SOUTHWEST ORANGE
YOUR TOWN
Hans Hamilton recounts what happened when he tried to help who he thought was a victim. SEE PAGE 5A.
Windermere, Horizon West, Dr. Phillips
Windermere’s Xavier Roman pitches perfect game. SEE PAGE 11A.
The safe route
Construction has begun on Phase 1 of the Windermere Ward Trail, a path to provide a wider, safer route to Windermere Elementary. SEE PAGE 4A.
Hundreds of beer enthusiasts hopped into Hamlin for Legacy Events for Education’s 2026 Hamlin Craft Beer Festival March 28. SEE PAGE 14A.
West Orange and Southwest Orange celebrated Easter with myriad celebrations. SEE PAGE 8A.
The Bloom and Grow Garden Society will transform downtown Winter Garden into a two-day garden oasis. SEE PAGE 6A.
Emmett Thon, a Windermere Elementary School fourth-grader, and his mom, Leah Thon, ride their bikes over the pedestrian bridge every day. They can’t wait for the Ward Trail to
Photo by Liz Ramos
5FAST
1Legacy Exchange LLC purchases Exchange Building
Another downtown Winter Garden building has been sold. Crazy Plant Holdings LLC sold The Exchange to Legacy Exchange LLC Monday, March 30, for $24.5 million, according to a deed filed with the Orange County Comptroller’s Office. Sarasota’s Mitchell Lomazov is tied to Legacy Exchange LLC, but the deed also states the address associated with the LLC is 228 Seminole St., Winter Garden, which is the principal address of 24 LLCs connected to Windermere’s James Larweth.
Larweth, founder and executive vice president at Anton Rx & Anton Health, has spent more than $40 million since 2015 buying 36 residential and commercial properties in downtown Winter Garden.
The Exchange, which was listed for sale Wednesday, Jan. 21, is a three-story, 42,827-square-foot property located at 270 W. Plant St. built in 2021.
It has 14 tenants, including The Hangry Bison, Foxtail Coffee and Mangoni Italian Market Pizza on the ground level. On the second and third floors are professional service firms, lifestyle tenants and retail operators. The average lease term is 4.2 years, and the building is 100%
leases, according to Foundry Commercial,
Crazy Plant Holdings LLC purchased the property from the city of Winter Garden Dec. 18, 2019, through a special warranty deed.
2
Apopka girl dies after run over by car
Kamaria Simmons, a 4-year-old girl from Apopka, was killed when she was run over by an SUV.
The fatal crash occurred at Robinson Avenue and 13th Street at about 7:14 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, according to Florida Highway Patrol reports.
Simmons was standing next to a 2018 Chevrolet Traverse’s right rear passenger door. The driver proceeded forward in an easterly direction, which caused Simmons to fall and be struck by the SUV. She was transported to the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, where she was pronounced deceased.
The crash remains under investigation.
support for Makah Simmons and his family has been incredible.
3
Polka Dotz to remain in downtown Winter Garden
Polka Dotz has found a new home in downtown Winter Garden.
Heidi Hardman, the owner of the boutique, found out in January that portions of the building in which her small business resides at 12 W. Plant St. was sold and she would not be given the option to renew her lease, which ends in June.
Polka Dotz will move to 31 S. Main
will come around and support us although we are on the side street. Our goal is to make Main Street the main street. We’re trying to revitalize Main Street. ... It feels like home.”’ Hardman said she will move her business to Main Street in early July. Hardman contemplated whether she wanted to keep Polka Dotz in downtown Winter Garden after LLCs associated with Windermere’s James Larweth purchased not only portions of the Bond Building in which Polka Dotz currently resides but also various other buildings on Plant Street.
why Hardman decided to stay in downtown Winter Garden, she said.
“I just really had to take a step back and think about it,” Hardman said. “This is our town, and I want to stay, but it took me a while to get there. I don’t want somebody else making my decisions for me.”
Moving onto Main Street will be a fresh start, she said.
“It’s a different layout, a little smaller but sometimes you need a reset,” Hardman said. “It just feels new. I like a new challenge and something to look forward to. We are excited to be staying (in downtown Winter Garden).”
4
3Natives at Flamingo Crossings now open
A new eatery has opened at Flamingo Crossings Town Center in Horizon West.
3Natives Açaí Cafe officially opened its doors to the public Tuesday, March 31.
The store, located at 140 Sugar Belle Drive, Suite D, Winter Garden, serves açaí bowls, smoothies, salads, wraps, bagels, juices and coffee.
3Natives Açaí Cafe is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Sundays.
5
CFS Coffee Shop now open in Winter Garden A new coffee shop has just landed in Winter Garden. Coffee for the Soul, also known
p.m., Mondays through Sundays, Parkway, Building 9, Suite 101,
fast dishes, lunch and dinner plates, bakery items and desserts.
and activities,
Photo by Liz Ramos
The fully leased 42,827-square-foot Exchange Building with the Hangry Bison, Foxtail Coffee and Mangoni Italian Market Pizza, has been sold.
DOUBLE IMPACT
Central Florida Christian Academy students traveled to Ashland, Kentucky, and the Dominican Republic for mission trips.
LIZ RAMOS MANAGING EDITOR
While volunteering on a mission trip in Ashland, Kentucky, Central Florida Christian Academy students were handed a to-do list from the wife of the pastor for Unity Baptist Church.
There was a picture to show the idea of what needed to be done, but the students were not given any directions. The list included large paper mache rocks and 14 giant flags that will be used for the church’s Vacation Bible School.
Kristi Laviolette, the upper school principal, watched in awe as the students came together to brainstorm ideas on how to make the rocks and flags and executed them to the pastor’s wife’s glee.
She beamed with pride seeing them take the initiative to complete the list, problem-solve together and ask for help when they hit roadblocks. All of it was in service to someone else, which was the cherry on top.
Whether in Ashland, Kentucky, or abroad in the Dominican Republic, 23 CFCA students spent a week serving others during mission trips, allowing them to experience different cultures and help a variety of people and organizations.
In the Dominican Republic, students worked with individuals from Students International, a missions organization that works in various countries in Central and South America. While just outside San Pedro de Macorís, the students worked in villages of sugarcane workers and their families, which are low-income areas, CFCA’s Head of School Marc Stomprud said. They assisted in establishing a baseball academy and soccer academy as well as starting a preschool. The students also worked to help install water filters as the area does not have clean water.
“The students worked really, really hard and served all day, sweating and getting dirty,” Stomprud said. “They were willing to work; they were willing to serve. I’m super thankful I got the opportunity to go with the students to do that.”
Senior Silas Lung was on the engineering team in the Dominican Republic and had the opportunity to weld for
the first time as they made a goal post for the soccer field. He also helped to build a concrete wall and worked with the sports team to build a patio on the preschool.
Lung said the mission trip was important to him because it’s “important work.”
