09.26.24 West Orange Times & Observer

Chi-Kin expands into Horizon West

FORCE FOR NATURE

In the seven years she has led the Oakland Nature Preserve, Jennifer Hunt has expanded its programs and introduced generations to the wonders of the outdoors. SEE PAGE 4A.

WEEK

One of Jennifer Hunt’s favorite outdoor

Chi-Kin set to open in Horizon West

ANNABELLE SIKES

NEWS EDITOR

A new Korean fried chicken concept

will be joining the Horizon West community next month.

Owner Hoi Nguyen will open the second Chi-Kin location in the spot previously occupied by BurgerFi at 5845 Winter Garden-Vineland Road, Suite 100, in the Windermere Village Plaza, adjacent to Windermere High School.

The 2,200-square-foot suite will maintain its kitchen and dining room layout, although the space will undergo cosmetic improvements.

Chi-Kin makes everything inhouse from scratch, including the flour, sides and sauces.

Each piece of chicken is doublefried, and the menu includes options such as chicken wings and tenders, bulgogi waffle fries, Bibim Bowls, and the Chi-Kin Sammy. The eatery also caters to all dietary preferences, offering an array of vegan and vegetarianfriendly options.

The location will start with only serving beer and wine,

but in the future, Nguyen hopes to turn the spot into a Korean sports bar.

“We’re focusing on bringing good food and our brand to the community,” he said. “We’re lucky and blessed to have good partners that work with us. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them; it’s a collective effort. It takes more than just one person to run a restaurant.”

Nguyen was born and raised in Orlando and grew up in the restaurant business through his family.

He started working in restaurants when he was only 15 years old, and he worked with his uncle at Chinese restaurants, where he learned what it takes to properly run a business.

Nguyen and his brother, Vic Nguyen, opened their first restaurant, a Japanese concept, around 2008 in Palm Coast.

Although the initial concept failed, Hoi Nguyen said it was the biggest learning experience, and it helped to guide the way for his future restaurant operations.

After the failure, the brothers initially decided not to open any more restaurants.

Over the years, Hoi Nguyen and his wife, Sydney Nguyen, have had myriad businesses, including a dry

cleaner, barbershop, vape shop and manufacturing for electronic cigarettes.

However, when Vic Nguyen moved back to Orlando from Virginia, the brothers decided to take another chance in the restaurant business, and they opened King Bao in 2016 off Mills Avenue.

Hoi Nguyen then handed off the brand to his brother, who opened two more King Bao locations.

Hoi and Sydney Nguyen love to eat, and they travel around the world searching for the best food spots.

IF YOU GO

CHI-KIN 5845 Winter Garden-Vineland Road, Suite 100, Windermere ESTIMATED OPENING: Second week of October

WEBSITE: chi-kin.com

also opened a new addition to the restaurant called Side-Chik, a KoreanMexican eatery.

A NEW HOME

Owning another food concept in the Windermere Village Plaza, Hoi Nguyen said he has maintained a good relationship with the landlord, and he has been trying to get another unit in the plaza for the last three years.

“We saw the community in the Windermere area as being very closeknit,” Hoi Nguyen said. “Once they see good-quality food, it seems to spread like wildfire.”

The Horizon West Chi-Kin, which also is in partnership with Saysavanh, is planned to open around the second week of October.

For those who will try Chi-Kin for the first time, Hoi Nguyen recommends trying the wings coated in the sweet gochujang sauce, as well as the bulgogi beef fries, which are waffle fries topped with marinated beef, spicy mayo, sesame and scallions.

A convention trip to Hawaii led them to the idea for their next business venture. In Hawaii, they tasted the poke from the area and said it was the best they had ever had.

When Hoi Nguyen came back to Orlando, he worked with an old friend and employee from the Palm Coast

eatery, Aiy Saysavanh, to open the first Poke Hana location in 2018 on Colonial Drive near Mills Avenue. The second Poke Hana location opened in 2020, also in the Windermere Village shopping center.

About a year or two after that, Hoi and Sydney Nguyen began to see Korean fried chicken gaining popularity, so they decided to open their own concept. The first Chi-Kin opened in 2019 on Mills Avenue.

Only a few weeks ago, Hoi Nguyen

“We are so excited to bring Korean fried chicken to the area, but we also hope to be really involved in the community,” Hoi Nguyen said. “We would like to get involved with helping out with different events, such as spirit nights with the local schools and teacher appreciation weeks.”

The new location currently is looking to hire part-time and full-time employees. Those interested in an employment opportunity should reach out by emailing windermere@ chi-kin.com.

Hoi Nguyen, left, is the owner of the new Korean fried chicken concept coming to the Horizon West area, with the help of his wife, Sydney Nguyen.

Annabelle Sikes

Murders, she wrote

Windermere resident Amy Mitchell and former chief judge Belvin Perry Jr. have collaborated to release ‘The Velvet Hammer,’ a first-hand perspective of the death penalty cases over which Perry presided.

ANNABELLE SIKES

NEWS EDITOR

Windermere resident and attorney Amy Mitchell has an extensive list of accomplishments, and now she can add writing former chief judge Belvin Perry Jr.’s memoir to her résumé. Perry and Mitchell co-hosted a book launch celebration Sept. 13, with more than 200 guests in attendance, to commemorate the release of their book, “The Velvet Hammer: Judge Belvin Perry, Jr.’s Capital Murder Cases and Memoir,” published by Post Hill Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster.

After retiring from 25 years on the bench, Perry reveals in the book a rare and disturbingly vivid, first-hand perspective of the most gruesome death-penalty cases, including the infamous Casey Anthony trial, over which he presided.

In the book, Perry offers his description of America’s criminal justice system and explains why he believes the death penalty can, and should, work and how it was applied to certain capital murder cases he either prosecuted or presided over. He also discusses his journey as an African American growing up in the segregated South.

From the widow who slowly poisoned her lovers; to the lust murderer who mutilated his victim while she was still alive; to the serial killer who slayed a family of four, including his own child; Perry spares none of the gory details when bringing each case back to life in his debut, true crime memoir crafted by Mitchell.

Despite the slew of challenges and years of dedication, hard work and research that went into crafting the book, Mitchell said publishing the book is a dream come true, and the biggest lesson she learned throughout the experience is that hard work pays off.

STARS ALIGNING

Mitchell feels she was born to write. She has been a passionate writer from

the moment she could put pencil to paper.

Growing up, she remembers watching “The People’s Court” and admiring the judges on TV.

She came to Windermere 16 years ago to raise her three daughters. Mitchell always wanted to write romance novels and never envisioned herself writing about crime, murders or blood.

Then, in 2011, the Casey Anthony trial began.

Mitchell remembers watching every day of the six-week trial and admiring Perry and the way he handled the case on TV.

Formerly a prosecutor, Perry became the first African American elected to the bench of the Ninth Judicial Circuit in Orlando, without first being appointed.

After achieving national prominence during the Casey Anthony trial, Perry retired in 2014.

Five years after the trial, Mitchell created a law class for high school students at Windermere Preparatory School and decided to reach out to Perry to be a guest lecturer. To her delight, he obliged.

“Judge Perry’s lecture was so riveting, and I asked him if I could write his book,” Mitchell said. “He agreed. That was eight years ago, and here we are today finally launching it. Dreams do come true.”

PUSHING THROUGH

Perry and Mitchell started working on the book soon after meeting.

“Beginning a book is easy, but finishing it is a major challenge,” Mitchell said. “You have to push through, even when life distracts you.”

Mitchell found it difficult to write about murders, and the cruelty and pain the heartless killers inflicted on their victims and their families.

“I found it very disturbing, because, as a writer, you have to put yourself in that crime scene and really feel the emotions of the characters,” she said.

“It’s scary, because it shows that evil really does exist in this world.”

READ THE BOOK

Those who wish to purchase “The Velvet Hammer” can do so on The Marks Law Firm website at markslawfla.com or at Walmart, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble. Warning: Reader discretion is strongly advised due to the graphic nature of content.

Mitchell fondly refers to “The Velvet Hammer” as her fourth baby.

“The Velvet Hammer” is the recipient of The Brew Seal of Excellence, Reader Views Five Star Reviews, Book Nerdiction’s Must Read, Indie Approved Reader and a Star of The International Review of Books, among other awards.

During his speech at the book launch event, Perry stated: “This book talks partly about my life, about some of the cases I did when I was a judge. But, more importantly, it talks about the tragedy of murder, and when you look beyond that, you realize each of those victims had a family. While we did not talk about that tragic loss to them in the book, we need to remember that loss lives on with those family members until the day they die.”

During her speech, Mitchell thanked Paula Aguilera, her editor and a fellow Windermere resident who held her hand throughout the writing journey.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Currently, Mitchell is a family law attorney at The Marks Law Firm in Orlando, with practice areas including divorce, child support, time sharing/ custody and collaborative cases.

Mitchell also is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator, a recipient of the Elite Lawyer Award and is recognized as one of Orlando’s Attorneys of the Year in 2024.

“I know how stressful divorce can be,” Mitchell said. “I lived it and am here to help my clients navigate through this difficult process. I can relate. That makes all the difference.”

Ocoee commissioners approve six-month development moratorium

The City Commission voted to institute a moratorium that will allow staff to evaluate and rewrite the city’s Land Development Code and Comprehensive Plan.

SAM ALBUQUERQUE SPORTS EDITOR

The Ocoee City Commission approved unanimously a six-month moratorium on the processing and consideration of any new development approvals at its Sept. 17 meeting.

“The ordinance before you tonight will facilitate a six-month temporary moratorium on the processing of rezonings, annexations, subdivision and site plans,” said Mike Rumer, Ocoee’s acting assistant city manager. “This ordinance does not affect existing building permits. So, for the four residential subdivisions we have being built, they can still build their homes. … This ordinance will provide city staff a temporary pause to be able to focus on a major rewrite to both the land development code and the comprehensive plan of the city of Ocoee.”

Essentially, because the city is undergoing a major evaluation and rewrite of its Land Development Code and Comprehensive Plan, which falls on the city’s staff to execute, the staff asked the commission to allow them to not have to accept and process new development applications. Other than the obvious massive amount of work it will take from the city staff to undergo the evaluation and rewrite, the outcome of this process will establish new requirements and standards for developers that want to build in Ocoee. So, from the staff’s perspective, it is not prudent or efficient to process new development applications that would adhere to the old LDC standards and may not align with the updated plan.

