Benson Boone backflips into Orlando on his ‘American Heart’ tour
BY Grayson Keglovic,
PAGE 31
INSIDE: Strictly ballroom, P13 // Bloody great, P15 / Still a catch, P19
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Average Florida rents went way up, the first Gen Z Democrat was elected to the Florida Legislature, DeSantis claimed a rainbow crosswalk was a safety hazard, and other news you may have missed last week. Plus “This Modern World”
Cover design by David Loyola, photo by David Roemer
Average Florida rents went way up, the first Gen Z Democrat was elected to the Florida Legislature, DeSantis claimed a rainbow crosswalk was a safety hazard, and other news you may have missed last week.
BY CHLOE GREENBERG, MCKENNA SCHUELER, THE FLORIDA PHOENIX, AND THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
» DeSantis called Pulse crosswalk a safety hazard
Gov. Ron DeSantis last week defended recent arrests at the Pulse crosswalk in SoDo and insinuated the rainbow paint was an incentive for drivers who “disagree with the message” to drive recklessly. During a press conference meant to be focused on Florida’s efforts toward fighting fentanyl use, DeSantis was asked about three protesters who were arrested the prior weekend for using chalk to color in the memorial crosswalk outside the Pulse nightclub mass shooting site. The formerly rainbow-painted crosswalk — which has been in place since 2017 and which the state paid to repaint as recently as last year — was removed by the Florida Department of Transportation last month, along with other street art throughout the city originally intended to increase visibility and safety. DeSantis claimed that the rainbow-painted crosswalk had the potential to create safety hazards. “You have some people who may disagree with the message and then they’re incentivized to try to peel out or something,” he said. A day after the state’s quiet rainbow removal, DeSantis similarly took to social media to claim the painted strip of road served a “political purpose.”
» Democrats LaVon Bracy Davis and RaShon Young won special election seats
Local Democrats LaVon Bracy Davis and RaShon Young will be joining the Florida Legislature after winning low-turnout special elections held Sept. 2 to fill vacant seats for state Senate District 15 and state House District 40, respectively. Bracy Davis, a former state representative for House District 40, secured more than 80 percent of the vote in her election for the Orlando-area state Senate seat, besting her Republican opponent, Willie Montague. She ran to fill a vacancy left behind by the late Democratic state Sen. Geraldine Thompson, who passed away in February. Meanwhile, Young — a former legislative aide for Bracy Davis — won his own election to replace his former boss in the Florida House. According to unofficial election results, Young secured nearly 75 percent of the vote, besting Republican businessman Tuan Le and write-in candidate Chris Hall. At 26 years old, Young will be the first Gen Z Democrat to join the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature, according to the Orange County Democrats, and one of the youngest Black Democrats elected to the Florida House.
» Florida opened the ‘Deportation Depot’ detention center
Fresh off a court victory ordering the “Alligator Alcatraz” migrant detention center in the Florida Everglades to remain open, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last Thursday that Baker County’s “Deportation Depot” is in operation. “Deportation Depot,” a DeSantis-coined moniker, occupies the old Baker County Correctional Facility north of Gainesville. The center can hold up to 2,000 people and opened last Tuesday, the governor’s office confirmed to the Florida Phoenix. It began “receiving” migrants just a few days later. DeSantis first announced plans for Deportation Depot in mid-August, a month and half after the Everglades facility hosted President Donald Trump and other top federal authorities for a grand opening event. The new center’s opening comes weeks after the Associated Press first reported that Alligator Alcatraz, located within the Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve, was nearly empty. Molly Best, a spokesperson for the governor, said that detention facilities in different Florida regions facilitate quicker deportations. The “Panhandle Pokey” is a third center planned by the state government in western Florida, but DeSantis has yet to select a location or timeframe for its opening.
» Florida rent shot up nearly 40% from 2019 to 2023, report said A 2025 Rental Market study conducted by UF Shimberg Center for Housing Studies found that rent for multifamily units in Florida rose by 39 percent between 2019 and 2023, as 1 million households entered the state. “Florida’s strong population growth has collided with limited housing supply, pushing rents beyond what many families can afford,” said Anne Ray, manager of the Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse at the Shimberg Center. According to the report, an estimated 904,000 renting households earn less than 60 percent of the median income and pay more than 40 percent of their income on housing. The state added more than 240,000 multifamily units between 2019 and 2023 while median rents rose by almost $500 per month, or 39 percent, from $1,238 to $1,719,
the report found. The largest inflow of residents to the state stretched from St. Johns County to Lee County. The report, using Department of Housing and Urban Development and Florida Department of Education data, also estimates 29,848 individuals in Florida are homeless, 6,049 of whom are unaccompanied youth. The report estimates that 41,847 families are doubled up with others or staying in hotels and motels. The 2025 homelessness numbers represent a 14 percent increase for individuals and 28 percent increase for families since the 2022 report.
» Nearly a third of Florida professors started looking for work in different state Citing state policy on tenure; elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; and the cost of living, Florida college faculty laid out their frustrations in a recent survey. In a Faculty in the South survey conducted by various conferences of the American Association of University Professors, 31 percent of Florida respondents said they have applied for a job outside of Florida since 2023. (That number was 25 percent among all survey respondents in the South.) As well, 31 percent of Florida respondents said they plan to seek employment in another state during the next hiring cycle. “The governor of Florida threatens at every turn to take funding away so administration at colleges don’t stand up to him or board of education. I no longer have any motivation or creativity to make courses better,” a tenured professor at a public community college wrote. The survey focused on policy affecting employment, including whether faculty would recommend working in their state to up-and-coming academics, and trends in applications for faculty positions. It included nearly 200 responses from Florida faculty among its nearly 4,000 responses from across the South.
SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2025
BUCKETHEAD DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2025 WHAT WE SAID DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2025
G FLIP DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2025
ZAPATO 3 DOORS: 6PM | SHOW: 7:30PM
SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025
BUCKCHERRY WITH NASHVILLE PUSSY, DREW CAGLE & THE REPUTATION DOORS: 6PM | SHOW: 7PM
OCTOBER 1ST, 2025
MOLLY TUTTLE WITH JOSHUA RAY WALKER, CECILIA CASTLEMAN DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
OCTOBER 3RD, 2025
18+
TAYLOR SWIFT’S THE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL: THE PARTY DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
OCTOBER 3RD, 2025
ANDREW CALLAGHAN
DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
OCTOBER 5TH, 2025
NOGA EREZ WITH V1V1D DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
OCTOBER 7TH, 2025
EVERCLEAR WITH LOCAL H, SPONGE DOORS: 6PM | SHOW: 7PM
OCTOBER 9TH, 2025
MIDNIGHT TIL MORNING DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
OCTOBER 10TH, 2025
BRYAN MARTIN DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
OCTOBER 11TH, 2025
LESLIE JONES DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM
OCTOBER 18TH, 2025
TREVOR WALLACE DOORS: 6PM | SHOW: 7PM
DODGING JABS
Florida leaders face criticism after announcing plans to drop vaccine mandates
BY MCKENNA SCHUELER
Florida’s anti-vax surgeon general Joseph Ladapo, flanked by Gov. Ron DeSantis, last week announced plans to get rid of the state’s vaccine requirements, earning swift criticism from the statewide teachers union, public health experts and Democratic lawmakers. The plan was condemned by Democratic lawmakers, public health experts and teachers unions. Even Medicare fraudster/U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) reportedly rebuffed the idea.“Florida already has a good system that allows families to opt out based on religious and personal beliefs, which balances our children’s health and parents’ rights,” Scott told Axios.
The Florida Education Association warned that eliminating vaccine mandates would make public schools less safe for students and teachers and worsen student absenteeism. According to the New York Times, Florida would be the first state in the U.S. to end all vaccine mandates, if the proposal moves forward.
“When leaders talk about pulling back vaccines, they’re talking about disrupting student learning and making schools less safe,” the FEA, representing more than 120,000 teachers and school staff, said in a statement. “State leaders say they care about reducing chronic absenteeism and keeping kids in school — but reducing vaccinations does the opposite, putting our children’s health and education at risk.”
latest guidelines” from the state, declining to answer specifics on what that might look like in practice.
“As new state regulations are released, staff will promptly review and update the districts health and safety protocols to ensure full compliance,” the spokesperson shared. “Our priority is to maintain a safe, supportive learning environment for all students and families.”
Orlando Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani, a reliable critic of DeSantis’ more radical initiatives, had a grimmer view of the state’s announced plans. “Governor DeSantis and Surgeon General Ladapo’s reckless decision to end vaccine mandates is not leadership — it’s a public health disaster in the making,” she said in a statement, adding that it will also put seniors and other vulnerable Floridians at risk.
“Vaccines are one of the most effective tools we have to protect lives,” the Democratic lawmaker said. “To toss aside decades of proven science for political gain is dangerous, short-sighted, and will cost lives.” The Florida Democratic Party similarly denounced the DeSantis administration’s plan as a “morally bankrupt play.”
“We are concerned that today’s announcement … will put children in Florida public schools at higher risk for getting sick, and have ripple effects across their community,” American Academy of Pediatrics President Susan J. Kressly, M.D., FAAP, said in a statement. The AAP has called on states to get rid of nonmedical exemptions from vaccine requirements, arguing that routine immunizations for kids “are an integral part of our public health infrastructure.”
Four vaccines are specifically required only by state health department policy, not law, so mandates for those could be on the chopping block first. That includes vaccines for chickenpox, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae Type B (aka Hib) and pneumococcal conjugate.
A spokesperson for the Florida DOH told the Times that they “will move to remove” those four vaccines from state requirements, which could take around 80 days once the process is started. They also reportedly plan to expand vaccine exemptions.
A state health department spokesperson told Politico that the department would establish rules over the next 80 days to allow Floridians to opt out of vaccine mandates for “personal health benefits.”
This is despite the fact that Florida law already allows parents to seek religious exemptions for vaccinations through their local health department. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida recorded 10,556 non-medical exemptions from vaccines for kindergartners during the last school year alone. This represents just a small sliver (4.8 percent) of the total kindergarten population.
“We believe our schools must be safe, welcoming spaces where students can learn and teachers can teach without unnecessary disruption,” McCracken told Orlando Weekly. Efforts to undermine vaccines, he added,“ignore the overwhelming consensus of the medical community and put politics ahead of student well-being. Orange CTA will continue to stand up for students, educators, and families in the fight to protect both health and learning.”
Ladapo told press at a news conference that the state would be “working to end” all vaccine mandates in Florida.
“People have a right to make their own decisions,” Ladapo argued. “Who am I, as a government or anyone else, to tell you what you should put in your body … What you put into your body is because of your relationship with your body and your God.”
A day after Ladapo’s announcement, Florida’s leading professional association of doctors issued a statement in support of vaccinations for children.
“On behalf of our 23,000 members, the Florida Medical Association unequivocally supports the vaccination and immunization of school-aged children against diseases that decades ago proved life-threatening to our kids,” the Florida Medical Association declared in a statement. “The FMA advocates for physicians and their patients to promote the public health, ensure the highest standards of medical practice, and to enhance the quality and availability of health care in the Sunshine State,” the statement continues. “This includes the safe and effective administration of vaccines and immunizations based on years of research and efficacy.”
A spokesperson for Orange County Public Schools, Florida’s fourth-largest school district by student enrollment, told Orlando Weekly that they “will adhere” to “all applicable laws and the
According to the World Health Organization, global immunization efforts have saved 154 million lives over the last 50 years, with the vast majority of those being infants and children.
Ladapo and DeSantis aren’t just going rogue, though. Trump’s pick for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, is similarly a vaccine skeptic. Kennedy, a longtime anti-vax activist, has already purged top vaccine experts from the federal health department and has moved to restrict access to certain vaccines on a national scale. Democratic U.S. Congressman Raphael Warnock called Kennedy a “hazard to the health of the American people,” as Kennedy faced calls from critics to resign during a scathing U.S. Senate hearing.
Ladapo, a well-known skeptic of COVID19 vaccines, didn’t provide a timeline for the proposed rollback of the state’s vaccine requirements, but rather said that the state health department would be working with state lawmakers to move the idea forward.
DeSantis and Ladapo are limited in their ability to eliminate all vaccine requirements by themselves, since state law mandates them for at least seven illnesses: poliomyelitis (i.e. polio), diphtheria, rubeola, rubella, pertussis (whooping cough), mumps and tetanus.
“Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” Ladapo said during the press conference.
The Orange County public school district is one of the largest in the nation, although enrollment has reportedly taken a nose-dive so far this school year amid aggressive immigration enforcement efforts by the Trump administration and the state’s expansion of a controversial voucher program that allows Florida students to attend largely-unregulated private schools instead (or be home-schooled) on the taxpayers’ dime.
Florida’s average teacher pay, meanwhile, ranks near dead-last in the nation, while student absenteeism has only grown worse since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Orlando Sentinel reported earlier this year. And on school safety, there remain other areas for growth.
The Florida Department of Education, for instance, lacks uniform guidelines on classroom temperatures, placing kids at greater risk for heat exhaustion when air-conditioning systems go out. And public employees such as teachers, left uncovered by worker protections under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act, additionally still lack a guaranteed right to safety on the job — a glaring deficiency that state leaders have for decades ignored.
