Wintermagazine Garden
April 2013
a community
Blooms
Engineering Thrills
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Orlando, FL Permit No. 544
Winter Garden, Florida where good things grow 2 | Winter Garden Magazine | April 2013
a note from the publisher
W
elcome to the first edition of Winter Garden magazine. We’re proud to bring you an exciting new publication dedicated to the people that make Winter Garden such a great place to live, work and play. Being involved in media for most of my adult life, it amazes me at times that no matter how fast the world changes or how many new technologies are tossed our way, most people prefer the simple things in life - an afternoon with the kids, Saturday morning at the market or a quick bite after work with friends.
In this issue, we take a closer look at Glenn Birket of Birket Engineering. Like most locals, I’ve walked or driven past their building hundreds of times but never knew much about them. Turns out, they have quite a story to tell. We hope you enjoy learning more about them.
Drop us a line and let us know what you think. If you have an interesting topic you’d like to see us explore, just let us know. Want to become a contributor? Give us a call. We’re always open to new ideas. We want Winter Garden magazine to reflect our With those things in mind, Winter community. Garden has it all. How fortunate we are to have chosen such a great place And if you’d like to tell our neighbors to live. And, how thankful we should about your business or service, we ofbe that our civic leaders and neighbors fer affordable advertising alternatives. feel the same way. Thanks so much for allowing us to enter your home. We look forward to bringThe decision to launch Winter ing you interesting and timely informaGarden magazine came after Sat- tion about the place we all call home. urday afternoon lunch with a fellow Winter Garden resident. It was short- J. Steven Stern |Publisher ly after plans for a hospital were an- WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE nounced in the Fowlers Grove area. I 407 574-8742 | Info@SternMedia.com considered this person to be a mover and shaker and fairly connected to “what’s happening.” I asked his opinion of the new and, somewhat at the time, controversial facility. Much to my surprise he said, “What hospital?” It was then that I knew it was time for Winter Garden magazine. In the coming months, we hope you’ll enjoy learning more about our city and the people that make it great.
April 2013 | Winter Garden Magazine | 3
around the garden Friendly Landscaping Workshop april 10 Florida Wednesday, April 10 10 am - Noon Jessie Brock Community Center, 310 N. Dillard St FREE! Learn the 9 principles of Florida Friendly Landscaping including: right plant right place, group plants for water efficiency, appropriate fertilizer and mulch, manage yard pests, and conserve water and save money. Register: www.eventbrite.com/floridafriendlyworkshops or call 407-254-9850 (option 1, then option 2).
april 13-14
13th Annual Festival
SPRING FEVER IN THE GARDEN Presented by Bloom & Grow Garden Society Saturday, April 13, 2013 Sunday, April 14, 2013 In beautiful downtown Winter Garden Free Parking and Shuttle information go to www.SpringFeverInTheGarden.com Hours –Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
april 20 7th Annual Run in the Garden 5K Run/Walk Presented by Health Central Hospital
Join Tri & Run of West Orange for the 7th Annual Run in the Garden 5k Run/Walk starting and finishing in Historic Downtown Winter Garden, FL. This course will begin in historic downtown and wind through lovely neighborhoods and finish by the splash pad. This race will be ChampionChip Timed with Top 3 Overall and Age Group Awards. Date: Saturday, April 20, 2013 Time: 7:30AM start Cost: $25.00 through April 13th $32.00 April 14 - 19 $38.00 Race Day 15 & under / 65 & over - $15 in store registration only Online registration available at www.trinrun.com Packet Pick-up: April 17-19 at Tri & Run of West Orange, 56 W. Plant St. 10am-7pm or Race Day beginning at 6AM. For more information: 407-905-4786 Kid’s Run: FREE! Starts at approximately 8:45AM-sign kid’s up day of race. Post Race Food and Drinks!
4 | Winter Garden Magazine | April 2013
contents april 26
American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Winter Garden Friday, April 26 • 6 pm Saturday, April 27 • 12 pm West Plant Street and Tremaine Street The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life is a life-changing event that helps communities celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones we lost and fight against the disease. Teams camp out overnight and take turns walking around a track or path. Go to www.RelayForLife.org/WinterGardenFL for the schedule of events. 407.581.2520
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a closer look Birket Engineering, Inc.