Ocoee resident and insurance agent Doug Gomber disagreed with the decision.

“I’m an insurance agent, and I deal with large corporations that do building, that are large landowners, restaurateurs, individual entrepreneurs and people that build manufacturing facilities,” he said. “The Central Florida area is lucky to be in a growth area … and there’s going to (continue) be growth in this area. The growth that an area like Ocoee or Winter Park, Orlando or Oviedo is based on one thing, and that’s progress. And you know what progress means? It’s momentum. It’s momentum that builds progress. If you put a six-month moratorium on people coming down here, and you’re saying you’re going to close for business, you’re going to put yourself at least 12 months behind the eight ball.”

Greens at Forest Lake’s HOA President Kelly Beck voiced her support of the moratorium during the public hearing.

“I’ve spoken in front of this board

IN OTHER NEWS

n Ocoee Mayor Rusty Johnson read a proclamation declaring Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in the city and encouraged all residents to honor the rich diversity of the Hispanic community in Ocoee — which makes up 29.8% of the city’s population. To honor the contributions of those of Hispanic descent, both locally and nationally, Johnson, during the Sept. 17 commission meeting, invited residents to attend the city’s free Hispanic Heritage celebration on Oct. 3 at Bill Breeze Park. The event will run from 5 to 9 p.m. and will include free salsa dance lessons, giveaways, Latin music, Ocoee Market vendors and food trucks.

n The 11-item consent agenda was passed unanimously without discussion by the commission. Among the approvals, the commission ratified the appointment of a fifth trustee, Gequita Cowan, to the General Employee’s Pension Board, as well as approved the appointment of Bryan Pace as the commission’s appointed trustee to the Police Officer’s/ Firefighters’ Retirement Board.

... numerous times regarding concerns about how development takes place in our community,” Beck said. “Ocoee has so much potential, and we are growing tremendously, and we don’t want to slow that growth, but we also need to (grow) responsibly. We need to do so in a way that enhances the way of life for those who live here, who have invested in this community.”

Ultimately, the ordinance passed.

“I’m going to vote to support the moratorium,” District 1 Commissioner and Mayor Pro-Tem Scott Kennedy said. “(Because) I was on planning and zoning, I’ve seen the problems. Growth is good, but growth that exceeds everyone’s expectations and the imagination of the land development code as written is unmanaged, unbalanced growth, and we have been asked repeatedly, I’ve asked repeatedly … to (prioritize this) in our budget, in our plans, in our code, and that’s what we’re doing. This is the fruit from that process, and six months in development is nothing, really. That’s just a deep breath. … This is going to be great for our city. This is going to help us grow in a way that maintains the character of our city and that is important … to the majority of the people who live here.”

Windermere resident Amy Mitchell said the publishing of “The Velvet Hammer” is a dream come true.

Annabelle Sikes

CREATION OF ONP

The idea for the Oakland Nature Preserve was born after a group of concerned citizens organized Friends of Lake Apopka in 1992. The initial goal of FOLA was to halt pollutant discharges into the lake.

FOLA founders knew as the lake was restored, development around the lake would increase, and they wanted to provide a window to the community to witness the restoration process.

Finding, purchasing and restoring land for this project was bigger than FOLA could manage, so a separate group was created to manage and continue the project.

ONP was established in 1997 as a nonprofit corporation. With a grant from Florida Communities Trust, contributions by the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and more than $500,000 in donations, ONP was able to complete land acquisition in 1999.

The ecologic restoration work began, with the goal to restore the former citrus-farming land to its original sandhill ecology. As exotic species were removed, native plant species were planted and gopher tortoises were introduced to the area, the plant community improved, and native bird and mammal species began to reappear.

The ONP Board of Directors realized there was more to teach visitors about than just the lake’s restoration progress, so founders created an environmental education center and expanded the mission.

The preserve encompasses about 150 acres of land — 50 acres of uplands and 100 acres of forested wetlands — and includes a boardwalk to Lake Apopka with a pavilion on the lakefront and a pavilion on the West Orange Trail.

Signs help visitors identify plant species, and a log cabin-style education center, modeled after a pioneer homestead, includes class space, a museum and office. The land acts as a living classroom for the thousands of students and other guests who visit the preserve.

Memberships are offered, and volunteers are encouraged to assist with the many projects large and small taking place at the preserve.

To become an ONP volunteer, call (407) 905-0054; visit the website, oaklandnaturepreserve.org; or follow the preserve on Facebook. Students can receive community service hours.

Oakland Nature Preserve director to step down

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

Jennifer Hunt felt right at home in 2017 when she started her position as managing director of the Oakland Nature Preserve. This was the very land on which she played as a child growing up in West Orange County in the late 1960s and early ’70s.

After seven years of expanding the preserve’s programs and introducing generations to the wonders of the outdoors, Hunt is retiring and leaving the managing director’s position in the hands of Nicole O’Brien. O’Brien has been the volunteer coordinator and animal care coordinator for six years.

“She is passionate about the environment, and for six years, she’s been two steps ahead of me,” Hunt said.

Hunt said the preserve is in an excellent position and she feels good about leaving it in O’Brien’s capable hands.

When Hunt became managing director, the board of directors had a list of projects they wanted to see come to life.

“One of those was to add more restrooms; at the time we had two,” she said. “And when we have 20 preschoolers show up …”

The other big project was to restore the boardwalk.

“The boardwalk was the biggest, because at that time it was 15 years old and had many challenges,” Hunt said. “Lots of maintenance challenges just because of Florida and swamp and wood. It just didn’t last.

“Those are the two projects I’m so proud we accomplished in my time here,” she said. “Of course, we couldn’t do that on our own; we had many donors. Bond Foundation and Amon Family Foundation gave us a grant to build out the porch and restrooms, and then the West Orange Healthcare District and RC Stevens were instrumental in helping us get the boardwalk rebuilt.”

Hunt said she is proud of the community that has been built at ONP, not only with the staff but with the volunteers and local residents who visit on a regular basis.

“We have families that we have watched literally grow up here at the preserve,” she said. “I’m very excited we have a young lady who started out in our summer camps and then became a leader in training for our summer camps and is now in college for environmental science and was one of our summer camp instructors.”

Another regular is a local photographer who walks the boardwalk nearly every day scouting out new

flora and fauna to document through his lens.

Hunt gets equally as excited to see children who are enthused by nature.

“Right now, we have a couple of families with little guys, like three, who run in and every time they see me (they say), ‘I want to see a snake,’” Hunt said. “As long as the classroom is available, I can take them in the classroom to see Mabel the corn snake and Mo (Mozart) the milk snake. Just their excitement for being here. They just love it.”

Her desire is for the preserve to continue to be a place of environmental passion and learning for the community.

“One of the things that we’ve been wanting to do is to start an endowment fund so that future restoration and conservation efforts are not tied to the grants and donations we have to go after every year,” Hunt said.

A great educational opportunity is on the horizon. The Briley family, which owned the exotic animals that used to meander up to the adjoining ONP fence, is deeding about six acres of upland oak hammock to the town of Oakland to be used as outdoor education space for the preserve. Hunt said the idea is to build a covered education pavilion, restrooms,

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and additional education space and storage.

ONP has requested funds from Orange County and the town has set aside money from impact fees to assist with the project, she said.

WHAT’S NEXT

Hunt considers herself “semi-retiring” because she will work parttime in her favorite hiking shop in Clayton, Georgia.

Hunt has a master’s degree in zoology with a focus on conservation and inquiry-based education, and she has studied ecosystems in places such as Belize, Baha and Australia. Nature will continue to play a big role in her life.

When she and David, her husband of 38 years, move one state north, they will live in an Airbnb for two months while they settle on a place to live. They want a small piece of property — something large enough for her “critters and gardens,” she said.

In addition to her desire to be outdoors, Hunt hopes to do more music composition work and have more church music published. She also is working on an orchestral piece for next year’s Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra and VoxO, a singing group to which she belongs. She plans to spend more time with their two daughters and three grandchildren; some of the family already is up in the area. But her mind will never be far from the Oakland Nature Preserve.

“ONP could not be what it is without the amazing work of volunteers and staff,” Hunt said. “I will truly miss them all, but I’m excited about our new family adventure.”

WEST ORANGE TIMES

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Jennifer Hunt’s passion for animals led her to her position as managing director at the Oakland Nature Preserve.

Courtesy photos Children are exposed to many different animals when they visit the Oakland Nature Preserve, including snakes and scorpions.

GOAA shares Orlando airport updates in Winter Garden

SAM ALBUQUERQUE

SPORTS EDITOR

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which oversees both the Orlando International Airport and the Orlando Executive Airport, held a community meeting Sept. 12 at Heller Hall in Winter Garden

“I’m very excited that (GOAA) believed it was important to come out here,” Orange County District 1

Commissioner Nicole Wilson said.

“That they felt they should come out … and bring their entire executive team to explain what the future holds for OIA really, to me, says a lot about the importance that our residents have in the bigger scope of what’s happening regionally and across the country.”

Led by GOAA CEO Kevin J.

Thibault, West Orange residents received insight on the current state of Orlando’s two airports — and ongoing projects — and learned more about upcoming projects, as well as what future developments at OIA could look like.

“My take on the presentation was that there’s a lot of opportunity for growth,” Wilson said. “Sure, it’s growth that’s going to happen incrementally, but I’m super excited to see what that’s going to look like for our economy, for jobs and for travel, right? It’s exciting as a traveler to see what our opportunities are going to be.”

TERMINAL C EXPANSION

One of the biggest updates from the community meeting was regarding OIA’s newest addition, Terminal C.

Although it was initially part of phase one of Terminal C construction, COVID-19 forced the pedestrian bridge project to be deferred. The terminal’s pedestrian bridge now is almost ready to go.

The bridge, which will provide direct access to Terminal C, the Train Station, the Terminal Link people-mover to the North Terminal and Parking Garage C, is slated to be substantially complete by fall 2024. It includes four moving walkways, elevators, escalators and stairs.

Another Terminal C project is the construction of Gates 250-253, which also were part of phase one of the terminal’s development plan but was pushed back for the same reason.

