01.25.18 West Orange Times & Observer by Orange Observer

W E ST O RA N G E T I M E S &

Observer Celebrating more than 110 years in West Orange

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. FREE

VOLUME 85, NO. 4

YOUR TOWN

•

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

Runway, recycled ‘Trashion’ trend to return at Trash 2 Trend Fashion Show. 10-11 .

Rod Talbot: “I knew I was adopted from the get-go. I’d go to family reunions and be the only one with red hair and freckles.” CHAMBER TO HOST AWARDS

SEE STORY PAGE 4

Courtesy photo

Rod Talbot, right, met his three half-brothers for the first time over the holidays: Doug, left, Daniel and David Gaumer.

If approved, the mixed-use project would be built at the southwest corner of Maguire Road and Florida’s Turnpike. GABBY BAQUERO NEWS EDITOR

A proposal for a mixed-use project received the green light on its first reading during the Jan. 16 Ocoee City Commission meeting. The proposed project, dubbed Inspiration PUD, is planned for two parcels totaling 16.27 acres of property at the southwest corner of Maguire Road and Florida’s Turnpike. The applicant for the project, SEE TOWNHOMES PAGE 4

West Orange soccer students earn international accolades as part of Tigres Orlando. PAGE 17.

Hamlin drivers getting relief road Hamlin Groves Trail will give drivers in south Winter Garden a direct connection to State Road 429. SEE PAGE 8

INSIDE Health Matters Atypical

Observer

JANUARY 2018

exercise

From rowing and ballroom dancing to boxing and yes, even pole-dancing, Orange County offers myriad workout options that go beyond norm. SEE PAGES 10-13

School and sports physicals School and sports physicals Board Newcertified patients welcome New patients welcome pediatricians Same day sick visits Same day sick visits Dr. Mark Gilchrist Immunizations Immunizations and Dr. Stephanie ADHD Crum haveevaluations been ADHD evaluations Saturday appointments keeping children Saturday appointments healthy in Central Florida for over www.prempeds.com www.prempeds.com two decades.

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SPECIAL SECTION

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Mixed-use project clears first hurdle

Long-lost brothers

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The West Orange Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Big Orange Awards from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26, at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The event celebrates the accomplishments of chamber members, and this year’s recipients are Rob Maphis, Chairman’s Award; David Billsborough, Sam Hovsepian Award; Denise Fisher, Ambassador of the Year; Jennifer Campbell, Mary VanDeventer “The Spirit of West Orange” Award; Chickfil-A, George Bailey Award; Becky and Charlie Roper, Bert Roper Award; Gary Shif, Danniel J. Petro “The Bright Future of West Orange” Award; and Kurt Aradaman, Lifetime Director. Open-seating tickets are $96 for chamber members and $116 for others. Reserved corporate tables of eight are $800 and $1,000. One dollar from each admission will be contributed to the West Orange Foundation. Visit wochamber.com.

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

YOUR CALENDAR

THURSDAY, JAN. 25

BRUSHING UP ON IMPRESSIONISM 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, at the Winter Garden Art Association’s SoBo Gallery, 127 S. Boyd St., Winter Garden. Join lecturer Adrienne Lee as she discusses how this once-despised method of painting caused an art revolution and paved the way for modern art. Tickets are $10 for WGAA members and $15 for others. Reservations can be made at wgart.org or by calling (407) 347-7996.

FRIDAY, JAN. 26

LIVES CHANGING FROM THE INSIDE OUT 6:15 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26, at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 4851 S. ApopkaVineland Road, Orlando. Sheriff Jerry L. Demings is the keynote speaker at this Inside Out Jail Ministries fundraiser and silent auction. Sponsorship tables are available. Tickets are $25 and available at isojm.org.

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

SATURDAY, JAN. 27

BRUSHING UP ON IMPRESSIONISM 4 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Winter Garden Art Association’s SoBo Gallery, 127 S. Boyd St., Winter Garden. Join lecturer Adrienne Lee as she discusses how this once-despised method of painting caused an art revolution and paved the way for modern art. Tickets are $10 for WGAA members and $15 for others. Make reservations at wgart. org or (407) 347-7996. CORNERSTONE HOSPICE TRAINING 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care, 5655 Orange Ave., Orlando. Volunteers can offer support, companionship and practical, compassionate help to patients and their caregivers. Training is free, and lunch and refreshments will be provided, but interested volunteers must pre-register. Kayla Lopes, (407) 514-8205 or klopes@ cshospice.org.

OUR TOUGHNESS IS YOUR STRENGTH.

FAMILY HEALTH & WELLNESS FAIR 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at the West Oaks Library, 1821 E. Silver Star Road, Ocoee. Families are invited to this day of health and wellness. Discover some health tips and nutritional information and how to start a new workout routine. (407) 835-7323.

SUNDAY, JAN. 28

JCCF CHARITY GOLF CART POKER RUN Register between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28, at Newton Park, 31 W. Garden Ave., Winter Garden. Attendees will visit downtown Winter Garden merchants to receive their playing cards. Drawings for raffles and awarding of prizes will be from 4 to 5 p.m. at the downtown Winter Garden pavilion, 104 S. Lakeview Ave. The event benefits the Jimmy Crabtree Cancer Fund and its mission to assist local residents with cancer. jccancerfund@aol.com.

MONDAY, JAN. 29

PAINT LIKE POLLOCK 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29, at the Winter Garden Library, 805 E. Plant St.Learn about the fascinating life of Jackson Pollock and create your own art inspired by his works. Ages 18 and up. Registration required at (407) 835-7323.

TUESDAY, JAN. 30

JULIE’S MISSION AUTHOR’S LUNCHEON 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, at Windermere Town Hall, 520 Main St. Kristin Harmel, local novelist and author of “The Sweetness of Forgetting,” will speak about her book and sign copies afterward. The event includes an auction and raffle. The 501c3 charity provides for critically ill infants and their families and was started by Patty Goonen and Dee Brantley. Ticket donations are $30 and are available at pattygoonen@ gmail.com. MINIMALIST MEETUP 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, at the Winter Garden Library, 805 E. Plant St. Watch The Minimalists’ movie “Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things.” Registration recommended at (407) 8357323.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 31

EMPLOYMENT SKILLS CLASS 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, at the Maxey Community Center, 830 Klondike St., Winter Garden. Presented by the Maxey Community Center and Goodwill. Sign up at the center or call (407) 254-1997.

THURSDAY, FEB. 1

BUILDER’S BARBECUE 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, at the West Orange Habitat for Humanity ReStore showroom, 13369 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando. Builders are invited to this construction industry mingle as Habitat reveals plans for the newest affordablehome project, Green Oaks Row. To register, visit eventbrite. com/e/builders-barbequeconstruction-industry-mingletickets-41969615249.

FRIDAY, FEB. 2

FRIDAYS ON THE PLAZA 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, at the gazebo on Plant Street in downtown Winter Garden. Enjoy Grimes Alley as they perform blues, country and acoustic unplugged. (407) 656-4111.

SATURDAY, FEB. 10

SEVENTH ANNUAL WINTER GARDEN BLUES & BBQ 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, at the downtown pavilion, 104 S. Lakeview Ave., Winter Garden. This festival pairs the hottest blues and roots musicians with award-winning local barbecue connoisseurs for a celebration of true Southern soul. Performers are Ari & The Alibis at 4 p.m., Doug Deming & The Jewel Tones at 6 p.m. and Albert Castiglia at 8 p.m. Admission is free. (407) 656-4111.

