06.22.23 West Orange Times & Observer

WEST ORANGE TIMES &

Winter Garden, Ocoee, Oakland

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YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

Garden Theatre names new COO

The venue in downtown Winter Garden has named Keith Davenport as its chief organizational officer. He stepped into the role immediately.

YOUR TOWN

Summerport Beach home tops weekly real-estate sales in Horizon West. 9A.

FREE • THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023

TFA welcomes new coach

The Royals have found their new leader in Jeff Conaway, who replaces Leroy Kinard. SEE PAGE 1B.

“My friends and my family are all backing me up and trying to help me in any way that they can. I’m just so grateful. I couldn’t imagine how anybody could do this on their own.”

— Caitlin Schlueter

PURRFECT PARTNERS

Winter Garden and the Pet Alliance seek to control stray population. SEE PAGE 5A.

SCHLUETER STRONG

Winter Garden resident Caitlin Schlueter, 34, was diagnosed with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer in December. The community has come together to show its support as she embarks on her journey to becoming cancer-free. SEE STORY ON PAGE 4A.

A

hero in his time of need

Reedy Creek firefighter Steve Hollingsworth is recovering from a heart attack. SEE PAGE 3A.

Urban Air Adventure Park opened last week in Hamlin — much to the delight of children and parents. SEE 7A.

Courtesy photo

Caitlin Schlueter is an emergency room nurse and the mother of two children.

New COO has big plans for theater

ANNABELLE SIKES

NEWS EDITOR

Changes at the Garden Theatre continue as the community venue announced a new leader.

Keith Davenport was named the theater’s new chief organizational officer Thursday, June 8.

In his role, Davenport will provide the leadership, inspiration and strategic direction to enable the establishment to achieve its annual and long-term goals for artistic excellence, financial sustainability and community engagement.

With the new fiscal year kicking off this month, the Garden Theatre also elected six new board members to its leadership selection. These include Rich Taylor, chair; David Baldree, vice-chair; Todd Wheeler, treasurer; and David Romano, secretary.

Taylor said the theater is “extremely fortunate” Davenport has taken the role.

“He brings a remarkable and extensive level of global experience and expertise in entertainment and production with the added bonus that he is a well-known member of the community and understands the Garden Theatre,” Taylor said. “The

value the theater gains from his knowledge, experience and professionalism is unprecedented.”

Davenport recently served as a member of the Garden Theatre board as chair of the programming and partnerships committee.To transition to his new role, he has resigned from the board.

“I’ve always been very vocal on the board; I’ve always had strong opinions kind of in my career,” he said. “I’ve been of the space that we get better when people speak up and have opin-

ions and share those opinions. … We can’t dismiss the fact that the year has been a great learning (experience) for us as a theater. But with that learning, I also wanted to make

DESTINED FOR THE STAGE

sure that we were not going to lose any of the momentum that we’ve had from the last year.”

The theater halted producing live performances in August to allow its board and staff to conduct an internal review of operations from a strategic growth perspective.

Upon reflecting back on the assessment period, Davenport said a key piece for him is making sure the theater is administratively running a great, smooth operation. He said this includes scheduling, programming, making sure the staff feel informed and knowing the theater is matching its production schedule to its workforce. He also wants to look at how the theater is reaching out to partners and inspiring them to give back to the community.

“It seemed to me like the perfect space when the board was looking at, ‘OK, how do we identify the right person,’” he said of the new position.

“It was going to take a very unique person to heal the spaces that are here, but also has the same amount of passion and drive that I have for this space. So, I think for me, my responsibilities are definitely much more operational, but it’s about keeping our community motivated with the arts. It’s about having someone that is going to be the biggest cheerleader for the arts, and that’s what I think I bring to it.”

Davenport said the theater currently is looking at every bit of the programming, storytelling and what people experience

Keith Davenport moved to Orlando in 1994 to work for Walt Disney World. He said he left Disney after five years to pursue his own passions and expand upon what he had learned from the theme park.

His professional background includes entertainment marketing, event production and overseeing entertainment spectaculars and programming around the world.

Davenport has been actively involved with the Garden Theatre for 11 years as a patron and donor.

“It’s such a blessing to have this kind of a jewel in such a landmark space in the core of an area,” he said of the Garden Theatre.

when they walk through the door.

“When you come in here into this space; I look at this space as the heartbeat of Winter Garden and Plant Street, and that can’t be just what’s happening in this space, it has to be something that works for every single business in this community,” he said. “I see a vision where we’re looking at every single line of business that we’re working in and we’re saying, ‘How do we make better partners of the people that we are serving?’”

Courtesy photo

Keith Davenport will lead the Garden Theatre team in his new role.

Support for Steve

Reedy Creek firefighter Steve Hollingsworth’s life changed forever April 16, when he suffered a heart attack. He is using his story to encourage others to be their own advocates for their health.

ANNABELLE SIKES NEWS EDITOR

Around 1 p.m. Sunday, April 16, Reedy Creek firefighter Steve Hollingsworth, 43, responded to a call — just like any other day at work.

Although it wasn’t his call, Hollingsworth willingly offered to take the call with his partner.

Hollingsworth stood up and immediately felt dizziness and some tightness around his chest.

“I didn’t think anything of it really because our job is physical,” he said. “I thought maybe I was dehydrated because I had been doing a lot of physical movement that week. As time progressed, I still just wasn’t feeling right.”

After responding to the call and taking a young boy and his mother to Celebration Hospital, Hollingsworth still felt off.

His partner, a medic, asked him if he wanted to get checked out, which he declined. Hollingsworth took some vitals on himself and said he would be fine.

The pair went to Publix to buy food for the crew; Hollingsworth stayed in the vehicle.

“When we left Publix, we were driving back, and I still wasn’t feeling good,” he said. “It was actually getting a little worse, and there was an intersection where you either go right to go back to our station or you go straight to go back to the hospital. Well, I went straight, because I knew something wasn’t right.”

Hollingsworth went back to the hospital, parked the truck and

walked through the door. He reached for a hospital bed that was sitting at the front entrance.

Then, everything went black.

UNEXPECTED ATTACK Hollingsworth awoke and thought he had missed a call.

He said people were yelling at him and he was seeing ceiling lights flashing. He was told he had a heart attack.

“They said I fell face down, my partner rolled me over, and I wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse,” he said. “My partner was yelling for help from the hospital staff. Someone came in and started CPR on me until the doctor came in with a monitor. I was still in a pulseless rhythm, and they put the pads on me and shocked me once and continued CPR. At some point … I woke up and started seeing the lights.”

Hollingsworth’s wife, Kristin, said she received a call from Hollingsworth’s partner at 3:35 p.m. from her husband’s phone. The couple’s oldest daughter, Kaylee, 17, was at work. Middle daughter Kyleigh, 15, was not home, and the youngest daughter, Khloe, 10, was with her mother.

Kristin Hollingsworth said Steve Hollingsworth’s mother and father met her in the driveway as soon as they could.

“We were all in different spots, but we all ended up at the hospital at the same time, literally when they were bringing him back for the cath,” she said. “His partner and another partner were both calling me, sending me texts, taking pictures and making

sure we were involved with knowing what was happening with him.”

The cardiologist told Steve Hollingsworth he needed a heart stent and took him to the cath lab.

Steve Hollingsworth had a 100% block in the left anterior descending artery. The survival rate outside the hospital for the condition is only about 20%.

However, Steve Hollingsworth walked out of the hospital with no assistance after fewer than 48 hours.

‘BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE’

Just six months before his heart attack, Steve Hollingsworth had completed all of his fire department physicals.

Thursday, April 13, Steve Hollingsworth said he had been participating in training at a salvage yard where the crew cut up three cars. That same night, he responded to a call requiring him to cut a victim out of a car. Saturday, April 15, he coached his children in softball. Although all of the activities were physically draining, he never noticed anything out of the ordinary before the day of the heart attack.

Steve Hollingsworth shared he has lost a lieutenant who was working out from a heart episode, and before that, he had a friend who was in favorable health who could not come back to work after suffering from a heart attack.

Less than a week ago, Steve Hol-

EVENT TO SUPPORT STEVE HOLLINGSWORTH

WHEN: 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 25

WHERE: The Elks Lodge, 700 Ninth St., Winter Garden VENMO FOR RSVP: bit. ly/449kRpg

lingsworth also lost a close friend who was in a similar situation.

Steve Hollingsworth said his friend dying from a possible heart-related issue almost exactly two months to the day he had his own heart attack hit too close to home.

“You have to be your own advocate,” he said. “You have to.”

Steve Hollingsworth is urging people to obtain a coronary calcium scan from their doctor. Calcium deposits are an early sign of coronary artery disease.

Since the incident, the fire department and crews have been asking about the scans and obtaining better physicals.

Steve Hollingsworth said he also suggests residents follow up on “ICE.”

ICE is where you put the word “ICE” by the names of the people you would want called in case of an emergency.

FIREFIGHTER FAMILY

Born and raised in Winter Garden, Steve Hollingsworth began working for the Reedy Creek Fire Department in 2013, although he has served as a firefighter since 2004. Kristin Hollingsworth said a million thoughts were racing through her mind when she found out what happened to her husband.

“You just never expect a phone call,” she said. “But we had so much support from the fire departments; it was amazing to see the care that they take for one of theirs and for us. Steve’s mom and dad were with us and his sister and all that, but it was literally everyone from on shift. I don’t know how they kept working, but they were there for us in the hallways. The hallways were filled with people.”

Steve Hollingsworth said he generally likes to be by himself, but when he got out of the hospital, part of what the Reedy Creek Benevolent Fund did at his wife’s request was host a “Sit with Steve,” where people signed up for two weeks for two hour increments to come and sit with him during his recovery. He said people from all over Orlando and even farther came.

The benevolent fund also put together a meal train for the family for two weeks. When the meal train ended, a good friend and neighbor picked up the meal train for two additional weeks.

“The girls (the daughters) — while we were in the hospital and stuff — you know they said, ‘You hear of things like this happening, but you don’t ever think that you’re going to be in that position where people are going to rally around you,’” Kristin Hollingsworth said. “They were just amazed at how many people actually care and (what) they do for you. They talk about it still to this day.”

The Reedy Creek Benevolent and the Reedy Creek Fire Department Pipes & Drums are partnering to host a second birthday celebration fundraiser for Steve Hollingsworth. The event will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 25, at the Winter Garden Elks Lodge.

Community organizations such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Winter Garden Restaurant, Country House, Oakland General, The MoonCricket Grille, Kelly’s Foods and Cut Ups have all contributed to the event.

The event will include a raffle for prizes, cornhole tournament, pipes and drums performance, and awards.

