martez Gartmond. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage/ Life Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 4066 Silver Star Rd Orlando, FL 32808 on 12/27/24 at 12:00PM: Antwione Pearson: Household Goods/ Furniture; Carlynn Harris: Dinning room table set Couch Tv stand Four 55 inch
tvs; Furniture clothes, boxes; Diana Ross: clothes, tv; Gerson Saint Fleur: Household Goods/Furniture, Vehicle/Boat/Trailer; Jaime Thomas: 3 twin beds with box spring, totes, boxes, clothes, shoes, dishes, bar cart, mirrors; Mecell Robinson: Household Goods/Furniture; Olivia Baker: Furniture, boxes; Tessa King: boxes; Torina Clark: Household Goods/Furniture. The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA JUVENILE DIVISION CASE NO: P11-DP-0150A IN THE INTEREST OF: A.L.G DOB: 1/8/2010, a minor child. SUMMONS AND NOTICE OF ADVISORY HEARING FOR TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, STATE OF FLORIDA. TO: Latron Thomas,, address unknown. A Petition for Termination of Parental Rights under oath has been filed in this Court regarding the above referenced child. You are to appear before John Galluzzo, on January 7, 2025 at 1:30PM at the Seminole Juvenile Justice Center, 190 Eslinger Way, Sanford, FL 32773, in Courtroom 2. You must appear on the date and time specified. YOU ARE ENTITLED TO HAVE AN ATTORNEY PRESENT TO REPRESENT YOU IN THIS HEARING AND AT ALL STAGES OF THIS PROCEEDING. IF YOU WANT AN ATTORNEY BUT ARE UNABLE TO AFFORD ONE YOU MUST NOTIFY THE COURT AND THE COURT WILL DETERMINE IF YOU ARE ENTITLED TO COURT APPOINTED COUNSEL. FAILURE TO PERSONALLY APPEAR AT THIS ADVISORY HEARING CONSTITUTES CONSENT TO THE TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS TO THIS CHILD. IF YOU FAIL TO APPEAR ON THE DATE AND TIME SPECIFIED, YOU MAY LOSE ALL LEGAL RIGHTS AS A PARENT TO THE CHILD NAMED IN THE PETITION. WITNESS my hand and seal of this court at Sanford, Seminole County, Florida this 15th day of November, 2024. GRANT MALOY, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, BY: /s/ Deputy Clerk (Court Seal).
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE NINTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR ORANGE COUNTY STATE OF FLORIDA. CASE NO: DP23-032, IN THE INTEREST OF W.A.K. DOB: 7/2/2008, minor child. NOTICE OF ACTION, TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS TO: ANGEL GONZALEZ, last known address 236 W. Grand Street, Apt. C5, Elizabeth, NJ 07202. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the State of Florida, Department of Children and Families, has filed a Petition to terminate your parental rights and permanently commit the above referenced child for adoption. You are hereby commanded to appear on February 10, 2025, at 09:30 AM, before the Honorable Wayne Wooten at the Orange Courthouse, 2000 East Michigan Street Orlando, Fl 32806, for an ADVISORY HEARING. FAILURE TO PERSONALLY APPEAR AT THE TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS ADVISORY HEARING CONSTITUTES A CONSTRUCTIVE CONSENT TO THE TPR PETITION OF THE CHILD(REN) AND COULD RESULT IN THE TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS TO THE CHILD(REN). WITNESS my hand
and seal of this Court at Orlando, Orange County, Florida this 12th day of December, 2024. CLERK OF COURT By: /s/ Deputy Clerk. (Court Seal)
Life Storage/Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below on December 27th, 2024 at the location indicated: Store 8439: 1420 N Orange Blossom Trail Orlando FL, 32804 407.312.8736 @ 12:00PM: Christina Kang: king bed, toys, vanity dining table w/ chairs, tv/stand, playhouses, dryer, boxes; Oelmes Gonzalez: colchon, table, desk, clothing. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Life Storage/ Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Life Storage/Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 7244 Overland Rd Orlando, FL 32810 (407) 794-7457 on December 27, 2024 12:00PM Donna Hodges-household items; Pamela Carr-Household; David Perkins-Clothes,Furniture,Toys; Andrew Ripley-Household Goods/Furniture. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Life Storage/ Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Life Storage/Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 25 E Lester Rd Apopka, FL 32712 (407) 551-5590 on December 27th, 2024 12:00PM Dawn Smith-car jack, patio table, coat rack, ladder. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Life Storage/ Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Legal, Public Notices
Life Storage/Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 2650 N Powers Dr. Orlando, FL 32818 (407) 982-1032 on December 27th, 2024 at 1:00PM William Vermillion-Household Goods, Andre Jackson-Household Goods, William Vermillion-Household Goods, Diana Cox-Household Goods, Jonathan Simonis-Furniture, Bob Schmidt-Landscaping Equipment, Shannon Bivins-Household Goods, Deronvil Nelson-Household Goods. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Life Storage/ Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
LOST OR ABANDONED PROPERTY FOUND OR RECOVERED WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF ORLANDO, FLORIDA. PROPERTY NOT CLAIMED WILL EITHER BE SURRENDERED TO THE FINDERS OR RETAINED FOR USE BY THE DEPARTMENT. PICTURE IDENTIFICATION IS REQUIRED.
