Windermere Gazette - Spring 2014

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625 Main Street, Suite 103 • Windermere, FL 34786 • www.YaporRealty.com • Irma G. Yapor, Broker-Owner • irma@yapor.com

NOW HIRING AGENTS – Contact me at 407-909-8000 for a confidential interview.

Table of Contents

Town of Windermere

614 Main Street, Windermere, FL 34786 (407) 876-2563 • www.town.windermere.fl.us Administration Offices Gary Bruhn, Town Mayor Robert Smith, Town Manager Dorothy Burkhalter, Town Clerk David Grimm, Public Works Director Nora White, Finance Director Amanda Click, Finance Clerk II Jacquelyn M. Hefeli, Administrative Assistant

From the Desk of the Mayor

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Farmer’s Market 4

Police Department Business Hours Non-Emergency: 407-876-3757 After Hours Non-Emergency: 321-299-2414 David Ogden, Police Chief Lori Sipek, Interim Police Clerk Jennifer Treadwell, Deputy Chief & School Liaison

Family Food Truck Night

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5k Run/Walk Among the Lakes

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Easter Egg Hunt

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Elders Luncheon 6

Council Members Mayor Gary Bruhn: gbruhn@town.windermere.fl.us John Armstrong: jarmstrong@town.windermere.fl.us Richard Gonzalez: rgonzalez@town.windermere.fl.us Jim O’Brien: jobrien@town.windermere.fl.us Mike Pirozzolo: mpirozzolo@town.windermere.fl.us Molly Rose: mrose@town.windermere.fl.us Boards and Committees Special Magistrate • Development Review Board Downtown Business Committee • Elder Affairs Committee Historical Board • Long Range Planning Committee Parks and Recreation Committee • Tree Board

DBC Quarterly Social

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Memorial Day Tribute

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July 4th Pancake Breakfast

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BBQ & Bow Ties

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Windermere Safety Watch

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Spotlight on Ruth Marcus

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Message from Chief Dave Ogden

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Town’s Photo Album 12 Hurricane Preparedness 13 Spring Tennis Schedule 15

The Windermere Gazette is published quarterly and is designed by Yapor Communications. For more information visit: www.Windermere Gazette.com.

For news or advertising information, contact: Jacquelyn M. Hefeli: jhefeli@town.windermere.fl.us.

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COPYRIGHT © Town of Windermere, FL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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The Town of Windermere accepts MasterCard, VISA and Discover as methods of payment.

My Fellow Neighbors…. As always, I hope this Newsletter finds all of you well as we get ready to welcome Spring. The Council and I recently recognized 4 volunteers who were retiring from their respective committees. They had spent many years in service to our town donating their time and talent. As we recognized them, I reflected on how many more people in our town have spent years working for the betterment of Windermere. So thank you, Mr. Rose, Mr. Fay, along with Matt and Mark Allen for your service, because…

VOLUNTEERISM IS THE BACKBONE OF OUR TOWN. In this issue I want to recognize those committees and the work that they do.

You certainly see the fruits of their labor, but you may not know what these committees do and who those people are who do so much for all of us.

TOWN COUNCIL – Probably the most recognizable group of volunteers is your Town Council and Mayor. They are volunteers as no elected official in our town receives any compensation. In addition to the council meetings and workshops, each council member is a liaison to one of our committees, as well as other responsibilities including department oversight such as administration, budgets, streets and roads. They attend their respective committee meetings and report to the council on the activities and issues that the committees have.

But they do NOT chair the committees. Each committee has a chair that they select from their membership.

DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD (DRB) – Chaired by John Spears with members Norma Sutton, Bob Sprick, Stephen Withers, Frank Chase, Jim Willard and Jennifer Roper, this committee reviews variance requests, lot splits, proposed ordinances and other requests that the Council may ask of them. The applicants will appear before this Board and based on information gathered, the DRB will make a recommendation for approval, denial, or even approval with conditions. Ultimately, the Council has the final say in all requests, but this board provides the initial work with the applicant and asks the questions that the Council might ask, giving the applicant an idea of what potential issues the Council might have. Council member Molly Rose serves as the Mayor’s liaison.

DOWNTOWN BUSINESS COMMITTEE (DBC) – Chaired by Chris Sapp, Vice Chair Irma Yapor, Secretary Lee Cottrell and members John Thurman, and Ira Levitt, the work of the DBC has grown exponentially over the past few years. The Farmers Market, and Food Truck Night are two of the most impactful events that you see on a regular basis and this committee works to bring great events to the Town. And the money that they make is put back into the Town. They contributed to the beautiful Christmas decorations that were like none other we have had in the past including our Christmas tree. Council member Mike Pirozzolo serves as the Mayor’s liaison.