Attendees can pay $20 for a “STEMI STEVE” 16-ounce cup with two drink tickets and a meal. All proceeds will go to the Hollingsworth family.

Ocoee unveils new Action Sports Park

The city welcomed guests to its newest park on National Go Skateboarding Day.

ANDREA MUJICA STAFF WRITER

The city of Ocoee rolled out its first skate park and pump track this week at Vandergrift Central Park, 560 Flewelling Ave., Ocoee.

“We wanted to bring a different type of activity besides your normal baseball, basketball, football to the city,” Parks and Recreation Director Mark Johnson said.

The park’s location at Vandergrift Central Park was the most convenient and logical, because it provides most children with a skate park and pump track where they can ride to without having to cross any major roads.

The skate park and pump track, according to Johnson, is the first part of a three- to four-year plan designed for the park, which will eventually have picnic tables, pavilions and new restrooms.

The current skate park and pump track currently sits on 10,000 square feet. However, there is a potential addition that will take place in the future that will add an extra 5,000 square feet of skate area for city residents to enjoy.

Part of the idea behind the skate park and pump track construction was to attract more families to the Vandergrift Central Park.

“We know this is going to bring more families to our park,” Johnson said. “We’ve already got a lot of positive feedback from the community.”

The Parks and Recreation Department worked directly with American Ramp Company — a company that has developed skate and bike parks in communities for more than 20 years — to develop the design of the park as well as the construction phase of the project.

“The design phase took about a year, including everything — from the initial discussion to the final design,” Johnson said. “Construction was done in nine weeks.”

According to the city’s website, the park features “street-style elements including ramps, stairs, rails, grind box, competition-level pump track and wall ride.”

The total price of the project was $528,000. The Ocoee Action Sports Park is the only skate park and pump track in the area, and it promises to attract visitors from all over the state.

OCOEE ACTION SPORTS PARK

Vandergrift Central Park, 560 Flewelling Ave., Ocoee

Annabelle Sikes

Kristin and Steve Hollingsworth are high school sweethearts who still live in Winter Garden.

Community rallies around cancer patient

ANNABELLE SIKES NEWS EDITOR

Dec. 15, 2022: The day Winter Garden resident Caitlin Schlueter, 34, was diagnosed with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer. It was one of the most terrifying moments of her life.

“It’s just been such a process where you feel like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel,” Schlueter said. “That time period thinking, ‘What if, what if, what if?’ Thoughts in my head like, ‘Should I be writing letters for my kids’ big events that I’m going to miss?’ Like, ‘Am I going to die?’” Although frightening, Schlueter said she has never felt less alone on her journey.

“The love and the support and all of that has just been insane,” Schlueter said. “My friends and my family are all backing me up and trying to help me in any way that they can. I’m just so grateful. I couldn’t imagine how anybody could do this on their own.”

DETRIMENTAL DIAGNOSIS

In September, Schlueter said she noticed a concerning mass in one of her breasts, slightly smaller than the size of a golf ball.

“Being a nurse, you know you push everything under the rug,” she said. “I thought it could be my period or an inflamed lymph node. I said, ‘It’s nothing, it’s nothing,’ and I put it off.”

Schlueter recently had her women’s wellness visit in August and was told she was healthy.

Her sister, Taylor Zevallos, called and made an appointment for Schlueter to be checked in November.

By December, Schlueter had received her cancer diagnosis.

HER2+ breast cancers are known to be more aggressive than other types of breast cancer.

Schlueter said knowing the cancer was metastatic was petrifying — she had no idea where else the cancer could be. She said her medical background — being a nurse for 10 years and working in the emergency room at AdventHealth Winter Garden for six — actually scared her more because of the endless possibilities and how deadly the cancer could be.

Schlueter had her port placed Dec. 27. One day later, she had her first echocardiogram, a process she had to have repeated every three months because of the chemotherapy weakening her heart. She also met with a surgeon to discuss options moving forward.

On Jan. 9, Schlueter started her first round of chemotherapy. She underwent a total of six rounds, once every three weeks. She is receiving antibody infusions for the rest of the year.

Schlueter said her husband, Jason, had a rough time finding out the news. It didn’t seem real at first until he saw the side effects from the chemo.

“When she was diagnosed, it was a huge blow and a gut-check,” he said.

“After that, it was just a matter of adapting for me. We had to focus on Cait and getting Cait better. Whatever got her to the next step is what we needed to do.”

Schlueter said one of the biggest struggles in the beginning of the journey was figuring out how to tell her children — Liam, 7, and Olivia, 5.

“You never know how to deal with it,” she said. “Do you hide it from them or do you be completely open with them? We’ve decided to be just completely open, and we think that that’s the best decision … they’ve been great. There’s been no acting out or any difference.”

Schlueter said Liam has been really good about handling the news.

SUPPORT SCHLUETER

WHEN: 10 a.m. Saturday, July 8

WHERE: DG Doughnuts, 29 W. McKey St., Ocoee

RSVP: bit.ly/443LVpK

INFORMATION: Email Schlueterstrong@gmail.com.

n Follow Caitlin Schlueter’s journey on Facebook: bit.

ly/3XdbMJI

n Donate to Caitlin Schlueter’s GoFundMe to help with medical costs: bit.ly/3PiNrA2

“The biggest thing was when we told him I had cancer, it was cry, cry, cry,” she said. “I told him I was still going to be the same mommy and that I was just going to look different with losing my hair. That was his biggest thing. He thought I wasn’t going to be the same mommy if I didn’t look like the same mommy.”

Once she started to lose her hair, Schlueter said she decided to shave it. She hosted a group of friends who came over, and everyone shaved their heads. She said she let the children be a part of the process by taking scissors and letting them cut chunks of her hair.

“They felt like they had control over it,” she said. “Ever since then, they’ve been like, ‘What’s cancer?’ They don’t know that I’m any different. It’s unconditional love.”

Schlueter said although she is not someone who is vain or superficial, the change in her appearance was upsetting and a struggle for her.

“The hair loss, the eyebrow loss, the eyelashes, the steroids, the chemo, everything, just looking at myself, not being able to work out like I used to, just taking my daily routine away from me I think was the hardest thing for me,” she said. “I hated looking at myself in the mirror. I hated every moment of it. My friends and my family were very supportive and helped to talk me through it so I stopped being so hard on myself with the way I looked because I obviously had no choice about it.”

On April 25 Schlueter finished chemo. She met with her surgeon May 8 to review her post chemo MRI and schedule her double mastectomy, which she underwent June 9. She said the surgery also was one

of the scariest moments since her diagnosis because she had never gone through a surgery before.

“At first, I thought, ‘OK, boobs are boobs,’ but when it got closer, I felt like something was being taken from me, and I realized I was never going to get that part of me back,” she said. “It’s a weird feeling mentally.” Schlueter is now completely cancer-free, and she never has to worry about breast cancer again.

COMMUNITY CARE

Zevallos and Schlueter’s friend for 20 years, Shannon Hayghe, created a GoFundMe to help with medical costs. Hayghe said Schlueter has been nothing less than inspiring.

“I remember when she told me that she was being evaluated for breast cancer; I just started crying,” Hayghe shared. “I started thinking about how devastating this news was for her as a 34-year-old, wife, mother and fulltime registered nurse. As health care workers, we knew all the avenues this could go down. Even though you know that cancer is a possibility, you don’t expect for it to hit so close to home, especially to your childhood friend. Cait said to me, ‘Stop crying, I will get through this,’ and she has been. I admire her strength, determination, courage and resilience. She has had such a great attitude through this entire process and has not allowed cancer to change who she is. The amount of love and support she has received speaks volumes to the person she is.”

Because Schlueter received her diagnosis in December and her new health benefits came out in January, she was told her cancer was considered pre-existing.

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mercial locations throughout West Orange and Southwest Orange.

Schlueter has been out of work and not received a paycheck for almost six months. The Schlueters also had to place the children in summer care so Caitlin Schlueter could receive the rest and time to heal that she needed, causing another financial strain.

Schlueter said the GoFundMe, which has raised more than $18,000, has really helped her and her family stay on their feet. In addition, Zevallos and Hayghe have created a Facebook group with more than 300 members documenting Schlueter’s journey to help her stay positive during the tough times.

“She has always been very independent,” Zevallos said of Schlueter. “When she found out about her diagnosis, I know she was extremely scared at first and kept everything to herself. She was hesitant when people started reaching out and seeing what they could do to help because she never wanted to be a burden. I don’t think she realized how many lives she has touched before fighting this battle. There is no doubt in my mind that all the support she has received thus far has helped her tremendously along this journey. She was able to focus on herself and her treatments. She has had her ups, downs, and nerves during this fight but I’ve truly never seen someone as strong and mentally tough as her.”

Regarding the community’s outpouring of support, Schlueter said she did not realize she knew so many people. Even people she does not know personally have been following and supporting her on her journey.

“It really does put me at ease and keep me uplifted,” she said. “Even my family constantly telling me how strong and how brave they think I am — it’s made me realize that I really am stronger than I feel and braver than I think. It’s helped me get through day by day.”

The Schlueters’ friends and family have also put together a rotating meal train, created ‘Schlueter Strong’ T-shirts, and some have even tried to donate their time off.

DG Doughnuts in the city of Ocoee is hosting an event for the Schlueter family next month.

The Doughnuts and Bubbly event will take place Saturday, July 8, to celebrate the halfway mark of Schlueter’s journey. The event will include $20 for unlimited mimosas and a mini doughnut, as well as a silent auction and raffle. All proceeds will go to the Schlueters to help with medical expenses.

Schlueter said she feels a lot more positive now knowing she is halfway through. She will complete her journey around February.

Up next is five weeks of radiation before starting reconstructive surgery.

Schlueter said she wishes she could show people how much she appreciates their kindness because saying “thank you” doesn’t seem like enough.

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Courtesy photos

Above: Caitlin Schlueter, second from right, is an ER nurse at AdventHealth Winter Garden.

Left: The Schlueter family is grateful for community support.

Winter Garden, Pet Alliance partner to address stray cats

PET ALLIANCE REBUILDING

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

The city of Winter Garden has formalized its association with Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando to solve the increasing problem of feral cats.

The City Commission approved an agreement with the organization at its May 25 meeting that allows Pet Alliance to work with local volunteers to identify the cat colonies and initiate its Trap Neuter Return program.

City Manager Jon C. Williams said the city has relied on volunteers for several years to notify officials when they see a feral cat colony.

“We’ve had some volunteers who have done a great amount of work to try to trap those cats and they take them to the vet, and we try to reimburse those folks,” Williams said. “I won’t say it’s not been successful, but we didn’t feel like we were reaching the cat population we needed to reach.”