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This Little Piggy went to (Plant Street) Market This Little Piggy, an old-fashioned style barbecue restaurant, is opening soon in the Plant Street Market. GABBY BAQUERO NEWS EDITOR

Ever since his first introduction to Southern comfort food, he just couldn’t stay away. Matthew Sheeter is an Ohio native with a deep love for Southern cooking and barbecue. He has spent the past 17 years sharing his passion for Southern food by teaching cooking classes all over the South, including Mississippi, South Carolina and Georgia. But after years of teaching, Sheeter has decided to open his own eatery in Winter Garden’s Plant St. Market. The restaurant, This Little Piggy, will take the space formerly occupied by Five Thymes Five. “I just love Southern food,” Sheeter said. “It’s something that, even though I’m from Ohio originally, I love doing. Barbecue has just always been a passion, and I love the whole farm-totable kind of cuisine. And so it just made sense.” This Little Piggy, which will have its soft opening with a limited menu later this week, is meant to be an old-fashioned barbecue restaurant, where everything is made from scratch. The meat will be prepared using a slowcooking method where the smoke from firewood is used to enhance the meat’s taste and texture. All the dishes will be served with his homemade potato salad, cheese grits or cole slaw. “It’s going to be an old-fashioned barbecue that will have beef brisket and baby back ribs that’s all going to be falling off the bone,” Sheeter said. “And all the sauces are going to be homemade. We have three different sauces. We have a mustard sauce, a maple that has red-pepper flakes so it’s going to be the spiciest and then we’re going to have a molasses base. All of it’s going to be made from scratch.” Sheeter agreed to make Plant Street Market the home for his first business after his brother

WINTER GARDEN

File photo

The Colony Plaza Hotel was demolished May 9, 2009. Then-commissioner Rusty Johnson pushed the button.

Former site of Colony hotel to be redeveloped Tijuana Flats is the first tenant named for the property, which will feature 66,872 square feet of retail and commercial space. GABBY BAQUERO NEWS EDITOR

Gabby Baquero

Matthew Sheeter, 47, is the owner and chef of an upcoming barbecue restaurant at Plant Street Market.

informed him of a space that would soon be available at the market. Once told, Sheeter jumped at the chance. And when asked what he wanted to do, he answered with zero hesitation: barbecue. But as opposed to other chefs who come out of culinary school with a grand vision to build a large restaurant, Sheeter just wants to keep it simple and focus on the food’s quality and taste. “What I think is going to distinguish us is that really is going to be genuine,” he said. “And I want it to be kind of like that oldtimey gas station. You know the best barbecue that you used to

find used to be off on a hidden path at a gas station or something like that. So that’s what I’m envisioning. “And I know when people come out of culinary school, they usually want to build a big beautiful restaurant, but sometimes the food doesn’t taste as good as a fresh warm piece of chocolate cake with ice cream from Grandma’s,” Sheeter said. “So I’m going more, not for presentation, but for quality and taste.” Sheeter has not yet set a date for his grand opening but imagines it will happen sometime in February.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

OCOEE Following a nine-year legal battle, the vacant site upon which the Colony Plaza Hotel sat has been approved for redevelopment. In 2001, Ocoee condemned the vacant hotel after malfunctioning sprinklers flooded the property, and the city began a long legal process to demolish the property on May 9, 2009. The site, owned by Ocoee Corners LLC, now will be redeveloped with seven buildings occupying 66,872 square feet of retail and commercial space, according to city documents. The upcoming revitalization of the site, located on the southwest corner of West Colonial Drive and Maguire Road, was made possible after Ocoee finalized a settlement agreement of $1.1 million to be paid to the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency by March. The $1.1 million settlement will reimburse the city of Ocoee for the demolition costs it paid using CRA funds and the legal fees it incurred during the lengthy legal process. “The reason it took so long was because there were over 500 timeshare owners left in limbo who had purchased timeshares during the period of 1995 to 2000, after the hotel had been sold,” said Angel De La Portilla, Ocoee’s economic development consultant. “And it took a while to contact and get settlements with all those owners.” After the settlement amount was reached, Ocoee spent 18 months negotiating with Scott Boyd from Orlando-based Boyd Development Co. to redevelop the entire site. “The goals for the city were to

recover in full all the monies that had been expended by the CRA for demolition and legal expenses,” De La Portilla said. “Second, the city wanted to make sure that the property would be developed in accordance with the design standards that were established by the CRA master plan for Target Area No. 1 (located at 50 and Maguire). After negotiating with Boyd Development, we felt comfortable that both of these goals would be met.” So far, the only confirmed tenant is Tijuana Flats, but the goal is to include several shops and sitdown restaurants. Future plans might also include a hotel, he added. “I know (Boyd) is negotiating now with different restaurants, but he’s not allowed to say who they are because nothing is confirmed,” De La Portilla said. “But we know of one: Tijuana Flats. And one of the outparcel buildings will have a fast-casual restaurant with a drive-thru.” The complex will be built in phases. The first phase includes two buildings occupying 14,820 square feet to be completed by Dec. 31. Future phases will include sit-down restaurants, fast-casual restaurants, groceries, bars, a brewery, a hotel and light retail and medical and professional offices, De La Portilla said.

“The reason it took so long was because there were over 500 timeshare owners left in limbo who had purchased timeshares during the period of 1995 to 2000, after the hotel had been sold.” — Angel De La Portilla

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WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

WEST ORANGE TIMES &

Finding his roots

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.”

Winter Garden resident Rod Talbot took a DNA test to learn more about his heritage. He never imagined it would reveal three half-brothers.

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944 Publisher / Dawn Willis, dwillis@OrangeObserver.com Executive Editor / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com Design Editor / Jessica Eng, jeng@OrangeObserver.com

AMY QUESINBERRY

Senior Sports Editor / Steven Ryzewski,

COMMUNITY EDITOR

sryzewski@OrangeObserver.com

Rod Talbot always knew he was adopted — he was told long before he noticed that he was the only one in the family with red hair and freckles. His sister is adopted, too. Last summer, Talbot took a leap into the DNA world of ancestry. com and ordered a kit. Is he Irish? Possibly German? The test revealed he is both. But it led to something even more exciting: Talbot has three younger half-brothers he never knew existed.

BABY BOY GAUMER

Talbot’s adoption story starts immediately after he was born to a woman living in one of the four homes for unwed mothers in Kansas City, Missouri, where the country’s railroads converged in the 1950s. “My adoptive dad’s aunt worked for a judge in Kansas City, and she actually went to one of these unwed-mothers homes and picked me out,” he said. “She brought me into the judge’s chambers and said, ‘Here’s your new son.’ The judge signed the papers, and they took me home.” Talbot said he always has thought of Kenneth and Phyllis Talbot as his parents, but he’s long been curious about his history. He waited until they both died before doing any research into his birth. “I always had (in my mind) a song by Barry Manilow, ‘Ships,’” Talbot said. “It’s something I’ve played forever and ever and ever, wondering where my father was. ‘We walked the sea, just my father and me.’ … That’s the first line.” Talbot said he wanted to complete the ancestry.com test in case someone in his birth family was looking for him. He wanted to know if his red hair meant he was an Irishman, too. It turns out he’s 16% Irish and 73% Western European. He received a notification his DNA had matched with a man in Kansas, and he could be either a first cousin or other close relative. The man, Doug Gaumer, had been working on his own family tree when Talbot’s name popped up as a potential match. After a series of

