01.21.21 West Orange Times & Observer by Orange Observer

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Show-Me-State sisters Three wrestlers from Dr. Phillips High are shining at Missouri Baptist. PAGE 11.

THE ROYAL WE

Winter Garden, church reach right-of-way agreement The city will trade an acre of land near Tilden Road to First Baptist Winter Garden in exchange for right-of-way needed for the Dillard Street project. SEE PAGE 2.

PLAY BALL!

Jimmy King came to Winter Garden in the 1920s and raised a family of community-minded residents.

The King family has been breaking barriers in Winter Garden for more than a century. Charles Alexander King, the city’s first black police officer, died Dec. 24, 2020. He was 83. SEE STORY PAGE 4.

Winter Garden Little League is ready for its spring season. PAGE 11. Charles A. King was the first black officer hired by the Winter Garden Police Department.

The seven children of Joseph and Eddie Mae King — from left, back, Billy, Juanita, James and Charles; and front, Annie, Bernice and Brenda — were taught to be Christians, be true to the family, get an education, serve, own land and speak up.

Joseph and Eddie Mae King raised their seven children in this house on Hennis Road. It is still in the family today. PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID WINTER GARDEN, FL PERMIT NO. 81

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Postal Customer Photos courtesy of King family

YOUR TOWN ATTENTION, ANGLERS!

Friends of Lake Apopka has partnered with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to tag 500 fish in Lake Apopka, including largemouth bass, bluegill and black crappie, in the Lake Apopka Fish Tag Challenge. The contest runs through May 31 and offers anglers the chance to catch a tagged fish in the lake and return the tag to the FWC for a prize of up to $1,000. Additional prizes are available for those who submit their catch to the TrophyCatch program.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021

IN OTHER NEWS

W.G. approves land swap DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Winter Garden commissioners approved an agreement to acquire right-of-way necessary for the upcoming Dillard Street improvement project. The agreement discussed during the Jan. 14 City Commission meeting includes a land swap, acquisition of property and option agreement. It involves trading city-owned land near Foundation Academy’s Tilden campus for an 888-square-foot right-of-way from First Baptist Winter Garden. According to city documents, the right-of-way in question — located at the northwest corner of Plant and Dillard streets — is needed for a roundabout in conjunction with the Dillard Street project. After the roundabout is built, city staff said, that area will be used for trail right-of-way,

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as well as sidewalks, signals, landscaping and signage. “Here’s one of the keys when you build these roundabouts and what requires you to take so much land,” City Manager Mike Bollhoefer said. “To make those crosswalks safe, you really need to move them a certain distance from the roundabout. By designing these crosswalks safely, it takes up a little bit more land, but you cannot move it in any closer because then you lose that safety factor. … Roundabouts are great, but the problem with roundabouts that people find is they take up a lot of land, and that’s the tricky part. If you try to minimize the land they take up, they’re no longer safe.” With acquisition of the rightof-way, the church will be losing one driveway access point and four parking spaces at its Plant Street campus. However, city staff said, that’s where the land swap comes into play. The city owns 4.14 acres of land south of Tilden Road, which it had purchased for future retention ponds

for any road widening in the area. The church’s school, Foundation Academy, is undergoing expansion and needs that land for its retention needs. “They suggested — and we agreed — to work on a situation to deal with solving our problem getting the right-of-way and theirs getting the pond back,” said Ed Williams, the city’s planning consultant. “We are trading one acre of land we had purchased for the land being given at Dillard and Plant, as well as the damages caused by closing the driveway, losing the parking spaces and avoiding the costs of all the condemnation fees by going to court. That one acre equals the amount we were paying the for the rightof-way, all the damages and all the costs that they were going to assume on that.” Williams said the church had previously purchased a .8-acre easement there from the city, and they also need another 1.67 acres of the 4.14-acre property. Along with the 1-acre parcel of land the church will acquire for the school’s

n City leaders approved a $124,515 purchase order from American In-Line Inspection for installation of a cured-inplace pipe-liner system. This includes a 5% contingency. n Commissioners approved the 2021 elections services contract with the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office for the upcoming March general election and April run-off election, if necessary. n The election qualifying period for Districts 2, 3 and 4 begins at noon Tuesday, Jan. 19, and runs through noon Tuesday, Jan. 26.

expansion project, that comes out to 3.47 acres. “The contract we have in front of you allows for them to purchase that (1.67 acres) now and pay it over time as income comes into them from their school situation,” Williams said. “All of these costs are at what we paid for the land. They are not getting any discount from what the value of our property is that was purchased with taxpayer money. That left us with a small remainder of 0.67 acres

that they’re not sure if they need it or not. “They have put in the contract — and we agreed — to have them option that 0.67 acres,” he said. “That covers the entire 4.14 acres, it gets us the right-of-way that we need, it gets them the land they ned to allow for their expansion of the school, and yet it refunds and gives us the money we paid for that land.” Williams said the church can exercise the option to purchase the 0.67 acres in the future. He added that Dillard Street project engineers were careful to try and minimize disruptions to the church’s Plant Street campus. “The church did not feel like that encroachment caused them irreparable harm,” Williams said. “We’re paying them for the parking spaces and loss of the access.” As for the rest of the Dillard Street project, Bollhoefer added, city staff has been negotiating with every property owner whose land will be impacted. “Everyone has been notified, and we are close on all of them,” he said. “We feel pretty good about every intersection. We shifted these all different directions … to try and minimize the impact on everyone.”

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IRON MAN AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

Courtesy photo

Joel Sioson enjoyed family time with his wife, Kimi Rapada, second from right, and their children, Juliette, Enzo and Rocco.

that people don’t typically survive this, don’t survive 24 hours. And as much as his was torn, he was given 1% chance of living.” He survived the surgery, which included inserting a pacemaker, and has slowly been making progress ever since. He still cannot walk but is working toward that goal. “I was able to start moving my right leg a few days after,” Sioson said. “I can move both legs now. I’m still waiting to get back my feeling. It’s pretty much stamina, strength, pretty much learning to walk again. I just started to be able to wiggle my toes. It’s more the control of it. I might be able to raise my leg, but I can’t control if it starts to move left or right.” He is working with outpatient therapy, and he now can stand from his wheelchair with assistance.