“It means I’m in the right place to be able to do the right amount of work to really bring people joy and opportunities so their lives can get better,” he said.
Junior Luna Calderon loved working with the children in the Dominican Republic. While Calderon and her fellow CFCA students were setting up the children’s tables with coloring pencils, crayons and coloring books in the preschool, the children joined. Calderon said they all started singing Bible songs.
When she was painting outside, Calderon and the other CFCA students ended up splattering paint all over their clothes, so they decided to have some fun and paint each other. When the children noticed, she said they took the CFCA students’ paint brushes and started painting the wall themselves and all joined in on the fun.
Meanwhile in Ashland, Kentucky, junior Christian Dentley was working with 11 other students to check tasks off the to-do list at Unity Baptist Church. He helped with painting rocks, building a bookshelf, moving a desk and more. He enjoyed painting a backdrop for the VBS camp, reminiscing of the time he played a painter in a musical in the past but didn’t know how to paint in real life. In Kentucky, he learned how to properly paint.
The students also visited two nursing homes, spending time with the residents and getting to know them. They played Bingo, shared the word of God and sang songs.
Not only did they spend time serving residents in the nursing homes, but also they spent time with women and children in a women’s shelter. Students on both trips were able to hear the stories of those they were serving.
Lung and Calderon learned their site leads moved from Guatemala to the Dominican Republic to work with Student International as they struggled financially. Their son also was struggling with mental health issues and had been kicked out of college after
his freshman year. Lung prayed with his site lead and Calderon has been praying for their family.
Senior Ja’Zyiah Anderson spent time with a widow whose son had a brain tumor, learning about how their lives have been impacted as a result. The son became blind due to the tumor, and he and his mother had to adjust, with the mother becoming a full-time caregiver and the son needing to learn to navigate life without his vision.
“(Because) I come from a family with my brother who has a disability, it was fun to see someone else who has a family member with a disability and how they are able to work through that,” she said. “I kind of got sad, and I teared up a little bit, but it was fun to be able to connect with her and have that experience.”
Calderon said the trip was an eyeopening experience as she realized how much she takes for granted at home seeing how the kids treasure the “smallest thing and have so much joy over it.” She recalled spending time with a little girl in the preschool when she took a drink of water from a plastic water bottle she purchased at the store. The girl pointed at the bottle, making Calderon question why she wanted an empty water bottle. After giving the girl the bottle, she realized the girl wanted it to play.
The students came home more appreciative for what they have and how they live.
Spring fun blossoms in Oakland
The town of Oakland held its annual Celebration Among the Oaks Saturday, March 28. The spring tradition is a family-friendly festival where people come to together to
celebrate Easter and have a good time in the sun.
A plethora of activities were offered during the event, such as egg hunts, face painting, a petting zone, the Fun Bus, batting cages, a bungee sta-
tion, rock climbing and more. Children and families also had the opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny, enjoy a live DJ and dance, while shopping and eating from local vendors.
Left: Luna Calderon and Sherlyn Cruz spent time painting the walls of the preschool in the Dominican Republic.
Below: Cen-
Courtesy images
Lindsey Mitchell’s children Jackson and Kate found lots of eggs during the egg hunt.
Right: Oakland Nature Preserve was at the event educating attendees and brought one of its ambassadors to be the star of the show.
Knox Erbe and Todd Cooker waited in line to climb the rock wall.
The Kanfer and Stephan families spent time together at the annual event.
Ward Trail will make Windermere safer
Around 8 a.m. on weekdays, Leah Thon and her son, Emmett, set off to Windermere Elementary School from their home in downtown Windermere. As they make their way across sandy paths covering cracked sidewalks past North Drive, they meet an old pedestrian bridge over a canal.
It features a steep concrete ramp leading to a narrow walkway encased by a warped chain-link fence. Vegetation has grown through the ceiling and along the sides. It’s just wide enough for two people to walk over it side-by-side.
She said it’s a nerve-wracking experience as a parent to watch their children ride down it, fearing Emmett might hit the side railings. It’s been this way since they moved to downtown Windermere two years ago.
Windermere Mayor Andy Williams took the same route to Windermere Elementary when he attended the school in the 1980s.
“It’s been around a long time, and it’s always been how we see it now: narrow, steep,” Williams said.
But now, construction is underway. Trees are wrapped in yellow caution tape and fenced off to protect them, while the surrounding earth is leveled for future pavement. It’s the beginning of Phase 1 of the Windermere Ward Trail project.
Williams said he doesn’t expect the new trail to attract many people from out of town because of its short length, given that the distance from North Drive to Park Avenue is just less than a mile. He said residents will get the most use out of it, especially those going to and from the school.
The trail is planned to be a multimodal path wide enough to fit pedestrians, bike riders and golf cart travel. Different habitats of greenery will be planted along the path,
including longleaf pines, firebushes, saw palmettos and Sabal palms. Benches and lighting are planned to sit along it as well.
The most significant renovation, though, will be a new railroad-style bridge over the canal that connects Lake Down and Lake Butler. It will replace the one Thon and her son commute over every morning. The new bridge will be 8 feet tall and 14 feet wide, allowing two golf carts to pass each other.
Windermere Town Manager
Robert Smith said a current issue is residents have had to drive their golf carts over the road bridge to get to and from downtown Windermere because there’s not enough room on the pedestrian bridge.
He added the main intention behind the wider bridge is to connect old downtown Windermere with newer sections of Windermere, wanting to make sure residents north of the canal have access to parks, boat ramps and the town’s civic centers. Another motivation was safety.
“We knew that what is there is not safe, and we want to make it safer for the people going to school,” Smith said.
A WELCOME ADDITION
Thon and her family moved to downtown Windermere from Keene’s Pointe, an area she said has a bus service. When she purchased her new home, she no longer had that service. Emmett, a fourthgrader at Windermere Elementary, now rides his bike to school.
Thon joins her son in the mornings, along with their dog, Malibu, a cavapoo she keeps in a basket on the bike. She said she and the other residents are excited about the new bridge, and more specifically about the added space it’ll provide.
“Oftentimes, if there’s a pedestrian walking (down the bridge), we have to stop and pull over or back down the path to move out of their way,” Thon said. “So this will be a
welcome addition to downtown Windermere.”
For the first six months of biking to school, Thon said she had Emmett walk his bike down the bridge until he gained confidence so he wouldn’t fall.
“When the kids are riding down the pedestrian path right now, it is a little tight on their bikes,” Thon said. “We’re always fearful that the handlebars could get caught in one of the rails and they could fall easily because it is a pretty narrow path to ride your bike down.”
Thon’s fears were a reality for Dave Eaves, as his youngest son, Max, a first-grader at Windermere Elementary, fell from his bike one morning last year when his handlebars knocked into the rail.
Eaves rides to school with Max and his other son, Teddy, a fourthgrader. He said the current bridge is very steep and resembles singlelane traffic, causing people to constantly bump into each other while walking or biking over it.