News Editor / Gabby Baquero, gbaquero@OrangeObserver.com Community Editor / Amy Quesinberry, amyq@OrangeObserver.com Black Tie Editor / Danielle Hendrix, dhendrix@OrangeObserver.com Advertising Executives Michelle Gentry, mgentry@OrangeObserver.com Cyndi Gustafson, advertising@Orange Observer.com Creative Services Tony Trotti, ttrotti@OrangeObserver.com Customer Service Representatives Allison Brunelle, abrunelle@OrangeObserver.com Courtesy photo

emails, the two determined there was no way they could be cousins. Talbot, 61, and Gaumer, 51, had to be half-brothers. And there were two other brothers in between: Daniel, 53, and David, 55. Talbot and his fiancee, Jennifer Campbell, were invited to Kansas earlier this month, and they all began exchanging stories and trying to answer questions. Their father, David Gaumer, died of pancreatic cancer nine years ago, so the men had to do a little sleuthing. “We determined that my father wouldn’t have known (about me),” Talbot said. “The timeframe evolves where he was going to the University of Kansas, I was conceived around May 3, 1956. At the end of June, he went for a foreignexchange student thing in Nepal. ... We don’t know if was a girlfriend or a fling or what. “So he comes back from Nepal,” Talbot said. “He was 20 when I was conceived. He comes back, finishes his law degree at KU, gets married and has these three boys.” BROTHERS WILL BE BROTHERS

One of the first things the three Gaumer men noticed when they met their older brother was that he sits just like their father. One by one, similarities were discovered. Talbot is an investment adviser; two of the three are investment advisers, and the youngest is president of a local bank. Dad was an active Rotarian, as is Talbot. All four brothers were in col-

lege fraternities, and Talbot and the youngest actually worked for their fraternity headquarters as consultants. They all enjoy golf — and now have their foursome. “Then we’re at dinner the first night, and I ask them if they’d ever had heart palpitations,” Talbot said. “I had a cardiac ablation a few years, and two of the three had cardiac ablation surgeries. They had a golden doodle. I have a golden doodle. We drive similar cars. It was a weekend of crazy similarities.” After seeing photographs of his father, Talbot realized the origin of his red hair. SEARCHING FOR MOM

The four brothers have been trying to piece information together in hopes of learning the identity of Talbot’s mother. They have read old letters and looked for clues on the backs of old college photos, but nothing concrete has materialized. It might be that Talbot’s only hope is his birth certificate. Missouri once had one of the nation’s strictest adoption laws, he said, but a new law that went into effect earlier this month meant he could apply for his birth certificate. He’s still waiting to see if there is one, because when the unwed-mothers homes closed, some burned all their records. He’s hoping the document exists. “It could have both names on it, or it could have just my dad’s or just my mom’s,” he said. In the meantime, Talbot is enjoying learning about his growing

HOW DOES IT WORK? Ancestry DNA is an autosomal DNA test and will provide an ethnicity breakdown, as well as relative matches to anyone in the database who shares DNA with you. All family lines will be represented. A DNA kit is mailed to you, and you return your saliva in a tube to be processed in the lab. When your results are ready, usually after six to eight weeks, you are directed to the ancestry.com website. There, you can find others who have performed the DNA test and are potential relational matches.

family, which also includes seven nieces and nephews and multiple cousins. One of the sons of the youngest asked if Uncle Rod was cool. When he was told yes, he told his dad, “Well tell him he owes me 27 years of Christmas and birthday presents.” Talbot and Campbell are getting married in Las Vegas in March, and all of the brothers already have booked their plane tickets. “I always had that (desire) of wanting to know where I came from and where my parents are or if I had other brothers and sisters,” Talbot said. “I happened to stumble onto three pretty cool half-brothers.”

n Ocoee commissioners approved a new appointment to the Community Redevelopment Agency following the end of the four-year term for former CRA member Carla Bell Johnson. The new appointee, Randy June, was nominated by Orange County with a term to expire January 2022.

n Ocoee city leaders authorized the Public Works Department to purchase 11 replacement vehicles for a total cost of $278,719.10. n The City Commission authorized the additional expenditure of $16,300 for design services by S&ME Inc, for the Lakefront Park improvements project, which was originally $46,300.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Maguire Road LLC, is requesting annexation and a change in the zoning classification from Orange County A-1 and Ocoee C-3 to Ocoee Planned Unit Development. According to city documents, the applicant seeks to develop the property with a mixed-use commercial center, which would include 90 townhome units built in a modern style, a preschool and retail/commercial space housed across four buildings.

The West Orange Times & Observer is published once weekly, on Thursdays. The West Orange Times & Observer can be found in many commercial locations throughout West Orange County and at our office. If you wish to subscribe, visit our website, OrangeObserver.com, call (407) 656-2121 or visit our office, 720 S. Dillard St., Winter Garden.

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Townhomes, preschool planned for Ocoee IN OTHER NEWS

Katie Rehm, krehm@orangeobserver.com

Rod Talbot visited the grave of his birth father, David Gaumer.

Building No. 1 would be a 13,681-square-foot preschool, and building No. 2 would host 12,600 square feet of office/retail. Building No. 3 would be a twostory, 42,350-square-foot building for office/retail use, while building No. 4, spanning 3,300 square feet, is earmarked for retail use. Access to the site, which is currently heavily wooded with a majority of pine trees, would be provided by a new road extending north from Tomyn Boulevard.

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Orange County to host Horizon West Town Hall

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Horizon West residents are invited to attend the annual Horizon West Town Hall meeting to hear about the latest developments from Orange County officials. GABBY BAQUERO

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Residents will be able to learn about the continued growth — as well as speak with county officials — at Orange County District 1 Commissioner Betsy VanderLey’s Horizon West Town Hall. The meeting, which will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, at Lifebridge Church, will allow Horizon West residents to learn more about what is planned for the area. Officials from the county’s planning and transportation divisions, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Orange County Fire Rescue and Orange County Public Schools will be in attendance to give people a sense of what the county is doing to handle the rapid growth, improve the transportation network, relieve overcrowded schools and increase public safety in the community, VanderLey said. “That’s the reason we do these

IF YOU GO 259716

HORIZON WEST TOWN HALL WHEN: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30 WHERE: Lifebridge Church, 12120 Chase Road, Windermere

— because there’s so much going on, particularly in our area,” VanderLey said. “If we don’t come out as a body every once in a while to fill people in, they might think nothing’s happening or we’re not paying attention. And it also affords them a chance to ask questions, meet their sector captains, School Board representatives and ask questions.” Speakers will give a brief history of Horizon West for any potential newcomers and then speak about each individual department’s efforts and ongoing projects aimed at handling the rapid pace of growth in District 1. VanderLey said the questions her office receives most frequently pertain to school overcrowding and congested roads. At the meeting, residents will have a chance to hear about the strategies the Sheriff’s Office is employing to reduce the number of car breakins that occur over the summer when school’s out. “I know the fire chief will likely talk about the new fire station they’re planning in the area, so he’ll likely talk about that and what that timeline looks like,” she said. “And typically, the Sheriff’s Office comes out and shares some of the statistics and what their strategies are to handle them, like the increase in car break-ins we usually see in the summer. So

SPEAKERS n Planning Division: Alberto Vargas or Eric Raasch (to be determined) n Transportation and Planning Division: Renzo Nastasi n Traffic engineering division: Hector Bertran n Parks and Recreation Division: Matt Suedmeyer n Orange County Public Schools: Board Member Pam Gould n Orange County Fire Rescue: Chief David Rathbun n Orange County Sheriff’s Office: Captain Tony Marlow

it’ll just be kind of a general overview of what we’ve done this year and what we’re doing to tackle the problems that we’re aware of.” Attendees also will learn about the lengthy process required to complete a traffic improvement project and the methods being considered to accelerate the process, which she said usually takes about eight years. “My biggest challenge in this office is that there are roughly 250,000 people in District 1 and one of me,” VanderLey said. “So I’m trying to get people to come to these because the questions that we get on a daily basis via email and phone calls are the very questions that we’re hoping to answer for folks at the venue. And so, if people come, they’ll have an opportunity to interact with all of us.”