“At the end of the day, he’s here, and he has three amazing children, beautiful children that he’s fighting for every single day. That’s what keeps us up, and that’s what keeps us going.” — Kimi Rapada, Joel Sioson’s wife

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“I’m working on standing on my own and taking strides on my own,” he said. “(I’m) teaching my muscles what to do so I can walk again.” Doctors determined Sioson had a spinal stroke because there wasn’t enough blood going to his spine. He has what doctors consider an incomplete paralysis, so walking is possible with enough rehabilitation. His liver and kidneys also were affected, and he had a kidney stroke, as well. He spent Thanksgiving and Christmas in the hospital, but finally was discharged Jan. 5. He was greeted with posters, balloons and a happy family. ROAD TO RECOVERY

Sioson spends about six hours each week in outpatient therapy, where he is working on his legs. “I’m able to transfer from my chair to the bed or to the car without any pain so far,” Sioson said. “I’m thankful for that. Also the Orlando Regional has the EXSO – it’s like a robot suit, like Iron Man, there’s only a few in Florida. They strap you in with your legs there,

TO HELP Family friends Kathleen Engle and Lisa Millar started a GoFundMe page and are accepting donations to help with Sioson’s exorbitant medical bills. To donate, visit bit. ly/3oT0bNQ. The page described the Siosons as “an incredibly kind, compassionate and gracious family that would be the first to support their friends and family.”

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Sioson works in information technology, providing help-desk support for a staffing company. He has great insurance, he said, and his employers have been understanding throughout this ordeal. “There have been dozens, hundreds, even thousands, of blessings,” Rapada said. “We are so very thankful.” “When I was in the hospital, I was more worried about Kimi and the kids, but the community around us, the school, the church, the neighbors around us (helped), and they’re still taking care of us,” Sioson said. “From the minute it happened, our neighbors just stepped in and just loved on our kids,” Rapada said. “(They) took them on, whether it be that night, which was the longest and scariest of our lives, took them in that night and for the next few months. It gave me a comfort level so I can concentrate on Joel. This community has just wrapped their arms around us, and there will be days that we pay it forward in exponential ways. … We certain feel it, and our family’s just extremely grateful.” The couple said they are proud of their children for jumping in to assist and for being brave and mature. Sioson said he asked each of them to write in a journal daily so they can capture what they’re feeling throughout this experience. “At the end of the day, he’s here and he has three amazing children, beautiful children that he’s fighting for every single day,” Rapada said. “That’s what keeps us up, and that’s what keeps us going.”

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Sioson was immediately flown to Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center for emergency surgery. “It’s a seven-hour surgery,” Rapada said. “They said at the time

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021

and it assists you in walking. The therapies I’m at, it assists you if you need assistance. It keeps your legs moving, it has balance, it tells them if I’m doing a right-foot stride to move forward, how much energy the machine uses and how much energy I’m using to move the machine. … it gets me to move.” Everyone in the family has been pitching in, including Enzo, 13-year-old Rocco and 11-yearold Juliette. Enzo was able to visit his dad in the hospital and learned how to be helpful at home; he has been training his younger siblings on assisting their dad, too. To avoid clogging up the artificial valve in his heart, Sioson will have to take blood-thinning medicine for the rest of his life. He will have significant follow-up appointments with his cardiologist and his surgeon, Rapada said, and he still is on watch for the impacts of his spinal cord injury. Friends, neighbors and coworkers have been working on accessibility in the Sioson house, too. “We just want to get him independent in his own home,” Rapada said.

Joel Sioson last November suffered an aortic valve tear. He was given a 1% chance of survival. HE WON. oel Sioson is staying positive and is determined to walk again after a serious medical emergency sent him to the hospital for more than a month and rendered him paralyzed. The Windermere resident had been complaining of headaches in the days before he was attacked with severe pain in his head and jaw, and collapsed to the floor with chest and back pains Nov. 23. His wife, Kimi Rapada, was out, but luckily their 15-year-old son, Enzo, was home to help. Sioson was taken to Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital with an initial diagnosis of hypertension. Five hours and multiple tests later, nothing seemed out of the ordinary; doctors only could determine the incident was stress related. When Sioson told his wife he couldn’t feel his legs, they called a physician friend to take a look. He ordered a CT scan, which revealed Sioson had a life-threatening acute type 1 aortic dissection — his aortic valve was torn down to his waist.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021

Observer “If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944 President and CEO / Matt Walsh, mwalsh@yourobserver.com Editor and Publisher / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com Design Editor / Jessica Eng, jeng@OrangeObserver.com Community Editor / Amy Quesinberry, amyq@OrangeObserver.com Sports Editor /Troy Herring, therring@OrangeObserver.com Associate Editor / Danielle Hendrix, dhendrix@OrangeObserver.com

Photos courtesy of King family

The King family still owns this home at 190 Hennis Road, and there are plans to turn it into a museum-type facility to pay tribute to the Kings.

A life fit for a King AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

harles Alexander King broke barriers in the city of Winter Garden when he was hired in 1967 as the first black officer with the city’s police department. He served his community of east Winter Garden and walked the beat until 1970, when he returned to his previous career at a paper factory. King, a Winter Garden native and a U.S. Army veteran, died Dec. 24, 2020, at age 83. Born in 1936 to Joseph and Eddie Mae King, Charles King came from a long line of strong, communityminded men, including a grandfather who barely survived a beating by the Ku Klux Klan, said Charles King’s sister, Bernice King Duncan. That grandfather, Jimmy King, spent the rest of his life instilling in his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren the importance of education, hard work, respect and the King name. “My big brother — he was extraordinary,” Duncan said. “(He said), ‘If my grandfather could take what he took, and my father could stay here and take what he took, the least I could do is stay here and do what I could do.’ And that’s why my brother did what he did in Winter Garden. “He lived on Christopher Street, and they didn’t have water,” she said. “He’s the one who got the water system there. … He was a teacher and an elder at the Baptist church. He was an officer. … He made an extremely big difference. He became a very respectful man, until the day he died.” Charles King and a brother, James King, developed the Twenty-One King Boys, an exclusive club that teaches the family’s males how to be “King men.” Charles King looked out for the people he loved. He originally turned down a job request from the Winter Garden Police Department, but he reconsidered after he witnessed an incident between a resident and a police officer in his neighborhood pool hall, and went to the department to complain.

