CONNECT LIVE. WORK. PLAY. CONNECT.
In Partnership with Observer Media Group
JANUARY 2017
IN THIS ISSUE: VERANDA PARK
FARMER’S MARKET
2016 COMMUNITY
REPORT
SAVE THE DATE
2 • MetroWest CONNECT
January 2017
MetroWest Corner Dear Friends:
MetroWest Master Association
2121 S. Hiawassee Rd., Suite 132 Orlando, FL 32835 (407) 601-5995 www.metrowestcommunity.com
MetroWest
CONNECT Published four times a year by:
in partnership with the MetroWest Master Association Publisher
Dawn Willis Executive Editor
Mike Eng
Creative Designers
Andres Tam Tony Trotti
Advertising Executive
Ann Marie Vibbert avibbert@orangeobserver.com or call 407-656-2121
Happy 2017! The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to ask you, our community, what you would like to see in your MetroWest CONNECT. Go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/MWCONNECT and complete our quick, six-question survey by Friday, February 24 to let us know what content would make this publication most valuable to you. This is your chance to let your voice be heard. Save the Date for the 2017 MetroWest MusicFest. Following on the success of our annual JazzFests, we are expanding the musical genres featured at our annual spring community event. The MetroWest MusicFest will offer yet another opportunity for our community to connect and have a blast dancing, laughing and getting to know your neighbors. Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 7, 2017, 3-8 PM at the MetroWest Golf Club and stay tuned for more details coming soon. We hope to see you there! Thank you for your feedback and we look forward to connecting with you around MetroWest. Sincerely,
Your MetroWest Master Association
Welcome to our new Assistant Manager, Miguel Ubiles Miguel Ubiles started his career in the hospitality industry. He has served world renowned companies such as Embassy Suites, Marriott International, and Wyndham Vacation Ownership. His previous management experience combined with over 15 years in the hospitality and timeshare industry, was his motivation to pursue his career in Community Association Management. Miguel is a Licensed Community Association Manager (CAM) and has an extensive background in Sales and Marketing as well. He recently served Community Management company World of Homes and played a vital role in establishing excellent homeowner relationships and revitalizing various communities. Miguel has also been involved, since 2014, in helping his Orlando community by donating his time for non-profit organizations such as, Second Harvest Food Bank and Clean the World. He has constantly been recognized for always going above and beyond for his clients and is excited to use his well rounded experience to serve the Metro West community.
January 2017
CELEBRATING 30 GREAT YEARS!
2016 COMMUNITY REPORT
MetroWest CONNECT • 3
4 • MetroWest CONNECT
January 2017
2016: A year to celebrate our past and look forward to our future. MetroWest began as a vision in 1986. Today, we are a diverse, growing community of over 25,000 residents and 350 local and national businesses. We are a vibrant personification of the good life Central Florida is famous for. In 2016 we kicked off our 30th anniversary as a community at the 2016 JazzFest and continued celebrating throughout the year. We have so much to celebrate: • MetroWest is an award-winning, community ideally located in the heart of the thriving Metro Orlando area. • MetroWest features almost 10,000 residential units, including homes, condos and apartments, and more than 2 million square feet of office, retail and restaurant space. We are growing not just in quantity, but also in quality. • We are a member owned community, managed by the MetroWest Master Association. Selfownership plays a tremendous role in our quality of life, including award-winning landscaping and environmental stewardship, innovative public safety programs and more. During 2016, as we looked back on our past achievements, we also continued to plan and build for the future. We thank all who have been part of the MetroWest success story over the years – but especially you, the residents, businesses and supporters, who make MetroWest such a special place to live, work, play and connect.
January 2017
Top-rated schools–with a new school on the horizon. In 2016, MetroWest continued a decade-long run of maintaining top rated schools: • MetroWest Elementary School • Gotha Middle School • Chain of Lakes Middle School • Olympia High School Congratulations to students, teachers, parents and administrators of our outstanding schools! We are also pleased to announce the scheduled opening of a sister school on the MetroWest Elementary School’s campus in August 2017. This school will accommodate the increasing number of elementary school students in our community. A MetroWest welcome to all!