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***4.97 ACRES*** 2 BDRM.,2 BA. LOCATED IN WINTER GARDEN!!! **NO HOA**Take a look at this 2 story home!!! First level has bedroom/ bath, the 2nd level is as nice as can be!!! Living room/great room, dining area, kitchen with all appliances,bedroom, bath and laundry room! Wood flooring except the bedroom has carpet, sliding glass door with balcony. Panoramic views of Winter Garden, Clermont and Disney fireworks from the balcony off of the living area. You have your own private driveway and only minutes away from shopping and major highways! Plus an Orange Grove that the Seller’s no longer work, but could have income. Asking only $349,000

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Take a look at this CUSTOM BUILT 2 STORY BRICK COLONIAL!!! Located on 7.86 acres, bring your horses, cows, chickens or just enjoy all of the land. Open the door to your future, wood flooring, tile in all wet areas, living room, picture window dining room and custom eat-in kitchen includes all appliances, wood cabinets, granite counters and island. Family room features brick wood burning fireplace for those cozy evenings! All bedrooms are located on the 2nd floor, master bedroom has French doors leading to the private balcony, enjoy the panoramic views!!! Master bedroom is adjoined by master bath, dual sinks, garden jetted tub and separate shower. The other 3 bedrooms are centered around the guest bath and the end bedroom also has a private balcony. Located on the first floor also features 1/2 bath and laundry room. Property is fenced and has gated entrance!!! See this property today, get away from all the traffic and noise to quite country living!!! New roof to be installed!!! Asking Only $ 425,000

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of trees following Hurricane Irma last September, state Sen. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, has introduced legislation that would remove local tree protection laws. The proposed legislation, titled Senate Bill 574 with a companion bill titled House Bill 521, could potentially pave the way for private property owners to cut down trees with impunity. The bill’s objective states its purpose is to prohibit local governments from regulating the “trimming, removal or harvesting of trees and timber on private property” or requiring “mitigation.” As it stands, local tree ordinances dictate which trees private property owners need a permit to cut down and what, if any, mitigation is required. Mitigation generally involves the planting of new trees to replace existing trees or paying tree mitigation fees. If passed, the bill would eliminate these type of ordinances, leaving behind no regulation for tree removal. Knowledge of the bill’s intent has resulted in an outcry from local elected officials who believe the bill infringes on homerule rights and negatively impacts communities that place a high value on their tree canopies. “We are very concerned, because we highly value the trees in Oakland,” said Oakland Town Manager Dennis Foltz. “It’s a significant part of our quality of life — not just for the town government but for the residents in the community. And I think proof of that is that whenever we have trees removed for a new development, people get very concerned, even about the pines that were planted after the orange groves left.” Foltz emphasized that some matters, including tree removals, are more appropriately handled at the local level because it’s the government closest to the people. Windermere Mayor Gary Bruhn also argued that tree ordinances are best left to local governments. “One of our reasons for having this ordinance is that, first of all, it prevents people from absolutely decimating the land,” he said. “And second of all, it provides a plan to replace trees in those areas that have been decimated. But if the

& MEMORY CARE

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ORANGE COUNTY Despite the loss

ASSISTED LIVING

ICE

NEWS EDITOR

INDEPENDENT LIVING,

individuals in a city or a town feel that the tree ordinances are too strict then they can let us know. But if Tallahassee controls it? Good luck. Tallahassee’s position is one size fits all.” Winter Garden City Manager Mike Bollhoefer opposed the bill because of its infringement on home rule and the potential effects on Winter Garden’s tree canopies. “In Winter Garden, some trees are 300, 400 or even 500 years old,” he said. “And even though they might be on private property, they still provide canopies for all these residents. You know when you drive down Lakeview Avenue, or some of those streets in Winter Garden where we have those majestic oaks? Well under this bill, people will be able to cut those down without a permit and destroy some of these canopies that make Winter Garden a great place to live.” Bollhoefer suggested if residents from another community consider their city’s tree ordinance too strict, then they should speak with their elected officials to have them modify it. Bruhn emphasized it is the people who live in the community who decide what laws a town will have regarding its trees. And as such, it should be up to them whether to change them, not state legislators. “If the people of Winter Park, Winter Garden or the people of Windermere don’t like these rules, they can go to their local government and ask those rules to be changed,” Bruhn said. “Do you think if Tallahassee is going to decide the rules that they will listen to the residents of Winter Park or Windermere?” Local leaders have an ally in Tallahassee in state Rep. Bobby Olszewski. “I have very serious reservations if the state of Florida could successfully manage all of the nuanced preemptions in this bill,” he said. “Issues such as the removal and trimming of trees and shrubs are best handled by the government closest to the people at the local level.” Attempts to reach Steube for comment were unsuccessful. If passed, the bill would take effect July 1.

GABBY BAQUERO

At S o n a t a We s t , we o f f e r

NE W

Winter Garden, Windermere and Oakland leaders say the bill will take power away from local governments.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

MR. & MRS. CLEAN LIVE HERE!!! 4BDRM., 2.5 BA. 2 STORY POOL HOME!!!This is a picturesque setting, very well maintained landscaped yard and a superb interior. Inside you will find a ceramic tiled foyer, living/dining room that is currently being used as a living room, the kitchen features range, refrigerator, dishwasher and disposal all are staying. Inside laundry room, large walk-in pantry. Breakfast area with sliding glass doors leading to the screened lanai. Family room with wood flooring and large enough for everyday living!!! Also featured is a half bath on the first floor. Upstairs you will find the huge master bedroom adjoined by the master bath, garden tub, dual sinks, separate shower and large walk-in closet. The other 3 bedrooms are centered around the guest bath, dual sinks, tub with shower. Lets go back down stairs and out to the screened lanai and sparkling pool, no rear neighbors right in your back yard! ASKING ONLY $279,000

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

Horizon West getting relief road, community park

BRAND NEW

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Just arriving: a huge selection of BRAND NEW kitchen and bathroom fixtures including – flooring, building materials, vanities, sinks, tubs, toilets, cabinets, kitchen appliances, lighting fixtures.