11
banish boring lunches
14
will new mortgage lender rules affect you?
april 27
Got Drugs? On Saturday April 27, 2013 from 10:00am – 2:00pm The Winter Garden Police Department
Winter Garden magazine is an activity of Stern Media PO Box 1506, Windermere FL 34786 Publisher | J. Steven Stern | 407 574-8742
will be hosting the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Take-Back Initiative. If you have unused or expired medication, you may drop it off for safe disposal at the drop-off site in the WGPD parking lot. If you have any questions, please call Officer Megan McAvoy at 407.656.3636 x4093.
Editor | Elise Carter | 407 574-8742 ECarter@SternMedia.com Copy Editor & Graphic Design Mike Cox | MCox@SternMedia.com Advertising Jon Stern | 407 574-8742 Jon.Stern@Outlook.com Jon@SternMedia.com Winter Garden Magazine/SternMedia does not assume liability for products or services advertised herein. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of SternMedia and while every attempt is made to assure the accuracy and authenticity of information appearing in the magazine, SternMedia accepts no liability for damages caused by misinterpretation of information, expressed or implied, within the magazine. No representation is made or warranty given as to the completeness or accuracy of such information. The content of Winter Garden Magazine is copyrighted by SternMedia. It is strictly prohibited to reproduce or transmit in whole or part, any portion of our print or on-line magazine/content without the express written consent of SternMedia.
April 2013 | Winter Garden Magazine | 5
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Dr. Shene Allen Dr M.D.
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Dr. Douglas E. Gearity M.D.
Jennifer Ivy A.R.N.P., C.N.M.
Linda Peterson P.A. -C.
Established in 2001 by Dr. Douglas Gearity, M.D., The Women’s Center specializes in Obstetrics, Gynecology and In Office Procedures. The practice offers minimally invasive surgical procedures including: Tubal Sterilization (Essure), Endometrial Ablations, Urodynamics and Pelvic Floor Therapy, and a full range of gynecological and obstetric services. Sonographers are also available for Pelvic/Trans vaginal and Obstetric Ultrasounds. Serving Greater Orlando with seven offices including Ocoee and Clermont most commercial insurances are accepted. For expectant mothers, we offer Glamour Shot Ultrasounds of the baby at every visit, prenatal classes are offered twice a month and we deliver exclusively with Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.
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www.wcorlando.com April 2013 | Winter Garden Magazine | 7
people | a closer look
Engineering Thrills BIRKET ENGINEERING, INC.
WINTER GARDEN • SHANGHAI • SINGAPORE • HONG KONG
Like most people who regularly take in the ambiance of Downtown Winter Garden, we may tend to walk by many of the unassuming buildings and offices without so much as a second glance. Situated opposite the splash pad at the corner of Lakeview Avenue and West Plant Street is one such edifice. This historic building, which for more than 80 years was home to Pounds Motor Company, is now Birket Engineering’s world headquarters.
Glenn Birket - Birket Engineering
Founded in Los Angeles in 1984 and now guided by three brothers -- Glenn, Daniel and Steve -- Birket Engineering, Inc. works with the world’s major theme parks. Even though they have expanded into other areas, they are still best known for designing the hardware and software that keeps theme park attractions (such as roller coasters and pyrotechnics shows) safe for both the guests and entertainers. We caught up with Glenn Birket, President of the firm, in his office in Shanghai, China recently. He was gracious enough to take time from his 18-hour work day to talk with us. [Winter Garden Mag]: Are you a native of Central Florida? Glenn Birket: “Yes, we are all three natives of Central Florida, having lived in and around Orlando all of our lives, particularly Windermere and the Apopka area, with ties to Winter Garden as well.” “Our father worked as an engineer for Martin Marietta, now Lockheed Martin, for his entire career. He transferred to Orlando when Martin Marietta opened here in 1957. We remember him saying, ‘Engineering is not necessarily that great of a profession. You work on bombs that are intended to kill people and you can’t tell your kids because it’s all top-secret.’ None of us listened to him. We all became engineers but we are fortunate to work in the themed entertainment industry. It has been great fun telling our kids about our work!” “Dan and I attended the wooden Windermere schoolhouse at the corner of Sixth and Main. We would walk the old railroad track to school, and across the trestles at the canal, before there was a pedestrian bridge. During citrus packing 8 | Winter Garden Magazine | April 2013
