WINDERMERE
Observer Serving Southwest Orange County
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. FREE
VOLUME 2, NO. 16
Chamber to honor Eva Tukdarian at awards event The West Orange Chamber of Commerce will award Tukdarian the Mary VanDeventer — Spirit of West Orange at the Big Orange Awards event Friday, Feb. 3.
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017
Ate, drank, made merry Annual Windermere Wine & Dine hosts record turnout. SEE PAGE 9.
Touched by an angel
BRITTANY GAINES
When Jane Guida went through her own breast cancer battle at 49, a hospital volunteer’s kindness gave her the strength to persevere. She vowed to return the favor.
STAFF WRITER
When Eva Tukdarian heard she was selected as the winner of this year’s Mary VanDeventer — Spirit of West Orange award, she was surprised. “I was just really honored,” she said. “I had no idea I would be getting an award for helping different people and projects.” Every year, the West Orange Chamber of Commerce selects a woman who demonstrates excellence in her profession, inspires other women to succeed and contributes time and
WEST ORANGE
GABBY BAQUERO STAFF WRITER
M
ost would not blame Jane Guida — a breast-cancer survivor — from never wanting to step foot inside a hospital again. But every Friday morning for the past 15 years, Guida — a transplant from Connecticut and a retired Windermere resident — has donned her red hospital volunteer uniform adorned with a lapel pin of a cancer ribbon on the collar and made her way to the UF Health Cancer Center in downtown Orlando.
SEE AWARD PAGE 4
YOUR TOWN BRUHN ELECTED TO WATCH BOARD
SEE VOLUNTEER PAGE 4
Gabby Baquero
Windermere Mayor Gary Bruhn has been elected to the board of directors for Florida Business Watch. This is a trade association serving the unique needs of government contractors, and members work hand-in hand with elected officials and administrators as colleagues, solving problems together. “I am honored to join the board of directors of Florida Business Watch,” Bruhn said. “As we move to bring more jobs, more economic opportunity and more cooperation between government and Florida businesses, I look forward to serving with this board.” PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID WINTER GARDEN, FL PERMIT NO. 81
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Postal Customer
A survivor herself, Windermere resident Jane Guida has logged 2,000 volunteer hours at Orlando Health’s UF Health Cancer Center over a span of 15 years.
Dr. Krista Bixler takes helm at Bay Meadows Bixler has been serving as acting principal since summer and was assistant principal before that. AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR
Dr. Krista Bixler has a new position at Bay Meadows Elementary, but she is already a familiar face at the Southwest Orlando school. Bixler, who was officially named principal of the BMES Koalas in January, has been acting princi-
DR. PHILLIPS
pal since last June. She also spent a year as the school’s assistant principal. Her goal is to maintain the school’s high-performance record and to continue to excel in academics. Last year, she implemented a series of after-school programs SEE BIXLER PAGE 2
Amy Quesinberry
Krista Bixler was officially appointed principal of Bay Meadows at the beginning of January.