December 2024
DESCRIPTION - FOUND PROPERTY:
Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below on December 27th, 2024 at the location indicated: Store 7590: 7360 Sandlake Rd Orlando, FL 32819, 407.634.4449 @ 11:45
AM: Oneal Avery- furniture, boxes, bags; Michelle Meacham- clothes, luggage, bags; Chance Ramos- office furniture, mini fridge, chairs; Kaelib McNair- Fish tank, dog crate, boxes, mattress; Tori Pugliese- furniture; Gourmet Sausage Shack LLC- kitchen equipment, coolers, papers; Gourmet Sausage Shack LLC- Restaurant equipment; Abdulaziz Abdukhamidov- file cabinets, fridge, monitors, sofa. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Extra Space
on December 27, 2024 at the location indicated: Store 7420: 800 Beard Rd Winter Garden, FL 34787, 407.551.6985 @ 12:00 PM: Magan Levandoski: 3 king size beds, boxes, dresser, bins- Linda Outlaw: Furniture. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below on December 27, 2024 at the location indicated: Store 3502: 1236 Vineland Rd, Winter Garden Fl, 34787, 407.794.6460 @10:20 AM: Constance Hawkins-Furniture, Couches, Bed frame, Mattress, Boxes. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
bike 30 blk N. Summerlin Av
currency Polk St./N. Orange Blsm Trl.
wallet w/ currency 2300 blk S. Kirkman Rd.
17. electronics 2100 blk W. Colonial Dr. 18. electronics 4700 blk Millenia Bv. FOR INFO CALL (407) 246-2445, MONDAY – THRU THURSDAY, 9:00 AM TILL 3:00PM
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below on December 27, 2024 at the location indicated: Store 1334: 5603 Metrowest Blvd Orlando, FL 32811, 407.516.7751 @ 12:00 PM: Jermain Thompson- Furniture, clothes, toys; Kortni Patterson- household items, furniture; Annette Simmons- Bedroom and kitchen furniture; Keisha Green- household goods; Kelly Stephens- appliances, bags, boxes; Victoria Cruz- Furnitures, TV; Lisa Bryantboxes, furniture, totes; Mark Key- Bed, Boxes, furniture; Raul da Silva- household goods. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.
Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra
Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below on December 27, 2024 at the location indicated: Store 1317: 5592 LB McLeod Rd Orlando, FL 32811, 407.720.2832 @ 2:00 PM: Store 1317: 5592 L B McLeod Rd Orlando, FL 32811, 407.720.2832 @ 2:00 PM: Wendi Perez- Dining room table, clothes, shoes, kitchen supplies, appliances, family collectables, pictures; Raygan Oliver-Caceres- household items; Joseph Williams- Bounce Houses; Shemica Alabre- boxes, clothes. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Extra Space
Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below on December 27th, 2024 at 12:00pm at the location indicated: Store 8138: 1001 Lee rd, Orlando, FL 32810 407.489.3742 Joshua Edmundson-boxes, electric mower; Luis Torres Fernandez-bedding, totes; Migel Gonzalez-boxes, motobike; clacema William-tables, bedframe, chairs; Keandra McClain-boxes, bags; Dorothy Parker-bags boxes, furniture. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Extra Space
Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage, or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below on December 27, 2024, at the locations indicated: Store 1333: 13125 S. John Young Pkwy, Orlando FL. 32837, 407.516.7005 @ 10:00 AM: Sandra Gilliotti-home items. Store 1631: 5753 Hoffner Ave, Orlando, FL 32822, (407) 212-5890 @ 10:15 AM: William Joseph Mathews- boxes, luggage, clothes, baker’s rack, chairs, rugs. Israel Rosario- Trimmer, luggage, boxes, bags, totes, cooler. Yanira Justiniano- blankets, pillows, purse, iron board, scooter. Marcline Louis- table, couches, bed, mattress, headboard, suitcases, backpack. Elizabeth Oquendo- headboard, dresser, tables, tires, tools, mirror. Store 7057: 13597 S. Orange Ave Orlando FL 32824, 407.910.2087 @ 10:30 AM: Mike WilliamsHousehold items; Ayanna John- Household items; Brittany Sajovic- Household items Store 7107: 6174 S Goldenrod, Orlando, FL 32822, 407.955.4137 @ 10:45 AM: Shania Harris – clothes; Mark Jackson - Art supplies, Clothes, baggage, boxes; Anthony Shines - Car Store 3024: 11955 S Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando FL 32837, 407.826.0024 @ 11:00 AM: Paz Carlos- pedicure chair, household goods, baby crib. Sunil Bhavnani- Boxes, bags, luggage, totes. Store 3378: 475 Celebration Pl, Celebration FL 34747, 321.939.3752 @ 11:15 AM: Catherine Thompson- household goods, boxes, electronics Store 8931: 3280 Vineland Rd, Kissimmee FL 34746, 407.720.7424 @ 11:30 AM: Jose Galvan Tool Equipment, Tyson Branz portable mini bar, Luis Eduardo Pacheco Boxes Store 3519: 4020 Curry Ford Rd, Orlando, 32806, 407.480.2931 @11:45 AM: James Younce Household Goods/Furniture, Office Furn/Machines/ Equip, Monique Smith Household Goods/ Furniture, TV/Stereo Equipment, Monique Smith Household Goods/Furniture, Tools/ Appliances, Robert Swain Electronics, stuff animals, Brock Daley boxes mostly and a car seat Store 8136: 3501 S.
Orange Blossom Trail Orlando FL 32839, 407.488.9093 @ 12:00pm:Cristobal Marrero-Board Games,babystroller,Household Appliances:Josh Hill-Microwave,Board Games,Appliances,Clothing,Shoes:Tanesha Jackson-Chairs,Leather Couch,Clothing ,Shoes,Household Appliances:Lindsey Shave-Clothes,Shoes,Luggage,Appliances,Clothing ,Shoes,Books Store 7306: 408 N Primrose Dr, Orlando, FL 32803, (321) 285-5021 @ 12:15 PM: Eniola Olusanya; BOXES FOR BUSINESS STARTUP. Stephen Brown; Files. Ariel Rosario; business items, retail product. Store 8612: 1150 Brand Ln Kissimmee FL 34744, 407.414.5303@ 12:30PM:Adriana Prieto; Tools,Furnitures,boxes,tires- Arissa Gibbs; Bedroom,furniture,boxes- Luis Lopez Lara; boxes,sewing machine,bags Store 3526: 4650 S. Semoran Blvd, Orlando Fl 32822, 407.823.7734 @ 12:45 PM: Bennett Doreus-Boxes; Christian Davila-Kitchenware, vehicle parts, furniture, boxes, decoration; Zaeisha Cobb-baby items, clothing, personal