opened the casket, he had a crown on his head.” FUTURE GENERATIONS

As a newly hired officer, Charles King requested and was assigned to work in east Winter Garden, so he could interact with children and show them they could be anything they wanted. JIMMY KING

The King family’s story begins in Winter Garden in the 1920s — 100 years ago — when Jimmy King’s cousin, Egirtha Marion, owned a restaurant and boardinghouse on Tenth Street. This is where the black baseball players stayed when the Washington Senators team was in town for practice and games. Marion encouraged Jimmy King, a Georgia farmer, to come to the city, where his farming and citrus groves could prosper. He and his wife, Emma, relocated in 1924 to Center Street in Winter Garden. They had eight children. Jimmy King worked in farming and took charge of all the black workers, Duncan said. To promote equality, he encouraged them to register to vote. In 1936, his outspoken personality nearly cost him his life. When the KKK learned of Jimmy King’s push for black voters and his appeal for higher wages, members burned a cross on his lawn one night, snatched him from his bed and took him to a spot near Black Lake, a notorious Klan hangout on the outskirts of Winter Garden. He was left for dead but survived to tell the story. Duncan said her grandfather came up with six important rules as a result of his near-death experience. “He wanted us to be Christian,” Duncan said. “We had to be true to the family. We had to get an education; you couldn’t drop out of school. You had to serve in some capacity. … Everybody had to own a piece of land. And everybody had to be aware of things and unafraid to speak out, unafraid to do what was right, and to do what your dream was. You couldn’t be afraid of that.” JOSEPH KING

Duncan’s parents, Joseph and Eddie Mae King, met and married in Winter Garden. They had eight

Juanita King was one of the first black students from Winter Garden to graduate college.

children — Juanita, Joseph, James, Charles, Annie, Bernice, Billy and Brenda. “My parents were exceptional parents,” Duncan said. “They were extremely intelligent. … We had to go to college, and we had to know what we were about. And we had to stay orientated to the family.” Joseph King worked in citrus. Eddie Mae King stayed home until all her children were of school age, and then she became a domestic worker for the Pounds family in Winter Garden for about 30 years. For her contributions in the community, then-Mayor Ralph Fulford named June 18, 1982, Eddie Mae King Day. The Kings lived at 190 Hennis Road in a community called Whispering Pines. Joseph King helped in the construction of their fourbedroom home in 1935. “That was really a magnificent something to live in Whispering Pines,” Duncan said. “All the other black people lived in the quarters.” The house remains in the family today, and Duncan’s son hopes to turn it into a museum with family information and memorabilia. Joseph King was the only one in his family to remain in Winter Garden after his father’s racial attack. “He stayed because, like my grandfather had taught us, you have no fear, so he stayed, and he sent his family to school, he had his home,” Duncan said. Jimmy King died at age 85 — when Duncan was 15 — and she still can remember marching from the funeral home to the church and seeing all the people standing along the side of the road. “I told everybody my granddaddy was a king,” she said. “He was a 33rd degree mason. When they

Jimmy King’s descendants took to heart his appeal for a good education. Four of Joseph King’s children have college degrees, and among the grandchildren, there are about 20 bachelor’s degrees, six master’s degrees, one Ph.D. and one Doctor of Divinity. One of Joseph’s children, Annie Ruth King Morris, was the first black office employee at Florida Telephone, and a grandson, Roy Harris, was the first Winter Garden athlete to go to the pros, playing for the Atlanta Falcons in 1985. “That’s (because of) all the teachings that we received,” Duncan said. “We still tried to follow those teachings.” Three of the King sisters — Bernice, Annie and Brenda — worked for Blanche Britt at the Britt Mansion on Plant Street in Winter Garden with her disabled son, Harold Britt. They learned a great deal from her, but the older woman learned just as much from the girls. “We did learn a lot at her house, the dishes that she had, the furniture that she had, the rooms that she had,” she said. “Her dogs had their own beds with pillows and covers. … They were really rich people. It taught us a lot, and we taught her a lot. And Mr. Harold was just happy we (were) there. We made his life a little fun.” Duncan recalled the time she asked her employer for more money and was turned down. Harold Britt overheard the conversation and privately told Duncan he would pay her extra under the table. “He understood his mother, he loved his mother, he loved us, and we made the house happy,” Duncan said. “Anything we wanted from her, we had to ask him. He was great, and that’s the way he treated us.” Duncan said the Britts treated her and her sisters like family. When Duncan was named Miss Homecoming, Harold Britt attended the local parade to support her. During the holidays and upon their college graduation, the King sisters received gifts. “It was an amazing job,” Duncan said. “There are so many things you can learn in life. It was an experience for all of us.” Life has been a steady stream of lessons for everyone in the King family, and the elders continue to teach them to the next generations. “We love the story about our family,” Duncan said. “It’s a very strong story.”

