12.05.19 West Orange Times & Observer by Orange Observer

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Observer Winter Garden, Ocoee, Oakland

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VOLUME 86, NO. 48

IN THIS ISSUE Observer

Health Matters DECEMBER 2019

THE MISSING PEACE SEE PAGES 10-15

KEEPING IN TOUCH

Post-partum doula Sarah Quiggle lends a hand.

Bridget Keefe lands community relations job at Orlando Health.

PAGE 8

PAGE 4

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Taking flight Native American historian Jim Sawgrass and his son brought education to new heights for UCP Charter School students. 20.

Three decades of service

A recent assessment concluded access to mental health is one of the most critical health issues in Central Florida.

BABY BACKUP

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AT YOUR SERVICE Orlando Health offers programs in Horizon West.

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Elise Hui named Oakland town clerk

Ruth Rambissoon is retiring Dec. 12 after 30 years as an administrator under three different Winter Garden police chiefs. PAGE 4.

Hui took on the town role following Kim Gay’s departure. AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

In December 2018, Elise Hui was hired to help promote the town of Oakland with a more accessible website and assist Town Manager Steve Koontz with tasks. Her title was administrative services manager, and the role was a new one created by the town. A year later, Hui is the new town clerk. She assumed the role when Amy Quesinberry

SEE NEW CLERK PAGE 4

Ruth Rambissoon is looking forward to spending her retirement years with her children and grandchildren in Tennessee.

SPORTS

West Orange Healthcare District awards two grants The recipients are the Children’s Safety Village of Central Florida and the Winter Garden Art Association. DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR

SIBLING RIVALRY PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID WINTER GARDEN, FL PERMIT NO. 81

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Postal Customer

The Holland siblings are split between UCF and USF. SEE PAGE 21.

Thanks to grants from the West Orange Healthcare District, some local residents will be able to benefit from programs offered by Children’s Safety Village of Central Florida and the Winter Garden Art Association. Last month, the WOHD provided a $15,000 grant to CSV to help the organization cover the

cost of providing safety programs. This particular grant will allow 2,800 children in West Orange to take advantage of instruction in water, fire, gun, internet, biking and pedestrian safety. “They actually have a childcentered village environment that puts the learner at the center while they’re creating real-life, SEE HEALTH PAGE 7

YOUR TOWN OAKLAND COLLECTING FOR TOY DRIVE

The town of Oakland is hosting its ninth annual Christmas Toy Drive, whichwill run through Monday, Dec. 16. Collection boxes are set up at the police station, town hall, DG Doughnuts and 7-Eleven. Gift cards to toy stores or department stores are welcome, too. Financial donations should be made by Dec. 13 to allow time to purchase the toys for distribution. Donations can be dropped off or can be mailed to the Oakland Police Department, P.O. Box 521, Oakland, FL 34760.

YOUR CALENDAR

THURSDAY, DEC. 5

PLANT CLINIC 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, at the Winter Garden Library, 805 E. Plant St. Take your plants, get your soil pH tested and ask questions of master gardener volunteers from the UF/IFAS Orange County Extension Office. (407) 835-7323. RETIRED EDUCATORS 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, at College Park United Methodist Church, 644 W. Princeton St., Orlando. The program is a “Holiday Selection of Songs and Music” presented by students from Brookshire Elementary and Boone High schools. Anyone who has worked in education is invited. For more information, visit ocrea-fl.org or call (407) 843-6909.

FINANCING AVAILABLE

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

SATURDAY, DEC. 7

HOLIDAY SHOWCASE: ACCORDION CRAZE 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at the West Oaks Library, 1821 E. Silver Star Road, Ocoee. Get in the holiday spirit with this lively showcase of holiday music by the Central Florida Accordion Club. For more information, visit cfaccordionclub.com. LEGO BLOCK PARTY 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Winter Garden Library, 805 E. Plant St. Is there anything you can’t build with LEGO? LEGO bricks will be provided but cannot go home with participants. (407) 835-7323.

MONDAY, DEC. 9

CENTRAL FLORIDA RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEETING 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9, at the Central Florida Railroad Museum, 101 S. Boyd St. Winter Garden. Videographer Danny Harmon presents “Coverage of Recent Florida Trains.” (407) 656-0559.

HANDMADE GREETING CARDS 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9, at the West Oaks Library, 1821 E. Silver Star Road, Ocoee. Learn the basic principles of card-making using card stock, stamps and more. Ages 18 and up. Supplies are limited. Registration recommended at (407) 835-7323.

TUESDAY, DEC. 10

TRANSPORTATION TOWN HALL MEETING 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, at the West Orange Recreation Center, 309 S. West Crown Point Road, Winter Garden. Orange County Government, with Mayor Jerry Demings and Commissioner Betsy VanderLey, are seeking input on public transportation, congested roads, pedestrian crossings and street lights and technology. RSVP at ocfl.net/transportation.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 11

MARVEL VS. DC TRIVIA 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Toll Road Brewing Company, 101 W. McKey St., Ocoee. Hosted by Tasty Trivia Florida and Toll Road. For more, call (407) 395-2742.

THURSDAY, DEC. 12

CUISINE CORNER: TEA EDUCATION & TASTING 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the Winter Garden Library, 805 E. Plant St. Tea education for everyone from non-tea drinkers to those who have drunk tea their whole life. Taste two teas and learn about the history of tea, fun facts and different types of tea. For more information, call (407) 835-7323. WEST ORANGE REPUBLICAN WOMEN FEDERATED MEETING 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the West Orange Country Club, 3300 West Orange Country Club Drive, Winter Garden. The group will recognize its NFRW Diamond Achievement Award; and new members, past presidents, renewed members and FFRW founder Greta Weis will be honored. Buffet lunch is $25. RSVP at rebeccatmellen@gmail.com or (407) 230-5968.

SATURDAY, DEC. 14

19TH ANNUAL JOHNS LAKE HOLIDAY BOAT PARADE Approximately 7:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Johns Lake Public Boat Ramp,

13620 Lake Blvd., Winter Garden. See all sorts of boats decorated in lights. Take lawn chairs and/or blankets. (407) 701-8033. MATTHEW’S HOPE COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Matthew’s Hope, 611 Business Park Blvd., Suite 101, Winter Garden. The event is open to the community but is geared to the younger homeless and at-risk children in West Orange County. There will be carnival booths with prizes, a Santa’s Shop, visits with Santa Claus and more. (407) 905-9500.

MONDAY, DEC. 16

RESEARCHING YOUR HEALTH ONLINE 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, at the Center for Health Improvement, 17000 Porter Road, Suite 204, Winter Garden. Discover how to safely research your health online. Learn how to find safe and accurate health information written with the patient and/or caregiver in mind. Reserve by calling (407) 407-3046.

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WINTER GARDEN THURSDAY, DEC. 5 HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE CRAWL

5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, at nine boutiques in downtown Winter Garden. Enjoy an evening of shopping, sales, sips and snacks. Visit each retailer for an entry into the $200 Visa gift card raffle. Drawing will be at 8:15 p.m. at the gazebo in the plaza. cwgdn. com. FRIDAY, DEC. 6 32ND ANNUAL LIGHT UP WINTER GARDEN

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, on and around Plant Street in downtown Winter Garden. Lighting is at 6:15. Join the city as it welcomes the season with live entertainment, vendors, shopping, children’s activities and more. (407) 656-4155. CHRISTMAS ON PLANT STREET

6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, at First Baptist Winter Garden, 125 E. Plant St. Enjoy a family-friendly Big Band concert to bring in the sounds of the holidays. (407) 656-2352. SATURDAY, DEC. 7 10TH ANNUAL JINGLE JOLLY JOG 5K

5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at Oakland Park, 15241 E. Oakland Ave., Winter Garden. Kick off the holiday season with the Jingle Jolly Jog 5K, which starts and finishes within the Oakland Park community. Cost is $45 through Dec. 6 and $55 check or cash on race day. Registration is available at bit.ly/356ihS2. The West Orange Junior Service League is the beneficiary. Wojsl.com. A VERY MERRY FARMERS MARKET

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, and continuing Dec. 14 and 21, at the Winter Garden Downtown Pavilion, 104 S. Lakeview Ave. Visit with Santa, attend a wreathmaking workshop (there’s a fee), and shop for seasonal food and unique gifts. See schedule at wintergardenfarmersmarket.com.

A MERRY WINTER GARDEN LIGHT SHOW

SATURDAY, DEC. 14 JOHNS LAKE HOLIDAY BOAT PARADE

6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, and continuing Dec. 13, 14, 15, 20 and 21, at Winter Garden City Hall, 300 W. Plant St. cwgdn.com, (407) 656-4111.

7:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Johns Lake Public Boat Ramp, 13620 Lake Blvd., Winter Garden. See a parade of boats decorated in lights. (407) 7018033.

HOLIDAY CARRIAGE TOURS

5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, and continuing Dec. 13, 14, 20 and 21 through downtown Winter Garden. The tours start at the Winter Garden Downtown Pavilion, 104 S. Lakeview Ave. Cost is $65. Reservations required. (407) 509-1981. WINTER GARDEN CHRISTMAS PARADE

1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, starting on South Dillard Street, heading north and going west on Plant Street. (407) 656-4111. MONDAY, DEC. 9 WINTER GARDEN FIRE RESCUE SANTA RUN

SUNDAY, DEC. 15 WINTER GARDEN GOLF CART PARADE

4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, along the historic streets of Winter Garden. Lineup is tentatively starting at Bradford Park on Division Street. Visit the group’s Facebook page, Christmas Golf Cart Parade.

’TIS THE SEASON

TUESDAY, DEC. 17 DE-LIGHTFUL DECORATIONS CONTEST

Judging begins at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17, for homes north of West Colonial Drive and Wednesday, Dec. 18, for homes south of Colonial Drive. Cash prizes up to $100. To download an application, go to cwgdn.com and click on Events. (407) 656-4155.

The month of December is packed with holiday events and activities throughout West Orange County.

Between 5:45 and 9 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9, through Saturday, Dec. 14, through the neighborhoods of Winter Garden. Santa will be in the city’s northwest on Dec. 9; the northeast on Dec. 10; the west side of the County Road 545 corridor of south Winter Garden on Dec. 11; the east side of the County Road 545 corridor of south Winter Garden on Dec. 12; County Road 535 and the Daniels Road corridor of south Winter Garden on Dec. 13; and the Beulah Road and Windermere Road corridor of south Winter Garden on Dec. 14. The rain makeup date is Monday, Dec. 16. Track Santa at cwgdn.com.

FRIDAY, DEC. 13 HOLIDAY MUSIC AT FRIDAYS ON THE PLAZA

7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, and continuing Dec. 20 and 27, at the Centennial Plaza Gazebo, 101 W. Plant St. A lineup of talented musicians will perform favorite holiday tunes: Dec. 13, Key Harmony; Dec. 20, Roots & Rosin/ Nicole Equerme/Abigail Collins; and Dec. 27, Paint it Black Quartet. Free. Cwgdn.com, (407) 656-4111.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Santa will visit, go to ocoee.org or call the Ocoee Fire Department at (407) 905-3140. FRIDAY, DEC. 6 EVENING WITH SANTA

6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, at the Ocoee Lakeshore Center, 125 N. Lakeshore Drive. Free pizza dinner and visits with Santa. Children can enjoy letter-writing stations, arts and crafts and more. Preregistration is required, and space is limited to 50 children. Contact Adrian at (407) 905-3180 or adorsey@ocoee.org. SATURDAY, DEC. 7 39TH ANNUAL OCOEE CHRISTMAS PARADE

10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, starting at the intersection of Maguire Road and Enterprise Street and ending at Bill Breeze Park, 125 N. Lakeshore Drive. The rain date is 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8. Santa Claus and his helpers will pass out candy and holiday cheer at the annual event, presented by the city of Ocoee and the Ocoee Lions Club. Visit ocoeelionsclub.org. OCOEE HOLIDAZE TREE-LIGHTING EVENT

5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at the city’s historic Withers-Maguire House, 16 E. Oakland Ave., and the Ocoee Lakeshore Center, 125 N. Lakeshore Drive. The treelighting ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. There will be photos with Santa Claus, Santa’s Village, a gingerbread house-decorating contest, Kids Zone with rides, games, entertainment and arts and crafts. (407) 905-3180.

OAKLAND

OCOEE

SATURDAY, DEC. 7 FOURTH ANNUAL LIGHT UP OAKLAND/SANTA DAY

THURSDAY, DEC. 5 19TH ANNUAL OPERATION SANTA

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, and continuing Dec. 9, 11, 17 and 19, through Ocoee’s more than 60 neighborhoods. If needed, rain dates will be Dec. 6, 13 and 20. The Ocoee Fire Department will help Santa Claus and his elves visit neighborhoods. For a complete list of the subdivisions

3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Oakland Town Center, North Tubb Street and East Gulley Avenue. Take the entire family out to the festive event, which offers photos with Santa, Christmas carols and more, culminating in a dazzling town center light-up display at 6 p.m. oaklandfl.gov.