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HORIZON WEST Currently, when residents living in neighborhoods such as Independence and Orchard Hills want to travel State Road 429, they have to drive miles out of their way just to get there — heading north on Tiny Road, east on Tilden Road and north on County Road 535 before connecting with the 429. Not only does this waste time, but it adds to the congestion on C.R. 535. Relief is coming in the form of a new road, one that will take drivers directly to New Independence Parkway and then to 429. Currently, the beltway crosses over Tiny Road with no access. The new route, called Hamlin Groves Trail, currently stops north of Walmart on the east side of the shopping center. “The intent all along has been for that road to continue east to Tiny Road on the north side of (the future) Horizon West Regional Park,” Orange County District 1 Commissioner Betsy VanderLey said. The project was delayed after tortoises and sand skinks were discovered on the property, she said. “It’s very crucial for the infrastructure for this road to get done,” she said. “It will provide some equilibrium for folks heading to Orlando on 429.” The $1.5 million cost is being paid by Boyd Development in exchange for impact fee credits with Orange County. “The benefit is that it can be done faster and cheaper,” VanderLey said. “Otherwise, it would go to the bottom of the list of roads to be done.” A pre-construction conference is scheduled for Jan. 30, when a start date will be determined. Construction will take about 15 months, provided all the environmental permits are in place. Also adding to the burden on the roads in that area is Bridgewater Middle School traffic. VanderLey said the school was built for

about 1,300 students; there are currently more than 2,600. “All those parents are picking up and dropping off and heading that same way, from Tiny to Tilden,” she said. A backup occurs at Tilden and Tiny because there is no traffic light. VanderLey said in her first week as county commissioner last year, she asked county engineers to look at that intersection. “They’re woefully over capacity on that road,” she said. “We’re in discussions for a turn lane and traffic signal at Tilden and Tiny. … It’s in design right now for a turn lane and traffic signal. We’re figuring out, do we need more right-of-way, do we have enough right-of-way, all of that.” She said the cost can’t be determined until those acquisition questions are answered. “That one is at the top of my hit parade right now once the design is done,” VanderLey said. “Tilden and Tiny wasn’t on anyone’s radar to improve until I got into office.” HORIZON WEST REGIONAL PARK

VanderLey also is pushing for the county to hire a master planner for the Horizon West Regional Park, which was once called Sportsplex Park. The 220-acre space is bordered by Tiny Road to the north, Bridgewater Middle School to the east and Hamlin Groves Trail to the west. Orange County hopes to hire the planner by the spring. Once hired, this person will help the county determine the best uses for this land, as well as funding sources. The planning process will take about a year, and officials will hold stakeholder meetings with residents and community organizations. “We recognize that we need ball fields, but we also need public art, jogging trails, public meeting spaces for all the groups that want to meet in Horizon West,” VanderLey said. “We want to make sure we have enough spaces for people to recreate.”

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ALSO INSIDE: Keep Orlando Beautiful: Trash 2 Trends. 10-11 Josh Recommends: Plan your weekend entertainment. 12

BLACK

TIE

ORANGEOBSERVER.COM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

Members of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty came en masse. Caprice Atwell rocked a dinosaur and a unicorn on each leg.

Tricked-out

trousers Sandy Schupp and Alan Jones danced the night away.

ood intentions and bad pants clashed at the Sunshine Kids Foundation’s Bad Pants Bash Gala on Saturday, Jan. 20. Guests and members arrived at the Rosen Shingle Creek sporting the most outlandish, distracting and kooky pants they could find to support the nonprofit. The event, organized by the New Kids foundation and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty, raised money through a silent and live auction to fund trips and activities for children with cancer. During dinner, cancer survivor and adolescent Grayson Zrelak spoke to the audience. — HARRY SAYER

Ron and Janet Yon spent time with Grayson Zrelak.

Katie and John Tran were thrilled to win a literal cart of drinks.

ONLINE

See more photos at OrangeObserver.com

Tim O’Gorman brought a comic book’s worth of onomatopoeia to the gala.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

‘Trashion’ trend

REAL BLACK

TIE

The Trash 2 Trends fashion show this year features 35 designers who will upcycle waste materials by turning them into awe-striking, wearable fashions. DANIELLE HENDRIX BLACK TIE EDITOR

Designers are tasked with turning waste items into stunning outfits.

ORLANDO Next week, models are set to hit the runway at SeaWorld dressed in extravagant outfits — made from things such as plastic bags, old newspapers and scratched CDs. Turning trash into something wearable and trendy is not your typical Michael Kors-infused fashion show, but that’s just the point. Trash 2 Trends is a fundraiser for Keep Orlando Beautiful Inc., a nonprofit organization and branch of Keep America Beautiful Inc. Its goal is to fund and implement beautification projects around the city of Orlando, as well as educate the public on environmental sustainability. “Our mission is to engage the community to take more responsibility for the local environment and keeping it clean, green, beautiful and sustainable,” said Jody Buyas, Keep Orlando Beautiful’s coordinator. “We get out there and do painting, tree planting, landscaping and education in the schools. … Keep Orlando Beautiful in itself, we’re really about the only program of its kind in Orlando. The funds we raise go

Courtesy photos

Outfits can be made with a variety of materials, including plastic bags, newspapers, old CDs and wires.

right back into the community in beautification projects.” Keep Orlando Beautiful began when the city noticed people were looking for more ways to recycle beyond their homes,

Expire date: 1/31/2018

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WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

Buyas said. She and other Keep Orlando Beautiful proponents agreed, and the nonprofit was born locally. One of its most recent projects was placing 40 recycling bins in public spaces such as Lake Eola and recreational ball fields. But funding is necessary to complete such projects. Enter Trash 2 Trends. “Trash 2 Trends is an upcycled runway show where everything that the designers create has to be from end-of-life materials or items going to the landfill,” Buyas said. The outfits and those modeling them are essentially educational art pieces that walk a runway, she said. This year, there are 35 designers participating, and all will be using a variety of interesting materials such as plastic bags, records and expired technologies, old instruments and even debris from Hurricane Irma. “We have a girl making a piece with a lot of cassette tapes that actually aren’t even playable, as well as vinyl records that are scratched or warped,” she said. “Some people are actually using wood and torn screens from their pools and things like that. … Almost all of us dealt with Irma in some way or form. … It’s the thought of how much waste we created and what we are doing with that.” One aspect of the show is turning waste into something wearable, and the other part is raising an awareness. “A lot of times, we have the designers who will naturally

The goal of the upcycled fashion show is to entertain and raise awareness of society’s recycling and waste habits.

look up stats themselves,” Buyas said. “It’s (raising) an awareness of what we do in our society and what we throw away, and it just gets people thinking about it. It’s also, of course, to keep Orlando beautiful. Anything we do we try to keep that education element in it. Even though it’s a fundraiser and it’s fun and beautiful on the runway we also educate our audience, as well.” Five years ago in its inaugural show, Trash 2 Trends raised $11,000 for Keep Orlando Beautiful. Last year, it doubled that to $22,000, and Buyas hopes to keep the trend going and to put on another awe-striking show this year. “They (guests) can expect another incredible show; it just gets better year after year because I think the designers challenge themselves more and more,” she said. “We incorporate, as we’ve gone on, more of the education (aspect), so guests can expect to be wowed by the designs and also learn a lot about waste or be inspired to rethink some of their habits.”

TRASH 2 TRENDS WHEN: 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3 WHERE: SeaWorld’s Ports of Call, 7007 SeaWorld Drive, Orlando TICKETS: Tickets are on sale at 2018trash2trends. eventbrite.com and include complimentary appetizers during the cocktail hour, as well as a dessert and coffee bar. Guests most be 18 or older to attend.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

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Courtesy photo

Cirque de la Symphonie will be performed Feb. 3, at the Bob Carr Theater.