season when the train would run to the Chase packing house south of Windermere, I would sometimes tape a penny to the track in the morning and then try to find it in the afternoon after the train had smashed it.” “Our mother was our Cub Scout Den Leader. She took us on field trips around Central Florida in the 60’s. We lived in the house on the corner of Park Ave. and Wauseon Dr. so we got to watch as the ‘new’ elementary school was built right across the street from us. The construction superintendent for the school gave me a tour, explaining how the concrete was poured, and other aspects of construction, all very interesting to an eleven year old. As a member of the first sixthgrade class at the new Windermere Elementary School, my class voted that the Mustang would be the school mascot.” [WGMag]: You mentioned your ties to Winter Garden... GB: “Winter Garden has been an important part of our life from the beginning. In the summers, we would go to Dillard Street Elementary to watch 16 mm movies. We took
swimming lessons in the Winter Garden city pool down by Lake Apopka, as well as in the Windermere Lakes. We attended the Episcopal Church of the Messiah in Winter Garden, where we were baptized. I went to Lakeview High School in the seventh grade. Then we all moved to a home that we built ourselves on wooded acreage near Apopka, and finished high school there.” “While living in northwest Orange County, Steve and I both had jobs at Walt Disney World from high school through our college years, always driving to work through Winter Garden. I remember Plant Street in the 70’s, the “lost years” of Winter Garden, when things were quite run down. Driving past the Pounds Motor Company building, I wish I had paid more attention to what I was seeing – the future home of our business!”
States Pavilion at Epcot, the American Adventure. It initially appeared to be a simple little task, but it evolved into one of the most complex projects Disney had ever undertaken. This is mainly because we needed to operate so many large interlocking mechanical scenes and set pieces on a small stage-- all synchronized to a large-screen projection. The project was all-consuming for almost five years. It was a great experience, under the guidance of the more senior Disney engineers. Without realizing it, I was building the foundation of a company that would continue to serve theme parks for decades thereafter. [WGMag]: How do your brothers Dan and Steve fit into the organization? GB: “Of the three of us, Dan is the most focused and devoted to his engineering profession. After graduating with a degree in Engineering Mathematics and
Computer Science, he worked for five years in aerospace, mostly at what is now Lockheed Martin. He joined Birket Engineering, Inc. in 1987 and has earned great respect throughout the themed entertainment industry, having programmed the safety control systems for many of the most widely recognized iconic rides and stunt shows at major theme parks around the world. He recently commissioned a major water-themed stunt show in Singapore, and is currently working on roller coasters in China.” “Steve has a more varied background. During his college years he worked at Disney in the character department, most memorably as Goofy on water skis. Although Steve has worked at ŝƌŬĞƚ ŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ƐŝŶĐĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ĂŌĞƌ he graduated from UCF, he has taken long periods away to work directly for both Disney and Universal Studios in engineering and project management
[WGMag]: What college did you attend? GB: “Dan, Steve, and I all graduated from the University of Central Florida with engineering degrees. When I began there in 1975, it was Florida Technological University. The year that I graduated, the name changed to the University of Central Florida. I remember learning about software during my sophomore year, and telling my younger brother Dan that I thought he would find it really interesting. He did, and has been writing software ever since. Years after graduating from UCF, Steve earned an MBA from Rollins College.”
[WGMag]: Was there a catalyst or event that lead you in such a unique direction? GB: “After graduating, I took a job in California with what is now called Walt Disney Imagineering. At that time it was called WED Enterprises, WED being the initials of Walter Elias Disney. As a newly graduated engineer, I was assigned to the design of the electronic safety control system for the United April 2013 | Winter Garden Magazine | 9
capacities. He was a project manager for Universal Studios during the design and construction of the Islands of Adventure theme park. Steve is a past president of the Eastern Division of the Themed Entertainment Association and is very well connected throughout the themed entertainment industry. Steve stays busy preparing proposals for project work as the Director of Business Development for Birket Engineering.” [WGMag]: Speaking of children, what is family life like for you and your brothers?
graduated from UCF with a degree in Criminal Justice, and is now attending the police academy. His son Joe recently graduated from Apopka High. His daughter Grace has always been homeschooled so that she can travel with her mother and father as Dan is often commissioning a attraction control system in some faraway place, most recently Singapore, Japan, and China.”
“Steve has three young daughters who are in the magnet program at Tildenville elementary.”
