01.04.18 West Orange Times & Observer

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

2018 FORECAST

SPORTS HOLIDAYS ON THE HARDWOOD Basketball teams from local schools spent their holiday on the court.

OBSERVERPREPS.COM

YOUR TOWN SHUGART RETURNS TO W.G.

People and stories to watch From overcrowded schools and traffic woes to youth sports and growing downtowns, West Orange promises to be chock full of news in 2018. SEE PAGES 3-15.

Sandy Shugart, the multitalented president of Valencia College, is returning to the Garden Theatre with his tight-knit group of musicians to create a warm blend of folk-influenced, acoustic coffeehouse-style sounds.

The concert is at 8 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 13, at the theater, 160 W. Plant St., Winter Garden.

Tickets are $25 ($15 with Valencia College ID) and can be purchased by calling the theater box office at (407) 877-4736 or online at gardentheatre.org.

NEED MORE CHRISTMAS? You can still watch the City of Ocoee and Ocoee Lions Club Christmas Parade, which took place Dec. 2.

It is airing on Spectrum Channel 493 through Jan. 8. Airtimes are 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday.

It also can be viewed on Ocoee TV’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/ watch?v=8nzbR-u3ZAw.

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YOUR CALENDAR

SATURDAY, JAN. 6

LEGO BLOCK PARTY 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, and 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, at the Winter Garden Library, 805 E. Plant St. Is there anything you can’t build with LEGO? The library provides the LEGOs, guests provide the creativity.

Ages 6 to 12. (407) 835-7323.

MONDAY, JAN. 8

RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEETING 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8, at the Central Florida Railroad Museum, 101 S. Boyd St., Winter Garden. At the Central Florida Railway Historical Society meeting, Warren Jennison presents “Railroad Lineside Structures.” Free. (407) 656-0559.

TUESDAY, JAN. 9

PUZZLE PARTY 6 to 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, at the Winter Garden Library, 805 E. Plant St. Studies have shown that working on a jigsaw puzzle uses both sides of the brain.

Spending time working on puzzles improves

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

memory, cognitive function and problem solving skills. Enjoy an evening of puzzling. (407) 835-7323.

UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, at the West Oaks Library, 1821 E. Silver Star Road, Ocoee. Social Security touches the lives of every American. Achieving the dream of a secure, comfortable retirement is much easier when you plan your finances. Topics covered in this seminar include retirement benefits, survivor benefits, disability benefits and Medicare. Discover your benefits at SocialSecurity.gov.

(407) 835-7323.

THURSDAY, JAN. 11

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT 5K 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, beginning at the Independence clock tower, 14213 Pleach St., Winter Garden. Join the Windermere High School cross country team in its inaugural 5K fundraiser. First 500 partici-

pants receive a limited-edition glow-in-the-dark T-shirt, glow bracelet and necklace. Food trucks will be set up at the finish line. Race entry starts at $30, and packet pickup will be available on race day starting at 4 p.m. Funds raised will help the boys and girls teams in their 2018 season. Register via school pay at Windermere High and Bridgewater Middle schools or at localraces.com/ whscrosscountryteam/lightup-the-night-5k.

SATURDAY, JAN. 13

CRAFT CLUB FOR ADULTS: PAPER BEAD JEWELRY 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at the West Oaks Library, 1821 E. Silver Star Road, Ocoee. Make beautiful handcrafted jewelry using paper beads. (407) 8357323.

SANDY SHUGART IN CONCERT 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at Garden Theatre, 160 W. Plant St., Winter Garden. Sandy Shugart, the multi-talented president of Valencia College, returns with his tight-knit group of musicians to create a warm blend of folk-influenced, acoustic coffeehouse-style sounds. Tickets are $25 ($15 with Valencia College ID) and can be purchased by calling the theater box office at (407) 877-4736.

OUR TOUGHNESS IS YOUR STRENGTH.

WEIRD, WACKY AND WILD 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at the Winter Garden Library, 805 E. Plant St. Ordinary? Not these animals. Encounter some of the world’s most unusual creatures like the naked mole rat through stories, activities and more.

Ages 6 to 12. (407) 835-7323.

THURSDAY, JAN. 18

DISCOVER U.S. CENSUS RECORDS 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, at the West Oaks Library, 1821 E. Silver Star Road, Ocoee. The United States Federal Census has been conducted every 10 years beginning in 1790. Learn what information is contained in each of the censuses and discover how to use all of the various bits of information from the census as clues to further your research. (407) 835-7323.

BULLET JOURNALING 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, at the West Oaks Library, 1821 E. Silver Star Road, Ocoee. Love to make lists, use colorful pens, scrapbook and stay organized?

Then Bullet Journaling is for you. Learn how to create your own customized bullet journal at this fun and creative program. (407) 835-7323.

SATURDAY, JAN. 20

CULINARY BASICS & MARKET TOUR CLINIC 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan.

20, at the Winter Garden Masonic Lodge, 230 W. Bay St. The Kids Cooking Connection, in Windermere, is hosting the clinic for children ages 7 and older.

Class begins by walking the Winter Garden Farmers Market.

Chefs will learn how to select the best produce and learn kitchen safety with a focus on knife and chopping skills on their produce. Participants will create a dish and receive a chef knife. $100. (321) 677-2991.

MONDAY, JAN. 22

SELLING SUNSHINE Ongoing exhibit through Monday, Jan. 22, at the Winter Garden Library, 805 E. Plant St. The Winter Garden Heritage Museum has created this display that pays homage to the citrus industry and the art of citrus advertising. (407) 6563244.

SATURDAY, JAN. 27

CORNERSTONE HOSPICE TRAINING 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care, 5655 Orange Ave., Orlando. Volunteers can offer support, companionship and practical, compassionate help to patients and their caregivers. Training is free; interested volunteers must pre-register.

Kayla Lopes, (407) 514-8205 or klopes@cshospice.org.

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EMERGENCY CONTACTS BY MUNICIPALITY

Lessons learned After Hurricane Irma, local city and county leaders reflect on what improvements they can make for the 2018 hurricane season.

DANIELLE HENDRIX BLACK TIE EDITOR

After weathering Hurricane Irma — which experts have called the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade — and many before it, Orange County leaders know a thing or two about disaster preparedness.

Hurricane Charley, which made landfall in the state as a Category 4 in 2004, was previously the strongest storm to hit the area. But after Irma tore through Central Florida in September, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said the storm damage was far greater than Charley’s aftermath.

Charley was a more powerful storm, but Irma was much larger in breadth. With more than $51.5 million in damage countywide, Irma was a force — one that had residents bracing for the worst.

Although basic emergencymanagement protocols are similar, no two municipalities are exactly the same.

ORANGE COUNTY

Although the county itself made minor changes in areas such as sandbag distribution and traffic signal maintenance, as well as mass sheltering, operational plans, resources and policies in place have remained largely the same since 2004.

Keith Kotch, assistant manager of the Orange County Fire Rescue Department and Office of Emergency Management, said although preparedness planning is important and there are common threads among storms, each incident is unique and presents its own challenges.

“Hurricane Irma brought the similar issues of widespread power outages; areas of flood-

IRMA BY THE NUMBERS 55,332 yards of debris in Winter Park 77 days to clean up storm debris in Winter Park 25 days to clean up storm debris in Windermere 5 confirmed deaths due to Irma in Orange County

$51,676,838 total

verified storm damage in Orange County

3,001 Orange County

properties with verified storm damage

300,000 approximate

number of homes that lost power

ing; and food, water and ice needs, but the extent or scale of the issues was more unique,” he said. “The fact that the majority of the state was impacted the same way added to the apparent slowness of recovery, as service providers and vendors were affected as they had not been before. Not being able to count on quick resupply of local grocery stores and restaurants was a new challenge, as was the issue with protecting life amongst area health care facilities that had lost power.”

Effective and progressive emergency management and preparedness activities are always based upon post-hurricane evaluations and lessons learned, Kotch said.

“Some areas that are being re-evaluated due to our ‘lessons

learned’ from the past couple of hurricane seasons, especially from Irma, include: sheltering issues such as pet-friendly sheltering, medical specialneeds sheltering, issues caused by extensive and long-term power outages, flooding mitigation efforts and joint public/ private response and recovery efforts,” Kotch said.

He encourages residents to take the time now to prepare for future disasters by developing a personal and family disaster plan.

“The time to plan and prepare is now when we are enjoying blue skies, not when storm clouds are on the horizon,” Kotch said. “Being prepared is not just a hurricane season thing, it’s a thing for all seasons and all types of disasters.”

OCOEE

Ocoee’s Emergency Operations Center is located in the Ocoee Fire Department headquarters and serves as the central location for government officials and primary and support agencies to establish their command post in the event of a major event or disaster.

In the aftermath of Irma, the city hired a debris management contractor to collect storm debris citywide. Contractors worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week, to collect the debris — a process that was anticipated to take two months.

Although Ocoee planned to pay for the $1.2 million contract from its reserves, it also expects to be reimbursed by FEMA in the future.

In the days leading up to Irma, Ocoee distributed more than 2,000 sand bags to residents and also opened Ocoee High School as one of Orange County’s five

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

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host shelters for South Florida and coastal evacuees.

WINDERMERE

Windermere might be small, but its preparation and recovery ORANGE COUNTY efforts were mighty. n Orange County Fire Town Manager Robert Smith Rescue Headquarters said the town has a standard P.O. Box 5879, Winter Park procedure in place for all hur(407) 836-9000 ricanes, but it still dealt with challenges posed by Irma. This n Orange County included relocating police Sheriff’s Office personnel to the Ocoee Police P.O. Box 1440, Orlando Department during the storm (407) 254-7000 because of inadequate facilities and difficulty with communiOAKLAND cations because the town does n Oakland Police not have an operational EOC. Department “Staff worked hard, and we 540 Oakland Ave., Oakland were able to clear the debris (407) 656-9797 within 25 days of the storm,” Smith said. “Residents need OCOEE to be aware that during and n Ocoee Fire Department immediately after a storm event 563 S. Bluford Ave., Ocoee such as this it is better to stay (407) 905-3140 indoors until they receive an all clear from local officials. Famin Ocoee Police Department lies were walking around with 646 Ocoee Commerce downed power lines, trees and Parkway, Ocoee hanging limbs.”

(407) 905-3160 To prepare for this season, the town will be looking into estabWINDERMERE lishing redundant emergency n Windermere Police contracts for debris clean-up.

Department Town staff plans to provide 620 Main St., Windermere radios for Public Works staff (407) 876-3757 and continue to enhance existing facilities. It is also looking to WINTER GARDEN create an app to better commun Winter Garden Fire nicate with residents.

Rescue Department “I think we did a great job and 1 E. Cypress St., Winter key to the results we achieved Garden was having contracts in place (407) 877-5175 with debris clean-up companies and making sure they were n Winter Garden top-notch companies that had Police Department the resources to do the job,” 251 W. Plant St., Winter Mayor Gary Bruhn said.