While 26 states in the U.S. have state Occupational Safety and Health Administration plans that extend safety protections to workplaces of local and state government employees, Florida is one of at least 23 states that does not. mschueler@orlandoweekly.com
SHUTTERSTOCK
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
The Constitution sets out many protections on the basis of personhood, using the term “people” or “person” rather than “citizen.” U.S. court precedent historically supports the idea that these laws apply to all people on U.S. soil, whether or not they are citizens. These cards may be helpful to any English, Spanish, Kréyol or Arabic speakers who fear detention.
Cut along the dotted lines and fold in the center to make a two-sided card. Sandwich around a piece of thin cardboard if possible, and reinforce with a layer of clear tape.
You have constitutional rights.
• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.
• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.
• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.
• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave. If they say yes, LEAVE CALMLY.
• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.
Usted tiene derechos constitucionales.
• NO ABRA LA PUERTA si un agente de inmigración está tocando la puerta.
• NO CONTESTE NINGUNA PREGUNTA de un agente de inmigración si trata de hablar con usted. Usted tiene el derecho a guardar silencio.
• NO FIRME NADA sin antes hablar con un abogado. Usted tiene el derecho de hablar con un abogado.
• Si usted está fuera de su casa, pregúntele al agente si tiene la libertad de irse. Si le dice que sí, VÁYASE CON TRANQUILIDAD.
• ENTRÉGUELE ESTA TARJETA EL AGENTE. Si usted está dentro de su casa, muestre la tarjeta por la ventana o pásela debajo de la puerta.
Ou gen dwa konstitisyonèl.
• PA LOUVRI PÒT la si yon ajan imigrasyon frape pòt la.
• PA REPONN OKENN KEKSYON yon ofisye imigrasyon si yo eseye pale avèk ou.
Ou gen dwa pou rete an silans.
• PA SIYEN ANYEN san w’ pa pale anvan avèk yon avoka. Ou gen dwa pale ak yon avoka.
• Si w’ deyò lakay ou, mande ajan an si w’ lib pou ale. Si yo di wi, ALE AVÈK KALM.
• BAY AJAN KAT SA. Si ou anndan lakay ou, montre kat la nan fenèt la oswa glise li anba pòt la.
I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, sign any documents, or hand you any documents, based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
I do not give you permission to enter my home, unless you have a warrant to enter signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door, based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings, based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.
These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.
I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, sign any documents, or hand you any documents, based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
I do not give you permission to enter my home, unless you have a warrant to enter signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door, based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings, based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.
These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.
I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, sign any documents, or hand you any documents, based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
I do not give you permission to enter my home, unless you have a warrant to enter signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door, based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings, based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.
These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.
I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, sign any documents, or hand you any documents, based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
I do not give you permission to enter my home, unless you have a warrant to enter signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door, based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings, based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.
These cards are available to citizens and noncitizens alike.
STRIKE A POSE
We’re Your Venus party serves face, film and ballroom for community and a good cause
BY MATTHEW MOYER
“Some of them say that we’re sick, we’re crazy. And some of them think that we are the most gorgeous, special things on Earth!” — Venus Xtravaganza
Even amongst the glittering constellation of performers featured in the epochal documentary of 1980s NYC ballroom culture Paris Is Burning, Venus Xtravaganza stood out. The film was a vibrant chronicle of the golden age of New York City drag balls and the Black, Latin, gay and transgender performers and communities who peopled them. In her early 20s at the time of filming, the trans Italian-American/Puerto Rican diva Xtravaganza lit up the screen every time she appeared, with quick wit, transcendent fashion and performance chops to spare.
The world, by all accounts, should have been hers for the taking. Which makes it even more of a cruel twist of fate that she was murdered in 1988 before the film’s release.
The doc is no period piece; it’s a moving portrait of a scene whose DNA can be found in so much
of modern pop culture: slang, vogueing, pop stars stretching from Madonna to Lady Gaga, RuPaul’s Drag Race, fashion … we could go on for pages.
I’m Your Venus , a new documentary about Xtravaganza’s biological family and her chosen family in the House of Xtravaganza coming together to both get her cold case reopened and get her name changed posthumously, screens Saturday at the Mezz courtesy the Central Florida Ballroom Collective.
This We’re Your Venus event features a panel discussion and the Venus Mini Ball Deluxe, with local ballroom performers striking poses and serving face ferociously. Proceeds from the event go to the Gender Advancement Project.
“Initially, it was just going to be the screening and then the ball. But … I spoke with Jonovia [Chase, producer of the film and also a mother of the Legendary House of Xclusive Lanvin]. She said she would be interested in a panel to go over ballroom [history] and also Venus’ life,” JaQuaria “Egot” Wimberly, co-founder and board member of the Central Florida Ballroom Collective (also a
singular and adventurous drag performer as Egot), tells Orlando Weekly.
Wimberly adds that this is a night “not only for the ballroom community, but also the trans and nonbinary communities in general, period.”
Wimberly’s own journey in the ballroom world began during the pandemic lockdown, where repeated watchings of the YouTube show My House led to bingeing the HBO Max series Legendary. Once she saw Eyricka Lanvin effortlessly push the camera out of her way mid-performance, she knew ballroom was for her.
Wimberly, as Egot, has since performed at functions as part of the House of Ebony and teaches ballroom classes in the greater Central Florida area. We’re Your Venus is her and her fellow organizers’ attempt to combine that love for the art form with a clear activist intent, a point made crystal-clear with a Trans Lifeline panel happening post-screening. The panel features Chase, Jasmine McKenzie of the McKenzie Project, Mulan Williams of Divas in Dialogue, Legendary Dada Ebony, Brittany Acuff of CREW Health, Ashley Figueroa of the Gender Advancement Project, Stxph Vianna of Ripple Hauxs and Zamyah Esters of I’m Just a Girl.
“I really want it to touch on what does advocacy, true advocacy, look like as opposed to performative activism. … We’re also going to touch on mental health within the ballroom scene, as well as for trans and nonbinary individuals,” says Wimberly. “With the exception of Brittany — she had access to resources for healthcare so it just made sense to bring her on — this is an all-trans and nonbinary panel. I feel like our voices need to be heard now
WE’RE YOUR VENUS
4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13
The Mezz 100 S. Eola Drive mezzorlando.com
$20-$25
more than ever, and need to be amplified.”
Speaking of the Gender Advancement Project, 50 percent of the proceeds from the evening go to the organization and the work they do helping trans folks get accurate passports and their names changed on driver’s licenses and state IDs.
And then, of course, there’s the ball. Yes, there will be vogueing, but that’s only one part of a rich array of performances on offer.
The categories for the evening — for which winners will be handsomely rewarded with cash prizes — are Face, Best Dressed, Body, Runway, Realness and Performance. Categories will seamlessly flow into one another as the MC, Tabu 007, keeps the flow of the evening frenetic and energy levels high with staccato rhythms and intricate wordplay. The audience has an integral part to play too: You may get called on to strut your own stuff, but you definitely have to respond in kind to the energy of the performers.
“We feed off of the crowd. So if you all are enjoying it and you’re loving what you see, definitely make noise,” says Wimberly. “Make it be known that you are loving what you see, especially for the people who are in the barroom scene who don’t really feel like they get that recognition.”
And even if you haven’t personally experienced ballroom live, much of this will quickly be familiar in the way the looks and moves have been assimilated into popular culture for decades.
“Once you see it in action, you’re like, ‘Oh, I’ve seen that person do it.’ I’ve seen Janet Jackson do this move, and that’s because your superstars have been to these functions. They have dancers who have been in these functions,” explains Wimberly. “Prime example, Honey Balenciaga was on tour with Beyoncé. Everyone’s seen it.”
Despite the fierce roster of entertainers who will be in the house and doing their thing, Wimberly stresses that the entirety of the evening is as much about activism as it is aesthetics.
“We can’t just show a film and then go into a ball. We have to have people who are in these communities. There will be a lot of different trans and nonbinary organizations in the building,” says Wimberly.“Because it’s important, especially now.”
The goal is for We’re Your Venus to not be a one-off, but the beginning of more gatherings and collaborations.
“I don’t want this to be the end. I want this to be the start, you know? This shouldn’t be something where it happens every blue moon. Just like we got support this time, we should get the same support every single time,” says WImberly. “Just so the access is still there for not only the trans community but also the ballroom community.” arts@orlandoweekly.com
VENUS XTRAVAGANZA (COURTESY PHOTO)
This year’s Halloween Horror Nights is the best iteration in a decade, but it’s almost impossible to take everything in in just one visit.
Spooky season has sneaked up on Orlando once again, as signified by the annual arrival of Universal Studios Florida’s Halloween Horror Nights. For HHN’s 34th installment, the creative team led by Mike Aiello and Lora Sauls have pulled out all the stops, delivering what I feel is the event’s strongest installment this decade.
I was especially impressed by the scarezones — particularly the Roaring ’20s toxic mutants in New York, the Cat Lady mini-show outside Animal Actors, and Hollywood’s vampire masquerade ball — which were markedly more menacing and story-focused than the selfie-zones of recent years.
The latest Nightmare Fuel pyrotechnic dance show also continues its upward evolution with a satisfying sequel to last year’s cursed circus storyline, as first-time director Charles Gray (picking up the baton from Jason Horne) punches up the pacing, tightening the integration of illusions and explosive choreography. And although I was unable to watch the new Haunt-o-Phonic fountain show, the brief glimpse I caught looked ghoulishly delightful.
However, most guests go to HHN for their world-famous haunted houses, and this year’s lineup of 10 terrifying mazes will present a dilemma for all but the deep-pocketed. The offerings are mostly solid, and several are spectacular, with only a few relative duds this time around. But if the posted standby wait times on opening weekend are anything to go by, my traditional goal of completing every house and show in one night without Express access may have finally become impossible to accomplish.
The cat appears to be out of the bag on my former “secret weapon” of Stay & Scream, with queues now opening at 4 p.m. and some
exceeding two hours before the evening officially begins.
Even Express isn’t a panacea anymore, as it reduces your wait by roughly half but doesn’t eliminate it, and new longer pathways to and from the soundstages (necessitated by the demolition of Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket) mean even old hands at HHN will have difficulty formulating an efficient route this year. The ideal solution — assuming you can afford it — is an RIP tour, like the one I was hosted on during the opening-night media event. Thanks to our tour guide, Billie Jane, who is an award-winning local playwright-performer when she isn’t escorting VIPs at Universal, we were easily able to squeeze in all 10 mazes (plus extras) before the 2 a.m. closing.
If you aren’t fortunate enough to get frontof-the-line privileges and are forced by long queues to pick and choose which houses to line up for, here are my totally subjective rankings of all 10, based on how many minutes I’d personally be willing to wait for another run-through. Be aware that your mileage will undoubtedly vary, because I base my preferences on things like the ambition and execution of the scenic artistry and special effects, the creativity and clarity of the theme, and the placement and pacing of the performers. I don’t judge how “scary” a house is, because years of working backstage have blunted my startle response,
Dolls: Let’s Play Dead (worth 50 minutes)
If Disney ever put a haunted house based on Toy Story’s Sid and Finding Nemo’s Darla inside the queue of Hollywood Studios’ Midway Mania, it might look like this. Guest-activated buttons, a playful sense of scale and imaginative environments (like the inside of an Easy-Bake Oven) make this the most entertaining house.
WWE Presents: The Horrors of the Wyatt Sicks (worth 45 minutes)
I stopped following professional wrestling when WWF became WWE, so add an extra 15 minutes if you’re already a fan. As a newcomer, I was unexpectedly engaged by the variety and viciousness of the characters and the verisimilitude of the backstage environments.
Gálkn: Monsters of the North (worth 40 minutes)
Wicker Man and Midsommar have nothing on this revenge-driven romp through a pseudo-Nordic village being ravaged by horned horrors. The best part is the “belly of the beast”finale, which features some of the event’s most relentless scareactors.
Hatchet and Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters (worth 30 minutes)
Old West-inspired haunts are usually winners, and this Slaughter Sinema spinoff starts strong with an actor-driven entrance and unique lava lighting. I also loved the ending’s speeding train effects and blow-off monster, but the creature designs and plot seemed somewhat muddled in the middle.
Grave of Flesh (worth 20 minutes)
and I can no longer get spooked with a conga line of shuffling guests around me.
Terrifier (worth 75 minutes)
The gallons of gore that literally drenched me in this house should force any fanboys complaining that HHN has gone “family-friendly” to STFU. I enjoyed walking through the three Terrifier films far more than watching them, thanks in large part to this cast’s expert mimicry of Art the Clown’s mime mannerisms.
Five Nights at Freddy’s (worth 70 minutes)
The Easter egg-filled re-creation of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria is note-perfect, from the crying child to the Springtrap mask. Unfortunately, the impressive movie-accurate animatronics and full-sized articulated puppets from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop are mostly rooted in place, which somewhat mutes their menace.
El Artista: A Spanish Haunting (60 minutes)
I’m a sucker for a grand facade, and this Gothic manor (which inspired this year’s overall aesthetic) is one of Universal’s most jaw-dropping. Once inside, overhead aerial stunts, multiple Pepper’s ghosts and every other trick in the book are employed in telling a refreshingly original tale from director Ramón Paradoa that evokes Goya and Gaudí with a Faustian twist.
The towering graveyard facade makes a fabulous first impression, but it goes downhill fast with repetitive dirt walls and a grab-bag of monster designs. The brief M.C. Escher-esque interlude in the middle only reminded me how badly I want HHN to have a Hellraiser II house.