‘MUSICAL THRONES: A PARODY OF ICE AND FIRE’

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Jan. 26, 28 and 29 at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Just when you thought everything about “Game of Thrones,” the most talked-about show on television, already had been discussed, up pops “Musical Thrones: A Parody of Ice and Fire.” Obsessive fans can get their fantasy fix live with this hilariously silly spoof or parody or whatever-itis. Musical Thrones brings your most beloved and behated (on purpose) characters to life, journeying through six seasons of the Emmy Award-winning series. This story of a family torn apart by war, betrayal and a medievally (on purpose) naïve father, finds the comedy in childhood trauma, violence and grieving mothers turned into grieving widows. It’s classic, and it’s a laugh-outloud parody, written in blood, by “comedians” who serve up the jokes in Thrones’ violence, power struggles and the horror of putting all this to music. Recommended for serious Thrones fans only. Call 844-513-2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org.

‘FLORA & ULYSSES’

Jan. 29 through Feb. 25. When the Orlando Rep puts on a show, you can count on it to be beautifully produced, wellacted and have a message for children of all ages — no matter how eccentric the premise. On the surface, “Flora & Ulysses” asks the question, “Can a squirrel change a human heart?” When an unassuming squirrel gets sucked up in a Ulysses 2000X vacuum cleaner, he is saved

by Flora (a 10-year-old selfproclaimed cynic). Flora names him Ulysses and discovers his time in the cleaner has turned him into a superhero — who can fly — and write poetry. Young people of all ages have much to learn from Flora, Ulysses and their friend William in this story of love, acceptance, bravery and loyalty. There is also a good dose of humor in this 2014 Newbery Medal-winning adventure story from Kate DiCamillo. Call (407) 896-7365 or visit orlandorep. com.

‘THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE’

Feb. 2 through 25 at the Garden Theatre. Called “appallingly entertaining” by The New York Times, “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” is a gruesome comedy about an Irish soldier/ terrorist and his precious black cat. First produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2001, the story is set in Ireland in 1993 during a faltering peace process. Lieutenant “Mad” is a member of a fringe group of the IRA, which is called in to do work too bloody for the IRA. “Mad” receives a note telling him his cat, the only living thing he cares about in the world, is sickly. Returning home, he discovers the cat is not sick but dead. Considering that “Mad” is seen as “mad,” even by his own team of extremists, the death of the cat sets off a story of brutal carnage, described as a “blooddrenched comedy.” While I applaud the Garden Theatre for presenting this strange “new” work, I also remind theater-goers that this very dark comedy contains adult language and extreme violence unsuitable for younger audiences. On the other hand, the play was respected enough to be

given its world premiere by the Royal Shakespeare Company two decades ago. In 2018, it will offer Central Florida audiences a new kind of theatrical experience. That said, call (407) 877-4736 or visit gardentheatre.org for tickets.

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT

8 p.m. Feb. 7 and 8 at the Dr. Phillips Center. Rufus Wainwright is internationally recognized as one of the great male vocalists and songwriters of our generation. The New Yorkborn, Montreal-raised singersongwriter has shared his unique performance style with Elton John, David Byrne, Boy George, Joni Mitchell, Pet Shop Boys and others, on seven studio albums, three DVDs and three live albums, including the Grammy-nominated “Rufus Does Judy” at Carnegie Hall. Join Rufus at the Dr. Phillips Center by calling 844-513-2014 or visiting drphillipscenter.org.

‘CIRQUE DE LA SYMPHONIE’

2 and 8 p.m. Feb. 3 at the Bob Carr Theater. In two performances, “Cirque de la Symphonie” returns to Central Florida with an all-new program of wow-inspiring feats of athletic power and beauty. Paired with music from blockbuster movies, including “Star Wars,” “Harry Potter,” “Batman,” “Titanic” and more, this thrill-ride of a concert includes acrobats, jugglers and aerial flyers soaring around and above the heads of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s a highly recommended, cirquestyle, thrill show with great music performed live by our own world-class orchestra, conducted by Yaniv Segal. Call (407) 7700071 or visit OrlandoPhil.org for tickets.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

JOSH RECOMMENDS

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

Recycled and ready for play Thornebrooke Elementary has a new playground made entirely of recycled plastic. HARRY SAYER BLACK TIE REPORTER

Three slides. A rock-climbing wall. Monkey bars. A half-moon and galaxy ball climber. A tri-rung ladder. More than 32,000 pieces of garbage. Thornebrooke Elementary School recently unveiled its brandnew playground, a 2,070-squarefoot development that is made from 32,400 pieces of recycled plastic. D-I-Y REFRESH

Thornebrooke Elementary has had two playgrounds — a main park and a smaller one for the kindergarten classes — for some time now. After 15 years of wear and tear, the school’s larger playground had deteriorated. “We looked around our campus and thought it looked a little sad,” said Kim Lyons, president of the Thornebrooke Parent-Teacher Organization. “The old playground was just pieces of metal that weren’t connected anymore. They weren’t functional, and they were rusting.” Lyons said the school and its playgrounds wouldn’t be eligible

for a refresh — an Orange County Public Schools-performed update of a school’s faculties — until sometime in the late 2020s. Fixing the school’s playground would fall to them. During the 2016-17 school year, the 220 family-strong PTO gathered money through a series of fall and spring fundraisers. The Barracuda Games, a weeks-long fitness competition in fall 2016, a carnival in March 2017 and a fun run in October 2017 helped the PTO raise about $44,000 for the playground, Lyons said. Courtesy photo

PICKING PLASTIC

Lyons scouted school playgrounds across Central Florida with Lisa Mandino, Thornebrooke’s former PTO president-turned-advisor on the executive board. The duo eventually decided on a park designed and made by companies Parkforms and Playtopia that used thousands of water bottles and milk gallons to form the playground. The design fit Thornebrooke’s desire to be green and waste-efficient. “We encourage, and require, children to recycle their lunch trash and separate the different kinds of garbage,” Lyons said. While the playground’s extremities — the monkey bars, slides and other additions — have been made from a standard material, the structure itself is composed of recycled plastic.

Thornebrooke students were overjoyed to receive their new playground.

BY THE NUMBERS

60 to 65

The number of kids who can play at the new park simultaneously

The number of elevated play items

The number of ground-level items

5 to 12

The age range for the new equipment

Marlee Jacquette, business development manager at Parkforms, said a metal playground can typically withstand the elements for 10 to 15 years. But she believes the new park’s plastic design has some particular advantages. “It’s harder for the sun to warp or fade the plastic’s color; it lasts longer,” Jacquette said. “The structure is also more interchangeable; you can pop out a slide and put in a new one.” Lyons is hoping the PTO’s internal moniker for the project, “Barracuda Playground,” named after the school’s mascot, Barry Barracuda, will catch on with parents and children. A picture of the school’s signature fish is on the playground sign. She said they started the permit

process in July and received the go-ahead from OCPS in November, a relatively quick turnaround for an elementary-school addition. Demolition of the old park and construction on its replacement started and finished over the holiday break. In early January, the school and PTO held a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Lyons said the cheers from children and parents in that moment were deafening. “A lot of times when we fundraise, we don’t necessarily (visually) see the results,” she said. “With a playground, it’s beautiful and bright and it looks fantastic. The kids are so excited about it and that’s what makes you proud.”