China to supervise the production and installation of equipment there. She is remarkably versatile and hard-working. I call her my “special weapon”, throwing her in wherever she is needed.” [WGMag]: When you’re not working, what do you like to do? GB: “I just work all of the time, day and night, considering that our staff in Asia is awake while our staff in Florida is asleep. Dan and Steve have more of a life, staying busy with their children. If I had more time, I would fly more. I have always enjoyed that. I hope to get back to it before long but my constant travels to China make it difficult. Steve and his wife also have pilot’s licenses.” [WGMag]: Where was the company previously located, and why did you choose Winter Garden?
GB: “I have two adults! My children have grown up and become two of my best friends. Both graduated from UCF. Christine’s degree is in psychology and Jerry’s is in business. Christine, 26, began her career in Los Angeles but recently moved back, and is teaching autistic children at a school in Winter Garden. Jerry, 24, has a business importing and distributing souvenir products to local entertainment venues. Jerry also recently started working at Birket Engineering, Inc. as an understudy and assistant to my brother Steve, and to one of our project managers.” “Dan has three children. John recently 10 | Winter Garden Magazine | April 2013
“My wife Felisha has an occasional role in the business. She is from Palau, a little island in the South Pacific. Upon graduation from high school she went to the University in Guam but ended up enlisting in the US Marines. During and after nine years in the Marines, she finished a degree in Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude. I met Felisha in 1999, as a single dad. Felisha put herself to work in our assembly shop, learning our business from the ground up. She went on to installing our equipment in the field and even working as interim shop manager. Later, she took over purchasing. In more recent years, as our work transitioned to Asia, we sent her to
GB: “The business actually began in Los Angeles, to be close to the clients that I understood, but I was able to move it back to Florida in 1987. For several years we were on MetroWest Boulevard in Orlando. During the slowdown in business in 2000, we moved to the building at the very west end of Silver Star Rd. in Ocoee. We were looking for a larger location in 2008 when the Pounds Motor Company building became available. We did not have to think twice about moving to downtown Winter Garden. The city has done such a spectacular job of developing the downtown area... Who would not want to be there? I spend half of my time in Asia, mostly Shanghai and Hong Kong now. I enjoy that, and I feel very fortunate to be able to become completely immersed in a foreign culture, however after a couple of weeks there I really look forward to coming back to Winter Garden and walking down Plant Street. I just feels like home. We like being in the Pounds Motor Company building for lots of reasons. Hoyle Pounds, the founder, was an engineer, inventor, and innovator-- the same talents that we believe are necessary to make our own business successful! We look forward to a year or so from now when we will renovate the building-- carefully preserving its
continued on page 14
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April 2013 | Winter Garden Magazine | 11
real estate & lifestyle Mortage Loan Rules Changing for Some Borrowers As of April 1, 2013, the Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, changed their MIP (mortgage insurance premiums) on loans. Who will this affect? If you plan to purchase a home using FHA as opposed to a conventional loan it will cost you more money. By law, FHA is required to maintain a 2% reserve on its Mutual Mortgage Insurance fund (MMI). Because of the bad loans funded in the early 2000's, FHA had a drop in its MMI to 1.44%. In an effort to rebuild to its original 2%, FHA has made the move to increase its annual mortgage insurance premiums on most FHA backed mortgage loans. This equals out to you (the borrower) as an increase of 10 points annually, or 0.10 percentage points. The increase applies to all loan terms under FHA, including 15 and 30 year fixed rate mortgages, which are the two most popular.
insure. For the average priced home of $250,000, this is about a $20 increase per month. The FHA loan limit for Orange County is $353,750. The Conventional loan limit in Orange County is $417,000. Buyers purchasing home of values higher than this typically opt for a Jumbo Loan with an average down payment of 20 percent. The silver lining is that more and more conventional loans are allowing 3 and 5 percent down payments to qualified buyers. Now that the housing market is showing increased stability, conventional loan are offering products to consumers with down payments that compete with FHA.
The FHA also announced that it is reversing its policy which allows FHA-backed homeowners to cancel mortgage insurance premiums once the outstanding principal balance of an FHA loan reaches 78% of the original balance. As of April 1, 2013, you may no longer remove the MIP throughout the life of the loan if the beginning loan balance is higher than 90% of its appraised value. This will remain true for purchases and refinances that fall in this category. If the loan balance is 90% or lower of its appraised value then the MIP must be paid for 11 years (this change takes effect June 3, 2013). FHA mortgages typically cater to first time buyers who only have the minimum of 3.5% to put down or buyers with less than stellar credit. In an effort to minimize their exposure to these sometimes riskier loans, FHA has decided to increase their premiums by .1% on most loans they
Reprinted with permission. Florida RealtorsÂŽ. All rights reserved.