Fallout (worth 15 minutes)
As a Fallout fan from the prehistoric era of Wasteland on my Apple IIc through to the Amazon series, this house was a shocking disappointment. The initial Vault architecture is impressive, and all the fan-service props (like Pip-Boys and Jolt Cola dispensers) are in place. But Lucy dominates too many scenes, miming to comically repetitive audio cues, while Maximus and especially the Ghoul are given shamefully short shrift before the anticlimactic ending.
Jason Universe (worth 10 minutes)
I’m sure to get flamed for this take. The folks around me praised this maze’s scare factor, but the return of Jason Voorhees to HHN missed the mark for me. If too many cooks spoil the soup, then too many Jasons — mostly mid-series hockey-mask incarnations, no sign of X’s cyber-version — popping in and out of boo-holes, without any of his iconic kills or environments beyond repetitive wooded campgrounds, ultimately bored me. skubersky@orlandoweekly.com
PHOTO BY SETH KUBERSKY
BIB GOURMAND
High Tide Harry’s and its crab-filled menu is still a chin-wiper’s dream after 30 years
BY FAIYAZ KARA
If celebrating 30 years of restaurant survival didn’t warrant a long overdue visit to High Tide Harry’s, its Best of Orlando wins in such categories as Best Wait Staff, Best East Orlando Restaurant and Best Seafood Restaurant surely did. This year it even beat out some notable establishments in the Best Splurge category. Best Splurge! This restaurant, in all its Spongebobbery, bested the likes of Kabooki Sushi and Christner’s for the finest cash-squandering in town. Barnacles!
But take one gander at High Tide Harry’s menu, as well as its facade, marquee, entryway and interior, and it became clear that crab is King (and Snow and Dungeness), and not cheap. A proper decapodal splurge will set you back $160, so we molted our expectations and contemplated options over complimentary hush puppies and cinnamon butter. Then it hit us. Why not consult High Tide Harry’s award-winning waitstaff? Which we did and, in a matter of minutes, bibs were donned, shells were cracked
and ravaged shreds of butter-dipped bits of the deep were strewn all over our chest protectors.
The delight and satisfaction of a perfect extraction of leg meat from this $80, 1.5-pound platter of King, Dungeness and Snow crab limbs was matched only by slicking the sweet flesh in garlic-scented melted fat. It had us feeling the “high” in High Tide Harry’s, so we kept it flowing with an order of whole soft-shell crab ($13), breaded and deep-fried into a deliciously petrified state. In hindsight, that crab would’ve worked better in sandwich form ($18) embellished by buttered brioche, lettuce, tomato, onion and remoulade.
“Is mayonnaise an instrument?” Yes, Patrick, it is. It’s an instrument of flavor in the aforementioned remoulade, the dip of choice for all fried wonders, including fried clam strips ($10), a go-to order for my better half on any visit to HTH. Mine? It’s the conch fritters ($10). The peppery breading and stellar fry makes for, yes, magic conch. And even as a raw oyster guy,
HIGH TIDE HARRY’S
4645 S. Semoran Blvd. 407-273-4422 hightideharrys.com
$$$
I wholly endorse Harry’s charbroiled bivalves ($15 for six) topped with a holy trinity of garlic butter, parm and Old Bay before being broiled and served with garlic bread. Swing by on Wednesdays and these Connecticut beauties are $2 apiece.
In between bites, take a moment to behold the restaurant’s decor. This is themed festooning of the highest order, all borne from the mind of artist David Jordan, whom High Tide Harry’s owner Michael “Harry” Heretick says is “the closest person to Picasso that I know.”
Now on to Harry’s Key lime pie ($8). I like it tart and this one is anything but — it’s creamy, sweet and sits a bit heavy. I know the restaurant is proud of it, and I’m sure my assessment will have their claws out, but I won’t hold it against them.
Because even after 30 years, High Tide Harry’s is still a catch.
fkara@orlandoweekly.com
OPENINGS & CLOSINGS:
When Soco closed this spring after 11 years in Thornton Park, owner Craig Ustler promised to bring “something exciting” to the space. Enter Jason and Sue Chin. The James Beardnominated restaurateurs will open Osteria Ester (@osteria_ester), an “Italian American” restaurant featuring handmade pastas by Osprey chef Michael Cooper, later this year. The restaurant is named after Cooper’s grandmother … Perla’s Pizza, chef Michael Collantes’ nonconformist pie house, will refire in its new Winter Park space at 959 W. Fairbanks Ave. on Friday, Sept. 12. Perla’s will serve “Florida Man pizza” with a goal to be “hated by all Italians” … More pizza news: The Secret Slice is now firing pies from its not-so-secret location behind a red door outside The Neighbors at East End Market. Order online at theneighborsorl.com, wait to be notified, and your pan pizza will be delivered through a slot in the door … Neko San, a quickstyle omakase concept and sake bar by chef Lewis Lin, will open this winter next door to his restaurant Susuru at 8546 Palm Parkway. Neko San will offer one-hour, nigiri-focused omakases starting at $65 from a six-seat counter … KungFu Kitchen, the noodle and dumpling house by famed NYC chef Peter Song, will open its second Orlando location, this one at 5320 S. Kirkman Road, on Sept. 15 … H Mart, the long-awaited Asian supermarket and food court, will open at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at 7501 W. Colonial Drive. Everything from Korean corn dogs and barbecue to Japanese fried cutlets and pastries will be offered … Closings to announce: Blu on the Avenue has closed on Park Avenue after 13 years in Winter Park … PDQ Chicken in Winter Park, Hunter’s Creek and Waterford/UCF will close Sept. 14 and reopen as outposts of Saucy! by KFC Frank’s Pizza Shop, a brother operation of Antonella’s Pizzeria, has closed on University Boulevard in Winter Park.
NEWS & EVENTS:
Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew at Disney Springs will donate a portion of the proceeds from each sale of their limited-edition H.O.W. Butterfly doughnut in September to Hearing the Ovarian Cancer Whisper … Chef Jes Tantalo rings in Oktoberfest from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Redlight Redlight, serving a menu brimming with weisswurst, Duroc pork hock, schnitzels, beer-butter-basted barbecue, seasoned trout and potato salads.
PHOTO BY MATT KELLER LEHMAN
recently reviewed
JI BEI CHUAN
Area noodlers can get their fix at this south Orlando outpost of the casual noodle house chain that boasts over 400 locations in China. Specializing in simple, authentic Chinese rice noodle and ramen dishes and known for its chicken and fish maw noodle soup, the menu also features pan-Asian bites like takoyaki, Thai-style soups and tasty Korean fried chicken. Open all day every day. (reviewed Sept. 3) 7750 Palm Parkway, 407-7781435, orlandojbc.com, $$
TRATTO
Soulful scratch Italian fare lures Orlando diners to this casual Avalon Park eatery run by kitchen and life partners Mabel Munoz and Alvaro Ramirez. Expect well executed dishes anchored in bold flavors like short rib with truffle risotto and beef ragu with paccheri. Must-tries include ratatouille, exceptional Detroit-style pizza and a porchetta special available Fridays and Saturdays. Closed Monday. (reviewed Aug. 27) 425 S. Avalon Park Blvd., 407-440-2140, trattomodernitalian.com, $$$
TACO’S LAB
Fast casual taqueria in a stripped-down west Winter Park setting proves popular, although its more over-the-top takes on tacos don’t always translate to success. Best to go straightforward with chips, dips and traditional tastes — like the birria, chorizo or simpler fish tacos. Steer clear of the “margarita.” Open all day every day. (reviewed August 13) 1881 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, 321-203-2578, tacos-lab.com, $
NAMI
Exceptional Japanese inspired cuisine awaits at this Michelin-recommended restaurant in the Lake Nona Wave Hotel. The vibe is polished and urbane, a swirl of pretty people and plates. Expect high price tags and high quality, including worth-it splurges like A5 wagyu snow beef or whole lobster with smoked chili fried rice. Popular choices include lobster doughnuts with matcha, crudo and maki dishes, and any cocktail from the inventive beverage program. Closed Sunday and Monday. (reviewed July 30) 6004 Artist Ave., 407-395-4857, namilakenona.com, $$$$
PHO BAR
Quality takes on Vietnamese classics draw Mills 50 diners to this buzzy, casual outpost of the small South Florida chain. While pho with 24-hour broth takes center stage, don’t leave without sampling steamed rice cakes, grilled satay squid, or grilled pork and noodles. Bonus points for its full bar, friendly staff and attempt at off-street parking. Open every day. (reviewed July 23) 1012 E. Colonial Drive, 407-955-9394, phobar.co, $$
$10-$15
Price range reflects the average cost of one dinner entree. Bakeries, ice cream shops, etc. reflect relative cost for one person. Search hundreds more reviews at orlandoweekly.com. [
TURULL’S KITCHEN & BAR
Those craving traditional Spanish flavors could do worse than the basic, Barcelona-inspired bites at this Florida Mall adjacent strip maller. Think usual-suspect tapas, including solid renditions of croquetas de bacalao, pan con tomate and gambas al ajillo, plus a range of paellas, lamb, steak, even whole suckling pig. The vibe is casual and set to the beat of frequent live music. Closed Monday and Tuesday. (reviewed July 16) 1319 Florida Mall Ave., 689-240-2130, instagram.com/ turullskitchenandbar, $$$
WAVE
SUSHI
Twisted but tasty takes on sushi feature at this fast-casual spot inside Maitland Social — think spicy salmon burgers with rice cake buns, softshell crab tacos with nori “tortillas,” sushi burritos, sushi hot dogs, sushi pizza and more. Do order the sloppily delicious crunch wrap. For those frightened by the unfamiliar, there is also a selection of more traditional maki that’s fresh and a safe bet. Closed Mondays. (reviewed July 9) 360 E. Horatio Ave., Maitland, 321-972-1880, waveasianbistro.com, $$$
GRAPPOLO CUCINA ITALIANA
Warm hospitality and polished Italian eats await at this convivial family-run restaurant on Park Ave. Standouts include grilled octopus with romesco sauce, herb-crusted rack of lamb, and paccheri pasta with filet mignon ragù. While classics like carbonara are can’t-miss, keep an eye out for fresh-take specials like salmon crudo with Sicilian lemon or branzino with beetroot risotto. Open daily. (reviewed July 2) 526 S. Park Ave., Winter Park, 321972-2341, grappolocucina.com, $$$$
GARNI
CAFÉ
Garni Café isn’t trying to be Orlando’s version of Balthazar, Frenchette or Bouchon, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a look. Executive chef Guillaume Robin received a Maîtres Cuisiniers de France (Master Chef of France) title this year, and dishes like steak tartare (prepared tableside), escargots and gnocchi a la Parisienne are deftly prepared. Profiteroles are a sure-fire ending. (reviewed June 25) 6100 Wave Hotel Drive, 407-675-2000, garnicafelakenona.com, $$$$
NURI’S TAVERN
Team Market Group chef-scientists Jason Campbell and Nick Grecco spent months researching and testing 20-plus dough variations to perfect Nuri’s tavern-style pizza recipe. The result: thin, cracklycrusted pizzas of the highest order. They’re offered in 12-inch rounds that are “party-cut.” The vodka pie, as well as the pepperoni and jalapeño with sweet-sticky chili crisp, are can’t-miss, but don’t pass on the incredible wings, chopped salad or crispy eggplant. Save room for soft-serve. Closed Mondays. (reviewed June 18) 63 E. Pine St., 321-2060080, nuristavern.com, $$$
GOOD IMPRESSION
COUCHSURFING
BY STEVE SCHNEIDER
Premieres Wednesday:
AKA Charlie Sheen — Now that Bookie has been canceled, Mr. Winning has to fall back on a docuseries that chronicles his amazing career and extensively reported personal troubles. Listen, Charlie, we’ve moved on. Unless you’re planning on hang-gliding into the Taylor/Travis wedding, we’re just not interested anymore. (Netflix)
The Dead Girls — Learn the shocking story of Mexico’s Baladro Sisters, whose day job running a successful bordello was a front for their nefarious activities as serial killers. Ah, Mexico: where running a cathouse qualifies as a respectable cover. (Netflix)
The Girlfriend — The potential for psychodrama is off the charts when an upscale mom (Robin Wright) meets her son’s new squeeze (Olivia Cooke) and decides the girl might not be on the up-and-up. Yeah, that’s what they thought about Michelle Carter, but what a catch she turned out to be. (Prime Video)
Love Is Blind Brazil — Season 5 features contestants who are all over 50 years old. Even more amazing, none of them is in prison for trying
to overturn a free and fair election. (Netflix)