“It’s kind of not safe,” Eaves said. “Especially for younger kids if they’re learning to ride a bike.”
Eaves said the new bridge should generally be a lot safer. Plus, the trail will have an added benefit: keeping bike riders off the sandy paths. Eaves mentioned they have been known to cause people, including his children, to come off their bikes.
Thon said there’s seemingly been a lot of progress made in the past few months. Early construction began in February, when town staff and members of the Windermere Tree Board conducted a walkthrough to determine which trees to keep along the trail. In total, workers are set to remove nearly 70 existing trees but add more than 100.
TO BE PLANTED
There will be a plethora of plants and trees along the trail.
TREES Longleaf Pine: 47 Shumard Oak: 10 Southern Live Oak: 16 (13 will be 14 feet tall, three will be 18 feet tall.) Pond Cypress: 2 Bald Cypress: 50 Sabal Palm: 10
SHRUBS Firebush: 222 Dwarf Yaupon Holly: 81 Saw Palmetto: 114 Coontie Palm: 106
one of his first tasks on his onboarding list was to acquire the right-ofway. He began negotiating with the Wards to buy the property but not before having Kimley-Horn conduct a safety study in 2015 that assessed the roadways and sidewalks in the area.
Years of negotiations led to a stalemate until Ken and Susan Ward died in a house fire in 2017. Their sons assumed the trust and accepted the town’s $250,0000 appraisal, with the trail now set to be named in the family’s honor.
Smith said the remaining land was acquired through property swaps.
Windermere Town Council finalized the purchase of the Wards’ property March 13, 2018. It was the same meeting Williams officially was sworn in as a then-council member. Nearly a decade later, the town is breaking ground, an amount of time Smith hadn’t anticipated, but after years in government work, he said it doesn’t surprise him.
“In government, nothing is easy,” Smith said. “No. 1, you had to go through all the Town Council meetings on them accepting this or buying into this project. And then you have to work with various governmental agencies to make sure that you’re having all the certifications to make sure they’re buying in, too, because it is federal and state money.”
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WEST ORANGE TIMES
The rest of the construction will take months, Smith said, adding that the canal area will be temporarily shut down for two months starting sometime in May as the town brings in a crane to demolish the old bridge. Smith said the town expects Phase 1 to be “substantially completed” by August.
LAYING THE GROUNDWORK
To get to this point, though, has been a much longer process.
The town of Windermere has been working on this project for nearly a decade. The town initially missed out on buying the property the trail will be built on when CSX Transportation vacated the railroad right-of-way more than 50 years ago.
Williams said one of the reasons the town might not have bought the property at the time is because Windermere might not have had enough available funding to purchase it. Therefore, various property owners bought it. Ken and Susan Ward bought a majority of the right-ofway from 12th Avenue to Windermere Road and put it into a trust. Smith was hired in 2011 and said
To fund the project, the town secured $760,000 from a federal appropriations request through the Safe Routes to School program, which was signed into law March 2022. Windermere also secured $1 million for the project from the Florida Legislature in 2023. Smith said the town currently is working with Healthy West Orange to acquire additional landscaping funds.
Phase 1 is the first of the project’s four construction phases. Future plans for the project include Phase 2, from North Drive to Sixth Avenue; Phase 3, along Sixth Avenue from Main Street to Apopka-Vineland Road; and Phase 4, from Chase Road/12th Avenue to Sixth Avenue.
Smith said he’d love to have Phase 2 completed within the next five years, but it depends on funding and property tax reform.
“It’s been very difficult to get this project started, but it’s finally going on right now,” Smith said. “And we’re hoping to have it completed before school starts in August.”
Emmett Thon and Leah Thon made their way across the pedestrian bridge that soon will be replaced with a bridge for the Ward Trail, planned multi-modal path wide enough to fit pedestrians, bike riders and golf carts.
Photo by Liz Ramos
Man attacked while trying to help supposed victim on State Road 429
and roll around on the ground. It took all three of us to get this man off.”
Davenport resident Hans Hamilton woke up the morning of Monday, March 30, thinking his day would be just like any other.
He got dressed and was ready to run a few errands. He was heading to Apopka on State Road 429 near Seidel Road in Horizon West when he spotted a white car crashed into the guardrail.
As he approached closer, he saw the driver’s side door was open and a man was lying on the ground.
“Oh my God, that’s a body,” he said.
He pulled over close to the man and rolled his window down, asking the man if he was OK. The man didn’t respond.
Hamilton then got out of his car in hopes of keeping the man company until help arrived.
“That’s what a human being is supposed to do for another human being,” he said. “That’s the way I was raised.”
A good deed, they say, never goes unpunished.
The man, later identified as Daniel Coman, got up from the ground as soon as Hamilton stepped out of the car and closed his door and ran toward the car saying, “Let me in; get me out of here,” Hamilton said.
Coman jumped on the hood of Hamilton’s car, stomping it and the windshield.
“I was stunned,” Hamilton said.
Quickly processing the situation, he knew his only safe space was inside the car, but before he could get in, Coman attacked him.
Coman punched and kicked Hamilton repeatedly, while yelling, “I’m going to kill you.”
Hamilton fought back.
“Within seconds, I had to make decisions, and I made the decision that I need to get to his neck,” he said. “I was taking every ounce of my energy and just hitting him in the neck to try to stop the blood flow to his brain so that he could not get up.”
He succeeded.
Although Hamilton does not remember getting up or going back to his car, he did.
He survived.
“I knew that the last thing I was not going to see was the side of a road,” he said emotionally.
But the fight was far from over.
Hamilton suffered a brain bleed, four broken ribs, a concussion and multiple contusions.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit, when police arrived, Coman became visibly angry and agitated, telling the officer to get away from him. He stood up and began “walking aggressively” toward the officer, who attempted to push and hold Coman back.
“He had the cop on his back rolling around,” Hamilton said. “I, with four broken ribs and a brain bleed, and a bystander had to help tackle the guy
Coman was transported to Orlando Health Horizon West Hospital and now is in Orange County Jail facing five charges: battery on a law enforcement officer, criminal mischief, resisting an officer with violence, assault on a law enforcement officer and battery. His bond is set at $5,000, and he remains incarcerated.
Hamilton said officers told him they had arrived at the location so quickly because of earlier calls regarding the same man attempting to pull a woman out of her car.
“He was ambushing somebody,” Hamilton said. “That was premeditated. That was a premeditated act. That was not incidental. He was waiting for a victim. The difference is, he got a survivor. I do believe his intention was to kill somebody for whatever reason, because there’s no other reason he would do that to somebody.”
Hamilton now is left to face the financial consequences of what was supposed to be an act of a good Samaritan.
“We are not rich people at all,” he said of him and his family. “We live paycheck to paycheck, like everybody else. And had it not been for the kindness of the people on GoFundMe, we would be bankrupt. Because of all the kindness, it’s not going to (happen) and that is the real story.”