Gates 250-253 will be Multiple

STATE OF THE AIRPORT

n MCO is the seventh busiest airport in the United States

n $41.4 billion in economic impact on the local economy

n More than 300,000 jobs supported

n MCO flies to 105 domestic destinations, the 10th highest of any U.S. airport

n MCO flies to 59 International destinations, the ninth-most among U.S. airports

n 58.6 million annual passengers, with a daily average of 160,228 passengers

n Fourth largest U.S. airport by land mass

n MCO is home to the world’s largest rental car market

Aircraft Ramp System gates that allow up to a total of eight aircraft positions; they will feature common use equipment for utilization by any airline. According to the presentation, the additional four gates are

expected to be substantially completed by early 2026.

Beyond the expansion of the MCO’s newest terminal, Thibault shared the current planning studies for Terminals A and B — a new concessions master plan, a capacity and condition assessment, and visions for new terminal facilities and baggage handling — as well as concepts depicting what the airport’s future could look like.

Wilson said she is looking forward to seeing the forward-thinking planning of GOAA come to a reality.

“I get very excited when we start talking about the other modes of transportation,” Wilson said. “So, seeing that there are already bakedin, built-in designs for light rail, commuter rail, inter-city rail, makes me very hopeful that we won’t need as much parking. So, to see that they are making a plan for now, but they also have the groundwork for the future, is exactly the right balance that we need. … It was very exciting to see the timeline, see the growth and what to expect.”

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

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

Oakland celebrates great outdoors at Nature Fest

The Oakland Nature Preserve welcomed the community back for its third annual Nature Fest & Open House Sept. 21 in the town of Oakland.

The event aims to celebrate Florida’s natural history, conservation and future. Attendees met members of the environmental community, participated in animal interactions and guided hikes, learned from educational presentations, created arts and crafts, and much more.

This year’s sponsors included The Bond Foundation, the town of Oakland, Pioneer Builders, Seacoast Bank, Toole’s Ace Hardware and Friends of Lake Apopka. —

SIKES

Laura Scialabba was one of the many Oakland Nature Preserve representatives helping to run the annual event. Zach, left, Monica and Chloe Jalbert attended the weekend event as a family.

Hannah Szuch, left, Leticia Vaz, Laurie Paulin and Lucas Scott represented the Save the Manatee Club at the festival.

Orange County District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson, left, and her communications aide, Drew Dietzen, invited attendees to spin a wheel and answer environmental trivia questions to earn a prize.

Wendi, left, and her son Aidan Butterley walked away from the festival with lots of fun trinkets.

Courtesy

The property is at 4151 Avalon Road, at the northeast corner of Avalon and Dangler roads.

Special Hearts Farm project clears hurdle

The Special Hearts Farm proposed project in the Lake Avalon Rural Settlement is one step further along in the approval process following a second community meeting Sept. 18 and an Orange County Planning & Zoning Commission meeting Sept. 19.

The project has been a strong point of contention since the initial community meeting held in May. The residents of the rural settlement say they’re fighting for their community’s rights as they were intended. Special Hearts — which provides life skills in agriculture and agribusiness to adults with special needs — representatives and families say the location is perfect. The nonprofit organization hopes to set up a larger farm space and build a cluster of small residential care cottages on property located in a protected area off Avalon Road in unincorporated Winter Garden.

Following public comment from residents at the P&Z meeting, Commissioner David Boers, District 1 representative, suggested residents look into crafting language to add to the county code for additional protections.

“Special Hearts is a great organization,” he said. “There’s not enough people like this in the world doing these things. What they do is an amazing thing. This is not an ideal situation for me to vote. It’s probably one of the hardest votes I’ve ever had, because I am a strong supporter of rural, and I’m a strong supporter of what they do. I believe that this is the best fit for them. There’s not a lot of places left like this in West Orange County. They do want to stay in their neighborhood. … As it stands now, staff recommended it.”

Boers made a recommendation for approval of the project subject to 19 conditions listed in the staff report, including one waiver from Orange County Code.

The proposed project passed unanimously.

‘RULE MEANS RULE’

Kathy Meena and Jennifer Elliott founded Special Hearts off Ninth Street in Winter Garden about six years ago. The organization has since outgrown its space at the former Maxey Elementary School property.

The 18.26-acre subject property is located at 4151 Avalon Road, which is in the rural settlement at the northeast corner of Avalon and Dangler roads.

For Special Hearts to have its new project approved, Orange County would have to change the Future Land Use Map designation from Rural Settlement to Institutional and rezone the land from Citrus Rural District to Planned Development District.

The full 18 acres would be rezoned, but only 10 acres at the back of the site would be amended to reflect the Institutional designation so up to 30 Special Hearts participants could live on the farm.

The original request was for a 25,000-square-foot training facility, a 5,000-square-foot event barn to be used for a farmers market and petting zoo, and overnight housing for 50 adults in the program. The applicant decreased the sizes of the training facility and event barn to 15,000 and 3,500 square feet, respectively, and lessened the number of overnight residents to 30.

At both of the community meetings, rural settlement residents expressed fear the project would set a precedent that would allow other Institutional development, such as nursing homes, into the area. Concerns for traffic, other institutions submitting applications and the applicant increasing the numbers requested if approved also were voiced. Planning consultant Ed Williams,

Williams Development Services Inc., addressed the traffic concerns, reiterating the participants in Special Hearts do not drive, so most of the traffic would be generated by employees — about 36 cars a day.

Rural settlements call for one dwelling unit for every five acres, meaning the applicant, Jim Hall, of Hall Development Services, could have three units on the land. A single-family home and a barn already occupy the property.

“I have nothing against this organization; I think everyone would agree it’s a fabulous organization that does great work,” resident Kathy Sheerin said at the second community meeting. “Our only concern is changing it to the Institutional zoning, because it’s going to set a precedent. What are some of the safeguards that we can instill in our rural settlement? We’re getting awfully tired of having to fight these battles constantly.”

“Rule means rule,” resident Allison Painter said. “For me, it seems like a great thing, but for somebody that was born and raised here, it’s getting way too populated.”

Property attorney Rick Geller, representing the applicant team, said he has heard the Avalon community loud and clear.

“The predominant message that I have got is that this is a great program and you love the agricultural elements of the farm, but there’s discomfort about the cottages and the residences,” he said. “I will tell you that that is allowed by state law; it’s allowed by the comprehensive plan. I’ve tried to give some assurance to you all that there are existing protections in the comprehensive plans … this would not set a precedent for other development. … This cannot be initiated by someone in the private sector, but there is a possibility that staff could suggest additional protections for Avalon as a text amendment to make double sure that this project is not used as a justification for any increases in residential density or other undesirable Institutional uses. We’re willing and happy to work with your Orange County commissioner and staff to craft whatever protections are desired.”

Not all in attendance disagreed with the project.

Henry Wright, Winter Garden resident whose son has attended Special Hearts for three years, felt the community meeting was mostly positive.

“Commissioner Wilson’s team laid out a clear blueprint of a timeline and process of all of the steps that has happened up to this point,” he said. “The attorney representing the farm answered all questions and cleared up misconceptions. Everyone was given a fair chance to ask any questions and have them addressed. As a parent, the most disgusting comment was made by a lady who said, ‘Why don’t you move them to the green swamp?’ I felt the statement was odd, very insensitive, unwelcoming and very hurtful to all of us. You’re speaking about someone’s son or daughter.”

Elliott was one of the speakers at the P&Z meeting, where she touched on the compromises Special Hearts has made throughout each process for the community.

“I know this is a great concern for the Avalon rural community,” she said. “We want to work with the Avalon community. We want to be good neighbors; we’ve said that from the beginning. We want to belong. We want to have a place where our farmers can live and work, as other farmers do. Lastly, and most importantly, we are a farm. We belong in a rural area.”

The request next will be discussed at an Orange County Board of County Commissioners meeting at a date in the near future.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Article I, Sections 1-8 and 1-10, and Article V, Section 5-9, of the City of Ocoee Land Development Code that on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2024, AT 6:30 P.M. or as soon thereafter as practical, the OCOEE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION will hold a PUBLIC HEARING at the City of Ocoee Commission Chambers located at 1 North Bluford Avenue, Ocoee, Florida, to consider a Large-Scale Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map Amendment to convert approximately 117.7 acres of Low Density Residential (LDR) and approximately 32.3 acres of Conservation (CON) to approximately 150 acres of Commercial (COMM) and corresponding text amendment to the Future Land Use Element for the Ocoee Regional Sports Complex Project. The subject property is comprised of 9 parcels, assigned parcel ID numbers 07-22-28-000000-001, 07-22-28-0000-00-023, 07-22-28-0000-00-057, 07-22-28-0000-00-041, 07-22-28-0000-00-039, 07-22-28-0000-00-043, 07-22-28-0000-00-105, 07-2228-0000-00-060, and 07-22-28-0000-00-074. The subject property is generally located within the southeast corner of the intersection of Fullers Cross Road and Ocoee Apopka Road.

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF OCOEE, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE CITY OF OCOEE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AS ADOPTED IN 1991, AS AMENDED; AMENDING THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP OF THE OCOEE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO CHANGE THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP DESIGNATION FROM LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL AND CONSERVATION TO COMMERCIAL FOR CERTAIN REAL PROPERTIES CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY 150 ACRES GENERALLY LOCATED IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE FULLERS CROSS ROAD AND OCOEE APOPKA ROAD INTERSECTION AND AMENDING PROVISIONS AND POLICIES WITHIN THE FUTURE LAND USE ELEMENT; PROVIDING FOR AND AUTHORIZING THE REVISION OF THE OFFICIAL CITY FUTURE LAND USE MAP; PREVAILING IN THE EVENT OF ANY INCONSISTENCY; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

Interested parties may appear at the public hearing and be heard with respect to the proposed action. The complete case file may be inspected at the Ocoee Development Services Department, located at 1 North Bluford Avenue, Ocoee, Florida, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for legal holidays. The Planning and Zoning Commission may continue the public hearing to other dates and times as it deems necessary. Any interested party shall be advised that the dates, times, and places of any continuation of these or continued public hearings shall be announced during the hearings and that no further notices regarding these matters will be published. You are advised that any person who desires to appeal any decision made during the public hearings will need a record of the proceedings and, for this purpose, may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is based. Persons with disabilities needing assistance to participate in any of the proceedings should contact the City Clerk’s Office 48 hours in advance of the

at (407) 905-3105.

Melanie Sibbitt, City Clerk Publish Date: September 26, 2024

ANNABELLE SIKES NEWS EDITOR

Joe Dunn earns FOLA’s Jim Thomas Award

The former executive director of Friends of Lake Apopka received the high honor for his hard work and commitment to the organization and the lake.