Wheelchair basketball tourney set for this week IF YOU GO

The Orlando Magic Wheels will compete against three other teams at the West Orange Recreation Center in Winter Garden Dec. 7 and 8. TIM FREED MANAGING EDITOR

These athletes are ready to roll when it’s competition time. Orlando Magic Wheels will take to the court for the ninth annual All-Star 2019 Tournament Saturday, Dec. 7, and Sunday, Dec. 8, at the West Orange Recreation Center. The team is a member of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, where athletes with lower-limb disabilities that range from amputations to paraplegia play wheelchair basketball. The Orlando Magic Wheels will compete against the Shepherd Stealers, the Tucson Lobos and Team St. Luke’s in a four-team format tournament over the two days. Beyond fielding a team for competitive play, Orlando Magic Wheels — a nonprofit organization — looks “to encourage and guide the development of physically disabled novice and experienced athletes to achieve their highest

ROSTER The Orlando Magic Wheels 00 — Kevin Greene 1 — Nick Wilkins 3 — Ray Beers 4 — Danny Smith 5 — Javi Rodriguez 10 — Jake ‘Batman’ Crespo 11 — Manny Rodriguez 12 — Jim Moore 15 — Greg Dessert 20 — Mark Erikson 21 — Joyce Prakke 25 — Angel Rodriguez 31 — Ken Hill 32 – Jose Rodriguez 33 — Timmy O’Neal 42 — Dortrie ‘Bird’ Jones 44 — Matt Dalbec 55 — Connie Sloat

Courtesy photo

Athletes with Orlando Magic Wheels are ready to compete in an annual tournament this week.

performance level while practicing good sportsmanship,” according to the organization’s website. Orlando resident Connie Sloat, who just turned 63 last month, has been playing with Orlando Magic Wheels since 1997 after hearing about the organization at a disability event downtown. Prior to that, Sloat suffered a head injury from tripping and falling at work. She eventually got a brain operation after experiencing headaches and the right side of her face going numb. That surgery led to nerve damage and having no feeling in her left heel, and so Sloat had a heel

cord extension surgery done to correct it. She’s still able to walk, but the lower extremity disability qualified her to play with the Orlando Magic Wheels. “I make it fun, but I’m also serious when I play because I don’t want to lose,” Sloat said. “I think I was born that way.” Sloat said that the public is welcome to come out, watch the game and support the team. “Come try my chair if you want to see what wheelchair basketball is all about or what a disabled person goes through every day,” Sloat said.

WHEN: First games start at 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, and 9 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 WHERE: West Orange Recreation Center, 309 S.W. Crown Point Road, Winter Garden. Orlando Magic Wheels also is accepting donations to help send the team to Topeka, Kansas, for nationals next year. For more information about Orlando Magic Wheels and to donate, visit orlandomagicwheels.org. JOINING THE TEAM: Anyone with a lower-limb disability who is coordinated enough to push a wheelchair and hold a basketball is a candidate. Whether a player is already in good physical condition or looking to start exercising in a fun team environment, they are welcome to come out to a practice. Currently, the youngest member of the team is 16 and the oldest is over 60. The team currently does not have extra sport wheelchairs, but visitors can try one of the chairs at practice. A team application can be found at orlandomagicwheels.org.

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Happy retirement, Ruth! AMY QUESINBERRY

former Town Clerk Kim Gay took a position with another municipality. Her transition into the clerk’s role was seamless because she already had been helping Gay with making sure the agenda was accessible on the town website. She slowly assumed other clerk responsibilities — in the interim — until Koontz and HR Director Nancy Kulscar offered her the position. She said she is pleased that they have faith in her to do the job. Elisha Pappacoda has since been hired to fill Hui’s previous role, freeing her up to fully focus on her job. “I don’t like to do things halfway,” Hui said. “I like to really know what I’m doing to do it fully.” Already, she has been able to apply for and receive a grant to install electric-vehicle charging stations in several locations in the town.

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

SAY GOODBYE The city of Winter Garden is hosting a reception for Ruth Rambissoon, who is retiring after 30 years with the Winter Garden Police Department. The public is invited to say goodbye to Rambissoon from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at City Hall, 300 W. Plant St. A presentation will follow the reception. “I’d love to see anybody I’ve worked with or been in contact with through the police department over the years,” Rambissoon said.

“Ruth has been the chief’s administrative assistant since the day I was hired and has had a significant involvement in all areas of the department,” Allen, administrative services commander, said. “Ruth was the one who reached out to me and offered me my job 23-and-a-half years ago. Since being promoted to an administrative position in 2013, our positions work together more than ever. Ruth is very caring, very organized and truly cares about the people she works with.” Besides her office responsibilities, Rambissoon involved herself in multiple community programs

Amy Quesinberry

associated with the WGPD. The department’s annual holiday toy drive was staged for years in the former West Orange Youth Center building, which now is part of the police department. She said she has enjoyed shopping for toys, packing the bags and registering the families who benefited from the Holiday Gifts for Kids program. “It was a community service, and I enjoyed helping other people,” Rambissoon said. “I enjoyed seeing other people getting helped during the holiday season and feeling good that the police department was making sure the kids had gifts on Christmas morning.” When the WGPD Police Athletic League started in 2011, Rambissoon was treasurer. “We both volunteered for the Winter Garden Police Athletic League, where Ruth volunteered a lot of time towards our program to make sure we had the ability to provide programs that assisted our community,” Allen said. Her caring nature and organizational skills were assets on the

job, no matter which chief she was working under. “With Jimmie, if I was at my desk, that’s all I needed to do,” she said. “I used to ask for jobs from all over the (department and) ask the detectives if I can type something.” As the department evolved and grew, so did Rambissoon’s responsibilities, especially once Brennan became chief. “With Graham, I don’t want to leave,” she said. “He’s wonderful. He’s the best one I’ve worked for.” But she has seven good reasons for leaving — her two children and her five grandchildren, who range in age from 2 to 8. Rambissoon is moving to Knoxville, Tennessee, to be closer to her family. Allen always will be grateful for her guidance and attention to detail. “She was a person that could be counted on, that you knew would be there if you needed her and would get the job done,” Allen said. “Ruth did a lot for our organization, and she is going to be a hard person to replace.”

As town clerk, Hui is the official keeper of the records. She attends all Town Commission meetings, as well as the various board meetings: School Advisory Committee, Planning & Zoning and Code Enforcement hearings. She also processes public record requests, records all official documents, handles all advertising and elections and puts together all meeting agendas. Prior to moving to Florida, Hui worked in the affordable housing realm for more than 20 years and was executive director for a housing authority in Oregon. “That one I really had to use all my experience, so I got certified (in human resources),” she said. “I dealt with boards and commissions. … We had a nonprofit made up of city officials.” Looking for a change, Hui looked into the advertised position in Oakland because she thought it was a good compilation of all of her skills. She has a Bachelor of Science in social sciences and a master’s

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The West Orange Times & Observer is published once weekly, on Thursdays. The paper 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, 661 Garden Commerce Parkway, Suite 180, Winter Garden.

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New clerk in town CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Observer Friedrich Hayek

COMMUNITY EDITOR

uth Rambissoon was 28 when she was hired as the Winter Garden Police Department’s executive assistant to the chief of police, at the time Jimmie Yawn. Thirty years later, she says it’s time to say goodbye to her longtime position. Rambissoon’s first day on the job was the day before Halloween in 1989. Her last will be Thursday, Dec. 12. She has worked under three police chiefs in her three-decade career: Yawn, until 2004; George Brennan, from 2004 to 2018; and the current chief, Steve Graham. With the police department located in the heart of downtown — in several different buildings within the same city block — Rambissoon has had a vantage point that’s allowed her to watch the city and its police force flourish through the years. She has seen downtown Winter Garden’s transformation from a sleepy railroad town to a thriving city. When she accepted her position 30 years ago, the police station was in the building to the north of the current one, she worked on an IBM Selectric typewriter and the department had 42 sworn officers; today, there are 90. She said some of her most memorable moments on the job were with her coworkers: “The camaraderie; how everyone is so nice and respectful,” Rambissoon said. “Just like a family. It’s always been that way. I’ve always loved these guys just like brothers and sisters. I pray for their safety. I’ve watched officers get married, I’ve watched kids come in, I’ve watched them grow up. … You go through life with them.” Many of the officers rose through the ranks during Rambissoon’s tenure. And while some officers spent a short time with the department before moving on to other municipalities, others such as Capt. Scott Allen stayed, garnered promotions and, in Allen’s case, progressed to a senior position at the WGPD.

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Amy Quesinberry

Elise Hui recently was promoted to the office of town clerk for the town of Oakland after being hired one year ago as an administrative services manager.

degree in business administration with a concentration in human resource management. She fell in love with Oakland as soon as she saw it. “I grew up in a very small town in the Oregon coast, and I loved that everybody looked out for everybody,” she said. “Before I applied for this job, I drove through town

and I thought, ‘I love it.’ … People are super friendly. Already, not even being here a year, the other coworkers are family. “It was super easy from the get-go,” she said. “I love all the progress we’re making and the movement forward while also keeping in mind the quaintness of Oakland.”

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WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Prince Brown running for School Board District 4 The veteran and father of three hopes to become an Orange County School Board member. me being elected — it’s about passing the torch to the next generation, to make sure that my son lives in a community where his neighbors understand what it is to be an American, what it is to be a citizen and what it is to be successful and to truly understand the American dream.” — Prince Brown

TIM FREED MANAGING EDITOR

One Horizon West resident is counting on his previous experience in the classroom, the military and federal agencies to bring about change in local schools. Resident Prince Brown is running for Orange County School Board District 4 and hopes to garner the trust and votes of the community in next year’s election. After serving his country in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Public Health Service, Brown now hopes to serve the students of Orange County. He said he decided to run because he strongly believes he’s the most qualified candidate for the seat — and he wants to be a part of the School Board’s important job in the community. “When I look at the School Board, I feel like the School Board’s activities should be based on making sure that every student is successful,” Brown said. “Beyond looking at the graduation rates and college acceptance, the School Board should be focused on the success of every student, because as we look at it, these are going to be our future bankers, our future police officers, our future military members, our neighbors.” This wouldn’t be Brown’s first role related to education. After working as a federal investigator and public health analyst, Brown worked as an administrator for

Orange County Public Schools and also taught as a college professor in the department of biological sciences at Seminole State College. Brown said one aspect that sets him apart as a candidate is the perspective he has on his district — his wife is an OCPS teacher and his three children all are enrolled at OCPS schools. “I look at my kids — how are they being guaranteed success?” Brown said. “This is not about the elected official — it’s not about me being able to say ‘Oh, that’s the honorable Prince Brown,’” he said. “It’s not about me being elected — it’s about passing the torch to the next generation, to make sure that my son lives in a community where his neighbors understand what it is to be an American, what it is to be a citizen and what it is to be successful and to truly understand the American dream.” The Summerlake Groves resident looks to bring a sense of strong leadership to the School Board. One of Brown’s main priorities if elected is fiscal responsibility, preventing wasteful spending so more funding can go back into the classrooms, he said. According to his campaign website, Brown plans to allocate funding for updated facilities that take into account the rapid growth in Central Florida. He also intends to keep his attention, funding streams and training equally distributed in all district schools.

“I want to bring accountability to the School Board, transparency to the School Board,” Brown said. The candidate wants to focus on rewarding, attracting and retaining high-performance teachers, as well. That means no more meetings that interrupt planning periods and lunch breaks; providing media and classroom resources to better aid instructional efforts; and providing a fair platform for pay negotiations and fringe benefits. “When you pay your teachers properly, you’re making sure that you have the best and brightest kids,” Brown said. “It’s not about giving a one-time bonus and saying, ‘Oh, we’re going to make the teachers happy.’ I’ve been in a classroom. I know that it takes a concerted effort between the parents and the teachers to make sure that those students are prepared for what we call the real world.” Safety at public schools also is a major priority, said Brown, who plans to channel his experience as a combat veteran and his certification by the federal government as an emergency response team coordinator and disaster preparedness advisor. He intends to work with all lawenforcement agencies to come up with proactive plans related to violence in schools, as well as to seek funding for behavioral health and preventing substance abuse. “Why aren’t we investing more into the safety and the security of our kids in the schools, but then

Courtesy photo

Prince Brown said he wants to bring more accountability and transparency to the School Board.

also the security of their success?” he said. Experiences in leadership, Brown said, is part of what makes him the best candidate for Orange County School Board District 4. “We need to get back to true leadership — not the person who can raise the most money, not the person who wakes up in the morning and says, ‘Oh, I think I’ll run for office. That’s a good thing to do because I have nothing else to do,’” Brown said. “Leadership is, ‘Do your job or get out of the way.’ Do what the people put you there to do.”