The city has allocated money for the last two years to try to alleviate the issue, but officials wanted to increase efforts. One of the volunteers shared information about Pet Alliance, and the city asked representatives to make a presentation to the city. Pet Alliance has similar programs in other municipalities, including the city of Orlando.

“It’s been successful, so we decided, ‘Let’s give it a shot,’” Williams said.

Pet Alliance will work with the team of volunteers already in place.

“The goal is to identify the cat colonies, figure out where they are,” he said. “We rely on the community to report the cat colonies, but we just don’t know how big the colonies are.”

The plan, he said, is for Pet Alliance employees to hold weekly trapping events.

TRAPPING WEEKLY

Cathy Houde, Pet Alliance’s Community Cat Program manager, is typically in Winter Garden on Tuesdays to canvas the area. She is asking residents who see large communities of cats — numbering around 30 — to reach out to her through email, choude@petallianceorlando.org, or by calling (407) 967-5106.

They will trap cats on Thursdays, perform spay and neuter surgeries on Fridays and return them on Saturdays if the cats are medically cleared.

It costs $60 to spay or neuter one cat. The city pays Pet Alliance for every cat trapped and treated. Williams said the city will continue to work with the local volunteers who can identify the smaller cat colonies.

City officials are not sure of the number of unsocialized cat communities there are in Winter Garden.

“What we’re excited about with the partnership is we can better pinpoint where the colonies are,” Williams said.

Several community volunteers have reported large colonies at Westside Townhomes, off West Colonial Drive. When the city held its kickoff meeting with Pet Alliance, about 16 volunteers attended and vowed their support.

The partnership with Pet Alliance started about two weeks ago, and already there have been results. Houde said 27 cats were captured, treated and returned during the first two-day event. Nearby Stage Stop Campground is also on the target list.

Nineteen months after a devastating fire tore through the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando facility on Conroy Road, the organization held a groundbreaking ceremony on a new larger location on John Young Parkway.

In April, Pet Alliance broke ground — with digging puppies instead of shovels — on the new $14 million, 25,000-square-foot facility, located on eight acres previously purchased by Pet Alliance. The shelter plan already was in place and a fundraising campaign was started, but the fire expedited the project.

A fire broke out at in the public clinic area of the shelter Sept. 15, 2021, and 17 cats lost their lives. Thanks to rescue personnel and volunteers, 45 cats and 26 dogs were saved that night. The building was a near-total loss.

The community rallied around the organization, and donations began pouring in.

Cathy Houde, community outreach manager for Pet Alliance’s Community Cat Initiative, said construction will begin in the fall and an opening is planned for January 2025.

“Mobile home parks and apartments — those can be higher traffic areas for cats,” she said. “All the locations we’ve been given, we’ll work there and move out from there.”

RETURNING HOME

Once a cat mends from surgery, it is returned to its neighborhood.

“They go exactly back to the same yard or street that we trap them at,” Houde said. “Everybody’s labeled. If we trap in front of someone’s house, that’s where we release them, right back in front. The important part of that is (the) return. The cats are returned to their home, which could be a home or cul-de-sac — wherever they’re being fed.”

Houde explained why they are returned and not taken to a shelter.

“Shelters have to deal with more so the owners of the cats that are being surrendered,” she said. “One, we don’t have the resource to take them in off the street. Two, they aren’t adoptable; they’ve had no experience with human contact at all. … We don’t use the word ‘feral’ — because people don’t understand the term.

“Community cats — that term consists of stray, abandoned and the unsocialized,” Houde said. “I use ‘unsocialized’ as opposed to ‘feral’ because that puts cats in the bad light and there’s nothing wrong with these cats. Many of these cats, they have been around humans. They might have been dumped, they might have been somebody’s pet that was put outside. That is now the life they live. They have caretakers and people who feed them.

“Cats are territorial, and to take them out of that would be unfair,” she said. “I’m not going to take a friendly cat and put it in a shelter and stress it out. I’m not going to take the cat out of the neighborhood it knows and the people it knows. People, because they’re compassionate, they feel like all animals need to live inside, and that’s not the case.”

Since November 2018, Pet Alliance has spayed and neutered more than 2,300 community cats through its TNR program.

The collaboration is intended to reduce the city’s feral cat population.

Town of Windermere closes in on permanent traffic solution

ANNABELLE SIKES

NEWS EDITOR

The Windermere Town Council moved forward with the first reading of an ordinance to implement a traffic-calming program on Oakdale Street by installing a diversion barrier at the meeting Tuesday, June 13, with Council Member Mandy David absent.

If approved after a second reading, the barrier will be placed at the intersection of Ninth Avenue East and Oakdale Street, and it will require vehicles traveling north on Oakdale to turn left onto Ninth Avenue.

The diversion barrier will include landscaping; a dedicated place for golf carts to pass; signage to minimize people turning around their vehicles and to prevent the standing of delivery and other vehicles; and notification to emergency agencies, other utilities and delivery companies.

Residents along Oakdale Street have expressed issues with cut-through traffic, speeding, stop sign running and aggressive driving behaviors for years.

The Town Council passed a temporary traffic-calming program to alleviate traffic concerns along Oakdale Street at their July meeting.

The approved temporary measure included only the use of a diverter with no road closures and authorized flexibility for Town Manager Robert Smith to implement the program, providing for a re-evaluation period after three and six months, and requiring an ordinance for permanent traffic-calming measures.

The 30-day review, discussed in October, showed traffic was reduced in the area by 55.91%.

According to data collected by the town, traffic traveling down Oakdale has continued to trend downward over the 90-day review period. The number of vehicles per day during the peak hours in the first 30-day review was 34.56 vehicles per day. From Sept. 18

to Nov. 16, the town collected 40 days of data and averaged 28.3 vehicles per day during the same peak hours.

Council members approved moving forward implementing the diverter as a permanent solution at their meeting in December.

Town staff currently is working on obtaining estimates for construction and installation of final infrastructure, which will be presented at the next Town Council meeting with the second and final reading of the ordinance Tuesday, July 11.

RATE INCREASE

Town Council members also voted unanimously to approve the rate increase from Waste Pro for solid waste and recycling.

The adjusted rate is a 5.41% increase.

The current solid waste amount is $18.76 per month and $225.12 per year, while the current recycling amount is $6.06 per month and $72.72 per year.

The adjusted rate amounts will provide for solid waste at $19.77 per month and $237.24 per year, and recycling at $6.39 per month and $76.68 per year.

Smith explained after submitting a request for a quote in 2021, the town entered into a renewed contract with Waste Pro. The contract term runs for five years and will end in September 2026.

“As stated in the agreement, the contract amount may be adjusted upward or downward as of Oct. 1 of each year of the agreement upon written request to the town at least 90 days before the anniversary date,” the executive summary for the item stated. “The rate adjustment shall be equal to 100% of the net change in the Consumer Price Index for all urban customers: Water, sewer and trash collection services as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.”

The summary states the adjusted rate is in accordance with the agreement and posted CPI.

Council Member Molly Rose commented on the recycling rates.

“They tell me that 85% of the trucks for recycling get declined,” she said.

“They go to the regular trash dump.

… So I’m wondering if it’s even worth having recycling — and I know coming from me that sounds like ludicrous — but I mean, either we have to teach people how to do it or we’re wasting our $76.68 a year, per home, in my opinion.”

Mayor Jim O’Brien shared Rose’s concern.

“We used to have bins, and I’m wondering if it was better when we had the bins and people had to separate a little bit more, and would that be better to go back to?” Rose asked.

Smith said he would have to ask Waste Pro to see what the numbers were prior to the change in the recycling.

“All it takes is one bad load, and it ruins the whole entire (load); one pizza box and that ruins the entire load,” Smith said.

Rose said she can’t imagine Waste Pro is even hitting 85%.

“Somebody is going to put something in every week,” she said. “So, I think this is a waste of people’s money. … I would rather pay twice it and have it all be good than to pay this and basically it’s not working.”

Smith said he would reach out to Waste Pro for input.

“We did have some more discussions on this — I think last year — we focused so much on just getting everything picked up that this got kicked, and I kind of feel like that’s how we end up here,” O’Brien said. “We did discuss an additional education piece. I really feel like the challenge with recycling is people feel more is better; they don’t know more is worse.”

Rose inquired if Waste Pro could come to the Town Council meeting next month and discuss the issue, and Smith said he would speak to the company to see its availability.

IN OTHER NEWS

n The Windermere Town Council approved the second reading of an ordinance proposing a change to the 10% limitation for nonconforming structures. Town Planner Brad Cornelius said after the first reading and discussion in May, a provision was added to the code, which provides for reconstruction after a fire or other calamity. “A structure is substantially destroyed if the cost of reconstruction is 50% or more of the fair market value of the structure before the fire or other calamity,” the ordinance states.

n The council approved unanimously three sets of meeting minutes: Pavilion 45% Plans Town Council Workshop April 25, Town Council Meeting May 9 and Oakdale & 9th Traffic Diversion Town Council Workshop May 23.

n The Town Council approved a variance for an addition of greater than 10% of a non-conforming home and encroachment into rear setback for a proposed home addition at 803 Main St.

n Council members approved the conditional use for sale and on-site consumption of beer and wine at Paloma Coffee.

n The council approved a resolution changing and establishing the municipal election date, canvassing board and qualifying dates.

n The Town Council approved $23,900 to Fausnight for the installation of a crosswalk near Windermere Recreation on Park Avenue plus $750 for thermoplastic.

NEWS BRIEFS

DG DOUGHNUTS

EARNS TOP RANKING

Ocoee’s own doughnut spot DG Doughnuts recently was ranked No. 71 in Yelp’s Top 100 U.S. Donut Shops 2023.

DG Doughnuts was one of the 10 doughnuts shops in Florida that made it on the list. Some of the other doughnut places located in Florida include Donuts To Go, located in Sanford, ranked No. 24; Bake Shack, located in Dania Beach, ranked No. 40; Hole in One Donut, located in Tampa, ranked No. 60; and Valkyrie Doughnuts, located in Orlando, ranked No. 80.

ELLIE LOU’S OPENS IN HORIZON WEST

Horizon West residents can now enjoy a new spot to indulge in comfort food and southern hospitality. Ellie Lou’s Brews and BBQ recently opened at Flamingo Crossings, 153 Sugar Belle Drive, Winter Garden. Ellie Lou’s Brews and BBQ is known for items such as pulled pork and chicken, brisket, ribs and sandwiches.

POLICE INVESTIGATE THEFT OF TREE

The Ocoee Police Department is searching for information regarding a stolen tree. The Magnolia tree was taken from the city’s Florida Friendly Demonstration Garden, next to the Ocoee Lakeshore Center at 125 N. Lakeshore Drive. Those with information should call (407) 905-3160.