AMY QUESINBERRY

COMMUNITY EDITOR

The Friends of Lake Apopka organization has honored former executive director Joe Dunn with the Jim Thomas Environmental Hero Award for his diligent efforts and commitment to Lake Apopka. In his nine years with FOLA, Dunn has served as president, executive director and board member.

The award was presented to Dunn at the quarterly FOLA meeting Sept. 10. The annual award is presented to a recipient who “exemplifies the passion and commitment of FOLA founder Jim Thomas and who contributes to the continued restoration of Lake Apopka.”

Before presenting the award, Steve Koontz, president of the FOLA board of directors, praised Dunn.

“He has been a passionate advocate for Lake Apopka and the legacy of Jim Thomas, and he is always quick to recognize those that join in to help in improving the health of this great lake and the surrounding communities,” Koontz said. “Joe has been a friend, mentor, leader and inspiration.”

“I am humbled to be honored by people that I respect and love,” Dunn said. “To me, this award is representative of all that FOLA has accomplished in the past nine years. I have always said, ‘I can’t do much, but we can do anything.’ And we have done a lot.”

Dunn played a key role in securing $10.9 million from Orange County & MetroPlan Orlando and $2 million in state funds for connecting the West Orange Trail to Magnolia Park and Green Mountain to Hancock Road, respectively. He also was integral in

securing $7 million in state funds to control hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant, and bringing the lake to pre2018 levels.

Dunn joined FOLA in 2015 after meeting Thomas and appreciating the environmental advocate’s passion for the lake.

He said he is proud of two accomplishments with FOLA: controlling the hydrilla in the lake and creating the FOLA 40 in 2017.

“Helping the (St. Johns River Water Management District) save Lake Apopka from the existential threat of hydrilla has to be near the top,” Dunn said. “At one point, almost half of the 31,000-acre lake was choked with the invasive aquatic weed. It took four years of fighting, but with support from our local state legislators, hydrilla is now under control and being kept at minimum levels. Native aquatic vegetation is flourishing again.”

The FOLA 40 bike ride is an annual signature event that takes participants around Lake Apopka. It was started to raise awareness about the continuing restoration of Florida’s fourth-largest lake, the network of trails surrounding the lake and the need to connect those trails into a 42-mile safe cycling path.

“In 2026, we will have accomplished the third goal, and the Lake Apopka Loop Trail, which sits directly on Florida’s Coast-to-Coast Connector, will attract cyclists from all over the country,” Dunn said.

In addition, Dunn actively was involved in various local environmental initiatives, including the Johns Lake discharge canal improvements, the Newton Park dredging engineering study and the creation of a uniform sign system for the Lake Apopka Loop Trail.

CONTINUING THE LEGACY Dunn now has stepped down from his position, but he plans to remain active on the FOLA board.

“His legacy of environmental stewardship continues to inspire those who work to protect Florida’s natural resources,” Koontz said.

FOLA now is on the hunt for a new executive director.

“We have a strong board of directors, but almost all of them have fulltime jobs,” Dunn said. “As a retiree, I could devote many hours to running FOLA’s day-to-day activities. I can’t do that anymore, so FOLA is actively looking for a volunteer to be the new executive director. We also have leadership opportunities for event coordinator, outreach coordinator and membership coordinator. We are looking for a few new faces with the passion and energy to be effective environmental advocates.”

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2019: Jim Peterson, St. Johns River Water Management District

2020: Betsy VanderLey, former Orange County District 1 commissioner

2021: Daniel Whitehouse, Friends of Lake Apopka, and Scott Bisping, Florida

Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

2022: Dr. Erich Marzolf, SJRWMD 2023: Adam Lovejoy, SJRWMD

2024: Nathalie Visscher, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

Courtesy photo

Award recipient Joe Dunn, center, accepted the honor at the Sept. 10

Friends of Lake Apopka board meeting. With him are board members, board executives and former recipients.

Lake Down Shores estate

Ahome in the Lake Down Shores community in Windermere topped all West Orange-area residential real-estate transactions from Sept. 9 to 15.

The home at 9626 Maywood Drive, Windermere, sold Sept. 9, for $3,250,000. Built in 1990, it has five bedrooms, fourand-one-half baths and 4,410 square feet. Days on market: 23. The sellers were represented by Linda O’Grady, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. These are the highest-selling homes in each community in West Orange.

DR. PHILLIPS

BAY HILL

The home at 5803 Tarawood Drive, Orlando, sold Sept. 9, for $1,070,500. Built in 1978, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,775 square feet. Days on market: 35.

CYPRESS POINT

The home at 9085 Great Heron Circle, Orlando, sold Sept. 12, for $1,400,000. Built in 1993, it has five bedrooms, five baths and 4,789 square feet. Days on market: 12.

MIRABELLA AT VIZCAYA

The home at 8172 Via Rosa, Orlando, sold Sept. 12, for $1,125,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 3,834 square feet. Days on market: 27.

PARKSIDE

The home at 8531 Geddes Loop, Orlando, sold Sept. 9, for $1,120,000. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,646 square feet. Days on market: 136.

TOREY PINES

The home at 8720 Summerville Place, Orlando, sold Sept. 12, for $1,170,000. Built in 1989, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 4,265 square feet. Days on market: 48.

HORIZON WEST

DEL WEBB OASIS

The home at 13313 Sunny Retreat Lane, Winter Garden, sold Sept. 12, for $645,000. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,080 square feet. Days on market: 303.

LAKE BURDEN SOUTH

The home at 7461 Lake Albert Drive, Windermere, sold Sept. 9, for $1,440,000. Built in 2014, it has six bedrooms, six-and-one-half baths and 4,615 square feet. Days on market: 88.

The home at 7431 Lake Albert Drive, Windermere, sold Sept. 13, for $1,400,000. Built in 2014, it has six bedrooms, six-and-one-half baths and 4,634 square feet. Days on market: 46.

OVERLOOK 2 AT HAMLIN

The home at 15162 Shonan Gold Drive, Winter Garden, sold Sept. 12, for $2,200,000. Built in 2019, it has six bedrooms, five-and-one-half baths and 4,817 square feet. Days on market: 75.

TILDEN PLACE

The home at 14399 Wabasso Loop, Winter Garden, sold Sept. 9, for $705,000. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 2,902 square feet. Days on market: Three.

WESTHAVEN AT OVATION

The home at 14054 Lochend Way, Winter Garden, sold Sept. 9, for $974,995. Built in 2024, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 4,094 square feet. Days on market: 49.

WINCEY GROVES

The home at 5308 Golden Apple Drive, Winter Garden, sold Sept. 9, for $745,000. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,724 square feet. Days on market: 93.

WINDERMERE TRAILS

The home at 11858 Otterbrooke Trail, Windermere, sold Sept. 9, for $900,000. Built in 2013, it has seven bedrooms, four baths and 4,253 square feet. Days on market: 52.

OAKLAND OAKLAND TRAILS

The home at 2340 Standing Rock Circle, Oakland, sold Sept. 13, for $756,000. Built in 2019, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,416 square feet. Days on market: 14.

OCOEE

WYNWOOD

The home at 3480 Islewood Court, Ocoee, sold Sept. 12, for $471,990. Built in 2024, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,828 square feet. Days on market: 56.

WEST ORANGE

CASABELLA

The home at 4261 Isabella Circle, Windermere, sold Sept. 13, for $3,250,000. Built in 2016, it has six bedrooms, six baths, three halfbaths and 7,129 square feet. Days on market: 38.

WINDERMERE BUTLER BAY

The home at 1915 Lake Roberts Court sold Sept. 11, for $999,990. Built in 1995, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 4,036 square feet. On market: 44.

KEENE’S POINTE

The home at 8508 Bowden Way, Windermere, sold Sept. 9, for $1,450,000. Built in 2000, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,924 square feet. Days on market: 61.

LAKE DOWN POINTE MARBELLA

The home at 3014 Porto Lago Court, Windermere, sold Sept. 12, for $2,050,000. Built in 2006, it has six bedrooms, seven baths and 6,419 square feet. Days on market: 175.

SANDY SHORES

The home at 12048 Sandy Shores Drive, Windermere, sold Sept. 9, for $1,750,000. Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,100 square feet. Days on market: 105.

WINTER GARDEN

BRADFORD CREEK

The home at 14420 Sunbridge Circle, Winter Garden, sold Sept. 10, for $1,090,000. Built in 2017, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 4,436 square feet. Days on market: 23.

STONEYBROOK WEST

The home at 1820 Black Lake Blvd., Winter Garden, sold Sept. 9, for $800,000. Built in 2003, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,306 square feet. Days on market: 56.

WESTFIELD

The home at 1060 Shadowmoss Drive, Winter Garden, sold Sept. 12, for $660,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,893 square feet. Days on market: 21.

Mike Mitchell

The home at 9626 Maywood Drive, Windermere, sold Sept. 9, for $3,250,000. This estate is sited on Lake Down on the Butler Chain of Lakes. The sellers were represented by Linda O’Grady, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce Celebrates Business

The West Orange Chamber recognizes and applauds our long-standing member businesses for their continued commitment to Advancing Community, Collaboration and Leadership. Congratulations on Membership Milestones to

30

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the grand opening of Foundation Academy Tilden Road’s new Cafeteria and Worship Center

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening of Foundation Academy Tilden Road’s new Cafeteria and Worship Center. Located at 15304 Tilden Rd in Winter Garden, Foundation Academy Tilden Road has opened its new Cafeteria and Worship Center. Named “The Mane”, it furthers the academy’s mission to provide a Christ-centered education by partnering with church and family. The Mane will also serve as a chapel for on-campus services and as the main chapel for First BaptistHorizon West. To learn more, visit https://www.foundationacademy.net.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the grand opening of Sonny’s BBQ Lake Buena Vista

The WOCC Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening of Sonny’s BBQ Lake Buena Vista. Located at 12124 S Apopka-Vineland Rd # 121 in Orlando, Sonny’s serves up authentic slow-smoked BBQ and builds relationships with those who live and work in the local community.