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TREE BOARD – Chaired by Theresa Myers with members Joan Foglia, Susan Carter, Lois Dunbar, Jackie Rapport, Frank Krens and Janet Sgamma, the Tree Board brings us our annual Treebute event along with our tree give away, as well as our annual Arbor Day tree planting. They work to replace and preserve our tree canopy and insure that we maintain our Tree City designation which we have held for over two decades. The Tree Board has been the recipient of many state awards for their commitment and on-going work.

Council member Richard Gonzalez serves as the Mayor’s liaison.

LONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE – Chaired by Roger Gatlin, with members Curt Anderson, Don Strube, Bill Martini, and John Fitzgibbon, these individuals are the ones that the Council asks to provide input and insight as to what our Town should look like in the future. This committee has provided input to our plan for pedestrian walkways, traffic improvements, and a master plan for growth. They work to insure that our right hand knows what our left hand is doing. There are currently two vacancies on this Board. Council member O’Brien serves as the Mayor’s liaison.

HISTORICAL PRESERVATION BOARD – Chaired by Hannah Ammar with members Joan Foglia, Theresa Myers, John Fisher, Mary Frances Howard, Jackie Rapport and Amy DuBois, this board works to preserve and protect our town’s history. Past projects have included preserving the original documents and archives used to produce the late Carl Patterson’s book, “Windermere Among the Lakes, The Story of a Small Town”. But their largest and most impactful project is the preservation of our 1887 Schoolhouse, which we believe to be the oldest schoolhouse still in existence in all of Florida. The schoolhouse has been restored and some finishing touches are still being finalized. The surrounding grounds have been cleared and pruned to promote the growth of the very old citrus which has survived freezes, citrus canker and greening.

Additionally, over 100 native plants were added to the landscaping late last year through the mutual cooperation with our Tree Board.

Stay tuned for our rededication. Council member John Armstrong serves as the Mayor’s liaison.

OUR RESIDENTS – Time after time our residents jump in and want to do something for the Town that they love. When our 1887 schoolhouse needed irrigation, residents stepped in to put it in. When we wanted to improve our new park, residents provided significant funding. When two young men who grew up in Windermere thought our basketball courts needed improving, they donated the money. When a resident had a vision to create a fundraiser to raise money for our Town’s committees and our Elementary School, the Windermere Wine and Dine Event was born. And all of the committees who raise money, put that money back into our Town. And of course, the Windermere Rotary has been a community partner for years providing everything from our back porch on the Town Hall to the columns that hold our banners.

THANK YOU! On behalf of our residents, our elected officials and our staff, thank you to everyone who volunteers to make our town better. Whether it be your time or your financial contribution, thank you for making Windermere the great town that it is.

PARKS AND RECREATION COMMITTEE – Chaired by Donna Steele, with members Nora Brophy, Mary Hayes, Karen Fay and Doug Bowman, this committee works to maintain and improve our vast system of parks, tennis courts, piers, and boat ramps, as well as a large number of events. The Annual Windermere 5K Run Among the Lakes is one of Central Florida’s premier running events that regularly brings 1000 participants. Our Halloween Spooktacular has become a huge event for our children. And most recently, the addition of another 11 acre park to Windermere has added more tennis courts, more lakefront and more green space for our residents. With a new pavilion and bathrooms, being constructed, Parks and Recreation has been very busy. And again, all of the funds raised by our events are returned back to the Town in park and town improvements. The light pole banners that adorn our Town were provided by proceeds from this committee. Council member O’Brien serves as the Mayor’s liaison.

AND FINALLY… NO ELECTIONS IN WINDERMERE THIS YEAR. Thank you for allowing me to serve a sixth term as your Mayor. When I first decided to run, I never thought that I would serve over a decade and that we would face so many challenges.

But never has our Town’s future been so bright. We have a staff and Council who are focused not only on today’s issues, but our future. Congratulations also to Council members Gonzalez and Armstrong on their re-election.

It is an honor to serve with you.

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Your Mayor,

Gary Bruhn

Stop by for Lunch and enjoy tasty

Tamales, Hot Dogs, Philly Steak Sandwiches, Bratwurst and more! Also pick up fresh produce, local honey, fresh bread, pasta, organic tea, nuts, gourmet cheeses, roasted coffee, healthy snacks, plants, fresh kettlecorn and much more! Visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WindermereFarmersMarket.

Every Friday 9 am – 2 pm Main Street

Every 4th Friday 5 – 9:30 pm Main Street Every 4th Friday of the month, the Town of Windermere’s Downtown Business Committee hosts the Family Food Truck Night. The event is held on brick Main Street, in front of Town Hall, located in the heart of Downtown Windermere. Bring friends, family, chairs, blankets and an appetite. For the current month list of participating trucks please visit our website at www.town.windermere.fl.us. The DBC is currently looking for entertainment sponsors ­—please contact Chris Sapp at chrissapp@cfl.rr.com for sponsorship information.