CORRECTION

In the June 15 story, “Batters Up,” Leila Sky Montalbano’s and Riyar DeLeon’s names were misspelled, and Luke Kimmel’s and Ashton Minner’s names were omitted from the Windermere Little Leage All-Stars roster. We regret the errors.

Urban Air takes flight in Hamlin

The adventure park opened its newest location at 5758 Hamlin Groves Trail, Winter Garden, Thursday, June 15.

ANNABELLE SIKES NEWS EDITOR

VISIT

URBAN AIR

GRAND OPENING:

Saturday, July 8

5758 Hamlin Groves Trail, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 734-

0474

WEBSITE: urbanair. com/florida-orlando-hamlin

ABOUT URBAN AIR

Urban Air Adventure

Park first opened in

2011 in Texas. Now, the company hosts more than 200 locations across the United States. Nearby Florida locations include those in Tampa, Melbourne, Lakeland and Brandon. The franchise has earned a variety of awards and recognitions, such as the Entrepreneur’s No. 1 ranked franchise in the parks/entertainment centers category for four years in a row, and the best gym in America for kids by the Sharp Magazine.

Following years of anticipation, Urban Air Adventure Park finally opened its Hamlin doors to customers during its soft opening Thursday, June 15.

Urban Air, located at 5758 Hamlin Groves Trail, Winter Garden, broke ground in July 2022. The 60,000-square-foot adventure park includes more than 20 attractions, such as bumper cars, wipeout, gokarts, skyrider, trampolines, a slam dunk zone, climbing walls, virtual reality, a warrior course and a ropes course.

The location also houses nine party rooms and a cafe.

The Hamlin location is owned by Harold Mills and Kent Cisewski, Windermere and Winter Park residents, respectively. The business is run with the help of General Manager Tim Finnerty and Assistant General Manager Sid Jordan.

“We make memories where families can disconnect from a busy outside world and cherish the joy of laughter and giggles through play,” Mills said.

ANXIOUSLY AWAITED

The highly anticipated soft opening of the park was delayed about a week.

“It is very important that we are committed to safety above all else,” Cisewski told customers in a prepared statement. “We know without a doubt that this park is 100% ready to go. … We thank you for your patience and we know you’re excited to explore at Urban Air.”

The delay did not stop children and families traveling from near and far from packing the park. Nearly 800 people attended the soft opening alone.

Urban Air will host a grand opening event for everyone to attend at the beginning of July.

The tickets for the park will have three different levels: platinum, ultimate and deluxe. Each level dictates which attractions guests can enjoy. Urban Air also will sell memberships with different levels and perks.

The location will host celebrations such as children’s birthday parties, group events, field trips and teambuilding days.

COMMUNITY HUB

For parents, Urban Air will provide myriad opportunities for their families.

Jessica Viglianti and her son Adam, 7, have lived in the Horizon West area for about six years.

“This is a place that has most of the attractions that (Adam) loves,” Jessica Viglianti said. “We usually have to drive like 40 minutes away, 30 minutes away to go to something like this. They also have more stuff here all in one place. … I feel like this is amazing for kids because they are not looking at a device all day long to keep exercising.”

Jenn Hilstrom, who lives in the Winter Garden Village area, attended the soft opening with her two sons, Caden and Landon.

“It’s a great place for them to have fun exercising and working on their physical fitness,” Hilstrom said. “It’s almost like a gym. It’s also a safe place for them to come and hang out with their friends.”

Windermere residents Mariah, Saniya, Isaiah and Josiah Parke all attended the soft opening event as a family with their mother.

“I am most excited to play the virtual reality games — but really everything,” Josiah Parke said.

The mother said the park offers a unique experience for her children without having to travel to larger theme parks and pay an enormous price.

“It’s closer to our home, and the membership helps out a ton, especially if you have a larger family,” she said.

Horizon West resident Jaime Whitley said she thinks the park will bring a lot of people together.

“You’ll get to meet a lot of new people, especially if you just moved here, that may be living in your

neighborhood you don’t even know,” she said. “It’s nice to have something for the kids to do, even on rainy days. It’s the summer, and we are in hurricane season. If it rains, here the rides won’t close down like at the major outdoor theme parks.”

Her daughter, Peyton Whitley, 8, said she is most excited for the gokarts because she loves going fast and hopes to come to the park often with her family.

Yakub Ali and his son, Ayoub, 5, were thrilled with the adventure park.

Ayoub rode the Spin Zone Bumper Cars multiple times throughout the day.

“It’s nice and close, and you can do more than just jump on the trampoline,” Yakub Ali said. “There’s more attractions in one spot, and the key point is that it’s indoors, away from the heat and summer storms. (My son) has a lot of energy, so he can run around and do a lot of activities to get his energy out.”

Adam Viglianti, 7, almost disappeared in the ball pit.

Ayoub Ali, 5, was thrilled with the Spin Zone Bumper Cars and rode multiple times.

Photos by Annabelle Sikes

Sophie Zelch, 5, completed one of the obstacle courses.

Devin Cottle, 7, climbed to the top of the rock wall.

Oakland debates water tower lights

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

It’s unusual for the Oakland Town Commission to be divided on a topic, but such was the case at the June 13 meeting. The issue is the new lights on the water tower that stands in the town center.

The tower has stood dark since 2015, but the town added outrigger lights after the iconic structure was painted with the new town logo last fall. However, the new lights were deemed too bright by residents and town staff and were temporarily turned off until a solution could be found.

At the March 28 commission meeting, Commissioner Rick Polland shared his concerns about birds being affected by the lights and suggested they be turned off permanently. The commission decided to continue the discussion at a later meeting to give Polland a chance to gather more information on how the lights might affect migratory and song birds.

In the June 13 meeting agenda packet, Polland included a recommendation to the commission to keep the lights off permanently. In his memo to commissioners, he wrote: “To date, the town of Oakland has been a good steward of the environment with our very own Oakland Nature Preserve, supporting St. Johns River Water Management District and (Friends of Lake Apopka) in the cleanup of Lake Apopka, adopting the town of Oakland’s Dark Sky Ordinance, and, most recently, proclaiming May 13 as World Migratory Bird Day. The town has expressed interest in attracting ecotourism. Leaving the water tower lights off would confirm our commitment to protect the environment. Orange Audubon (Society) is working on making the town of Oakland the first municipality in Orange County to be designated a ‘Bird Friendly’ City. This would coincide with everything we have done to date.” Polland also included a letter from Deborah Green, president of the

Orange Audubon Society, and three articles documenting how lighting affects environment and wildlife.

Mayor Kathy Stark asked Polland to compromise.

“We have left the lights off until we came to an agreement,” she said.

“I have talked to a couple (of) people.

I talked to an environmentalist, who said birds have way better eyesight than we do.”

According to Green: “Birds navigate by the stars and moon … and the articles (Polland) gathered show they hit buildings with lights. … Birds are under such stress already with loss of habitat, and what you do here in the town by keeping the trees, any native

plantings (is important). … You’ve already taken an important step with the dark sky ordinance. I understand the marketing that you want your town up in lights. But marketing of being environmentally friendly is more powerful and unique.” Stark responded: “I am all for following dark sky, and I am all for making sure we lower lights, turn them off during the migratory season, but I think we have to really be pragmatic about the fact that we’re going to have birds, this is an iconic piece of our town, and I would like to light it when we can and follow dark sky. … It becomes difficult when you’re trying to help the environment but you’re

not able to take into consideration other things.”

Part of the solution could be to turn the lights off at a specific time each night. Stark said she didn’t have an opinion on what time the lights should be turned off.

“If we could just light it during the times that people are driving home and can see the water tower and turn them off during the migratory patterns,” Stark said. “We’ve got to find middle ground.”

Polland told the mayor people can see the water tower during daylight hours.

In response, Stark said to Polland: “We come to the table and say we’re willing to work with you on this. What are the things we can work together on? … I think we’re offering great solutions to start. This is not where I want to be. I do want dark sky, no question. But I do want that tower lit when we can, and I want to be cognizant of the environment.”

Polland questioned how the town would be able to turn on the tower lights and still be compliant with the dark-sky ordinance.

Commissioner Sal Ramos pointed out the four-story The Avenue on Oakland apartment complex has lights on their buildings, and Polland said the lights shine downward and are dark-sky compliant.

The commission voted to research lighting that can be placed at the top of the water tower and shine directly on the logo and away from the sky.

“This is a good start, and hopefully we will figure it out,” Stark said. “I would like us to move forward in some fashion.”

FIRST COMMISSION

MEETING FOR NEW MANAGER

Town Manager Andy Stewart is settling in after several weeks in his new position. He thanked the commission, staff and residents for making him feel welcome and for helping him get acquainted with Oakland.

“I’m glad to be back doing what I

n The Oakland Town Commission approved spending $53,416 for a mobile diesel generator set to be in compliance with Florida Department of Environmental Protection rules that specify lift stations that re-pump wastewater must have a permanent generator or be able to quickly connect to a portable generator. Lift Station 1 falls under that category.

The purchase is partially funded by a grant, and the remainder will be paid from the 2022-23 Enterprise Fund budget.

n The commission passed the second reading of an ordinance that allows existing combined platted lots to be split back out to their original configuration.

n The commission appointed Mayor Kathy Stark as a voting delegate for the Florida League of Cities’ 97th annual conference.

n Stark wants to bring the town’s houses of worship together to create a Coalition of Churches that would work in unison to feed and assist folks in need in Oakland.

n The town proclaimed June 19 through 25, 2023, Pollinator Week.

love to do,” he said. “Oakland’s going to be a good fit for me, and I’m glad to be part of the community.”

“We are, I would say, thus far very pleased with the choice we made,” Stark said.

Bobby Green, former city manager of Auburndale, attended the meeting to support Stewart, his former assistant city manager. He said he had the opportunity and the privilege to work with Stewart and wanted to attend the meeting to congratulate his former colleague.

“I had seven assistants in Auburndale,” Green said. “I let them know I wanted to work with them for four or five years and then they get their master’s (degree) so they can become a manager. … When he left to go work for the city of Dundee, we knew that was a good beginning for him.”

One commissioner wants the lights to remain off to keep birds and other nightlife safe. The mayor wants the town to be a good steward of the environment but also wants to show off the town’s iconic structure.

Amy Quesinberry

The lights on the water tower will remain off for now.

Royal Cypress Preserve estate sells for $2.45M

Ahome in the Royal Cypress Preserve community in Southwest Orange topped all West Orangearea residential real-estate transactions from June 12 to 18.

The home at 10116 Royal Island Court, Orlando, sold June 12, for $2.45 million.

Built in 2020, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 4,560 square feet. Days on market: 67.

These are the highestselling homes in each community in West Orange.