To learn more about Sonny’s BBQ visit https://www.sonnysbbq.com/.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the grand opening of Quality Roofing Solutions

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening of Quality Roofing Solutions. Located at 765 Garden Commerce Pkwy Unit C in Winter Garden, Quality Roofing offers residential and commercial roofing services, including replacements and repairs. Their commitment to exceptional craftsmanship and customer satisfaction is unwavering. Winter Garden residents can now access their trusted, local roofing experts, ensuring peace of mind for their homes and businesses. To learn more, visit https://www.qualityroofingsolutions.com.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the grand opening of Sakowitz Smiles Orthodontics - Dr. Phillips

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening of Sakowitz Smiles Orthodontics - Dr. Phillips. Located at 7932 W Sand Lake Rd Ste 105 in the Dr. Phillips area of Orlando, Sakowitz Smiles Orthodontics is thrilled to open its third state-ofthe-art location in Dr. Phillips. Founded by Dr. Scott Sakowitz in 2017, the practice is dedicated to personalized care and advanced technology, creating beautiful smiles for all ages. Sakowitz Smiles is a Diamond Plus Invisalign Provider, a distinction for the top 1 percent of providers in North America. Drs. Scott and Marla Sakowitz have also been recognized as two of Orlando’s Top Dentists by Orlando Family Magazine in 2024. With locations in Lake Nona, Horizon West, and now Dr. Phillips, Sakowitz Smiles is excited to enhance its community impact and help patients emBRACE their best selves!

To learn more, visit https://orlandoorthodontics.com/location/orthodontist-in-dr-phillips-fl/

THE WEST ORANGE CHAMBER OFFERS 4 NETWORKING GROUPS TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY - DR. PHILLIPS AND THURSDAY - HORIZON WEST

To learn more and to register for participation visit wochamber.com/ChamberGroups or call 407-656-1304

SPORTS

HIGH 5

1After breaking the Foundation Academy school record for most assists in a single game earlier in the 2024 season, Lions girls volleyball setter Geiliany Del Valle broke the record once again by dishing out 57 assists in a 3-1 win over Dr. Phillips.

Del Valle’s previous singlegame best assists total — 55 — came in Foundation’s regular season-opener against the Master’s Academy in another four-set match.

Foundation outside hitter Madison Krause was a big factor in Del Valle’s record-breaking night with 28 kills, while sophomore Haley Higgins buried 15 kills of her own.

The Lions now hold a record of 10-3 for the season — as of press time, Sept. 24 — and will play against area rivals The First Academy Sept. 26 at home.

2

Lake Buena Vista boys volleyball player Brady Ruth announced his commitment to play college volleyball for George Mason University.

“I want to thank Coach Hosack and Coach Peluso for the opportunity,” Ruth said. “Thank you to Coach Jordan and my trainer TA for pushing me to be my best each and every day. Most of all I want to give a huge thanks to my parents for supporting me the entire way on my long journey.”

Ruth, a two-sport athlete — playing football as well — will be a crucial part of the Vipers boys volleyball team this season as well as for his club, Winter Park Volleyball Club’s Boys 18AB team.

3

The Horizon Hawks boys cross-country team has continued its phenomenal run to start the 2024 season by winning the SSG Hammond Invitational and making it a perfect five out of five team wins — while also setting a new course record with a combined team time of 89:03.11.

Junior Jacob Finch ran a personal-best course time and school course record of 17:13.30 and finished in third. Maleik Lewis finished fourth, Girmay Buck finished eighth, Mason Paulsberg finished 10th and Andrew Hurm rounded out the scoring runners in 13th. The Hawks will be back in action Sept. 28 at the Weeki Wachee XC Invitational at the Sand Hill Boys Scout Camp in Brooksville.

4

In partnership with NCSA College Recruiting, Windermere Prep will host a presentation that aims to help families gain a deeper understanding of the college recruiting process at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 30 in the Cypress Center. NCSA expert Mike Dunlevy, who has more than 35 years of experience in coaching and recruiting at all levels of college athletics and is a former Division Ill head coach, will be the main speaker. For more information and to RSVP for the event, visit bit. ly/47FEaJt.

5Lake Buena Vista High boys cross-country runner Zachary Lambert set a new school record in the 5K, clocking a time of 17:39.47 at the JT Memorial Invitational Sept. 21.

Foundation baseball’s ace pitcher and The Citadel commit Rylee Gibson established himself as a force on the mound and the plate last season. As a senior, he’ll look to lead the Lions even further. Page 2B.

OLD-SCHOOL APPROACH

After its first winning season in program history, under then-new coach Brant Peddy, Vipers football is all about building on that momentum in 2024.

SAM ALBUQUERQUE SPORTS EDITOR

With a shaved head, semipermanent scowl on his face and a physical build that just screams he wakes up at 4 a.m. every day to get in a lift at the local gym, you might assume Brant Peddy is either a drill sergeant or a football coach cut from the same cloth as Mike Ditka or Mike Tomlin.

In today’s era of football, Peddy’s approach may not be for everyone. That’s fine. Just don’t be caught off-guard when your team plays the Vipers, and Peddy’s players smack you in the mouth for four quarters straight.

“I just want our kids to be a night-

Peddy’s appearance isn’t a facade. The second-year coach of the Lake Buena Vista Vipers exudes the classic ideals of the game of football: toughness, grit, discipline, brotherhood, belief and a pick-yourself-up-byyour-bootstraps attitude.

mare for everybody we play,” Peddy said. “I want teams when we finish playing, win or lose, whatever, I want them to say that we’re a nightmare (to play). I want these kids to compete. I want them to put in the effort and have discipline. A lot of times, and it happened in a couple of games last

Squeeze GM to train umpires in Dubai

Adam Bates is heading to the United Arab Emirates to help train umpires for Dubai Little League.

SAM ALBUQUERQUE SPORTS EDITOR

Winter Garden resident Adam Bates wears a lot of hats. He’s the general manager of the Winter Garden Squeeze — West Orange County’s Florida Collegiate Summer League baseball team. He’s also on the advisory board of the Mordecai Brown Foundation and serves as a sales rep for Vertical Raise.

Beyond all of that, he still finds time to serve as an umpire across the Central Florida region — something he’s done since 1994.

And now, he’s taking his expertise to the other side of the world. From Sept. 26-29, Bates is going to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience as he will travel across the Atlantic Ocean to the United Arab Emirates to help lead an umpire clinic for Dubai Little League.

“I’m very excited, and as it gets closer, I am a little bit, for lack of a better term, nervous,” Bates said.

“When I talked to Justin Rhodes, the guy leading this whole thing, I was intrigued. So, I asked my wife about it, just kind of thought about it and it lined up that I

would be able to do it. It’s a quick trip — leaving Wednesday night and back Monday morning — but I’m just excited to make an impact.

I’ve worked globally with a couple of other groups before, making a trip to Scotland in 2003 and then hosting a team from Scotland and a team from Russia in the mid-2000s. I’ve always enjoyed spreading the love of baseball wherever I can and trying to make an impact.

“I’m also very passionate about officiating, as I’ve always said without officials, it’s just practice, and we want to be able to play games,” he said. “This clinic is an awesome opportunity to make an impact by training the umpires.”

The impact Bates wants to make starts with the basics, but he plans to do more than just give these aspiring

Photos by Sam Albuquerque

Lake Buena Vista football — led by Jonathan Robinson, left, coach Brant Peddy, Joshua Eady and Erik Denico —

Sam Albuquerque Winter Garden Squeeze General Manager Adam Bates at a game.

LBV senior athlete Erik Denico wants to build a foundation for the next generation of Vipers football players.

Rylee Gibson

Foundation Academy senior

Rylee Gibson established himself as a force on the mound and the batter’s box last season. He helped lead the Lions to a 25-5 record, the most wins in school history.

On the mound, Gibson — or as he’s called by his teammates “Hollywood” — had shown flashes of his skills since the eighth grade, but as a junior, he turned that potential into production.

In 56.2 innings pitched, Gibson threw 58 strikeouts, had an ERA of 1.11 and finished the season with a 3-0 record.

His big jump came at the plate, going from a .290 batting average as a sophomore to hitting .400 (30/75) as a junior. He also drove in 25 runs, scored 21 runs and hit one home run.

That sort of production earned the 6-foot-2, Colorado native a scholarship to play college baseball and pursue an engineering and military career at The Citadel.

How does it feel to be named Athlete of the Week?

It is a true honor. Working hard day in and day out on the field, in the classroom and in the weight room — it feels rewarding to have my hard work recognized.

What do you like the most about baseball?

I love the feeling of having all the pressure on you and being the only one who can control the outcome — especially on the mound. There is nothing like pitching with a 3-2 count with bases loaded and the game on the line.

How does it feel to be committed to play baseball at the collegiate level?

It is a dream come true. I remember being in Little League and watching college and professional baseball, and thinking about how hard they threw or how big the field was. Now, to be in that position, to being one step closer to The Show, is a one-of-a-kind feeling.

THE BASICS Age: 17 Sport: Baseball Grade: Senior School: Foundation Academy

What was it about The Citadel that made you feel like that was the college for you?

From the moment I walked on campus, I felt like it was everything I was looking for in a school. Walking around the gorgeous campus, I could feel how incredible the environment that surrounded me was. Then, when we made our way over to their stadium, which is a Minor League ballpark, it was truly amazing. The Citadel offers me what I truly want: the opportunity to serve my country in the U.S. Army, as well as receive a top-tier education and get the chance to play baseball at the collegiate level.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from playing sports?

I have learned to not let other people get into my head. I have had coaches and teammates who have not always believed that I would become anything. But, the biggest advice I can give is to not let other people affect who you are. Ultimately, you are going to be who you are meant to be. Your hard work and determination set the limit for what is possible.

Who is your favorite athlete?

Tim Tebow is my favorite athlete because of the person he is. Even though Tim Tebow was an exceptional athlete, I don’t believe any athletic accomplishment of his truly speaks to the person he is. He is generous and caring to people who aren’t as fortunate, and he truly makes people’s lives better. In everything he does, he lives in faith.

Favorite memory from playing baseball?

My favorite memory from baseball is hitting back-to-back-toback home runs last year versus The First Academy. The adrenaline going through my body as those home runs were hit was a feeling I had never felt before. I have many friends and travel teammates on that team, so to be able to do that against them is a nice friendly competition that I can remind them of.

What is your go-to pre-game

Chick-fil-A sandwich, a banana and Gatorade.

What is your favorite subject in school?

Math. I love problemsolving and learning how things work, which many people take advantage of in their everyday lives.

What is your most controversial food

I don’t like my toast toasted. It has to be very lightly warmed and just barely crispy.

Does pineapple belong on Yes. It’s amazing.