Garden (407) 656-3636

WINTER GARDEN

OTHER EMERGENCY RESOURCES n Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: emergency.cdc.gov n CodeRED registry: Cities such as Winter Garden and Winter Park use this database, which matches your cell phone to your home address, allowing emergency dispatchers to contact you with pertinent information in an emergency. To sign up or see if your city used CodeRED, visit your local police department or fire rescue’s website. n Federal Emergency Management Agency: fema.gov n NOAA Hurricane Center: nhc.noaa.gov n OCFL Alert: Download this app for emergency updates from Orange County.

Sign up for emergency texts and emails at ocalert. net. n U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: epa.gov/ hurricanes

In the days leading up to the storm, Winter Garden was among many local municipalities that provided sand bags for its residents. But the city also encourages its residents year round to prepare for disasters by making a kit, sticking to a plan and staying informed.

“Emergencies or disasters can strike at anytime with little warning and may force you to decide to evacuate your current location or stay where you are,” Winter Garden Fire Rescue Department wrote in its emergency preparedness flyer. “It is important to consider what an emergency or disaster could mean for you and your family, as everyone’s needs and abilities are different.”

Winter Garden Fire Rescue recommends all citizens who use a cellphone as a primary contact register their number in the CodeRED registry located on the Winter Garden Police Department’s website.

This matches your cellphone to your home address, making it easy for emergency dispatchers to contact you with information in case of an emergency.

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2018 FORECAST

Observer

Getting to work

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944 Publisher / Dawn Willis, dwillis@OrangeObserver.com Executive Editor / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com

Since elected as the House Representative for District 44, Bobby Olszewski has filed five bills, three appropriations and plans to run for re-election in 2018.

Design Editor / Jessica Eng, jeng@OrangeObserver.com Senior Sports Editor / Steven Ryzewski, sryzewski@OrangeObserver.com News Editor / Gabby Baquero, gbaquero@OrangeObserver.com Community Editor / Amy Quesinberry, amyq@OrangeObserver.com Black Tie Editor / Danielle Hendrix, dhendrix@OrangeObserver.com

BRITTANY GAINES

Contributing Writer / Brittany Gaines,

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

bgaines@OrangeObserver.com

Stepping onto the House floor for the first time, a sense of pride and gratitude filled Bobby Olszewski, the recently elected District 44 State Representative. It was a moment that had been months in the making.

After serving two terms as the District 3 Winter Garden commissioner, Olszewski ran for the District 1 Orange County Commission seat in 2016. It was only after he lost the race that he set his sights on Tallahassee.

“I believe everything happens for a reason, and although we all have moments where we know we could have done better, I would not change a thing,” Olszewski said of the path that took him to Tallahassee.

After winning the special election Oct. 10 and replacing Eric Eisnaugle, who resigned in 2017, Olszewski wasted no time in getting to work. By Oct. 11, he was in Tallahassee working on policies and legislation.

“It has been an exciting few months being up in our state capitol participating in committee meetings and drafting legislation to prepare for the upcoming session starting in January,” Olszewski said. “I have enjoyed meeting and working with all of my colleagues, as well as House leadership, to make a positive impact in both District 44 and throughout our state.”

According to Olszewski, it was his time spent serving on the Winter Garden City Commission that helped prepare him for his new role.

“I was blessed to have been elected to two terms as a Winter Garden commissioner, where I was already tested as a public servant,” he said. “I worked with my constituents to ensure all voices were heard, and I am doing the same thing as a state representative, except now on a larger scale.

It is truly important to me that I represent all of the people I serve, which is why I have always tried to make myself accessible to all of my constituents. These experiences allow me to represent our community up in Tallahassee with passion each and every day.”

SETTLING IN

Over the last two-and-one-half months, Olszewski has been hard at work and already has filed five bills and three appropriations.

“To be a great public servant in the Florida House of Representatives, you have to work hard for your constituents, prove yourself to colleagues and form great working relationships to get

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Florida State Rep. Bobby Olszewski balances time in Tallahassee with time at home with daughter, Reagan, and wife, Allison.

“Becoming a father makes our community even more special to me because this is where Reagan will grow up, and I want her, and all of the families in District 44, to have many opportunities.”

— State Rep. Bobby Olszewski

things done for your community,” he said. “Serving in the Legislature is truly a team sport, and I want to be a valued colleague and an influential lawmaker for my constituents. It is refreshing to work with many talented individuals from around our state with the goal of making our quality of life in Florida even better for generations to come.”

There are several causes in particular that Olszewski holds close to his heart: removing government regulations, helping small businesses succeed, animal welfare and education.

“As the son of a retired public school teacher and the husband of a current OCPS teacher, I’ve been raised to understand the importance of an education and how knowledge can open doors for your life,” he said. “I believe we need to empower parents to make the best educational choices for their children, making sure they have the right resources invested to fulfill their children’s unique educational goals and circumstances.”

FAMILY AFFAIR

Since winning the special election, life for Olszewski has been become a balancing act between serving in Tallahassee and supporting his family at home, but he largely credits his wife with keeping his busy schedule balanced.

“My wife, Allison, is the CEO of our household, so she deserves

all the credit for helping me balance my time to ensure I am not neglecting any area during this exciting journey,” he said. “There have been a lot of wonderful curve balls thrown at us in our life lately, and we work together as a team to ensure I do not over-serve one need only to miss out on another important one.”

And one of Olszewski’s top priorities is being a father to his 1-year-old daughter, Reagan.

“Waking up every day knowing Allison and I are responsible for the health, well-being and care of our child is an overwhelming honor and responsibility,” Olszewski said. “There is no greater gift than being Reagan’s dad, as she is an endless source of pure joy and love. Her smile lights up a room, and it is so fun to watch her learn something new every day.”

READY FOR MORE

Although his term only lasts until November 2018, Olszewski already has filed for re-election.

“I … would be honored to continue to represent District 44,” he said. “My current focus is the legislative session and getting as much done as possible for our community, but expect me to be knocking at your door again very soon asking you once again to Vote Bobby O in 2018.”

Until then, he plans to continue collaborating with his fellow legislators to ensure the upcoming session helps District 44 thrive.

“We need to instill sound public policy that allows our community to meet its challenges head on and continue to grow in a way that meets the many needs of our residents, businesses and communities,” Olszewski said.

“I will be our community’s advocate in Tallahassee, because I will work collaboratively with all of our state legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle to protect what makes our community and state so great. District 44 can be assured we have a legislative representative who knows this community forward and backward and is advocating exclusively for our community’s success.”

See bills and appropriations filed by Olszewski at OrangeObserver.com

A WIFE’S PERSPECTIVE What is it like being the wife of a politician?

Bobby is a wonderful husband and the best dad to Reagan. He always knows how to make her laugh. We work together as a team in everything we do, because this is our hometown community, and it feels great that we get to help make it even better for our daughter.

We also get to meet many interesting people and share unique experiences because of his public service.

I guess it goes with the territory of being a wife of an elected official, but just like all spouses, I could do without the negative attacks on my husband. Bobby is a good and honorable man, so when the same blatant lies are used over and over again during campaigns, it is hurtful and exhausting. However, the great majority of public service is very inspirational.

The best part is seeing the passion that Bobby has when working so hard for our community and being able to hear directly from people who he has helped.

How do you balance supporting your husband’s career with being a mother and teacher?

Bobby is so supportive and encouraging of my career at Orange County Public Schools (for which) I am currently teaching at Independence Elementary in Horizon West. I love teaching and serving families in our community. As a family, we are truly a team. We make family time a priority. We also like to take Reagan with us to most community events. We are excited for her to meet new people and see different places. Sometimes, the events are a little too late for her and she gets to spend time with her grandparents, which she absolutely loves, too.

Ultimately, we are blessed to be a great team and have our wonderful family nearby.

Allison Brunelle, abrunelle@OrangeObserver.com Katie Rehm, krehm@orangeobserver.com

CONTACT US

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If you wish to subscribe, visit our website, OrangeObserver.com, call (407) 656-2121 or visit our office, 720 S. Dillard St., Winter Garden.

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To contact us, send your information via email to Michael Eng, meng@ OrangeObserver.com.

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Such great heights Kurt Ardaman, the city attorney for Winter Garden, Winter Park and several other municipalities, recently embarked on an adventure in Nepal with his family.

GABBY BAQUERO NEWS EDITOR

As the city attorney for five local governments, Kurt Ardaman’s career involves stacks of paperwork and the minutia of realestate ordinances, stipulations and guidelines.

During his 33-year career, Ardaman has developed an expertise for solving problems and navigating the complex intricacies of law, which he emphasized is in constant flux because of new state laws and amendments.

His expertise is of great use for local governments that find themselves continually drafting ordinances to offer protection against state laws that encroach on home rule.

“There are so many wonderful things about law, and it changes every day,” he said.

“The most interesting part is coming up with creative ways to solve my client’s problems and reach their objectives.”

However, the problems associated with litigation, land-use law and home rule remained far from Ardaman’s mind as he faced a new challenge: the harsh environment of Mount Everest to reach the South Base Camp in Nepal.

Ardaman, who resides in

Gotha, took the trek alongside his two adult daughters, Ansley and Kara Ardaman, and his sonin-law, Nick Asma.

“We didn’t go out there with the intent to climb all the way up Mount Everest, but I still liked the challenge,” Ardaman said.

After signing up for the trek with Sherpa Mountain Adventures, Ardaman and his family trained their bodies before they embarked on the 13-day trip with 15 other climbers and 20 Sherpas from Oct. 18 to Nov. 9, 2017. Ardaman and his family ran up SugarLoaf Mountain near Clermont in Lake County and up and down the bleachers at West Orange High School.

But nothing could have prepared them for the nights spent trying to sleep in plywood buildings that lacked insulation, in which the Sherpas burned yak dung on a stove to produce heat.

The lower levels of oxygen, freezing temperatures, the ability to only shower once during the whole trip, and limited diet of hard-boiled eggs, yak cheese, rice, soups and steamed vegetables took some getting used to, Ansley said.

However, the challenges of the journey were worth the sights. The trek took them past picturesque views, temples and Buddhist prayer wheels. Most importantly, it gave them mem-

Courtesy photos

Kurt Ardaman, Kara Ardaman, Nick Asma and Ansley Ardaman enjoyed their time in Nepal.

ories of a lifetime.

One such memory involved an experience wherein the group had to cross a suspended threefoot-wide bridge alongside the yaks carrying their supplies. At one point, the bridge started shaking and the Sherpa shouted at them, telling them to run because a spooked 1,000-pound yak behind them began running across the bridge, Asma said.

“It’s definitely a whole different way of life,” Ansley said.

“There we were, sleeping in our trekking gear and down pants, and the porters carrying the supplies were wearing flip-flops and a shirt. We didn’t see any starvation or hungry people, but they were frugal and did not have much.”

The travelers said Nepal offers “a different way of life.”

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

Relief incoming Through the county’s INVEST program, several West Orange thoroughfares are slated for improvements.

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

It’s difficult to hop in the car to make a quick run anywhere in West Orange. As more people visit the area and decide to call it home, the capacity of the roads cannot keep up with the amount of traffic traveling them.

