09.24.15 West Orange Times & Observer Celebrates 110 Years of Community News

YEARS OF COMMUNITY NEWS A special supplement to the West Orange Times & Observer

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

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September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

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ADVERTORIAL

West Orange Country Club’s Formula for Casual Family Fun For nearly 50 years, it has retained a timeless appeal to community families

Historic painting by Earl Milbrath of the original West Orange Country Club that was to lost to flood in 1920.

“Our family was one of the founding members of the club, so when we moved back from Miami, it was an easy choice to join,” said Judy Britt, a member for 40 years. “Our children and grandchildren grew up here, and all of our friends play here. We even had my husband’s 70th birthday here! This club has always been home for us.”

Contact West Orange Country Club For membership information: 407.656.4882 www.woclub.com 3300 West Orange Country Club Dr. Winter Garden, FL 34787

At-the-ready to be a second home base for members, the country club offers tremendous variety, at extremely affordable rates. “When we took our cart tour, every foursome stopped to talk with us! Right then, we knew that we had found a home,” said Lisa Goodmaster, whose family joined in 2015. Membership includes the Lloyd

Photo: Winter Garden Heritage Foundation

He is a relatively new face at the country club, joining the team in July 2015, but he has quickly become part of the family. “I joined the team because West Orange Country Club is so very different,” he said. “There’s a pervading sense of history here, with members’ families spanning two, three and even four generations. It’s unique in its commitment to casualness and lack of pretenses – the members here view the country club as an extension of their lives, their families and their leisure time. I just knew I wanted to be a part of that,” Slattery said.

Possibly its strongest asset, however, is its central location, in the heart of West Orange County, tucked back on scenic State Road 535 and Tilden Road. “As West Orange has developed around us, we have welcomed new members who love having a second home right in their backyard,” said Slattery. “We’re on the way for a quick bite to eat, a family dinner after a hectic day, or slipping in nine holes after work. We offer a great variety of activities that help busy families unplug for awhile, and enjoy each other.”

“We love our sense of history here, and are welcoming new members from the surrounding communities,” said Slattery. “Let me show you around, meet our West Orange Country Club family, and you’ll want to join us, starting your own family traditions here for years to come.”

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“H

ere, it’s all about family and friends,” said Nick Slattery, GM and golf pro at West Orange Country Club. Giving a tour of the sweeping grounds on a recent afternoon, he was obviously proud to show off this historic property, with its pristine greens, rolling fairways and majestic oak trees.

Alongside its casual attitude, the country club focuses on family fun – that includes a lot more than just golf. The clubhouse, with its community room, restaurant and bar, is home to social events, special occasions and everyday camaraderie. The pool welcomes all ages to splash, lounge and catch up with friends on a lazy afternoon. Tennis and golf clinics assist members in honing their games.

Clifton-designed, par 71 18-hole course, driving range, putting green and pitching area as well as lighted tennis courts, which are home to the Mattos Tennis Academy.

West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

Welcome to our 110th anniversary edition As the descendant of immigrants tive and our resident historian, Amy who came to the United States from Quesinberry Rhode. Her work in this China three and four generations ago, commemorative edition offers walks I can trace back my family history only down memory lane. Starting on page so far. Many of the records from before 7, you can read all about our newspamy great-grandparents and grandparper’s past — complete with interviews ents became U.S. citizens were of some of our past employees. lost. Or worse yet: They simply Then, starting on page 16, we never existed. remember some of our favorAt the West Orange Times ite headlines and news stories & Observer, we don’t have from the past 110 years. In the this problem. As West Orange back half of the book, we have County’s paper of record for reprinted some of our favorite 110 years, we can follow our front pages from all 11 decades. roots all the way back to the And yes, we even have all four first edition of the Winter Garpages of that first Ricochet here.

MICHAEL den Ricochet, published Sept.

Of course, as we celebrate this ENG 13, 1905. And that very first milestone, our attention also is front-page headline — written focused on ensuring we will be so many years ago — remains as the here to celebrate our 210th anniversary. goal for which we strive today.

In the past year, we’ve revamped both “Locals and Personals,” it read. “Hap- our print and online products considpenings in and Around Winter Garden, erably. That trend will continue in a as We See Them.” significant way Oct. 1, when we unveil For the 5,700-plus editions — under not only a new design for the West various names and ownership — that Orange Times and West Orange Times & followed, that already remained as our Observer but also our new newspaper, newspaper’s primary goal: to present the Windermere Observer. an accurate and interesting account We’re honored to have the opportuof everything that happens in West nity and privilege of continuing to be Orange County. the paper of record for West Orange What you hold has been a monthsCounty. We hope you enjoy this 110th long labor of love by our most senior anniversary edition as much as we editorial staffer — West Orange naenjoyed putting it all together.

Our community involvement goes beyond the printed page

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Crabtree Cancer Fund, Relay for Life We appreciate your commitment to and many more to bring awareness the West Orange Times & Observer and and inspiration to cancer patients and are so excited to be celebrating 110 survivors. And as a trustee of the West years of publishing. Thank you for supOrange Chamber of Commerce, porting our continued efforts to we provide West Orange-area connect and inspire our combusinesses with a platform to munity with extraordinary local coverage and content. celebrate their grand openings, We take our role as a part of anniversaries and other special this wonderful community serirecognitions. ously, and we know that goes We’ve also built strong relabeyond the walls of our office. tionships with myriad other As such, we work hard to partorganizations, such as Habitat ner with many local businesses for Humanity, Home at Last, the DAWN and organizations to help them Bloom and Grow Garden Society WILLIS prosper and help our commuand the Winter Garden Heritage nity thrive.

Foundation, to assist them in For 18 years, we have hosted our highlighting the services they provide Reading Reindeer program, which to our communities. We work closely distributes new books and promotes with churches, civic clubs and nonprofreading in our community. Last year, it groups to showcase their accomplishwe distributed more than 5,000 new ments, fundraising and volunteering. books to children, and we also partner In total, the West Orange Times & with Health Central Hospital to proObserver sponsors more than 100 vide a new book to every newborn. We events annually providing promotional also deliver our newspapers to West support and marketing.

Orange-area schools each week to use Thank you again for enjoying your in the classroom. community newspaper and allowing We’ve also partnered with local us to connect you, your neighbors and organizations such as the Jimmy your neighborhood.

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September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

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Congratulations

West Orange Times

on your 110th Anniversary! yesterday...

...today.

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Prior to the newspaper’s move to South Dillard Street in 1980, The Winter Garden Times office was in downtown Winter Garden behind the Cappleman (formerly the Black) Building on North Boyd Street. George and Anne Bailey and their staff worked in this building for 10 years before relocating.

110 Years of Community News From the Ricochet to the Times & Observer AMY QUESINBERRY RHODE COMMUNITY EDITOR Ever since a chance meeting between two gentlemen on a train traveling from Sanford to Winter Garden in 1905, West Orange County residents and business have had continuous access to local news on a weekly basis. We, and the journalists who were here before us, have been given the monumental task of seeking out the news and relaying the information to the community in a timely, effective and unbiased manner.

We document the highs of the community and document the lows, keep the local government held accountable and chronicle development. We celebrate freedom of speech, and our bound volumes contain a week-to-week history of West Orange County and its residents. We cover four municipalities and several communities; we report on school

activities, City Hall meetings, church programs and fundraising benefits.

We present a window on the life of the community, and it’s our job to inform, education and entertain our readers.

The West Orange Times & Observer strives to maintain special and trusting relationships with the community. We work with the various local clubs to promote their activities, including Rotary, Elks, Lions, Kiwanis, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, garden clubs, American Legions and VFWs; the many nonprofit organizations that provide care to our residents; the West Orange Chamber of Commerce and its business network. We partner with the local schools, both public and private, as well as the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation. We have sponsored the Reading Reindeer literacy pro-

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This undated photograph shows the last run of the old Winter Garden Times Cottrel press. Shop foreman John Halstead mans the controls while machinist Cy Hopkins catches the pages as they come off. The next issue of the newspaper was printed by photo-offset “on the most modern offset press in Central Florida.”

West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

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A 1945 advertisement announces Sunday’s supper options at the Edgewater Hotel in downtown Winter Garden.

The Bray Hardware Company is the precursor to Toole’s Ace Hardware in Winter Garden.

gram for 18 years, providing “Dr. Seuss’s ABCs” to newborns at Health Central Hospital and new reading books to children at Christmastime.

We get the details on breaking news such as shootings and hurricanes and even the rare tornado.

We continue to be the community connection and are even launching a sister newspaper, the Windermere Observer, next month.

Through the years, as the newspaper name changed, so did the slogan underneath the name. Besides “In the Garden City in the Garden State,” it also proclaimed “Winter Garden, Florida — Where Money Grows on Trees,” “The World’s Largest Orange Shipping Center,” “Completely Covers the Rich Citrus and Truck Section of Western Orange County,” “Northern Gateway to Walt Disney’s World of Tomorrow” and “The Voice of West Orange.”

The early slogans sum up West Orange County and its role in the citrus industry. Orange groves were a mainstay in the area for decades, packinghouses dotted the landscape between Lake Apopka and Dr. Phillips, and growers like Roper, Britt, Chicone, Battaglia, Briley, Ross, Caruso, Hall, Heller, Dr. Phillips, Chase, Duppenthaler, Hurley, Hull, Keene, Austin, Irrgang, J.L. Dillard, A.B. Newton, Sadler, McKinnon, McMillan and Tilden kept the citrus flowing in and out of West Orange County.