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Gilbert Waganheim recalls World War II experience The Jewish World War II veteran fought in the European Theater with Patton’s 3rd Army and helped liberate a concentration camp. COMMUNITY EDITOR

Gilbert Waganheim had just turned 21 and was living in a large Jewish community in eastern Baltimore when he was called up to serve in the U.S. Army and fight the Germans in World War II. He trained at Camp Pope, in Louisiana, and was assigned to the 42nd Tank Regiment of the newly formed 11th Armor Division, which he described as a combination of tanks, field artilleries, infantry, reconnaissance, medical and supplies. When the regiment split, Waganheim stayed with the 42nd Tank Battalion. The Army corporal technician, now 98 and living in Dr. Phillips, recalled his three years as a U.S. soldier and what it was like fighting a ground war through Europe in the 1940s. He was shipped overseas in December 1944 as part of the headquarters of the 42nd Tank Battalion, and his first assignment was to guard the Meuse River, in France. When the Germans engaged in the Battle of the Bulge, Waganheim was assigned to Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Amy and sent to Belgium. Waganheim was at headquarters — making maps and plans — so he escaped any battle injuries. The soldiers fought through

Belgium and Luxenbourg and into Germany, capturing thousands of German soldiers along the way, he said.

World War II veteran Gilbert Waganheim has kept a photo of his fellow soldiers. He is sixth from the left on the second row from the top.

LIBERATING JEWS

“The big powers decided that the Russians would occupy Austria,” Waganheim said. “Patton hated the Russians, so he ordered us into Austria, where we fought. … At one point, our reconnaissance battalion was going down a road and … there was a jeep with white flags coming toward them. He was the (German) commander of the Mauthausen concentration camp. He was afraid of the Russians, so he surrendered to the Americans. “We went into the concentration camp and liberated the camp,” he said. “As we approached it, there were a thousand shoes and a pile of bodies … and going in I saw the ovens and it reminded me of when I was about 17, my father had a bread route in Baltimore. … The ovens were exactly the way the ovens were in the concentration camp where they burned the bodies.” Waganheim recalled asking the camp survivors if he could help in any way. One camp survivor who, after discovering he was American, asked him to send a letter to her relatives in Chicago to let them know she was alive. He obliged.

Amy Quesinberry

Gilbert Waganheim was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942, when he was 21.

The war was over soon after, and Waganheim was on his way home to the United States. POST-WAR LIFE

Waganheim served three years in the Army and then returned to his

family, who were by then living in Washington, D.C. He got his accounting degree from Benjamin Franklin University and worked for an accountant for a year before briefly becoming an accountant for a large jewelry store chain. For the next 40 years, he was the accountant for the Giant Food supermarket company. A few years after leaving the military, Waganheim was attending a party with friends; all of the men and women paired up, and this is where he met Edythe. After a brief engagement, they were married for 65 years before her death. They had two sons, four grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. The couple made several trips to Europe, and Waganheim returned to the Mathausen concentration camp just to see it once more. It

was just a place to see, he said. He moved to Orlando in June to be near family and recently joined American Legion Post 63, in Winter Garden. On Saturday, Nov. 16, just shy of his 98th birthday, Waganheim walked a mile in the annual Challenge 22 Ruck Walk, hosted by the post. Waganheim attends an art class almost weekly in Windermere and has an easel set up on the balcony of his Dr. Phillips condo. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has conducted thousands of video and oral histories with Jewish men and women and Holocaust survivors, and Waganheim’s interview was added to the collection in 2015. “I wish we could have saved more Jews,” he said. “But that was life, that’s what happened.”

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WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

engaging experiences that prepares them to be a full participant in their own safety,” said WOHD CEO Tracy Swanson. “We are providing that funding to ensure that those in West Orange have the opportunity to go to the safety village and participate in one or more of the many programs they offer. They provide scenarios with hands-on exercises — everything from fire safety, pedestrian safety, 911 poison protection, water, bike and helmet safety. “It’s all conducted there on their campus, and they have trained professionals that are doing the training,” Swanson said. “This grant request that they made for us was to fund the students that are in the school system or in the child aftercare program throughout West Orange.” Brent Moore, executive director at CSV, said children will get to visit the village on field trips. The organization offers nine safety programs, and children will choose two programs to experience during their trip. “We wanted to offer something to those children in the west part of Orange County, as well, and this was a perfect fit to get this grant so we can partner with them and their Healthy West Orange initiative to help make kids on the west side of town safer,” Moore said. “It’s just an ongoing love of trying to teach this community how to be safe, especially our children.” Statistically, Central Florida leads the country in pedestrian incidents and the state of Florida leads the country in preventable drowning of children up through age 4, Moore said. Those are numbers the CSV wants to change. “We’re hoping — with the programs we offer here — that we will never be No. 1 in two categories that no one ever wants to be No. 1 in,” Moore said. “We’re hoping from the classes we teach that these children will learn how to properly cross the street and what to do in these situations. It’s the hands-on experience they get when they come here that will hopefully help keep them safe.” Additionally, the WOHD gave a $21,570 grant to the Winter Garden

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Art Association to cover the cost of art classes for seniors experiencing various stages of memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. These classes are designed to engage those affected by such memory loss in a social art activity. It also allows their caregivers an opportunity for respite. Both grants are part of the organization’s community health care grants program, which offers both simplified and initiative grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations for various needs. The simplified grant program provides funds for those organizations that have a health-related project ready to activate in the district. Initiative grants fund qualifying nonprofits that have larger goals within a specific area of need identified within the district. Applications are screened by WOHD staff and then reviewed by its Community Health Benefits Committee, which in turn makes a recommendation to the Board of Trustees. Swanson said the WOHD chose the CSV and the WGAA to receive grants this fall because of the work they’re doing to ensure the youngest and oldest residents in West Orange have access to safety and health-enrichment programs. “When we awarded the grant to the Children’s Safety Village, we also awarded a grant at the same week to the Winter Garden Arts Association for arts programing they’re providing the Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers,” Swanson said. “That’s two ends of the spectrum in terms of demographics that we are addressing. We just have a vested interest in ensuring the wellbeing of all demographics of West Orange County.”

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

G R E AT E R O R L A N D O A V I AT I O N A U T H O R I T Y

The WOHD is an independent district created in 1949 by the Florida Legislature and governed by a 16-member board appointed by the governor of Florida. Since 2012, the district has awarded more than $180 million in local community grants to enhance residents’ health and wellness. The district also is a founding champion of Healthy West Orange, a grassroots movement started in 2016 to inspire West Orange County to become the nation’s healthiest community. For more information, visit wohd1949.org.

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Health grants

WEST ORANGE HEALTHCARE DISTRICT

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

A trip down memory lane COMMUNITY EDITOR

Plant. Tilden. Boyd. Dillard. Every day, folks travel the roads and streets of Winter Garden, yet many residents don’t know the history behind the names. Some were named for the area’s first settlers, and others likely were named for the earliest families who lived along the route. The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation has an extensive collection of family files that chronicle the earliest pioneers’ journey to the area and the lives of the residents who lived here before us. At the turn of the 20th century, only a handful of families lived in the area — J.L. Dillard, J.W.F. Bray, W.P. Vining, E.D.M. Perkins and G.W. Swan were the heads of these pioneer family households. As more people came to the area, roads were carved out and named and maps were created to record the city’s boundaries and provide a formal guide. In an article on maps in the Winter 2016 issue of the WGHF newsletter, Jim Crescitelli writes: “In our collection are the Sanborn Water and Fire Maps of Winter Garden and Tildenville, dating from 1917 and 1924. The

1917 edition contains nuggets of information. … Both of the Sanborn maps show all the structures on downtown streets … (and are) layered with updated graphics literally pasted on through the 1950s.” How did these streets in the historic section of Winter Garden get their names?

TILDENVILLE SCHOOL ROAD

PLANT STREET

It is believed that Plant Street was named for Henry Bradley Plant (1819-1899), the founder and president of the Plant System of railways, steamship lines and hotels. He organized and served as president of the Southern Express Company, Texas Express Company, Plant

It is believed that Plant Street, the main street running through downtown Winter Garden, is named for Henry Bradley Plant.

Luther Fuller Tilden and his family helped lay the foundation for West Orange County’s booming citrus industry and the community of Tildenville.

AND TILDEN STREET

The Luther Fuller Tilden family and descendants, no doubt, had a great impact on West Orange County, as several streets, an elementary school and a small community are named for the Tildens. Generations of the family were involved in the lucrative citrus business, and many of them lived in Tildenville. L.F. Tilden, born in 1834, moved to the area for health reasons when he was in his 40s. He bought 561 acres from William C. Roper for $9 an acre. His first Winter Garden homestead was constructed from the pine trees that grew on land he

James Lafayette Dillard and B.T. Boyd showed off two large fish, presumably caught in Lake Apopka.

owned in Apopka; they were rafted across Lake Apopka to his new residence he shared with his wife, Emily Willis, and four children. This house and another one built by Tilden still stand today at 632 and 634 Tildenville School Road. Tilden successfully grew tomatoes, citrus and sugar cane, and he and his sons, Charles H. and Luther Willis, earned a reputation for fruit and vegetable practices. He established churches and schools in the area and donated a large piece of land for Lakeview High School (now Lakeview Middle) in 1927. DILLARD STREET

James Lafayette (1858-1942) and Mattie Agnes Showalter (1854-1922) Dillard came to Winter Garden in 1887, when deer, panthers and bears roamed the territory, accord-

ing to an article in a 1934 issue of the West Orange News. They settled in an area then known as Washington Place, which is now a part of incorporated Winter Garden. J.L. Dillard built the first house on the street that now bears his name — at the southeast intersection of North Dillard Street and Agnes Street. Their second home was at Dillard and Newell streets. The Dillard homestead extended from Ninth Street, north of Plant Street, west to Boyd Street and north to Tilden Street. They had three children: Marvin, Mabel (Mrs. L.A. Grimes) and Gladys (Mrs. J.C. Bowyer). After the death of his first wife, he married Francis (Frannie) Bedingfield, a widow, and had one daughter, Jimmie Lee Dillard McClung. Dillard donated the property for the First Baptist Church Winter Garden, planted the

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first lettuce fields in the area, owned a packinghouse on South Dillard Street, was a well-known truck farmer and became one of the leading fruit and vegetable producers in the area. He served on the first city council (1908) and county commission and in the 1918-19 session of the Florida Legislature. J.L. developed other businesses and pursued other interests. The Dillard & Boyd General Merchandise store stood at the corner of Plant and Main streets. He acquired large real estate interests, developed housing and, with business partner B.T. Boyd, built many of the commercial brick buildings in downtown after fire destroyed the wooden business district of Winter Garden. In recollections of his 1908 arrival in Winter Garden, written in 1940, W.B. Burch said Dillard had the only garage in town, M.V. Dillard & Co., at the northwest corner of Plant and Main streets. In her memories, recorded in 1977, Mabel Dillard Grimes recalled her father wanting to sell cigars, so he brought some from Tampa and set up shop on Plant Street above the garage. The cigar business wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much of a success, she said. AGNES STREET

The first home of James L. and Mattie Agnes Showalter Dillard was at the crossroads of North Dillard and Agnes streets; this street possibly could have been named for her. BOYD STREET

Courtesy of Winter Garden Heritage Foundation

This 1950s map was printed on a Winter Garden Chamber of Commerce brochure.

Benjamin Thomas Boyd, who served as president of the Bank of Winter Garden for years, was a business partner of James Lafayette Dillard. In 1909, the year after the city of Winter Garden was incorporated, B.T. Boyd was elected as an alderman.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

1930S MAP

The WGHF has thousands of maps of Winter Garden, including a 1930 version that listed street names that have since changed. n Story Road was Washington Street n Lakeview Avenue was Orange Avenue n South Highland Avenue was Wright Street n South Park Avenue was West Line Avenue. n South Woodland Street was Houser Street and, before that, Ewing Street. n East Smith Street was Spivey Street. n Between Smith and Miller streets was Garden Street to the west of Dillard Street and Division Street to the east of Dillard. n South of Bay Street east of Dillard was Seaboard Railway, then Spivey and Division streets, then Florida and Pennsylvania avenues. n South of Tilden Street and east of Park Avenue was Apopka Street, then Grove Street. n North of West Bay Street was Pine Street between Park and Central. n To the west of Boyd Street was Grove Street; to the east, it was Newell Street.

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JOHN HUNTER DIED MONDAY, NOV. 25, 2019.

John Hunter, 78, of Winter Garden, passed away Monday, Nov. 25, 2019, surrounded by his loving family. Born Aug. 6, 1941, in Jacksonville, Florida, he was the son of Frank Thomas Hunter Sr. and Kathryn Hunter. His is survived by his wife, Andrea; brother, Frank Thomas Jr. (Lucille); children, Steven (Jennifer), Brenda (Gerald) House, Julie and Brian (Lisa); grandchildren, Lindsey, Karlen, Kasey, Hannah, Trey, Madison, Holly and Alexis; and great-granddaughter, Kali. John grew up in Thomasville, Georgia, and graduated from Thomasville High School. He relocated to Orlando, Florida, where he met his wife of 54 years, Andrea, and began working for Modern Welding Company as a purchasing agent, where he worked for over 40 years.