Traffic nightmares seem to be all around us, but the good news is Orange County continues to make road infrastructure improvements. Drivers just need to be patient with the process.

“Our roadway takes about eight years from conception to completion,” said Raymond Williams, Engineering Division manager with Orange County’s Public Works Department, as he explained the process.

“The first part starts at Transportation Planning,” he said.

“They look at the entire county and the congested roads ... then they prioritize ... it goes to (the Board of County Commissioners) for approval, and then they do a Roadway Conceptual Analysis … (which is) a study with a lot of public participation.

“After they go through that process, they come up with a recommended alignment and improvements,” Williams said.

In the next step, the project goes to Williams’s department.

A consultant is brought onboard

MAYOR’S INVEST INITIATIVE

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs’s $300 million initiative, INVEST in Our Home for Life, begins a series of projects across the county.

Announced during the mayor’s 2015 State of the County address, INVEST will provide infrastructure, new public-safety facilities, vibrant neighborhoods and affordable family housing, enhanced recreation opportunities, safety improvements for pedestrians and transportation connectivity throughout Orange County.

Conservative county budgeting and an improved economy will allow Orange County to use existing resources to fund INVEST.

for the design portion, which takes about two years.

Right-of-way acquisition is next, and this takes two years, as well, Williams said. Construction is the final step.

“It takes eight years, and that’s if we have the money,” Williams said. “We find that it takes much longer.”

What road improvements can West Orange residents expect to see in the coming years? Wil-

liams provided information on several projects in the Roadway Capital Improvement Program.

FICQUETTE ROAD

Improvements will be made on Ficquette Road from Summerlake Park Boulevard to south of Overstreet Road. Orange County is about to start final design to widen this segment of road from two to four lanes. Rightof-way acquisition will follow, with construction scheduled to begin in 2021.

The existing roadside ditches that carry stormwater will be replaced with a closed drainage system.

A raised median will separate opposing traffic flows, and there will be sidewalks and roadway lighting.

The project is funded through Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs’ INVEST Initiative and is currently estimated to cost up to about $18 million.

REAMS ROAD

Several infrastructure projects have been planned along Reams Road, one of which is from Summerlake Park Boulevard to Taborfield Avenue, about 3.1 miles. This is contiguous with the current Reams Road widening that is under construction.

The county currently is conducting a Roadway Conceptual Analysis, which Williams

Orange County has earmarked several major West Orange roads for improvement.

describes as a preliminary engineering study with significant public input. Inwood Consulting Engineers Inc. is the consulting firm on this phase of the project.

The RCA will be followed by right-of-way acquisition, with construction expected to begin about 2022.

The scope of work is similar to the improvements to Ficquette Road: a divided, four-lane roadway.

This project also is funded through the mayor’s INVEST Initiative and is currently estimated to cost up to $36 million.

Stakeholder and general public input in community meetings will play a key role in guiding the development of the study recommendations.

Reams Road is currently a two-lane facility with housing and commercial development flourishing in the surrounding areas.

COUNTY ROAD 545 /AVALON ROAD

Road-widening and realignment improvements are being planned along County Road 545/ Avalon Road following Orange County’s approval of a preliminary design study in 2015. The Roadway Conceptual Analysis of C.R. 545/Avalon is under way and the data-collection process is approximately 60% complete, Williams said. The RCA should be done by August.

The county is getting ready to conduct an RCA for the segment of C.R. 545 between the Turnpike bridge and State Road 50.

Avalon Road is proposed as a four-lane divided roadway within a 120-foot right-ofway. The roadway segments included in this study comprise a major component of the critical roadway network required to support Orange County’s vision for the Horizon West Planning Area. The study limits began approximately 1,300 feet south

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WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

of the intersection with the south leg of the proposed Loop Road, which is an existing two-lane section. The end of the study is approximately 1,300 feet north of the intersection with Schofield Road.

SAND LAKE ROAD

A Roadway Conceptual Analysis has been completed for Sand Lake Road, a 1.3-mile segment from Apopka-Vineland Road to Turkey Lake Road. A secondary road, Wallace Road from Apopka-Vineland Road to Turkey Lake Road, about 1.5 miles, also will be evaluated for conceptual improvements.

The operational capacity of the existing four-lane sections of Sand Lake Road was evaluated, and operational enhancements to reduce congestion and improve travel times and safety were recommended. This includes a multi-use shared path on the south side of the corridor, enhanced pedestrian crossing features at the Dr. Phillips Boulevard intersection and continuous eastbound/westbound outside lanes for right-turning vehicles between Rialto and Dr. Phillips Boulevard.

The final design is expected to commence this year. Funding and scheduling for construction are still in the works.

Traffic volumes establish clear segmentations of the corridor, with the heaviest traffic volumes occurring at the far eastern end of the corridor and tapering off as traffic passes the Dr. Phillips Boulevard intersection, where about one-third of the traffic turns right northward onto Dr. Phillips Boulevard.

The corridor currently has fivefoot sidewalks located toward the back of the right-of-way. There

are no dedicated bicycle facilities, such as on-street bike lanes, and the nearest transit service stop is on Turkey Lake Road.

The most congested segment of the roadway, Dr. Phillips Boulevard to the Rialto signal, is addressed through lane enhancements, median enhancements and roadside improvements including a new shared-use path.

To address the access management concern at the uncontrolled median opening at the entrances of The Fountains and Plaza Venezia, one alternative offers either a directional median opening or a new signalized intersection, which would require a future traffic signal warrant study, according to the county.

A 10-foot-wide shared-use path is being considered for the south side of the project corridor.

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7

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

SILVER STAR ROAD

STONEYBROOK WEST PARKWAY

Orange County is participating in a proposed roundabout at the intersection of Stoneybrook West Parkway/Roberson Road and Windermere Road with the city of Winter Garden through an Interlocal Agreement.

The city will be responsible for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the roundabout.

In February, the city began work on the County Road 535 widening project at the intersection of Stoneybrook West Parkway, State Road 429 and Daniels Road.

Winter Garden funded this work, and the improvements will tie into upcoming work the Central Florida Expressway Authority will be performing on the northbound S.R. 429 on-ramp.

Work will be performed by the city’s contractor, Atlantic Civil Constructors Corporation.

Courtesy

This rendering depicts a realigned Silver Star Road where it intersects farther west on Franklin Street.

The city of Ocoee has begun a new transportation study with local and state officials to look at ways to realign Silver Star Road to improve its function for drivers and pedestrians. The study area, also known as Franklin Street and Ocoee-Apopka Road, is between State Road 429 and Bluford Avenue.

The Florida Department of Transportation has jurisdiction over Silver Star Road (State Road 438), and the study, which will include public participation, will use FDOT-provided federal funds. It is expected to take up to 18 months to complete.

MetroPlan Orlando, Central Florida’s transportation planning organization, is leading the study in coordination with

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the cities of Ocoee and Winter Garden and the FDOT. The realignment of Silver Star Road was a major component of the long-range vision for downtown Ocoee. In addition to removing the two-block offset at Ocoee-Apopka Road, this project would include roundabouts at two locations: Bluford Avenue and Franklin Street.

The realignment of Silver Star Road in the Ocoee-Apopka Road area would result in relocating the Franklin Street intersection further west, where it would also serve as a future terminus for an extended Oakland Avenue.

The City Commission dedicated $445,000 of the General Fund Bond proceeds to paying half of the cost of a preliminary engi-

neering design evaluation effort that would be needed for FDOT to look at alternative alignments and configurations. However, since that time, MetroPlan Orlando and the FDOT have jointly decided to first commit to doing a planning-level effort to explore the long-term needs for Silver Star Road through Ocoee.

The study is the first step in helping the city achieve its vision for its downtown revitalization, which will include enhancing connectivity and accessibility, creating a safe environment for walking and biking, establishing trail connections and identifying strategies for improved transit service.

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WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

2018 FORECAST

PROCESS OVERVIEW Although constantly building new schools to alleviate overcrowding might seem like a simple solution, it’s not that easy — or that fast. The district must identify areas of need, acquire and entitle school site, set zones and then design and build new schools. Here’s an overview of the process, according to OCPS: 1. District demographer and Advance Planning committee analyze birth rates, growth and development to project enrollment.

2. The Advance Planning committee considers the location and capacity of existing schools to determine future needs.

3. School locations are targeted and projects designed (school type, size, etc.).

This rendering shows a potential design of the Bridgewater Middle relief school.

Courtesy

Playing catch-up BLACK TIE EDITOR

As the fourth-largest school district in Florida — and the ninth largest in the country — Orange County Public Schools is no stranger to accommodating a growing student population.

However, doing this is no easy feat, and there are no inherently simple solutions.

OCPS already oversees 188 traditional K-12 schools — along with a Capital Improvement Plan that outlines the schedule of renovating, replacing or building new schools over the next 10 years.

As of Dec. 15, more than 207,000 students are currently enrolled at those 191 traditional schools, and the number keeps growing as more families decide to call the Orange County area home.

And the growth isn’t stopping anytime soon, either. According to projected population statistics from the Orange County Planning Division, by 2020, the total population of students — ages 5 to

munities they serve as efficiently as possible.

OCPS AT A GLANCE n Fourth largest school district in Florida n Ninth largest school district in the country n 191 traditional K-12 schools n 20 high schools n 37 middle schools n 125 elementary schools n 5 K-8 schools n About 24,000 employees n More than 207,000 students currently enrolled at traditional K-12 schools

19 — will have grown by 25% since 2000.

With the ever-increasing volume of students moving to Orange County, reduced availability of suitable land to build schools on, the current funding available and even neighborhood opposition, more than ever, OCPS staff now are faced with the dilemma of how to accommodate the com-

DETERMINING NEED

Before the district can even begin to think about building, renovating or replacing schools, the areas in question must demonstrate a need for it.

And it takes teamwork, too.

OCPS’s Department of Facilities Planning is responsible for ongoing coordination with Orange County and its member governments.

There is a multitude of factors that must be considered when determining effective solutions for the county’s schools, and this includes coordination of the following: gathering information on growth and development; implementation of interlocal agreements; negotiating capacity enhancement agreements and school concurrency agreements; securing land entitlements for new schools; and coordinating planning activities with other OCPS departments.

6. New schools open on time and within budget.

WHY DO SCHOOLS OPEN AT OR NEAR CAPACITY? There are three primary reasons for this, OCPS spokeswoman Lauren Roth said.

1. It’s not the best use of taxpayer money to open a school that will be under capacity, resulting in operational inefficiencies.

2. OCPS has to be conscious of not over-building. As a community and its children age, the number of students tends to diminish.

3. OCPS is growing so quickly that building an under-capacity school in one area means leaving students in another area in an overcrowded school.

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5. Limited fiscal resources, including taxpayer dollars and fees from developers, are allocated to purchase land, hire an architect and construct and furnish new schools.

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When trying to accommodate West Orange’s unprecedented growth, Orange County Public Schools officials are tasked with looking at more factors than you realize.