In a way, Hamilton is OK that this happened to him.
“It lets people know that kindness still exists,” he said. “This was all worth it. It was my purpose, and I accept the purpose.”
His hope is humanity has not diminished. Instead, it has grown.
Hamilton said he’s received multiple messages of support, prayers for a speedy recovery and even thank you letters for raising awareness to such ambushes.
Hamilton’s next step is to hire an attorney for financial compensation, but he also hopes to meet each person who has supported him financially, mentally and spiritually.
His experience has affected him physically, emotionally and financially, but it has not affected his kindness for others.
“Still try to be kind to each other,” he said. “Please try to be kind, but be cautious. Don’t not help — at a minimum, please call 911.”
HOW TO HELP
To support Hans Hamilton’s journey, visit gofundme.com/f/ help-hans-recover-after-attack. He also is looking for help to create a website and social media accounts to give the community updates, as well as tell other stories of kindness.
To get in contact with Hamilton, email healingsouls164@ gmail.com.
BAPTIST
First Baptist Church Pastor Tim Grosshans 125 E. Plant St, Winter Garden (407) 656-2352
Sundays: 8:30 AM Traditional 9:45 AM Bible Study 11 AM Contemporary
Wednesdays: 6 PM Awana
2nd Campus: First Baptist Church @ Horizon West 15304 Tilden Road, Winter Garden
Sundays: 9:45 AM All Ages www.FBCWG.org
Starke Lake Baptist Church
Pastor Jeff Pritchard PO Box 520 611 W Ave., Ocoee (407) 656-2351 www.StarkeLakeBaptist.org
Victory Baptist Church & Christian Academy 1601 A.D. Mims Rd, Ocoee FL 34761 (407) 656-3097 www.VBCOCOEE.com
Sunday: 11AM & 6 PM Wednesday: 7 PM
LETICIA SILVA STAFF WRITER
Courtesy photos
Hans Hamilton suffered four broken ribs, a brain bleed, concussion, contusions and more during the attack.
Spring Fever starts Saturday
More
LIZ RAMOS MANAGING EDITOR
Winter Garden’s Libby Drose views the annual Spring Fever in the Garden as a puzzle.
Every piece is needed to make the puzzle complete, ensuring a successful two-day festival in downtown Winter Garden.
Drose, one of three co-chairs of the Spring Fever, admires the logistics of the festival despite the countless hours she gives to organizing, coordinating and leading others to make every decision necessary in the yearlong planning.
The past year will end with Drose volunteering alongside her co-chairs, Nancy Krug and Ashley Lockyer, and at least 150 other Winter Garden Bloom and Grow Society members, culminating in more than 650 volunteer hours during this year’s Spring Fever in the Garden Saturday, April 11, and Sunday, April 12, on Plant Street.
But before the event starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 11, monthly meetings and countless hours of evaluating successes and areas for improvement from the previous year’s festival, coordinating committees and organizing every detail of the festival that drew 70,000 people to Plant Street over two days last year must occur.
“We can’t do it without the membership,” Drose said.
The Bloom and Grow Society and Spring Fever both are 100% volunteer driven, but Drose said the festival also wouldn’t be possible without the partnership with the city of Winter Garden, especially the city’s Parks and Recreation staff, the police and fire departments and public works.
The festival started 24 years ago on three blocks on Plant Street. It has grown to span a half-mile each way down the street with more than 100 vendors and 70,000 attendees.
BY THE NUMBERS
There are 15 committees involved, charged with different responsibilities from handling vendors to coordinating volunteers to finding sponsorships to organizing the sidewalk chalk portion and Kid Zone.
The committees work together to map out the festival, ensuring there is a variety of vendors, new vendors provide new options and everyone has what they need for success. They ensure there is plenty of entertainment for all ages, and there are experts available to answer any and all questions from attendees about plants and more.
“There is a massive amount of detail management and checking because mistakes happen,” Krug said. More than 100 vendors will line Plant Street for the festival. Drose said a challenge for this year’s festival was the change of date compared
to previous years. She said the festival usually is held the first weekend of April, but because Easter was the first weekend of April this year, the festival had to be moved. As a result, return vendors already had scheduled events for Saturday, April 11, and Sunday, April 12. However, the Vendor Committee was able to secure 28 new vendors.
“You want to bring in new people as well, because you want to know what to expect, but you also want to find something unique and things somebody else doesn’t have,” Drose said.
Although a majority of the Bloom and Grow Society’s nearly 200 members volunteer in some way, Krug said organizing the volunteers can be a challenge. It’s a tremendous effort to ensure every shift is covered and volunteers know where to go.
COMMITTEES & LEADERSHIP
n Festival chair and co-chairs: Libby Drose, Nancy Krug and Ashley Lockyer
n Club treasurer: Laura Radius
n Vendor Committee: Vickie Parrish
n Volunteer Committee: Ashley Lockyer
n Entertainment Committee: Julie Dohse
n Chalkin’ It Up! Committee: Brenda Knowles n KidZone Committee:
IF YOU GO
SPRING
WHEN:
WHERE:
At the festival, Lockyer said “it’s a beautiful scene” watching everyone enjoy the festival.
“We just take in that feeling when everybody is here and you see all these people who have come from all over the state, and they’re just so in awe of what a charming town we live in and how nice the festival is and the selection of the merchandise and plants,” Lockyer said.
NEWER NOW OPEN
When the unexpected happens, you can count on HCA Florida West Orange Emergency to be here for you.
We are part of the HCA Florida Healthcare family, Florida’s largest ER network. Our board-certified physicians and highly trained nurses specialize in emergency medicine, diagnosing and treating all emergency conditions for adults and pediatric patients including:
• Injuries, such as fractures and lacerations
• Stomach or abdominal pain
• Upper respiratory infections
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• Stroke
Photo by Liz Ramos
Spring Fever in the Garden co-chairs Ashley Lockyer, Libby Drose and Nancy Krug have been planning for the two-day festival since last April.
Built for success
As the June Family Branch of the Boys and Girls Club nears completion, the nonprofit welcomed partners and members to view the facility.
LIZ RAMOS MANAGING EDITOR
Randy June grew up going to the Boys and Girls Club in Pine Hills, playing sports, making friends and having fun.
He went to the club on evenings and weekends and learned the impact a Boys and Girls Club can have on a kid and a community.
“It’s probably the most important thing to have,” June said of a Boys and Girls Club. “(They) show some guidance and a path toward success in life and schooling is going to make for a great community.”
Growing up and now as an adult, June and his family have continued to be supporters of the West Orange Boys and Girls Club.
He stood with pride Wednesday, April 1, inside the new, almost-finished Boys and Girls Club in East Winter Garden as club partners, members and community members arrived to see the progress being made in construction of the club.
When the club opens to its members in August and celebrates its grand opening in September, it will open as the June Family Branch.