He was well respected in the industry and within his company as one of the top purchasing agents in the business. He was a savvy negotiator and formed solid, long-lasting relationships with key suppliers that also carried over into his personal life. John treasured his family time and enjoyed organizing family reunions and get-togethers with extended family regularly. He was an active member of the Catholic Church. He also enjoyed traveling, especially cruising and visiting tropical destinations in the

DAVID ALAN CLARK DIED SATURDAY, NOV. 30, 2019.

David Alan Clark, 52, of Winter Garden, Florida, passed away Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019. David led a successful life dedicated to the service and care of others. After graduating from West Orange High School, he went on to attend UCF and then medical school at Nova Southeastern University. Upon graduating from medical school, David joined the United States Army, where he obtained the rank of major and worked as a flight surgeon. After completing a total of eight years in the service, David opened his own practice, South Alabama Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, located in Ozark, Alabama,

where he cared for patients and fixed their ailments for 12 years. When he was not seeing patients, David was an avid golfer who loved the sport so much that he purchased a home right on a golf course. David is survived by his beloved daughter, Caroline Clark; parents, Robert and Grace Clark; brother, Robert J. Clark; niece, Jessica

Caribbean. He was a very sociable person and enjoyed making new friends wherever he went. His sense of humor and friendly personality were evident in everything that he did. He will be sorely missed by his family and friends. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be sent in John’s name to Matthew’s Hope Ministries, 611 Business Park Blvd., No. 101, Winter Garden, FL 34787; (407) 905-9500 phone; info@matthewshopeministries. org. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 6, 2019, at Resurrection Catholic Church, Winter Garden, with reception and interment immediately to follow. John’s funeral arrangements are in the caring guidance of Winter Oak Funeral Home and Cremations, 1132 E. Plant St., Winter Garden, FL 34787.

Lightcap and family; and former spouse of 20 years, Kimberly. Preceding him in death are his grandparents, Grady and Ruth Clark, and Grady and Mary Lee Harrison. Burial will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, 2019 in Florida National Cemetery, 6502 S.W. 102nd Ave., Bushnell. A celebration of life will be held at the Elks Club of Winter Garden (700 Ninth Street, Winter Garden, FL 34787) starting at noon Saturday, Dec. 14. In lieu of flowers, David’s family asks that a charitable contribution be made to an organization of your choice. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

WEST ORANGE OBITUARIES

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

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MARY VICTORIA “VICKIE” BOLES DIED TUESDAY, NOV. 26, 2019.

Robert O’Dell Mallory, 88, of Ocoee, died Friday, Nov. 8, 2019. Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Home, Winter Garden.

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Mary Victoria “Vickie” Boles, 80, of Ocoee, Florida, went home to be with the Lord Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019. Miss Vickie was born May 18, 1939, in Bowling Green, Florida, to the late Uriah Sterling Hancock and Minnie Ola Hancock. Miss Vickie was a member of Temple Free Will Baptist Church in Winter Garden. She loved to eat out, country music and being with friends and family. She will be dearly missed by all who knew

Margaret Louise Swetland, 82, of Ocoee, Florida, passed away Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019. Ms. Swetland was born Feb. 1, 1937, in Johnson City, Broome County, New York, to the late Howard and Catherine Swetland. She lived in Central New York and Northern Pennsylvania prior to moving to Florida. She was involved in the history of Elkland, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding areas. Ms. Swetland is survived by her children, Katherine P. Heisel, Lawrence H. Woolheater, Pamela L. Barbour and Laurie J. Steiner; sister, Marjorie Bovan; grandchildren, JaNeil L. Heisel, Ami Jo L. Alamo of Apopka, Florida, Lucas D.

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at the age of 5! She sang in the choir of the Baptist Church and, later, the Oakland Presbyterian Church, where she was a member until her passing. She had a beautiful voice and sang at many weddings! She and Dave were charter members of the West Orange Country Club, where she enjoyed golf and tennis. She was also an avid bowler with the Winter Garden women’s league. When the ladies in West Orange decided that they needed a garden club, she was very involved as a founding member of the Bloom & Grow Garden Society

MARGARET LOUISE SWETLAND DIED SATURDAY, NOV. 16, 2019.

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1132 E. Plant Street, Winter Garden, FL 34787

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Frances S. Stanford passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019. She is survived by her husband, David Stanford; her daughter, Leslie Warden (George); son, Steve Stanford (Ginnie); and grandchildren, Michael (Jessica) and Conner Stanford and Lindsay and Derek Warden. Fran was born May 5, 1927, in Louisville, Kentucky, and came to Winter Garden in 1940 when her father, the Rev. Albert Stulck, became the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Winter Garden. After graduating as class valedictorian of Lakeview High School, she attended Florida State College for Women with her best friend Trina (Stanford) Lummus, who introduced her to Dave. They married in 1952 and enjoyed 67 years of marriage. Fran was active in the community in many ways. She loved music and began performing

and loved to attend the monthly meetings and enjoyed working at the annual festival. She also volunteered at the hospital, both the one on Dillard Street, where she ran the griddle (she would say that she was a professional cook), and at Health Central. Her time spanned over 40 years serving the community there in many ways. Her greatest love was working at the church, from singing in the choir to organizing the Annual Christmas Joy reception and selling poinsettias for the sanctuary at Christmas. She would stand at the rear of the church with her clipboard to make sure that everyone had the chance to “volunteer.” She will be missed. Her service will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, at the Oakland Presbyterian Church, with a time of gathering afterward. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the church.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

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1148 E. Plant St. Winter Garden, Fl careyhand.com 5.092”x4” Collison_Rob’19

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FRANCES S. STANFORD DIED WEDNESDAY, NOV. 27, 2019.

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Waterside home sells for $612,777

home in the Wa-

SIGNATURE LAKES

estate transactions from

The home at 14597 Whittridge Drive, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 25, for $357,500. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 2,793 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $128.

Nov. 23 to 29. The home

SUMMERLAKE

terside community topped all Winter

Garden residential real-

at 16778 Rusty Anchor Road, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 26, for $612,777. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths

Coldwellbankerhomes.com

The home at 16778 Rusty Anchor Road, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 26, for $612,777. The first floor of this home includes a den, bedroom, full bath and powder room. The second floor includes an owner’s retreat, owner’s bath with separated shower and garden tub, his and hers vanities and a walk-in closet.

square foot is $138.04.

den, 34787, sold Nov. 27, for $503,500. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,614 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $192.62.

HORIZON WEST

LAKES OF WINDERMERE — PEACHTREE

and 4,439 square feet of living area. The price per

ENCLAVE AT BERKSHIRE PARK

The home at 7441 Colbury Ave., Windermere, 34786, sold Nov. 25, for $379,000. Built in 2009, it has four bedrooms, threeand-one-half baths and 2,699 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $140.42. HIGHLANDS AT SUMMERLAKE GROVES

The home at 15460 Sweet Orange Ave., Winter Gar-

The home at 8519 Abbotsbury Drive, Windermere, 34786, sold Nov. 25, for $316,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,866 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $169.35. LEGADO

The townhouse at 13369 Gorgona Isle Drive, Windermere, 34786, sold Nov. 23, for $318,554. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-

SNAPSHOT

Total Sales: 71 High Sale Price: $2.25M Low Sale Price: $124,000

half baths and 1,767 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $180.28. OVERLOOK AT HAMLIN

The home at 15252 Shonan Gold Drive, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 25, for $564,900. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,894 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $195.20.

The home at 7555 Purple Finch St., Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 27, for $440,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,620 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $167.94. The home at 14528 Spotted Sandpiper Blvd., Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 25, for $385,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 2,792 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $137.89.

OAKLAND

HULL ISLAND AT OAKLAND

The home at 730 Hull Island Drive, Oakland, 34760, sold Nov. 25, for $536,360. Built in 2019, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,740 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $143.41. JOHNS LANDING

The home at 570 Johns Landing Way, Oakland, 34787, sold Nov. 27, for $387,000. Built in 2003, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 4,030 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $96.03.

OCOEE

ARDEN PARK NORTH

The home at 1682 Lake Sims, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 25, for $422,855. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 3,711 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $113.95. The home at 1841 Lake Sims Parkway, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 29, for $350,936. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,538 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $138.27. The home at 1770 Black Maple Place, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 29, for $325,810. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,853 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $175.83. The home at 1819 Black Maple Place, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 27, for $307,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,853 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $165.68. The home at 1728 Black Maple Place, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 25, for $298,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,853 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $160.82. FIRST OAKS

The home at 501 Shumard Oaks Drive, No. 1, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 27, for $248,000. Built in

FULL TABLE

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REAL ESTATE

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

WINTER GARDEN BRADFORD CREEK

The home at 14101 Creekbed Circle, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 26, for $487,215. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, five baths and 3,262 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $149.36. The home at 14391 Sunbridge Circle, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 27, for $448,411. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 2,821 square feet. The price per square foot is $158.95. The home at 14397 Sunbridge Circle, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 25, for $404,155. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,414 square feet. The price per square foot is $167.42.

Zillow.com

The home at 2776 Maria Isabel Ave., Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 26, for $438,000. The kitchen features granite countertops, a center island and stainless-steel kitchen appliances.

1985, it has four bedrooms, twoand-one-half baths and 1,881 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $131.84. The home at 1412 Prairie Lake Blvd., Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 29, for $240,000. Built in 1985, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,220 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $196.72. FOREST TRAILS

The home at 2280 Laurel Blossom Circle, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 26, for $250,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,047 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $122.13. JESSICA MANOR

The home at 2003 Lady Ave., Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 25, for $155,000. Built in 1982, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,066 square feet. The price per square foot is $145.40. The home at 2776 Maria Isabel Ave., Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 26, for $438,000. Built in 2011, it has four bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,922 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $149.90.

The home at 3210 Timber Hawk Circle, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 26, for $310,990. Built in 2019, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 2,447 square feet. The price per square foot is $127.09. OCOEE LANDINGS

The home at 1968 Ibis Bay Court, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 24, for $338,990. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,063 square feet. The price per square foot is $164.32. OCOEE RESERVE

The home at 2524 Ocoee Reserve Court, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 25, for $257,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 1,615 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $159.13. PEACH LAKE MANOR

The home at 1001 Jamela Drive, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 25, for $186,500. Built in 1959, it has three bedrooms, one baths and 1,051 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $177.45.

half baths and 1,774 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $122.32.

HILLCREST

The home at 1417 Markel Drive, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 25, for $451,000. Built in 1991, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,381 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $133.39.

SILVER GLEN

The home at 306 Sterling Lake Drive, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 25, for $335,000. Built in 1992, it has four bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,369 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $141.41.

ORCHARD

The home at 2313 Pesaro Circle, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 25, for $380,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,900 square feet. The price per square foot is $131.03.

The townhouse at 13867 Golden Russet Drive, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 26, for $231,000. Built in 2006, it has two bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 1,744 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $132.51.

WINDSTONE OF OCOEE

OXFORD CHASE

WESTYN BAY

The home at 2490 El Marra Drive, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 25, for $316,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,255 square feet. The price per square foot is $140.13.

The home at 14853 Winkfield Court, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 27, for $420,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,073 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $136.67.

PARK PLACE OF WINTER GARDEN

The townhouse at 475 W. Smith St., Unit 32G, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 23, for $519,250. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,351 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $220.86. SOUTHERN PINES

The condo at 142 Southern Pecan Circle, No. 204, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 25, for $170,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,453 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $117. STONE CREEK

The home at 1554 Tiverton Blvd., Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 27, for $242,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,397 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $173.23. VILLAS AT TUCKER OAKS

The townhouse at 1356 Scarlet Oak Loop, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 26, for $245,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 1,701 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $144.03. WESTFIELD LAKES

The home at 12409 Westfield Lakes Circle, Winter Garden, 34787, sold Nov. 26, for $485,000. Built in 2004, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,073 square feet of living area. The price per square foot is $157.83.

BUYING A HOME? SELLING YOUR HOME?