4. Projects are prioritized based on competing needs districtwide.

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

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9

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

CAPACITY WATCH TIMELINE OF OPENINGS

ENROLLMENT SCHOOL CURRENT CAPACITY

ELEMENTARY Bay Lake* 1,048 791 Bay Meadows 643 801 Citrus 577 683 Dillard Street* 615 562 Dr. Phillips* 718 581 Frangus 512 541 Independence* 1,048 786 Keene’s Crossing* 1,284 812 Lake Whitney 541 566 Maxey* 278 167 Metrowest 688 786 Ocoee 718 725 Palm Lake* 662 648 Prairie Lake* 847 809 Sand Lake 729 768 Spring Lake* 585 572 SunRidge 734 796 Sunset Park* 887 753 Thornebrooke* 779 636 Tildenville 546 682 West Oaks* 595 552 Westbrooke 736 785 Westpointe 759 786 Whispering Oak* 997 659 Windermere* 739 726

These openings reflect either new relief schools or replacements for schools in the District 4 area.

2017 IN REVIEW n Windermere High School, which relieved West Orange High School n Westpointe Elementary School, which shares a campus with MetroWest Elementary and relieved overcrowding there This is the site plan for a Horizon West/Lakeside Village South relief elementary school, scheduled to open in 2019 to relieve Bay Lake and Sand Lake elementary schools.

replaced or renovated.

According to OCPS, the district is also involved in reviewing residential development applications.

This is to assess the availability of school capacity for projects seeking a future land-use map amendment or rezoning that increases residential density.

As part of its Capacity Enhancement review process, the district looks to mitigate the overcrowding issue at schools past capacity, especially if they would be affected by additional units created by a future land-use change or rezoning.

MIDDLE: Bridgewater Chain of Lakes Gotha Lakeview Ocoee Southwest SunRidge

2,280* 1,040 1,328* 996 1,234* 1,093 940 1,069 1,440* 1,305 1,453* 1,163 1,358* 1,216

HIGH Dr. Phillips Ocoee Olympia West Orange Windermere

3,796* 2,799 2,527 2,770 3,362* 3,263 2,879 2,994 PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS INSURANCE 2,212 2,776 OWNER’S Once aTITLE need has been determined, *: Overcrowded PROTECTS it’s timeYOU… to find a suitable location

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YOUR GREAT-GRANDKIDS AND…

Gathering information growth and development is the Sometimes a relief school might first step, especially in OCPS’ fast- not be needed, but an older facility growing District 4, which covis due for upgrades, renovations or WELL, YOU GET THE IDEA. ers much of west and southwest even a total replacement.

Orange County. By 2022, District And, the district said, there is no 4 will have gained three relief ele- cutoff rate or formula alone that mentary schools, a middle school determines when a school will be and a high school in the span of relieved. four years.

New schools are scheduled to But the need is not exclusive to open when enrollment is sufthe west side of the county. Since ficient to support an additional 2003, OCPS has sited, built and school. Schools needing relief opened 49 new schools to accom- could be temporarily overcrowdmodate growth and relieve over-Get youred while new schools are designed ALTA title insurance is one of the Getting owner’s Homebuyer Guide atdecisions you’ll make crowding. And through the 2017and built. smartest and easiest alta.org/homebuyer. as a homebuyer. It’s a one-time purchase that 18 school year, an additional 108 All plans to accommodate protects your property rights as long as you or your heirs own your home. existing schools will have been growth are detailed in a 10-year

Capital Improvement Plan, which is updated annually. However, although the need for relief at schools such as Bridgewater Middle — currently at 200% capacity — might be apparent, there still are limited fiscal resources.

“With the volume of students coming in to OCPS each year, it is literally not possible to build schools that quickly based on current funding,” said OCPS spokeswoman Lauren Roth. “We opened 13 new or rebuilt schools this year and have 11 next year, which makes our program the most aggressive school-building program in the country. But (because) some of those are rebuilds/renovations of existing schools, they don’t all add capacity.”

Primary fiscal resources include the half-penny sales tax, property taxes and impact fees. Sales taxes pay for school renovations, while impact fees pay for new schools.

Relief-school openings must also be timed to ensure the school doesn’t open half empty, resulting in operational inefficiencies.

Schools aren’t cheap, either.

An elementary school prototype includes 830 student stations and costs $20 million. Middle schools

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include 1,215 student stations and cost between $35 and $40 million.

High schools, which can accommodate 2,776 students, cost $90 million.

Additionally, finding suitable land on which to build new schools is becoming more of a challenge as development countywide continues. Roth said that demographic projections are used to identify a target area where a school site will be needed, and the OCPS Real Estate Management team looks for available sites in the area.

Potential sites must meet state and local regulations, and many factors are taken into account: minimum size requirement, cost, whether land is flat and dry, lot shape and size, connectivity to infrastructure, compatibility, opportunities for joint use and future land use and zoning.

“The school district has an obligation to all of our communities — both growing and established — to make sure students are in modern, well-equipped facilities,” Roth said. “So that means we need to both rebuild existing schools that are aging and build new schools to accommodate growth at the same time.”

2018 n Frangus Elementary replacement school. This includes construction of a new prototype elementary school building with the latest classroom technology and updated classrooms, administration, art, music, kitchen, cafeteria and media center.

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

|

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

LAKESHORE CENTER

The expansion of the Lakeshore Center, estimated to cost about $2.3 million, will double the venue’s existing banquet room with the addition of 200 seats extending to the north in the area presently occupied by the city employee parking lot.

During a City Commission meeting held Dec. 19, 2017, commissioners approved an agreement with Collage Co., which will work with the architects, Rhodes + Brito, to finalize the design of the Lakeshore Center.

Construction is anticipated to begin in March and be completed by October.

RENOVATION OF OCOEE PLAZA Courtesy of Zyscovich Inc.

Upgrades incoming As progress on the city of Ocoee’s downtown revitalization project continues, here’s an update on which capital projects are expected to be done by late 2018.

The city of Ocoee’s mission to transform its downtown area has several milestones it aims to complete in 2018.

Among those goals is the reconstruction of Bluford Avenue, along with the expansion of the Lakeshore Center, wedding garden and the street network supporting traffic circulation around the Lakeshore Center, which it expects to have completed by late 2018.

The 18 capital projects, which total $43 million, will enhance public spaces and reconstruct main roads to provide more support for bicycle and pedestrian use. The projects, which Ocoee plans to complete within five years, are in various stages of design or construction, with some scheduled to begin in early 2018, said Ocoee City Planner Mike Rumer.

According to city documents, in December, the City Commission contracted with a company to finalize the project design for the Lakefront Park concept plan, completed construction of the second left-turn lane at Bluford Avenue and State Road 50, completed an initial design study for the new city hall and

began design on the reconstruction of Oakland Avenue.

CITY HALL RELOCATION

Three renderings of the exterior for the new, relocated Ocoee City Hall were presented by the architectural firm Zyscovich Inc. to the City Commission in a workshop Dec. 5, 2017.

The commission requested staff move forward with a rendering estimated to cost about $12 million. Zyscovich will continue to work with a designbuild firm to be selected in February to refine the interior.

City Hall will be moved to the northeast corner of Bluford Avenue and McKey Street. It will house ground-floor space designed for retail and food services. Construction is expected to begin by September 2018.

LAKEFRONT PARK

Upgrades planned for the 15 acres of Lakefront Park are in the conceptual design process

by S&ME, which could include the removal of existing roadways and buildings, construction of an amphitheater, commercial building spaces, a splash pad and playground, boardwalk, boat launches, piers, docks and pedestrian pathways.

“The new park that we’re

Included in the plans for the redesigned street network is the realignment of Silver Star Road. Current design plans propose the construction of two roundabouts — one at Bluford Avenue and one at Franklin Street. The realignment also would relocate the Franklin Street intersection farther west, where it also would serve as a future terminus for an extended Oakland Avenue.

developing here is going to be the driving force of our downtown, and the development of our new City Hall will be the first new building kind of setting this new urban landscape,” Rumer said.

The total cost of all the improvements depends on what upgrades the city ultimately decides to pursue. Even though the city acquired general bond fund allocation of slightly less than $2.5 million, at present, the city estimates the project might cost more than $10 million — assuming every element is constructed, according to city documents.

The city already is working with companies that have shown interest in investing in the future of the downtown.

One company in particular has purchased three properties along Silver Star Road, including vacant property across from Ocoee Plaza.

“Since we’ve passed the downtown vision, we’ve had one company in the construction business that’s purchased three properties in the downtown,” Rumer said. “One property they’re going to develop as a restaurant, a second property is going to develop under a market-type setup where you have multiple users and a common space, and the third is potentially going to be mixeduse with retail and townhomes behind it.”

Phase one, he said, will refresh the exterior façade of the buildings at the shopping center with the use of red brick, white stucco and the addition of awnings. Phase two would see the construction of a threestory building along Silver Star Road containing 7,000 square feet of retail space and 16 residential units on the second and third floors, and phases three and four propose three additional three-story buildings along Bluford Avenue, offering 28,000 square feet of retail space and 64 residential units.

Phase four also includes a three-story parking garage, and the city plans to add angled street parking on Silver Star Road, Franklin Street and Bluford Avenue. However, these plans are tentative pending an engineering survey and input from the Florida Department of Transportation, Rumer said.

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FEBRUARY n Start construction on interior of Lakeshore Center (exterior construction expected to begin in mid-March) n Complete preliminary design of public facilities to be included in Lakefront Park n Contract design-build services for City Hall relocation

NEWS EDITOR

259788

JANUARY n Complete installation of underground utilities on Bluford Avenue right-ofway n Finalize design for relocated City Hall n Complete construction of wastewater force main connector n Acquire rights-of-way for Kissimmee Avenue realignment and Taylor Street reconstruction n Complete project design for Lakeshore Center expansion

GABBY BAQUERO

SILVER STAR ROAD

259734

CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE

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2018 FORECAST

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The cities of Winter Garden and Ocoee are collaborating on their abutting corridor near State Road 429 and have passed the same overlay guidelines to ensure a smooth transition between the sister cities.

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

Winter Garden and Ocoee residents and drivers might think little is happening along the East Plant Street/Franklin Street corridor, but that is hardly the case.

“We both passed the same overlay guidelines early this year,” Winter Garden City Manager Mike Bollhoefer said. “Ocoee passed theirs approximately the same time. The Plant Street-Franklin Street Overlay Guidelines … takes them into their new downtown.

We’ll have bookend downtowns with development in the middle.”

Perhaps the biggest evidence of progress was last year’s infrastructure work on The Heritage. This M/I Homes community of townhomes and houses is being built on Plant Street on the old Battaglia property west of the Winter Garden Library. Construction on the models will begin early this year.

The city is in discussion with several developers about adding three-story, high-end apartments on the southwest corner of Ninth and Plant.

“We know there’s a high interest in apartments; we don’t want to see any high-density apartment complexes, because we think it longterm has a negative effect on all apartments,” Bollhoefer said. “So we’ve looked at 100-unit apartments. And we’ve also looked at them in places where it seems good for redevelopment.”