— SAM ALBUQUERQUE

Hawks win Metro West championship

In a tightly contested three-set match, the Horizon Hawks girls volleyball team topped West Orange High, 2-1, in the finals of the Metro West Conference tournament championship game held Sept. 21 at Horizon High. After the Hawks took the first set, 25-18, the Warriors answered with a convincing set of their own — winning 25-19. In the final set, the match went back and forth before the hosting Horizon

Hawks squeaked out a 15-13 win to claim the Metro title. With the win, the Hawks moved to 12-2 on the season, while the Warriors have a 7-3 record, as of press time Sept. 24.

In the third-place match, defending Metro champions Olympia High (12-4) topped the Windermere Wolverines (8-9) in three sets — 24-26, 26-24 and 15-7 — to take home the bronze.

SAM ALBUQUERQUE

Bates ready to make an impact in Dubai

umpires a crash course. He wants to give them the tools not only to earn their next assignment but also to want to get behind the plate again and again.

“I want to introduce umpiring at an educational level, meaning like, give them the basics, and then hopefully give them the drive and resources to learn more,” he said. “The hours that I’m going to be with them over the weekend absolutely will give them a good footprint of what the basics of umpiring are. But ultimately, it’s not enough time to get anybody close to becoming a good official. My goal, when it comes to helping umpires, has always been to give them guidance to earn their next assignment and help them want to come back. … That process starts with identifying a couple of leaders and kind of teaching the teachers type thing by giving them not

only the basics of officiating but by giving them the tools to teach the young officials. To do that, I’ve partnered with Ref Reps out of Indianapolis, which is the same program that we have at Olympia High School, to leave them with access to do online training.”

Beyond the clinic’s purpose of teaching umpires the basics and setting them up to develop further, Bates also wants to give coaches and parents more perspective on the role of an umpire, what goes into their preparation and what it’s like to officiate a game.

“I’ve always said and still firmly stand on this belief: If any person learned the basics of being an umpire or just simply listened to an umpire’s perspective, you’ll understand the sport of baseball better,” Bates said. “For coaches, I think you’ll become a better coach if you do that because I believe good umpires are good coaches. … Because of that, I’m also planning

on working with the coaches and the parents in the league to make sure that they learn that perspective, so everyone in the league has that strong respect for the umpires. I want to teach the people there to understand what’s happening in an umpire’s head, what they are seeing when they are behind the plate, and all aspects of what an umpire does.”

To Bates, the role of an umpire is at the core of the sport of baseball, and this opportunity to help the Dubai Little League umpires learn more about how to effectively officiate a game — and teach its coaches, players, parents and officials more about the perspective of an umpire — is exactly what he hopes to establish in the growing league.

“I just want to make the whole thing fun,” Bates said. “I’m very passionate about umpires because of what they do, and how they help the game grow, how they allow games to be played. Dubai has more than 500 kids in its Little League, so they need quality officials to be able to play games. I know I’ll learn a lot on Thursday and Friday before we go out there and execute this thing on Friday night, Saturday and parts of Sunday. Hopefully, we can leave knowing we made the impact we wanted.”

Horizon High won the 2024 girls volleyball Metro West Conference championship, topping West Orange in three sets.

Right: West Orange outside hitter Gwenyth Berry (No. 6) went up for the kill attempt against her former team in the Metro finals.

Olympia’s Mia Diouf (No. 8), Andrea Castillo (No. 3) and Leila Daniels (No. 12) awaited a serve in third-place match.

Windermere outside hitter Lily Rodgers (No. 8) lined up a kill attempt against Olympia.

‘We’re a family first’

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B

year, wins and losses come down to effort and discipline.”

BEFORE AND AFTER

This approach is hard. It requires sacrifice, commitment and a level of toughness — both mentally and physically — that isn’t as prevalent in football as it was in years past. Still, if you’re able to get your players to buy in, well, the results speak for themselves.

In the two seasons before Peddy arrived at LBV, the Vipers had a record of 1-19. Last season, Peddy’s first, the Vipers finished with a 5-4 record and already have picked up another win so far in 2024; despite having two games suspended because of weather.

“Coach has brought a lot of feistiness to the team; he does a really good job of getting us to channel our anger on the field,” said LBV senior lineman Jonathan Robinson, who has been part of the program for all four years of its existence. “He wants us all to be mean and show that grit that we all are born with on the field. The first couple of years, the team really struggled, we had a lot

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS

THURSDAY, SEPT. 19

Windermere Prep (1-2), 18

Trinity Prep (0-4), 14

HIGHLIGHTS: After going into the half down 14-12, the Windermere Prep Lakers took the lead in the third and never looked back; taking home its first win of the 2024 season and first-year coach James Hamilton’s first win ever.

UP NEXT: The Lakers will be home again in Week Six as they host Faith Christian at 4 p.m., Sept. 27.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 20

CFCA (2-2), 27

Father Lopez (0-4), 20

HIGHLIGHTS: Led by quarterback Mason Mathis and his three touchdowns, Central Florida Christian Academy football makes it backto-back wins under second-year coach Kevin Blackman. On defense, Nyshaun Drye caught two interceptions — returning one to the house for a TD. Windermere transfer Davy Murphy also had a big game with two touchdown receptions, while Hunter Mattsson got it done on both sides of the ball with an interception and a receiving touchdown.

UP NEXT: The Eagles of Central Florida Christian will be on the road at P.K. Yonge Sept. 27.

of bad losses. Then, this past year, you could see how much we all grew closer as a team and really showed what we are capable of. We want to keep that momentum going this year and be great.”

Senior athlete Erik Denico agrees and points to the attitude change among the players during Peddy’s tenure.

“Coach really brought a high level of intensity that we needed, something that I think we lacked in the two seasons before he got here,” Denico said. “He just brought out the dog in all of us, which is exactly the type of energy we needed. It was very just lackluster before, we just doubted ourselves before games. We were always doubted by people outside of the program and still are really but we like that now. We like being the underdogs, having that chip on our shoulders. We’ve used that as fuel to get us amped up to play in these football games.”

FOOTBALL IS FAMILY

Through this high-intensity and disciplined approach to program building, the Vipers have done more than become better football players.

Dr. Phillips (4-0), 26 Lake Mary (2-2), 21

HIGHLIGHTS: In a battle of two of the best offenses in Central Florida, it was the Panthers senior quarterback Stanley Anderson-Lofton who led the way for Dr. Phillips High win by throwing two touchdowns — including a long bomb to receiver Mykel Calixte to take the lead — and running for another. He finished with almost 300 total yards. On the other side, the young Dr. Phillips defense stepped up big time against Lake Mary’s offense, led by Notre Dame commit QB Noah Grubbs. Maliki Wright and Calixte both picked Grubbs off on the Rams’ last two possessions to end the game.

UP NEXT: Dr. Phillips travels down the road to face its rivals, the Olympia Titans, in Week Six.

Foundation Academy (1-3), 0 Melbourne Central Catholic (3-1), 44

HIGHLIGHTS: Coming off a win in Week Three and a bye in Week Four, the Lions fell to a tough Melbourne Central Catholic team led by its QB Brogan McNab.

UP NEXT: The Lions will look to bounce back on the road in Week Six, as they face Holy Trinity Episcopal Sept. 27.

The First Academy (5-0), 41 Atlantic (4-1), 28

HIGHLIGHTS: On the back of seven turnovers by its defense, The First Academy added another statement win to its impressive run in 2024.

“That is a very explosive offense, and I thought our defense did a great job of causing those turnovers,” TFA coach Jeff Conaway said. “We invited a lot of those turnovers, but when they threw them to us and when we forced those fumbles, (it was) huge.”

Despite the Royals defense terrific night and the offense taking advantage of those seven turnovers, Conaway still thinks his players didn’t play their best but is happy with their fight.

“I’m so very proud of both offense

These student-athletes have learned what it means to sacrifice for one another; they’ve learned what it’s like to be accountable to one another. That sort of connection builds a bond rarely found outside of a team sports context.

“We’re a brotherhood,” Robinson said. “We make sure that we take responsibility for what we do and are accountable to each other. We don’t make excuses; that’s kind of our thing here. We don’t make excuses for how we play or when we have a bad day. We lift each other up and just keep it moving and focus on doing our jobs and getting better.”

Players such as Robinson and Denico, who have been part of this program for its entire four-year existence, have helped forge this sense of family and brotherhood into the team’s culture because of the sense of ownership they have for the program.

“We’re a family first,” Denico said. “No matter what, we all just want to play together, and because this program is so young, we know that what we’re doing each time we go out on the field for a game or for practice, we’re building something that didn’t exist a few years back. We are the start

and defense, thought special teams made some good plays as well,” he said. “What a big victory for the TFA Royals, that’s a big-time football team. We all know that we didn’t play our best, but we played good enough to win tonight, and that’s all that matters.”

UP NEXT: The Royals will host its second Class 1A, District 6 matchup of the season as Orlando Christian Prep heads to Warden Stadium Sept. 27.

Horizon (0-5), 3 Evans (2-2), 50

HIGHLIGHTS: The Hawks fell big on the road — for the third consecutive game — to the Evans High Trojans and remain winless on the season.

UP NEXT: Horizon High will be on the road once again, the last of its four consecutive road games, as it heads to Seminole County to face the Winter Springs Bears Sept. 27.

Ocoee (3-2), 35 Boone (2-3), 31

HIGHLIGHTS: Led by running back Jamarian Robinson, who ran for 255 yards on 24 carries with three touchdowns, the Ocoee Knights squeezed by the Boone Braves and returned to its winning ways after a Week Four loss to Dr. Phillips. Ocoee receiver Joshua Guerrier was another big contributor for the Knights offense with eight catches on the night for 123 yards. On defense, linebacker Michael McClenton showed his usual dominance, racking up 17 total tackles with four being for a loss, while Kellen Cidel and Dylan Hoskins both caught an interception in the win.

UP NEXT: The Knights will head back home to host West Port High Sept. 27 in a Class 7A, District 5 matchup.

Olympia (2-3), 13 Lake Nona (2-2), 34

HIGHLIGHTS: After a big overtime win against Timber Creek High in Week Four, the young Titans team fell on the road to the Lions of Lake Nona High.

of something new that will hopefully last for a very long time. Everything we’re doing now, from our traditions to our identity as a team, it’s establishing what the future of the team is going to look like. The fact that we’re the leaders of everything about this program really brings us together.”