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Windermere OKs construction agreements Town Council members approved two maximum-price contracts regarding construction of the new town facilities and public works shed. DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Windermere Town Council members have approved two guaranteed maximum-price contracts for the new town facilities and public works shed area. Both contracts discussed during the Town Council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 12, set a limit that the town will have to pay its contractor or subcontractor — regardless of the actual costs incurred. A guaranteed maximum-price contract puts a cap on the contract price. Any costs that go beyond the guaranteed maximum may need to be covered by the contractor or subcontractor. For the new town facilities, the guaranteed maximum price has been set at $4,768,662. The maximum price for the new public works shed is capped at $394,327. The town spent several months negotiating the contracts with H.J. High Construction, Town Manager Robert Smith said. With the new town facilities, the guaranteed maximum price exceeds the original estimate of $4,484,645 by $352,534. Much of this is because of built-in contingencies and increase of construction costs in recent years. “The price did come back over what was originally anticipated and budgeted for,” Smith said. “ A lot of that was due to the fact that the price that was originally estimated was 3 years old. … There is $100,000 in contingency for the vendor and $55,000 for the contingency for the town of Windermere. In addition to that, two things that did add to the cost was ballistics for the admin lobby — that was $15,000 — and then the upgrades for the HVAC system was about $40,000.” Smith said he has worked with the town’s finance department to determine that the town can absorb the overage between the Fiscal Year 2020-21 and 2021-22 budgets. “We have no problems with not only the price but also no problems with recommending that we go with H.J. High,” he said. Council Member Chris Sapp said he

appreciated town engineers John Fitzgibbon and Stephen Withers, as well as Smith, for their roles in helping facilitate the projects at hand. “Being in real-estate business and dealing in construction and everything, we verified that prices have gone up significantly in the past 24 months or so, so I do really appreciate their efforts,” Sapp said. Council Member Bob McKinley clarified that the $5.2 million residents approved borrowing to pay for the new government buildings will not be exceeded, saying that anything that goes over will be handled inhouse. “There’s not going to be an increase to any assessments by taxes,” Smith added. “Everything will be absorbed in this fiscal year and next fiscal year’s budgets.” Regarding the public works shed, Smith

said, the original assessment and budget estimate for new facilities did not include reconstruction of the shed. Staff decided it made both logistical and financial sense to construct both at the same time. “That’s the area where we store the vehicles and we also have the shop, so on and so forth,” he said. “When we found this out and found out that it wasn’t part of the bond, as well, we wanted to make sure that we kept everything separate because you can’t tie in other costs into the bond itself. That’s why needed to do an addendum to the first agreement to make sure that we technically have two agreements — one’s for town facilities, and this second is for the actual public works shed.” By doing this, the bond issued to the town for its facilities is split from costs for the public works shed, which was not

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021

IN OTHER NEWS n Town leaders approved the 2021 vote-processing equipment-use agreement and election-services contract for municipal elections. n Council members also approved a man-hour and fee estimate of $20,020 in addendum to a task order for stormwater and roadway improvements to West Second Avenue. Potable water design and relocation was not included in the original scope.

originally included. This makes it cleaner for auditing purposes. Smith said he and the town’s finance department budgeted half of the $394,327 construction cost in the Fiscal Year 202021 budget, with the remaining cost to be budgeted in the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget. The balance between what was budgeted and negotiated is less than $10,000, according to town documents.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021

Oakland’s Speer Park getting playground upgrade The commission also voted in favor of adding dark-sky lighting requirements throughout the town. COMMUNITY EDITOR

The town of Oakland is moving forward with its plans to upgrade Speer Park, and the first order of business is to replace the 19-yearold playground. Several pieces of the current apparatus need to be retired because of age. The town is purchasing new equipment from Game Time, which offered a grant of more than $29,000. The new purchase price, including equipment, installation and a rubberized surface, is roughly $120,046, considerably less than the $180,000 the town budgeted.

n Commissioners approved a special-exception request from

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The color palette will be greens and browns, which is what residents requested in a community study. The generic set is being purchased, and the town has the option of adding on in future phases of the park. The mats will be wheelchair accessible, Public Works director Mike Parker said.

Two sets will be installed for two different age groups. The original pieces were installed in 2002, and as replacement parts became scarce, town staff resorted to making replacement parts from wood or eliminating the feature altogether, Parker said.

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34 years ago, God answered my prayers and gave me the cute little girl I always dreamt of having; however, he took it to the next level, by giving your Dad and I a beautiful girl, with a beautiful heart. While 2020 has been a challenging year for most, it has been extraordinarily difficult for our family with the loss of our good friend Ben, both of your Grandmas and of course, our sweet Punky. I couldn’t have gotten through one of the most difficult times of my life, without your love & support. You are the essence of a loving, caring daughter. You are all we hoped you would be.

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tion, glare and offensive light sources. “From here on out, new lighting would be dark sky, whether it be commercial or development,” said Town Planner Jay Marder. All new or retrofit lights will be included in this new rule. Most of the subdivisions are not dark-sky compliant, he said.

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n Town Manager Steve Koontz said Landeavor, the development company building Oakland Park, will be engaged in survey work on Starr Street. The firm will be paving Starr in the future. Landeavor also will be doing some preliminary land clearing for Phase 7 and will put up silt fences and mark the trees to be kept. The town will be monitoring this work.

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Deanna Meredith to build an 800-square-foot accessory dwelling unit to a two-story home under construction at 304 N. Tubb St. The request moves the setback variance from 7.5 feet to 5 feet. The extra space is for Meredith’s mother. “Building places so you can have your family come live with you, I think, is what this town is all about,” Commissioner Mike Satterfield said.

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n The town is requesting $1.3 million for the design and construction of a wastewater extension project on Jefferson Street. The town has been adding its sewer system from west to east, and this will run it north. It will allow the Oakland Police Department and the Oakland Avenue Charter School to get off the septic system, and it will allow for future development along West Colonial Drive. n The commission approved an agreement with Pulte Homes for the developer to provide reasonable access to the Historic Black Cemetery in the Longleaf at Oakland subdivision.

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notification of family — was pronounced dead at the scene. The owner of the vehicle, Jamy Blanc, 22, died from his injuries Sunday, Jan. 17. The third victim, 19-year-old Kens Fregiste, remains in critical condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center. No arrests have been made. The case remains under investigation. “At this time, we are seeking the community’s help to please, please come forward with any information – anyone that you may know, anyone that was in the area that has any information on this case,” Ocoee Police Lt. Mireya Iannuzzi said in a media briefing Jan. 16. Police ask anyone with information to contact the Ocoee Police Department at (407) 905-3160 or CrimeLine at (800) 423-TIPS to remain anonymous.