This includes Ninth and Plant, as well as the large Strates property close to S.R. 429.

“The entire development there (at S.R. 429) would be mixed use,” he said. “It would probably have offices, retail, probably some apartments. ... We would rather it not be a large retail center because one it would not be good for our Winter Garden Village (at Fowler Groves).”

CHARACTER AREA

The Plant Street Character Area will enable the downtowns to link together and help each city reach its economic development goals.

The Plant Street Character Area is part of the Winter Garden — Ocoee S.R. 429 Land Use & Economic Development Study and Master Plan that was developed in 2014 to create an economic development plan and strategy for the cities of Winter Garden and Ocoee.

The plan is intended for the Plant Street Corridor Area, which is divided into East Plant District and Gateway District. Two other area design plans to support the overall plan are the 429 Business Center and Interchange Village.

The East Plant District vision calls for the corridor to transition from auto-related uses to commercial, service and mixed uses.

STANDARDS IN DESIGN

To ensure a cohesive transition between the two cities, design standards have been adopted for this new, so-called “front door” to Winter Garden and Ocoee.

Guidelines call for standards, such as positioning buildings up front with parking in the rear to create a more pedestrian-friendly development. Height standards will allow buildings up to five stories from Ninth Street to State Road 429 and no more than three stories from Ninth to Dillard Street.

“From Ninth to Dillard, you want the buildings to transition and look more like downtown,” Bollhoefer said.

There is currently a large percentage of industrial businesses on Plant Street, and the cities are trying to make a shift to commercial use that would bring in highpaying jobs, he said.

“In economic development, you always want to find the higherpaying jobs because the service and retail will always follow,” Bollhoefer said. “That’s why you’ll probably see one or two restaurants on the Strates property.”

The overlay guidelines even take into consideration the repurposing of some industrial buildings, especially the citrus packing plants.

One section of the ordinance reads: “It is believed that communities that have buildings from different eras with distinct archi-

tecture of varying styles add to sense of place and add richness to the community fabric. Because there is demand for flex space, lab space, art studio space and livework space, these types of buildings are in high demand.”

Rules are now in place for building façades, pedestrian access, materials and colors of buildings, ground-floor residential character, parking lot design, streetscape, landscape and fencing.

Architectural guidelines will allow for a coherent look along the roadway and provide a gateway to each downtown. The new buildings will be compatible with their surroundings and promote sustainability. “(We’re waiting for) the right building size, the right type of business,” Bollhoefer said. “One we’re looking at could possibly take an old building. Next year, you’re going to see development start. We’ve had people come to us; it’s just working with them to find the right projects.”

The idea is to offer citizens the best quality of businesses possible.

“We want the values to hold,” the city manager said.

The residential community in east Winter Garden plays a role in the East Plant Street initiative, too.

Dover, Kohl & Partners presented a tentative plan for the city’s east end in July. One idea that City Commissioner Mark Maciel is eager to implement will showcase the history of the east-side community. He wants to see historical markers, or something similar, that recognizes the contributions of earlier black citizens.

In November, the Winter Garden City Commission took the first steps in annexing unincorporated Orange County enclaves into the city limits. The annexations are expected to take place by spring.

“This will be the year you’ll start to see something (along East Plant Street),” Bollhoefer said. “Once you see the first development come in, you’ll see two others follow. I would wager that by the end of the year, there will be a hotel ready to go.”

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

Making Orange County affordable To combat the lack of affordable housing, Orange County is brainstorming ways to incentivize developers to build more variety of housing types.

GABBY BAQUERO NEWS EDITOR

As many know through firsthand experience, finding an affordable home is a daunting task in highly populated areas.

And Orange County is one of them, which is why Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs launched a regional affordablehousing initiative in October 2016 that featured a series of workshops with architects and experts from local universities to inform policymakers on how to steer the private sector toward more affordable housing.

“From accessory dwelling units to innovative design, as well as the use of imaginative products and building concepts, we have the chance to make a real impact by creating a marketplace with a variety of high-quality affordable housing options,” Jacobs said. “And in keeping with our commitment to collaboration, we’re working with partners from throughout the state and region to bring forth a set of policies that will guide a regional approach to creating communities with a variety of housing types and incomes.”

IN DEMAND

Jacobs said the housing problem has intensified since the end of the recession. According to City-data.com, in 2016, the mean price for a detached single-family home was $287,901, and in November 2017, the average rent for an apartment in Orlando was $1,363, according to rentjungle.com, which collects rental data for about 80% of all listings in the country.

Mitchell Glasser, the manager of the Orange County Housing and Community Development Program, said the most significant challenge in tackling the situation in Orange County and surrounding Central Florida counties boils down to demand versus supply.

“The biggest challenge is not that we don’t know how to create affordable housing,” Glasser said. “I think the biggest chal-

lenge is that the demand so far exceeds our supply, especially on our rental side, that it’s hard for us to compete in this environment when people can build market-rate apartments and pretty much charge a premium price. Those forces are difficult to counter when you try to encourage someone to build affordable.

“On the homeownership side, before the recession, we had a certain number of developers that specialized in building affordable housing,” he said.

“But after the recession, the market came back and now the only ones we have that are consistently trying to build affordable are nonprofits. So trying to get the private sector back into the game of building affordable is a challenge.”

FINDING A SOLUTION

But to counter those market forces, Orange County is hoping to use certain incentives to encourage developers to construct a greater variety of housing types catered to low-income families.

“We’ve been talking about different mechanisms that governments in other areas of the country use to encourage affordable housing or to encourage developments to include a certain number of their units as affordable,” Glasser said.

The county is considering everything from the use of community land trusts, subsidies for developments that build affordable units, and other financial and regulatory incentives.

The objective is to sort out what strategy will work best in each county and identify which are the most suitable areas that are near public transportation, jobs, schools and services.

“Say you’re building near a transportation corridor like SunRail — a regulatory incentive would be to allow less parking spaces because the development is near transportation, meaning a family might not need to have two cars because someone might be using mass transit more,” he said. “So if you’re building near areas where there are good transportation and jobs, maybe there could

Courtesy photo

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs launched an affordable-housing initiative in 2016.

THEN AND NOW 1950

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3.37 people

2015

2,640 square feet

2.54 people

be some flexibility in parking requirements.”

A financial incentive could involve density bonuses, which would offset a developer’s overall construction costs assuming it builds a certain percentage of units designed for low-income families. Another possible incentive could take the form of a subsidy of the required impact fees if the developer builds

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single-family homes ranging between $160,000 to $210,000 or rental units that cost around $675 a month for a one-bedroom unit or about $750 for a two-bedroom.

Also under possible consideration for inclusion in the county’s future policy recommendations are what have been termed “inclusionary zoning ordinances,” which Glasser said has grown more popular within other highly populated and expensive areas.

“We’re also looking at inclusionary zoning ordinances, where you require all developers to build a certain percentage of affordable units,” he said. “They are usually done in more expensive areas of the state, but we’re starting to see that pop up more in South Florida.”

THE ‘D’ WORD

Glasser is aware some of the policy solutions under discussion require developments to increase residential density, despite strong concerns in Orange County regarding intense development.

But Glasser emphasized that vibrant cities in the country all lean toward dense development with smart design.

“Go to any vibrant city in the

United States, even in Florida, and you’ll notice the trend is to move back into the cities and be near transportation,” he said. “Density is not necessarily a bad word. Good design and good layouts of communities can make an area very vibrant. I think one of the main purposes of this is to try and get our community and the private sector to develop more variety of housing types to offer more housing options.”

Jacobs has since hosted two workshops on the issue, with an upcoming third workshop set for later this year that will be focused on the strategies to increase affordable housing in the Central Florida region. The end goal is to use the knowledge to create better policy.

“Once we’re finished drafting a set of policy recommendations, rather than stick it on a shelf and let it collect dust, we’ll work on both short-term and long-term objectives — whether it be changes to the land development codes, the creation of certain programs, or the use of advocacy and outreach initiatives, we’ll implement the policies,” Glasser said.

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WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

FAST FACTS n Born in Atlanta but raised in Central Florida n Holds three degrees from the University of Central Florida: bachelor’s (1983), masters (1986) and EdD (1996) n Has been in the field of education for 30 years n Orange County Public Schools superintendent since 2012 n Has won numerous awards for her role in education, with the most recent being named the Florida Superintendent of the Year (2017)

Super Woman Dr. Barbara Jenkins has earned numerous accolades during her five years as Orange County Public Schools’ superintendent.

TROY HERRING ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Every morning, Dr. Barbara Jenkins wakes up to a day filled with work.

Agenda meetings, board meetings, school visits, community activities — the list is seemingly never-ending and feels like the kind of schedule that would take an army to complete.

But there she is, a figure of poise and pure drive to do her job — and do it well.

It takes that kind of grit to oversee the ninth-largest school district in the country. She’s at the helm of an operation that educates 207,000 students across 191 schools. It’s an enormous task that comes with an equal amount of responsibility.

But it also comes with the potential of unparalleled satisfaction.

“I love teaching and learning — I’m always learning myself, so it’s just something that I’m drawn to,” Jenkins said. “It’s also because I believe in young people.

“I’m invigorated — I just feel energized when I visit schools and when I’m around our young people,” she said. “I so believe in their potential and in their future, and I want to be a part of making sure that they are successful.”

FIRST LOVE

Jenkins’ love for all things teaching has always had a strong presence in her life, even when she was a child.

While other children dreamed of becoming firefighters or astronauts, as a first-grader, Jenkins already had made up her mind on becoming a teacher, thanks to the inspiration that came in the form of one of her teachers.

“That was my first love,” Jen-

kins said. “I’ve never veered from wanting to be in (this) profession.”

After graduating from Winter Park High School, Jenkins enrolled at the University of Central Florida, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and administration in 1983. She followed that with a master’s degree in administration and supervision in 1986 and, finally, her EdD. After finishing her undergraduate degree and during her time working on her master’s, Jenkins started her first teaching job at Spring Lake and Conway elementaries from 1983 to 1987.

Over the next decade, Jenkins climbed the OCPS ladder — from her staff development resource teaching position at Lakemont and Killarney elementary schools to a role as senior director of elementary education from 1993 to 1998.

Also in 1998, Jenkins took her first major role helping to oversee a school system, but unlike her previous jobs, this one wasn’t in her own backyard.

For eight years Jenkins took over as the assistant superintendent for human resources for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system in Charlotte, North Carolina. There, she juggled numerous tasks for a district system that included 14,000 staff members and 120,000 students.

It was a satisfying, challenging position — and one that Jenkins didn’t want to leave.

“I actually didn’t expect that I would come back to Orange County,” Jenkins said. “I got this phone call from Ron Blocker, who was superintendent at the time, and he said, ‘It’s time to come home — I need you to come be my chief of staff,’ so I agreed to come back here and

then chief of staff later became deputy superintendent.”

During that time, Jenkins thought she was going to just take this role under Blocker and help as his deputy superintendent, but there was more to Blocker’s plan.