RESERVE AT MEADOW LAKE

The townhouse at 1332 Glenleigh Drive, Ocoee, 34761, sold Nov. 26, for $217,000. Built in 2010, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-

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WOW WHAT A DREAM!!! TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BEAUTY THAT FEATURES 5 BDRMS/4 BA. BRICK HOME ***over 3300 sq.ft. of living***NO HOA*** MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN W.G*** If you have been looking for a great home in IMMUCLATE condition this is it!!! This is a picturesque setting with stately trees and landscaped yard, a fitting introduction to a superb interior.Open the door to the foyer that seems to say “Welcome Home”. The living room is large enough for a piano and still has plenty of room for sofa and chairs, you can entertain in Uncrowded comfort in the spacious dining room. The family room is Highlighted by the corner brick fireplace and sliding door leading the the large 21x35 covered screened and brick patio. Completely modernized kitchen with GRANITE COUNTER TOPS, STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES, wood cabinets w/ lighting underneath, plus breakfast bar and breakfast nook. Split bedroom plan has a SPACIOUS Master Bedroom adjoined by Large Master Bath, plus another bedroom, guest bath and laundry rm. On the other side of the house features 2 bedrooms, guest bath and another bedroom you could consider as a 2nd master adjoined by a full bath. The home also features a 3-car garage, plenty of room for parking a boat or motor home. MOTIVATED SELLER!!! Asking Only $459,900

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LOCATION, LOCATION...ONLY MINUTES TO DOWNTOWN ORLANDO OR WINTER PARK!!! LOCATED IN A MUCH DESIRED LOCATION!!! NO HOA!!! STEP INSIDE AND BE AMAZED OF THE CONDITION OF THIS ONE OWNER PAMPERED HOME!!! FEATURES INCLUDE LIVING ROOM, DINING ROOM, EAT-IN KITCHEN, FAMILY ROOM, TWO BEDROOMS AND 2 BATHS!!! THIS HOME COMES COMPLETE WITH FURNITURE, ALL APPLIANCES STAY INCLUDING WASHER & DRYER!!! ALSO FEATURED IS THE AIR CONDITIONED FLORIDA ROOM OVER LOOKING THE LARGE IN GROUND POOL (27X19) FENCED LANDSCAPED YARD!!! THIS IS A GREAT BUY FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYER’S OR IF YOU WANT TO DOWN SIZE... RELAX AND ENJOY YOUR OWN POOL!!! MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY!!!

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213 E. Bay St. • Winter Garden, FL 34787 | www.gosselinrealty.com

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UNBELIEVABLE WATERFRONT ON THE WEST COAST!!! Immaculate condition 4 Bdrm. 3 Ba. minutes from the INTRACOASTAL WATERWAYS AND OCEAN. Open the front door, step inside the foyer and be amazed at the beauty of the open floor plan and view of the screened lanai, pool and the water. Large living room designed to show your furnishings to the best advantage. Look through a picture window as you dine in the formal dining room, The Kitchen is a decorators dream that features 42” cabinets, granite counter tops, breakfast bar and all appliances stay!!! Informal dining and patio dining for enjoyable entertainment. Family room is a favorite spot for family fun & informal entertaining. This home is a split floor plan and features 2 MASTER SUITES, the main master has walk in shower, jetted tub, his/her walk-in closets. Inside laundry complete w/ washer & dryer, 3 car garage.UPGRADES INCLUDE CUSTOM BUILT HOME, CUSTOM WINDOW COVERINGS, NEW A/C (18 SEER) HIGH EFFICIENT, PRIVATE BOAT DOCK W/ 2 LIFTS, WATER, ELECTRIC AND FISH CLEANING TABLE. SOLAR HEAT AND ELECTRIC HEATED SALT POOL. HUGE SCREENED LANAI AND OPEN PATIO. ASKING ONLY $799,900

LABOR DAY SALE!!!

3 BEDROOM/2 BATH, DON’T PASS THIS BUY!!! ***NO HOA***NEW AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WAS INSTALLED 2/20/19***ROOF IS 12 YEARS OLD*** APPLIANCES APPROX. 6 YEARS OLD...Step inside to this home, WOOD flooring throughout the home except for kitchen and master bath are tile. Guest bath has been remodeled with laminate, wainscoting and new sink with cabinet. The kitchen features GRANITE countertops, wood cabinets, walk-in pantry. Go through the sliding glass doors to the covered, screened and tile flooring patio (11x18) with ceiling fans, privacy fenced back yard, complete with storage shed, above ground pool. The back yard also features a deck that is covered, plus the yard is large enough for a boat!!! Back into the house this home features the guest bath centered around the 2 guest bedrooms. The master bedroom is adjoined by master bath that features tub and separate shower.Landscaped yard, 2 car garage, this beauty is located in Winter Garden minutes from downtown!!! Asking Only $250,000

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MEADOW RIDGE

OAK TRAIL RESERVE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Ever wonder why the streets of West Orange County do not look like the streets of other rapidly growing communities?

Ever wonder why you don’t see, or notice, as many homeless men, women and children standing on our street corners?

Could it be due to the Hide in Plain Sight Initiative and Moving Forward Program at Matthew’s Hope? “Matthew’s Hope is a ministry first and foremost demonstrating the love, hope, grace and mercy of Jesus Christ in all we do; and a facilitator of opportunity to those who choose to move forward toward a life of independence and self-sustainability”. Over the past 9 months Matthew’s Hope has experienced a 43% jump in the number of homeless men, women and children we serve on a regular basis. In 2019 Matthew’s Hope raised $1,161,882.31, none of which was Tax Payer Funded Government issued or controlled monies, with 95% of funds raised spent directly on improving the lives of the homeless in our community. In addition to our fundraising efforts, over $2,000,000.00 was received in Donated Goods and Services, and over 25,000 Donated Volunteer Hours.

407.905.9500 I MatthewsHopeMinistries.org 611 Business Park Blvd #101, Winter Garden, FL 34787 facebook.com/MatthewsHopeMinistries

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

We realize that not everyone is ready to move forward for any number of reasons. For those individuals, we offer our Hide in Plain Sight initiative. We offer showers, haircuts and fresh laundered clothing each week thus making them less noticeable in our community. Something as simple as this changes everything in how people act towards them and how they act towards those they encounter Every Tuesday, Matthew’s Hope offers the following services and more to the Structurally Challenged men, women and children of our community.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Costs per Month House 1 Family: $1,000 Feed 1 Family: $500 1 Tent, Tarp & Sleeping Bag: $100 Transportation for 1 person: $250 Provide 1 person with Mental Healthcare: $100 Provide 1 child with Preschool/Daycare: $1,000

Hide in Plain Sight Initiative Statistics 2019 TOTAL PEOPLE HELPED: 2,929 I NEW GUESTS: 243 Medical Care: 1,040

Manicures: 76

Dental Care: 48

FL Drivers Licenses: 23

Meals: 7,105

Birth Certificates: 26

Pantry Visits: 2,633

Hygiene Items Distributed: 11,195

Food Distributed: 23,703 lbs.

Clothing Items Distributed: 18,069

Showers: 2089

Life Skills Class Attendance: 416

Laundry Service: 1,290

Bible Study Attendance: 422

Haircuts: 1,190

For those ready to make long lasting changes in their life Matthew’s Hope offers the Moving Forward Program which offers the following and more.

Moving Forward Program Offerings Transitional Housing

Daycare

Mental Healthcare Counseling

Education

Montessori Preschool

Legal

Resume Building

Credit Counseling

Employment

Debt Reduction

This Christmas, Give Joy Year Round! Small gifts create lasting joy. Your recurring monthly donation in the following amounts can provide

$15

$35

$125

$250

You can help provide 1 person with transportation to work or school for 1 whole week

You can help send 1 child to Preschool for a whole day

You can help feed 1 family for a whole week

You can help house 1 family for a whole week

TEXT

Donate online at matthewshopeministries.org/donate-money

“MHM” TO 4 1444 T O D O N AT E

This is a secure site for giving

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Help Us Help Them Help Themselves

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

BAPTIST

First Baptist Church Pastor Tim Grosshans 125 E. Rant St, Winter Garden (407) 656-2352 Sundays: 8:30 a.m. Traditional 9:45 AM Bible Study 11:00 AM Contemporary Wednesdays: 6 p.m.- Awana 2nd Campus: Foundation Worship Foundation Academy High School 15304 Tilden Rd., Winter Garden (407) 730-1867 Sundays: 9:45 a.m. All Ages FoundationWorship.com

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

IT’S READ EVERYWHERE!

EPISCOPAL

Church of the Messiah 241 N. Main St., Winter Garden Services: 8, 9:30, & 11 a.m., 7 p.m. ChurchftheMessiah.com

METHODIST

First United Methodist Church 125 N. Lakeview Ave., Winter Garden (407) 656-1135 Services: 9 and 11:15 a.m. fumcwg.org

Cheryl and David Helfer took their favorite newspaper Down Under on a trip to Bondi Beach, New South Wales, Australia.

Take us with you!

mail your photo to Community Editor Amy Quesinberry at AmyQ@orangeobserver.com. You can also mail or drop off the photo: Observer Media Group, 661 Garden Commerce Parkway, Suite 180, Winter Garden, FL 34787. Emailed photos should be at least 200 dpi. Include the names of everyone in the photo, where it was taken and a phone number where the editor can reach you.

CHURCH DIRECTORY

Windermere Union Church Starke Lake Baptist Church 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Rd., Pastor Jeff Pritchard Windermere PO Box 520 611 W Ave., (407) 876-2112 Ocoee STARKE LAKE BAPTIST ANGLICAN METHODIST NON-DENOMINATIONAL Adult Worship: 9 a.m. (407) 656-2351 CHURCH FIRST UNITED METHODIST PURPOSE CHURCH OLANDO ANGLICAN COMMUNITY PO Box 520, 611 W Ave, Ocoee Sunday School: 10 a.m. CHURCH 13640 W. Colonial Dr., Ste 110, StarkeLakeBaptist.org FELLOWSHIP CHURCH Pastor Jeff Pritchard 125 N. Lakeview Ave Winter Garden Winter Garden WindermereUnion.org Rector The Rev. Canon Tim Trombitas (407) 656-2351 www.starkelakebaptist.org

Service Times 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM Phone – 407-656-1135 Web: fumcwg.org

CHURCH OF GOD CHURCH OF GOD NON-DENOMINATIONAL

407-654-9661 • Prayer 9:30AM, Fellowship 9:45AM, Service 10:05 AM

Ocoee Church of GodOCOEE CHURCH OFPurpose UNITED CHURCH OF Church Orlando BAPTISTThomas Odom Pastor Thomas Odom GOD Pastor CHRIST 13640 1105 N. Lakewood Avenue, Ocoee W Colonial Dr. Ste 110, BEULAH BAPTIST WINDERMERE UNION CHURCH 1105 N. Lakewood Ave.,Ocoee 407-656-8011 Pastor Casey Butner Winter Garden 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Rd. (407) 671 Beulah656-8011 Rd, Winter Garden Windermere, FL 34786 (407) 876-2112 EPISCOPAL 407-656-3342 | BeulahBaptistWG.org 407-876-2112 Worship times: CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY 9:30AM Adult Worship: 9 a.m. 9:00am Adult Sunday School 241 N. Main, Winter Garden SUNDAY SERVICE 11:00AM 10:00am Worship10 a.m. Sunday School: Services: 8, 9:30, & 11am, 7pm WEDNESDAY SERVICE 6:00PM www.windermereunion.org WindermereUnion.org www.churchofthemessiah.com

To advertise in the Church Directory

Save $5.00 INDIAN RESTAURANT call 407-656-2121 or email

‘S

Winter

MIKE YOAKUM PASTOR

P: 407.656.1520 C: 407.758.3570 MYOAKUM407@AOL.COM

1333 EAST CROWN POINT RD. OCOEE, FL 34761

Save $10.00

on any purchase of on any purchase of Clermont Hillside Terrace AdvertiseNow@OrangeObserver.com $50.00 and up $35.00 and up 2400 S. US Hwy 27, Ste 101 Clermont, FL 34711 May not be used in conjunction with another coupon, discount, or promotion. OPEN MON - SAT 4 P.M. SUN CLOSED 352 -241-9884 gururestaurantcatering.com DELIVERY AVAILABLE VIA

Wonderland

LV14252

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 WEDNESDAYS - 6pm - Awana Pastor Tim Grosshans www.fbcwg.org 2nd Campus: FOUNDATION WORSHIP SUNDAYS 9:45 am - All Ages Foundation Academy High School 15304 Tilden Rd., Winter Garden www.FoundationWorship.com 407-730-1867

This page appears weekly in the West Orange Times & Observer and online at OrangeObserver.com.

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1146 East Plant St, Winter Garden SUNDAY SERVICE 10:00 AM Find us at: Theacf.net

Advertise your Services or Events on this page weekly.