Love Is Blind France — Meanwhile, the land of baguettes and ennui becomes the 11th territory to get its own Love Is Blind franchise. Like the flagship American version, it’s hosted by a real-life celebrity couple — in this case, judo champion Teddy Riner and his wife, Luthna Plocus, a … a … well, someone who appears to be Teddy Riner’s wife. Gotta love that European progressivism! (Netflix)
Tempest — The safety of the Korean peninsula depends upon an alliance between a South Korean diplomat and a special agent of indeterminate national origin. Given that the character’s name is Baek San-ho and he’s portrayed by Gang Dong-won, I think we can rule out Dutch. (Hulu)
Premieres Thursday:
Diary of a Ditched Girl — Can a Swedish woman finally find true romance, despite having been dumped by half the population of Malmö? I know that sounds bad, but you need to understand that Malmö is only the third-largest city in that country. Heck, they don’t even have room to house everybody in Ghost. (Netflix)
Maledictions — An Argentinian politician is determined to find his missing daughter, even if it means exposing some dark secrets that could end his career. And if that doesn’t impress you, Ted Cruz’s kids are lucky he even tells them when he’s going on vacation. (Netflix)
Ratu Ratu Queens: The Series — Four Indonesian women make a new life for themselves as New Yorkers in a series that’s a prequel to the 2021 film Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens. What do you mean you don’t remember it? Girl, you’re such a Chinta! (Netflix)
The Wrong Paris — Miranda Cosgrove plays a contestant on a dating show who thought she was being sent to Paris, France, but ended up in Paris, Texas, instead. As a consolation prize, she may get swept off her feet by a charismatic cowboy anyway. Silly Miranda! That isn’t a cowboy. That’s Wim Wenders! (Netflix)
Playtime Adventures Season 1C — New installments further the stripy animated dog’s habit of pursuing a new career in every episode. Just remember you let your kids grow up on this when you one day want to lambaste them for their lack of focus. (HBO Max)
Kontrabida Academy — A Filipina restaurant worker embarks on a journey of self-actualization when she receives lessons in assertiveness from some of TV’s top villains. See, I knew Jim Cramer could find a good side hustle if he really applied himself finally (Netflix)
Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black — As Season 2 commences, former stripper Kimmie has assumed control of Bellarie Cosmetics — which is going to require a lot of adjustment on the part of the Bellarie family, who naturally assumed they had dibs based on name alone. Honestly, that’s nothing compared to the catfight Bob and Frisch are having over Big Boy. (Netflix)
Wolf King — Season 2 is the swan song for Drew, whose responsibilities as the last king of the werewolves include picking a suitable queen. I’d say the hardest part is getting the friendship bracelet to her before the show, but it would just look like I have Tay-Tay on the brain. (Netflix)
Premieres Friday:
Beauty and the Bester — Explore the twisted relationship between South African rapist-murderer Thabo Bester and celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana, who’s accused of helping him escape from prison. Gosh, so much romance this week. And to think Half-Valentine’s Day was last month. (Netflix)
You and Everything Else — Female bonding is the leitmotif of a K-drama that charts the ups and downs of a best friendship over the decades. The final challenge is when one of the women has to be present for the other on her deathbed. That’s commitment all right, but it has its perks if you’ve had your eyes on a silverware setting. (Netflix)
Premieres Saturday:
Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford — This battle for the super middleweight belt pits reigning champion Alvarez against the upwardly mobile Crawford, a former welterweight who put on enough pounds last year to land himself in an entirely new classification. Wow, you too, huh? (Netflix)
Premieres Monday:
Futurama — Unlike seasons 11 and 12, which followed a release schedule of one episode per week, Season 13 of Matt Groening’s beloved 31st-century comedy is dumping all of its content at once, in one fell swoop. Sounds like somebody’s heard something about the future we’d rather not know about. (Hulu)
Premieres Tuesday:
Love Island Games — Season 2 sees Maya Jama being replaced as host by Ariana Madix, who’s now doing double duty as the presenting face of Love Island USA. Next up: a Kennedy Center honor! (Peacock)
Rebel Royals: An Unlikely Love Story — And to wrap up a week of upside-down courtships, here’s a juicy inquest into the controversial marriage of Norwegian princess Märtha Louise and African American shaman/con artist Durek Verrett — who, among his other questionable statements, has claimed he can rid women’s vaginas of evil spirits. Seriously, and Meghan Markle thinks we want to watch her bake bread. (Netflix)
Dylan’s
THE GIRLFRIEND PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER RAPHAEL, COURTESY AMAZON STUDIOS
GIGANTIC
Brit electronic trio Above & Beyond go ‘Bigger’ with Orlando Amphitheater show
BY EMMY BAILEY
The British dance-music trio of Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamäki are celebrating their 25th anniversary of making music as Above & Beyond with a tour that is a glorification of music and community. And they’ll be reacquainting themselves with the Orlando music community this week with a big show at the Orlando Amphitheater.
It’s not all just work for the band, though. After a seven-year hiatus, Above & Beyond released Bigger Than All of Us. This fifth album for the band marks a new chapter in their story, blending sonic evolution with a nod to their roots.
“Tony and I looked back at Tri-State because it was the first album we did. We sat down and listened to it, which we hadn’t done in years. We sort of worked out what it was we liked about it and tried to impart some of that into the album to give the album a bit more space compared to the other albums we have done. So that was kind of different, but it was also going back,”Grant says. Bigger Than All of Us was shaped by years
of personal growth, burnout and solo creative exploration. During the band’s quieter years, all three members tried their hand at solo projects.
“It’s very easy in a collective to lose your individuality and your understanding of what you stand for,” Siljamäki says.“The solo projects gave each of us a chance to explore outside the box and find our own unique sound.”
Those individual outings, ironically, helped bring the trio closer, as did the involvement of DJ and producer Dave Dresden as a fourth collaborator. Dresden acted as what Siljamäki calls “glue” between the three core members, offering encouragement and cohesion.
“Sometimes you need a little push from someone outside. Otherwise, you make all these ideas and don’t finish them, and you know, they never get done,” Grant says.
During their lengthy break, the band took plenty of time to tend to their mental and emotional health, addressing creative burnout and finding balance in their personal lives with the
neverending demands of the music industry.
“Time is a healer, you know, life hurts, life heals. Without some of those struggles, we wouldn’t be as creative as we are. The difficulties that we have each gone through in our personal lives, we’ve written songs about and in a way, I think, that keeps us grounded and connected and hopefully makes the music relatable as well,” Siljamäki, who has been open about his own struggles since 2018, says.
For Grant, the pause lent by the pandemic in particular provided essential clarity on the need for balance in his life. “It is almost like an addiction, touring or music. On one hand, it is a great form of therapy, but on the other hand, it is work and it is important to have other things in your life to balance it out,” Grant explains.
This tour also marks a change in the Above & Beyond live experience, with a new customized stage design aiming to create an immersive live experience. This new stage ditches the DJ booth and is circular, built to draw in fans “in the round” rather than tower above them.
“We wanted to give the people a feeling of being surrounded by the production,” Siljamäki says.
This is especially fitting, as an essential aspect of Above & Beyond is the relationship they’ve built with their fans.
“People have been married to some of our songs, but also funerals. It’s very touching that they consider our music a part of it. That stuff pulls you through the downs. It provides a lot of
ABOVE & BEYOND
7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12
Orlando Amphitheater
4603 W. Colonial Drive orlandoamphitheater.com
$60-$200
comfort and value,” Grant says.
For Above & Beyond, it’s not just about the relationship between the band and their fans, but how the fans help each other out as a wider community.
“It’s a humbling thing, we started something, but now it’s got a life of its own and it’s beautiful,” Siljamäk says.
And these connections are exactly what Bigger Than All of Us (album and tour alike) aims to honor — a reminder that Above & Beyond was never just about three musicians behind the decks, but the community that’s grown up with them over two and a half decades.
As the Orlando show approaches, Above & Beyond relishes these moments of connection now more than ever.
“Whatever is happening in the world around us, what we get to do is we have just two hours, just really connecting with the music, the moment and each other,” Siljamäki says.
music@orlandoweekly.com
PHOTO BY AMELIA TROUBRIDGE
LOCAL RELEASES
Wheeler Newman never really went away, though it feels like it. He rose in the Orlando music scene of the mid-2010s, first as leader of psych-pop group Cosmic Roots Collective. Just as he began building a solo name, things went quiet. Between personal life and pandemic, his music stopped.
Although more behind the scenes this decade, Newman has remained active, engineering and playing on releases by Orlando artists like Brittany Schweizer, Steve Garron’s The Guarantees, The Chotchkies and Devin & Gage. And now he’s officially back.
Newman’s just-dropped record — the fivesong ShaShe EP — is his first release in eight years. Before getting sidelined, he was already showing more experimental feathers both live and on recordings, like his exploratory 2017 solo debut (the Not Tired EP). Now, ShaShe is yet another evolution for Newman, and it’s the result of influences both new and old.
The jazz vein in ShaShe, a seemingly novel edge for Newman, was sparked by his transformative recent visits to the forward-thinking Big Ears Festival. “It reminded me why I love making music, especially influenced me blending jazz influences into what I was making,” says Newman. For him, this new turn is actually full circle.“I played saxophone in college, I was really into and played a lot of jazz back then.”
Now, with ShaShe, Newman reemerges at the arty intersection of indie and jazz. “Seeing like Jeff Parker, Herbie Hancock, Marc Ribot playing along with Low and Kurt Vile playing to the same audience is what really started to give me the inspiration to do what I want to do now,” he says. “It was all treated the same.”
Orlando musician
Wheeler Newman has just dropped a surprise record — the five-song ShaShe EP — his first release in eight years. It’s a soft conspiracy of soulful slink, jazz caress and open intentions
Newman has synthesized all that into not just a sound but a state of mind. ShaShe doesn’t come to you; it lures you in. It’s a soft conspiracy of soulful slink, jazz caress and open intentions. Mood rules so much here that words sometimes aren’t even invoked (“I Hit My Limit” and “Nesal”). Burning rocker “SHHH” and prog-pop jaunt “ShaShe” give the collection spice. But — from the bedroom soul of “Can It” (which perfectly features Orlando’s Katie Burkess on vocals) to the noir groove of “I Hit My Limit” to the Stax spirit of “Nesal” — the rest is horn-laden seduction.
ShaShe is a sure sign that Wheeler Newman’s not only back but already deep in the groove. Even better, he tells me the release is a prelude to playing out again. The EP now streams everywhere.
CONCERT PICKS THIS WEEK
Grieves: Rhymesayers rappers used to rep hard here in the 2000s and 2010s, with frequent tour stops from their consistently brilliant roster. Now that this is no longer the norm, our hip-hop IQ has taken a notable hit. But this special appearance by acclaimed Seattle rapper Grieves will be a taste of that golden time. With his indie intellect and snap-tight rhymes, he’ll bring the brains back to the bounce once again. About damn time. (6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, Cafe DaVinci, $28.55-$89.64)
Will’s Pub 30th anniversary shows: Really, what more can be said about Will’s Pub on its big 30th anniversary? OK, tons. But everyone’s been saying so much of it already. Well, the celebration week heads into its glorious homestretch with a stocked trifecta of showcases that pack as much history as quality — two words that, not coincidentally, sum up the legacy of Will’s Pub.