June said he was honored to have the facility named after his family, and he believes the center will be “community changing.”
“Winter Garden is a great place, and this is just going to add to that greatness to have kids be able to grow up, enjoy a facility and be shown some direction in life,” he said. “It’s going to be fantastic.”
Jamie Merrill, the president and CEO for Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida, was “beyond excited and elated” not only to see the club’s partners touring the facility, located at 459 Ninth St. in Winter Garden, but also a few of the kids walk into the facility for the first time to experience the creation of their club.
The new branch has been 10 years in the making. When Merrill became president and CEO three years ago, she pushed for the branch to become a reality after spending more time with the West Orange Boys and Girls Club members and in Winter Garden.
“That’s one of the reasons I reinvigo-
rated the campaign myself and worked with Randy (June) and his family to really start bringing this dream to life, because it is such a needed area with a perfect location to be really be able to serve kids we’ve never been able to serve,” she said. “We knew we needed to serve more kids in this community, but we could never kind of figure out how to do it. In the last two-and-a-half years, we’ve really been able to put that vision to life. It’s a dream come true.”
The branch was designed two years ago and construction began a year ago. It will include art labs/maker spaces so members can express their creativity as well as technology labs to do homework and explore STEM opportunities. On the teen side, there will be a dance studio and music studio.
Once open to members in August, the June Family Branch will serve more than 300 children daily and more than 500 children annually. The West Orange branch currently serves 40 children.
After the June Family Branch opens, the club will be constructing its 10,000-square-foot gymnasium. Merrill said the club is $2 million shy of the money needed to build the gym, which is the aspect of the facility children are looking forward to most.
In the gym, the club will be able to host larger events, children can run around and play, speakers can present to the members and more.
Merrill said 85% of families the club serves earn less than $40,000 annually as a household, which is not enough to make ends meet. She also said 17% of families are food insecure.
In the June Family Branch, there will be kitchens to provide hot meals and snacks for the children before they go home as well as on weekends and when the facility is closed.
Merrill enjoyed walking around the new branch, taking in the youth portion of the building, which will serve children ages 6 to 12, and the teen portion, which will serve children ages 13 to 18.
More than 100 teens attend West Orange Boys and Girls Club’s Save Our Students events, which are teens-only events that include a variety of activities.
The June Family Branch will have its own teen section, which is not the case at the West Orange branch.
“Teens when not given the right opportunities will often find the wrong opportunities, and it is critically important that we help our teens to envision what they never thought possible,” Merrill said.
Photo by Liz Ramos
Boys and Girls Club Service Director Shamel Akins and CEO and President Jamie Merrill can’t wait for the new June Family Branch to open.
A HOPPY ENDING!
Children and families had plenty of opportunities to celebrate Easter this year. From church services to community-sponsored hunts, West Orange and Southwest Orange was teeming with egg-stra special events.
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church kicked off the festivities with its Easter Hop Saturday, March 28. There, Carter Foy and his brother, TJ Foy, grabbed their Easter baskets and bunny ears and went from booth to booth collecting eggs with their mother, Stephanie Foy. The festivities included stilt-walkers, an inflatable slide and obstacle course, live music from Charlie Stevens, facepainting, and of course, the Easter Bunny.
Then on Easter weekend, both the city of Ocoee and the town of Windermere commemorated the holiday with their respective events.
Eggs, candy bags and snacks filled the field outside Ocoee’s Lakeshore Center for the city’s Eas ter Eggstravaganza Saturday, April 4. Children, ranging from toddlers to 10-year-olds and individuals with special needs, surrounded the field, and in their age groups, they sprinted toward the treats with their Easter baskets in hand.
Just a few miles away, a similar scene played out at Windermere’s Town Square Park for its Easter Egg Hunt Extravaganza. The Windermere Police Founda tion hosted the annual event, which featured a parade, the Easter Bunny and an egg hunt for children ages 0 to 9. Con trolled havoc broke loose when the time came for the egg hunt, resulting in laughter and a good time for all involved. Six kids won new bikes by finding a gold ticket, riding away feeling the spirit of Easter.
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Maite and Juliana Bessa sat on the Windermere basketball court to open their eggs.
Vienna Macri and Ruby Wollaston relaxed in chairs at Ocoee’s Lakeshore Center in their Easter Bunny outfits.
Marcella Paschoal and Luna Gomes had a blast gathering eggs and going through them for candy and a possible gold ticket in Windermere.
Some of the children in the 8- to 10-year-old group sprinted to the middle of the field first and beat the crowds behind them at Ocoee’s event.
Siblings Remi and Baylor Godines enjoyed the sunny lawn in their matching Easter outfits at Ocoee’s event.
Right: Carter Foy, his brother, TJ Foy, and his mother, Stephanie Foy, enjoyed their first time at St. Luke’s Easter Hop.
Left: Chloe Louden, 8, was all smiles participating in St. Luke’s Easter festivities.
SPORTS
5
1Horizon High seniors Jacob Finch and Abigayle White recorded personal records against elite-level runners from across Florida at the FSU Relays Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29, at Florida State University.
Finch raced in the 800m and earned a PR with his time of 1:56.52. He also ran the 1,600m in 4:24.53. White only raced in the 1,600m, in which she ran a 5:06.99 PR.
The team also competed in Windermere Friday Night Lights Friday, March 27. Horizon’s girls team won first place with 96, Windermere placed second with 95, Dr. Phillips fifth with 72, West Orange seventh with 55 and Foundation Academy ninth with 44. On the boys side, Windermere finished in second with 92, Horizon in fifth with 73, West Orange sixth with 64, Foundation eighth with 49 and Dr. Phillips 10th with 46.
2Orlando Area Rowing Society kicked off its championship season on a strong note Saturday, March 28, at the FSRA Central District Championship at Lake Minneola Waterfront Park in Clermont. Lake County Rowing Association and Seminole County Area Rowing hosted the regatta that was the opening row of the 2026 championship season. OARS earned eight gold medals, four silver and two bronze.
OARS championship racing continues with the FSRA State Sculling Championships Saturday, April 11, and Sunday, April 12, and the FSRA State Sweep Championships Saturday, April, 25, and Sunday, April 26 at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota.
OARS also celebrated two rowers who accomplished earning the Jake Snyder Award. It is given to athletes that resemble Jake Snyder, a rower who emphasized teamwork to make the team faster rather than rowing for individual gain. OARS’ Kai Nieves and Bailey Owen were given the award for their commitment to helping propel their crew, character and leadership.
3
Windermere Preparatory School celebrated seven student-athletes who were named All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year. The certificate of recognition is given to athletes who dedicate themselves to strength training, academics and high personal integrity. The Lakers’ seven athletes were football player Peyton Hollern, boys basketball players Max QI and Zihong Fan, girls weightlifter Azra Farid, girls soccer player Taylor Deaver, girls golfer Orly Bregman and softball player Kylie Konstand.