effects, electronics, boxes; Miguel Benavides-Clothing, mattress and bedding items, personal effects, household goods, salon chair, bags, appliances. Store 8778: 3820 S Orange Ave Orlando FL 32806, 321.270.3440 @ 1:00 pm Kayla Della household items / Christina Bates household goods/ Ashante Saint Val 5 boxes of clothes/bags / Erik Beard household stuff washer ,sofa . Store 4107: 9080 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy, Kissimmee Fl 34747, 407.238.1799 @ 1:15 PM: Norris Hardy-Boxes, clothing/shoes, electronics; Joe Scanlon-Household goods, furniture; Matthew Wilfries-Boxes, Totes Furniture, Bicycle, misc household; Six Star Cleaning Corp/Higor Jesus-Household items; Keontre Mills-Tools, ladders, lawn mower, Misc equipment Store 4109: 13450 Landstar Blvd Orlando, FL 32824, 407.601.41.69@ 1:30 PM: Matthew S Sigel; Household goods and clothing. Orlando Alvarez; Household goods. Store 4217: 5698 S Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, Fl 32839, 754.551.4774 @ 1:45 PM: Jameelah Young- Chevrolet Malibu Black Vin1G1ZB5STXJF170590 Plate- Y713PQ. Alba Ortiz – Toys, Baby & games, Mattress & Bedding, Furniture, Sports & Outdoors, Suitcases, Bins and Area Rug Household Items. Jonas Destine- Appliances, Sports & Outdoors, Bins & Suitcase. The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above-referenced facility to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: Site #3086, 130 Concord Drive, Casselberry, FL 32707, January 7, 2025 @ 12:00 pm johnie nicholas- tools and equipment. The auction will be listed an advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purcase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Legal, Public Notices
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Management, LLC #0695 - 4554 Hoffner Ave Orlando, FL 32812 to satisfy a lien on JANUARY 7,2025 at approx. 10:30am at www. storagetreasures.com: Troy D Toussaint , Jason Martin, Danielle E Luena, Angela R Holley, Anthony Ray Trawick, Fabian Antonio Cruz Ramos, Michael Rivera, Geneva M Gallimore, Marria A Goff, Elijah Gentry
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Asset Management, LLC as Agent for Owner CubeSmart # 5341 – 2310 W Carroll St, Kissimmee, FL 34741 to satisfy a lien on JANUARY 7,2025 at approx. 11:00am at www.storagetreasures.com: Jessica Ricketts, Jessica Howard, Suzanne Anton, Isaiah Allen, 0424Aaliyah Galbraith, Jimmy Sherman, Edgar Bravo Rodriguez, Marinez Tomassini, Patrick Jost, Salvatore Alessandro Ruggia Puerio, Toccarra Nelson, Ramon Zaracho, Shanicia McGee
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Asset Management, LLC as Agent for Owner CubeSmart # 6174 – 1004 North Hoagland Blvd. Kissimmee, Fl. 34741 to satisfy a lien on JANUARY 7, 2025 at approx. 11:30am at www.storagetreasures.com: Cesar Alejandro Yamarte Gamez, Robert Joseph Mcgowan, Angela Britt, Jose Enrique Alvarez Santiago, Dazell Wheat, Diedra Shoultz, Charlene Diaz, Luz Ileana Martinez Alvarez, Anna Marie Genkinger, NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Asset Management, LLC as Agent for Owner CubeSmart #6177 – 1830 E Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy. Kissimmee, Fl. 34744 to satisfy a lien on JANUARY 7, 2025 at approx. 12:00pm at www. storagetreasures.com: Miguel Fermin, Nariel Gonzalez, Debra Louise Wolberg. NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Asset Management, LLC as Agent for Owner CubeSmart # 5695 – 1159 Tomyn Blvd Winter Garden, FL 34787 to satisfy a lien on JANUARY 7, 2025 at approx. 1:00pm at www.storagetreasures.com: Simone Peters, Zeynep Cakmur, Mikayla Woods NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Management, LLC #0671 – 100 Mercantile Ct. Ocoee, FL 34761 to satisfy a lien on JANUARY 8, 2025 at approx. 10:30am at www.storagetreasures.com: Romero Elias, Shauri Mbwana Khamisi, Chantavia Haynes, Moston Clarke, Michael D. Keevil, Elliott Bonney Veraline, Mary Lee Schwing Fuentes NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Management, LLC #0693 - 1015 N. Apopka Vineland Rd. Orlando, FL 32818 to satisfy a lien on JANUARY 8, 2025 at approx. 11:00am at www.storagetreasures.com: Michele