Wednesday’s melodic, punk-leaning lineup features New Eagles, Overdale, Curtains, Justin Goldman performing a How Dare You set, My Druthers and DJ Preston Rockwell III (7 p.m. Sept. 10, $10-$15). Friday brings the rock, the soul and the heritage with The Legendary JC’s, Blue Streak Mamas and The Ludes (7 p.m. Sept. 12, $20-$30). Saturday closes with a forward-looking exclamation point when the young, intense roster of Antagonizör, Hutch, Mass Panic and M.A.C.E. brings it home in a blaze of fury and fuzz (8 p.m. Sept. 13, $10-$15). All told, it’ll be a live continuum of Orlando’s past, present and future, united to celebrate the place that made it all possible. Viva Will’s Pub! baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com
PHOTO BY KRISTEN NEWMAN
of the
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10
RuPaul’s Drag Race Werq the World
It’s been a red-letter couple of weeks for drag in Orlando, with performances by the Boulet Brothers and their Dragula proteges, Alaska 5000 and Ginger Minj all within days of one another. And now it’s time for the mothership to land at the Dr. Phillips Center, as the latest iteration of the RuPaul’s Drag Race roadshow Werq the World is back in Orlando. Fan favorites and Season 17 finalists alike will sashay and shantay on the Walt Disney Theater’s stage. Confirmed to perform are Jimbo as Joan Rivers, Daya Betty as P!nk, Derrick Barry as Britney Spears, Jaida Essence Hall as Beyoncé, Jorgeous as Ariana Grande, Naomi Smalls as Mariah Carey and Vanessa Vanjie as Rihanna. Warning: May induce a gag or two. 8 p.m., Walt Disney Theater, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.org, $40-$420. — Matthew Moyer
THURSDAY, SEPT. 11
Central Florida Filmmakers for Gaza
Orlando filmmakers present cinematic visions to support Gaza aid org Healing Our Homeland this week at Stardust Video. Organized by Jimmy Schaus (Malverde, Skeleton Warrior), the evening’s films were put together from an open call for Central Florida filmmakers to submit work based around “liberatory themes” along with proof of a donation to that Gaza Relief Fund. “The aim was to keep things community-focused, in the hopes that selected filmmakers can attend the screening, invite friends and family, and meet other filmmakers in the community,” Schaus tells Orlando Weekly. Citing Nouvelle Vague auteur Jean-Luc Godard as an inspiration, Schaus says that “it’s not so much about making political films, but making — and also distributing, exhibiting — films politically, which speaks to both the
DIY ethos running through all the films and the fact that these filmmakers, by virtue of submitting to and exhibiting work in this showcase, are taking a stand against Zionism and genocide and for Palestinian liberation.” While we sit with that last profound point, you should grab a seat at Stardust for this one. 7:30 p.m., Stardust Video & Coffee, 1842 E. Winter Park Road, $5-$10. — MM
SATURDAY, SEPT. 13
Buckethead
In increasingly dystopian and authoritarian times, it’s perversely refreshing that there are still folks out there being stubbornly and proudly freakish — and gaining a loyal audience for it! So it is with one Buckethead, a gifted and nonlinear guitar shredder who greets his adoring public from behind an expressionless mask, KFC bucket perched jauntily atop his head. Lest ye chuckle, know that his work entranced one Axl Rose, who conscripted him into Guns N’ roses to replace Slash. Now the be-bucketed one is in Florida for a few shows — this state could surely use some fearless iconoclasts — so expect a blizzard of off-kilter guitar theatrics. If you ask nicely, Buckethead might treat you to a reading of “War Pigs,” which he’s been covering at recent gigs in tribute to a fellow “madman of rock,” Ozzy Osbourne. 8 p.m., The Plaza Live, 425 N. Bumby Ave., plazaliveorlando. org, $70-$190. — MM
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, SEPT. 13-14
Tate McRae
Tate McRae is taking full possession of the Kia Center all this weekend, and it’s going to be a pop masterclass. The (very) young and (very) platinum-selling Canadian pop sensation has come a long way since her star turn on So You Think You Can Dance as a teen. Her Miss Possessive arena tour, touting newest album So Close to What, just wowed a packed house at Madison Square
Monday: Laufey at Kia Center
PHOTO BY SKYLER BARBERIO
WEDNESDAY–TUESDAY, SEPT. 10-16, 2025
Garden with a transforming stage, daredevil choreography, and way more hits than an early-20-something should have. With recent shows hailed by Rolling Stone as “going for the classic Britney/Xtina vibe of the early 2000s,” you should expect a party. 7:30 p.m., Kia Center, 400 W. Church St., kiacenter.com, $36-$145. — MM
Laufey
MONDAY, SEPT. 15
Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Laufey steps into the local spotlight for the very first time at the Kia Center this week. As the youngest recipient of the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, Laufey dazzles with her unique blend of jazz, classical and pop paired with heartbreaking lyrics of young love. Touring her latest album, A Matter of Time, Laufey kicks her run off here in Orlando. And as part of the former solo cellist’s mission to give back to young musicians, a dollar from each ticket sold during the show will go to her own Laufey Foundation, which works to make music education accessible to all. 7:30 p.m., Kia Center, 400 W. Church St., 800-745-3000, kiacenter. com, $127-$600. — Azlyn Cato
TUESDAY, SEPT. 16
Benson Boone
Who is Benson Boone, and why does that name ring a bell? Well, he’s the guy from the internet who always does at least one backflip while belting out pop hits like “Mystical Magical.” If you’re still befuddled, we can break it down further: The 23-year-old singer-songwriter has a 1970s pornstache and is the voice behind the Billboard Hot 100 anthem “Beautiful Things.” In 2021, he made a brief appearance on American Idol, but withdrew from the competition after making the top 24 contestants. Around the time of his Idol stint, Boone began garnering big-time attention
from TikTok. He soon caught the eye of Imagine Dragons lead singer Dan Reynolds, who signed Boone to his first label. In 2025, Boone received his first Grammy nom — for “Best New Artist” — and even performed on the show. Boone can be a polarizing pop figure; middle-aged women seem to love him, while the younger generation
either despises him or just can’t get enough. The haters criticize the Washington-born singer with the dreaded slur of “trying too hard” or call him a “wannabe Harry Styles.” On the (back)flipside, his fans find Boone absolutely charming, including this writer’s own mother. And his hits are undeniably hooky. (Editor’s note: We saw Alaska 5000
cover “Beautiful Things” live, and it hit!) You can decide for yourself whether Benson Boone is your mixed bag of tricks when he arrives in the City Beautiful this week. Or maybe not, because this show is thoroughly sold out. 8 p.m., Kia Center, 400 W. Church St., 800-745-3000, kiacenter. com, SOLD OUT. — Grayson Keglovic
BY DAVID
PHOTO
ROEMER
Tuesday: Benson Boone at Kia Center
CONCERTS
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10
Hard Swingin’ Country Soiree with Decker and Dimitrov 7 pm; Lil Indie’s, 1036 N. Mills Ave.; free; 407-748-8256.
Wills Pub 30 Year Anniversary: New Eagles, Overdale, Curtains, Justin Goldman (How Dare You set), My Druthers, DJ Preston Rockwell III 7 pm; Will’s Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave.; $10.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 11
Eugene Snowden 9 pm; Lil Indie’s, 1036 N. Mills Ave.; free.
Grieves, Jwadi 6 pm; Cafe DaVinci,
Sleep Token: Sept. 17, Kia Center
Anuel AA: Sept. 20, Kia Center
D003Y: Sept. 20, Park Ave CDs
Hide, Dagger Wound: Sept. 20, Stardust
112 W. Georgia Ave., DeLand; $40; 386-873-2943.
Michael Mayo 7 pm; Alexis and Jim Pugh Theater, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave.; $40-$53; 844-513-2014.
NoCap 9:30 pm; The Beacham, 46 N. Orange Ave.; $36; 407-648-8363.
OSO OSO 7 pm; Will’s Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave.; $10.
Red NOT Chili Peppers 8 pm; Tuffy’s Music Box, 200 Myrtle Ave., Sanford; $25.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 12
Above & Beyond 7 pm; Central Florida Fairgrounds, 4603 W. Colonial Drive; $60-$200; 407-295-3247.
Billy vs. Elton 7:30 pm; House of
Blues, Disney Springs, Lake Buena Vista; $22-$66; 407-934-2583.
BREED, Rhythm of Fear, Gillian Carter, We’re Wolves, Trash World 6 pm; The Abbey, 100 S. Eola Drive; $15; 407-704-6261.
Dream Theater: Parasomnia Tour 8 pm; Hard Rock Live, 6050 Universal Blvd.; $72-$173; 407-351-5483.
Eladio Carrión 8 pm; Kia Center, 400 W. Church St.; $50-$330; 800-745-3000.
Greg Diaz and The Art of Imagination
8 pm; Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, 460 E. New England Ave., Winter Park; $25-$35; 407-6369951.
Michael Minelli
6 pm; The Social, 54 N. Orange Ave.; $15-$90; 407-246-1419.
Nashville Night in Orlando: The Warren Brothers 4 & 8 pm; Judson’s Live, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave.; $80; 407-358-6603.
Open Mic: Singer/Songwriter 7:30 pm; Austin’s Coffee, 929 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park; free; 407-975-3364.
Playing With Knives, Delilah, AndIDreamtOfYou, Andwhentheskywasopened, Self Inflicted Wound 7 pm; Conduit, 6700 Aloma Ave., Winter Park; $15-$20; 407-673-2712.
Will’s Pub 30 year anniversary: The Legendary JC’s, Blue Streak Mamas, and The Ludes 7 pm; Will’s Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave.; $20-$30.
The Wishing Wells 9 pm; Tuffy’s Music Box, 200 Myrtle Ave., Sanford; free.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 13
Babytron 6 pm; The Beacham, 46 N. Orange Ave.; $27-$45; 407-648-8363.
Buckethead 8 pm; The Plaza Live, 425 N. Bumby Ave.; $70-$190; 407-228-1220.
The Callous Daoboys, UnityTX, Your Spirit Dies, Crush++ 6 pm; Conduit, 6700 Aloma Ave., Winter Park; $20; 407-673-2712.
Calva Louise & Sicksense 6:30 pm; The Social, 54 N. Orange Ave.; $18; 407-246-1419.
Dark Matter 1 Year Anniversary 8 pm; Swirlery Wine Bar, 1508 E Michigan St.; free; 407-270-6300.
Nashville Night in Orlando: The Warren Brothers 8 pm; Judson’s Live, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave.; $80; 407-358-6603.
Six Feet Under, Exhorder: Sept. 25, Conduit
The Story So Far, Neck Deep: Sept. 27, Orlando Amphitheater
Lil Wayne: Oct. 1, Kia Center
Alex Warren: Oct. 5, Addition Financial Arena
Andrea Bocelli: Oct. 9, Kia Center
John Maus: Oct. 11, Conduit
Leslie Jones: Oct. 11, The Plaza Live
Joss Stone: Oct. 12, Steinmetz Hall, Dr. Phillips Center
D003Y: Sept. 20, Park Ave CDs
Oct.
Legendary Pink Dots: Oct. 16, Conduit
Turnstile: Oct. 19, Orlando Amphitheater
Johnnyswim: Oct. 20, House of Blues
Minus the Bear: Oct. 21, The Beacham
Kevin Gates: Oct. 22, Addition Financial Arena
Macy Gray: Oct. 22, Hard Rock Live
AFI, TR/ST: Oct. 23, Hard Rock Live
Aly & AJ: Oct. 26, Hard Rock Live
Jonas Brothers: Oct. 26-27, Kia Center
Fear Factory: Oct. 26, Beacham
Acid Mothers Temple, The Macks: Oct. 29, Will’s Pub
Peter Frampton: Nov. 4, Hard Rock Live
Ulcerate: Nov. 6, Conduit
EDC: Nov. 7-9, Tinker Field
Lainey Wilson: Nov. 8, Kia Center
Charlie Hunter Trio: Nov. 1112, Judson’s Live, Dr. Phillips Center
Warped Tour: Nov. 15-16, Camping World Stadium
Lindsey Stirling: Nov. 26, Walt Disney Theater, Dr. Phillips Center
Juvenile: Dec. 3, Hard Rock Live
Conan: Dec. 4, Conduit
Sarah Brightman: Dec. 7, Walt Disney Theater, Dr. Phillips Center
Trivium: Dec. 14, Hard Rock Live
Unter Null: Dec. 21, Conduit
Neko Case: Jan. 30, 2026, Plaza Live
Tate McRae: Miss Possessive Tour 7:30 pm; Kia Center, 400 W. Church St.; $36-$145; 800-745-3000.
Will Moseley 9 pm; Tuffy’s Music Box, 200 Myrtle Ave., Sanford; $20-$150.
Colleen Orender 7:30 pm; Timucua Arts Foundation, 2000 S. Summerlin Ave.; $30; 407-279-0902.
Crypta: In The Other Side Tour 2025 7 pm; Conduit, 6700 Aloma Ave., Winter Park; 407-673-2712.
Johnny Mercer Tribute: Michael Kramer & Greg Parnell Trio 3 pm; Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, 460 E. New England Ave., Winter Park; $30$35; 407-636-9951.
Tate McRae: Miss Possessive Tour 7:30 pm; Kia Center, 400 W. Church St.; $36-$145; 800-745-3000.
MONDAY, SEPT. 15
Laufey 7:30 pm; Kia Center, 400 W. Church St.; $127-$600; 800-745-3000.
Video
Franz Ferdinand: Sept. 24, House of Blues
Billie Eilish:
14, Kia Center
TUESDAY, SEPT. 16
Indie 900 Jam 9:30 pm; Lil Indie’s, 1036 N. Mills Ave.; free.
Open Mic Night 7 pm; The Copper Rocket, 106 Lake Ave., Maitland; free; 407-984-7799.
Open Mic: Singer/Songwriter 7:30 pm; Austin’s Coffee, 929 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park; free; 407-975-3364.
Open Mic Tuesdays 8 pm; The Falcon, 819 E. Washington St.; free; 407-986-0755.
FILM
Central Florida Filmmakers for Gaza Short film screening by Central Florida-based artists to benefit Healing Our Homeland’s Gaza Relief Fund. Curated from an open call. 7:30 pm Thursday; Stardust Video and Coffee, 1842 E. Winter Park Road; $5-$10; 407-617-1532; instagram.com/p/DNOO41pRmWk.
Cinnabar Film Series: The Conversation Kick off with a screening of The Conversation on Sept. 10. We’ll share snacks and drinks at 6:45 p.m. and the film begins at 7 p.m. After the screening, we always circle up to talk and reflect on what we’ve seen. 7 pm Wednesday; CityArts, 39 S. Magnolia Ave; free; cinnabarfilm. com.
Music Mondays: Ron Delsener
Presents An all-access pass to New York’s greatest gigs, featuring some of the iconic artists who performed in them; and a portrait of the singular figure who brought these shows together, rock concert promoter and impresario Ron Delsener. 6:30 pm Monday; Enzian Theater, 1300 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland; $11; 407629-0054; enzian.org.
Popcorn Flicks in the Park: Encanto Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Colombian mountains, Encanto tells the story of the Madrigal family — each blessed with a unique magical gift, from super strength to the power to heal. 8 pm Thursday; Central Park, Winter Park, North Park Avenue and West Morse Boulevard, Winter Park; free; enzian. org.
Saturday Matinee Classics: Ran In Akira Kurosawa’s Academy
Award-winning adaptation of William Shakespeare’s King Lear, disastrous consequences result from Lord Hidetora Ichimonji’s decision to split his kingdom among his three sons. 11 am Saturday; Enzian Theater, 1300 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland; $11; 407-629-0054; enzian.org.
COMEDY
Anthony Rodia A first-generation Italian-American born and raised in Westchester, New York, Anthony Rodia came out of the womb making people laugh. In his 20s he tried a few open mics, but ultimately took a different career path as a finance manager of a luxury car dealership. 7 pm Tuesday; Funny Bone Comedy Club, 9101 International Drive; $37; 407-480-5233; orlando.funnybone. com.