DR. PHILLIPS BAY HARBOUR PHILLIPS LANDING

The home at 8268 Lake Serene Drive, Orlando, sold June 14, for $895,000. Built in 1997, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 2,824 square feet of living area. Days on market: 31.

ESTATES AT PHILLIPS LANDING

The home at 8754 Southern Breeze Drive, Orlando, sold June 15, for $1,500,000. Built in 1998, it has six bedrooms, five baths and 5,200 square feet of living area. Days on market: 13.

SAND LAKE COVE

The home at 10021 Cove Lake Drive, Orlando, sold June 14, for $685,000. Built in 1997, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,670 square feet of living area. Days on market: Four.

GOTHA SIENA GARDENS

The home at 208 Siena Gardens Circle, Gotha, sold June 14, for $762,500. Built in 2012, it has five bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 2,886 square feet. Days on market: Six.

HORIZON WEST

EDEN ISLE

The home at 13932 Florigold Drive, Windermere, sold June 15, for $915,000. Built in 2004, it has six bedrooms, four baths and 3,578 square feet. Days on market: 13.

ENCORE AT OVATION

The home at 12573 Encore at Ovation Way, Winter Garden, sold June 15, for $529,990. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, twoand-one-half baths and 2,322 square feet. Days on market: 89.

HAWKSMOOR

The home at 16919 Wingspread Loop, Winter Garden, sold June 16, for $1,015,000. Built in 2021, it has six bedrooms, four baths and 3,880 square feet. Days on market: Two.

HIGHLAND RIDGE

The home at 12122 Bracco St., Winter Garden, sold June 13, for $528,865. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,114 square feet.

INDEPENDENCE

The home at 6373 New Independence Parkway, Winter Garden, sold June 15, for $620,000. Built in 2006, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 2,628 square feet. Days on market: 62.

The home at 14851 Speer Lake Drive, Winter Garden, sold June 16, for $609,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 2,578 square feet. Days on market: Four.

LAKE AVALON GROVES

The home at 17817 Dangler Road, Winter Garden, sold June 14, for $950,000. Built in 1979, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,396 square feet. Days on market: 143.

LAKESHORE PRESERVE

The home at 15106 Canoe Place, Winter Garden, sold June 12, for $1,140,000. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, five baths and 3,815 square feet. Days on market: Seven.

ORCHARD PARK

AT STILLWATER CROSSING

The home at 3054 Cherry Orchard Lane, Winter Garden, sold June 12, for $715,000. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,013 square feet. Days on market: 69.

PRESTON SQUARE

The home at 6597 Helmsley Circle, Windermere, sold June 14, for $600,000. Built in 2010, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,510 square feet. Days on market: Two.

SUMMERLAKE

The home at 14512 Bahama Swallow Blvd., Winter Garden, sold June 12, for $580,000. Built in 2013, it has five bedrooms, twoand-one-half baths and 2,571 square feet. Days on market: 111.

SUMMERPORT BEACH

The home at 12424 Summerport Beach Way, Windermere, sold June 12, for $2.3 million. Built in 1986, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,138 square feet. Days on market: Eight.

WATERLEIGH

The home at 17984 Adrift Road, Winter Garden, sold June 14, for $834,556. Built in 2022, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 3,225 square feet. Days on market: One.

The home at 17098 Water Spring Blvd., Winter Garden, sold June 16, for $601,740. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 2,489 square feet. Days on market: 48.

WATERMARK

The home at 10121 Austrina Oak Loop, Winter Garden, sold June 12, for $1,400,000. Built in 2020, it has six bedrooms, four-andone-half baths and 4,519 square feet. Days on market: Five.

The home at 10067 Austrina Oak Loop, Winter Garden, sold June 13, for $950,000. Built in 2020, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 4,305 square feet. Days on market: Seven.

WINDERMERE ISLE

The home at 13542 Gorgona Isle Drive, Windermere, sold June 16, for $675,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,224 square feet. Days on market: 17.

WINDERMERE TRAILS

The home at 8637 Crescendo Ave., Windermere, sold June 14, for $830,000. Built in 2015, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,907 square feet. Days on market: Two.

OCOEE CRESTWOOD HEIGHTS

The townhouse at 1016 Crestwood Commons Ave., Ocoee, sold June 9, for $365,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 1,951 square feet. Days on market: 22.

CROSS CREEK

The home at 629 Darkwood Ave., Ocoee, sold June 6, for $532,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,298 square feet. Days on market: Four.

PLANTATION GROVE WEST

The home at 810 Grovesmere Loop, Ocoee, sold June 7, for $650,000. Built in 1992, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,891 square feet.

REFLECTIONS

The home at 1797 Sparkling Water Circle, Ocoee, sold June 8, for $415,500. Built in 1996, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,992 square feet. Days on market: Three.

WESTYN BAY

The home at 2647 Palastro Way, Ocoee, sold June 7, for $500,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,387 square feet. Days on market: Three.

SOUTHWEST ORANGE ROYAL CYPRESS PRESERVE

The home at 10116 Royal Island Court, Orlando, sold June 12, for $2.45 million. Built in 2020, it has five bedrooms, four-and-onehalf baths and 4,560 square feet. Days on market: 67.

The home at 10116 Royal Island Court, Orlando, sold June 12, for $2.45 million. It was the largest transaction in Southwest Orange from June 12 to 18. This home is one of three in Royal Cypress Preserve that offers direct water frontage; it also features a private boat dock and lift. The selling agent was Matt Tomaszewski, Corcoran Premier Realty.

Courtesy photo

WINDERMERE

BUTLER BAY

The home at 2925 Butler Bay Drive N., Windermere, sold June 15, for $1,850,000. Built in 1998, it has five bedrooms, four-and-onehalf baths and 4,100 square feet. Days on market: Six.

ISLEWORTH

The home at 6186 Louise Cove Drive, Windermere, sold June 16, for $2,175,000. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, five-andone-half baths and 4,849 square feet. Days on market: One.

WESTOVER RESERVE

The home at 1810 Westover Reserve Blvd., Windermere, sold June 16, for $910,000. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, five baths and 3,764 square feet. Days on market: 25.

WILLOWS AT LAKE RHEA

The home at 2058 Willow Lauren Lane, Windermere, sold June 15, for $1,020,000. Built in 1995, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,222 square feet. Days on market: 37.

WINTER GARDEN COUNTRY LAKES

The home at 14140 Country Estate Drive, Winter Garden, sold June 15, for $730,000. Built in 1984, it has three bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 2,346 square feet. Days on market: Three.

COVINGTON PARK

The home at 456 Silverdale Ave., Winter Garden, sold June 12, for $520,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,844 square feet. Days on market: Seven.

JOHNS LAKE POINTE

The home at 403 Egret Place Drive, Winter Garden, sold June 13, for $810,000. Built in 2012, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 4,176 square feet. Days on market: 20.

SPENCE ESTATES

The home at 13428 Lake Blvd., Winter Garden, sold June 13, for $911,000. Built in 1990, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,925 square feet. Days on market: 194.

WATERSIDE AT JOHNS LAKE

The home at 16713 Rusty Anchor Road, Winter Garden, sold June 15, for $1,050,000. Built in 2019, it has six bedrooms, five-and-onehalf baths and 4,474 square feet. Days on market: One.

The home at 12424 Summerport Beach Way, Windermere, sold June 12, for $2.3 million. It was the largest transaction in the Horizon West area from June 12 to 18, 2023. The selling agent was Crystal Dukes, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, Tampa.

Courtesy photo

The home at 6186 Louise Cove Drive, Windermere, sold June 16, for $2,175,000. It was the largest transaction in Windermere from June 12 to 18, 2023. The selling agent was Monica Lochmandy, Isleworth Realty LLC.

First Baptist Church @ Horizon West 15304 Tilden Road, Winter Garden

Sundays: 9:45 AM All Ages www.FBCWG.org

Starke Lake Baptist Church

Pastor Jeff Pritchard PO Box 520 611 W Ave., Ocoee (407) 656-2351 www.StarkeLakeBaptist.org

Victory Baptist Church & Christian Academy 1601 A.D. Mims Rd, Ocoee FL 34761 (407) 656-3097

www.VBCOCOEE.com

Sunday: 11AM & 6 PM Wednesday: 7 PM

CHURCH OF GOD

Ocoee Church of God

Pastor Thomas Odom 1105 N. Lakewood Ave.,Ocoee (407) 656-8011

EPISCOPAL

Church of the Messiah

241 N. Main St., Winter Garden

Sunday: 8, 9:30, & 11 AM., 4PM (French & Creole), 7 PM www.ChurchoftheMessiah.com

METHODIST

First United Methodist www.fumcwg.org

125 N. Lakeview Ave., Winter Garden (407) 656-1135 Services: 9 AM Traditional 10:45 AM Contemporary Also viewable on YouTube

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

Purpose Church Orlando 13640 W Colonial Dr. Ste 110, Winter Garden (407) 654-9661

Sunday Service: 10:05 AM

Sunday Brazilian Service: 7 PM Saturday Service: 6 PM www.purposechurchorlando.org

THE HISTORY OF THE NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY

F or over 60 years, we at Lake Apopka Natural Gas District have prided ourselves on the safe, clean, and reliable delivery of natural gas as an energy source to our valued customers. As we approach nearly seven decades of service, we wanted to take a moment to look back on the rich history of natural gas and how we got to where we are today.

While the history of natural gas as a fuel source dates back hundreds of years, with the ancient peoples of Greece, Persia and India discovering the valuable energy source many centuries ago, it was not until the 19th century that natural gas really began to play a significant role in fueling modern industrialization and meeting the energy needs of societies.

In 1821, American William Hart intentionally and successfully dug the first well to capture and use natural gas to light lamps in his private residence in Fredonia, New York, marking the birth of natural gas as a commercial energy source in the United States.

The discovery of vast natural gas reserves in the Appalachian region of the U.S. further fueled its adoption for industrial purposes, and by the early 20th century, natural gas became widely used for heating, cooking, and generating electricity. Since then, natural gas has emerged as a cleaner-burning alternative to coal and oil, contributing to the transition toward more environmentally friendly energy sources.

In 1957, officials of Apopka, Clermont, and Winter Garden, along with investors and engineers, recognized the great growth potential of West Orange and South Lake counties, and began studying the possibility of

providing natural gas to the area. The proposed natural gas system was agreed upon and built to bring comfort and convenience to the public, and to add to the general economic growth of our communities.

Today, natural gas plays a pivotal role in meeting the energy demands of countries worldwide. The direct use of natural gas is a reliable source for heating homes and cooking, as well as fueling a variety of commercial entities and industries. Its versatility, abundance, cost-saving benefits, and low environmental impact have cemented its position as a significant component of the global energy mix.