Greene, Terry Mitchell / Ms Terry Mitchell, Sherrl Stewart / S L Stewart, Nathalie Dessant, Malikah Smith, Ashia Barnes / Ashia Barnes, Jaciana Perry, Leslie Giles, Sylvia Thomas, Davison N Buttenbender, Tiffany Williams, Viveca Vickers, Ume / Verteaursha Matthews, James Salvadon, J / Jacklyn Pearce, Sharne Bacon, Richard Saint Charles, Evana Session, Robert Middleton NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE:
Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Management, LLC # 0420 –5301 N. Pine Hills Road, Orlando Fl 32808 to satisfy a lien on at approx. JANUARY 8, 2025 at approx. 11:30am at www.storagetreasures.com: Timothy Mixon, Felicia ‘Regina’ Harvey, Jason lane, Herbert Dixon / Herbert Floyd Dixon / Floyd Dixon, Rita Garner, Dominique Daniels, Oreste Mesisdor, Jefferey Brown, Raymond Nekita Meaning, Keron Nicola Cornelius, Dana Vilne, Shakeeria Sheffield, Dream Hunter, Tiffany Nicole Welch, Michael William Jonathan Barrios, Stephanie Davis, Chantilee Shere Stewart, Kevin Daniel Williams, Angie Marte, Bryan Amir Hunter, Barabara Edith Bemis NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Management, LLC #430 - 7400 West Colonial Dr, Orlando Fl 32818 to satisfy a lien on JANUARY 8, 2025 at approx. 12:00pm at www. storagetreasures.com: Ihab Fouad Attalla Shenoda, Harris Rudolph Jr/ Rudolph Harris Jr, Arthur Christian Mandel, Rufus Simpson, Gabrielle Babin, Jayla Landry, Jacinta Hinds, Sharrice Abney, Lillie Haynes, Ashani Dixon, Parmie Matthews, Ronda G Biggs, Blaise Sterwins NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Asset Management, LLC as Agent for Owner CubeSmart # 6698 – 45630 US Hwy 27 Davenport, FL 33897 satisfy a lien on JANUARY 8, 2025 at approx. 12:30pm at www.storagetreasures.com: Kyara Natal Delgado, Anthony Roman, Dominique Miamor Jaime NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Asset Management, LLC as Agent for Owner CubeSmart # 5868 – 4752 Conroy Storage Lane, Orlando, FL 32835 to satisfy a lien on JANUARY 9, 2025 at approx. 10:30am at www.storagetreasures.com: Cinnamon Williams, Justin Campbell, Jose Faustino De Araujo Filho, Dimesha Fountain, Ashley Ingram, Mahendra Moonan, Kenya Yeshay Strickland, Kindrick Richenzie Soiro, Charlie Torres, Brittany Crumpton, Nadya Rivera NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Asset Management, LLC as Agent for Owner CubeSmart # 5962 – 49671 Hwy 27 Davenport, FL 33897 to satisfy a lien on JANUARY 9, 2025 at approx. 11:30am at www.storagetreasures.com: Miller Marks, Fabio Gonzalez, Bernadette Watson, Aurora Marina Rincon Vargas, Caitlyn A Smith, Jazmin Alamo, Debbie Ferguson, Jeremaih Donaldson. NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Asset Management, LLC as Agent for Owner CubeSmart # 5961 – 1540 Sullivan Rd., Davenport, FL 33896 to satisfy a lien on
JANUARY 9, 2025 at approx. 12:00pm at www.storagetreasures.com: Christopher Kenneth Knudson, SHAWN SIMMERER, Rene Corvo, Kinney L MC Graw, Janile Howell, Agatha Lorraine Alexander, Melinda Williams, Melissa Amber Feher Anato, Christy Ellis, Kaytora Vinson, Anna Lundberg, Alexis Villalona, Vivian Haydee Gonzalez Cantero, Kelvin Tyrone Davis. NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: Self-storage Cube contents of the following customers containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart Asset Management, LLC as Agent for Owner CubeSmart # 5694 – 7220 Osceola Polk Line Rd, Davenport, Fl 33896 to satisfy a lien on JANUARY 9, 2025 at approx. 12:00pm at www.storagetreasures.com: Cynthia Ulysse, JonTay Devonna McClendon, Danielle Wheatley, Josser Lopez.