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1 3 t h A N N UA L U M C

Saturday, April 12 – 8:00 am Windermere Parks and Recreation is pleased to present the 13th Annual UMC Windermere 5K Run/Walk Among The Lakes. The three-mile route meanders through Windermere’s beautiful lakefronts of Butler, Down and Bessie under the canopy of old oak trees. We anticipate more than 1,000 runners and walkers and invite all of our residents to join in the fun. Every participant will receive a Collector’s Edition T-Shirt featuring a custom design by Wildlife Artist Stephen Koury. The event will feature: Chip Timing, Kid’s Fun Run, Photo Finish, Chick-fil-A, Panera bagels and Livie water. To sponsor or volunteer please contact Donna Steele at donnaswindermere@gmail.com or call 407-876-2563 ext. 5321 or stop by the Town Offices at 614 Main Street, Windermere, FL 34786.

For info and registration visit: www.SOMMERSPORTS.com

Painting courtesy of Wildlife Artist Stephen Koury

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Saturday, April 19 / 10 am

If you are over the age of 60, join us at Town Hall for the next

The Windermere Police Department’s Annual

Easter Egg Hunt

will be held in Town Square, directly behind the Windermere Town Hall. Join the Easter Bunny, Mayor and Police Chief for a parade to Town Square after which the egg hunt will begin! The Bunny will be on hand for pictures, so bring your cameras. The Town will provide drinks for the children. If you are interested in bringing cookies or snacks please contact Jacquelyn Hefeli at 407-876-2563.

Elders Luncheon April 15 / 11:30 am

RSVP to Karen Fay at 407-876-2218.

If you are in need of a ride, please call Mayor Bruhn at 407-876-1732.

Calling All Town Businesses!

The Downtown Business Committee (DBC) of Windermere invites all Town Business Professionals to attend the first DBC Quarterly Social to meet, network and have some fun.

Thursday, May 15 / 5–7 pm @ Yapor Realty 625 Main Street, Suite 103 Downtown Windermere Drinks and Hors d’Oeuvres will be served.

If your business is interested in hosting a future DBC Quarterly Social, please contact Irma Yapor at 407-909-8000 or irma@yapor.com.

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May 26, 2014 • We Must Not Forget

To all who’ve served to protect our freedom,

WeThank You.

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DON’T MISS THE

July 4th • 8:30 – 10:30 am $7 for adults, $3 for children @ Town Hall (tickets for sale at the door)

SELLING WINDERMERE SINCE 1980

407.810.1803

www.judyblacklakefront.com 8

Introducing “Windermere Safety Watch” This is a NEW program designed to provide information and better communication to residents, to help prevent crime in the Town of Windermere.

Founded in 2014, this program will provide residents with communication efforts to help protect themselves, their loved ones, their homes and vehicles from criminal activity.

The “Windermere Safety Watch” program serves as a vital complement and extra layer of security to our streets and to our local emergency agencies. This new program has been carefully constructed to provide an effective two-way communication from the Windermere Police Department to Town of Windermere residents AND offers new ways for residents to communicate with the Windermere Police Department. When communities unite with a strong, positive relationship with their police force to help prevent crime, it is good for everyone!

The goal is to have all 2,800 town residents participating in this program... asking all neighbors to look out for their neighbors. YOU are the eyes and ears of YOUR neighborhood on a daily basis.

In order for this program to be successful, we need YOU! CAUTION: Windermere residents must understand that the Windermere Safety Watch will undertake efforts to enhance the safety of persons and property in the Town of Windermere. All residents and business owners should continue to take action necessary to protect the safety of themselves and their property, and not rely on the efforts of the Windermere Safety Watch.

Please email windermeresafetywatch@gmail.com with the following information to receive more details on this program: Your first and last name, home address, email addresses and best phone numbers to reach you and/or your family.

Additional ways to stay connected with Town safety information:

Remember to always be aware of your surroundings and report suspicious activity to your local law enforcement by calling 911 or the WPD patrol line 321-299-4339 for non-emergencies.

• Sign up for Town of Windermere E-Notifications and visit the Windermere Police Department webpage on the Town’s website at http://town.windermere.fl.us

More to follow in the next issue of the Gazette.

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• Follow Windermere Chief David Ogden on Facebook

Spotlight on Ruth Marcus Windermere Police Department’s School Crossing Guard, Ruth Marcus, has been safely crossing our children to and from the elementary school for the past three years.

Originally from Camilla, Georgia, Ms. Marcus is a long-time resident of Pine Hills.