Natural gas’ journey from ancient uses to a modern energy source highlights its adaptability and enduring relevance in meeting the energy needs of societies throughout history. The District is grateful to have grown to over 938 square miles of distribution pipelines to serve residential, commercial, and industrial user needs, and we look forward to providing this valuable energy source with such a rich history to our valued customers for generations to come.

To learn more, visit www.LANGD. org/Home/History.

SPORTS

Royal welcome

The First Academy football team will start its 2023-24 season under the guidance of Jeff Conaway, the first coach the Royals have hired since former head coach Leroy Kinard took charge 16 years ago.

After 16 years under the guidance of former head football coach Leroy Kinard, The First Academy football team now has a new leader and head coach in Jeff Conaway.

“When I came down and visited, all the boxes I needed to check as far as the church, the administration, the school for my kids, the opportunity for my career, the ability for my family to thrive, the people that I get to work with, checked,” Conaway said. “This is not something that I sought after.

I’m not trying to over spiritualize it, but I believe God opened the doors and God called me here. I don’t know that I really had an option, I think if

I would have stayed (where I was), I would have been disobedient.”

For 20 years — four as an assistant coach and 16 as the head coach — TFA was the temple where Kinard provided young student-athletes with the knowledge of the sport of football through the Christian pathway.

“I’m very thankful for the opportunity to coach at TFA and for the people that have had come across my path along the way, and for the entire experience,” he said. “Many coaches before me contributed (to the program) and it was my turn to do what I could do to make sure those guys were not only football players … but also that they knew what it meant to be a great husband and father. … I hope I did a good job while I was there, that I stewarded the program while I was

there and that I helped guys become more Christ-like while I was there.”

However, change is inevitable, and TFA Athletic Director Will Cohen believes Conaway will be a tremendous addition to the Royals family.

“A lot of new, a lot of change, a lot of transition,” Cohen said. “Coach Kinard was here for a long time. All eight of my years as our director of athletics have been with him as my head football coach, and we feel like we ran a great race together. … But, we are looking forward to the days ahead, coach Conaway is — what we believe — an elite high school football coach and someone that is going to take the program to the next level and build upon what we’ve already done

The Orlando Area Rowing Society Men’s 2- boat placed first at the USRowing U19 National Team Trials Regatta Wednesday, June 14. Tyler Murphy and Ian Ballard crossed the finish line in second place during the time trials Tuesday, June 13, followed by a first place finish at the semifinals that same day. With a time of 6:50.6, Murphy and Ballard claimed first place at the regatta during the finals, becoming the fastest U19 2- men’s boat in the United States. With the win, OARS earned a spot to compete internationally for the U.S. However, the team declined the bid to be part of the U19 National Rowing Team at the 2023 World Rowing Under 19 Championships, to be held from Aug. 2 to 6 in Paris, France.

2

The Winter Garden Squeeze will play a three-game series against the Leesburg Lighting. The first and second games will take place at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 22, and Friday, June 23, at Olympia High. The third game will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at the Pat Thomas Stadium in Leesburg.

3

Horizon High is looking for a girls JV head soccer coach to lead the Lady Hawks in the upcoming 2023-24 season. The ideal candidate will be a leader who has nurturing abilities, as well as an enthusiastic personality who knows how to motivate studentathletes. If interested, email your résumé to Thomas Brown, thomas. brown@ocps.net.

4

The Foundation Academy swimming team got several student-athletes named to the NHSCA All-Academic team.

These include Cameron Cotch, Colton Kelly, Charles Lyman, Lexi Sheridan, Kenneth Gonzalez, Eliana Bosque and Quin Sundermeyer (honorable mention). Emma Sundermeyer was named to the second NHSCA All-Academic team.

5

The CrossFit Iron Shamrock in Winter Garden hosted “The Murph” workout challenge recently. This workout was named after Navy Lt. Michael Murphy, who died in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. The workout consists of a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats and another 1-mile run. “We are truly honored to have hosted the ‘Murph’ workout challenge and pay tribute to Lt. Murphy and all the fallen heroes who have selflessly given their lives for our country,” CrossFit Iron Shamrock owner Tiffany Ferlmann said. CrossFit Iron Shamrock will host more events to foster community engagement while promoting physical fitness. For more information, visit crossfitironshamrock. com or contact (309) 369-0904.

Sutton named new AD at Windermere High School

After seven years of serving the Wolverines as their athletic trainer, Jillian Sutton will now lead them as their new athletic director.

Windermere High School has found a new athletic director in a familiar face — athletic trainer Jillian Sutton, who has been there since it opened in 2017.

“I think transitioning from the athletic department to athletic director, I have really strong relationships with

the administration, the coaches and the students, their families and the community,” she said. “It’s nice for them to have a familiar face. No one likes change, so maybe when they see someone they already have that relationship with, it’ll be a little bit comforting.”

ANDREA MUJICA STAFF WRITER

West Orange High’s Aly Henry led the softball team in several categories. Page 2B.

ANDREA MUJICA STAFF WRITER

Andrea Mujica

Jillian Sutton never thought she’d step out of her athletic trainer shoes to become an athletic director.

Aly Henry

West Orange High School rising junior and softball player Aly Henry finished her regular season leading her team with a .481 batting average, a .553 OBP, 39 hits, three triples and 16 stolen bases. She was second on the stats board for scored runs with 30 and a .580 slugging percentage while striking out once in 96 plate appearances. Henry was selected to the FACA All-State Team and the All-Academic Team as well as the Metro West Conference All-Metro Team.

Tell us about your years as a softball player.

I started out playing baseball with my brother (John). When I was about 8 (years old), I played softball at Windermere Little League, and then I went to travel ball. I just love playing the game.

What do you love most about softball as a sport?

I just love how it brings people together. You can make friendships you never thought would have happened. I love how it pushes me to just be a better person.

What do you believe softball has taught you not only on the field but also off it?

(It has taught me) to have confidence, because if you don’t have confidence, you can’t really get places. You have to believe in yourself.

Do you have a favorite drill at practice?

I really like long-toss, because I play outfield. It teaches you to just keep pushing yourself.

What do you think makes you a unique player on the softball field? UGA).

THE BASICS

Age: 16 Sport: Softball

Position: Shortstop, second base, outfield Grade: Rising junior School: West Orange

What is your favorite hobby?

I think shopping with my mom (Katie Henry).

What do you like to do on the weekends? Probably go shopping or go to the beach.

What are three things you would take with you to a deserted island?

My friends, probably music and a bed.

What is your favorite movie?

I think the Hannah Montana movie. I grew up watching that movie.

What is your favorite type of music?

It’s not a type of music, but Taylor Swift.

What’s your favorite Disney

TFA names new football coach

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B

here, which is some good things. We want to take it to a level where we are competing at the highest level in the classroom, on the field and as men of character.”

CONAWAY, A NEW ROYAL

Born in 1980, in Hayti, Missouri, Conaway grew up in Paragould, Arkansas — where his family moved to in 1985.

“I grew up playing football and loved the sport,” he said. “I put a lot of other hobbies on the side because I loved it so much, and when I realized I wasn’t as good as I wanted to be at it, I knew I needed to find another avenue, and that was coaching.”

Initially, when Conaway first got accepted into Ouachita Baptist University, in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, he wanted to be a pharmacist. However, that quickly changed his second year of college.

“I loved being around young people; I loved to motivate and encourage and inspire them to be better than they would be without me,” he said. “My second year into college, I knew I wanted to be a coach and have had some incredible coaching relationships that helped me turn into the person that I currently am.”

At just 23, Conaway got hired to coach at Shiloh Christian School in Arkansas, where current head football coach at the University of Central Florida, Arthur Gustavo Malzahn III, started his high school career and won his first state championship.

“Getting to Shiloh right out college set me on a path that I really felt helped me as a professional and as a coach,” Conaway said.

After coaching for a time at Shiloh, Conaway accepted a position at his alma matter, Green County Tech High School — where he coached for six years — before returning to Shiloh to coach football and serve as the athletic director, simultaneously, for nine years until accepting the head coach position at TFA.

“Now I’m here because this is a great opportunity,” he said. “The administration is fantastic, and they want to do something special. I got to meet the players, and they

are great, so I couldn’t be any more excited about being here.”

A NEW WAY TO PLAY FOOTBALL

Under Conaway, the Royals will learn offensive strategies as well as more efficient defense skills that will carry over the winning streak the team has enjoyed in previous seasons.

“I’m looking forward to implementing systems that make us extremely efficient in every area,” Conaway said. “There is not an area that we are not going to be efficient at, ... we are going to have a system for everything that we do and when you implement those systems that work, it allows everybody to rise to the level of the expectation it develops. It keeps everyone paying careful attention to detail about everything, the alertness of everybody rises and you are able to get so much more accomplished. And, when you do that, and you have those systems, you look back and you are amazed at the progress that you’ve made in a short amount of time.”

Conaway, alongside the previous coach at Shiloh Christian School — Josh Floyd — started a no-huddle offense back in 2003 at Ouachita Baptist University on the intramural fields.

“It’s a no-huddle, hurry-up offense that is extremely aggressive; we want to put the pressure on the defense,” Conaway said. “We want to go as fast as they’ll let us go; we want to get first downs and touchdowns. We want to score early and often; we are not going to be rushed. We are going to be very thorough, very prepared, and we are going to be able to throw it, run it and take what the defense gives us.”

More important, Conaway hopes to — also — shape well-rounded athletes and Christian men.

“I want them to become champions in their spiritual life, champions in their academic life, (I want them) to become champions socially and champions athletically,” he said. “I want to give them the resources needed to when they walk across the stage at TFA, they know they are comfortable and confident moving into that next season of life.

“Many students ... face a whole lot of destruction at the next season (of life),” he said. “We want to avoid that, and you avoid that by preparing them now for that moment, ... that’s why I’m here. I want to be a developer, I want to be a preparer, and I want to make sure these guys are ready for the next season of their lives.”

MG Tennis serves up summer camp

The MG Tennis Youth Summer Camp hosted its second week from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, June 12, to Thursday, June 15. Campers enjoyed learning about technical skills related to the sport of tennis and athletic development.

Skills taught at the camp include coordination, accuracy, agility,

balance and awareness as well as problem-solving and decisionmaking skills.

The camp will run Mondays through Thursdays through July 20 at the Windermere Recreation Center, 11465 Park Ave., Windermere. For more about the camp, contact (407) 758-2286.

SPONSORED BY MARK’S FLOORING AND SHANNON TILL/STATE FARM IN FOWLER GROVES

ANDREA MUJICA

Right Ethan Smith, 14, worked on his backhand grip.

Below: Lucas Barros, 15, worked on his forehand grip.

Courtesy photo

Jeff Conaway and TFA Athletic Director Will Cohen hold a jersey with Conaway’s favorite number, No. 7.