Winter Garden Real Estate Spotlight 34787 Foreclosures and Short Sales are still affecting property values in Winter Garden. While nearby areas like Dr Phillips seemed to have turned the corner, home values in Winter Garden have not yet benefited from a consistent upswing. It’s still great for Buyers and a waiting game for Sellers. It will be interesting to see what effect the Spring/Summer buying season will have on the overall market.
Period: February 15, 2013 & March 15, 2013 Active Listings: 158 List Price Range: $33,000. - $3,999,999. Tradtional Sales: 127 Short Sales/Foreclosures: 31 Sold: 89 Highest Resale: $401,000. 5 Bedroom/4 Bath/ 3361SF on Lake Ingram Rd.
Information provided by Linda A. Stern, Licensed Real Esate Broker The Stern Group Professional Real Estate Services 407 376-2434 | Linda@FlaOrlando.com | www.FlaOrlando.com
12 | Winter Garden Magazine | April 2013
en Winter Gard magazine April 2013
A community
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Engineering Thrills - Contineud from page 10
history, but also modernizing it so that it can serve us and the community more effectively.”
[WGMag]: What has been your most rewarding project--not necessarily financially, but rewarding career-wise? GB: “I will answer in two ways. The first one is not really a project in the conventional sense but it has definitely been a project in another way. It is our ‘move’ to China. In 2003, plans were in place by major theme parks to open a park in Shanghai and another in Hong Kong. Then the focus shifted from Shanghai to Singapore to open a park there in 2010. Now there are plans to open one in Shanghai in 2015. So, it was in 2003 that we realized our clients were going to Asia in a big way, and if we wanted to continue to be successful serving them, we must also go to Asia. In October 2003, I took my first trip to China. Currently I am on my 34th trip! Each trip typically lasts four to six weeks, then I have about four to six weeks back in Florida before returning to China again. The last 10 years has been a continual process of coming to terms with the fantastic opportunities and perpetual challenges of working in China. I once read that ‘Every day in China you see something that you don’t see every day,’ and I still find that to be true. We currently have a staff of seven in Shanghai, about to double as we go to work on the latest Shanghai project. Our growth in Asia fuels the growth of our office in Winter Garden. Back in 2007, we were fortunate to encounter a control systems engineering company in Hong Kong very similar to our own, but serving a different industry. They were so good to work with that we purchased a large part of their business. That gave us an office in Hong Kong that has grown to about 15 employees, supporting Hong Kong park expansion projects and other entertainment projects in that area of China. There are aspects of doing business in China that will be eternally confounding to a Westerner but we made many friends in Asia, and the rewards of that far ex14 | Winter Garden Magazine | April 2013
ceed the other frustrations. In addition to supporting the theme park work in Asia, being in Asia has given us ready access to the abundant fabrication resources there, opening doors to the expansion of our business in Florida.”
[WGMag]: Have you worked on a project where you thought to yourself, “I can’t believe I have the opportunity to do this,” or “I can’t believe I’m being paid to do this?”
GB: “All the time. Personally, I don’t go to theme parks. I work on them. But, there are times, for example when
walking through an empty theme park at night when it strikes me that there are so many who wish that they could see the things that I see, as I see them. We all feel this way about our work.”
[WGMag]: What do you see the future holding for your business? GB: “The goal is to continue to grow the business in both the US and Asia, making it more diversified and stable. I have no goals regarding retirement, although someday I would like to slow down a bit. My long term goal is to prepare the business to be easily passed along to others.”
[WGMag]: Have you or the company won any awards for accomplishments?
GB: “Yes, we have garnered at least 7 industry awards for outstanding achievements in Lighting, Motion Control, Technical Production and Show Control, to name a few.” [WGMag]: Thank you, Glenn, for sharing your story with us! Much continued success to you and the Birket Engineering family!
GB: “Thank you for thinking of us.”
So, the next time you stroll down Plant Street and see the “Winter Garden, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong” on the door of Birket Engineering you’ll know what it’s all about. | By J. Steven Stern Publisher
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Themed Parties
Bar/Bat Mitzvahs
Call 407.331.1993 or visit www.arthurscatering.com