“What Ron Blocker didn’t tell me at the time was that he shortly thereafter announced a two-year notice of his retirement,” Jenkins said. “So during that period of time — the entire four years I was deputy — he gave me lots of opportunities and included me and let me have a lot of experiences. It made me a pretty strong candidate when the board decided to put out a search for a new superintendent in 2012.”

The rest, as Jenkins put it, “was history.”

VIEW FROM THE TOP

The job itself has been a rewarding adventure for Jenkins in more ways than one. Not only is her role as superintendent allowing her to continue her dream of helping oversee the education of local youth, but also it’s earning her and OCPS plenty of recognition in the process.

In 2014, under Jenkins’ leadership the district won the Broad Prize for Urban Education, which brought in $500,000 to

“I’m invigorated — I just feel energized when I visit schools and when I’m around our young people. I so believe in their potential and in their future, and I want to be a part of making sure that they are successful.”

— Superintendent Barbara Jenkins

Courtesy photo

go toward student scholarships from the Elie and Edythe Broad Foundation. Of everything Jenkins has accomplished as superintendent, she considers the Board Prize to be one of the highlights.

The county also has received the Governor’s Sterling Award in 2014 and 2015, as well as the Sustained Excellence Award in 2017.

In the last year alone, Jenkins has earned herself two impressive honors — a presidential appointment as the director of the National Board of Education Sciences in January 2017 and the title of Florida Superintendent of the Year.

“I was in shock to be a finalist, because we have so many fine superintendents all across the nation and certainly in Florida as well, so I was honored to represent Florida superintendents,” Jenkins said. “I didn’t get the national superintendent of the year, but to be one of the four finalists, I was so honored and pleased for the state of Florida and any recognition that my peers and I could receive from that.

“Most importantly, that recognition is in honor of my board and my leadership team, and all the people who actually do the work here in Orange County — I didn’t earn that by myself,” she said.

With her family firmly nestled in the Orlando area — her husband, Harold, is a Realtor; her daughter, Hillary, works as an attorney at Holland & Knight; and her son, Harrison, is finishing his last year at UCF — Jenkins has no plans to leave her post any time soon.

“I get calls periodically about other opportunities and other possibilities for jobs in the education field, and I will tell you nothing has attracted me more than Central Florida and the tremendous work being done by our entire community,” Jenkins said. “While we have gotten some great accolades, but there is so much more work to be done here.”

n Has served on a number of boards and councils, including the Orlando Economic Partnership, the Commission for Homelessness and the Winter Park Health Foundation Board of Trustees.

TEACHING HISTORY n Superintendent, OCPS (2012 to present) n Deputy superintendent, OCPS (2010 to 2012) n Chief of staff, OCPS (2006 to 2010) n Assistant superintendent for human resources, CharlotteMecklenburg Schools (1998 to 2005) n Senior director of elementary education, OCPS (1993 to 1998) n Principal, Brookshire Elementary School (1989 to 1993) n Assistant principal, Lakemont/Killarney Elementary Schools (1988 to 1989) n Staff development resource teacher, OCPS (1987 to 1988) n Teacher, Spring Lake and Conway elementary schools (1983 to 1987)

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

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Bullish on baseball While youth baseball numbers have seen a decline since the 2008 recession, business is good at Winter Garden Little League.

STEVEN RYZEWSKI SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

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Depending on where one is standing, the health of youth sports can look any number of ways.

Within the world of competitive — and, usually, expensive — travel teams and specialization training, there can be instances of growth and opportunity.

Overall, though, the nation at large has seen a decline in youth sports participation following the recession of 2008. Studies from several organizations, including the Aspen Institute and the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, among others, show that baseball is no exception in the big picture.

Although there have been some encouraging signs recently, participation is still down from prerecession levels. A study released by the Aspen Institute in September 2017 cites baseball’s core participation as 12.4% of youth in 2016, down from 16.5% in 2008.

There are any number of reasons that some Little Leagues are encountering participation problems, with more competing options for team sports and physical activity not least among them.

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BY THE NUMBERS Here is a look at the growth of Winter Garden Little League over the past three years.

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Travel baseball in Central Florida has been booming for some time.

Similarly, Windermere Little League has long been a success story, with participation so strong the league has a dual-charter to account for the large numbers.

And in Winter Garden, Winter Garden Little League has experienced impressive growth in participation, sponsorship and the league’s overall product.

Matt Eidelman, the league’s current president, assumed that position before the 2014 fall season. In just three years, there have been some noteworthy numbers.

Fall participation, which can be a bit of a struggle as youth football is popular during that time of year, is up to 504 children last fall at WGLL from 320 in the fall of 2014.

Anticipated spring participation for 2018 is about 560 players — up from 434 players in 2015.

That success in participation can be attributed to several factors, including overall population growth within the league’s geographic zoning. According to Eidelman, the league also is retaining more kids and families on a year-to-year basis, with many

* Anticipated

Steven Ryzewski

“We don’t have a lot of kids who leave. We make it as convenient as possible, that way travel-ball gels with Little League.”

— Matt Eidelman

sticking with it until the children age out. WGLL also has worked to coexist more effectively with travel-ball organizations so children can do both if they choose.

“We don’t have a lot of kids who leave,” Eidelman said. “We make it as convenient as possible, that way travel-ball gels with Little League.”

The sponsorship increases for WGLL have been more staggering.

WGLL had 17 sponsors at the end of 2014, which — at the time — was the most the league had ever had. That number is up to 33, with the league’s board of directors and marketing team are optimistic it can reach 40 sponsors by the start of the 2018 spring season.

“We now have businesses coming to us because of name recognition,” Eidelman said.

DETAILS, DETAILS

In recent years, part of what has worked well for the league has been an attention to detail embraced by the board of directors and its other volunteers.

Examples include landscaping around the fields and spectator areas, the condition of the fields themselves, offerings at the concession stand, the addition of a playground adjacent to the fields and uniform changes each season.

“It makes a major difference — (the details) make people want to be here,” Eidelman said.

The condition of the fields, which already had been improving thanks to the efforts of volunteer parents, took another big step forward last summer when the city of Winter Garden laser-leveled all four of the league’s fields.

“The Parks and Recreation (Department) and the city manager are tremendous support systems to Winter Garden Little League,” Eidelman said. “We have really built a true partnership.”

Keeping things fresh has been another trademark for WGLL over the past few years, and this spring will be no different. To continue

with the league’s theme of fun uniforms, the spring 2018 season will see WGLL teams don team names and uniforms from minor-league teams instead of the traditional Major League Baseball brands.

Coaches will be able to choose new and unique options — there are nearly 100 unique minorleague baseball brands with names that include Biscuits, Mud Hens, RubberDucks and TinCaps, among others.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Also in the works for the future are the additions of a challenger league for WGLL and a partnership with Windermere Little League for softball. According to Eidelman, the plan is for WGLL to introduce its challenger league — which enables boys and girls with physical and mental challenges to play — in the fall of 2018.

Then, in the spring of 2019, the plan is for WGLL — which currently does not offer softball — to merge with Windermere Little League — which does — and form the Windermere-Winter Garden Softball Little League.

In spite of all the good things happening at WGLL, there do figure to be challenges ahead, too.

The growth of the league has increasingly forced its board to be creative with accommodating more players and teams. With the anticipated growth for the coming spring season, Eidelman expects WGLL to join neighboring WLL as a dual-charter organization.

“We probably will complete this spring season and be told that we will have to go to a dual-charter, where we’ll have an American and a National League,” he said.

The growth creates struggles to fit in games on weeknights and leaves coaches scrambling to find open spaces to practice.

According to Eidelman, the city of Winter Garden has approached the league with preliminary plans to address the issue, but nothing is set in stone.

In the meantime, WGLL will continue to enjoy its upward trajectory and brand awareness, taking the challenges as they come.

“I always wanted to be able to leave the league better than what it was,” Eidelman said. “I want the city and anyone who is affiliated with Winter Garden to know Winter Garden Little League and what it’s about. I want it to have a good reputation.”

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

May Bell Johnson Bryant, 93, went to meet her heavenly Father on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017. She was born on May 29, 1924, in Coffee County, Alabama, to George Madison and Molly Idell Johnson.

She married the love of her life, Walter Frank Bryant, on Dec. 30, 1950. They moved to Winter Garden in 1951, where they raised their children and called it home until the Lord called them home.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Frank;

son, Danny; her parents; eight siblings; and grandson, Matt Bryant.

May Bell was a stay-at-home wife and mother who was selfemployed as a seamstress for many years. She was a quiet servant of God who loved doing things for others and for her church, Garden Cathedral Church of God. She will be greatly missed by her children, Sue (David) Robertson, Eddie (Kathy) Bryant and Teddie Bryant. Her grandchildren, who were privileged to call this special lady their “Granny,” are Valerie (Carlos) Tellez, Corrie (Nick) Mastin,

Felecia Bryant, Jeremy Bryant and Chad Robertson; as well as her nine great-grandchildren.

She loved us all selflessly and was a pillar of strength and humbleness. What a perfect example of a Godly woman who loved her family unconditionally!

Thank you to the special staff members of Health Central Park who loved and cared for our mother during the final stages of her earthly journey. A funeral service was held at BaldwinFairchild Funeral Home in Winter Garden, followed by burial at Winter Garden Cemetery, on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018.

“Because You Care” “Family Owned & Operated” Family Owned & Operated

795

All Inclusive A l l I n c l u s i v$e D iDirect rect Cremation Cremation $795

three lOcatiOns FOr M a iyOur t l a n d cOmFOrt 9001 N. Orlando Ave. West M a iOrange t l a n d , F L 3 2 7 5 1Sanford

Maitland

9001 N.Orlando Ave. 1400 Mathew Paris Blvd.

905 Laurel Ave. West Orange S a n FL f o r32771 d Maitland, FLM 32751 Sanford, 1400 a t t h e w P aOcoee, r i s B lFL v d34761 .

905 Laurel Ave. Ocoee, FL 34761

Sanford, FL 32771

(407) 695-CARE (2273)

KIMBERLY DYAN DODGE DIED MONDAY, DEC. 25, 2017.

Kimberly Dyan Dodge, 36, currently from Richmond, Texas, passed away on Monday, Dec. 25, 2017.

Kimberly was born in Winter Garden on Nov. 17, 1981, to David and Karen Dodge. She grew up in the Winter Garden community, attended Dillard Street Elementary and Lakeview Middle School and graduated from West Orange High School in 2000.

She met the love of her life, Eduardo, in 2010, and they married in Las Vegas on July 18, 2015. Although she and Eduardo weren’t blessed to have children, they had their dog, Stilton, whom they love very much.

She had a very outgoing personality, an infectious laugh and a beautiful smile that will be missed by all who knew her.

Kimberly was predeceased by her paternal grandparents, Ernest Ailor and Anna Mae Dodge; and her maternal grandparents, Bobby and Ernestine Peters.