This sort of connection, this brotherhood, is easy to proclaim when things are going right. It’s easy to say the team is a family when you’re undefeated and not facing a lick of adversity. It’s when it all starts to crumble on the field when you see the true representation of a team’s culture.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT

In its 35-7 Week Four loss to West Orange High, Peddy saw the results of his old-school football approach on full display.

“They showed a lot of heart and a lot of effort tonight,” he said following the loss. “Nobody got down on themselves. There was no bickering or fighting on the sideline. It was everybody trying to get everybody built up and focused on fighting to the very end. You go into a ball game like this, and adversity hits right off the bat and you, as the coach, start to worry, and ask yourself: ‘How are they going to respond? Are they going to get down on themselves? Are they going to start playing the blame game?’ These guys

UP NEXT: Week Six will bring a big bounce-back opportunity for Olympia, as the Titans welcome undefeated rivals Dr. Phillips High to its home field Sept. 27.

West Orange (4-0), 35 Lake Buena Vista (1-2), 7

HIGHLIGHTS: For the first time since 2014, the West Orange Warriors have started a season by winning their first four games, topping Lake Buena Vista High, 35-7.

West Orange was led by its balanced offensive attack, which saw two running backs rush for touchdowns and two quarterbacks throw for touchdowns to three different receivers.

Still, Warriors coach Geno Thompson didn’t think his team played its best game.

“I thought we looked very sloppy,” he said. “It’s hard to motivate yourself when you underestimate someone, and I think that’s what we did tonight.”

For the Vipers, after coming out of the half down 27-0, they didn’t give up and scored their lone touchdown of the night on a short QB keeper by

didn’t, it was a lot of positive talk over here on our sideline.

“Now, it’s just a matter of learning from our mistakes on the field,” he said. “It’s all a process, and we’ll get there, because the kids have really bought in. Every week, they come in ready to practice, and we don’t have a bad practice. The kids are normally locked in. They’re doing what they’re supposed to do. It’s just a matter of learning more about the game.”

Sophomore athlete Joshua Eady doesn’t know what high school football looked like at LBV before his current coach took over.

Like the comic book villain Bane from the Batman chronicles, his football identity was figuratively born in Peddy’s program of discipline and toughness. So, when he looks at what the future may look like for the Vipers, he expects his team to be in the same conversation with the area’s other top teams in the coming years.

“I want this football program to be looked at like the DPs and the Ocoees of the world,” Eady said. “When you think of LBV now, people doubt us because of how young the school is, having only been around for like four years. But with what we’re building here, I want people in the future to think of us like they think about West Orange; that LBV’s a powerhouse.”

Stoly Cenemat. Despite the tough loss, LBV coach Brant Peddy thought his players fought hard.

“When we were down a half, 27-0, we could have quit, but we didn’t,” Peddy said.

UP NEXT: Coming up for the Warriors will be a big Class 7A, District 5 matchup against Apopka High Sept. 27, while the Vipers will travel to Windermere High for its Week Six matchup.

Windermere (5-0), 47 East River (2-3), 6

HIGHLIGHTS: For the fifth consecutive time — sixth, if you include the Kickoff Classic — the Windermere Wolverines have won a game on the road. Beyond win, Windermere has continued to be dominant in the 2024 season on both sides of the ball, outscoring its opponents by a combined 153 points (181 points score, 28 points allowed).

“(I’m) proud of the players and how they have handled themselves,” coach Riki Smith said. “Adversity builds character and toughness. I told them I love them, and we are back to work on Sunday.”

UP NEXT: After playing a second game on the road, despite being the home team, Windermere High is finally set to come home to its new on-campus stadium as it hosts Lake Buena Vista for its homecoming game.

OBSERVER 8, WEEK FIVE: A weekly power ranking of the eight best football programs in West, Orange Southwest Orange.

Sam Albuquerque West Orange High’s Ivan Taylor celebrated after a big hit against Lake Buena Vista High.

Phillip Pacheco

The First Academy football quarterback Salomon Georges Jr. dropped back for a pass against Atlantic High.

SUSAN MATTUCCI THORNEBROOKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Susan Mattucci is a second-grade teacher at Thornebrooke Elementary School, but her job duties have included team leader, hospitality chair for 10 years, judge for drama auditions, Behavior Committee member and PTO teacher liaison. She has mentored three student teachers and was awarded Teacher of the Year in Miami Dade County Public Schools. She also composed, sang and played the guitar for a song that raised funds for educators who were affected by Hurricane Andrew. In Miami Dade County, she was Student Council adviser and directed several school performances.

What brought you to your school?

After 16 years of teaching in Miami Dade Public Schools, I moved to Orlando because of family and for job opportunities for my husband, who was principal at Zellwood Elementary School for 10 years.

What do you love most about your school?

I love the entire school family. The staff, amazing school administration, parents and students are supportive and truly make Thornebrooke Elementary a positive school learning environment.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of my job is the children. They have a special place in my heart. I consider each child “my child.” I pray that over the past 35 years, I have touched their lives and made a positive impact. Many students return, or reach out, long after they leave my classroom. That means the world to me!

What would you be if you weren’t in this profession?

My major was originally psychology and communications. I thought of being a child psychologist. I also compose music, sing and play the

REPORT CARD

POSITION: Second-grade teacher TIME AT SCHOOL: 19 years

guitar. My dream has been to write music. In fact, I have an original song that plays at Mickey’s Not So Scary event at The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

Who influences you?

My husband, Frank, is my biggest cheerleader. He supports me and is always there for me. He is truly my best friend.

Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? Why?

My favorite teacher was my sixthgrade teacher, Paul Boyle. He was kind, caring and funny — and made me want to be like him one day.

What is your favorite children’s book and why?

My favorite children’s book is the Super Fudge series by Judy Blume. I was handed a copy when I was 10 years old. I was going through a tough time, and this book was an escape and instilled in me a love for reading.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I compose music, sing and play the guitar.

If you could dine with any famous person, past or present, who would it be and why?

If I could dine with any famous person, past or present, it would have to be Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers). He was my childhood idol, and he had such a kind and caring demeanor. He taught us that we can “cultivate deep connections with children.”

If you could only listen to three bands or artists, who would they be and why?

Billy Joel, Elton John and Peter Frampton. Billy Joel, because my husband proposed to me at one of his concerts. I love his music and remember listening all throughout college. Elton John is also a favorite. Peter Frampton’s son was my second-grade student. He came for a parent conference, invited me backstage on several occasions, and I still communicate with his son today.

What was your go-to lunch and favorite snack as an elementary student?

My father used to bring me lunch in elementary school. My go-to lunches were Burger King Yumbos (they were a ham-and-cheese sandwich from the ’70s) and tuna from a local deli. Of course, the rectangular school pizza was a must!

What is your favorite holiday and why?

My favorite holiday has always been Thanksgiving. I am so very grateful for all that I have, and this time allows me to reflect on how fortunate I am to have such wonderful friends and family. I also love to cook, and I always make the entire meal from scratch! My stuffing is a favorite!

Who was your best friend when you were in school and why? Are you still in touch?

My best friend was Patrice. I am still in touch after knowing her since I was 3 years old!

What were your extracurricular activities as a student? Did you win any accolades or honors?

As a student, I was in Guitar Ensemble. I was a cheerleader, and I was active in FBLA. I also studied flute and was an extra in a few movies and music videos. When I received my master’s degree in ESOL, I was in Pi Lambda Theta, which is an International Honor Society and Professional Association in Education. I also graduated with honors upon completion of my master’s degree.  — AMY QUESINBERRY

Water Spring Elementary School wins with Grandparents Bingo Night

Students at Water Spring Elementary School took their grandparents to school Sept. 16 for an evening of fun and games at the annual Grandparents Bingo Night. Everyone had a fun time at the multigenerational event, playing games, winning prizes, and munching on hot dogs and snacks. The Parent-Teacher Organization sponsored the annual event. — AMY QUESINBERRY

Above: Arthur, Jesus and Flérida Ocanto had a fun evening together at Water Spring Elementary School.

Left: Elliott, Tom and Josie Teter were all smiles as they prepared to play a few rounds of bingo.

The fifth-grade committee sold hot dogs, snacks and drinks to raise funds for their end-of-the-year event.

Mason and Grayson Bennett had fun playing bingo with Eileen and Marc Bourque.

New church launching in Winter Garden

The inaugural service for Horizon City Church will be held Oct. 6 at SunRidge Elementary School.

HORIZON CITY CHURCH

14455 SunRidge Blvd., Winter Garden

WEBSITE: horizoncitychurch.com

FIRST SERVICE: 10 a.m.

Sunday, Oct. 6

“I am thoroughly convinced, based on numerous studies and surveys, the probability of anyone attending church in a local community goes up significantly as there are more options for a church. …”

— Pastor Kenny Ortiz

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

A new church officially is launching Oct. 6 in south Winter Garden, and founding pastor Kenny Ortiz is ready to take Horizon City Church to the next level in the community.

After spending the summer holding church services at various homes, Ortiz is eager to introduce his congregation, and the community, to the new space at SunRidge Elementary School, in Winter Garden.

Ortiz has dreamed of planting a church since he was in college more than 20 years ago. His wife, Malaina, has been his biggest supporter, and they and their two young children moved to the area from Minnesota to start the church.

The first sermon, titled “Treasuring Christ,” will look at Hebrews 1: “Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth.”

“We believe in expository preaching, which is going through the Bible verse by verse,” Ortiz said. “Every Sunday, we’ll cover a different section until we’ve gone through the entire book of Hebrews; should take about eight months.”

The first Sunday will offer church services, followed by a luncheon with food trucks. A post-service gathering will be held every Sunday. Starting in January, a Sunday school program is being added.

“The two emphases are Christcentered teaching and life-giving community,” Ortiz said. “We believe in overt emphasis on Christ. The goal is not to see how Christ can help us; the goal is to see who Christ is.

OPEN DOORS

Ortiz chose West Orange in which to plant a church because it is a growing area.

“I am thoroughly convinced, based on numerous studies and surveys, the probability of anyone attending church in a local community goes up significantly as there are more options for a church,” he said. “The more churches there are, the more likely it is that people will attend church. I call it the ‘Field of Dreams’ approach. If you built it, (he) will come. … Someone asked me, ‘Does Winter Garden really need another church?’ Winter Garden needs another 25 churches.”

What makes Horizon City different, Ortiz said, is the church’s high emphasis on being an “easy-entry community” and giving people a simple way to get involved in the church — building new friendships and a deeper relationship with God.