Kristin Key 7 pm Thursday; Funny Bone Comedy Club, 9101 International Drive; $37; 407-4805233; orlando.funnybone.com.
Rafi Bastos Rafi Bastos is a 6-foot7 Jewish-Brazilian comedian with an accent like Dracula and a rapidly growing social media presence. 7 & 9:30 pm Friday; Funny Bone Comedy Club, 9101 International Drive; $37; 407-480-5233; orlando. funnybone.com.
EVENTS
Dealing With Difficult DNA: Endogamy, High-RoH and Other Hazards Navigating complex DNA scenarios can create difficulties in genealogical research. However, there are tools and techniques available to differentiate and interpret DNA data in situations where the Leeds Method and WATO do not work. 4:30 pm Thursday; Cooper Memorial Library, 2525 Oakley Seaver Drive, Clermont; free; 352536-2275; mylakelibrary.org.
Draw Lab Draw your way back to the ’70s at this free community meetup of sketch enthusiasts. Followed by karaoke at 4 pm. 1 pm Saturday; Black Phin, 1152 Harmon Avenue, Winter Park; free; instagram.com/blackphin_orl.
Forgive Me, Grandma, for I Have Sinned Fringe Patrons Pick Encore Performance From NYC’s Theatre Row to Orlando Fringe Patrons’ Pick — this fearless one-woman show returns for two nights only. Raw, funny, and emo-
tionally charged, it dives headfirst into family, survival and self-reinvention. If you crave intimate, high-impact theater that doesn’t play it safe, this is your kind of night. 8 pm Friday-Saturday; Art’s Sake Studio, 4603 Parkbreeze Court; $15.
Founder’s Day Community Night A family-friendly Founder’s Day Community Night as we celebrate the founding of the Holocaust Center with food, activities, and a chance to reflect on our shared commitment to remembrance and education. 6:30 pm Wednesday; Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center, 851 N. Maitland Ave., Maitland; free; 407-628-0555; hmrec.org.
Hot Topics: UNIDOS Honoring Hispanic Heritage and its Rising Influence Doors open at 10:30 am for a buffet lunch. The discussion starts at 11:45 am. Wednesday; Winter Park Event Center, 1050 W. Morse Blvd., Winter Park; $30-$37; 407-896-7356; facebook.com/ winterparkeventscenter.
Howl-O-Scream Occurs on select days/nights. Recognized as the Best Theme Park Halloween Event in 2023 by USA TODAY’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Through Nov. 1. SeaWorld, 7007 SeaWorld Drive; $39.99; 407-363-2613; seaworld.com/orlando.
Jazz and Burlesque Dinner
Show
Indulge in an unforgettable night of live jazz, sultry burlesque and a decadent three-course dinner. Featuring burlesque artists “Tush” Tymisha, Ruby Rubright and Roxanne LeBlanc with live music by solo saxophonist Vicente Belen. 6 & 8 pm Tuesday; Maxine’s on Shine, 337 N. Shine Ave.; $78; 949-6078735; maxinesonshine.com.
Orlando Booze & Bites Festival
Open bar, $5 delicious bites, free game zone, concerts, craft marketplace, free swag and so much more. Noon Saturday; Festival Park, 2911 E. Robinson St.; $50-$65; 208271-2230; battlebrosevents.com/ orlandoboozeandbites.
Orlando Tattoo Show IV The Orlando Tattoo Show is one of Florida’s hottest events, celebrating the bold world of tattoo artistry, culture and creativity. For three unforgettable days, top tattoo artists
from across the country and around the globe come together to deliver a vibrant, high-energy experience like no other. Friday-Sunday; Events Center at Osceola Heritage Park, 1875 Silver Spur Lane, Kissimmee; $28-$55; 321-697-3333; orlandotattooshow.com.
Party for the Pavilion This will be a spectacular evening featuring delicious drinks, delectable food and networking to support local seniors. 6 pm Wednesday; One Senior Place, 715 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs; $20; 407-949-6733.
Pitmasters & Pourers Where beer, bourbon, bacon and BBQ collide. The Pitmasters & Pourers event is back, bringing an unforgettable afternoon of flavor, fun and entertainment to Elizabeth Evans Park. 3 pm Saturday; Elizabeth Evans Park, 510 N. Baker St., Mount Dora; $17-$20; pitmastersandpourers.com.
RuPaul’s Drag Race Werq the World Hosted by Jimbo as Joan Rivers. Plus sickening performances by Daya Betty as Pink, Derrick Barry as Britney Spears, Jaida Essence Hall as Beyoncé, Jorgeous as Ariana Grande, Naomi Smalls as Mariah Carey, Vanessa Vanjie as Rihanna, and surprise guests including finalists from Season 17 on the most important night of the year for the art of drag. 8 pm Wednesday; Walt Disney Theater, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave; $40-$420; 844-5132014; drphillipscenter.org.
SplatterQuest: A Blacklight
Paint Adventure Step into vibrant blacklight rooms, grab brushes, squirt guns, paint balloons, and other creative tools and let your imagination explode in color. With music playlists to set the mood, seasonal add-ons like private rooms to enjoy with your group, SplatterQuest promises a memorable adventure. Through Dec. 31; Oviedo Mall, 1700 Oviedo Marketplace Blvd., Oviedo; 407-542-3337; wizardsandlizardsstudio.com.
We’re Your Venus Celebration ViiV Healthcare presentation, I’m Your Venus documentary watch party, Trans Lifeline Panel featuring legendary special guests and more. 4 pm Saturday; The Mezz, 100 S. Eola Drive; $10-$200; 407-4239999; mezzorlando.com.
Bella (A425071) is 8 years old, small and sweet. She was shot by a stranger and almost killed while sitting on the other side of her fence. Her owners could not afford the vet care it would take to heal her wounds, so they surrendered her to us. Bella was taken to an emergency clinic, and vets there were able to save her life. But she will bear that massive scar on her neck for the rest of her life as a reminder of how cruel humans can be.
Bella has completely amazed us, not just with her resilience, but with her ability to still seek affection and love. She was shot in her neck by some random stranger, yet she still greets everyone she meets with a wiggly body and a wagging tail. Bella may have big scars, but her heart remains intact and full of love.
This sweet girl has some healing left to do, but she will be available for her second chance at happiness and a good life. Bella needs to know that not every human is cruel. That there is someone out there who will love her, spoil her, and never let her go.
Orange County Animal Services is located at 2769 Conroy Road in Orlando, near the Mall at Millenia. The shelter is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. every day except Wednesday, when it’s open 2-6 p.m. For more information, please call 407-8363111 or visit ocnetpets.com.
Meet Bella!
RV Sales RV Repairs
WANTED - All motorhomes, fifth wheels and travel trailers. Cars, vans and trucks any condition. Cash paid on the spot. RV transport service available! Call 954-595-0093!
Legal, Public Notices
ALL ABOARD STORAGE NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Personal property of the following tenants will be sold at public sale to the highest bidder to satisfy a rental lien in accordance with Florida Statutes, Sections: 83.801 - 83.809. All units areassumed to contain general household goods unless otherwise indicated. Viewing of photos will be available on www.lockerfox.com, up to 5 days prior to each scheduled sale. The owners or their agents reserve the right to bid on any unit and also to refuse any bid. All items or units may not be available on the day of sale. The Public Sale will take place via www.lockerfox.com on: Wednesday, August 27th, 2025 at 1:30 p.m., or thereafter, at: SANFORD DEPOT 2728 W 25th St, Sanford, FL 32771 407-305-3388. 1274C Daisha Brown; 1290 Victor Morales; 1507 Tara Willis; 1478 Donita Hines; 1393 Daraviouse Williams; 1182 Sherell Bryant. The above Tenants have been given proper notice, fourteen days prior to the first publication of this Notice of Sale, that the Owner will enforce a statutory lien on the property located in their respective unit of the above-mentioned self-storage facilities. Publication Dates: September 10 and 17, 2025.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: September 25th, 2025 at the times and locations listed below. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 10:00 AM Extra Space Storage 3364 W State Rd 426 Oviedo, FL 32765 (407) 930-4293 - -Krystal Penn : Household Goods, Boxes, Furniture, Clothing, Electronics-Tisha Flowers: Boxes, Bags, Totes. Robert Emmet Gannon III : -Household items , Boxes, Totes, Wall Art . The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals indicated: 12280 East Colonial Drive Orlando, Fl 32826 (321) 286-7324 on September 25th, 2025 10:00am- Marisa Thompson: household goods, art work, tools, electronics, grill. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes
possession of the personal property
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 11971 Lake Underhill Rd Orlando, FL 32825 (407)516-7913 on September 25th, 2025 2:00pm. Racheal Hannah totes bags, Stephanie Hales bins clocks golf clubs, Natiel Curry toys mattress. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location and times indicated: September 23, 2025 at 12:00 PM Extra Space Storage, 292 W Central Pkwy, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 (407) 378-6671. Giovanni Gaglioti: furniture, tools. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 7244 Overland Rd Orlando, FL 32810 (407) 794-7457 on September 26th, 2025 12:00PMJascinth Brockington-5-6 recliners, 2 rec desks, 2 file cabinets, 6 ft table, glass desk, sm fridge, microwave, 3chairs; Jazzey Affairs -Party inventory; Paul Rubenstein-Household Goods/ Furniture, TV/Stereo Equipment, Tools/ Appliances, Office Furn/Machines/Equip, Acct; Clyff Harrigan-Household Goods/ Furniture, TV/Stereo Equipment. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: Friday, September 26th, 2025. at the times and locations listed below. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:00PM Extra Space Storage 4066 Silver Star Road, Orlando, Florida 32808, 407734-1959. Milssant Toussaint-chairs, Erica Kindred-Household Goods/Furniture, Susan Bailey-Household items, furniture, electronics, Carl Carpinter-Household Goods/Furniture, John Richardson- boxes, clothing, shoes, Mecell Robinson-Household Goods/Furniture, personal items, Mehethabeel Nelson-Personal belongings, toys cloths, baby items, electronics, Jimar Ross-Household items, furniture, flooring, art work, Harold Brisbane-Household
Goods/Furniture, sports, wall art clothing, Jaime Thomas-twin beds with box spring, totes, boxes, clothes, shoes, dishes, bar cart, mirrors, YorkIe Myles-Personal items, household items, old stuff, tools. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with CASH ONLY and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction.
Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 342 Woodland Lake Dr Orlando, FL 32828 (321) 800-4793 on September 25th, 2025 12:00pm: Ortega Airinimet Gonzalez; Boxes, Chairs, Decor: Alexander Welwood; Cloths, Box, Bassinet: Laura Estrada; House items. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction.
Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: September 26th, 2025 at the times and locations listed below. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:00 PM Extra Space Storage 831 N. Park Avenue Apopka, FL 32712 (407) 450-0345Kathleen Skerritt - Household items. Brandi Chapman- Bedding. Michael Stewart- Boxes. Gary MooreTotes, Safe. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals indicated: 11583 University Blvd. Orlando, FL 32817 (407) 777-2278 on September 25th, 2025 11:00am- Jimmy Pelkey: Household Goods/Furniture, Tools/ Appliances, Landscaping/Construction Equip. Ricky Heath-Household items. Jimmy Pelkey-Household items. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 2631 E Semoran Blvd. Apopka, FL 32703 (407) 408-7437 on September 26th, 2025 12:00PM Eveline Cox-Household Items, Alfred Porto-Household items,
Lisa Sheikewitz-Household items. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: September 25th, 2025, at the times and locations listed below: The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12pm Extra Space Storage, 11071 University Blvd Orlando, fl 32817: Valarie James: Cabinets/shelves, house hold, furniture, boxes: Katrina Beasley/ The Bridge of Orlando: Document/ files, wall art, book: ZHeping Luo: Dishes/ kitchenware, movie/music/books, sports/ outdoors, books. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: September 25th, 2025, at the times and locations listed below: The personal goods stored therein by the following: 10:00am Extra Space Storage, 14916 Old Cheney Hwy Orlando Fl 32828 4079179151: Jessica Hawkinson: luggage, stroller, table; Jorge Rivera: TVs, dryer, bicycles; Janessa Hammerle: luggage, vacuum, jack, holiday decor; Brandon Williams: bags, ladder, vacuum, recliner. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with CASH ONLY and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: September 25th, 2025, at the times and locations listed below: The personal goods stored therein by the following: 2:30pm Extra Space Storage, 15551 Golden Isle Blvd, Orlando FL 32828 4077101020: Kristen Moulton: Weights, Bags; Melisa Sanchez: Furniture, Electronics. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property
Legal, Public Notices
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: September 25, 2024, at the times and locations listed below: The personal goods stored therein by the following: 2PM Extra space storage, 12709 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, Fl 32826 4076343990: Roman Mendoza, Mini fridge, clothes, shelves; Deja Simpson, Clothing, clothing bins; Hecmigton Sanchez, Adirondack chairs, fishing gear, gaming chair. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: September 25th, 2025, at the times and locations listed below: The personal goods stored therein by the following: 10:00AM Extra Space Storage, 6068 Wooden Pine Drive. Orlando, Florida 32829 407.974.5165: Hector Heredia; tires, tv, bicycles, exercise equip, guitar, car seat, cabinet & shelves, lamps, clothing & shoes, households. Melissa Mendiola; cabinets & shelves, dishes & kitchenware, mattress & bedding, industrial baking racks, bicycle, Christmas decor, cooler, wok. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 11:15AM Extra Space Storage, 1305 Crawford Ave. St. Cloud FL 34769, 407.504.0833: Angel Marrero; household and personal items- Flores Julio; household items and bags- Jannette Medina; household items- Stephanie Fink, old Furnitures, boxes and tv’s- Mario Collado; personals items- Jonathan Fuentes; household items, boxes- Roy Smith; trailer and food truck-Hunter Wright; household itemsJessica Tull; Personal items, boxes, totes The personal goods stored therein by the following: 11:30AM Extra Space Storage, 2855 E Osceola Pkwy Kissimmee FL. 34743, 689.223.6810: Tati Robles – complete bedroom set The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:00PM Extra Space Storage, 14800 Narcoossee Rd. Orlando, FL 32832 407.987.4115: Katherine Assid-household goods The personal goods stored therein by the following: 1:15PM Extra Space Storage, 11261 Narcoossee Rd. Orlando FL 32832, 407.280.7355: Brittany Buford- boxes, shelves, electronics, bikes. Kadeeshia Aitken-boxes, furniture, office supplies. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:45 PM Extra Space Storage, 9847 Curry Ford Rd Orlando, FL 32825, 407.495.9612: Kahynia Rabsatt-Household goods. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 10:30 AM Extra Space Storage, 13597 S Orange Ave, Orlando, Florida 32824 407.910.2087: Glo Puff Industries/ Fabian Addison - Boxes The personal goods stored therein by the following: 01:30 PM Extra Space Storage, 13450 Landstar Blvd, Orlando, Florida
32824 407.917.8672: Maurice Marulanda; two bedroom home. Kery Rodriguez; household stuff. Demetrius Boodhoo; : Businesses Equipment. NyJai Gardner; Household goods. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 01:00 PM Extra Space Storage, 7627 Narcoossee Rd, Orlando, Florida 32822 689.278.1735: Xul Colon – Car Seats, Vehicle Parts, Welding Machine, Break Discs, Baseball Bat. Hugo Hernandez / H&J Kitchen Flooring and More – Cabinets. Jordana Chambers – Boxes, Clothes, Dressers, Fridge, Washer and Dryer, Mattress, Totes, Books, Pillows, Weedwhacker, Chairs, Bed Frame, Sewing Machine, Gardening Hole Puncher, Dolls. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:30 PM Extra Space Storage, 35 Goldenrod Rd S, Orlando, Florida 32807 407.487.3270: Randy Almanzar – Appliances,Shelves, Dishes, Boxes, Microwave,Vaccum,Box spring,Sofa; Jason Gilliam – Dishes, Mattress, Totes, TV, Pictures, Air fryer, Lamp, Clothes; Christopher Dunbar – Tools,Garbage bags, Drones, Power Wheels, Hand bag, Cooler, Night Stand; Angelo Paulk – Pull out Sofa, Totes, Table,Decorations, Camping Chair,Computer Chair; Luke Joassaint – TV, TV Stand, Cooler, Table,Xmas Tree, Bags; Celena Pierce – Wheelchair, Hoover board, Totes, Stepstool, Luggage,Table; The personal goods stored therein by the following: 10:45 AM Extra Space Storage, 6174 S Goldenrod Rd, Orlando, Florida 32822 407.955.4137: Carlos Pillot – boxes; Milangel Contasti - BOXES, PERSONAL HOME ITEMS; Jamira Charles - Bedroom furniture The personal goods stored therein by the following: 10:15 AM Extra Space Storage, 5753 Hoffner Rd, Orlando, Florida 32822 407.212.5890: Kurt Fulton –glass top table, furniture, bedframe, shoes, phone, bin, wooden chest. Maritza Vega – sealed full boxes. Yanira Justiniano – bedding, ringlight, boxes, electronics, clothing, shoes, toys, baby, globe, scooter, purse, ironing board. Danielle Frazier – mirrors, stools, bags, bins, boxes, couch, ottoman, curtain rod, bird feeders, decorative bins, side end tables, chairs, vase, decor, furniture. juilo boscan – clothes. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:45 PM Extra Space Storage, 4650 S Semoran Blvd, Orlando, Florida 32822
407.901.3864: Dravious A. Toussaint-Tools and supplies, luggage, A/C vents, motorbike parts, boxes. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 02:00 PM Extra Space Storage, 2334 S Semoran Blvd, Orlando, Florida 32822 407.930.4541: Erika Mudafort: Work stuff. ; Joseph Raybern: Household furniture and boxes. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 11:45 AM Extra Space Storage, 4020 Curry Ford Rd, Orlando, Florida 32806 407.901.0194: 1136 suzanne gilly boxes house hold items. 1139 joyce neives washer and dryer toys. 1282 sylner aldus office chair. 1286 nicely guzman furiture 2020 joyce adams furiture boxes 2110 nicely guzman boxes tools 2117 nicely guzman furiture boxes house hold items
The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:15 PM Extra Space Storage, 408 N Primrose Dr, Orlando, Florida 32803 321.285.5021: Alysa Jessup- Kitchen items. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: Extra Space Storage, #3700, 5645 W State Road 46, Sanford, FL 32771 (321)286-7326. On September 23rd, 2025 at 12:00 PM Max Berry-household goods Josh Martinez-Household goods. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchse up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE 9TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA. PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2025-CP-002780-0 IN RE: ESTATE OF GREGORY ALAN KIGHT, Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS: The administration of the estate of GREGORY ALAN KIGHT, deceased, whose date of death was May 19, 2025, is pending in the Circuit Court for Orange County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 425 N. Orange Avenue, Suite 335, Orlando, Florida 32801. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served, must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is: 9/11/2025. Signed on this 4th day of September, 2025. /s/ Jerry W. Allender, Attorney for Personal Representative, Florida Bar No. 110030 ALLENDER & ALLENDER, P.A. 719 Garden Street Titusville, FL 32796 Telephone: (321) 269-1511 Facsimile: (321) 264-7676 25-147-JG Email: jallender@allenderlaw.com Secondary Email: joan@allenderlaw.com. /s/ Lottie Kight., Personal Representative, 9608 James Creek Rd, Christmas, FL 32709.
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA JUVENILE DIVISION CASE NO: P24-DP-0019 IN THE INTEREST OF: M.V.C. DOB: 5/6/2008, R.N.C. DOB: 8/21/2009, minor children. NOTICE OF ACTION TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, TO: Shannon Lopez,, address unknown. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the State of Florida, Department of Children and Families, has filed a Petition to terminate your parental rights and permanently commit the following child for adoption: M.V.C. born on 5/6/2008 and R.N.C. born 8/21/2009. You are hereby
commanded to appear on September 30, 2025, at 1:30 PM before the Honorable John Galluzzo at the Seminole County Juvenile Justice Center, 190 Eslinger Way, Courtroom 2 Sanford, FL 32773, for an ADVISORY HEARING. FAILURE TO PERSONALLY APPEAR AT THIS ADVISORY HEARING CONSTITUTES CONSENT TO THE TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS OF THIS CHILD (OR CHILDREN). IF YOU FAIL TO APPEAR ON THE DATE AND TIME SPECIFIED, YOU MAY LOSE ALL LEGAL RIGHTS AS A PARENT TO THE CHILD OR CHILDREN NAMED IN THIS NOTICE. If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the ADA Coordinator, Court Administration, 301 North Park Avenue, Sanford, Florida 32771, telephone number (407) 665-4227 at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711. WITNESS, my hand as Clerk of said Court and the Seal thereof, this 26th day of August, 2025. [Grant Maloy] CLERK OF COURT AND COMPTROLLER By: /s/ Deputy Clerk
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE NINTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO: DP24-313 IN THE INTEREST OF MINOR CHILD C.B. born on 6/11/2021. NOTICE OF ACTION TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS STATE OF FLORIDA. TO: MARISE DERIVAL Address unknown. A Petition for Termination of Parental Rights under oath has been filed in this court regarding the above-referenced child(ren). You are hereby commanded to appear before the Honorable Robert J. Egan, Circuit Court Judge, on Wednesday, October 3, 2025 at 9:30 AM at the Thomas S. Kirk Justice Center, 2000 East Michigan Street, Courtroom 5 Orlando, Florida 32806, for a TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS ADVISORY HEARING. FAILURE TO PERSONALLY APPEAR AT THIS ADVISORY HEARING CONSTITUTES CONSENT TO THE TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS TO THE CHILD(REN). IF YOU FAIL TO APPEAR ON THE DATE AND TIME SPECIFIED, YOU MIGHT LOSE ALL LEGAL RIGHTS AS A PARENT TO THE CHILD(REN) NAMED IN THE PETITION. WITNESS my hand and seal of this Court at Orlando, Orange County, Florida this 29th day of August, 2025. This summons has been issued at the request of: Tracy Drewes, Esquire, Florida Bar No. 1010702, tracy.drewes@myflfamilies.com CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT By: /s/ Deputy Clerk (Court Seal)
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE NINTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA JUVENILE DIVISION: 05 CASE NO.: DP18-589 IN THE INTEREST OF MINOR CHILD S.S. DOB: 10/8/2024, NOTICE OF ACTION TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS To: TRICIA SHORTER, Last known address: 5433 Lescot Ln Orlando, FL 32811. A Petition for Termination of Parental Rights under oath has been filed in this court regarding the above-referenced child. You are hereby commanded to appear October 8, 2025, at 11:00 AM before the Honorable Alicia Latimore at the Juvenile Justice Center, 2000 East Michigan Street, Orlando, Florida 32806, for a TERMINATION OF PARENTAL
RIGHTS ADJUDICATORY TRIAL. FAILURE TO PERSONALLY APPEAR AT THIS TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS ADVISORY HEARING CONSTITUTES CONSENT TO THE TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS TO THIS CHILD(REN). IF YOU FAIL TO APPEAR ON THE DATE AND TIME SPECIFIED YOU MAY LOSE ALL LEGAL RIGHTS AS A PARENT TO THE CHILD NAMED IN THE PETITION. WITNESS my hand and seal of this Court at Orlando, Orange County, Florida this 14th day of August, 2025. CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT, By: /s/ Deputy Clerk (Court Seal)
Life Storage/Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 2650 N Powers Dr. Orlando, FL 32818 (407) 982-1032 on September 26th, 2025 at 1:00PM Regina BrightClothing, Malcolm Galloway-Household goods, APRIL JONES-Household goods, John Noel- Nail Stations, Jessica Williams-Household goods, Lovely Beaucicot- Household goods, Jones Legagneur-Household goods. The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Life Storage/ Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Life Storage/Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below on September 26 2025, @12:00pm at the location indicated: Store 8439: 1420 N Orange Blossom Trail Orlando FL, 32804. Jaime Smith-clothing and shoes, household items ,personal effects, furniture, television; Tiffany Belizaire-clothing and shoes, household items, personal effects ,boxes, furniture; Brett Sessions-electronics, computers, boxes, wall art, household items; The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Life Storage/ Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Legal, Public Notices
Notice Of Public Sale
Personal property of the following tenants will be sold for cash to satisfy rental liens in accordance with Florida Statutes, Self Storage Facility Act, Sections 83-806 and 83-807. Contents may include kitchen, household items, bedding, toys, games, boxes, barrels, packed cartons, furniture, trucks, cars, etc. There is no title for vehicles sold at lien sale. Owners reserve the right to bid on units. Lien sale to be held online ending Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025 at times indicated below. Viewing and bidding will only be available online at www.storagetreasures.com beginning at least 5 days prior to the scheduled sale date and time! Also, visit www.personalministorage.com/Orlando-FL-storage-units/ for more info Personal Mini Storage Lake Fairview-4252 N Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32804-at 11:00
am: 134 Danielle Goodman 312 Sharon Smith 910 Awilda Santiago 398 Jamon Marsh-Coleman 930 Natalie Washington 363 JoAnn Porter 331 JoAnn Porter 160 Richard Brooks 262 Shauna Ball Michigan Mini Storage - 200 W Michigan St Orlando FL 32806 at 10:30am 55 David Tyrone Hill, 94 Christopher Batura, 33 Latiyah Hill, 96 Vanilda Gonsalves De Oliveira
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Extra Space
Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 1001 Lee Rd Orlando Fl 32810 (407) 489-3742 on September 26, 2025 12:00PM - Arielle Calderondishes & kitchenware, clothing & shoes, boxes, end table. James Levine- appliances, dishes & kitchenware, toys, clothing & shoes, mattress, wall art, furniture, bike, boxes. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.