Ms. Marcus retired from Eckerds/CVS after 30 years of driving forklifts in a warehouse. She was not ready to retire completely though, and her love of children inspired her to become a school crossing guard. In addition to working as a crossing guard, Ms. Marcus works part-time at the Orange County Head Start program. She assists the teachers with ensuring preschool children are taught the basics that will prepare them for kindergarten.

Ms. Marcus has sixteen grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. She enjoys cooking, reading her bible, and going to church. Ms. Marcus will tell you that she is easy to get along with, she loves children, and she enjoys interacting with teens. She is particularly interested in “what is on their minds” and she pays close attention to what they have to say.

Her position as a school crossing guard at Windermere Elementary has been very rewarding for Ms. Marcus. She has had the opportunity to get to know several of the children on a more personal level, as she continues to interact with them and has done so throughout the past few years. We are grateful for her services to our community, and we are proud to have her as part of our Windermere team!

The first ever Windermere Police Department Annual Report can be found on the Town website. What an outstanding year 2013 was for these officers! This team accomplished significant changes and is in pursuit of professional excellence in policing. A new vision exists, new leadership is committed, technology has improved, goals and objectives were written, professional policies and procedures were executed, cost saving measures were achieved and our officers are committed and proud to be a part of these changes.

and understand the mission. Equally, I am grateful that the Town Manager, Town Council and the residents of the Town of Windermere have shown unwavering support in the professional development of our agency.

The Windermere Police Department is not the same agency that it was merely one year ago. We look forward to 2014 setting new goals and accomplishing new objectives to meet those goals.

That is our commitment to the Town of Windermere. I want to thank everyone again for their support.

I am proud of the men and women of the Windermere Police Department and the team that has enveloped our new motto “Honor, Integrity, Service” to our community. Our officers have worked hard, been short staffed, overcome many challenges in the past year

Regards,

Chief Dave Ogden

“The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer”

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Valentine’s Movie Night February 14, 2014

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HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS Prepare and Stay Aware!

www.floridadisaster.org

It is never too early to prepare. Stay informed and alert. Here are just a few tips to get you started.

Please visit the websites below to obtain thorough information to get you ready.

• Get a weather radio and stay current with the weather news.

• Have a safe place to go for you, your family and your pets.

• Have on hand: canned foods, manual can opener, water bottles, first-aid kit, battery-powered radio, flashlights, wrench or pliers, duct tape and extra batteries; and make sure your car has a full tank of gas and your cell is fully charged.

• Visit www.town.windermere.fl.us for Town instructions • National Hurricane Center: www.nhc.noaa.gov • Road Closures - Florida 511: www.fl511.com • Florida Highway Patrol: www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/traffic

A History of Real Estate Excellence • Serving Windermere since 1976 • Butler Chain Experts • Top Producers of Estate & Luxury Properties

www.SuziKarrRealty.com 527 Main Street • 407-876-3688

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LITTLE TENNIS - Beginners Ages 5-6 Ages 5-6 6-week session

Monday 4:30 – 5:30 pm April 7 – May 12

Cost $95

QUICKSTART- Level 1 Beginners Ages 7-9 6-week session

Monday 5:30 – 6:30 pm April 7 – May 12

Cost $95

Ages 10-13 6-week session

Monday 6:30 – 7:30 pm April 7 – May 12

Cost $95

QUICKSTART- Level 2 Novice Ages 7-9 6-week session

Tuesday 4:30 – 5:30 pm April 8 – May 13

Cost $95

Ages 10-13 6-week session

Thursday 5:30 – 6:30 pm April 10 – May 15

Cost $95

RALLYBALL - Level 3 Novice Ages 7-9 6-week session

Tuesday & Thursday 5:30 – 6:30 pm April 8 – May 15 Cost $180

JUNIOR ACERS - Level 4 Intermediate Ages 7-9 6-week session

Tuesday & Thursday 5:30 – 6:30 pm April 8 – May 15 Cost $180

(10% off Town of Windermere Tennis Members) To register please visit: www.mgtennis.com/windermere-tennis.

For questions or further information please contact Marcelo Gouts at 407-963-1471 or email marcelo@mgtennis.com.

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Farmer’s Market ..................................................... Every Friday 5k Run/Walk Among The Lakes ................................... April 12 Elders Luncheon ........................................................... April 15 Easter Egg Hunt ............................................................ April 19 Food Truck Night .......................................................... April 25 DBC Quarterly Social ..................................................... May 15 Food Truck Night ........................................................... May 23 Rotary’s BBQ & Bow Ties ............................................. May 24 July 4th Pancake Breakfast .............................................. July 4

For more information on these or any other Town activity please contact us at: (407) 876-2563 or visit our website: www.town.windermere.fl.us

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