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021

OCPS urges DeSantis to prioritize teachers Orange County School Board members approved sending a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis asking him to consider allowing all essential K-12 employees with direct contact to students to be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine. “Offering face-to-face instruction has increased the risk to teachers and frontline K-12 employees, who due to parent demand could not be accommodated for telework, especially those who are highly vulnerable to serious illness or death due to their age and/or underlying conditions if they contract COVID-19,” the letter, signed by School Board Chair Teresa Jacobs, said. “In addition, there are a greater number of teachers who are nearing 65 and may have one or more pre-existing conditions but are not yet eligible for the vaccine and are required to be back in the classroom unless they choose to take unpaid leave or resign.”

Literacy Week begins Jan. 25 In conjunction with the statewide “Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida!” Orange County Public Schools will promote literacy throughout the district and encourage the enjoyment of reading by children and adults of all ages. Literacy Week will take place Jan. 25 to 29.

JENNIFER DRONE

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KEENE’S CROSSING ELEMENTARY

Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? Why? One of my favorite teachers was Mrs. Spencer, back in third grade. She made learning and reading fun.

Ever since Keene’s Crossing Elementary opened in 2009, media specialist Jennifer Drone has taken on the role of helping students learn to fall in love with reading. Drone also handles all of the textbooks, curriculum, student devices and technology; teaches the student News Crew; sponsors student book clubs and the Battle of the Books competition team; and organizes all reading-incentive programs. Additionally, Drone was one of five finalists for the school district’s Support Person of the Year award in 2020.

What brought you to your school? I began teaching in Orange County Public Schools in 2000. Over the course of those years, I taught both first and second grades and had the privilege of being on the opening staff of two other elementary schools. Opening a new school is very exciting, so when Keene’s Crossing Elementary opened in 2009, I was given a chance to not only open another school but (also) to be the first media specialist for the school. This meant I got to choose all the new books and materials, plan the layout of the furniture and decorate the media center to make it inviting to our incoming students. Our media center has become the heart of our school. What do you love most about your school? What I love most about Keene’s Crossing are the people. From the very youngest of

REPORT CARD ROLE: Media specialist TIME AT SCHOOL: 12 years

students — wide-eyed during our weekly story times — to the older students connecting with characters in favorite books, I get to see happiness in their faces every day. I also love the staff I work with. We are one big family. ... And I can’t forget the families that make up Keene’s Crossing. I can see the love they have for their children and the support they lend to our school through their participation in school activities and hours of volunteering. What is your motivation? My motivation is my desire to grow every student into a lifelong reader. When a kindergarten student says, “But I don’t know how to read,” and I am able to show him a wordless picture book and allow him to tell the story, he is a reader. When a secondgrade student says, “When will I learn to read?” and I can give her a book with words she does know, she builds

confidence as a reader. When a fourth-grade student says, “But I don’t like to read,” and I connect him with the latest series of high-adventure books, he begins to enjoy reading. What is the most rewarding part of your job? The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the “lightbulb” moments when a student reads a book independently for the first time, is able to decode a difficult word, completes a reading challenge and falls in love with a book. What do you like to do in your spare time? I enjoy spending time with my husband and my two sons. Both of our boys are wrestlers on the Windermere High School team, so I love going to their meets and cheering them on. They are also Boy Scouts, so we enjoy lots of outdoor

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Why? From a very early age, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I would line up my dolls and my older brother and play teacher. We would play school for hours. As I got older, I knew I wanted to be a teacher because I wanted to have a positive impact on children. I saw the need for students to not only have someone to help them learn academic skills, but also to show them love and compassion. What is your favorite children’s book and why? One of my favorite children’s books is “Guess How Much I Love You.” I read this book to my own children, who are now 17 and 14, almost every night when they were babies until they started reading on their own. Now I buy this book for every new mommy I know. — DANIELLE HENDRIX

NOMINATE YOUR INFLUENCER

Do you have an “unsung hero” at your school? If so, please nominate him or her for our Influencer of the Week feature. Nominations can be sent via email to contact@orangeobserver.com.

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INFLUENCER OF THE WEEK

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021

OBSERVER SCHOOL ZONE

Cultivating creativity in young minds Sarah Matthews, a former Disney cast member, joined the Kids Create Art team last year to help bring unique artistic experiences to local children. DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR

KIDS CREATE ART

When Sarah Matthews found herself among the thousands of furloughed or laid-off Disney cast members last year, she discovered a new way to turn her passion for art into purpose. The Winter Garden resident spent 15 years as a senior graphic designer for Walt Disney Imagineering prior to being furloughed in April 2020. In October, she got the call that her role was being eliminated. “A lot of really talented and good people were gone,” she said. “It was hard for me because … I didn’t know when I left that I wasn’t going back.” Matthews, who holds an art degree from the University of Wisconsin — Madison, always has loved art and tapping into her creative side. She discovered that passion at an early age, and it is a driving factor behind her decision to join the art-education team at Kids Create Art. Kids Create Art was founded more than a decade ago by Beth Elliston, a former art teacher at Bay Lake Elementary who now teaches at Florida Virtual School. Elliston, a Horizon West resi-

PHONE: (407) 223-2863 WEBSITE: kidscreateart.com EMAIL: beth@kidscreateart. com

dent, was Teacher of the Year at Sand Lake Elementary in 2015 and also received the Kessler Grand Bohemian Teacher of Excellence Scholarship award for excellence in teaching fine arts. Elliston launched Kids Create Art with the belief that a child’s creativity and imagination are two of their most precious gifts. Her goal is to provide an artistic experience that allows students to grow in a safe and nurturing environment that promotes artistic freedom. That’s what Matthews loves about Kids Create Art. “The basis behind it is that we want to encourage a lot of creativity with kids, and we want every child to know that they are an artist without feeling like they have to conform to something being right or wrong,” Matthews said. “With the way we teach art, we learn about different artists, and we show different techniques and

how to do certain things. We work on a project that’s inspired by an artist, but then the kids are free to really take that, run with it and create their own masterpiece.” Matthews began teaching art classes with Kids Create Art during her furlough period. Her daughter had taken art classes with the company in the past, and Elliston was looking to add a teacher. Matthews helps coordinate the homeschool art program and will visit homeschool pods and small groups to teach lessons in person. She also does virtual art classes on a regular basis. It’s become both a creative outlet and fulltime focus for her as she helps Elliston grow the business. “It’s been really fun teaching the classes and cultivating creativity within kids,” Matthews said. “Even in a virtual setting, I think our classes have worked really well because kids get to do it from the privacy of their own home, and they have all the supplies right there.” During virtual art lessons via Zoom, Matthews has her camera set up above her workspace or her hands to allow them to clearly see what she is demonstrating. Although lessons sometimes