4Olympia High girls beach volleyball team took home the trophy in the West Metro Beach Volleyball Tournament Wednesday, April 1. The Titans swept the tournament by first topping Lake Buena Vista High 3-0, followed by Horizon High 3-1 and West Orange High 3-1. Olympia currently sits at 9-1 this season.
5Ocoee High track-and-field team celebrated its third record broken this season. The Knights’ Jermia Huyler, Ja’Kyla Dean, Clentseanna Gordon and Amari Smith ran the 4 x 200-meter relay in 1:41.50, which set a new school record in the event.
The Ocoee team has turned its early-season struggles into success through chemistry and hard work under a legendary coach known for success as a Knight.
MEGAN BRUINSMA STAFF WRITER
When Ocoee High baseball team’s head coach, Bobby Brewer, stepped back into the Knights’ dugout at the beginning of this season, it felt like he never left.
Brewer already had been teaching at Ocoee since 2014 when he first took over the baseball team, but he decided now was the time to return back to working within the school’s athletics.
His reasoning for coming back was simple — he missed the community culture within Ocoee’s diamond.
The walls, the batting fields and the high level of support from families and the community remained the same. The only trait that changed in his six years away from Ocoee was the ball-playing level.
The team went 58-72.
Now that Brewer is back, he’s working every day to bring Ocoee back to a winning record. He has helped transform the team, which went on a four-game
SEE WORK PAGE 10A
KNIGHTS TO REMEMBER
West Orange water polo teams aim for postseason success
The Warriors boys and girls water polo teams have enjoyed plenty of success throughout the years.
MEGAN BRUINSMA STAFF WRITER West Orange High’s boys and girls water polo teams have built quite the legacy under longtime head coach Jennifer Dailer. Dailer has led the Warriors since 2011. During that tenure, she has seen two significant changes to the water polo world that have helped West Orange achieve success.
One of the biggest opportunities for West Orange’s growth has been the acceleration of young water polo players joining the Orlando Thunder water polo club. Dailer said the club plays on the west side of Orlando, and the athletes have been feeding into West Orange’s program.
This process has changed everything. West Orange’s boys and girls
Ocoee track-and-field athlete Hervins Chervil already has broken two personal records and one school record in his junior year. Page 10A.
Photo by Bill Ellis
West Orange High boys and girls water polo teams are looking to attack in the postseason.
Ocoee High baseball players Justin Otis and Serico Allen have stepped up to the mound in a tremendous way their senior year.
Photos by Megan Bruinsma
Ocoee’s head coach Bobby Brewer is back to return the Knights to victory. He’s the winningest head coach in Ocoee baseball team’s history.
Hervins Chervil
Ocoee High track-and-field athlete Hervins Chervil has been on an upward trajectory his junior season. The runner broke the school record and his personal record in the long jump with his distance of 6.88 meters at the Kowboy Invitational Saturday, March 14. Chervil also recorded a personal record the week prior at the Mustang Relays by running the 200m in 22.53. Within his relay team, the 4x100m group has seen improvements. From its time of 43.64 at the Kowboy Invitational to its time of 42.05 at the 2026 Pepsi Florida Relays High School Friday, April 3, and Saturday, April 4.
What do you enjoy most about track and field?
I love track, because it’s fun and challenging, and I enjoy running and trying to improve my speed. It also helps me stay active and motivated. There’s more to it, but that’s just the basics.
When did you start track and field, and why did you join? I started in middle school, and I joined because I used to do every sport at that school. Out of nowhere, I fell I love with track and continued with that career.
What is your biggest accomplishment in track and field?
My biggest one is jumping the school record. It is something I always dreamed of doing.
What has track and field taught you? It taught me a lot, like having discipline and hard work. Also how to have personal growth and confidence.
How would you describe yourself as a teammate?
I have a wonderful personality and a good helping hand. I’m a good, reliable person and a good collaborative person.
What advice would you give someone who just joined track and field?
Something to tell someone join ing track is to come in with your head held high and to always believe in yourself when times get hard. When you feel like giving up to never give up, and have faith in yourself just like God believes in you.
If you were a coach, what speech would you give the team? If you can reach it, you can achieve it, meaning if you want to go after your dreams or chal lenges, you’re going to have to fight to get to the finish line.
What is your pre-meet ritual?
I close my eyes and imag ine I’m running smoothly and crossing the finish line confidently, and this helps me focus and calm my nerves and boost my confidence.
If you could pick a different sport what would it be? Why? I will say football, because I always had a passion for it and want to live that life and see how far it could take me.
Who do you look up to the most?
I look up to my family but definitely my mom because she was there for me when I needed her, and I love how independent and brave she is. What is something new
Where would you want to live if you weren’t in Florida?
I want to be everywhere, because I always want to travel everywhere and see how the world is and how it works.
If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money? I would change my life around and live the life that I always dreamt of living and change some people’s lives too, because not everyone can live that dream.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Thanksgiving or Christmas, because that’s time where everyone comes together and celebrate as a family and with loved ones.
What future career do you want to have?
I always wanted a career that could help me and my people to live that life.
If you became famous, what would it be for?
I would like to be famous for track or football or something that makes my future perfect.
If you had to pick a spirit animal, which would you choose?
I have a lot but I will say a lion because they’re fearless and brave.
What is your perfect day?
A good Sunday at church would be a perfect day.
Would you rather only eat fruit or vegetables? Why?
I would rather eat fruit because some good green grapes would be good right now.
Work ethic bolsters Ocoee High School baseball
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9A
losing streak at the beginning of the season to win its last eight of 10 games and produce a 10-12 overall record.
LEGENDARY RETURN
Brewer is a longstanding name in the baseball and softball community. In 2001, he led an Apopka Little League team to a national championship. Following his Little League success, he stepped into the softball world after his daughters picked up the sport. He spent six years at West Orange, coaching the softball team up to a Final Four appearance in 2014 and compiling a 131-30 overall record in six years.
But after spending six years as a Warrior, Brewer decided it was time to step back into baseball.
He became Ocoee High’s baseball head coach in 2014, and in just four years, he became the winningest head coach in the Knights’ past 20 years. Brewer compiled a 67-60-1 record and led Ocoee to its first regional playoff appearance in school history.
Then, he had his six-year stint with Apopka’s diamond, where he led the Blue Darters to a 91-48 record, a 2022 Regional Semifinal appearance and three district championship appearances.
“It just brings a fire up in me because I have a coach (who) lived up to that legacy,” Ocoee’s senior first baseman Justin Otis said of playing under a decorated coach. “When he was in high school, he had the most RBIs as a freshman to his senior year. In college, his (number) got retired. It’s pretty cool.”
Otis previously had played at Lake Brantley High, and through Little League and the baseball world, he had heard of Brewer’s name. When he found out Brewer would be moving to Ocoee, Otis made the move too and has since fallen in love with it.
Over Brewer’s years of coaching baseball and softball, he has begun to change his coaching style.