She is survived by her husband, Eduardo Gonzalez Gar-

(407)695-CARE (2273)

www.D GDusipE w wEw. e G u sFi punERAl e F u n e rH a l omE H o m.eCom .com

cia; her parents David and Karen Dodge of Winter Garden; her two brothers, Ryan Dodge (Tamara) of Winter Garden and Craig Dodge of Groveland; her three nephews, Evan, Ty and Owen Dodge; along with many aunts, uncles and cousins.

Kimberly enjoyed watching baseball, specifically the Atlanta Braves. She learned to love baseball while watching her two brothers play ball her entire life.

She also enjoyed hanging out with her “crew,” Jamison Pitzer, Laura Williams and Kimberlee Doyle-Signor.

A celebration of Kimberly’s life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at Temple Free Will Baptist Church, 1208 E. Story Road, Winter Garden, Florida.

“Cremation Choices offers an affordable alternative to expensive funeral homes and cremation services in the Central Florida area.”

Direct Cremation

675

$

Plus Container

352-394-8228 921 S. US Hwy 27 • Minneola, FL One block north of Citrus Tower

Mary B. Root was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1925, the daughter of Curtis William and Caroline Strohecker Braswell. Mrs. Root grew up in Kentucky and graduated from Columbia College in Missouri.

She moved with her family to Winter Park, Florida, in 1950.

Mrs. Root taught kindergarten and was a secretary, homemaker and a loving Mom. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles A. Root.

She was a member of Oakland Presbyterian Church, where she served as an elder. She was a member of the Calico Club, a square dance group, and the

Bloom & Grow Garden Society.

Her survivors are: son, Clyde “Skip” Hughes (Robin), in New Smyrna Beach, Florida; daughter, Linda Bridges (Gary); three grandchildren, Danielle Dotson, Carson Bridges and Christopher Hughes; and four greatgrandchildren, Eric and Nacole Dotson and Nixon and Taggart Bridges.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Oakland Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 38, Oakland, FL 34760; or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 50, Memphis, TN 38101.

Collison Carey Hand Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements.

259837

MARY B. ROOT DIED WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20, 2017.

15

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

259831

MAY BELL JOHNSON BRYANT DIED THURSDAY, DEC. 28, 2017.

|

www.cremationchoicesfl.com

We offer a non-traditional setting for families to feel comfortable when planning for themselves or their loved ones. For more information and a complete list of prices, please visit our website: www.cremationchoicesfl.com

Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Home Winter Garden For the celebration of a lifetime, let us plan every detail.

We Proudly offer: • Traditional Burial and Cremation Services • Prearranged Funeral Services

407-656-2233 www.baldwinfairchild.com 428 E. Plant Street Winter Garden, FL 34787

Winter Garden’s ONLY family owned funeral home.

259742

WEST ORANGE OBITUARIES

OrangeObserver.com

Proudly serving all of

West Orange County with distinction and resPect

We value the importance of family in our community. As a family operated business, our services are personalized to suit you and your loved ones distinct needs. We strive to bring that personal connection to everyone we serve.

407-614-8350 Direct Cremation for:

795.00 Call for details

$

“Home of the area’s first certified therapy dog.

Feel free to stop in and say hello to Charley Girl!”

259743

www.winteroakfuneralhome.com

Mike Daly

Pre-Need Specialist

1132 E. Plant Street, Winter Garden Florida 34787 • LIC #F080822

Robert Bittle

Funeral Director In Charge

Vicky White

Administration

407-877-6700

www.collisoncareyhand.com 1148 E. Plant St • Winter Garden • Fl 34787 3 col x 5” Collison.Proud’16

259697

“That’s My Wish”

We are your Hometown Funeral Home, offering our:

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

|

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

CHURCH DIRECTORY

STARKE LAKE BAPTIST CHURCH PO Box 521, 611 W Ave, Ocoee Pastor Jeff Pritchard (407) 656-2351 www.starkelakebaptist.org

Non-Denominational HAVEN OF GRACE BIBLE CHURCH 13520 Foxcrest Blvd.

Winter Garden, FL 34787 Services 9:30 and 10:30AM 407-952-0510

EPISCOPAL

CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH 241 N. Main, Winter Garden Services: 8, 9:30, & 11am, 7pm www.churchofthemessiah.com

METHODIST

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 125 N. Lakeview Ave Winter Garden Service Times 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM Phone – 407-656-1135 Web: fumcwg.org

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION 4950 S. Apopka-Vineland Rd. Orlando Sun.Serv 8:30am, 10:30am, 5:30pm.

407-876-3480 www.ascension-orlando.org

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

PURPOSE CHURCH OLANDO 13640 W. Colonial Dr., Ste 110, Winter Garden 407-654-9661 • Prayer 9:30AM, Fellowship 9:45AM, Service 10:05AM

Advertise your Services or Events on this page weekly.

This page appears weekly in the West Orange Times & Observer and online at wotimes.com.

To advertise in the Church Directory call 407-656-2121 or email AdvertiseNow@OrangeObserver.com

260343

OCOEE CHURCH OF GOD Pastor Thomas Odom 1105 N. Lakewood Avenue, Ocoee 407-656-8011

WINDERMERE UNION CHURCH 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Rd. Windermere, FL 34786 407-876-2112 Worship times: 9:00am Adult Sunday School 10:00am Worship www.windermereunion.org

Words to Live By...

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

- Isaiah 40:30-31 (niv)

MIKE YOAKUM PASTOR

P: 407.656.1520 C: 407.758.3570 MYOAKUM407@AOL.COM

1333 EAST CROWN POINT RD. OCOEE, FL 34761

ONE MONTH

FREE

with first 5 approved applications Please come out and meet our staff and take a tour of the facility.

Interested in a Montessori Education, with a Christian Worldview, for your preschool child?

Learn more now by emailing Preschool Director Ginger Allen at ginger@MatthewsHopeMinistries.org

407.905.9500

740 9th St., Winter Garden, FL 34787

MatthewsHopeMinistries.org

www.facebook.com/MatthewsHopeFirmFoundation/

260964

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 125 E Plant St., Winter Garden 407-656-2352 Sundays 8:30 am Traditional 9:45 am Bible Study 11:00 am Contemporary Awana - Wednesdays - 6pm Pastor Tim Grosshans www.fbcwg.org 2nd Campus: “FOUNDATION WORSHIP” Sundays 9:45 am - All Ages at Foundation Academy High School 15304 Tilden Road - Winter Garden www.FoundationWorship.com 407.730.1867

CHURCH OF GOD

LV14252

BAPTIST

259739

16

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

W EAT HER

OrangeObserver.com

I LOVE WEST ORANGE

Gotha resident Iris Marrero submitted this image of a beautiful butterfly. She calls it, “Creation of God.” The West Orange Times and Observer is hosting this weekly contest, and winners will have their photograph featured and receive a $20 prize. To enter, email your photo, along with your name, city and a caption, to amyq@ orangeobserver. com; put “I Love West Orange” in the subject line.

Please include your mailing address to receive your prize.

ONLINE

FORECAST THURSDAY, JAN. 4 High: 52 Low: 32 Chance of rain: 0%

FRIDAY, JAN. 5 High: 51 Low: 35 Chance of rain: 0%

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

SUNRISE / SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Jan. 4

7:20a

5:42p

Friday, Jan. 5

7:20a

5:43p

Saturday, Jan. 6

7:20a

5:44p

Sunday, Jan. 7

7:20a

5:45p

Monday, Jan. 8

7:20a

5:45p

Tuesday, Jan. 9

7:20a

5:46p

Wednesday, Jan. 10

7:20a

5:47p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, JAN. 6 High: 55 Low: 40 Chance of rain: 0%

Jan. 24 First

Jan. 1 Full

Jan. 8 Last

Jan. 16 New

RAINFALL Tuesday, Dec. 26

0.00

SUNDAY, JAN. 7

Wednesday, Dec. 27

0.00

High: 66 Low: 52 Chance of rain: 10%

Thursday, Dec. 28

0.00

Friday, Dec. 29

0.00

Saturday, Dec. 30

0.00

Sunday, Dec. 31

0.00

Monday, Jan. 1

0.00

See other winning photos at OrangeObserver.com

YEAR TO DATE:

DEC. TO DATE:

2017 52.23 in.

2017

.52 in.

2016 48.40 in.

2016

.42 in.

SEARCH • FIND • POST

Sponsored in Part by...

Visit Our Community Calendar Today!

www.OrangeObserver.com/Calendar 105 Thing that’s staged 108 Informal “Would you like to?”

112 Beating around the bush 115 Queen’s attendants in “tied as in wailing” 120 Macho 121 Retaliated 122 Inside jacket layers 123 Fragrant oil from rose petals 124 “___ with everything” (neutral-shade fashion truism) 125 Rains ice 126 Groovy relative

44 Type of fence 45 Exact opposite in “is hesitant” 47 Journalist in with the troops 49 Wild West robber chasers 51 Is a loud fan 52 More intoxicating 53 Prominent or striking 56 Gore and Unser 59 Lease provider 60 Wager 63 Neither here ___ there 64 Barrister in “entry oat” 66 Organ givers 67 Wrestling’s “Giant” 69 Veggie in a straw DOWN 70 Title giver 1 Get ___ (settle a score) 71 PC’s brain 2 Certain citrus fruit 75 Wombs 3 Took the car wheel 77 Like treated diners in “an 4 Values highly gin pony” 5 Part of a fisher’s gear 78 What three is, in a saying 6 Purloin future sirloins?

81 Pledge at an altar 7 Bowlike shape 82 Roth, for one 8 Approaches 84 Center of subcultures 9 Superman has one 85 Spelling competition 10 Twosome, tabloid-style 86 Far from edible 11 Moore of film 12 Abbr. that prevents long 87 Like humans and mugs, but not all seals lists 90 Dastardly guy 13 Gov’t medical research 91 Engine necessity arm 94 Say again and again 14 Genetic strand, briefly 15 SUV brand in “old rev ran” 96 Tailor-made?

98 Hurls 16 Arabian independent 99 Engine sounds that cause ruler concerns 17 Mediocre 18 Type of basement pump 101 38-Across first name 103 Rumormonger 20 Big name in fables 104 Showy display 24 Imprint in rock 105 Developer’s map 26 Press forward 106 Magma on the surface 31 Joel of Hollywood 33 Easy underhanded toss 107 Mideast’s Gulf of ___ 34 Make an incorrect deci- 109 Tannery punching tools 110 Catch in the act sion 111 Yellow-striped pool ball 35 “Not that I’m ___ of” 113 Model that married 37 If-possible link David Bowie 38 Musical DiFranco 114 Fledgling or rookie 39 Negative answers 116 Swelled head 40 Household feline 41 Television, radio and more 117 “Catch that?”

118 Proofs of you in “I mime adult” 42 “Diamonds ___ Forever” 119 QB pass to the wrong team.

43 Singing King Cole

©2018 Universal Uclick

ACROSS

some 32 Not cloudy at all 1 Firstborn, to the second 36 Included in an atlas born 38 Couric, once, in “now, a 6 A long way from fresh monarch” 12 Infinite 44 Glue kin 19 Chapter go-with 46 Columbus was born 20 Ornamented with gold there 21 Ostrich relative 48 Showy, dazzling musical 22 Be an overactor execution 23 Reality evader in “hmm, 49 Brooch nice seascape” 50 Ones seeking gold in 25 Steinbeck or Dickens, “clam thesis” e.g.