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6 • MetroWest CONNECT
January 2017
From coffee shops to corporate headquarters, business is booming. MetroWest continues to grow as a great business location. During the past year, service providers, retailers, restaurants and other commercial operations located here, adding to our impressive list of existing businesses. We’re now at a point where just about any service or product you desire can be found right here in MetroWest. We welcomed several new businesses to the MetroWest community in 2016 including: Fiorella Preparatory School, Your Bridal Couture, Dona Juana Coffee Shop, Chicken Bites, Friendly Confines, Dominos Pizza and Open Hearts Language. Corporations are another cornerstone of our business community, including Hilton Grand Vacations, Hard Rock International, Valencia College and the Florida Virtual School. For sports and recreation, we offer the “Best Golf Course in Orlando,” the prestigious MetroWest Golf Club, a Robert Trent Jones Sr. Signature Design Golf Course.
January 2017
Public safety initiatives make us stronger, better. 2016 marked the third year of our community’s partnership with Critical Intervention Services (CIS), a Florida-based company that specializes in enhancing public safety. CIS Public Safety and Bike officers serve as community liaisons, building relationships with community members, businesses, the Orlando Police Department and other law enforcement officials. In 2016, CIS officers made over 14,800 contacts within the MetroWest community, a strong sign that the program is unifying residents, businesses and others to promote the highest standards of public safety. We look forward to continuing success in 2017, and thank everyone who works to ensure the safety of MetroWest residents, businesses and visitors alike.
MetroWest CONNECT • 7
8 • MetroWest CONNECT
January 2017
We’re honored to be honored. MetroWest has a tradition of being recognized for excellence, and 2016 continued that tradition. In the past year, our community was: • The winner of the 2016 Orange County Community Award of Excellence in Safety & Security. • A finalist for the 2016 Florida Communities of Excellence Water Conservation Award. • The winner of the 2016 Orange County Community Award of Excellence in Innovative Newsletters (for MetroWest CONNECT). These awards are not just medals and trophies, but a reflection of the great effort our community makes to continuously advance, improve and strive to be a great place to live, work, play and connect. These honors are bestowed on our community and belong to each and every resident, business and MetroWest supporter.
Professional management makes a positive difference. Quality residential management is essential to the success of a master planned community such as MetroWest. FirstService Residential, our management company, provided another year of outstanding service in 2016, its seventh year with our community. Our FirstService Residential Community Manager, Julie Sanchez, was a finalist for the prestigious 2016 National Manager of the Year Award, in recognition of her managerial resourcefulness, leadership, organization and efficiency. As a finalist, she made the list of the nation’s Top 10 on-site community managers. Congratulations, Julie!
January 2017
A year of fun-filled events and notable news. At MetroWest, we know how to have fun. A number of our community events have grown to attract attention and crowds from near and far, and 2016 was no exception. In June 2016, the 4th Annual MetroWest JazzFest drew more than 3,500 attendees to hear the sounds of award-winning national recording artists and premier jazz talents of Matt Marshak, Brian Simpson and Jeff Kashiwa. Then in December 2016, more than 3,500 people got in the holiday spirit at our 5th annual WinterFest, which featured How The Grinch Stole Christmas, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, an ice skating rink, dual snow slides and performances by local artists. Other 2016 MetroWest events included National Night Out, our Annual Realtor Tour and the launch of a Farmer’s Market at Veranda Park every Saturday. With so many things happening in our community, it’s essential to have a communications network that keeps everyone informed–and MetroWest has it. Our redesigned website, www.metrowestcommunity.com, provides a full range of timely news and updates about the community, including events, business and community stories and more. Residents can also stay current on local events through our award-winning MetroWest CONNECT magazine in partnership with the Windermere Observer. We also connect through our Facebook page, welcome packets and more.
MetroWest CONNECT • 9
2016
10 • MetroWest CONNECT
January 2017
30 years is just the beginning! In 2016, as we celebrated our 30th anniversary, we were reminded not only of the events and milestones that brought us here, but also of the dreams and visions that made these things possible. MetroWest is a community built on the hopes, ambitions and hard work of the people who call it home, and just as it has been in the past, so it will be in the future. Knowing this, we look forward to 2017 and beyond, as we dream, plan and shape a community that will continuously grow in quality and desirability. Connected by our strong sense of community, united by a commitment to work together, we can advance the standards of excellence our environment, schools, businesses and neighborhoods are known for. As eventful as the past 30 years have been, we believe that at MetroWest, the best is yet to come!