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UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

Matthew’s Hope Chest Creations

Check out the custom • Gently Used Furniture and New & Used underprivileged families in our community at our madeHelp silent auction items Household Items CHRISTMAS Follow us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/MatthewsHopeChest/ that willCOMMUNITY be available at the Garden Party on Visit SANTA our Workshop Location at 611 Business Park Blvd. #101, Winter Garden CARNIVAL WITH November 9!! 407.905.9500 • 8am-4pm Mon - Fri • 8am-3pm Saturday

Saturday, December 14 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

XNSP18213

ORDER YOUR CUSTOM MADE • Custom Furniture, Farm Tables, Community Partners wanted! Barn Doors, and More CHRISTMAS • Repaired, Refinished and Looking for local Businesses, Churchs, Clubs, Schools, Civic Groups, or Group of Friends. GIFTS NOW! Repurposed Wood Furniture

Sign up for a 10’x10’ Booth Area with a Christmas Twist. Booth must have an Old Time Carnival Game or Activity geared to a child 12 or younger with small prizes

With your help we can provide Games for Kids Window Shopping Visit with Santa Elves to help to make Christmas Lists Parents can return later to “shop”

We also need assistance with Food and Music! If you are interested in hosting a booth, helping in another way, or donating toward the event, please call 407.905.9500 or email info@MatthewsHopeMinistries.org Learn more at MatthewsHopeMinistries.org

DECEMBER 7 11AM- 2PM

REAL SNOW TRAIN RIDES MR. & MRS. CLAUS

Join us in The Grove's piazza for a free, family-friendly winter wonderland with none other than Santa and Mrs. Claus! There will be real snow, face paintings by Santa’s helpers, stilt walkers, train rides and more!

4700-4876 S. APOPKA-VINELAND ROAD, WINDERMERE, FL 34786 www.TheGroveOrlando.com #TheGroveOrlando

TheGroveOrlando GroveOrlando 322444-1

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WANT TO SEE YOUR LISTING HERE? Call (407) 656-2121 or email AdvertiseNow@orangeobserver.com

SATURDAY

OBSERVER

SCHOOL ZONE DECEMBER 5, 2019

The podcast class, led by Jeffrey Gallup, fifth from left: Leo Weber, Theodule Smith, Jonathan Ramjattan, a guest student, Zachary Ringer, Jackson Forges, Jacob Smith, Trenton Johnson, Cleveland Payne and Jahmell Blaise.

Photos by Amy Quesinberry

RECORDING SESSION Jeffrey Gallup’s crew of nine is recording a new podcast featuring discussions on topics ranging from music to social issues. AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

he high school years can be daunting, exciting, confusing and thrilling. To some students, they are the best of times, and to others, they are some of the worst. What better way to capture the feelings and opinions of 21stcentury high school students than through a podcast? Jeffrey Gallup is out to record high school’s highs and lows as the instructor of the new podcast class at Ocoee High School. “The high school experience is something that everyone goes through,” he said. “Any stories we could tell that high school kids could relate to ... it’s the common denominator. I thought we could make a show based on what goes on in high school life and that’s broad enough that we could create content.” Gallup’s role is to guide the students and their discussions during the recording process. They aren’t

afraid of controversy, but Gallup asks the students to keep in mind one thing: Talk the way you would if Dr. Barbara Jenkins, superintendent of Orange County Public Schools, were listening. On a recent morning, the class of nine, which meets in a small corner studio in the media center, was discussing conspiracy theories. Gallup threw out questions and shared his thoughts, but it was up to the students to keep the conversation rolling. Their talks went from UFOs, mermaids, Pizzagate and voodoo to 9/11, financier Jeffrey Epstein’s suspicious death and President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. One upcoming show will focus on the LGBTQ community. The class currently is in production for its first show. The students rotate jobs so everyone learns every station. There are producers, editors, engineers, reporters, a promotions director; Gallup serves as the executive producer, facilitating as much as the students want to accomplish.

“The goal is to produce a professional quality podcast about high school life,” Gallup said. “Once we are up and running, we hope to post at least one show per week.” RADIO ACTIVE

Gallup said he grew up listening to the radio and dreamed of becoming a radio personality. Then the podcast — basically recorded radio — was created. Gallup worked on an idea for two years before coming up with the high school version. With a $2,000 grant from the Voya Financial investment company, Gallup purchased equipment, set up his studio and recruited interested students. “I’ve got really good students,” he said. “I have three in here, one in particular, who could go into the professional business tomorrow. I’ve been really lucky with the students I have in here.” That includes students such as Zachary Ringer, one of the podcast producers, who is seeking a career in journalism. “I want to expand to as many outlets as I can to get my name out

there,” Zachary said. “Any way I can get into journalism.” Cleveland Payne and Jahmell Blaise took the class because it was unique. Cleveland didn’t know what a podcast was; Jahmell likes the idea of walking up to the microphone and talking about different subjects. Conspiracy theories and stereotypes have been two of Jonathan Ramjattan’s favorite podcasts because of the quality discussions he and fellow classmates recorded. He said he registered for the class to work on his stuttering. For Jacob Smith, being part of this class will help him in his dream of becoming a meteorologist, he said. “It’s been a positive experience for me, and for them, too,” he said. The class has recorded enough content for two shows on topics such as politics, school safety, social media, music and food. When the podcasts are ready, they will be available on the website highschoolstories.net.

Jeffrey Gallup led a recent podcast recording on conspiracy theories.

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Big Red Bus returns to Legacy Charter High Students can be someone’s miracle as the OneBlood Big Red Bus makes a stop at Legacy Charter High School from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5. All donors will receive a free OneBlood fleece blanket, free pizza and a wellness checkup that includes blood pressure, temperature, iron count, pulse and a cholesterol screening. For more information about the OneBlood Big Red Bus, donating blood to save a life and to make an appointment online, visit oneblooddonor. org. Those looking to donate can use the sponsor code #57487.

Ocoee Middle to host Multicultural Night Bring the family out to Ocoee Middle School from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, to celebrate the many different cultures spread throughout the world. The event, located in the cafeteria, will explore the cultures of different nations through food, performances and artifacts. Admission to the Ocoee Middle School event is free. For more information about Multicultural Night, contact the school at (407) 877-5035.

Foundation to produce Christmas musical Foundation Academy welcomes residents to “Away in a Mango,” this year’s Christmas musical. Performed by the Plant Street campus students, the shows will take place at 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, inside the sanctuary at First Baptist Church of Winter Garden, 125 Plant St., Winter Garden. Admission is free. For more information, contact the Plant Street campus at (407) 656-3677.

INFLUENCER OF THE WEEK

KYLIE KONSTAND WINDERMERE PREPARATORY SCHOOL At just 8 years old, Windermere Prep third-grader Kylie Konstand has a big heart and propensity for serving others. Kylie recently held her second lemonade stand to raise money for Matthew’s Hope, a faith-based homeless outreach ministry serving West Orange County. This year, Kylie raised $205 in online donations, plus $638 made from her lemonade stand.

What made you want to raise money for Matthew’s Hope? We visited New York City, and I saw a lot of people living on the sidewalk. My parents explained that we have people at home without a house or even food, and I wanted to help. Why did you decide to start a lemonade stand? Our neighborhood has a big garage sale every summer, and it gets really busy. And everyone likes lemonade. At first, I thought about shopping for slime supplies, but my mom asked if there was anyone I wanted to help, and I remembered wanting to help someone without a home. What was your favorite thing about your experience? The feeling that I was helping someone have a better life. You’re a student at Windermere Prep. What do you like about your school? All the teachers are nice, and it’s a good education.

What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you? The nicest thing someone has done for me is spent time with me, playing and helping with my homework. What is your favorite restaurant and favorite meal? I like Bar Taco and cheese quesadillas. Why did you decide to have your friends help you with your lemonade stand? My friends Julia Barry and Claudia Ramirez helped me, because I only have two hands, and they wanted to help others, too. It can be a little scary, too, trying to stop cars and ask for money by yourself. Of course, my parents were there to help, but it was scary at first and then fun. My friends made it more fun. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you want to go and why? My favorite vacation is skiing, but I want to go back to New York City to visit more cool places.

What kind of music do you like to listen to, and who is your favorite singer or band? I like all music, but I like to dance to Kidz Bop. What is your favorite school subject and why? I love math because I’m good at it. What was it like giving the money you made to Matthew’s Hope? What were their reactions? Mr. Scott (Billue) is very nice and was happy. It felt good to help. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why? I would be invisible so I could eat more candy, and fly like Superman to help others. — DANIELLE HENDRIX

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

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

OBSERVER SCHOOL ZONE

Trash to treasure Students at Ocoee Elementary partnered with the Ocoee Lions Club and Green Tree Plastics to collect plastic caps and lids, which will be transformed into friendship benches. DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The next time Ocoee Elementary students see the 900 pounds of plastic caps and lids they recently collected, it will be in the form of a friendship bench. The Cardinals and the Ocoee Lions Club partnered with Indiana-based company Green Tree Plastics as part of its ABC Promise program. The ABC, or A Bench for Caps, program is designed by students and involves collecting plastic caps and lids. Teachers use the opportunity to teach their students about caring for the Earth, recycling and green living. Students are challenged to collect plastic caps and lids, which in turn can be transformed into a bench made from 100% recycled materials. Ocoee Lion Diane Isaacs, also a nurse at Ocoee Elementary, heard about the program from a fellow Lion. She instantly knew it was something that students at her school would love to be involved in.

“I went to my principal and I said, ‘What do you think about us collecting caps for a friendship bench?’” Isaacs said. “Then we decided, ‘Well, this will help with the recycling and we can talk to the kids regarding how much of this plastic would’ve ended up in the landfill or ocean.’ That’s how we started it. We talked about recycling, and they just took to it like water. The next thing we knew, the class that won, they probably collected 300 pounds of caps themselves. They had 12 bags of caps.” From September through Halloween, students throughout the school were tasked with collecting various plastic lids and caps. While they were working toward their goal of collecting enough to make a bench out of, there was another incentive at stake — the class that collected the most would win a pizza party. Acceptable items included caps from medicine bottles, milk jugs, detergents, hair spray, toothpaste, soda and water bottles, and even spray paint. Lids for yogurt and

peanut butter jars, coffee cans, cream cheese and Pringles were among the collected items, too. “For our bench we want, we need 240 pounds of caps, so we’re probably going to get two benches out of it and the rest we’re going to give to another school so they can make a bench out of it,” Isaacs said. “…We will sort them color wise — we wanted red benches with black on it, because those are our colors for Ocoee Cardinals — and (Green Tree Plastics) melts that particular color for the bench you want.” Seeing the children rise up to the challenge was a major reward in and of itself, Isaacs said, and the dedication they displayed was unmatched. One day, a coworker called her and asked what the deal was with the cap collection. “I guess another parent called her and said her son had taken every cap out of the refrigerator … any plastic lids he took and gathered up to take to school, and she was trying to figure out what’s going on,” Isaacs said. Every Monday, she would watch students bring in boxes

and bags filled with lids and caps. By the time the Lions Club came to collect the caps and lids, there were enough bags and boxes full of them to fill the back of a U-Haul trailer — an estimated 900 pounds. In the end, Lacy Ahrens’ fifthgrade homeroom class won the coveted pizza party for collecting about 300 pounds of caps and lids. However, all of the students were thrilled to haul their collections down to the school flagpole and see the fruits of their labor before it was collected. Isaacs said the next step is sorting through the caps and lids collected, with the assistance of a local Boys Scouts troop. If all goes to plan, the hope is to get the caps and lids to Green Tree Plastics in Indiana in mid-January. Their benches would be ready to be picked up the same day. “We have caps coming out of our ears, we’ve got them everywhere,” Isaacs said. “It was a really neat project. It was very exciting, the fact that they wanted to help and they wanted to help the environment. ...They got a big kick out of talking about what they brought in every day and how much of it would’ve been in a landfill.” Each bench costs $300, and the Lions Club is paying for the current two benches. However, Isaacs said, if anyone would like to help sponsor the cost of another bench, contact her at the school at (407) 877-5027, Ext. 369-2229.

ABC PROMISE PROGRAM The ABC program educates children about recycling and green living through challenging them to collect plastic lids and caps, which can be turned into benches and various products. Any children’s organization — such as day cares, schools, sports teams and youth groups — can qualify by submitting a pledge that the children will be involved in the collecting, sorting and weighing processes. For more information, visit greentreeplastics. com/abc-program.

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WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

TRIBAL TRIBUTES I

t was an afternoon of education, dance and demonstrations Thursday, Nov. 21, at the United Cerebral Palsy Charter School — West Orange Campus as Native American historian Jim Sawgrass delivered a presentation about native tribes to the students. All of the school’s students, faculty and even some parents took part in Sawgrass’ presentation. The event was part of the school’s honoring of Native American Heritage Week.

First-grader Elijah Dozier got to try on the bear hide.

— ERIC GUTIERREZ Left: Jim Sawgrass played a Native American flute to get the students’ attention toward the beginning of his presentation.

After the presentation, students lined up to get their faces painted by Jim Sawgrass. He used a traditional Native American paint made from ochre. Left: Jim Sawgrass’ son, Cody Boettner, performed a traditional Native American hoop dance during the event. Boettner is a world-champion hoop dancer.

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DECEMBER 5, 2019

SPORTS

Foundation Academy freshman Mackenzie Berly has found her offensive touch on the soccer field. Page 22.

HIGH

Gina Solano leads Titans into new era

After a multi-year stint at Ocoee High, Solano takes over as the head coach of the varsity girls basketball team at Olympia High School.