Winter Garden Art Association 4th Annual Fundraising Gala Friday, February 16th, 6:30pm - 10pm

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Winter Garden resident and veteran Mark Van Osdel hopes to bring the glass-blowing techniques he’s learned to other local veterans. DANIELLE HENDRIX BLACK TIE EDITOR

When he was a 10-year-old kid visiting Silver Dollar City, Mark Van Osdel spent hours there watching hotglass artists create intricate glass sculptures. It’s something the Winter Garden resident never imagined he’d get to do himself. But now, glassblowing is one of the the things the U.S. Navy and Army veteran considers therapeutic. The Iowa native spent three years active in the Navy in San Diego and then three years in the reserves back home in Iowa. After 9/11, he decided to go back into the Navy — but not before a fight with cancer. After beating the disease, Van Osdel ended up enlisting in the Army and was deployed to Iraq in September 2007, where he spent 15 months. “After I got back, I had problems just like every veteran did,” he said. Van Osdel suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder and, like many soldiers experience upon returning from war, has dealt with involuntary, automatic reactions and hyperawareness. He takes medication and has a service dog named Chance, but coping is still tough. But in fall of 2016, his counselor at the local veterans center invited him to participate in the first glass-blowing class for veterans, offered by Joel and Logan Ryser, of Hot Glass in Davenport. For three weeks, six veterans met twice a week for a couple of hours to learn the art of glassblowing. They would learn and apply techniques to make items such as paperweights, glass flowers, vases, cups and bowls. “One, you’re creating something, but two, you’re getting back into that team environment,” he said. “You have a mission again — to create this piece of glass and to help your teammates. When you have that type of mission or focus or whatever you want to call it, your outside daily worries kind of dissipate when you’re doing that. For the time you’re in that class and helping those veterans, thing are better.” Once classes were over, Joel Ryser invited the trained veter-

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ans to come back and help blow glass at any time. Van Osdel is headed back next week to help with things and blow glass for a few days. And he loves it so much that he is working to start a glass-blowing class of his own for other local veterans. The Van Osdels just moved to Winter Garden last summer. Although Mark has connected with the local veterans center, friends from church and other veterans, he missed glass-blowing and saw the need to bring it to veterans here. After talking to his wife, he sold one of his car trailers to raise the money needed to fill out paperwork to bring his nonprofit — Operation Hot Glass Heroes — to life. “I think I actually got more

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satisfaction after I ‘graduated,’ coming back and helping with the other veterans classes,” Van Osdel said. “I loved blowing glass and being part of that first class, but I got a whole lot more (from) helping the veterans.” Operation Hot Glass Heroes would offer those same classes to military veterans, as well as fire, police and EMS professionals who encounter similar stressful situations. He is currently in the process of raising money to buy the equipment and supplies needed so he can hold classes at no charge to them. If everything goes well, Van Osdel hopes to hold his first class in March at either the West Orange VFW or the American Legion in downtown Winter Garden. Although he’s collected some equipment and supplies, he’s still raising funds to purchase more — and hopefully reach more veterans. “One of the biggest coping parts of it is hanging out with those veterans and helping them,” he said. “Whenever veterans get together, it doesn’t matter what war or service you were in, we all bond. Even though we don’t know each other’s story, we end up being bonded by the same brotherhood and sisterhood.”

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When “That WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018 will never happen to me” happens.

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

BEN H. DILLARD JR. DIED TUESDAY, JAN. 9, 2018.

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efforts to overcome the challenges of their journeys. Ben was the first chairman of the board of the organization and has continued to support its mission. BASE Camp remains active in the Central Florida community under the direction of co-founder and Executive Director Terri JonesRobbins. Following the sale of the motel in 1986, Ben became a commercial real-estate agent for Century 21. He later became an associate broker with The Real Estate Collection in Winter Garden, Florida. The Dillards retired to Gainesville, Florida, in 2014 to live with their son, Ben III, and his wife, Stacy. Ben is survived by his wife and two sons, Ben Dillard, III of Gainesville, Florida, and Jon Dillard, of Maysville, Georgia; as well as six grandchildren, Elizabeth Dillard, Benjamin Dillard IV, Jonathan Dillard Jr., Jay Dillard, Athens Dillard and Clark Dillard. He is also survived by two sisters, Ara Bell Sanders, and Dale Hunt, both of Carrollton, Georgia. A memorial service will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 3. Please contact BASE Camp CCF at (407) 673-5060 for further information. Anyone wishing to donate in Ben’s memory, please send to BASE Camp Children’s Cancer Foundation, 650 Wymore Road, No. 103, Winter Park, FL 32789. basecamp. org.

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Winter Garden resident Margaret “Peggy” Weidner passed away Monday, Dec. 25, 2017, at the age of 100. Peggy was preceded in death by her husband, William F. Weidner, in 1974; second husband, Charles B. Pilling, in 1992; and son, Thomas W. (late wife Ruth) in 2017. She is survived by three children, William P. (wife Lynn) of Las Vegas, Nevada, James R. (wife Kathy) of Zebulon, North Carolina, and Nancy J. (husband John) McCarthy of Clermont, Florida. She is also survived by six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one greatgreat-grandchild. Born July 19, 1917, in Detroit, Michigan, to Mervin and Adelaide Green, Peggy was a secretary for Gibbs & Co. before marrying husband Bill in 1940. They moved their family to Northville, Michigan, in 1951, where she became a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Northville Garden Club, Mother’s Club, Bridge Club and the “Friday Night Group.” After raising her family, Peggy also stayed busy with part-time positions at local businesses such as Ely’s Garden Center and Green Ridge Nursery, as well as Crowley Milner and Continental Airlines. Peggy began a new life after moving south to The Plantation at Leesburg in 1993. Peggy enjoyed being active, riding horses well into her 70s and traveling extensively into her 90s, including vacations to Europe and Hawaii, dog sledding in Alaska and whale watching in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. She loved playing bridge and hosting parties, gardening, backyard birding, horses, dogs and cats, especially her beloved feline companion “Cleo.” The family would like to thank the staff at Serenades by Sonata in Winter Garden, Age Advantage and Vitas for their support in her later years. Peggy will be interred with her husband Bill at Rural Hill Cemetery in Northville, Michigan, after a private family ceremony planned for this spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Humane Society or the Alzheimer’s Association.

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Ben H. Dillard Jr., 80, passed away from a heart attack on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018, in Gainesville, Florida. Ben was a resident of Windermere for more than 30 years and was a tireless and respected supporter of the arts and medical organizations of Central Florida during that time. Ben was born at Emory University Hospital on Jan. 15, 1937, to Dorothy Bell and Benjamin Hall Dillard Sr. He was raised in DeKalb County and attended Hooper Alexander Elementary and Decatur High schools. His family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1952, when he was 15 years old, where he completed high school at East High and attended college at The University of Tennessee. His family were members of McCalla Avenue Baptist Church. In 1957, he moved back to DeKalb County to work for the L.C. Warren Refrigeration Distributorship. He married Laurie Anne Eidson in 1960, in the Annie Laurie Warren Chapel at Peachtree Church in Atlanta, which was named for his wife’s great-aunt, who donated the chapel to the church. Ben became chairman of the DeKalb County Republican Party in 1964 and subsequently became campaign manager and chief of staff to Congressman Ben Blackburn (R-4th District of Georgia), a job which he held for six years. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention twice, and the Dillards attended three Presidential Inaugurations. Ben and Laurie had a son, Benjamin Hall III, in 1966, and a second son, Jonathan Michael, in 1967. Both sons were born in the same delivery room that their father was born in at Emory University Hospital. The Dillards moved to Orlando, Florida, in 1976, where Ben built a Day’s Inn franchise on Highway 192, outside the main entrance to Disney World, which he owned and operated until December 1986, when he sold it to the Chinese Government for a theme park. During their years in Orlando, Ben and Laurie were active on many civic and charitable committees and boards of directors, including the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and the Florida Symphony Orchestra, where they were instrumental in raising funds and were active in the business and publicity areas. In 1990, the Dillards founded a locally based organization, which he named “BASE Camp Children’s Cancer Foundation,” to provide social and support services to kids with cancer and related diseases and their families. The name is an analogy to a camp that supports mountain climbers in their

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

2nd Annual

JCCF CHARITY

GOLF CART POKER RUN

SUNDAY, JAN. 28TH

The Jazz Professors

Registration at Newton Park from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm.