Girls show spirit at Foundation cheer camp

ANDREA MUJICA STAFF WRITER

The Foundation Academy cheer team celebrated its annual cheerleading camp from June 5 to 8 at the Leiferman Family Gymnasium on the Tilden Campus.

Every year, this camp helps young athletes to develop and nurture a passion for the sport in a Christcentered environment.

“We love putting on this event for the children because it’s really important to sort of funnel cheerleaders, get them excited about the cheerleading program — this is a great way to do that,” senior Mia Sanders said. “And also, I really

enjoy getting to impact these kids and getting a chance to see their faces light up when they learn something new.”

Campers of any level are taught age-appropriate fundamental skills of cheerleading during their time at camp.

“We practice our routine every day of the camp, and we only have four days to get a whole routine, (which) is about 11 eight counts — which is 1:30 minutes — and we have to include a dance, a jump a partner stunt and a pyramid,” senior Rylan Marion said. “So, it’s pretty hard with little 10-year-olds, but we get it done, and it always turns out really good in the end. It

gets a little stressful when we are doing it, but I love how it turns out.” Toward the end of the camp, row athletes — which are separated in groups — had the opportunity to show their parents what they learned during the week.

“Teaching them the moves is really fun, but it’s also really funny, too,” Sanders said. “They enjoy learning new things. It’s kind of what they really enjoy most about it. We teach them motions, we teach them dance, we teach them a whole routine that they get to show their parents, and it’s just really fun to see how they interact with the material and how they interact with (one another).”

Wolverines welcome new athletic director

BECOMING AN ATHLETIC TRAINER

Sutton, 30, graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor in athletic training in 2015 and then attended the University of South Florida for a master’s degree in pediatric sports medicine — which she earned online while working parttime as an athletic trainer at Rollins College.

“I thought that was really cool because I, predominantly, only had collegiate experience,” she said. “I worked with the UCF baseball team for two seasons when I was finishing my (bachelor’s) degree, and then I was working at Rollins, so I was like, ‘If I ever end up in a high school, this pediatric-focused degree would be really beneficial to kind of make me well-rounded.’”

When Windermere High was still in construction, Sutton heard from the position through the current department chair at UCF at the time. “It was so fast,” she said. “Next thing I know, I was here teaching anatomy full-time and (was) one of the two athletic trainers to open the school. … The biggest difference when people ask me between collegiate and high

school athletic training is parents. Of course, we don’t talk to parents at the collegiate setting (because) we can’t. We are legally not allowed to unless we’re given consent. So that’s probably the biggest challenge as athletic trainers — communication is our key skill that we have to utilize every day.”

Sutton discovered her love for training early in life, when she was still in high school. She attended Lake Highland Preparatory School, where she played lacrosse and basketball, and also did a little of weightlifting.

“I started having hip pain from playing lacrosse,” she said. “I was probably a freshman at the time. The doctors just kept saying I was growing. … (That was when) the athletic trainer at the time … Gina Martin (helped me with my hip problem), and she had opened the sports medicine department at Lake Highland back when athletic training in high school was not a common thing — we are talking 2006, 2007.

“In the fall, I had a lot of rough personal family life stuff going on at home, and I was one of those kids, those stories you hear, it was more pleasant to be at school,” Sutton said.

“And I just wouldn’t go home, and I’d hang out with her. She was just like a mentor. She let me talk about my

family stuff, friend drama, anything like that.”

During those talks, Martin taught Sutton how to tape an ankle, and Sutton became involved in the athletic department at her alma mater. However, not long after that, Martin was diagnosed with leukemia and died a short time later.

“It sounds cliche or like a movie, but I swear when I visited the hospital, I actually have an email from her and the last thing I said was, ‘I’m going to be just like you, and I’m going to be an athletic trainer,’” Sutton said.

FROM TRAINER TO DIRECTOR

This was not the first time she was offered the position. She first was approached by prior Athletic Director Russell Williams back in August 2022.

“I think a huge aspect we had to consider was the vacancy I would create, because with any internal candidate, you are creating a vacancy,” Sutton said. “We like internal candidates because they know the students, they know the staff, they know the school. But with that, it comes with a vacancy and athletic trainers, there are not many of us. Unfortunately, the attrition rate is low because a lot of them leave the profession for a number of reasons, and I didn’t feel confident for

the students’ safety and … leaving a void there.”

The same week that conversation took place — the first week of school for the 2022-23 academic year — Windermere High mourned the death of student-athlete Jaiden Simmons.

“We’ve had our fair share of loss at Windermere … but that one hit me different,” Sutton said. “I had seen her 12 hours prior, on the first day of school, but it was interesting, almost like a sign — her or the students were telling me, ‘Not yet.’ That’s the only way I can describe it. … All I could say was the kids needed me to be their athletic trainer.”

But, when asked again at the end of the academic year, that no became a yes.

“I’d only do it for Windermere; it’s not like I wanted to be an athletic director,” Sutton said.

One of the advantages Sutton brings with her into the athletic director position is her knowledge of policy and procedure.

“That is your foundation (in public education),” she said. “You build everything on policy and procedure, and I think knowing it like the back of your hand is just super important when utilizing your resources. If you don’t know an answer, (it’s) knowing

where to look and not stopping until you have an answer.”

One of Sutton’s goals for the athletic program at Windermere High is to let the program set down its roots.

“I still feel like we are the baby,” she said. “We are so new, and I really just want to build those roots and let them grow up and be able to grow. In the short two weeks I’ve officially been doing this, my biggest thing has just been advocating for the coaches.”

One of the biggest changes Sutton hopes to implementing is the Captains’ Council.

“I want to take the captain or leaders of every team — maybe two or probably a number, depending on the size of the roster — and call it like a club, but they would be nominated by their coaches,” she said. “My plan is to have them meet with me once a month and help build strong crosssport relationships. … I want them to think of philanthropy, charity ideas. … I think we are really great at connecting within each individual team, and I think our coaches build great strong bonds and families within their team. I would like to take those and bring them together and really just be one athletic department and one athletic program.”

Foundation varsity cheerleader Abbey Langhoff helped campers to remember the moves of their routine.

Tessa Norton rocked her purple bow during practice.

Above: The second- and third-grade campers enjoyed making new friends during the camp. Left: Hope Moses loved her experience at the camp as she learned a number of new moves.

Haddie Strong enjoyed learning a new routine alongside her camp peers.

Aspiring journalist hopes to restore trust in media

to write other people’s pieces because it wasn’t a chore to me. My peers obviously loved this, but I quickly realized that I did, too. The satisfaction of crafting an eloquent sentence or conducting a rewarding interview was something I found gratifying. So, when I was faced with choosing a major, journalism just made sense.

EMILY RHODES UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Whenever adults ask what I’m studying at college, my answer is almost always met with a sigh of relief. They tell me they’re hoping I’m a part of a generation that changes the industry. This is then followed with a hearty plea to stay truthful or with advice to work with no personal agenda. Each interaction varies, but the underlying message is always the same: Make the industry better than it is now.

My name is Emily Rhodes, and I am a 20-year-old student studying journalism at the University of Florida. I didn’t anticipate this reaction when I declared the major, but since then, as I have taken a few steps into what I hope to be a full-time career, I understand it.

I once got into an hourlong conversation with a stranger about how he no longer watched the news because he could not find a network with unbiased reporting. In high school, I witnessed a friendship deteriorate over a disagreement involving where their news was obtained. My friend’s parents used to tell me that as long as I pursued what was right and worked hard, I could be a part of the solution that the media needed. I’ve come to understand that the relationship most Americans have with the media is one of frustration and mistrust.

I fell in love with writing at a young age, but I never realized I could make a career out of it until taking yearbook in high school. Most people in the class enjoyed everything about the yearbook-making process, except for the writing part. I often volunteered

From my time thus far at UF, I have learned from some incredibly experienced journalists about the art of writing and the industry itself. Despite what some people might think, I have not heard a single professor tell us to cut corners to obtain information. Never have they encouraged us to begin the writing process with an agenda or slip our biases into a piece whenever we can.

I can say their political opinions often slip out, and if yours don’t align, it’s usually in your best interest to not let this be made known. It’s understood that one side of journalism is accepted more than the other, and this is not up for debate. Both things can be true.

I think this is representative of the state of the media today: Well-crafted journalism is still widely available, it’s just hidden under political biases and opinions. This light-in-thedark, well-crafted journalism is why I am so eager to become a journalist myself. Not because I want to further the industry’s less-than-desired reputation, but because I want to change it.

I want people to read articles or watch news segments and not think twice about the publisher’s beliefs. I want people to hear the word journalism and associate it with reliability and justness. I want people to feel like the media has their best interest at heart rather than an agenda. When people sigh in relief at my job choice, I want them to feel vindicated and fulfill their desires for trusted media. As a young adult who is a couple of years away from entering the workforce, I hope to see change and be a part of it, as well.

Three playlist-worthy albums for summer

1“KAYTRAMINÉ”

Aminé and Kaytranada

Debuting on May 19, “Kaytraminé” by Kaytranada and Amine served a lively and summer-like album that can quickly put you in the most up-beat mood, with just 11 tracks. Standout singles, “4EVA” and “Rebuke,” automatically set up the groovy feel with jumpy production and sparkling rap by Aminé. The joint collaboration also features appearances from rap star Snoop Dogg, Big Sean, legendary producer Pharrell Williams, Freddie Gibbs and Amaarae. Through their crisp vocals, hilarious verses and synth

production backing up the tracks, the album feels like a hype colorful road trip to the beach. One of the jewels of the album is the track “K&A,” which has a hard-hitting beat and up-beat verses from Amine, where he raps about his fame and success as a rapper while others were putting him down. The track takes a 360 and switches beats with heavenly humming sung in the back to provide the final stretch as the final song of the album. For anyone needing to explore that perfect summer album, Kaytramine will leave you with a sweet surprise.