Courtesy of Sarah Matthews

Sarah Matthews, left, and Kids Create Art Founder Beth Elliston have a booth at the Lake Speer Sidewalk Market in Summerport Village.

are inspired by certain artists or techniques, children are encouraged to take charge of their creative initiatives. They learn about things such as color theory and color mixing, shading and how to work with different art media. Then, they are allowed creative freedom. “When they’re boxed in, that’s really where kids start to feel like

they’re not good at art, and we don’t want them to be boxed in,” Matthews said. “We’re sort of opening their eyes to hopefully finding a new love of something that they didn’t even know they were good at. There is no right or wrong, so every child that comes to us is an artist, and we really want to nurture and cultivate their creativity.”

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101 Salute to Julius (first 3 + last 1) 103 Droops in the sun 105 Heroic stories 107 Falcons, on scoreboards 108 Capital of Taiwan 110 Moved stealthily 111 Poem of admiration 112 Follow a snowy trail 115 Carrier with Maple Leaf Lounges (first 2 + last 2) 117 Gives a tour, say, or a theme hint 120 Heartfelt appeal 121 Sand ___ (golf course feature) 122 Like Mandarin and Cantonese 123 Baby monitor’s output 124 Look to the future 125 Event with bargains 126 Chilean currency 127 Shoppers’ reminders

ACROSS 1 Frontline doctor 6 Love, in telenovelas 10 Principal water line 14 “Santa Baby” singer Eartha 18 Best possible 19 Point toward 21 Potatoes, in Indian cuisine 22 Much-admired figure 23 Kentucky attraction (first 3 letters in this answer + last 1) 25 Gift for an artist? (first 1 + last 3) 27 Punk offshoot

28 Some GRE takers 29 Subtle suggestions 31 Target walkways 32 Potpie legume 33 Orange soda brand 34 Disrespectful kids 35 Something worth fighting for (first 4 + last 2) 39 Wedding promise 41 Tag player’s shout 44 Aggressive spiel 45 Business VIPs 47 Islamic leader 49 Assist in a crime 50 Pastrami places 53 Back section

54 Slangy summons 55 Cheesy chip 57 Corporate getaways (first 1 + last 3) 60 Go on the offensive 62 Stadium finger material 63 Nail polish brand 64 Org. with a Boundless Informant tool 65 “No, really!” 67 Drink slowly 69 Swarm (with) 71 Fragrant necklace 74 Bothered ceaselessly 77 Longjing and pekoe 80 Pinches pennies

84 Outing to celebrate a marriage milestone (first 4 + last 1) 88 Ice cream utensil 89 Lizard whose feet are often sticky 90 Folk story 91 Fashion’s Mizrahi 93 In fine fettle 94 Graceful bird 95 Talked incessantly 96 Island country that was the first to have a female P.M. 98 Z sound? 100 “Then what?”

DOWN 1 Speechless actor 2 Cheese coated in wax 3 Display model 4 “___ the Walrus” 5 Hangers’ homes 6 Satisfied sighs 7 Karaoke device, informally 8 Some native Nebraskans 9 Deep gully 10 Spirit rover’s planet 11 Styled like 12 Cedar Rapids resident 13 Concepts 14 Fritters away the hours 15 Slushy drink brand 16 Boatloads 17 Minecraft explosive 20 Camp structure 24 Found the origin of 26 Regarding 30 Business with tumblers 32 Popular street food in Bangkok 33 Replete with 34 Takes an oath 35 Country east of Cote d’Ivoire 36 Capital near Casablanca 37 Standing tall

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CELEBRITY CIPHER

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01-21-21

JANUARY 21, 2021

HIGH

SPORTS

Foundation Academy sophomore Samantha Wall earned co-captain status for the Lions. Page 12.

The Foundation boys basketball team had an absolute barnburner in their 100-96, double-overtime victory over Seven Rivers Christian Saturday, Jan. 16. Leading the way for the Lions (5-5) was a doubledouble for freshman Jacob Crain, who exploded for 29 points on 14-of-21 shooting (67%) and 14 rebounds — both of which led the team. Teammates Jacob Osborne and Grayson Bishop each added 16 and 15 points, respectively.

CFCA’s Nick Rodriguez helped lead the Eagles boys basketball team to an 84-72 win over Calvary Christian (Clearwater) Friday, Jan. 15. The junior combo guard recorded a double-double by scoring 14 points while dishing out 12 assists. The Eagles (104) followed the win with a 73-46 victory over Oviedo during which Ta’Veon Jones and Jamar Houston scored 14 and 12 points, respectively.

The West Orange High and Foundation Academy competitive cheerleading teams had a successful night at the Third Annual West Orange Classic Friday, Jan. 15. The Warriors took home first place in the large all-girls division, while the Lions won first in medium non-tumbling division.

Windermere High basketball’s Trey Moss continues an outstanding senior season as he picked up a teamhigh 32 points in a 71-45 win over Ocoee Thursday, Jan. 14. Teammate Kanye Jones also added 20 points for the Wolverines (11-4) in the victory.

The Windermere Prep girls weightlifting team dominated in their meet against Lake Mary Prep — winning in a 55-17 blowout. Leading the way for the Lakers was Natalie Work, who had a meet high of 260 total pounds and broke her own school record in the clean and jerk with a 145-pound lift.

Courtesy of Missouri Baptist University

Shania Gowan, Karoline Ortiz and Jessica Corredor are representing Dr. Phillips High well on the mat for the Missouri Baptist Spartans.