A series of big freezes in the 1980s devastated the indus-

EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS A.B. Newton was the paper’s first editor. Following his reign, Ben F. Davis served as editor and publisher of the Winter Garden Times from 1913 to 1915. There is no known information on the paper again until 1922, when H.C. Harrington became editor of West Orange Herald. W.B. Burch and Harrington were alternately the publisher. W.L. Story was editor and Burch was publisher of The Town Crier in 1933, R.S. Williams was editor and manager of The West Orange News in 1945 with L.F. Robinson as publisher, and J.C. Robinson was added as managing editor in 1947. H.A. Carlton was editor of The Winter Garden Times in 1950, and Ken Chatfield took over the position the following year. Eldon O. Johns was publisher of The Winter Garden Times during these years.

Ken Morris, who started

working for the paper in 1975, eventually was named associate editor and then managing editor. Following his departure, Mary McKey and then Mary Anne Swickerath were the managing editors. Anne Bailey held the editor’s title for many years.

Swickerath maintained a presence in the newsroom at The West Orange Times for nearly 30 years, working her way up from Ocoee correspondent — gathering and delivering the news on her bicycle each week — to staff writer, sports editor, managing editor and editor.

When Swickerath started with the company, the newspaper process incorporated many machines to get the job done each week: electric typewriters; a Compugraphic machine for typing and printing the copy; a headliner that printed story headlines through a photo-

BLAST FROM THE PAST Editor’s note: John Maloney is a former sports reporter and also wrote the popular column, “Maloney’s Baloney.”

I remember I arrived at The West Orange Times way back in August 1987 as, let’s say, not the most seasoned reporter.

I was a year out of Purdue and mostly had written just sports articles. I was learning the ropes under the guidance of Managing Editor Mary Anne Swickerath. We were working getting the paper ready on a Monday afternoon, and a call came in that the First Union Bank on Dillard Street was just robbed. This was a big story!

The caller said the bank robber had escaped to the grove behind the bank. I remember Mary Anne and Andrew Bailey telling me to get on the story and head over to the grove.

They said be sure to get pictures and quotes from the Winter Garden police.

I grabbed my notepad, tape recorder and jumped in the car like Clark Kent to get my first big news piece for my new employer.

As I started driving I thought to myself, What is a grove? I was a city slicker from Chicago, and I had never heard of — or even seen — an orange grove.

I went back to the office, ran inside and asked my bosses, “What’s a grove?”

The look on their faces and the laughter that followed was priceless.

I eventually found my way over to the grove but missed all the action. The police already had apprehended the suspect.

I worked at The West Orange Times from 1987 until 1991.

It was such a great learning experience.

The newsroom was one of the classics that you would see on a TV show: Old papers stacked everywhere, typewriters to write your stories (yes, typewriters), cameras that didn’t work and a boss with a huge office. When you talk about an old-school newsroom, we were it.

I was just a year out of college when George and Andrew Bailey hired me to cover Winter Garden city govern-

As the story goes, local entrepreneur A.B. Newton met a printer with the last name

Marsh on that train. The printer was looking for work; after some discussion, he and Newton made an agreement to put out a newspaper.

There was already a weekly paper in Apopka, so this one concentrated on the area to the south — Newton, the editor and future city mayor, called

graphic process; and an electric hot waxer, which spewed an adhesive to paste the words to the pages.

The back half of the office was filled with giant layout boards, and the paper was manually put together. X-Acto knives and one-point tape were used to line every photo in the paper.

“It was such a tedious process back before we went digital,” Swickerath said.

“In the old days, we had to go get the news,” she said.

“Nobody could fax or email us anything. We had to go get the news, or people had to bring it to us. The Winter Garden Times, The Times and The West Orange Times used to be a community center. People came in and out of those doors all day long, and that stopped during the digital age. People used to come in and talk to us.”

In the 1990s and 2000s, the newsroom was staffed with

longtime West Orange County residents Amy Quesinberry Rhode, Kathy Aber and Gail Dressel.

“We had a great relationship with the community, I think.

We lived in the communities; I would go to the grocery and have people stop me and talk about the stories I wrote that week.

“The digital age is a completely different time,” she said. “I used to call it the hand-made newspaper, because it was.”

Swickerath retired as editor in 2009. Shortly thereafter, Rhode was named managing editor. Chris Mayer was sports editor.

Observer Media Group bought the newspaper in 2014 and named Dawn Willis publisher.

A few months later, Rhode became the community editor, and Michael Eng was named executive editor and Steven Ryzewski sports editor.

try; many of the grove owners turned to real estate, and a majority of the orange trees gave way to rooftops and neighborhoods.

THE FIRST RUN

ment and the new Dr. Phillips High School. And just to be sure they knew I had hit the “big time” as a reporter, my bosses actually let me fill up my car with hundreds of newspapers and deliver them on Wednesdays to the local grocery stores. I think that’s how I got the title Circulation Manager.

I’m not so sure the staff knew what they were in for when I came aboard. I was still in “college mode” when I was there. I liked to have fun in the office, play tricks on other employees and basically drive most of them nuts each week. I remember trying to lock some of the “older” ladies (they were probably in their 40s at the time) in the paper vault. I would barricade the dark room on our photo processor and wouldn’t let her out until she promised to buy me lunch. I can’t remember how many times I was chased out the back door by some of the employees for all the shenanigans I played on them.

It was moments like those and the friendships I made as a young reporter at The West Orange Times that made the paper so special to me.

And by the way, whoever stole the original Ol’ Orange Crate back in the late 1980s, please return it to the office. It wasn’t me. I promise.

— John Maloney

it the Winter Garden Ricochet.

Volume 1, No. 1 rolled off the hand press Sept. 13, 1905. It contained four pages of three columns each, and all the type was set by hand. (See pages 25 to 36 for reprints of this very first edition.)

West Orange County’s first newspaper measured eight by 12 inches and was full of neighborhood goings-on, Newton’s expectations for his new venture into publication and advertisements for downtownarea stores.

The front page was devoted to snippets of personal news, such as which residents were visiting relatives and friends in a neighboring town and who gave birth to a “fine girl baby;” some church news, some school news and information on local businesses and the status of the railroad.

Page two of the Ricochet gave the pronunciation of the name (Rik-o-sha) and meaning behind it. There was an announcement that the subscription price was 15 cents for three months or 50 cents for one year, “payable in advance.”

Advertisements proclaimed the best dry goods and notions could be purchased at several

SEE HISTORY / 10

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10 WOTimes.com HISTORY / PAGE 8 Winter Garden merchants: L.D. Jones & Co., A.B. Newton & Co. and G.J. Strozier. A full line of “fresh drugs” and “toilet articles” could be found at druggist B.T. Boyd’s place of business in Winter Garden. And “the” place to stay was Orange Hotel, where proprietors Sergent and Utterbach awaited guests.

The poem “Der Vater Mill,” written in Pennsylvania German by Charles Follen Adams, was printed on page three.

Most of the space advertised area businesses, such as general merchants Wm. P. Blakeley and T.J. Minor, both in Ocoee; as well as citrus-related vendors: Joyceland Vineyard, of Ocoee, sold Florida grape and orange wines, and J.R. Pounds manufactured verneered (sic) crates for oranges, tomatoes and celery. Another ad announced that “JOB PRINTING NEATLY DONE” could be solicited at the Ricochet office.

The back page offered a glimpse of state news, compared two stories in a New York newspaper about an increase in imported diamonds and an increased number of the hungry lining up in the “bread line” and announced that A.W. Hurley was selling a few mules. Ads touted the talents of physician and surgeon J.C. Peyton and the offerings of Winter Garden’s Croft & Jones (hardware and farming equipment) and Oakland’s J.O. Brock (notions and groceries) and Chas. Maurice (hardware, grain, hay and feed).

According to the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, it is believed Newton started the paper in a three-story building at the southwest corner of Boyd and Plant streets.

The following year, 1904, Newton bought The Apopka Citizen and merged the two newspapers. He sold the Winter Garden Ricochet in 1909.

NEW OWNERS, NEW NAMES

By 1913, the local newspaper was called The Winter Garden Times, a name it would carry off and on several more times under different ownerships.

Five years later, it was changed to the Orange County Citizen.

The first copy of West Orange Herald was dated Jan. 12, 1922 and published by W.B. Burch.

The name remained until 1925, when it was changed to The Winter Garden Journal.

In 1926, the paper announced that it was “now a corporation,” and “the newspaper plant has been taken over by a board of directors...to secure at

HOT OFF THE PRESS

When George and Anne Bailey bought the Times in 1970, the office was on North Boyd Street, just behind the Black (now Cappleman) Building on Plant Street. The Baileys hired several teenage boys — usually friends of their four sons — to handle the Tuesday evening operations once the paper returned from the press.

Rusty Roberson and Lee Grimes grew up in Winter Garden and recall working at the Times around 1977. The high-schoolers were responsible for labeling, folding and tying batches of newspapers that were then taken to the downtown post office for mail delivery. This routine took place every Tuesday evening. Andrew Bailey, future publisher, worked with them, as did Andrew’s younger brother, John Bailey.

Roberson, of Minneola, said another brother, the late Terry Bailey, drove his old blue Chevrolet pickup and trailer to the newspaper press in Winter Haven.