When he was at Ocoee in those years, the team set records, but Brewer was coaching in intense mode. He said he used to be an extremely reactive coach, when someone would say something to him or an umpire would make a call, he’d quickly act out with emotion. Now, he first processes what he was told and how he should
Brewer described the change as
“Not a lot of people like coach Brewer and coach (Michael) McClenton because they yell a little too much at the players, but I personally think if a coach is not yelling at you, that means they have given up on you,” Otis said.
“So if they keep on yelling at you every single day, they want you to get better, because they’re not here for themselves. They already finished playing baseball. They want you to be better than them in life.”
Brewer credits Ocoee’s previous coach, Trent Hopper, for developing respectful young men. When Brewer stepped back into his Knights gear, he didn’t have to teach the players how to respect others or act the right way. It
So he turned his focus toward
Many of Ocoee’s players don’t have year-round baseball knowledge, so Brewer and the coaching staff stepped in with the basics. They didn’t assume the players knew certain skills or baseball
“We knew coming in as coaches that we were going to have to start from the bottom and work our way
up because, again, you can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t have some kind of baseball IQ, it’s a struggle,” he said.
The players saw the amount of dedication and effort the coaching staff was putting in during each practice. Ocoee’s senior captain and center fielder, Serico Allen, noticed it and used it as fuel to the fire for a change following the Knights’ early struggles.
“We have to do our part because all the coaches are doing their part,” Otis said of Allen’s conversation. “They’re coming over here every single day, making us get better at practice, and we’re doing (well) in practice, but in the games, we’re not showing up.”
Allen said after that conversation and once the whole team was unified in its mission to work as a whole, the record began to flip. The Knights had one simple takeaway: They win games when they work together.
FUSING AS ONE Ocoee began to make a conscious effort to improve the relationships within the team. Many of the players, including Otis, were new faces to the Knights’ roster, and like any relationship, it took time to blossom.
“The biggest thing was the kids have bought into a team concept, and it’s all about us — not about anybody else or not one person — and they root for one another and they get along,” Brewer said. “I don’t have a bad kid on the team. … They work really hard to get where we’re at right now. I think we’re way more respected this year for the season that they’ve had.”
When Ocoee first began practice in the fall, Brewer would see little groups warming up together, rather than as one unit. He watched players compete for positions and struggle with bonding. Once the team began playing, players began to understand what their role would be, what they were batting for and who they were competing against. They became the Knights defending the mound.
One of the simplest but most impactful changes to grow the players’ relationships was their dress code.
Allen, who has played all four years at Ocoee, said he noticed a shift once Brewer stepped in to help. The team began practicing right after school every day in an organized fashion, the players show up to practice now in their baseball pants and Ocoee shirts,
compared to last year in shorts and a T-shirt. All of the changes have helped create a more united team atmosphere.
“We look better, look more like a ball club; I feel like with the fans and (the uniform) simulates what we look like in a game,” Allen said. “Practice how we play.”
He takes that message to heart.
Allen played shortstop last season, but Brewer saw his potential as a centerfielder.
“He never once complained,” Brewer said of Allen. “Total team guy; he’ll play anywhere you tell him to. I told him, ‘OK man, we need to get better in shape.’ I said that one time to him, and he went, boom, he dropped weight. … He’s athletic, he’s strong and just a fantastic leader.”
Allen said he followed his coaches’ advice, he knows making an error at practice or warm-ups isn’t good enough and he shouldn’t settle with it. That one error can cost the team the game at batting time.
The work ethic has paid off. Allen has worked to become not only Ocoee’s leading batter but also the leader in batting average in the district with .528, which has come to fruition through listening to his coaches. He knows the coaches have a long-standing résumés in the baseball community. Allen has prioritized keeping his head on the ball, even after he swings and not pulling off early or getting under the ball.
“(Allen) just tells you plain in English if you don’t hustle, ‘You didn’t hustle, man,’ and he can say that because what are they going to say to him?” Brewer said. “He hustles all the time, so he’s allowed to say that. When he sits and tells a guy, ‘You got to put better effort than that,’ you can’t say anything back to Rico because he’s giving 100% all the time.”
“… if (the coaches) keep on yelling at you every single day, they want you to get better, because they’re not here for themselves. They already finished playing baseball. They want you to be better than them in life.”
— Justin Otis
Photo by Megan Bruinsma
The Knights have found their momentum in the second stretch of the season.
PITCH(ER) PERFECT
F or the first time in the program’s history, Windermere baseball had a perfect game. Junior Xavier Roman’s 70-pitch performance Tuesday, March 24, helped the Wolverines top West Orange 10-0 in six innings on the Warriors’ home field.
Windermere broke away in the fifth. Up 1-0, the Wol verines scored six of its runs before adding another three the following inning to force the run-rule victory.
The game was played in front of a mix of Windermere and West Orange faithful, as well as a batch of Little Leaguers. The West Orange High School’s base ball booster club organized Little League Night, allow ing Little League players to run out onto the field pregame for the national anthem and to gain free admission if they wore their jerseys.
Every player on each high school team started in Little League, setting an example for where the next generation of Little League players may be headed. — JUSTICE COVERT
Warriors splash in the rankings
programs no longer rely on teaching the newcomers the fundamentals of the sport in their freshman year. Rather, they arrive with experience, confidence and a deep understanding of the game. Dailer said the players are developing at a higher level and faster because of that pre-existing knowledge.
Structural changes in the Florida High School Athletic Association also have been a major part in West Orange’s postseason success. Previously, teams had to win their respective districts to advance. That’s difficult for the Warriors, whose district includes local powerhouse teams such as Dr. Phillips and Olympia high schools. Since 2021, the team’s in-season rankings determine their fate in the postsea-
“As soon as they switched that, we’ve never not been in the regional tournament,” Dailer said.
For senior water polo players and captains Bailey Patrolia on the boys team and Francesca Mastroianni on the girls team, the constant success has been a defining point in their high school water polo careers. Patrolia has played for seven years, and Mastroianni for four, and they have seen how the team has grown together.
Patrolia said the players have been working together for years between club and high school, which is what has translated into a strong team core and Mastroianni believes gives the Warriors an advantage.
“With the club, it’s easier for freshmen to come in because we already know them,” Mastroianni said. “It helps our team chemistry right off the bat.”
The chemistry is shown by how supportive the team, both boys and girls, are of one another. Unlike many high school programs such as basketball, softball and baseball, where the teams practice separately, water polo breaks the barrier through the waves of the water.
“That’s kind of different with our sport,” he said. “Most team sports are completely separate. Aquatics are not that way. We swim together; we play water polo together.”
Mastroianni described it as one big family.
The entire community is strong in
general, Dailer said. When the teams played in South Florida, about 20 families traveled down to support the Warriors. Mastroianni said she’s most thankful for the support from everyone, outside of simply coaches and her teammates.