“What people really want to know is, ‘How can I make friends?’” he said. “We want to make it easy for people to get together and build friendships.”

The church consciously separates teaching spaces and relationshipbuilding spaces, and starting in October, it will offer a weekly chance to

get together in the community for an activity that is strictly fun.

“There will be no teaching involved; just a chance to become friends with us,” Ortiz said.

Other small groups will be organized for teaching purposes.

The church’s stated purpose is to make disciples who treasure Christ.

“Everyone wants to be happy in life,” Ortiz said. “There’s all different types of happiness and sources of happiness. We have found that the greatest and best kind of happiness is to know Christ. I want everyone to possess a steadfast happiness, and that comes from treasuring Christ.”

A leadership team is in place, but Ortiz is working on building a musical team. Interested persons can visit the church website for information.

REFORMED CHURCH

Horizon City Church is a Reformed church. Reformed theology emphasizes the authority of the Bible, the sovereignty of God in all things, expository preaching and covenant theology, a framework for understanding the Bible based on God’s covenants with people.

The church is part of Pillar Net-

work (a Reformed subnetwork within the Southern Baptist Convention).

“We hold to classic Reformed Baptist doctrine, we use a classic Protestant liturgy and we place great emphasis on Christian hedonism,” Ortiz wrote recently on the church website.

Ortiz previously was a pastor at Cities Church and a professor at Bethlehem College & Seminary. He completed a church planting residency at The Grove Church, in conjunction with Orlando Church Planting Network and Send Network.

Previously, he served as a professor and recruiter at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota; a pastor at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota; and an adjunct instructor at Spurgeon College in Kansas City, Missouri. He also is a published author and the chief content creator and podcast host for “Theology for the Rest of Us.”

“Throughout my life I’ve lived in 10 different places, and Winter Garden, Florida, is, without a doubt, my favorite,” Ortiz said. “I’m excited to serve the local community (for) years to come. … I love the people here, I love this place.”

Courtesy photo

Kenny Ortiz, left, is launching Horizon City Church with the help of his wife, Malaina Ortiz. The couple lives at the Lake-Orange county line with their daughter and son, Lettie and Josiah.

BETTY LOU VOGEL

died Sept. 8, 2024.

Betty Lou Vogel, 89, of Ocoee, Florida, passed away Sept. 8, 2024. She was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Florida with her parents and brother as a young child.  She loved cross stitching, creating puppets and writing puppet shows for children.

Laurel Anne Bassett, 56, died Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. Winter Oak Funeral Home & Cremations, Winter Garden.

Peter Fostines, 96, died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. Winter Oak Funeral Home & Cremations, Winter Garden.

Emmanuel Granvil, 70, died Thursday Sept. 19, 2024. Winter Oak Funeral Home & Cremations, Winter Garden.

Virginia Mae “Ginny” Jones 31, of Orlando, died Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. Baldwin-Fairchild Winter Garden Funeral Home.

Tackurdyal “Tack” Prashad 73, of Winter Garden, died Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024.

Woodlawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home, Gotha.

Foundation opens new high school building

Foundation Academy held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 23 to commemorate the opening of its newest addition to the Tilden Campus — a brandnew, state-of-the-art high school classroom building.

The new facility will add room for 325 students, and it features a conference room, computer lab — decked out with new iMac computers — a coding-specific classroom and a broadcast studio.

Cynthia and William Perry, as well as members of the Perry family — who donated $1 million to help fund the new building — were present at the ceremony and had the honor of cutting the ribbon to officially open the facility.

“We are honored to provide the funding for the creation of the Innovation Center, because we believe the road to success in today’s world is not from the college you graduated from or the major you selected but rather from your ability to implement change through innovation with God as your partner,” the Perrys said in a joint statement.

Following the ceremony, the hundreds of people — from stu-

dents, faculty, parents and community members — who packed the lawn and street in front of the new building filled its halls to get a sneak peek of where the

Lions’ high school students will be receiving their education.

— SAM ALBUQUERQUE

Sam Albuquerque Cynthia, front left, and William Perry had the honor of cutting the ribbon to mark the opening of the new school building at the Foundation Academy Tilden campus.

THE WAYS WE WERE FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION

80 years ago

J.S. Kirton, principal of Lakeview High School, was advertising for a janitor for the school.

Mr. and Mrs. Steve Peavy entertained with a barbecue dinner in honor of their son, Pfc. Thelbert F. Peavy, who was home on leave following two years and two months overseas with the United States Marines.

A 16-ounce loaf of bread was priced at 8 cents.

70 years ago

The Garden Club of Winter Garden held its first business meeting of the year with Mrs. Fred Roper presiding.

The Cappleman Agency advertised a one-story, three-bedroom home in a good location and on a paved road in Winter Garden for $5,250.

Winter Garden merchants were conducting a Goose Guessing Contest with more than $900 in gifts and merchandise offered as prizes.

55 years ago

Magnetix Corporation, of Winter Garden, was selected by Phillips Publications of Tampa to duplicate recordings of the King James Version of the New Testament for a 13-tape cassette album that was offered for sale to the public.

50 years ago

Dillard Street Elementary School had some new faces on its safety patrol: Dianna Sanders, Mary Hood, Carrie Norris, Cindy Vernosky, Threasa Maddux, Jo Anna Rosich, Vicki Dasher, Mary Houry,

This view of downtown Winter Garden in the late 1960s shows an Atlantic Coast Line freight train heading west through town. The ACL Depot is at rear left, now the home of the Winter Garden Heritage Museum. Signs for Rexall Drugstore and Pittman Jewelers can be seen on the buildings on the south corners of Plant and Main streets. Bernie’s Liquor Store (now Tony’s Liquors) occupied the original Shelby Hotel building. The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, thanks in many cases to amateur photographers, is fortunate to preserve thousands of photographs showing over a century’s worth of images.

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.

Kathy Aubry, Tammy Guthrie, Brian Huttle, Sylvester Cawley, Kelly Meridith, Duayne Paramore, Ken Scott, Tim Faircloth, Manuel Campos, Jeff Whitman and Scott Martin.

45 years ago

The Ocoee Youth Center sponsored a two-mile fun run, and 24 runners finished the route. The youngest runners were two 7-year-olds, Deanna Spears and Kent Makin, who were among the finishers. Jack H. Ross, of Oakland, was

honored by the Orange County Farm Bureau at its annual dinner. He received special awards and tributes after serving 11 years as secretary-treasurer and previously as president. He had been a member since 1952.

35 years ago

Joining Jody and Chris Cooper in the Auburn University Marching Band was 1989 West Orange High School graduate Andy Crabtree. Jody Cooper was the trumpet section leader, and Chris Cooper played snare drum. Crabtree

THROWBACK THURSDAY

SEPT. 17, 1954 Pounds Motor Company advertised its latest entertainment center in the Winter Garden Times, and folks in West Orange County were being encouraged to go to the shop and check it out. The 21-inch Ultra-Vision table model television featured a contemporary design in blond oak for $199.95; the base cost extra.

The full-screen General Electric TV was voted best by 7-1 nationwide. It offered 262 square inches, as compared to only 220 square inches on other “so-called” 21-inch sets.

was the only freshman chosen for the snare line.

20 years ago

Clint Lowery, of Winter Garden, competed with more than 2,000 other athletes in the Ironman Wisconsin race in Madison. The event started with a 2.4-mile swim in Lake Monona, continued with a 112-mile bike course through local townships and finished with the 26.2-mile marathon. It was his third Ironman competition, and it took him a little more than 13 hours to complete.

By Luis Campos

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KRZFNRU BGHM HNR CROHNU MD CRUOZBK, HNRKR’U ZIUM Z OKBCR ZGC ARZJHX BG BH, ZU TRII.” ZGHNMGX PZFYBR

“J BFV’P SJXU IFDUBG PKEP DEXUN DU MUUS TFYNU EAFZP PKU TFYSB PKEV J ESYUEBG MUSP AUMFYU J PZYVUB JP

MUSICAL ARRANGEMENTS by Dana Edwards, edited by Jeff Chen

redpages@orangeobserver.com

Observer

West Orange Chamber of Commerce Celebrates Business

The West Orange Chamber recognizes and applauds our long-standing member businesses for their continued commitment to Advancing Community, Collaboration and Leadership. Congratulations on Membership Milestones to

10

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the grand opening of La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant Ocoee

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening of La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant Ocoee. Located at 1113 S Clarke Rd in Ocoee, La Hacienda is a family owned restaurant. After opening their first location in Winter Park, they’ve longed to open a restaurant in their hometown of Ocoee. They bring authentic Mexican food with great service so that every customer feels at home and leaves with a great experience.

To learn more, visit https://lahacienda.getsauce.com/

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the 10year anniversary of Polished by Omairis and the grand opening of The Glam Lounge Central Florida

Both located at 301 N Tubb St Ste 105 in Oakland, The Glam Lounge Central Florida and Polished by Omairis have partnered to create a one-stop beauty destination. Offering expert nail, brow, and beauty services, this collaboration ensures a seamless, luxury experience for clients. Located along the West Orange Trail, it’s the ultimate hub for all your beauty needs. To learn more, visit https://www.instagram.com/polishedbyomairis and https://www.instagram.com/theglamloungecentralflorida.

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening of Sams Gas

Located at 4720 Old Winter Garden Rd in Orlando, Sams Gas is family owned and operated since 1964. They provide residential and commercial propane-gas delivery services to the Greater Central Florida area. To learn more, visit https://www.samsgas.com.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the 5-year anniversary of AdventHealth Family Medicine at Dr. Phillips

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the 5-year anniversary of AdventHealth Family Medicine at Dr. Phillips. Located at 7940 Via Dellagio Way Ste 142 in the Dr. Phillips part of Orlando, AdventHealth Medical Group Family Medicine at Dr. Phillips accepts new pediatric patients ages birth to 18 years of age and cares for existing patients until 21 years of age. As a part of the AdventHealth for Children network, families have access to their comprehensive network. To learn more, visit https://www.adventhealth.com/find-doctor/doctor/lauren-marieconroy-md-1548623549.

THE WEST ORANGE CHAMBER OFFERS 4 NETWORKING GROUPS TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY - DR. PHILLIPS AND THURSDAY - HORIZON WEST

To learn more and to register for participation visit wochamber.com/ChamberGroups or call 407-656-1304

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