“He’d bring them back … around 6 or 7 in the evening, and of course, we would take them off the truck, and we had a handheld machine that did the labeling,” Roberson said. “We would slap it on, and it would glue an address label. From there, they were addressed and folded and were folded in a way – we had to tie them. We were thrilled when Mr. George (Bailey) bought a machine and you sat in a chair and hit a lever with your foot and it would tie a string around it.

“Anywhere from 10 to 12 at night we would walk to the post office — there was a ramp in the back,” he said. “We’d get one of these big dolly carts and run it down the ramp and

least thirty of the leading Winter Garden business men who are interested in news of the better kind in this community and to show their support of a newspaper of this class by becoming stockholders in a small way.”

The oldest copy of the newspaper — kept in the vault of the Times’ current office — is dated Dec. 1, 1932. The top headline of The Winter Garden Journal reads “Burch-Story to publish Journal.” Major A.E. Barnett of New York City, a former pastor of Oakland Presbyterian Church, was editor.

The paper boasted new management, a new editor, new policies and new features.

The publication date was changed from Friday to Thursday to benefit the advertisers, who wanted the paper deliv-

push it over to the Times and load them up and then push it back. Of course, we had to get a running start to get it up the ramp. Sometimes, it was only two of us.”

Grimes, of Winter Garden, recalls meeting at the office around 6:30 p.m. to begin his shift.

“We would wait for either Andrew or his parents to pull up in their station wagon pulling a trailer with the stacks and stacks of warm newspapers from the press bound with plastic straps,” he said. “We would unload the trailer and wagon and start of our work putting in the inserts and folding the paper to ready them for the rest of the process.”

Part of the job of the bundler and labeler was to operate several pieces of machinery.

“One of us would sit at the machine and do the stamping of the label,” Grimes said. “It

ered in time for readers “to see their offerings before they do their weekend shopping.”

In 1933, Burch and his brother-in-law, William L. Story, formed Burch-Story Press and started The Town Crier in December. This was a free publication. The office was at 53 S. Main St., near the current Garden Music. The telephone number was 57.

Burch and Story changed the name to the West Orange News a year later and charged $2 annually. After one month, they cut the subscription price to $1.

The paper was distributed weekly “in the area between the intersection of the Gotha Road with the Orlando highway and slightly beyond the Lake County line, east and west; and

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was like a silk-screened ink press. It was a tiny thing that would stamp the address on. … And after the stamping was done, one of us would be on the right side of the machine — and one would put it in the baler — a big arm would swing.

You would put the paper in the machine and step on it, and once it swung one revolution, you would swing it around a turn and it would wrap. Then it would bundle the rope and tie a knot. “Depending on where it was going, the bundle was anywhere from three or four newspapers up to maybe 15 or 20.

The bundling job was fun; the machines that we used were really neat and they were old.”

Grimes also looks back on his weekly job as being probably a little too much fun at times.

“George would come and check on us to make sure we weren’t horsing around,”

Grimes said. “And we usually were. We used to horse around.

We would climb on the roofs.

Every one of us has been on the roof of every building downtown.

“I remember (Police) Chief (Don) Ficke coming up and asking us questions; a fire extinguisher had been shot off behind the building,” he said.

“They always discovered things happening on Wednesday morning.”

Grimes also managed a route in a portion of downtown Winter Garden, along Dillard Street, at the Turkey Lake service plaza on Florida’s Turnpike and at half a dozen hotels on International Drive.

George Bailey gave him a handful of quarters and dimes, and Grimes used those to open the newspaper machines and restock them each week when the new issue came out.

— Amy Quesinberry Rhode

The Shelby Garage was once loca ted near the Shelby Hotel (now Tony’s Liquors) in dow ntown Winter Garden.

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

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West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015 HISTORY / PAGE 10

In the 1940s, advertisements encouraged residents to do their part to help win World War II.

between Fisherman’s Paradise and Windermere, north and south....”

In 1936, the newspaper’s dimensions increased from tabloid to standard size. The office had moved to 58 S. Main St. by this time. Front-page stories mentioned the Winter Garden Theatre and the baseball fields on Park Avenue.

In the 1940s, Lester Price Robinson was owner, publisher and editor, and working with him was R.S. Williams as editor and manager.

In 1948, Eldon O. Johns bought the paper and merged it with The Orange County Chief in Apopka. (The Apopka Chief later became a separate newspaper.) He changed the name from West Orange News to The Winter Garden Times.

Ken Chatfield was editor.

“Over 4,000 people will read The Winter Garden Times this week,” announced a 1950 front page. Johns was still the publisher, and H.A. Carlton and Norman F. Johns each served as editor. The subscription rate was $2.50 per year in county, $3 out of the county.

Two years later, Chatfield was listed as the editor again. Individual copies of the newspaper were a nickel.

In 1965, the owner of The Winter Haven News-Chief bought the newspaper but kept the name the same. From 196669, Don Barnes served as publisher and editor.

THE BAILEY ERA

Dishwashers and Chromacolor Zenith televisions were a thing of beauty in 1945 and 1971, respectively.

George and Anne Bailey purchased the newspaper from The Winter Haven News-Chief in July 1970. It was a true family business, as the Baileys and their four sons prepared the papers for mailing on their living room floor. It was also a small business: George Bailey could bring the entire issue home from the Winter Haven printer in the back of his car.

The Baileys ran the paper from a tiny office at 18 N. Boyd St. In 1980, the newspaper office moved to its present location at 720 S. Dillard St., and the name was changed to The Times.

In announcing the new office and the new newspaper name in the May 1, 1980, issue of the paper, the Baileys wrote: “Our new sign is now in place at 720 S. Dillard Street, heralding a move which has long been in the planning stages. The Times will soon be situated in the of-

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BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS Just as accurate stories are important to the success of a community newspaper, so are the businesses that purchase advertisements to promote their goods and services. It’s a partnership and a relationship that benefits the advertiser, the newspaper and the readers.

Pat Sharr, of Pat Sharr Realty in Oakland, is likely the longest continuous advertiser in the West Orange Times.

She has been a Realtor for 38 years and always has relied on the weekly newspaper to keep her name in the public eye.

“It gave me a lot of exposure, and I stayed with it to get my name out there,” she said. “You have to advertise every week. You can’t just advertise one week or every month in the paper.”

And people started to recognize her in the community since they saw her photograph in her ad every week. She has advertised properties throughout her real-estate career, starting with Orange Realty Masters and Century 21 and continuing with Watson Realty, Main Street Realtors and her current independently owned business.

“One week I was out of town and didn’t put my ad in the paper, and I had calls asking if I had quit,” Sharr said.

“The West Orange Times has been good for me. I tell other agents, I tell other people when they open up their businesses, I always highly recommend them to run an ad in (the) paper. But I also stress that they can’t run just once.

They have to run it every week.

It takes time.”

Bob Kerr Marine and Sporting Goods announced it had moved to “New Highway 50, Winter Garden” in a 1954 ad. Phone number: 245-RED. McMillan & Bray Hardware Co. was Winter Garden’s first hardware store and was started in downtown Winter Garden in 1906 by G.W. Bray and M.Y. McMillan. It advertised wagons in an April 1913 issue of The Winter Garden Times.

“We have a carload of these wagons in stock, both single and two horse, and they are the best that money could buy,” the ad read. “They are guaranteed in every respect, and you are invited to call and inspect them. Should you wish something first-class, we would like to fill your order.”

Today, the store is known as Toole’s Ace Hardware and is on South Dillard Street.

The Edgewater Hotel placed an ad in 1945 to promote its Sunday dinner of fried chicken

(with dumplings, mashed or French-fried potatoes, pie, salad, coffeffe (sic), tea, milk) or roast beef (with blackeye peas, string beans, corn muffins, coffee, tea, milk).

The First Methodist Church sponsored the Starlite Drive-In Church Service at the Star-Lite Drive-In on East Plant Street (where the 7-Eleven is now located) in a 1954 ad. O.V. Hitchcock was the minister.

In a 1958 ad, the Bray Hardware Company congratulated the city of Winter Garden on its 50th anniversary. The store was still on Plant Street, and its phone number was Olympic 6-2593.

A.D. Mims bought a political ad in the April 30, 1948, issue of The West Orange News when he was running for Precinct 21 county commissioner. He promised “fair representation in the entire district; careful study to the spending of YOUR TAX DOLLAR; a sound, honest administration for the benefit of ALL; and the time required to the duties of this office.”

He was a native Floridian and a homeowner, was married with two children, was a war veteran and post commander of the Winter Garden Legion Post. A road in north Ocoee is named for Mims.

A 1951 classified ad read: “Summer Special. Nice place on the sandy beach of Lake Butler, 75 foot lake frontage.

Nice cottage with all modern conveniences, comfortably furnished. $7,500. L.A. Grimes, broker. Phone 2, Winter Garden. L.A. Grimes Agency Realtors is still in operation at West Colonial Drive.”

Diamond ‘R’ Fertilizer Co. placed an advertisement in the June 27, 1952, issue of The Winter Garden Times that read: “For Best Results - Apply Summer Citrus Fertilizer NOW. NITROGEN IS SCARCE. We Suggest Placing Orders Early To Obtain What You Want. Phone 522, winter garden. FACTORY AND OFFICE WEST PLANT ST. AT CITY LIMITS. Diamond ‘R’ still operates in this location on Hennis Road.

In this same issue, Pittman’s Jewelry, 14 W. Plant St., promoted Bulova watches for “graduates of West Orange County.”