“LET’S START HERE”

Lil Yachty To everybody’s surprise this year, rapper Lil Yachty released a psychedelic rock album, turning fans’ heads from every genre. On the album, Yachty uses synth-pop beats combined with auto-tune to evoke the emotion packed sounds all throughout the album. Emerging artists Foushee and Teezo Touchdown previously featured on Call Me if You Get Lost and Gemini

“THE ESTATE SALE”

Tyler, The Creator

Rights, can be heard buried into “pRETy” and “the ride-”. They provide beautiful backing vocals that drive a certain elegance and pop feel to the album. Through every track, it feels almost reminiscent of artists like Tame Impala and even ’70s icon Pink Floyd, which can be seen on “drive ME crazy!” The song features Diana Gordon’s harmony that soothes the track into an imagery of love and has the catchiest beat and writing that makes you want to say, “I lose it,” over and over again. Yachty expresses his creative freedom and his true self-expression through this album and deserves to stand with some of the top albums of the 21st century. For anyone wanting to experiment with rap and psychedelic rock, “Let’s Start Here” is the perfect listen.  3

Well over a year after “CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST” was released, Tyler surprised the world with his seven-track deluxe album, “The Estate Sale.” In his typical

fashion from the album, he flexes heavily about his wealth, cars, fancy watches and more of his life, while also making it personal this time around. This behavior can be seen on the track “Stuntman,” where he trades back-to-back verses with Vince Staples, and states how he has “different color chess pieces hangin’ from my necklace” — a clear nod to his bright gold chains he wears daily. Similarly, “Dogtooth” takes a similar approach as he talks about his “Kelly green wagon” and his developing love life. The track debuted at the top of the charts and served as the lead single, proving just how good Tyler can produce tracks and write catchy bars. To dive deeper into his life, the second single, “Sorry not Sorry,” provided his insight of his regrets from the past, his apologies to people he is close to and his music career. His highlights for the album are by far the melodic and mellow production that Tyler has always delivered sonically and continued to provide one of the best albums for those special vacation days.

DANIEL GONZALEZ OCOEE HIGH SCHOOL

WEST ORANGE OBITUARIES

HARRELL LEON MURPHY DIED MAY 9, 2023.

Harrell Leon Murphy was born to Alfred and Della Murphy in Wayne County, Tennessee, on Dec. 5, 1940. Known by his family and friends as Harold or “Murf,” he moved to Florida around 1948 and grew up in Winter Garden.

At 19 years of age, Harold married Ellen and lived in Ocoee, where together they had four children. He later remarried Carolyn “Susie” Michels on March 5, 1990.

Throughout their life together, Murf and Susie enjoyed trips to Vegas and spending time with their beloved dogs, TR, Harley and Princess.

Murf enjoyed the outdoors, and doing auto paint and body work, and was last employed as a welder with Florida Metal Craft.

He was proud to have worked on many large welding projects at the Orlando Science Center, Epcot, Downtown Disney and the Tampa Bay stadium. He was quite the handyman and helped many neighbors and friends in their small community.

Harold is survived by his sister Judy Scott; children, Debbie Clark, Lisa Frana, Michael Murphy, Greg Murphy and stepdaughter Kimberly Mullins; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Harold’s memory will be cherished by all those who knew him. He touched the lives of so many people, and his legacy will live on through the memories he created.

Please join family and friends as we celebrate the life of Harrell Murphy. The service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 24, at the Elks Lodge at 700 Ninth St., Winter Garden, FL 34787.

WOHS chemistry teacher retires after three decades

Teresa Yates spent 30 of her 31 years with OCPS at West Orange High.

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

Teresa Yates experienced two fullcircle moments in her final year of teaching at West Orange High School — from Turner to Turner and from “Climb Every Mountain” to “Climb Every Mountain,” she said — and it eased her mind about her decision to retire.

Yates spent her first year with Orange County Public Schools teaching physical science at Apopka Middle — and then spent the next three decades educating WOHS students on the nuances of earth and space science, integrated science, biology, and chemistry.

Although the classroom topics changed through the years, Yates’ love of teaching and the sense of accomplishment she has felt watching her students succeed remained steadfast. She enjoys seeing her former students flourish — including Lucca Scozzafave Goncalves, who asked her to be his confirmation sponsor at church; Jeanmarie Texier, who now is a local obstetrician and gynecologist; and Courtney Haberman, who was her intern and now teaches chemistry at Foundation Academy.

SOUL SEARCHING

Yates originally chose accounting as a career and was working for her father’s cabinetry company. She decided accounting was too boring and didn’t want to spend her life in a cubicle, so she did some soul searching to figure out what she wanted to do. She also was teaching Sunday school at her church and liked the idea of people

learning from her, so she switched her major to education.

Yates began her WOHS career in the previous campus and admits she and her students used to swab the carpeted walls as science lab experiments. She also taught classes at the West Orange Ninth-Grade Center before moving to the current main campus.

She taught under 10 principals — beginning with Sarah Jane Turner and retiring with Matthew Turner — and calls that one of two full-circle moments.

All three of her children, Andrew, Parker and Claire, graduated from West Orange and were involved in the band program.

Yates’ second full-circle moment involved the band. When her oldest son joined the program in 2008, the first song of the marching band performance was “Climb Every Mountain” from “The Sound of Music.” Fast-forward to Claire’s final band performance last month — the end of the program included a medley of “Sound of Music” tunes, and the last song was “Climb Every Mountain.”

SAILING INTO RETIREMENT

Yates and her husband, George, already have booked several trips that incorporate multiple national parks. Their first excursion begins this week in Rome and continues with a 12-day Disney cruise of the Mediterranean followed by a train trip to Paris.

Yates quoted Ecclesiastes 3: “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.” “Your hard work should result in a time of joy,” she said. “I love teaching, and I tell people all the time, I’m not done teaching; my curriculum just changed.”

This time, her star pupil is her 18-month-old granddaughter, Kiera. “She’s my motivation for retiring,” Yates said.

Amy Quesinberry

Teresa Yates said her 18-month-old granddaughter, Kiera, was her motivation to retire.

THESE OLD TIMES FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION

90 years ago

Fire in the Zellwood marshlands drew scores of spectators to vantage points around the edge of the lake to witness the elemental clash of flame and water.

Winter Garden’s 25 college students began to trek homeward for the long-anticipated summer vacation.

The Foster Shoppe in Winter Garden featured wash frocks for $1, $1.95 and $2.95.

Bray Hardware was advertising push-type lawnmowers for $4.75 and ice-cream churns for $1.

85 years ago

Franklin Cappleman and Ben Hill Lawson returned from Gainesville, where they were attending the University of Florida.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Smith attended the state florists convention, held in Tampa.

Gifts could be hard to select for graduates, said Bob Davis, of Winter Garden’s Davis Pharmacy. So he suggested items that could be purchased for a dainty June graduate or June bride. He selected “Bientot,” a perfume that confidently suggested, “I’ll see you soon again.” It was a distinguished and significant gift for graduation day when goodbyes were said with a merry fling! He also presented as special offerings to this year’s gay girl graduates fitted evening bags by Lentheric. These bags were a regal gesture in the gift line with such specialties as “Boursette” and Formalite” in varying prices.

Clifford Sessions left to spend the summer in Ridgeville, South Carolina.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

No doubt anticipating summer vacation, yet assiduously tending to their end-of-term projects, four Lakeview High School art students pose at a sketching site.

Photographed in June 1971 are Gina Hinson, Mike Dion, Mike Meeks and Joann Nettles. Instructor Rod Reeves instructed many hundreds of art students during his tenure at both Lakeview and West Orange high schools.

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.

60 years ago

Girls State delegates to Tallahassee were named. Those girl students were Sue Ann Starr and Cheryl Diane Barton. Ann Deariso, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Deariso, was named an alternate.

The Winter Garden Garden Club, with Mrs. Jack Smith as new president, planned a membership party at the Florida Power Lounge.

The Rev. F. Clay Doyle, minister of the Oakland Presbyterian Church, attended the annual meeting of the Synod of Florida,

Presbyterian Church USA, at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. He was accompanied by Harold Henschen, representing the session of the church.

50 years ago

The Ocoee High School Cardinals won the state baseball championship. That’s just about the biggest sports story in Ocoee’s history. On the championship team were Jim Shirley, Albert Casey, Fred Beaman, Terry Minnick, Jerry Peterson, Mike Wallace, Mike Bagwell, Alan Hopper, Alan Sims, Val Rodriguez, Mike Strick-

THROWBACK THURSDAY

JUNE 21, 1979

The Scotty’s hardware chain had a location at the southwest corner of West Colonial Drive and Bluford Avenue, in Ocoee, before the company filed for bankruptcy in 2005. The building boasted the familiar orange color and bearded Scottish man in a plaid tam. In 1979, the business advertised its “summer crop of bargains” in The Winter Garden Times. Contractors, DIYers and weekend project warriors could hunt for great deals, such as Norelco light bulbs for 39 cents each, House-Cote exterior latex paint for $3.99 a gallon (white) and $4.49 (colors), a new mini bathroom vanity package for $39.95, shovels and rakes for $3.98, fertilizer spreaders for less than $19, plush pile carpeting for $3.99 per square yard, and sheet vinyl “no wax” flooring for $3.19 per square yard.

land, John Carter, Gerald Watson, David Dodge, Darrell Turner and Phil Roberts. Coach Guthrie and managers Tim Deloach and Mike Andrews led the team.

40 years ago

Park West Village on Park Avenue in Winter Garden was offering studio condominium units for below $20,000.

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.

“PIH SX UEH XIIA HE XNHFXTK ESY HLFYXH TEY TYIIGEC VK GYFUAFUM

TYEC HLI JSD ET ... LNHYIG.”

CNYHFU PSHLIY AFUM ZY.

“UGBBHLS HL BRDW ... HO G XRTKBWAWBJ AMGLOXWLVWLA

WCKWMHWLXW. HA’O BHEW WGAHLS KHFFG-UBGDRMWV HXW XMWGT.”

THEW YHMYHSBHG

“DZKKYW TD PWHOJ NRTJPD TJ

REZTDTHJH, REJS OTJPD TJ OUEKTJS, DXHPY EC YRKD HJP KHGRYD TJ JYO YJSRHJP.” HWVXTNHRP KHVRYTDX

© 2023 NEA, Inc.

Puzzle One Clue: D equals P Puzzle Two Clue: U equals F Puzzle Three Clue: N equals B

sudoku

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

COIN FLIPS by Alex Eaton-Salners, edited by Jeff Chen

But Wait ... THERE’S MORE!

Visit

Farmers Market

Independence Day Celebration

Saturday, July 1 • 8 am–1 pm

• Kids Cra s • Live Music • Lawn Games Patriotic Decorated Booths • Summer Produce & BBQ Essentials

• Downtown Pavilion – 104 S. Lakeview Ave.

All AMerican Kids Parade & Breakfast

Tuesday, July 4 • Parade at 10 am (Line up 9:45 am)

• Kids Pancake Breakfast (Free) – 8 am

• Entertainment, Activities, and Fun!

• Winter Garden Masonic Lodge – 230 W. Bay St.

PARTY IN THE PARK | FIREWORKS DISPLAY

Tuesday, July 4 • 6–10 pm

• Fireworks Display on Lake Apopka – 9:15 pm

• Festivities begin at 6 pm – Live Music, Games, Cra s, Vendors, & More

• Pack a picnic, chairs/blankets (No alcohol or personal reworks permi ed.)

• Newton Park – 29 W. Garden Ave.