MetroWestCommunity.com 407–601-5995
January 2017
MetroWest CONNECT • 11
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January 2017
Veranda Park Farmer’s Market Shows Great Growth By Peter M. Gordon The number of visitors to MetroWest’s only Farmer’s Market have tripled since Sam and Kelly Gaw launched the market in November, 2016. “We exceeded our initial goal for customers and vendors in the first week,” said Kelly. Sam added, “This is a great location. Local customers want to support local vendors.” Sam and Kelly thought a farmer’s market would not only attract buyers to Veranda Park’s condominiums but also demonstrate the advantages of living in MetroWest. After just two months, the market has become a favorite Saturday destination for locals between 9 AM and 2 PM. During a recent visit to the market, MetroWest resident Blake Rauscher said he had spent all his money by 9:30 AM and was “going home to get more.” Market vendors sell everything from fresh, locally grown and sourced produce to herbs, spices, bread and other baked goods. Food trucks and booths staffed by local chefs offer ethnic cuisine from several continents, including Europe, Asia and South America, The U.S. is represented by offerings ranging from Maine lobster rolls to Seattle hot dogs. Craft vendors offer etched glass, jewelry, coasters and colorful dresses. Vendors said the market is a great place to sell their products. The bakers at the Sweet Tooth booth said they sell out their sweets and muffins just about every weekend. Marie Eastman who owns Body Essentials Aromatherapy, said the market helped her cultivate many regular customers. “This has been an awesome market from day one,” she said. “The customers and the vendors are like family.”
Sam and Kelly expect the market to keep growing as more people learn about it. They are already at 90 percent capacity for vendors. Sam said he plans to add live music and is always looking to add amenities customers can enjoy. On a typical Saturday, visitors stroll through the market sampling everything from salsa to smoothies. People walk dogs, married couples walk hand in hand and families share ice cream and other treats. The Veranda Park Farmer’s Market is open every Saturday from 9 AM to 2 PM. It’s located at 2121 Hiawassee Road between Lake Debra Drive andWestpointe Boulevard.The Market is on Piazza Grande Road, parallel to Hiawassee, between the two buildings of Veranda Park. Free parking is available next to the lake, behind the market.
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MetroWest CONNECT • 13
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LIVE. WORK. PLAY. CONNECT.
In Partnership with Observer Media Group
JANUARY 2017
IN THIS ISSUE: VERANDA PARK
Next Issue
FARMER’S MARKET
2016 COMMUNITY
REPORT
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CONNECT
Published in partnership with the MetroWest Master Association. 18,000 copies distributed through the Windermere Observer, the Master Association and businesses throughout MetroWest. The MetroWest Connect publication includes news, information and events about your community.
14 • MetroWest CONNECT
January 2017
ME T R OWE S T M A S T E R A S S O C IAT IO N
SAVE THE DATE METROWEST GOLF CLUB
Sunday, May 7 3 - 8 p.m.
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MWMA-205_MusicFest_1/2pg_Save_the_Date_v2.indd 1
2016
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MetroWest WinterFest a Sleigh Full of Success! MetroWest Master Association recently celebrated the holiday season at the 5th Annual WinterFest at the MetroWest Golf Club, to benefit the Edgewood Children’s Ranch. Over 3,500 attendees enjoyed the classic holiday hit movie How The Grinch Stole Christmas, shown on the big screen on the golf green, dual snow slides, an ice-skating rink, holiday-themed performances, food trucks and photo opportunities with Santa and Mrs. Claus, the Grinch, Cindy Lou Who and a lifesize snow globe.
address behavioral issues. The MetroWest community generously donated more than 500 items including paper goods, food staples, sporting equipment and gift cards. MetroWest also donated over $500 in cash collections from the event and Kona Ice contributed 20% of their earnings from the event. The community Charity Challenge winner, Central Park, a MetroWest Condominium Association, was awarded a $200 cash prize and immediately turned around and donated it back to the Edgewood Children’s Ranch.
Event attendees and local businesses were asked to participate in a communitywide Charity Challenge by bringing donated items to the event to help fulfill Edgewood Children’s Ranch’s ongoing needs. Edgewood Children’s Ranch is a, nonprofit, residential program helping children, teens and their families
The MetroWest Master Association also presented a check for $5,000 to MetroWest Elementary School to help meet their ongoing needs. Thanks to all who attended. We can’t wait to celebrate with you again next year!
January 2017
MetroWest CONNECT • 15
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16 • MetroWest CONNECT