An ad for the Winter Garden Theatre (now the Garden Theatre) in 1966 promoted “The Big Broadcast of 1937” featuring Jack Benny, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Bob Burns, Martha Raye and Benny Goodman and his orchestra.

Shaw’s Flowers and Gifts’ 1971 ad offered silver or gold electroplate candelabra with the purchase of flatware.

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HISTORY / PAGE 12

y Co. is still Apopka Suppl tters are th ou S ed us e le that ho Garden, and th The building e. ntown Winter w ur ct do ru in st e ng th di stan e side of th on e bl si vi still faintly

TECHNOLOGY Technology is always changing, and that includes the newspaper business.

The first paper in Winter Garden 110 years ago had four pages, which were produced on a hand press with all the type set by hand.

When W.B. Burch owned the paper some 30 years later, it was printed on a Washington press where the type was still set by hand.

Two people put out the paper each week.

In 1965, a major change made at that time was the conversion from the letterpress process, “hot type,” to the offset printing process, sometimes referred to as “cold type.”

When former editor Mary Anne Swickerath started her job at the paper in 1980, the staff worked on electric typewriters and first — and subsequent — drafts of a story were first written on a legal pad.

Once the reporter typed the story on the typewriter, the typesetter would retype the story on the Compugraphic machine and develop the stories as galleys (heavy, uncut sheets of photographic paper). The typesetter then had to retype corrections, which would then be sent through the hot wax machine, cut out and placed on top of the mistakes on the original galley.

If the copy was changed to a different width, it all had to be retyped.

The entire sheet was then waxed and secured on the layout page with a wooden roller.

The office had a darkroom for many years, and the developer spent hours and hours under a red lamp and elbow-deep in chemicals. A

“PMT” machine — the precursor to today’s scanners — created a scan to be waxed and rolled onto the pages.

Finished pages were driven to a press in Leesburg late Tuesday afternoon to be printed during the night and then picked up and brought back to the office to be prepped for mailing.

There was no fax machine 35 years ago. There were no computers and no Internet.

There were no digital cameras.

In 2005, the Times staffers began using Apple iMac computers to write stories and download the digital pictures they took. Much more news started coming to the newspaper office through e-mail than through the door or by “snail mail.”

In 2002, the newspaper went to an all-digital, serverbased format. Writers sent their completed stories and photos to one central computer. Once the pages were laid out digitally, they were e-mailed to the printer in Lakeland. The West Orange Times also created a website on which stories and photographs were posted and changed weekly.

When the newspaper was purchased in 2014 by Observer Media Group, the website was relaunched with a much more powerful platform that gave the editorial staff the ability to cover breaking news, add photo galleries and video content.

The staff also embraced a variety of social-media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, to better connect with the West Orange community.

Today, the West Orange Times & Observer remains the leading source for community news in West Orange County.

fice building, which, for many years, was headquarters for Roper Bros. Inc. “Readers will be receiving the very same newspaper,” they wrote. “There’s been no change of ownership, editorial philosophy or coverage area. The Times will continue to serve the same group of neighbor towns. We’ll try our best to be the hometown paper for all of West Orange.”

Ken Morris spent a decade with the community newspaper starting in 1975. Hired by George Bailey, Morris worked in both the North Boyd Street and the South Dillard Street locations.

“When I started at the Times, I had to cover the Ocoee, Winter Garden, Oakland and Windermere council meetings,” he said. “I was the only reporter when I started.

Over time we did get help, but in the beginning I covered all the meetings pretty much. …

I think the newspaper should be a good record in general with what’s happening in the town.”

Morris eventually was named associate editor and then managing editor.

“Those early years, we had a typesetter, an ad layout person, salesman, me, George and Anne (Bailey), and at different times, one of the Bailey boys might have been there helping out,” Morris said.

“Not too long after I started there, Denise Hall … started working with us,” he said. “So it was a pretty small staff. And there were contributing writers who did columns and things. … We had to do paste-up of the paper the old-fashioned way.

PERSONAL TOUCH

Columnists have traditionally had their space in the West Orange Times. Some shared tidbits of their everyday life, others comment on their community, and still others talked about sports, books, gardening or any number of hobbies.

• 1970s: Dottie Walker, Dining With Dottie; Jimmy Pitchford, Food For Thought; • 1980s: Anne Bailey, Editor’s Notebook • 1990s: Harriette Grimes, a bite of life by H. Lee-Allen; Dan Spoone, From the Front Row and Magic Bullets; John Maloney, Maloney’s Baloney; Win Pendleton and later Phyllis Straughan, Book Browsing; Michael Davidson, Outdoors with Michael D.; • 2000s: Mary Anne Swickerath, Editor’s Notebook; Amy Quesinberry Rhode, These Times; Jerry Carris, The Wizard of Ag; Steven Ryzewski, Sideline Scene.

In addition, in the 1970s, longtime art teacher and artist Rod Reeves submitted dozens of sketches through the years that documented happenings around West Orange County.

Every Tuesday was spent putting the paper together.”

Tuesday, press day, was pretty rushed, the former editor recalled.

“Because there were so few staff members,” he said. “I remember Anne and George and I always went in on Monday nights to write and get the stories ready. The typesetter (Diane McKee) came in Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Wednesdays

off and sometimes Thursday.

If she came in on Thursday, she did the legal advertisement and then any stories that were ready for her on Thursday.”

Reporters have traditionally taken their own photographs.

Polaroid cameras were being used when Morris was hired.

When film cameras were used, photography students from West Orange High School developed the pictures. A darkroom was added when the staff moved to the Dillard Street office.

The same year that Morris took over as managing editor, Mary Anne Swickerath was hired as a reporter; she would eventually be named the editor.

Nearly seven years later, in March 1987, the Baileys changed the name again to better reflect the community, calling the newspaper The West Orange Times.

George and Anne Bailey’s son Andrew was a part owner for 30 years and publisher for 25 years. When George Bailey died in 2008, Anne and their Andrew continued as the newspaper’s owners. Andrew Bailey was publisher for 25 years and part owner for 30.

OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP

In February 2014, the newspaper was sold to Matt Walsh, editor, CEO and owner, and Lisa Walsh, vice president and publisher, of Observer Media Group, which owns nine community newspapers throughout the state.

Starting Oct. 1, the West Orange Times and West Orange Times & Observer will introduce a new design, and the Windermere Observer will launch as a sister paper.

The West Orange Times staff in 2003, from left: Andrew Bailey, Amy Quesinberry Rhode, Karen Shipp, Andrew Tam, George Bailey, Carol Morgan, Anne Bailey, Laine Richardson, Gail Dressel, Michael Laval, Mary Anne Swickerath, Kathy Aber and Jackie Browder.

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

WOTimes.com 15

Conoley Citrus would like to congratulate the West Orange Times on 110 years of success, growth, expansion and community news!!!

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West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

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The newspaper occasionally ran editorials and letters explaining its position on various issues.

MAKING HEADLINES

Since the first Winter Garden Ricochet published on Sept. 13, 1905, our commitment to all-local community journalism has remained a constant.

Here, we celebrate some of our favorite headlines in the past 110 years.

THE WINTER GARDEN TIMES, THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1915

Timely Town Topics

The shipping of tomatoes from this section will commence next week. …We suggest that the present Legislature have the laws printed on India paper or they will have a book three-feet thick. … The lowering of Lake Apopka would mean mud flats at Winter Garden and Oakland and a depreciation of property from $1,000 an acre to 0. … If they make every dealer in Coca-Cola pay $250 license to dispense that drink, there won’t be much of it sold in Florida. There isn’t any more harm in it than there is in any other pop.

Local and Personal

Prof. Osteen left Saturday for Madison. … Miss Lottie Abernathy attended a picnic at St. Cloud Saturday. … Miss Hattie Eby, of Crown Point, was one of our city callers Monday. … Buy The Times. We’ll sell. Three cents. … Rainy season appears to be on. … W.L. Story made a visit to the county seat Saturday. … Henry Bekemeyer, the valuable assistant at the Garden City garage, is on the sick list. … W.S. Bell has added bath room, toilets and septic tank to his hotel and expects to build to build rooms for help as soon as J.A. White is at liberty to commence the work.

Oakland Notes

Rich Briley is the possessor of a new Ford car. We wish him good luck in his first lessons. … Picnics are beginning to be the order of the day. A jolly party

consisting of Wesley, Esther, Waldo and Ruth Steenbock, Myra and Floy Sadler, John Hatfield, Lillian Vick, Donald Husband, Laurie Brock, Iva and Morman Gulley went over to Crooked Lake Monday.

Ocoee News

Mr. and Mrs. Ben Ewing were guests of friends in Winter Garden Sunday. …

Mrs. Wm. Dann was shopping in Winter Garden Monday. … P.J. New and wife, Mrs. C.H. Pounds and Michael Bure were in Winter Garden Monday. … Several of the Ocoee people attended the exercises of the Oakland-Winter Garden high school.

LOST. Automobile crank, supposed to have been lost between Tildenville and Winter Garden. L.W. Tilden.

WEST ORANGE HERALD, AUG. 10, 1922

Beulah Notes

Frank Reaves has the lumber on the ground for a new house, which Zan Reaves has taken the contract to build.

Irwin Reaves attended the dance at Windermere Thursday night.

Mrs. Bill Martin and children visited J.A. Reaves and wife the past week.

Uncle Mack Reaves is somewhat improved at this writing but still very feeble. Dr. Edwards called to see him Saturday.