PANTHERS S

TROY HERRING

SPORTS EDITOR

PIPELINE

A trio of Dr. Phillips grads — Jessica Corredor, Shania Gowan and Karoline Ortiz — represent the Panthers on the Missouri Baptist University women’s wrestling team.

tepping onto the wrestling mat, Shania Gowan carried a mixed bag of emotions into her match. It was the quarterfinals — her opening match — at the Ottawa University EZ Flex Invitational in Kansas, and the Missouri Baptist University redshirt freshman was facing the No. 2-ranked Jennifer Curry in the 170-pound bracket. Gowan hadn’t wrestled since 2019, thanks in part to a lowerlumbar injury and difficulties with transcripts her first year. But now, after those struggles, she was cleared to get back to her sport. “It was my first tournament coming back, so it was kind of nerve-wracking because I hadn’t wrestled on a mat live with somebody else in so long, so my nerves got the best of me,” said Gowan, a graduate of Dr. Phillips. “But it SEE DP PAGE 12

Winter Garden Little League readies for spring After COVID-19 shut down the Little League season last year, WGLL is ready to hit the field in 2021. TROY HERRING SPORTS EDITOR

One of the country’s most beloved sports pastimes is coming back to full strength in the next month, as local youngsters return to the diamond to participate in Win-

ter Garden Little League’s spring baseball season. Last year, the league was forced to cancel its spring season due to COVID-19. It was able to get in its Sandlot Days, new league president Joshua Steele said. But what followed was months of waiting.

“There was a lot of up-in-theair (conversation) that we might not have a season,” said Steele, who stepped into his presidential role in October. “I kept hearing from several different people who said they were worried about signing up because of exactly that — they were afraid there wouldn’t be a season or get shut down. So, SEE WGLL PAGE 12

File photo

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021

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Samantha Wall Foundation Academy sophomore Samantha Wall may be in her first year with the Lions girls soccer team, but she already is making noise on the pitch for her team. Wall was named co-captain this season and currently leads the team in goals scored.

When did you first get into soccer? I started playing when I was 4. My dad was a soccer player, too, so he just threw me and my sister into that league at the Y. I just grew up loving it, so I just continued to play it.

THE BASICS SCHOOL: Foundation Academy GRADE: Sophomore AGE: 15 SPORT: Soccer POSITION: Striker

What was it about soccer that hooked you? I just love the sport. It just feels so good to score, since I’ve been playing striker all my life. So the feeling when I score — the adrenaline — it’s always really fun and stuff.

This is your first year on the Foundation soccer team. What has that been like transitioning to a new team? I would say it’s been amazing — all of the players on my team have been so nice and welcoming from the start. I remember when I first came last year … the first day of practice, it already felt like I was always a part of the team, because everyone was just so nice. They’re all my friends now.

What’s been the biggest change you’ve seen in yourself since you first started playing? I’ve been through a lot of different teams, so it’s been different. I’ve played the bench on some teams, I’ve been on a team where there’s no subs — so learning how to play my position. I started primarily as a bench player … so mainly just working hard. I’ve been through a lot of change.

You’re a co-captain on the team in your first year. What’s that like? I was surprised — I was really excited when (head coach James Grosshans) said that I was going to be co-captain. The other captain is a senior — her name is Sophia (Moses) — she is really nice, and I just feel like it’s really fun. Sometimes, I feel like it’s a little difficult because I haven’t been captain most of my life, because I’ve been on teams where I’m almost the youngest on the team, so to be able to be captain is really, really cool.

What is your favorite part about playing striker? The hardest part? My favorite part would be scoring or assisting a goal, because it just feels really good. A hard part might be getting that first goal of the game — kind of starting it off, because once I start off, it’s easier for me. But right when I get in a game, it’s like, I need to get myself going first … getting through that first phase of my nervousness and telling myself I can do it.

— TROY HERRING

When it comes to soccer as a whole, what is the most challenging part? I’ve always struggled with the fitness part. I had a really good coach throughout when I was younger, so I’ve been taught the basics of soccer really well … so I guess fitness is the struggle for me. And just making sure I’m also on top of my game … just working on myself.

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DP trio find success CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

was an eye-opener, because I needed that — I needed that invitational. I needed to wrestle, and I needed that drive to keep pushing. I liked it — I loved it.” She lost that match in a close 4-2 decision but went on to win her next three matches — without yielding a point to her competitors — which included defeating Hannah Dickinson (Ottawa), 10-0, No. 9 Kiya Jones (Baker), 10-0, and Jennifer Curry by forfeit. Gowan picked up a third-place finish. The state champion from Dr. Phillips wasn’t the only former Panther who stood out. Sophomore Karoline Ortiz and freshman Jessica Corredor rounded out a trio of top performances. Corredor, in her first tournament as a Spartan, went 3-1 and finished in third place at 116 pounds; meanwhile, Ortiz went 3-0 and won the title in the 130-pound division. “Since we came from being with Coach Kirwyn (Adderley) in high school over there, our mindset was always to dominate — it’s to not just win, it’s to dominate,” Ortiz said. “And I feel like that has transferred with us to college.” BUILDING THE PIPELINE The Dr. Phillips trio just didn’t happen to land at Missouri Baptist out of circumstance. Spartans head coach Brian Jackson — a former AllAmerican wrestler at N.C. State — has had a long standing relationship with Adderley. “He’s felt at ease sending some

of his girls to me — he knows my intentions and my wrestling knowledge, so it’s a good pipeline,” Jackson said. “It’s important that they enjoy their experience under these circumstances — I would hate to be a freshman who started college during this time during a pandemic, but we have to do what we have to do. I’ve been happy with the talent that we’ve gotten from Dr. Phillips.” For the two coaches and the trio at Missouri Baptist, the transition from high school to college has been made easier thanks in part to the open-door policy that Jackson has when it comes to Adderley. Whenever Adderley has a break, he makes time to fly out to see his former wrestlers — he was even in Kansas for the invitational. Often, he will drop by campus to help coach. It’s all about communication. “We just make sure that we’re all on the same page,” Adderley said. “It really works out (well), because they can continue to grow and there’s no conflicts in, ‘Well, my college coach says this and my high school coach says this.’ We (Jackson and Adderley) may talk three to five times a week just to say, ‘OK, this is what I see.’” ADJUSTING TO A NEW LIFE There’s a lot to get used to when going from high school to college. On the mat, it’s facing off against the best of the best in a sport that’s rapidly growing across the country, as well as growing in talent levels.