“My freshman year, when I was new, whenever I got a goal or blocks, everyone would cheer for me,” she said. “It encouraged me to keep going.”
The shared environment pushes all of the players to improve. Rather than simply practicing against their own roster of 15 on the girls team and 18 on the boys team, they are able to be challenged by more friendly competition. The shared practices are especially important for the girls team’s success.
“I don’t think the boys go easy on us,” Mastroianni said. “It helps our level of competition because we are used to playing against harder people.”
And it’s working. This year, the boys hold a 16-4 record, while the girls hold a 18-2 record at the end of the regular season — both improvements over last year’s tallies. Mastroianni credited the improvement to growing closer together. She said they have begun to rely on one another more, trust the ball in one another’s hands and became closer overall.
For the boys team, continuity has been the most important piece of the pie, Patrolia said. The team only lost one senior last season and returned this year with strength in its numbers. It already had developed a foundation, and it has been about maintaining it and building within each practice.
Even with the success, the road ahead won’t be easy. The girls team, ranked No. 4, has its head focused on a likely opponent, Seminole High, which has dominated in the state rankings in recent years and currently is ranked No. 1. The boys are looking at an even more unpredictable slate of games.
“The top 10 teams in the state right now could all play with each other on the boys’ side,” Dailer said. Due to the unpredictable nature of West Orange boys team’s possible opposition, the team is preparing to adapt for each game uniquely rather than following a set game plan.
Little Leaguers posed with West Orange High School baseball players along the third-base line before the game’s first pitch.
Teammates greeted Windermere junior pitcher Xavier Roman at the dugout in between his six-inning perfect game against West Orange.
Winter Garden Little League’s Remi Ortiz beamed with joy as he stood on the field pregame.
At Lake Apopka Natural Gas, we’re helping families connect to
INFLUENCER OF THE WEEK
MARCY GIBBS
SUNRIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Marcy Gibbs is the resource teacher at SunRidge Elementary School.
As a resource teacher, Gibbs is charged with numerous responsibilities, but she spends most of her time teaching small groups to help students improve their reading skills. She works with students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
“Marcy Gibbs is our dedicated reading interventionist, and her passion for literacy shines through every Eaglet she supports,” Principal Adasha Elmore said. “Her love for the SunRidge community extends far beyond the school day. She serves as a SAC leader and is the visionary behind our very first SunRidge Eaglet Garden. Mrs. Gibbs truly embodies what she has helped create — she blooms, continually growing, with roots deeply grounded in our mission: ‘One School, One Team, One Vision … SOARing High!’”
What brought you to your school?
SunRidge Elementary is my home. I moved to accept the job as an Interventionist. As a proud member of the West Orange community since 1991, I have taught at four other schools in the area: Dr. Phillips Elementary, Lake Whitney Elementary, Westbrooke Elementary and Windermere Elementary.
What do you love most about your school?
Working with an amazing team of educators, administration and families. Great things happen!
What is the most rewarding part of your job? Without a doubt, teaching students to read!
What would you be if you weren’t in this profession? Tough question, maybe a travel and/or food writer.
Who influences you?
In the age of “influencers,” I look toward scientists and authors to help me process and learn and hopefully improve all aspects of my world.
Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? Why? I had an incredibly tough science teacher in high school, Mr. Turnipseed. Through his labs he helped instill in me a sense of hard work through both successes and failures. He was a true inspiration.
What is your favorite children’s book and why? My favorite is “Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbitt. It explores the circle of life with incredible grace, driving home the idea that life is a single, precious ride. It teaches us that
REPORT CARD
Years at school: Three
Years with OCPS: 26
death isn’t the enemy but rather the thing that gives our opportunities meaning. We only get one shot at this journey, so we have to fill it with things that truly matter.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Spending time with family, traveling, yoga, hiking, reading and planning my next meal.
If you could dine with any famous person, past or present, who would it be and why?
Anthony Bourdain seems like he would be a wonderful dining companion. Stories of travel and food would help me plan my future.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why? Time travel, I’d love to see the past but super curious about the future.
If you could only listen to three bands or artists, who would they be and why?
How about a mix of the hits of three decades: ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. Add some acoustic, modern coffeehouse to the mix, and you would have my perfect playlist. What was your go-to lunch and favorite snack as an elementary student?
PB&J, apples, with a side of chips.
What is your favorite holiday and why?
Thanksgiving, without a doubt: family and food.
What is a fun fact about yourself that would surprise people? People are usually surprised to learn that I taught at a school older than the country itself. Founded in 1727, Ursuline Academy in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been around since 50 years before the United States was born. Immersing myself in three centuries of tradition and ritual there was an incredible way to experience history firsthand.
What were your extracurricular activities as a student?
I played lots of sports and participated in the student government, but soccer was my favorite.
— LIZ RAMOS
Emilie and Madeleine Mason danced hand-in-hand on the dance floor in their matching flapper dresses. Madeleine Mason had the outfit from a dance two years ago and Emilie Mason bought herself an outfit so the pair could shine at Tildenville Elementary Tigers’ Ball Saturday, March 28. They fit perfectly with the annual dance’s theme, “Dancing Through the Decades.” Families walked through a hallway of neon lights, which unlocked the dance floor where they danced the night away, and enjoyed food including pizza, chips and Jeremiah’s Italian Ice.
—
Cha cha real smooth
MEGAN BRUINSMA
Emilie Mason twirled her daughter, Madeleine Mason, around on the dance floor in their matching flappers dresses.
Emma Reyes loved dancing on the neon-colored floor.
Wish Marin and her son Phoenix Marin, who’s in kindergarten at Tildenville Elementary, enjoyed Italian ice together.
Zara and Robyn Digozzi were all smiles in their sparkly pink dresses.
Left: Dorthy Schmidt and Maddon Schmidt were happy to be at the dance together in their decades outfit.
James Vicioso rocked his gold sequined top and showed off his hula hoop skills.
BA brew-tiful day!
ess Cicerchia and Mike Cicerchia were all smiles attending their third Hamlin Craft Beer Fest Saturday, March 28.
“The people are great, the beer is great, it’s phenomenal,” Mike Cicerchia said. “We live locally and enjoy it.”
Hundreds of people went to the dozens of vendors offering numerous samples of beer and other alcoholic beverages at the third annual Hamlin Craft Beer Fest, which benefited Legacy Events for Education.
By
Luis Campos
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Lisa McClure and Corey McClure have been to every Hamlin Craft Beer Fest. “We’re loving it,” Corey McClure said of this year’s festival.
Mike McKee with Windermere Brewing Co. served a Hazy
Right: Jessica McLaughlin and Donna Joike
Bess Cicerchia and Mike Cicerchia said the people and the beer at the festival are great, and they’ve enjoyed attending Beer Fest each year.
Brian McFadden was ready
MEGA FREESTYLE 4 by Adrian Johnson, edited by Jared Goudsmit