One day last week, we saw a car careening down the Winter Garden road at a terrible pace. We thought that the driver must have lost control of it, but as it whizzed by, we saw that it was W.L. Story. Later on, we learned that he was a new grandpa.

G.J. Strozier, of Winter Garden, was out on the chicken hunt last week.

Mr. and Mrs. B.F. Sharpe and son came out Friday night to eat some of Grandpa and Grandma Reaves’ fried chicken.

Mildred and Junior Reeves have had some siege of sore eyes the past week.

SEE HEADLINES / PAGE 18

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

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Orange County Public Schools

Christian Welding / Westside

Schannel Culinary Arts / Mid Florida

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BASEBALL BUZZ THE WEST ORANGE NEWS, FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1936

Albany Senators will arrive Winter Garden by bus Monday

The Albany (New York) Senators, who will do their spring training at Walker Field, Winter Garden, will arrive almost in a body early next week. … The players would leave Baltimore by bus Saturday and arrive here Monday. … Bus Driver Ernest Frazer (colored) will pilot the machine here. …

Finishing Touches: Mayor George Walker is directing some finishing touches to the diamond that the baseball authorities suggested. Principal among them is to mix some dark sand with the pitcher’s box and infield base line spaces.

City baseball team probable

Winter Garden in all probabilities will have a baseball team during the coming summer and if candidates for positions will organize themselves into a unit at once practice games may be played with the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, team of the N.Y.-Penn. League, and possibly with the Albany “Senators,” according to officials of the Chamber of Commerce. Baseball aspirants are urged to get in touch with the chamber without delay.

HEADLINES / PAGE 16

Ocoee Notes

Baseball writers expected Monday

Harry Flewelling and family left Tuesday for Harvey, Ill. H.M. Homer will soon open a cafe in the place formerly occupied by Parish.

Mrs. C.B. Drew, his sister, will assist him. Both Mr. Homer and Mrs. Drew are experienced.

Albany baseball writers will arrive in Winter Garden next Monday or Tuesday. … Con Heffernan, of the Albany Times Union, a Hearst paper, will be the first on the scene.

Directors hold baseball talk

Directors of the Chamber of Commerce at a special meeting Tuesday night at the Edgewater Hotel appointed a committee to serve with Mayor Walker in arranging details incident to the sale of baseball tickets for the Albany games; granted Leonard Mann the baseball park drink, candy and peanut concession; ordered score cards printed; arranged for advertising the games …

THE WEST ORANGE NEWS, FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 1936

Walker proclaims “Senators’ Day” to mark series opener

The Albany Senators, here for winter training at Walker Field, arrived in large numbers over the weekend and have been working out every day.

The opening “play ball” is set to be sounded on the new local diamond at 3:15 Tuesday afternoon. Business houses have been requested to close at 2:30 to give all employees an opportunity to attend.

Winter Garden Locals

“Aunt Mae Waller,” who is taking care of Mrs. W.B. Burch and little Lena Claire, reports that this is the 130th baby she has attended in her career as nurse.

Bro. Guymon, of the City Bakery, has put in a new and quite “showy” show case in which to display Angel Food and mortal satisfiers.

W.H. Reams has just completed a new garage and driveway leading thereto. He is also rebuilding the lawn in front of his house and making various improvements.

Roy Roper leaves Hot Springs today for Paris, Kentucky.

J.L. Dillard and Miss Mabel Dillard are now in Asheville, North Carolina.

THE WEST ORANGE NEWS, FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1936

Fire damage avoided

Roper Brothers packing house was the scene of a fire scare after lunch hour Tuesday.

In burning refuse from the repair of broken field boxes, the blaze got out of hand and dangerous and into wood pile, and threatened a shed adjoining the office. The situation as quickly disposed of with no damage by the fire department, which was called to the scene.

THE WEST ORANGE NEWS, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 1936

The “will” of Ocoee seniors

We, the Senior Class of 1936, do will, as departing gifts, to any so unfortunate, the articles stated below: … To the underclassmen: 1. Edgar Brooklyn wills his ability to play football to Horace Waits. 2. Fred Diegrich wills his love for dancing to Logan McNeil. 3. Bob Fain wills his loud

Dance for all ages and skill levels!

Classes for age 2 to Adult in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Dance with Me, Creative Movement, Tumbling, Aerial Silks, Musical Theatre, Dance Team and more…

voice to Lawrence Watson. 4. Leroy Gilliams wills his ability to argue with the teachers to Fitzhugh Oliver. 5.

Joe Grafton wills his knack for skipping classes and job of going after the school mail to Tom West. 6. Clifford Tillis wills his beautiful baritone voice to Coot Mills. 7. Johnny Tomyn wills his ability to acquire permits by worrying the teachers with his horse laugh to Jack Conroy. 8. Lint Windham wills his ability as an actor to Raymond Wigging. 10. Kathryn Eckles wills her snack dance and sales talk to Vivian Paul. 11. Myrle Fielding wills her Yah Yah and Nine Nine to Bessie Mae Bell. 12. Annie Laurie Mathews wills her knowledge of Latin and English to Betty Corbin. 13. Nell Pitts wills her timid ways to Leona Sanders.

14. Nell Thompson wills her winning smile to Ruth Day.

THE WEST ORANGE NEWS, FRIDAY, OCT. 30, 1936

New market for local produce

Vegetable growers of Winter Garden and vicinity can now obtain market prices for their vegetables.

This service is a new feature of Hakes Feed and Seed Store to help the growers market their products without the long drive to Sanford or Orlando.

Waters hits mule at high speed

Ernest Waters, line foreman for the Florida Public Service, when returning to his home in Winter Garden from Orlando after midnight Friday, hit a mule and practically demolished his new Ford car.

Mr. Waters says he was driving on the short road connecting the Oakland-Minorville road to the street leading to Ocoee and was terribly endangered with fog areas, even though the moon was shining. Before reaching the Roe Packing house, there is a tenant house from whose yard a mule had been driven and just as he emerged from the fog into the open, the mule was galloping at a terrific rate toward him.

He jammed on his brakes, but it was too near and they ran head long into each other. … Being “Open Season on Democrats,” he says he thought just any donkey would be a good target.

CONGRATULATIONS

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to the staff of West Orange Times.

Thank you for serving the West Orange community for the last 110 years!

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

Hospital project committee named

The following committee has been appointed to work on plans being made on the west Orange hospital: L.F. Roper, chairman; Mr. Joe Fairchild; Mr. Harry Smith; Mr. William Story; Mrs. C.F. Mather-Smith, Mrs. M.C. Britt, Mrs. W.F. Cappleman.

The first meeting was held last Friday. … Location, size of the hospital and method of raising money were discussed, but nothing definite was adopted.

Cpl. Stone promoted while in Korea 40th DIV., KOREA — John A. Stone, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Stone, Route 2, Winter Garden, was recently promoted to corporal while serving in Korea with the 40th Infantry Division.

Cpl. Stone, a member of the 223rd Regiment’s Company F, entered the U.S. Army in November 1952, and arrived in the Far East last May.

THE WINTER GARDEN TIMES, THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 1965

W.H. Pewitt, operator of oil wells in Louisiana and Texas, was in the city this week seeing what he could find out in this vicinity with a view of locating.

“I believe there is plenty of oil in Florida if the right spot can be located,” he said.

CLASSIFIED. Outside fire protection offered now by city of Winter Garden.

The City of Winter Garden is now offering outside fire protection (outside city limits) at the following rates: $10 for a house; $15 for a small business; $75 for a large business and $100 for schools.

Anyone who wishes to take this protection may do so by buying this outside fire protection at City Hall in the City of Winter Garden.

Rat family increasing

THE WINTER GARDEN TIMES,

Looking for oil in West Orange

Some months ago, much enthusiasm was manifested in Winter Garden for a rat drive to exterminate the rodents in the city, but little was ever done about it.

Today, the rat family is increasing in numbers at a terrifying rate.

THE WINTER GARDEN TIMES, FRIDAY, JAN. 1, 1954

Can company to begin can-making Jan. 15

In an interview with a Times reporter yesterday, C.F. West, plant manager for Continental Can Company, said the Winter Garden plant will begin actual production of cans about January 15.

The plant will open with two production lines and will increase to as many as six lines as required to meet demand.

Episcopals plan to start building church on Dillard Street

George Barley, chairman of the building fund campaign for the Church of the Messiah, Episcopal, reported considerable progress on the efforts to establish a new Episcopal church here.

Three lots facing Tilden Street across from the new Dillard Street Elementary School have been purchased as a building site.

Larry Mobley kills eight-point buck, first in lifetime

Larry Mobley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Mobley, is a happy lad this week, having killed his first buck deer — an eight-point model — at McClendon.

The deer was Larry’s first.

THE WINTER GARDEN TIMES, FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 1954

Main Street turned back to two-way traffic at Friday meeting

At a special meeting of the City Commission, held jointly with the Zoning and Planning Board last Friday morning, one-way traffic on Main Street from Plant to Story was abolished.

CONGRATULATIONS WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER ON YOUR 110 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

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FRIDAY, JAN. 19, 1945

Ramada Inn breaks ground

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held Tuesday morning for the new Ramada Inn. The event took place in Ocoee at the southwest corner of Maguire Road and State Road 50, where officials and several guests gathered for the short ceremony.

The new inn will be seven stories high with a penthouse added and will have 150 rooms with provisions for a total of 584 rooms in the future. A view from the penthouse will be Theme Park of the Disney World, which is about five miles from the site of the Ramada.