WGLL spring season a go CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

some people have gone elsewhere to play travel ball or to the Babe Ruth League.” The concern was understandable. In a letter sent Tuesday, Jan. 5, to families, Steele sought to calm nerves and noted the league was moving ahead with its season. “Little League International is moving forward with the spring season, including (All Star) tournament play, and has provided us with guidance on how to conduct a full season while following recommendations from the CDC,” Steele wrote. A few weeks ago, Steele said the fear in the community resulted in low registration numbers. Following the outreach, the league has seen a spike in participation.

Numbers are still a little lower than what they normally would be, but each division — from T-ball to juniors — will have a handful of teams each. T-ball has seen the most growth of all the age groups, thanks in part to lower fees. The registration deadline was extended to Friday, Jan. 29. Evaluations will take place the following day at WGLL Fields. The regular season will span 10 weeks beginning Monday, Feb. 22. Although much has changed since last season, the rules implemented by the city of Winter Garden and the league haven’t, Steele said. Parents and fans in the stands still will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing, while coaches also will continue to wear masks. The biggest differ-

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ence is limited concessions will be available. “Everybody wants to get back to regular baseball, and that’s kind of the question we get asked all the time: ‘How normal is the season going to be, and what kind of restrictions are we going to have?’” Steele said. “We’re happy to tell them that if it’s just people wearing masks … it’s kind of a small price to pay to get back to Little League baseball. “I’m extremely excited about,” he said. “I’ve been a part of the league since 2008 as either a coach or board member, so I kind of share the same sentiment as most of the people in the league that we’re just excited to get baseball back and get the kids on the field playing.”

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“It’s a little bit different because college girls here are stronger than high school girls, so I would have to switch out to having more technique because I don’t have the power yet, but I’m still working on that,” Corredor said. “To beat these girls, I would have to work on technique and more strategy going into my matches.” Just as time is needed to prepare and adapt to life on the collegiate wrestling map, time is also needed just getting used to life on their own in a place that feels a world away from Florida. For the trio, this has been a time of great change in their lives. “Being an adult — like having full responsibilities because you’re not at home,” Gowan said of the biggest challenges she has faced. “Basically, just growing up is difficult, but it’s going.” The other big adjustment was the weather. Missouri is a bit colder than Florida, and there were mixed feelings about it. Despite the cold weather — Corredor said she had gotten to see snow for the first time this past year — and the challenges on the mat, Gowan, Ortiz and Corredor have plenty of time to find themselves, Jackson said. “They’re special,” Jackson said. “You’ve got to crawl first, then you walk, then you run, and then you start leaping, so I think it’s a progress — it’s harder these days to instill in athletes that it’s a progress and it’s a process and it takes time. So just believe in the process and then you’ll see the progress.”

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CARL “DICKY” HALL DIED JAN. 7, 2021.

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Virginia “Ginger” Smith Vaughn passed away peacefully on Jan. 11, 2021. She was born March 8, 1940, in Thomasville, Georgia, to Josh and Inez (Sasser) Smith. Known as a Southern spitfire, she grew up in South Georgia. Her family moved to Pelham, Georgia, where she attended Pelham High School. With five dollars in her hand, she left her hometown to attend Georgia Southern and earned a two-year degree. She eventually moved to Orlando, where she met and married Pat. Her lifetime dream of becoming a mother was realized with Mark, and then Andrea. The light of her life was her granddaughter, Lena. As a homemaker, she spent most of her time volunteering at

OCPS in her children’s schools, from reading to collecting items for fundraisers. She enjoyed traveling internationally, playing golf and spending time at the beach. She was a longtime member of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Orlando, and a devoted volunteer, counting the offering every Monday for decades. She is survived by her daughter, Andrea; granddaughter, Lena; brothers, Charles (Kathy) Smith and Pete Smith; nieces, Stephanie Smith and Melia Van Kirk; nephews, Brett (Lisa) Smith, Tyler Van Kirk, Keli’i Van Kirk and Jeff Smith. She is preceded in death by her father, Josh; mother, Inez; husband, Pat; son, Mark; and nephew, Scott. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, Enterprise, Florida (fumch.org).

Cynthia A. Garn, 67, of Winter Garden, died Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021. Winter Oak Funeral Home & Cremations, Winter Garden.

Honorio (El Morro) Hernandez, 35, of Ocoee, died Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. Collison Carey Hand Funeral Home, Winter Garden.

Jane Elizabeth Gideos, 91, of Ocoee, died Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. Winter Oak Funeral Home & Cremations, Winter Garden.

Jerry Wayne King, 73, of Winter Garden, died Jan. 11, 2021. DeGusipe Funeral Home & Crematory — West Orange, Ocoee.

John Edward Grenot, 67, of Windermere, died Tuesday Jan. 12, 2021. Winter Oak Funeral Home & Cremations, Winter Garden.

Barbara Pierce, 83, of Ocoee, died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. Winter Oak Funeral Home & Cremations, Winter Garden.

VIRGINIA “GINGER” SMITH VAUGHN DIED JAN. 11, 2021.

I.T. JACKSON DIED SATURDAY, JAN. 9, 2021.

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his brothers; nieces and nephews. Dicky left behind a family he was very proud of. He was greatly loved and will be deeply missed.

I.T. Jackson, 86, of Winter Garden, departed this life on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. I.T. was born in Eufaula, Alabama, on Jan. 6, 1935, to Addie and Willis Jackson. He worked in the citrus industry for most of his life. He was a resident of the Winter Garden community for more than 50 years and a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church. He leaves to cherish loving memories of a life well lived: one sister, Sallie B. Turner; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Postell’s Mortuary is providing service for the Jackson and Turner family.

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