54 Rent over and over 27 Mail in, as a payment 55 Eight-related 28 Discontinue 57 Marjoram or dill 29 Once named 58 Hubby of Queen Victoria 30 Facial features, for

61 Feature of any great athlete 62 Devoured 64 Mariner’s safer direction 65 Actress Lupino 68 Places for making soaps 69 Children’s dentist in “oddest to pin” 71 Slangy summons 72 King James Bible suffix 73 Ireland of poetry 74 Daily hotel fees 75 Topple 76 Crate up 79 Stereo’s predecessor

80 House style of old England 81 Cap brim relative 83 Latex source in “err but beer” 88 Anger 89 One of South America’s longest rivers 92 Be educated 93 Royal Opera House solos 95 Barbie-esque in “sew a spit wad” 97 ___ de corps 100 Mix-up or confuse 101 Singer Minogue 102 Seeing ball

CELEBRITY CIPHER

By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“FBT LVOM LM IXF / EPMG FBT ZVCO RBBOKFM / VCG’S SPVS V ZPVLM? / LF SMVXZ HMAA ACDM XVCG.”

– HVSZ OBLCGB

“VX’G ISX ZCS BSP ZLIX XS GNFIA HOVALB IVKCX ZVXC. VX’G ZCS BSP ZLIX XS GNFIA LMM ALB GLXPOALB ZVXC.”

– ZSSAB CLOOFMGSI Puzzle Two Clue: K equals G

STUFF IN MIX-UPS by Timothy B. Parker

Puzzle One Clue: R equals G

CROSSWORD

260714

• Looking for local events to attend?

• Want us to inform the public about your local event?

©2018 NEA, Inc.

SUDOKU

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

©2018 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

1-4-17

18

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

|

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

AIR CONDITIONING

AUTO SERVICE

AUTO SERVICE

258925

881 S. 9th Street • Winter Garden, FL 34787

Financing Available!

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • 8AM - 5PM

STRESS

$4999

with Any Mechanical Repair of $500 or More Preventive Maintenance

Not valid with any other offers.

FREE ESTIMATES on Replacements Not valid with any other offers.

& Inspection - Reg. $79

Financing See store for details

Duct Cleaning

BRAKE PAD SALE

$199* *Call for Details

Subject to availability and scheduling in your area.

407-654-7420

CAC1816732

179.95 $199.95

179.95 BMW 5 Series $199.95

$

$

Serving ALL of Central Florida

Orange/Seminole County

Mercedes C-Class

BMW 3 Series

260290

Seasonal Tune-Up

• All Engines $200.00 each • All Transmissions $100.00 each • Tires $15.00 and up • Batteries $25.00 • Warranties on all parts sold!

FREE

Factory Qualified Techs to Service & Install / Fast, Reliable, Local

407-656-4707

Mercedes E-Class

www.budgetupullit.com

Service includes: Front or Rear Pads, Parts and Labor.

Tax and recycling fees are extra. Not valid with any other offers. Expires 1/31/2018.

www.ac-guys.com

260305

Keeping Your Family Comfortable for More Than 20 Years!

FREE Service Call

WE BUY JUNK CARS WE BUY SCRAP METAL

TFN

“Your Complete Service Center” 10 West Story Rd. Winter Garden, FL 34787 REG# MV-01095

www.gsairsystems.com email: gsairsystems@cfl.rr.com

Richard Hudson • Reggie Hudson

CRAWFORD TIRE SERVICE, INC.

Licensed & Insured - State License #CAC1814407

FOR ALL OF YOUR AUTOMOTIVE ACCESSORIES CALL TODAY FOR UNLIMITED OPTIONS

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110 Taylor St. • Ocoee • (407) 656-4575

MORE THAN JUST

We offer financing with approved credit

Hours: Monday-Friday 9-5: Saturday 9-1

317 Enterprise Street, Ocoee, FL 407-554-2073

TIRE VALUES

260291

Call for a FREE estimate on Equipment Replacement.

Chrome Packages Bedliners Graphics Kits Carbon Fiber Wraps Rear Spoilers Pin Striping Nurf Bars Bugshields Wheel Covers

260965

407.296.9622 407.877.6268

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TFN

260288

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RETAIL AT WHOLESALE PRICES

ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

• Bridgetone • Michelin • Toyo • BFG Tires

“All Major Credit Cards Accepted”

Mention this ad for a discount on installation!

10% OFF

TRAYWICK'S GARAGE

sunbeltrentals.com PET SERVICES

260296

407-656-1817

AUDIO/VIDEO

your rental

TFN

1045 S. Vineland Rd. •Winter Garden • New and Used Tires • Alignment • Complete Auto Repair • A/C Serv. & More

(407) 654-9516 Office (407) 491-0355 Mobile (407) 654-0145 Fax pcm050@sunbeltrentals.com

Mention this ad for

260298

TFN

Puppy Dreams Pet Hotel Your pet’s home away from home a unique no-cage facility daycare and overnight boarding

(407) 654-8885

260293

Battery Testing and Replacement

Scheduled Maintenance

Transmission and Engine Repair

Computerized Diagnostics

Tune-Ups and General Repair

www.puppydreams.com

Tires and Alignments

In House Towing Available

Ray Cornell Jr. Doug Gallinger Working Owners

www.r-dauto.com

930 Carter Rd #202 Winter Garden, FL 34787 Telephone: (407) 614-3827 rdtransautorepair@cfl.rr.com

TFN

703 S. Vineland Rd. Winter Garden, FL 34787

We’re there when you can’t be!

260304

407-456-3038

Lic #CAC 1817326

260922

mahrsair.com

1081 9th Street Winter Garden, FL 34787 260292

Mobil 1 Oil

Amsoil Synthetic

Licensed & Insured

www.

Branch Manager

MV03215

• Sales/Service/Installation • HVAC Inspections & Tune-Up • Commercial & Residential Email: mike@mahrsair.com

Travis Hamric

260272

PROVIDING SERVICE OUT OF THIS WORLD

CONSTRUCTION

407-810-5569

everycritterpetsitter.com

www.

everycritter@yahoo.com Licensed/Insured/Bonded

Peace of mind pet sitting and dog walking

260299

• •

• ALIGNMENT • BRAKES • SHOCKS • OIL & LUBE SERVICE • NEW & USED TIRES • REPAIR & BALANCING • ROAD SERVICE • WE INSTALL LIFTS!

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

|

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

ROOFING 260289

FIRE TECH

EXTINGUISHER

SERVICE Ocoee, FL

Danny Motes TFN

260294

Cell 407-466-4738 Tel 407-654-2395 Fax 407-654-2986

3 Business Card Sizes to choose from:

UPGRADES & REPAIRS

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VIRUS & SPYWARE ?QV\MZ /IZLMV¼[ 8ZMUQMZ :WWÅVO +WUXIVa ;QVKM !

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3.3" x 1" starting at $21.25 3.3" x 2" starting at $25.50 3.3" x 4" starting at $42.50

TFN 260295

REALTORS

Residential • Commercial • Tile • Metal

407.614.5962

Your ad here!

Keith Keller President CCC1325778

260300

Email: keithksj@cfl.rr.com Ocoee, FL 34761

Color included on all ads!

Publishes every Thursday, and deadlines Friday the week prior.

407-656-2121 720 S. Dillard St • Winter Garden, FL 34787

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Autos For Sale

Restaurants

Happy Holidays!

259927

W. Hwy. 50 at Dillard

407-654-5313

16123 West Colonial Drive • Oakland, FL 34787

Merchandise Wanted

Help Wanted

13178 W. Colonial Dr. Winter Garden

NO EVENINGS, NO WEEKENDS, NO PROBLEM!

NOW PURCHASING

SCRAP BATTERIES 259930

407-656-3495

Announcements

• Competitive wages, paid weekly.

• No holidays, evenings or weekends.

• Opportunity for advancement.

• Positive, fun and friendly environment.

Every Sunday

BINGO

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “You made me cry / When you said goodbye / Ain’t that a shame? / My tears fell like rain.”

– Fats Domino

CUSTODIAL HELP Responsible, reliable hardworking. Background check required. Competitive pay and benefits for FT employment. Apply at Montverde Academy, County Road 455 in Montverde. 1/4ma

Puzzle Two Solution: “It’s not who you want to spend Friday night with. It’s who you want to spend all day Saturday with.”

– Woody Harrelson

DISHWASHER NEEDED for prestigious academy in Montverde, Florida. Large volume feeding up to 1,400 people. Must have strong sanitation skills, team player and a hospitality attitude. Must pass background check and drug test. Company offers major medical plan, eye and dental plans, paid holiday, vacation, sick time, retirement for full time employees. Completive salary. Apply at Montverde Academy, CR 455, Montverde FL. 1/4ma

This week’s Sudoku answers

LOCAL TROPHY Company seeking a people person that has an eye for detail and willing to learn engravers and laser machines. Part time with full time potential. Send resume to 533 S. Dillard St., Winter Garden FL 34787 1/11tu

SEARCH • FIND • POST

©2017 NEA, Inc.

This week’s Crossword answers

Call today for the opportunity you’ve been waiting for!

You could be a Molly Maid Home Service Professional.

259926

1701 Adair St. Ocoee Doors Open 2pm. Games 3 pm.

407-592-4498

Did we forget to mention we use company cars? PLUS…

259928

259929

REPLACEMENT WINDOWS By Anderson and Alside Starting at $199. All models and sizes available. Proven Quality for lifetime transferable warranty. Family owned 40 years. Low low pricing.

Senior Citizen/Veteran discounts. For free quote call Rich 866-272-7533 Custom Windows of Florida 1/4fcan

407.877.0184

www.mollymaid.com

Sponsored in Part by...

260325

259931

www.ThurstonAutoSales.com

Schools/Instruction AVIATION GRADS work with JetBlue, United, Delta and others- start here with hands on training for FAA certification. Financial aid if qualified. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 888-242-2649.

1/4fcan

Help Wanted BUS DRIVER Full time. Must have CDL and clean driving record. Flexible hours, which could include hours on weekends and evenings. Competitive pay and benefits for full time employment. Apply at Montverde Academy, CR 455, Montverde, FL. 1/4ma

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2017

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20

WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER

W O N

|

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

N E OP

Florida Hospital Apopka is Now Open With state-of-the-art operating suites. With an expanded ER that includes dedicated pediatric emergency care. With fully private patient rooms for concentrated healing of the mind, body and spirit. Good news: the brandnew Florida Hospital Apopka is now open. FloridaHospital.com/Apopka.

OLD HOSPITAL 441

451

429

436 441

NOW OPEN 414

17-APK-07151 Apopka Grand Opening-Ad WO Times January 25.indd 1

261301

2100 OCOEE APOPKA ROAD 17-APK-07151

429

1/2/18 9:51 AM