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THE WINTER GARDEN TIMES, THURSDAY, FEB. 8, 1968

Lake Apopka progress continues

The Lake Apopka Technical Committee met recently to discuss a proposed grant from the Water Resources Research Center. The main consideration is for a study of the best ways to eliminate the waste water being pumped into the lakes from the muck farms.

Lions to sell brooms, mops for Library Fund

The Winter Garden Lions Club is selling brooms, mops and wisp brooms for the new month to raise funds for the West Orange Library.

THE WINTER GARDEN TIMES, THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1968

City leases old ACL depot

An agreement has been signed between the ACL Railroad and the City of Winter Garden for the use of the old depot on Plant Street. Action was started on this project several months ago, when the Winter Garden Improvement Committee working, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, came up with the idea.

SEE HEADLINES / PAGE 20

A clean you can trust.

CONGRATULATIONS West Orange Times on your

110 Anniversary th

delivering local news to West Orange county.

Molly Maid of West Orange and South Lake Counties

407-877-0184

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THE WEST ORANGE NEWS,

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THE TIMES,

HEADLINES / PAGE 19

THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1985

Tri-City Airport is killed

John Langford, of Winter Garden, remembers ’Operation Baby Lift’

The possibilities of an airport to service the cities of Winter Garden, Ocoee and Apopka has been postponed indefinitely.

A recent letter addressed to Mayor George Barley from the Federal Aviation Administration said in effect that there are no funds available at this time for the program outlined by the Tri-City Airport Authority.

The past few weeks have been filled with recollections of the end of World War II in Europe and the 10th anniversary of the end of the war in South Vietnam.

Winter Garden insurance man John Langford has been living for the past 10 years with the painful memory of a United States mission of mercy in Vietnam that turned into a tragedy. …

In early April 1975, just before the fall of Saigon, President Gerald Ford became concerned about the fate of several hundred Amer-Asian orphans in Saigon. Sensing the real danger that these innocent youngsters might be killed or mistreated, he ordered their evacuation by air.

John Langford was then serving as an Air Force captain at Travis Air Force Base in California … and had already completed a 13-month tour in Southeast Asia. He volunteered to be navigator on the ill-fated mission to rescue the children.

The huge C5A Galaxy aircraft … took off for Clark Field in Manila with about 330 passengers aboard. … When the plan crash-landed just an hour later, only 175 survived.

THE WINTER GARDEN TIMES, THURSDAY, DEC. 26, 1968

Lake Apopka gets federal aid money

A federal grant has been approved in the amount of $12,000 to begin leaning up of Lake Apopka according to information from Governor Kirk’s office.

The funds will be used for ground work in a state-federal project to try and bring back the lake for use of the sportsmen.

Airport is approved, funds must be found

With the approval of the Tri-City Airport, which will serve West Orange and the area around Apopka, the next step is to secure funds for the building of the much needed facility for our area.

The airport authority was organized several months ago and has representatives from Winter Garden, Ocoee and Apopka.

THE WINTER GARDEN TIMES, THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 1971

Ocoee appoints City Manager

In a special meeting Thursday, April 8, Ocoee City Council voted to hire retired USAF Col. John L. Vignetti as city manager under the regulations of the existing city charter.

THE WINTER GARDEN TIMES, THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1971

Ballpark renamed Sam Williams Field

The Little League Baseball field in Winter Garden has just been named “Sam Williams Field” in honor of a man who has contributed so much to Little League baseball here.

The unveiling of the handsome new sign was a surprise event of the Awards Banquet last Tuesday, July 6.

He was a prime mover in its beginnings 12 years ago — he had to borrow money for the original charter.

THE WINTER GARDEN TIMES, THURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 1971

New fruit season starts

The 1971-72 fruit season has officially begun, with Indian Lake in Ocoee starting to pack this year’s first grapefruit. Heller Bros. will follow at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 24, with Battaglia close behind on Monday, Sept. 27.

THE WEST ORANGE TIMES, Certifine will also be starting any day now, according to Don Phillips. Roper Growers is shooting for the end of September with no definite date set as of yet. South Lake is hoping to get started by the first Monday in October. They are waiting for the grapefruit to get a little bit sweeter, according to Bill Holden.

Winter Garden Citrus Growers Association is in the process of rebuilding its packing house and hopes to have it ready by the latter part of November. It won’t be long before the trailer loads of ripe fruit will be a familiar sight once again.

WINTER GARDEN TIMES, THURSDAY, AUG. 30, 1979

Y hires Olympic gold medalist as swim coach

The West Orange Branch YMCA has hired an Olympic Gold Medalist as the coach for the newly formed swim team.

Fred Tyler won a gold medal in the 1972 Munich Olympics for the 800-meter freestyle relays.

WINTER GARDEN TIMES, THURSDAY, SEPT. 20, 1979

Mayor Hovsepian proposes building island, causeway in Lake Apopka About 30 people attended a meeting at Winter Garden City Hall last week, which was called by Mayor Sam Hovsepian, of Oakland, to discuss a mammoth dredging plan for Lake Apopka to create a large island with an airport and recreation areas in the center of the lake.

WINTER GARDEN TIMES, THURSDAY, OCT. 4, 1979

EPCOT construction now underway

There was plenty of fun, excitement and surprise at the groundbreaking activities last Monday for Walt Disney World’s new EPCOT Center, an $800 million expansion which is due to open at 9:02 a.m. Oct. 1, 1982.

An artist’s concept of EPCOT Center (depicts) the vast new showplace for the technologies of tomorrow and the nations of today.

The 600-acre entertainment-communications center will include two major themed areas, Future World … and World Showcase with areas representing various nations ranged around a central lagoon.

WINTER GARDEN TIMES, THURSDAY, DEC. 20, 1979

Work begins on new auto auction

One of the finest auto auction facilities in the nation is now under construction in Ocoee.

Florida Auto Auction at Orlando, which is presently located at 550 Mission Road in Pine Hills, acquired 47 acres here in West Orange last week to accommodate a rapidly growing business.

The new site is immediately west of the Orange County Services Building on Story Road and runs from Story Road south to State Road 50.

JAN. 28, 1988

Planning begins for Southwest Beltway

A public meeting at West Orange High School last week signaled the fact that planning is underway for the Southwest Beltway. This 25-mile leg of the full Western Beltway will extend from the Florida Turnpike near Ocoee southwest to Interstate 4, just east of the US 27 interchange. It is part of a long-range road plan for the Orlando urban area, the need for which was first identified in 1969.

THE WEST ORANGE TIMES, MARCH 31, 1988

County votes to widen Conroy-Windermere despite intense objections by area residents Quoting Robert Frost, Oliver Wendell Holmes and others to reinforce their message, southwest Orange residents said, “We don’t want it,” to the county’s plan to six-lane Conroy-Windermere Road.

After listening to dozens of homeowners who described the plan as “overkill,” the commissioners approved the improvement plan anyway, on the following basis: • six-laning from Hiawassee Road east to Kirkman Road.

• four-laning from Hiawassee Road west to Apopka-Vineland Road and beyond the intersection to the Isleworth entrance.

• bike lanes and sidewalks to be provided.

SEE HEADLINES / PAGE 22

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

WOTimes.com 21

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West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

22 WOTimes.com HEADLINES / PAGE 20 • the county staff was instructed to work out a plan which will continue to provide a left turn for eastbound traffic on Conroy-Windermere Road into the Kirkman Oaks Shopping Center.

• the staff also was instructed to find a way to give residents of the apartment complex just west of the shopping center access to Kirkman Road.

Teacher of the Year award named for Jessie N. Brock

Something new has been added to the Orange County Teacher of the Year award. When the annual honor was announced two weeks ago, a brand new trophy was presented, which will spend a year at the school of the award’s recipient.

Appropriately, the pyramid-shaped trophy has been named the Jessie N. Brock Award, in honor of a longtime Orange County educator who lives in Oakland and is well-known in these parts.

Countless West Orange residents remember Jessie Brock with deep affection and respect as teacher and principal.

THE WEST ORANGE TIMES, THURSDAY, AUG. 2, 1990

Man who dropped bomb on Hiroshima leads quiet life on Lake Down

Colonel Tom Ferebee, a retired U.S. Air Force officer who now lives in the Windermere area, served as bombardier on the B-29 “Enola Gay,” which flew to Hiroshima, Japan on Aug. 5, 1945. When the atomic bomb was dropped, it was “quite possibly the most important single event of World War II.” Its consequences were greater than any other event of the war.

This week marks the 45th anniversary of the atomic bomb, which was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, and the world will never be the same.

“It was the brightest light I’ve ever seen,” recalls Col. Ferebee. “We were flying above 30,000 feet, and yet the

cloud quickly reached out altitude.

The shockwave rocked the plane, even though we were nearly 12 miles away when it reached us.”

Ferebee, who now lives on the east side of Lake Down, remembers experiencing a feeling of happiness that the bomb had been successful. It was the culmination of many months of intense effort and planning.

THE WEST ORANGE TIMES, THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1995

Partners join to welcome visitors to city

Main Street Winter Garden, the city of Winter Garden and Walt Disney World Co. join hands in welcoming visitors and residents to Winter Garden.

Two “Welcome to Winter Garden” signs, designed and manufactured by Walt Disney Co., were installed inside the east-side city limits on West Colonial Drive.