Purchases must be made with cash only and pad at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Extra Space
Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below on September 26 -2025, at the location indicated: Store 1333: 13125 S. John Young Pkwy, Orlando FL. 32837, 407.516.7005 @ 10:00 AM: Raymond Beachum– Equipment, Amanda Saunders–Clothing,Raynier Paredes–Household Items. Store 3502: 1236 S Vineland Rd Winter Garden, FL 34787 (407) 794-6460) @ 11AM: Christina Stewart- full size bed set, stools, nightstand, cedar chest, 30 boxes. Store 3024: 11955 S Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando FL 32837, 407.826.0024 @ 11:00 AM: Sunil BhavnaniBoxes, bags, luggage, totes. Chester Antonio Dyson- Car seats, tools, boxes, speakers. Erin Puthoff- Boxes, books, luggage, totes. Store 3378: 475 Celebration Pl, Celebration FL 34747, 321.939.3752 @ 11:15 AM: Catherine Thompson- Household goods. Store 8931: 3280 Vineland Rd, Kissimmee FL 34746, 407.720.7424 @ 11:30 AM: Dazavier De Andrade Appliance, Decor boards, and Mattresses, Isaac Valladares household goods, Eldrick Fulgeon
Totes House appliances, Contrell Brown Clothes, Jazmin Fuentes Business tools Store 7590: 7360 Sand Lake Rd, Orlando, FL 32819 407.634.4449 @ 11:45AM: Asha Charles: Home furniture, Boxes. Kaelib McNair: Fishtank, Dog crate, Boxes, Mattress, Stools. Ben Porter: King size dresser. Store 1334: 5603 Metrowest Blvd Orlando Fl 32811. (407) 516-7751) @ 12PM: Monica Charleron-Furniture, Shateria Addison-Household items, Chatara Battles- Household Items, nadia PinheiroFurniture, David Pernia-Kitchen Aid, Grill, Carlos Goins- Shoes, clothing, Christian Cordova-compressor, Trailer, Bike, Jacquline Ritchie-boxes. Store 1335: 1101 Marshall Farms Rd Ocoee Fl 34761 (407) 516-7221) @ 12PM: Rocky Lancaster-tools,welding equiptment, : Rebecca Undello- clothes, furniture, personal items: Yvonne Saddler-Smith- Household items, boxes, bags Store 7143: 6035 Sand Lake Vista Dr, Orlando, FL 32819 @ 12 PM: Kavita Lutchmedial - furniture; Shalawn Brownlee - boxes, toys , art; William Rodriquez - boxes, bins, kitchen appliances, household items, clothing; Victor Rhea - Tubs; Ashley Bianchi - Clothes, Shoes; Nicholas Oliver - boxes couch mattress end table; Baiqiao Tang - Furniture, clothes, kitchen equipments. Store 7420: 800 Beard Rd, Winter Garden, FL 34787 @ 12 PM: kathleen burdek: household items- Marvin Butler: Furniture- Fabiano Castilhos: Household goods- Tonya Thomas: Furniture- Cordell Wisdom: Moving out of apartment. So Couch.... TV and a few other items- Magan Levandoski: 3 king size beds, boxes, dresser, bins- Judith Matienzo: Couch sofa- Marvin Butler: Equipment- Sarah Jones: House furniture pictures antiques books bedroom sets clothes tools Honda lawnmower and kitchen app. Store 7557: 11920 W Colonial Dr Ste 10, Ocoee, FL 34761, 407-794-6970 @ 12 PM: Gregory Charles Sprenghousehold items. Store 7865: 25 E Lester Rd, Apopka, FL 32712, 407-551-5590 @ 12PM: Nakisha Cecile Thomas- Tumblers boxes, T-shirts, Lazor printer. Store 8136: 3501 S. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando FL 32839, 407.488.9093 @ 12:00pm:John Keedy- Tool box,Boxes ,Totes,Work-out Bike,Electronics:Antonio Pizarro- Clothes,Shoes,Boxes,Totes,Dressors,Chairs:Sharon Ellison-Bed,Dressor,Clothes,Shoes,Dining Set ,Head Board:Noelle Thompson-Shelves,Multi Color Party Balls,Party Decorations,Shoes,Clothes:Christina Turner-Couch,House Hold Furniture:Quanae Carson-Clothes,Shoes,ChairsHouse hold Appliances,Totes,Hats,Pineapple Health Care –Tables, Bins: Berlinda Jones Greene- Clothes, Shoes,Totes,Couch ,Love Seat, Electronics. Store 8778: 3820 S Orange Ave Orlando FL 32806, 321.270.3440 @ 1:00 pm Maniya Collins N/A / Ariel Thompson Sectional Couch, bins-. Store 4107: 9080 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy, Kissimmee Fl 34747, 407.238.1799 @ 1:15 PM: Keontre MillsLawn equipment: Robert Tiller- King bed frame, Armoire, 4 TV’s, boxes: Leonardo Ramos- Suitcases and a few personal items: Michelle Calabrese- Furniture, clothing, decor, televisions, home goods. Store 4217: 5698 S Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, Fl 32839, 407-930-4463 @ 1:45 PM: Joy Rosario- Appliances, Toys Baby games, Clothing & Shoes, Mattress Bedding, Wall Art, Electronics, Sports Outdoors, Boxes, Tools supplies. Corey Brooks- Toys Baby Games, Clothing & Shoes, Sports Outdoors, Boxes, Suitcases & Bins. Clive Thompson- Appliances, Boxes, Roll Shrink Wrap. Store 1317: 5592 L B McLeod Rd Orlando FL 32811.
(407) 720-2832) @ 2PM: Kassandra Lancho-Home; Jerod Farmer- Clothing electronics; Cameron Hoilette- Boxes and appliances; Trevious Woods- Boxes and furniture; Saprina Sonica Latrice Snellclothes, mics; Joseph Williams- Bounce Houses; John Howard- clothes, washer, dryer, fridge, stove, bedroom set; Christian Bonardd- 2 br aparment home; willie Harden- household items; SS International Distributors LLC- Madeline SilvaBusiness Merchandise; SS International Distributors LLC- Madeline Silva- Business Merchandise. Store 6454: 2312 S. Division Ave. Orlando, FL 32805, 689-3033205 @2:15 PM; Evangelina Dempsey; Camping equipment canopy luggage,computer and office equipment. trinkets and documents. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE OF PERSONAL
PROPERTY Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: Site #3086, 130 Concord Drive, Casselberry, FL 32707, 09/23/2025, @ 12:00 pm: Vernon FordHousehold Goods/Furniture Richard Rivera- Household Goods Boxes Kendra Smith- Household Goods/Furniture Wanda Suarez- Household Goods/Furniture TV/Stereo Equipment Tony Cloutier- Landscaping/Construction Equip. Sivi Harris-Household Goods/Furniture TV/Stereo Equipment Tools/Appliances Office Furn/Machines/Equip. The auction will be listed an advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its affiliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: Extra Space Storage, 1170 W State Rd 434 Longwood, FL, 32750 - (407) 602-3999 September 23, 2025 @ 12:00pm. Kevin Cossom- boxes totes clothes / Iyadeas-Lanthea Mobleyevent decor, furniture, clothing. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE PURSUANT TO THE FLORIDA SELF-SERVICE STORAGE FACILITY ACT, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE FACILITIES LISTED BELOW D/B/A VALUE STORE IT SELF STORAGE WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION (TO SATISFY A LIEN PLACED ON THE CONTENTS
PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 83 OF THE FLORIDA STATUTES). THE PERSONAL PROPERTY IN THE BELOW-LISTED OCCUPANTS’ LEASED SPACES TO SATISFY THE OWNER’S LIEN. THE PROPERTY TO BE SOLD IS DESCRIBED AS PERSONAL & HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND/OR COMMERCIAL GOODS, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. THE UNIT(S) WILL BE SOLD AT PUBLIC AUCTION THROUGH ONLINE AUCTION SERVICES OF WWW.STORAGETREASURES.COM. THE SALE TIME AND DATE IS AT 11AM ON September 25, 2025 VALUE STORE IT CELEBRATION, LLC1700 CELEBRATION BLVD CELEBRATION, FL, 34747: 1074-Jader Carminatti/Jader Jersey Carminatti; 2056-Jondra Develma Salary Burton; 2092-Carlos Alicea/Carlos Omar Alicea Costas; 3043-Rhonda Broadnax; 4004-Brian Welsh/Brian Michael Welsh; 4012-Stephen John Valentine; 5016-Marcelo Alves Do Nascimento Filho; 5034-Sara Estela/Sara Marie Estela; 5037-Daniel Torres/Daniel Luis Torres Muniz; 5050-Billy Martin; 5075- Marcelo Alves Do Nascimento Filho; 6075-Christopher Antie/Christopher Lee Antie; VALUE STORE IT OCOEE, LLC - 1251 FOUNTAINS WEST BOULEVARD OCOEE, FL, 34761: A016-Ashta Siddhi Singh; A033-Cortni Lee Marsh; A064-Ashta Siddhi Singh; B074-Ollie Williams III; B150-Lizbeth Thorpe Wright/Lizbeth Wright; B199-Lesa Loretta Castle; B205-Samuel Noel Jeune; B231-Lizbeth Thorpe Wright/ Lizbeth Wright; B239-Ginavia Sierra Ellis; C005A-Ivaniel Reyes Matos/Ivaniel Matos; C234-Ashta Siddhi Singh; C241-Ashta Siddhi Singh; C260-Amber Nicole Freeman/Amber Freeman; C279-Johnny Antonio Taylor; C280-Merrile Juanita Glover- Gambles VALUE STORE IT - 1480 CELEBRATION LLC - 1480 CELEBRATION BLVD CELEBRATION, FL 34747: 3076 – Leylanie M Diaz Diaz; 3156 – Abraham Gerald Sharov; 3185 – Saul Roth; 3188 – Saul Roth; 3230 – Cheryl Ann Bottega.
NOTICE OF SALE
ADVERTISEMENT OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned intends to sell the personal property described below to enforce a lien imposed on said property under The Florida Self Storage Facility Act. Bidding takes place on lockerfox.com and concludes Friday the 26th day of September, 2025 at 10:00 AM with payment at the facility. Store Space Millenia, 4912 S. John Young Pkwy, Orlando, FL, 32839. Alicia Washington ; Essence Harlee Caryn Newon ; Janet Gil ; Rayshundra Johnson Tanner ; Freddie Davis ; Tyrique Carrasco Dorothy Robinson ; Waylan Peters ; Malik Smith ; Randy Fraliex ; Cynthia Holmes ; Jalil Huff ; Maribel Vasquez ; Maria Lopez ; Jean StCharles Jr ; Monica Thomas ; Schneily Nelson ; Shay Dav ; Madison Hanna ; Ian Kerr ; Tameka Davis ; Gregory Hampton ; Jasmine Downer ; Latoria Mickens ; Jocelyn Green ; Travis Davis ; Taylor Gill ; Alice Griffin ; Griceldys Perez ; Terri Carey ; Store Space Sanford - Storage, 3980 E. Lake Mary Blvd., Sanford, FL, 32773. Zachary Henderson ; Travis Brooks ; Marshal L Taylor ; Jessica Schnittker ; Ashley Williams ; Melana Prescott ; Elaysha Campbell ; Shameika Johnson ; Kristin Frazier ; Kashif Vallot ; Terry Manley ; Shane Joseph ; Gabrielle Rodriguez ; Qaeem Garner ; Antwione Britt ; Gina Vincenza Van Epps ; Gina Vincenza Van Epps ; Gina Vincenza Van Epps ; John Reid
Employment
Clinical Product Specialist in Orlando, FL. Duties Incl: Educ. hlth. profs. about spec. med. prod., prov. in-depth clin. info, training on proper usage, & supp. cust. adoption w/in a desig. terr., aiming to inc. prod. use & sales by eff. demonstrating product’s benefits in a clin. setting. Rqmts: Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Technology, Biological Sciences, or Health Sciences. Must have at least 6 mos of exp. in job off. or as a Medical Assistant II within any medical specialty. Mail resume to: Service & Medical International, LLC, Attn: Eduardo Perez, 3505 Lake Lynda Dr, Ste 200/208, Orlando, FL 32817
Data Scientist I. Humata Health, Inc. Winter Park, FL. Provide full automation to prior auth processes. MS: Data Sci or Engg (any). 2 yrs sw engg & quality practices exp. Hybrid: up to 4 days/wk Other exp reqd.. Apply: https://www.humatahealth.com/
Quality and Food Safety Supervisor to oversee QC. processes for our premium ice cream products; ensure compliance w/ est. standards for food safety, consistency, & regulatory reqs.; monitor production of food products to maintain qual. assurance; ID. & correct non-compliant food standards; implmnt & imprve food safety programs; conduct food qual. inspections, make imprvmnts or adjustments, & collab. w/ cross-functional teams to uphold highest standards of product qual. & consumer safety; & stay updated & current w/ FDA regs., HAACP regs., & best QC. practices in the food ind. HS Diploma/ GED, or it’s US equiv., req; 2.5 yrs. of wrk exp. req as Quality & Food Safety Supv., or rel. job. Plz. only mail written resumes to Tropicall, LLC, 4104 Millenia Blvd., Ste. 102, Orlando, FL 32839; Attn: Mr. Contado.
Senior 3D Artist, Electronic Arts - Tiburon, a Florida Corporation, Orlando, FL. Crte spcl effcts for use in comp games, incl 3D cntnt. Estbish modlng, lghtng, shdng and scene creatn stndrds for all 3D cntnt. Req Bach deg or frgn equiv in fine art, grphc dsgn, comp grphcs or rel fld of stdy + 6 yrs of exp in a 3D visualizatn artst-rel occptn; In lieu of Bach deg, emplyr wll accpt 2 yrs of wrk exp in a 3D visualizatn artst-rel occptn. Telcmmtng prmttd. EA of/rs bnfts incl. PTO, medcl/dntl/vsion insrnc & 401 (k) to elgbl E’ees. Crtain roles elgbl fr bonus & equty. To apply, send resumes to eajobs@ea.com & ref job code S3DA-S-103-FL.
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