NOTICE OF SALE
ADVERTISEMENT OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said property under The Florida Self Storage Facility Act. Bidding takes place on lockerfox.com and concludes Tuesday the 27th day of December, 2024 at 10:00 AM with payment at the facility. Store Space Millenia, 4912 S. John Young Pkwy, Orlando, FL, 32839. Ana L Sanchez ; Resheka Grady ; Irish Wimbush ; Cynthia Holmes ; TAWANA KAMEKA LEWIS ; Maribel vasquez ; Marisol Maldonado ; Taylor Gill ; Travis Davis Latresia Brown ; williams Lumaine ; Jasen White ; Tonawanda Williams ; Lisa Lieberman ; Amanda Griffin ; Waylan Peters ; Roberto Baez Arria Green ; Nathaniel Moulier ; Clinton Chiress ; sandra anderson ; Richard Stinson ; Leroy Jean Charles ; TreVoun Buffalo ; Daquan Smith ; Cairra Ulysse ; Store Space Sanford - Storage, 3980 E. Lake Mary Blvd., Sanford, FL, 32773. Travis Brooks ; Wendy Boone ; Verlon Henley Maria Negron ; Marshal L Taylor ; Jaime Diaz ; Shawn Johnson ; Fashana Alexander; Tamiqua Williams ; Shawn Johnson ; edward debose ; Pricila Pacheco ; Nashaly Perdomo ; Shameika Johnson ; Dazja Hankins ; Amber Drake ; Ariel Morales ; Latrice Bilal ; Quinton Young ; Obtavious Lane
Employment
in training and janitorial, strong customer service skills, and Spanish proficiency. Mail CV to: Stratus Building Solutions543 N Wymore Rd, Suite 103, Maitland, FL 32751.
Logistics and Dispatch Manager (Orlando, FL): Analyze & coord. all the ops. & logistical functions of the co. Negotiate w/ carriers. Min. req.: Bachelor’s deg. in industrial engineering or foreign equiv. Mail resumes to: Jose Tavarez, J Blessed Transport LLC, 4935 Adair Oak Dr, Orlando FL 32829.
3 POSITIONS AVAILABLE – No Experience; No Selling; $2,125/wk/ptnl; PT/FT; Real Estate; No RE-License Req; Start Immediately; EOE; WFH; Call: 703-776-9929
Franchise Business Coach: We seek a dedicated professional to support and develop Franchise Owners by identifying their needs and providing coaching, mentoring, and training. This role involves field training coordination, assisting owners in building successful businesses, and ensuring client retention through the Stratus Operating System. Responsibilities include client inspections, addressing service concerns, offering solutions, developing onboarding training, and managing account transfers between Unit Franchise Owners. Requires a bachelor’s in management, 24 months of experience
Product Marketing Manager (position in Winter Park, FL 32789): Manage product marketing for incubator of network infrastructure improvement innovations, including SaaS (Software as a Service) products and services and B2C (Business-to-Customer) Smart DNS (Domain Name Server) and VPN (Virtual Private Network) technologies, for consumers and enterprises in the HTTP, NNTP, network, online storage, and security arenas, in support of leading media and entertainment companies. Must have a Bachelor’s degree (or foreign degree equivalent) in Marketing Management or related field * and 6 months of experience in product marketing of network infrastructure improvement innovations, including SaaS products and services and B2C Smart DNS and VPN technologies. (* Each three years of progressively responsible work experience in the field of marketing management will be considered equivalent to one year of post-secondary education to satisfy the stated education requirement.)
Please submit in duplicate your resume and cover letter referencing position #0759 to: Omicron Media, Inc., Attn. Regina Castillo, H.R. Director, 807 West Morse Blvd., Winter Park, FL 32789; or regina.castillo@omicronmedia.com. Omicron Media, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Styledent, LLC, Winter Park, FL seeks F/T Dental Implant Surgical Planning & Guide Designer to collaborate w/ dental professionals to dvlp comprehensive surgical plans for dental implant procedures & dsgn patient specific surgical guides. Must have bach. degree in dentistry or closely rltd (acad. equiv. ok) plus 24 mo exp as dental lab technician. Email
Manager - Finance (Entertainment and Events Team) Universal Orlando 6623654 Host The Villages 6623650