MSWG solicited Disney’s participation in this project for the city. The original logo, depicting the prominent water tower and the city’s citrus heritage, was designed by local artist Andy Crabtree, with Disney’s sign department adding special stylized touches resulting in the finished product. The city’s Public Works Department recently added landscaping to complement the signs.

THE WEST ORANGE TIMES, THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1995

Lake Lotta project gets new name: West Oaks Mall

Homart announced Tuesday of this week it has purchased 130 acres of land from Lake Lotta Ltd. to develop West Oaks Mall, a 950,000-square-foot regional shopping center in Ocoee.

West Orange Mall, previously referred to as Lake Lotta Mall, is scheduled to open in the fall of 1996. The mall is designed to initially feature four department stores — Dillard’s Gayfers, JCPenney and Sears in Phase 1, along with a multi-screen movie theater and about 125 specialty stores.

THE WEST ORANGE TIMES, THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1995

Windermere receives valuable, historic gift from Parramores

Windermere Town Planner Carl Patterson describes residents Manuel “Perry” and Eunice Parramore as “really the most revered people in town.”

For years the couple, now in their 80s, operated a gas station and grocery store in town, first on the northeast corner of Sixth Avenue and Main Street and later on the southeast corner. On May 3, the couple executed a deed to their property along Seventh Avenue between Main and Forest streets giving three lots to the town of Windermere.

The only habitable building on this property is Windermere’s original school built around 1910. Church services and Sunday School also were held in the building during Windermere’s early days.

THE WEST ORANGE TIMES, THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1995

A tribute to Lester Dabbs

Family, friends, colleagues and former students turned out last Friday for the dedication of the Stonewall Jackson Middle School gymnasium in honor of Lester Dabbs, of Ocoee, who served as principal of the school for 20 years, as well as principal of Lakeview Middle and West Orange High and commissioner and mayor of Ocoee.

THE WEST ORANGE TIMES, THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2005

Winter Garden elections change face of commission

THURSDAY, FEB. 26, 1998

Some of the faces on the Winter Garden City Commission are changing.

The change began at last Thursday’s meeting when a special session was set to appoint someone to fill the District 1 commission seat vacated

by Bill Thompson’s recall, while a new District 4 commissioner took her oath of office.

Adding to the shake-up, City Manager Hollis Holden will retire from his post as of April 1.

Storm slams Winter Garden

THE WEST ORANGE TIMES,

THE WEST ORANGE TIMES, Three residents died and 35 were taken to Health Central with injuries in the aftermath of a tornado that ripped through Winter Garden just before midnight Sunday evening. Once the wind died down, all that was left in the twister’s path were smashed homes, ruined businesses, apartment buildings reduced to rubble — and many lives that have been changed forever.

The three who died lived in the long-established retirement community of Hyde Park, which is made up of manufactured homes.

Police identified them as Ollie Sanders, 68, 975 Hyde Park Circle, Gordon Chandler, 81, 950 Hyde Park Circle, and Robert Osborne, 75, 1048 Royal View Drive.

THE WEST ORANGE TIMES, THURSDAY, AUG. 24, 2000

Oakland hires first female police officers

With the hiring of two new officers, the Oakland Police Department now has seven full-time positions — including the first two female officer in the town’s history.

Dawn Beninato, 24, was hired in May. … Nicole Torres, 28, was hired in August.

THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2009

The towers fall

Crowds of onlookers gathered near the Colony Plaza in Ocoee on Saturday for the chance to see a textbook implosion of the 41-year-old derelict hotel at the corner of West Colonial Drive and Maguire Road.

Rounds of dynamite went off at 7:15 a.m., and within seconds the hotel was a pile of rubble under a dust cloud.

THE WEST ORANGE TIMES, THURSDAY, FEB. 6, 2014

Observer Media Group buys The West Orange Times

After more than four decades, the Bailey family has sold The West Orange Times, the weekly community newspaper that has served West Orange County for more than a century. The sale closed on Monday.

The buyer, Observer Media Group Inc., is owned by Matt and Lisa Walsh, who publish eight other weekly newspapers in Florida.

“Our family is happy to have the Walshes continue the legacy of The West Orange Times,” said longtime publisher Andrew Bailey, who, with his mother, Anne Bailey, owned the Times.

“We were fortunate to sell our newspaper to friends who have a long history in community journalism.”

WOTimes.com 23

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September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

24 WOTimes.com

West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

West Oaks Mall recognizes and salutes the West Orange Times & Observer for their 110 year history.

Grab your Free West Orange Times & Observer and your Lunch Loyalty Card and Read, Eat and Relax at Our Conveniently Located Food Court.

Working Together to Enrich Our Community!

with Boutique Style Shopping!

407-294-1494 | 9401 W. COLONIAL DRIVE, OCOEE, FL 34761 | WWW.WESTOAKSMALL.COM

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Extraordinary Events

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

WOTimes.com 25

1905

Our First Issue Sept. 13, 1905

26 WOTimes.com

West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

1905

Our First Issue Sept. 13, 1905

Improving the health of the Community

Established 1952

Continued Growth to Serve You Better

1952

1970

1980

1993

2001

2005

2015

Improving the health of our community – one patient at a time.

Health Central Hospital is proud of our history and the facilitated connections that helped us advance our rural heritage into an epicenter of innovation.

Consider the history of Health Central Hospital’s innovations, and how far it’s come in supporting and improving the health of the community. The West Orange Times reported on the growing need for a state-of-the-art medical facility, and in 1952, the West Orange Memorial Hospital opened as Florida’s first fully air-conditioned facility with piped-in oxygen in every room.

As our community grew, so did its healthcare needs. In 1993, Health Central replaced West Orange Memorial Hospital to connect the community with the latest medical advances.

Thank you to the West Orange Times for 110 Years of keeping us informed.

In Memory of

Dr. Albert Gleason 1911-2015

Thank you for your dedication to our community and for being the driving force in opening the first hospital in West Orange County.

Expan to meet the West

nding

healthcare needs of the Orange community!

Topping out on tower expansion Today, Health Central Hospital is a Joint Commission accredited hospital that has grown from a 41 bed hospital in 1952 in the heart of Winter Garden, to a 171 bed hospital serving West Orange County.

Health Central Hospital continues to grow as it develops its new four story expansion. The ground floor will become part of the emergency department, tripling its current size to a cohesive 52 beds.

The other floors will provide 211 private rooms for patients. The tower, which will open mid 2016, will provide innovative care for post cardiac and vascular catheterization patients, orthopaedic and spine patients, cancer patients, and pre/post-surgical patients with innovative healthcare.

A Grand Opening for this part of Health Central Hospital’s expansion is slated for mid 2016.

Celebrating Yesterday and Today

Expanding for Tomorrow.

Chosen for Excellence. Committed to Care. healthcentral.org

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

WOTimes.com 35

1905

Our First Issue Sept. 13, 1905

36 WOTimes.com

West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

1905

Our First Issue Sept. 13, 1905

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

David W. Boers DDS PA

WOTimes.com 37

CONGRATULATIONS

Honest, Skillful and Experienced Dentistry

West Orange Times

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on your first

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I am proud to have been part of your continued success and growth.

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For reservations call 407-654-6921 or online at

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Step back in time. The Edgewater Hotel is a fully restored historic bed & breakfast style inn.

1910s

38 WOTimes.com

West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

WOTimes.com 39

CONGRATULATIONS ON 110 YEARS from

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West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

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1930s

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

1940s

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West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

CONGRATULATIONS WEST ORANGE TIMES ON YOUR 110 ANNIVERSARY

WOTimes.com 43

Congrats West Orange Times & Observer

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West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

WOTimes.com 45

Happy 110 Anniversary

th

to the

West Orange Times from

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16th Annual

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Presented by the Bloom and Grow Garden Society

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1960s

46 WOTimes.com

West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

WOTimes.com 47

Jowers Batteries, Inc.

Starting people’s lives everyday for 60 years!

We’re still here for all Orange County residents and people across the nation with all types of batteries for all purposes.

Your Contractor of Choice!

We are a full service electrical contractor serving the community for close to 10 years!

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Thank you for 110 years of supporting West Orange County!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER ON YOUR 110 ANNIVERSARY from two excellent businesses. We pride ourselves in Customer Service!

TH

Serving West Orange since 1969 Dependable 24 hr. service, 7 days a week 12811 W. Colonial Dr. Winter Garden

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Car Store Towing & Transport

1970s

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West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years CONGRATS WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER ON YOUR 110 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

WOTimes.com 49

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2002

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2014

Thru the decades, JoAnne Quarles, owner of Treasure Title has been here to service Real Estate Brokers, Mortgage Lenders, Lawyers, Home Builders and Land Developers.

Congratulations to the West Orange Times for decades of community news!

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e!

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JoAnne Quarles, C.L.C.

a tim We insure your treas ure, one closing at

1980s

50 WOTimes.com

West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

Celebrating their 52 years of manufacturing marine service equipment for Marine Dealers, the Military, Vocational Schools and Factory training schools world wide.

WOTimes.com 51

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Congratulations West Orange Times & Observer on 110 Years

Mayor John Grogan

Commissioner Rosemary Wilsen, District 2

Commissioner Rusty Johnson, District 3

Commissioner Joel F. Keller, District 4

From the City of Ocoee 181752

150 North Lakeshore Drive • 407-905-3100

1990s

52 WOTimes.com

West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years TFN

WOTimes.com 53 TFN

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West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

WOTimes.com 55

Blair M. Johnson

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West Orange Times & Observer

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on its

110th Anniversary

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serving our West Orange Community!