HAPCOWINTER JAZZCONCERT

$20 Registration Fee $10 Additional Player in Golf Cart Must be 18 to Play Poker

Saturday | Feb 3, 2018 | 6:30 pm

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CHURCH DIRECTORY FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 125 E Plant St., Winter Garden 407-656-2352 Sundays 8:30 am Traditional 9:45 am Bible Study 11:00 am Contemporary Awana - Wednesdays - 6pm Pastor Tim Grosshans www.fbcwg.org 2nd Campus: “FOUNDATION WORSHIP” Sundays 9:45 am - All Ages at Foundation Academy High School 15304 Tilden Road - Winter Garden www.FoundationWorship.com 407.730.1867 STARKE LAKE BAPTIST CHURCH PO Box 521, 611 W Ave, Ocoee Pastor Jeff Pritchard (407) 656-2351 www.starkelakebaptist.org

CHURCH OF GOD

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

OCOEE CHURCH OF GOD Pastor Thomas Odom 1105 N. Lakewood Avenue, Ocoee 407-656-8011

WINDERMERE UNION CHURCH 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Rd. Windermere, FL 34786 407-876-2112 Worship times: 9:00am Adult Sunday School 10:00am Worship www.windermereunion.org

EPISCOPAL

CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH 241 N. Main, Winter Garden Services: 8, 9:30, & 11am, 7pm www.churchofthemessiah.com

This page appears weekly in the West Orange Times & Observer and online at orangeobserver.com. To advertise in the Church Directory call 407-656-2121 or email advertisenow@orangeobserver.com

NON-DENOMINATIONAL PURPOSE CHURCH ORLANDO 13640 W. Colonial Dr., Ste 110, Winter Garden 407-654-9661 • Prayer 9:30AM, Fellowship 9:45AM, Service 10:05AM

CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION 4950 S. Apopka-Vineland Rd. Orlando Sun.Serv 8:30am, 10:30am, 5:30pm. 407-876-3480 www.ascension-orlando.org

METHODIST

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HAVEN OF GRACE BIBLE CHURCH 13520 Foxcrest Blvd. Winter Garden, FL 34787 Services 9:30 and 10:30AM 407-952-0510

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable - if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things. - Philippians 4:8 (HCSB)

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XNSP15302

JANUARY 25, 2018

HIGH

SPORTS

Samantha Jefferson books trip to state weightlifting meet with district, regional wins. Page 18.

TERRIFIC

TIGRES

The Legacy Charter boys soccer team (9-7-1) placed fourth in the inaugural Sunshine State Athletic Conference Boys Soccer Tournament last week, falling 4-1 to eventual champion The Master’s Academy in the semifinal Jan. 19 at CFCA. The Eagles have three games left in the regular season before the District 1A-4 Tournament begins Jan. 29.

Kayla Strehle, the senior goalkeeper for the West Orange girls soccer team, has committed to play her college soccer at Spalding University in Louisville.

District tournaments for girls soccer are scheduled for this week, with three local teams set to vie for two district crowns. West Orange and Ocoee each will compete in the District 5A-4 Tournament at Apopka High, with that district final scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday. Foundation Academy will play in the District 1A-4 Tournament.

The West Orange High football team won’t be the only varsity squad playing an out-of-state game this fall. The Dr. Phillips Panthers — last season’s state champions in Class 8A — will play a road game at Georgia’s Lee County Saturday, Aug. 25. Lee County was Georgia’s state champion in its Class 6A in 2017.

Windermere High boys basketball coach Mark Griseck earned win No. 300 as a head coach Jan. 15 against Lake Brantley. Later in the week, before a home game Jan. 19, Griseck was presented a commemorative basketball for the occasion by his son, Wolverines assistant Trey Griseck. For more on this story, visit ObserverPreps.com.

Courtesy photo

West Orange youths Daniel Rocha and Emerson Nambo show off the trophy they helped the Tigres Orlando team win at a tournament in Monterrey, Mexico.

Tigres Orlando, a youth soccer team featuring several players from West Orange, won its bracket in a tournament in Mexico. STEVEN RYZEWSKI SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Nine teenagers from the West Orange area, most age 14, were part of an Orlando-based soccer team that won its bracket in an international tournament in Monterrey, Mexico, last month. Academia de Fútbol Tigres was only established in 2017, but already the new local soccer academy — which is based in Orange County out of both Winter Garden’s Lakeview Middle School and West Ridge Middle School, near Millenia — has this feather to put in its cap. The academy took a group of largely 14-year-olds, playing under the moniker of “Tigres Orlando,” and won its bracket — a bracket for 16-year-olds. The tournament — the Tigres UANL Copa de Futbol — was put on by Tigres UANL, a successful professional soccer team in Mexico based out of the greater Monterrey area with which Tigres Orlando has an affiliation. The success of the team from Central Florida, at large, and of the nine players from the West Orange area that helped make it happen, bode well for the upstart academy. “These are players that are very dedicated to what they do,” coach Victor Sheron said. “They really prepared hard for the competition.” Local players who practice for Tigres Orlando out of its Lakeview Middle School location include Magaly Diaz Galvan, Johnny Herrera, Jaqueline Herrera, Janet Herrera, Rivaldo Basil Jimenez, Jason Mimy, Emerson Nambo, Daniel Rocha and Josmara Rodriguez. Of those, Jimenez, Rocha and Rodriguez played well enough to be approached by scouts concerning the possibility of participating in a development SEE TIGRES PAGE 18

West Orange names new baseball coach Graig Smith will be the new head coach for the Warriors after working on the staff as an assistant and junior varsity head coach from 2010-17. STEVEN RYZEWSKI SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Graig Smith’s desire to be a high-school baseball head coach goes all the way back to when he was a kid, growing up in Amsterdam, New York — where his dad, Gary Smith, was a varsity coach. And after seven years on the staff of the West Orange High baseball program as a varsity

WINTER GARDEN

assistant and a junior varsity head coach, Smith finally got to fulfill that wish last week when he was named the Warriors’ new head coach. Now Smith, a Venice High alum who played his college baseball at Florida Gulf Coast University, doesn’t have just any job — he has one of the best in state. Smith was introduced to the team at West Orange as the Warriors’ new varsity head coach Jan. 16, four days after longtime head coach Jesse Marlo resigned. “This is a great job,” Smith said. “What they’ve been able to do in this program, and what it’s turned into and the expectation of what it needs to continue to be on the field — it’s a dream come true.” After seven years on the staff at West Orange, Smith had left the

program after the 2017 season to help Eric Lassiter start the new program at Windermere High. Smith only spent a semester away from his old stomping grounds, though, as the unexpected opportunity created by Marlo’s departure made him a natural candidate for a replacement — he has coached nearly every player on the Warriors’ varsity roster in some capacity. “Just being familiar with the players, with the parents, I think that really kind of helps a lot of the abruptness in that transition,” Smith said. Smith inherits a program that advanced to its first FHSAA Final Four in 2016 and played in the regional championship in 2017. SEE SMITH PAGE 18

Steven Ryzewski

Graig Smith spent seven seasons as an assistant and junior varsity coach at West Orange.

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