WINDERMERE
Observer Serving Southwest Orange County
Soul sisters launch home décor business. PAGE 19.
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
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VOLUME 2, NO. 25
ARTS & CULTURE
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THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2017
PURPLE POWER
Ocoee High opens Knight Gallery to showcase artwork.
SEE PAGE 7.
YOUR TOWN WARRIORS EARN NATIONAL HONOR The West Orange High School band program was awarded the National Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from the National Band Association. WOHS was one of five in the United States to receive the honor. Kenneth Boyd is the band director.
The Choir of the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, will perform a cappella inspirational choral classics, as part of “Tenebrae,” a dramatic service of prayer and music as part of the Basilica’s 2016-17 Concert Series. The service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 7, at the Basilica, 8300 Vineland Ave., Orlando. Attendees will experience the loneliness and abandonment of Christ, the earthquake at his death, the closing of the tomb and the tumultuous clash between God and Satan. The Very Rev. Paul J. Henry, rector of the Basilica, will preside, and music will be presented by the Basilica Choir. The singers in the choir are all professional musicians in the Orlando area and are under the direction of Dr. William Picher. For more information, call (407) 239-6600.
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Cancer survivors took the first lap of the night at the 2017 Relay for Life of Dr. Phillips.
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or nearly 12 hours on Saturday, April 1, Relay for Life of Dr. Phillips participants laughed, celebrated, danced and raised money for the American Cancer Society. Located at Dr. Phillips High’s football field, this year’s event boasted numerous activities and booths where participants could buy food, pottery, flowers and more to support the ACS. By the time the event began at 1 p.m., its participants already had raised at least $50,000.
The band Pleneros de la Central provided music to which survivors and caregivers could dance.
— DANIELLE HENDRIX
Entrepreneurial spirit
SPORTS
BASILICA CHOIR TO PERFORM
Luis Varona and Juan Pedraza launched their own business to earn money for the future. BRITTANY GAINES STAFF WRITER
Kyle Gilbert’s strength and conditioning program is bolstering WPS athletes. SEE 13.
Instead of working at a fastfood restaurant like most of their friends in high school, Luis Varona and Juan Pedraza decided to start their own business. They’ve called their company LJ Services, and the pair caters
to whatever their clients need. So far, they’ve been in business for about a month and have mostly done yard work and car washes. But for the two high-schoolers, it beats any other job out there. And it all started out of sheer boredom. “We … wanted to do something with our time,” said Varona, a sophomore at West Orange High School. “It’s fun to stay home and relax sometimes, but after a while, you don’t feel productive.” Having seen their friends toil at SEE LJ SERVICES PAGE 4