Windermere Prep boys basketball’s Fanbo Zeng continues his strong start to the season as the sophomore forward put up 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the Lakers’ 69-40 win over Gateway Charter Saturday, Nov. 30. The stat line followed up a 23-point showing by Zeng in a win over Orlando University the day before. Also in the game against Gateway Charter, juniors Elijah Hulsewe and Zavien Williams added 12 and 11 points, respectively. The win moved the Lakers to a perfect 4-0 on the season.

TROY HERRING SPORTS EDITOR

When Olympia opened up its search for its next girls basketball coach this past summer, there was one thing that they were specifically looking for: commitment. Over the last three seasons, the Titans have seen three different coaches come and go, so it makes sense why they would want a long-term hire. Luckily for Athletic Director Kevin McElveen, the opening caught the eye of Gina Solano, who was looking to make a change in her teaching and coaching life.

In Dr. Phillips boys basketball’s 69-62 win over Oviedo during the 10th annual Metro vs. Florida Challenge Friday, Nov. 29, Abdoulaye Thiam exploded for 37 points on 10-of-18 shooting — going 8-of-14 from three-point range. Juneau Anicette would add on 11 points and three steals in the Panthers’ first win of the season.

“I felt like it was time for me to make a change — especially at Olympia, because I know the program has been solid for many, many years.”

It was a tough loss for Olympia boys basketball, as it fell 73-62 to Bartow during the 10th annual Metro vs. Florida Challenge Friday, Nov. 29, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t impressive individual performances. Julian Fletcher led the Titans with 20 points — on 8-of-14 shooting — and five rebounds. Edgerrin James added on 14 points and picked up four rebounds, while Jackson Dillon had 12 points and three rebounds.

Despite Foundation Academy’s 75-59 loss at the hands of Trinity Prep Tuesday, Nov. 26, freshman shooting guard Braden Holcomb had a solid night — recording 19 points in the game. Junior small forward Joshneil Orys added on 13 points for the Lions. The loss dropped Foundation to (0-2) on the season.

In Ocoee boys soccer’s 3-1 loss to Seminole Tuesday, Nov. 26, Josh Sandoval picked up the Knights’ lone goal. The loss was the second in a row for the Knights after starting the season going 4-0. The Knights will look to rebound in a road game against Montverde Academy Wednesday, Dec. 4, after press time.

— Gina Solano

where Parker, the family’s middle son, plays soccer. But it’s the War on I-4 where the rivalry heats up. Though if you ask Alec Holland, it’s hard for it to be a rivalry when you consider the history of both programs. “I think I’m on the better sidelines since I’ve been here — I’ve never lost to USF,” Alec Holland said. “I did not see this coming out of high school because I played soccer and she did gymnastics. I didn’t think she was going to take it to the college level like I did, and then she did and she went to my rival — it’s funny how it worked out.” Going into the Black Friday matchup, Alec Holland said he believed the Knights would win

“I really enjoyed my years at Ocoee — it was really enjoyable — but sometimes opportunities come up,” Solano said. “I felt like it was time for me to make a change — especially at Olympia, because I know the program has been solid for many, many years.” Outside of July — a month that’s heavy with AAU ball — Solano has been a constant presence around the gym at Olympia and has put on several practices to get to know the girls on the team — three of whom have already played AAU ball under Solano. Although it’s early on in the regular season — the Titans have only played two games thus far — Solano has made it clear to the girls that they need to be in the gym when they can make it, and has even shared tips that she once used when she was a player. Along with a different style of practice, the weight room at the school has gotten a lot more use as of late. While the staying-in-shape aspect of the game is important for the team, these off-season practices are also a good place to build team chemistry, Solano said. And during those early practices, Solano also got to speak to her new players and share

SEE FAMILY PAGE 22

SEE SOLANO PAGE 22

Troy Herring

Alec and Abigail Holland have found themselves on the opposite ends of the UCF/USF rivalry.

A HOUSE DIVIDED

Siblings Alec and Abigail Holland are family, but when the War on I-4 comes around, they stand as rivals.

TROY HERRING SPORTS EDITOR

hen Alec Holland took to the field for the final time as a member of the University of Central Florida cheer team, he knew his family would be there to support him. And there, sitting with his parents, was his sister Abigail — a freshman on the co-ed cheer team at the University of South Florida. Though she couldn’t participate with her squad — freshmen don’t travel for games — she was there supporting both her Bulls and her brother. For the Holland family of Winter Garden, this year has become one of playful division in a house divided between UCF, USF and Florida Gulf Coast University —

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Family torn in War on I-4

SPONSORED BY MARK’S FLOORS

Mackenzie Berly

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

by 45, while Abigail Holland said she thought the Bulls had a chance. The Knights wouldn’t win by 45, but they would dominate in a 34-7 victory — pushing UCF to 9-3, while the Bulls dropped to 4-8.

Despite being only a ninth grader at Foundation Academy, Mackenzie Berly already is in her third year as a member of the Lions’ girls soccer team. At forward, she’s become a threat on goal and has picked up a team second-best six goals in three games.

When did you get into soccer, and what got you into the sport? I’ve been playing since I was 4, and my parents got me into it. They kind of just asked me if I wanted to play a sport, and I was like, “Yeah, soccer.” What has kept you playing soccer? It’s just really fun and I love to play the game. You’ve been playing for the team at Foundation since seventh grade — what were those early days like? It was a little intimidating, because they were bigger than me, but it was a challenge. Being physical with them, because they’re bigger (was the biggest challenge). For you personally, what’s been the biggest difference you’ve seen in yourself when it comes to the sport? I’ve gotten faster. Coming into this new year, did you have any goals you were hoping to accomplish? Probably to be like more of a leader on the team and score more goals than last year. What is your favorite part about soccer? The most challenging aspect? The best part is scoring, obviously, but the biggest challenge would be figuring out the other team’s plays and strategies.

THE BASICS

SCHOOL: Foundation Academy GRADE: Freshman SPORT: Soccer POSITION: Forward AGE: 15

FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO THE BIG TIME

Both Alec and Abigail Holland started their cheer careers at West Orange High in their own unique ways. In the case of Alec Holland, who had played soccer, it was unorthodox — he and a buddy were approached by members of the team looking for guys to compete in competitive cheer. “There were a couple of girls in high school and they were like, ‘Are you trying to do cheerleading?’ and I was like, ‘What?’” Alec Holland said with a laugh. “Then they asked my friend — they would always ask the bigger guys at the school, because you have (to) lift up the girls. “So we went out there and it was a bunch of my good buddies, and every practice we were just messing around,” he said. “We just kept doing it and kept doing it, and then the season was fun, and then I actually ended up getting quite good and colleges started talking to me.”

You play club soccer at Rush — what would you say is the biggest difference between club and high school? Club is definitely faster and (more) competitive. If you get free time, what do you like doing? I like to play guitar and piano, and I also like hanging out with friends. Guitar I just started this year. I’m all right, I guess. What is your routine prior to a game? I have like a playlist of music, and I usually stretch for 30 minutes. I like Khalid, Nirvana and I like Post Malone. What’s your ideal meal after a game? I like pizza — plain, just cheese.

Are you a cat or a dog person? Dog (person), I don’t like cats at all — they’re boring.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

her background in basketball — including her own experiences as a player watching coaches come and go. “I explained to them I had the same experience in high school,” Solano said. “I had a different coach every year I played — actually, every year I played basketball, except for my junior college days. I can kind of relate with them a little bit — I know what the feeling is like to have a different coach every year.” Fortunately for the girls on the Titans girls basketball team, they’re getting a coach who has long-time plans to keep Olympia going strong for the foreseeable future — and who has a long history in the sport itself. After finishing off her playing career at Rollins College, Solano would take her first dive into coaching as she took on the role of assistant coach at the school before moving on to the high school ranks. Following 14 years of coaching

If you could go anywhere in the world, where do you go? Italy, because it looks pretty and I’ve always wanted to go there. Rome, Venice and all those places.

Is there a highlight moment for your during your time playing soccer? Scoring from far out — from the halfway mark. On my club team I was playing defense and I got the ball and there were a bunch of girls coming at me, so I just kicked it.

practicing for game days on what we should do — during timeouts and all this stuff — but you have to be there to know how to do it. “Then, when we walked out there, there were so many people in the stands,” she said. “The nerves kind of went away and it was just more like excitement.” Abigail Holland’s early experiences reflect the kind of moments that Alec Holland had as an underclassman, but whether she gets to have the highlights that Alec Holland has had is still up in the air. Over the last four years, Alec Holland has experienced a “golden era” of football for the Knights — which includes a perfect 13-0 season in 2017 that was capped off by a win in the Peach Bowl over Auburn, and a 12-1 season in 2018. And though the football season is coming to an end for both schools — with one last bowl game for the Knights — there’s still nationals coming up for both UCF and USF to get ready for. There’s also basketball to root for, as well. “I’m excited to see how far me personally and my team will have come by (nationals),” Abigail Holland said. “I’m excited to work through school and I actually don’t have a major yet, so I’m excited to pick a major and start growing.”

Solano is ready

Do you have a favorite player that you look up to? My favorite player is Messi.

When it comes to playing forward, what is the most challenging aspect of the position? I have to make sprints and runs — getting through the defense.

While he joined the sport to hang out with girls on the team, Abigail Holland’s intro was a bit more traditional. A gymnast for most of her life, Abigail Holland stepped into cheer during her sophomore year when an injury sidelined her from the gym floor. It was then when a cheer friend’s mom told her to give cheer a shot — from there, it was on. “I just really loved it,” Abigail Holland said. “My senior year I decided I didn’t want to be on a team in college, so I decided to start going to clinics at USF, FSU and all around trying to get better.” Needless to say, Abigail Holland got better that final year, and then she made it onto the USF all-girls cheer team as a freshman. And it’s been there, on the sidelines during the football season, where she has grown and experienced a lot in only seven games. The transition from West Orange High to USF was tough — tougher than she had anticipated — but she worked and did everything she could to prepare for the opening game of the season. “The first game we played Wisconsin, and it was a really hyped-up game and there was projected to be 50,000 people,” Abigail Holland said. “I was really nervous, because we had been

Is soccer something you’d like to do at the next level? Yeah, I want to play soccer in college. — TROY HERRING

Troy Herring

Solano is looking to bring stability to girls basketball program.

that spanned across four schools (Jones, Wymore, Lake Brantley and Winter Park), Solano ended up at Ocoee High, where’d she spend the longest span of her career (eight years total). Her time at Ocoee was one of the most challenging for Solano, as the team managed to win only seven games in her first three seasons as coach. “It was probably the hardest thing that I ever had to do in my whole life was to stick with it,” Solano said. “It was a lot of work there and it helped me grow a lot as a coach, because sometimes when you’re not talented (that)

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is when you learn the most.” With those challenging — yet rewarding — years behind her, Solano believes that there’s a lot she can take from her time at Ocoee and put toward her new job at Olympia. For Solano, everything now feels to be in order, and she is ready to finish her basketball career on a high note. “I feel like everything happens for a reason and I feel like I’m at the right spot now,” Solano said. “My plan is to finish my career at Olympia and hopefully get them back to being one of the best programs in the area.”

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WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

Trey Moss put up a shot against Leesburg’s Dmani Nettles.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Slow start sinks Windermere in 64-59 loss to Leesburg

hen all was said and done, it was too little, too late for Windermere as the Wolverines fell 64-59 to Leesburg in the 10th annual Metro vs. Florida Challenge Friday, Nov. 30. After taking out Mount Dora 84-37 in their first game of the challenge Wednesday, Nov. 27, the Wolverines (1-1) struggled out of the gate — scoring only 18 points in the first half of the game while Leesburg (1-0) dominated. The Yellow Jackets, who won back-to-back state titles during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns, were largely unstoppable until the Wolverines found their footing in the second half. Junior point guard Trey Moss began hitting shots in the latter half of the game — scoring 19 of his game-high 22 points in the second half — but it wasn’t enough as the Wolverines could never get closer than five points. Junior guard Elliott Yorke would add on 18 points, seven rebounds and two steals. The loss dropped Windermere to 1-1 on the season, and the Wolverines looked to bounce back in a matchup with Jones Tuesday, Dec. 3, after press time.

Elliott Yorke looked for the open man, as he worked against the Leesburg defense.

Darrell Armstrong reached in as he tried to steal the ball.

— TROY HERRING

321218-1

GAME FILM

OrangeObserver.com

BASKETBALL RECAP

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

CFCA caps off challenge with buzzer-beating win A last-second floater by Riley Kugel pushed the Eagles to a 59-58 victory over Ocoee in the Metro vs. Florida Challenge.

Riley Kugel, center, was mobbed by teammates after hitting the game-winning shot.