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West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

2010s

56 WOTimes.com

Times& WEST ORANGE

Observer WEST ORANGE COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER FOR 109 YEARS

FREE

WINTER GARDEN, FLORIDA

SPOTLIGHT

EXCLUSIVE

SPORTS

Ocoee girl selected to sing at opening of Dr. Phillips Center.

PAGE 3A

West Orange welcomes fall season with plenty of family-style fun.

PAGES 12-13A

Lakers, Eagles advance after opening-round wins.

PAGE 1B

OUR TOWN

campaign trail by Michael Eng and Zak Kerr

Webster re-elected to U.S. House U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster said he will continue to focus on the nation’s economy in his next four years.

+ Politicians step up to the mic Elected officials will take the stage — and the mic — for the West Orange Chamber of Commerce’s Elected Official Sing-Off from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 13, at CityWalk’s Rising Star at Universal Orlando Resort, 6000 Universal Blvd., Orlando.

The public is invited to cheer on the area’s prominent elected officials as they compete in a musical battle, accompanied by a live band. Sisaundra Lewis, from NBC’s “The Voice,” also will make a special appearance.

The cost is $38 for chamber members and $48 for non-members.

The event is sponsored

by Universal Orlando & Greenberg Traurig, P.A. For more information or to RSVP, visit wochamber. com/calendar/event_details/ the_rising_star_elected_official_sing_off or email kcarney@wochamber.com.

THURSDAY

NOVEMBER 6, 2014

WINTER GARDEN — Surrounded by friends, family members and West Orange constituents, U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster celebrated his re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives during his election party Nov. 4, at the Bella Room, in Winter Garden.

Webster, a Republican, soundly defeated Democrat

Michael McKenna.

Webster received 58,030 (58.96%) votes, while McKenna received 40,215 (40.86%) votes.

“I am pleased to earn the trust of Central Florida voters and am grateful for the opportunity to represent them in Congress,” Webster said. “The status quo in Washington is unacceptable, and Americans

deserve better. I will continue to fight for a balanced budget, a healthier economy, and an efficient and effective government for America’s future.”

Webster was first elected to the House in 2010 and served on the House Committee on Rules and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Before Washington, he served

from 1980 to 2008 in the Florida Legislature. He was both speaker of the Florida House and majority leader of the Florida Senate.

In the next four years, Webster said he will continue working on government spending.

“I think our government in Washington, D.C., is broken in that we’re spending more money than we have,” he said.

“We’re on a path to balance — we’re not there yet — but we have made progress the last

four years. We’ve gone from borrowing $1.5 trillion down to this last year … borrowing $483 (billion). I want to keep that going. Four-hundred-eightythree billion is a lot better than $1.5 trillion, but it’s not good enough. So, we went from borrowing 40 cents on the dollar to 16 cents on the dollar. I want to get it down to zero. Until we do that, we’re still going to be broken.”

SEE ELECTION / PAGE 8A

+ St. Luke’s to host bazaar The St. Luke’s Fall and Holiday Bazaar, sponsored by the United Methodist Women, will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 8, at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 4851 S. ApopkaVineland Road, Orlando.

The community is invited to participate in this holiday-season event.

Attendees can explore more than 14 shops to purchase holiday gifts and support a good cause. All proceeds will be given to local and international missions and charities.

Children also will have their own area to shop for their families and meet Santa Claus. Entertainment will be provided by Windy Ridge School Orchestra.

For more information, call Susse Mabie, (407) 923-8409.

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Amy Quesinberry Rhode

Professor Brent DeWitt, a circus performer from Sarasota, dons a top hat and green coat to welcome the crowd to Pinocchio’s Marionette Theater’s Punch and Judy Show Nov. 1 at the Winter Garden Culture Fest. DeWitt performed a few tricks before the puppet show. For more photos, see page 11A.

Guardian ad litem program gives Stars will headline Ocoee Founders’ Day a voice to children in foster care

Deborah Shultz.

Oakland resident Marsha Strong has spent her years in retirement helping local children as an advocate during court proceedings.

Country stars Kellie Pickler and Chris Young will perform at this year’s festival.

OCOEE — Some of country music’s brightest stars perform this weekend at Ocoee’s 21st Annual Founders’ Day Festival, this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 7 and 8.

Kellie Pickler, who won ABC’s 16th season of “Dancing With the Stars” and received an American Country Award nomination for Female Music Video of the Year for “Someone

SEE OCOEE / 6A

This week’s winner is See the photo on PAGE 9B.

success story by Amy Quesinberry Rhode | Community Editor

PREVIEW by Zak Kerr | Staff Writer

Courtesy photo

Kellie Pickler will be the Friday night headliner.

OAKLAND — Marsha Strong was nearing retirement when she caught an episode of “Dr. Phil” that would change the Oakland resident’s life — and the lives of dozens of Central Florida children in foster care and in need of an advocate during court proceedings.

Talk show host Phil McGraw is a big proponent of the guardian ad litem program, which provides trained volunteers who represent a foster

SEE GUARDIAN / 6A

Amy Quesinberry Rhode

Marsha Strong, of Oakland, has served as a guardian ad litem to more than two dozen children in five years.

INDEX Calendar................................2A Crossword..............................9B

History.................................17A Obituaries............................17A

Real Estate ............................6B Schools ...............................14A

Sports....................................1B Weather .................................9B

Vol. 81, No. 44 | Three sections

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FRONT ROW, FROM LEFT JESSICA ENG, Design Editor Jessica lives in Windermere with her husband, Michael, and their children, Lyric and Aria. She has been with Observer Media Group for 15 years and with the West Orange Times & Observer for one. Jessica has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ball State University.

BILL CARTER, Advertising Sales Executive Bill lives in Howey in the Hills, and he and his wife, Kim, have one son, Dalton. He has a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Phoenix and Florida Southern. Bill has been employed by the West Orange Times & Observer for two months.

MICHAEL ENG, Executive Editor Michael lives in Windermere with his wife, Jessica, and their children, Lyric and Aria. He has been with the West Orange Times & Observer for one year and with Observer Media Group for 15. Michael has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and minors in creative writing and religious studies from the University of Missouri — Columbia.

SARAH FELT, Customer Service Representative Sarah lives in Minneola and has two children. She is currently taking classes at Tallahassee Community College. Sarah has been with the West Orange Times & Observer for one year.

AMY QUESINBERRY RHODE, Community Editor Amy lives in Winter Garden, where she was born and raised. She is married to Mark and has two children, Allison, 19, and Adam, 16. She graduated from West Orange High School in 1985 and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in English from the University of Georgia, Athens. She has been employed at the West Orange Times & Observer for 25 years.

STEVEN RYZEWSKI, Sports Editor Steven is single and lives in Orlando. He has been with the West Orange Times & Observer for one year. Steven has a bachelor’s degree in humanities from the University of Central Florida.

BACK ROW, FROM LEFT TONY TROTTI, Creative Services Tony lives in Winter Haven. He and his wife of 19 years, Lisa, have one son, Jaxson, 16. He was hired by the West Orange Times & Observer six months ago but has 36 years of experience in the newspaper industry.

Tony has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in visual communications with a minor in marketing from Jacksonville University.

KIM EDWARDS, Advertising Sales Executive Kim lives in Winter Haven and is married with two children and five grandchildren. She graduated from Polk State College. Kim has been with the West Orange Times & Observer for nine months and has 33 years of experience in the industry.

ALLISON BRUNELLE, Customer Service Representative Allison lives in Orlando and is married with two children. She has a degree from UMass Amherst and has worked at the West Orange Times & Observer for one month.

CYNDI GUSTAFSON, Advertising Sales Executive Cyndi lives in Winter Garden and is married with two children. She graduated from Blue Mountain Academy High School. Cyndi has been with the West Orange Times & Observer for two-and-one-half years.

CATHERINE SINCLAIR, Staff Writer Catherine lives in Winter Garden, and she and fellow staff writer Zak Kerr will be married in October.

She has one feline baby. She has bachelor’s degrees in journalism and

music with a minor in biology from University of Richmond, Virginia.

Catherine has worked for the West Orange Times & Observer for five months and has been with Observer Media Group for 14 months.

ZAK KERR, Staff Writer Zak lives in Winter Garden and will marry staff writer Catherine Sinclair this month. He earned his degree from the University of Richmond and has been with the newspaper for one year.

DAWN WILLIS, Publisher Dawn lives in Lakeland and is married to Nick. She has a daughter, Lindsey; a son, Tyler; and two grandchildren, Barrett, 2, and Baylee, 1. She attended The Florida State University and has been with the West Orange Times & Observer for 19 months.

JENNIFER NESSLAR, Staff Writer Jennifer lives in Winter Garden and is single. She has a degree in journalism and media studies from the University of South Florida — St. Petersburg. Jennifer was hired last month by the West Orange Times & Observer.

KIM MARTIN, Legal Advertising Manager Kim lives in Ocoee and has one daughter, Ashley. She has been employed with the Observer Media Group for five years.

ANDRES TAM, Graphic Designer Andres lives in Orlando. He has a degree in graphic design UDLA/advertising and public relations from the University of Central Florida. Andres has worked at the West Orange Times & Observer for 17 years.

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West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

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September 2015 | West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years

West Orange Times & Observer Celebrating 110 Years | September 2015

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