TROY HERRING SPORTS EDITOR

own 58-57 to Ocoee with mere seconds to play, everything came down to the last possession for Central Florida Christian Academy. After being down for the entirety of the second half, the Eagles had — basket by basket — whittled away at the Knights’ lead and put themselves in a position win. With eight seconds left, firstyear head coach Andrew Gustafson called an isolation play for sophomore point guard Riley Kugel. The hope was to stretch the defense and give his playmaker a chance at the basket — it paid off. Kugel got the ball from Jajuan Preaster with four seconds left on the clock and drove into the lane before tossing up a floater — which hung in the air for what felt like an eternity — that bounced off the backboard and dropped through the net as time expired. For Kugel, it was the ultimate present to cap off his birthday. “They went into a zone, so we had to adjust to it … we didn’t really run a play, we just swung it back around until I saw an open space,” said Kugel, who finished the game with 21 points and four assists. “Once I saw an open space, I drove in, saw the gap and hit the floater. “I usually practice floaters in my spare time … just to get my touches right,” he said. The scoreboard lit up 59-58 with no time left as Kugel was mobbed by his teammates, celebrating a win in the final game of the 10th annual Metro vs. Florida Challenge held at Apopka High School Saturday, Nov. 30.

The three-day challenge pits 23 teams from the Metro Conference against 23 non-Metro teams in a showcase of some of the best talent in the area. For CFCA — which is coming off of winning the 2A state title last year — the victory was the second of the season (2-0), and it helped give the non-Metro members the 14-9 advantage. It was the first time that the Metro has ever lost the challenge. Given that the Eagles lost the core of their lineup to graduation, getting an early win over a talented 7A team in Ocoee (0-1) was huge, Gustafson said. “We have a really young team and I told them, ‘We run our stuff, they run their stuff’ — basketball is a game of runs,” Gustafson said. “We came out the way we wanted to come out, and with our kids being so young, we want to make sure that we immediately get traction in a game. What a great win — (Ocoee) are so talented, well coached and those kids have been together a long time, so it was a great win.” Out of the gate, CFCA dominated on the court, as it jumped out to an early 12-2 lead thanks in part to hot shooting, while sloppy play by Ocoee led to bad shots

OTHER SCORES

Marcos Martinez (No. 5) drove to the basket against Ocoee’s Kordell Brown.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 27 n Windermere High School 84, Mount Dora High School 37 FRIDAY, NOV. 29 n University High School 62, Windermere Preparatory School 76 n West Orange High School 63, Auburndale High School 66 n Olympia High School 62, Bartow High School 73 n Dr. Phillips High School 69, Oviedo High School 62 SATURDAY, NOV. 30 n Windermere High School 59, Leesburg High School

Riley Kugel knocked over a defender on his way to the basket.

and turnovers for the Knights. By the end of the first quarter, however, the Knights would find their footing and cut into the Eagles’ lead. In the second quarter, Ocoee’s Kordell Brown took over to help the Knights take their first lead of the night with just under three minutes left in the half. Brown would go on to finish with a game-high 23 points and five rebounds. For the rest of the game, Ocoee led by as many as nine points, but the lead quickly diminished thanks to a hot-shooting Nick Rodriguez, who sank back-toback threes with 4:05 left in the third to cut the Knights’ lead to 40-35. The back-and-forth continued deep into the fourth quarter, before Kugel hit a huge three with 27.5 seconds left in the game to get to within one point at 58-57. A timely steal seven seconds later by CFCA’s Nicho-

Photos by Troy Herring

las Silva — his lone steal of the night — would give the Eagles the ball, which ultimately led to Kugel hitting the game winner as time expired. This was the fourth year that CFCA has participated in the challenge, and for the Eagles it’s been a good place to showcase what lies ahead for the season. “It just shows everybody that we are the team to beat — we are actually good,” Kugel said. “I know coming into the game not a lot of people thought we were going to win, because they were oversizing us and they had length over us. We just came out and fought hard — it means a lot to us.”

Nicolas Silva fell backward as he took this shot.

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

THESE OLD TIMES

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION

THROWBACK THURSDAY The Winter Garden Times Dec. 5, 1968 The new Ramada Inn, on Highway 50 in Ocoee, invited the public to an open house to take a tour of the “lovely new motor inn.” An advertisement touted the hotel as the ultimate in luxury with 150 spacious luxury rooms, a penthouse apartment, a large dining room, beautiful Spanish decor, two pools for children and adults, convention facilities and a cocktail lounge for more than 50 people. It had been renamed the Colony Plaza Hotel by the time it was demolished in 2009.

85 years ago

Clermont fell into the clutches of the superior Lakeview Red Devils with Ward Britt and Edwin Pounds scoring touchdowns.

80 years ago

75 years ago

An informal dance honoring the 352nd Searchlight Battalion and other Army outfits stationed here will be held in the city auditorium. All service men and local girls are invited to attend, and there will be an orchestra.

65 years ago

The Winter Garden Welfare League is planning a special night of enjoyment for the dancing couples of West Orange. There will be a Christmas Ball in the city auditorium. The ladies will wear semi-formals. The price will be $1 per person.

50 years ago

From Barbs & Bouquets by Don: We know many men who

FROM THE ARCHIVES Staff at Leader’s Department Store in Winter Garden are ready to assist with your holiday shopping in this photograph dated Dec. 23, 1933. Originally housed in the Dillard and Boyd (Bond) building located on the southwest corner of Plant and Main streets, the business later moved a few doors west. The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation preserves photographs and artifacts from area businesses dating back to the 19th century. Call (407) 656-3244 to make a research appointment.

The mission of the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation is to preserve the heritage and architecture of Winter Garden while creating new cultural experiences. The Foundation also preserves the material culture of West Orange County, using it to educate the area’s youth on the community’s rich history.

don’t shave on Sundays and who wear clothes disgraceful to their wives. Probably just a rebellion against social mores and harmless enough. Perhaps our churches should provide special pews for such outcasts; it might help church attendance.

40 years ago

West Orange Memorial Hospital opened its new pediatric unit — another segment handsomely refurbished. Most of the children are patients of either Dr. Carter or Dr. Alvarez.

BEAST AROUND by PAUL COULTER; CROSSWORD ’THE Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS

29 Dyeing businesses 30 ___ Baba 1 Like a frappe 32 “@#$%,” e.g. 5 Grace of “Will & Grace” 33 Circa 10 Provide for free 34 New York financial cen14 WWW connection letters ter’s smooth progress? 17 Notability 42 Attention-getting rapper? 18 Nephew’s sister 43 Amiss 19 “Brave New World” writer 44 Beethoven’s “Fur ___” Huxley 45 Metered vehicle 21 “Respect for Acting” 48 “Bearded” flower author Hagen 49 City east of Santa 22 Divinity in charge of Barbara kielbasa and chorizo? 50 “Encore!” 24 Fortysomething, say 52 Oral health org. 26 At the scene 53 Experienced 27 Brings in

54 A hair clip may hold one 56 Experts, to a Brit 60 Store convenience, for short 61 Earnings 63 Dorothy of old films 64 Gets a whiff of someone at sea? 69 Group that keeps a North African region pristine? 71 Most healthy 72 Said “Aye aye, Cap’n,” say 74 Get ___ of (throw out) 75 Upper canine 77 Former Spanish currency

of granola 102 An ID badge may provide it 103 Large blood carrier 105 “Gracias” response 110 Ashlee Simpson’s debut single 112 Dracula’s bar bill? 116 “Annabel Lee” poet 117 Homes on the range 118 “Eighth Grade” star Fisher 119 Roomy bag 120 NBC show since ‘75121 Sign of boredom 122 Bumper blemishes 123 Petty quarrel

79 What many do before the holidays 83 “Arabian Nights” bird 84 Salesperson’s success 86 Collapsed 87 Performer in white gloves 88 Mobiles and mosaics 89 Band of brothers surname 91 Vitamin bottle stat 92 Prepare to surf, perhaps 93 Marsh plant illuminated by high beams? 99 Mile-a-minute speed 100 “Got it”101 Bit

DOWN 1 Assuming that’s true 2 James of “Misery” 3 Flightless Australian birds 4 ‘50s actor Arnaz 5 San ___, Texas 6 Conk out 7 Chair part 8 Prefix for “friendly” 9 Make a better sketch 10 Cut short11 Bookie’s quote 12 Fashionable, in the ‘60s 13 Radio wave emitters in space 14 Boat made from a tree trunk 15 Surgical tube 16 Young fellows 19 “___ and the Night Visitors” 20 Navy builder 23 Ever 25 Soothing succulent 28 Guess made en route, briefly 31 Island where the U.S. raised its standard 32 Referee, e.g. 34 Cry after a long week 35 Aesop’s also-ran 36 Bad to the bone 37 Celebration name suffix 38 End ___ era 39 Perrins’ Worcestershire sauce partner 40 Small burger

10 years ago

After a 10-year struggle, the Nehrling Society finalized the purchase of Gotha’s Palm Cottage Gardens from owner Barbara Bochiardy. The next step was kicking off a major capital campaign and conducting a clean-up of the house and gardens. 41 Singer Turner 46 Make sense 47 Arab port that anagrams to ARABS 49 Decides one will 50 Parenthesis, essentially 51 Spheres 55 Like a green banana 57 Mathematician Pascal 58 Kind of candy that takes longer to eat 59 Senator Klobuchar 60 “Not to mention ...” 62 Postgrad conferral 64 He-Man’s twin sister 65 Municipal title 66 Shocking Amazon critter 67 Allow 68 World capital east of Baghdad 70 Swagger 73 Article in Berlin 76 “Song of Solomon” author Morrison 78 “Aren’t I amazing?!” 79 L.A. air concern 80 ___ and mighty 81 Leave out 82 Hotel room freebies 85 It ends in the fall (Abbr.) 89 Frequent flyers 90 Amazing adventure 92 Common carafe size 94 Board member, for short 95 Brings on board 96 “Errare humanum ___” (Seneca) 97 Lifted with effort 98 The “L” of LPGA 99 Offshoot 102 Buggy ones may crash 103 Not many 104 Stepping on a crack, maybe 106 Butterfly catchers 107 Resting on 108 What unethical scientists fudge 109 Help, as a burglar 111 Greek wedding shout 113 Blonde or brown brew 114 AOL alternative 115 Barbecue site

CELEBRITY CIPHER

By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“ILGPZRX DPAJR LGV URRB CBR CH YLR URVY YLABNV YC LGDDRB YC ICSBYPX OSVAI, YC DPCTR AY URZCBNV YC RTRPXUCJX.” – ZCPRYYG ZXBB “VWL WVIO SW K HVWT RWT LW PKIH F XWT, AZL K HVWT RWT LW RMCS F AZVXR WD XWTE, LWW!”

– PFCLKVF PXACKSM Puzzle Two Clue: V equals N

Three Winter Garden girls, Carolyn Peters, Jane Ruth Fairchild and Christine Kitchen, will be presented formally to society at the second Apollo Club Ball at the Orlando Auditorium. Last year’s debs were Evelyn Bray, Alice Roper, Elizabeth Ezzard, Frances Peters, Mary Emily Sadler, Wilma Tilden and Virginia Tilden.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

Puzzle One Clue: H equals F

WEST ORANG E HISTO RY

OrangeObserver.com

SUDOKU

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

12-05-19

things to happen to country music, to prove it belongs to everybody.” – Loretta Lynn

CLASSIFIEDS

Puzzle Two Solution: “Not only do I know how to milk a cow, but I know how to herd a bunch of cows, too!” – Martina McBride

This week’s Sudoku answers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers INFO & RATES: 407-656-2121 • EMAIL: classifieds@orangeobserver.com • ONLINE: www.orangeobserver.com Puzzle HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 8:30am-4:30pm • DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at 10:OOAM • Service Directory - Friday at 10AM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit CardOne Solution: Puzzle One Solution:

“Charley Pride has been one of the best

Lost & Found

“Charley Pride has been one of the best things to happen to country music, to things to happen to country music, to prove it belongs to everybody.” prove belongs to everybody.” Thisitweek’s Celebrity Cipher answers – Loretta Lynn – Loretta Lynn Puzzle One Solution:

Announcements

MISSING DOG SINCE 10/21

Puzzle Two Solution:

“Charley Pride has been one of the best Puzzle Two Solution: “Not only do I know how to milk a cow, things todo happen tohow country music, to “Not only I know to milk a cow, but I know how to herd a bunch of cows, prove it belongs everybody.” – Martina McBride but I know how totoherd a bunch of cows, too!” – Loretta Lynn too!” – Martina McBride

322754

FROM COVINGTON CHASE! Last seen on 10/25 in Courtleigh Park. His name is Liam. He is a 6-year-old black and white Boston Terrier.

LV16621

West Orange Times & Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in West Orange Times & Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with town codes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

Puzzle Two Solution: “Not only do I know how to milk a cow, week’s answers butThis I know how toSudoku herd a bunch of cows, too!” – Martina McBride

Health & Medical

This week’s Sudoku answers This week’s Crossword answers

This week’s Sudoku answers

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

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WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

“Contractor Rates on Materials”

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301014

WEST ORANGE TIMES &

301017

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

Color included on all ads! Publishes every Thursday, and deadlines Friday the week prior.

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2019

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