05.17.19 Winter Park/Maitland Observer

WINTER PARK/MAITLAND

Beaks on fleek!

Observer

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YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. VOLUME 31, NO. 20

FREE

Paw-some party!

Franklin’s Friends benefited animal welfare at its annual gala. 14.

Still standing

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FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

YOUR TOWN CADY WAY CLEAN UP CLUB Phyllis Guidera, a secondgrader at Brookshire Elementary School, recently started the Cady Way Clean Up Club in January in an effort to keep the area clean and trash-free for the community. Once a month, Phyllis, other students ranging from Pre-K to fifth grade and parent volunteers use safety vests, grabbers and gloves donated by the city of Winter Park to pick up trash around their school, Cady Way Trail and Cady Way Park.

Canopy project cost coming soon The project entering the construction drawings level means the city soon will learn the potential price tag.

TIM FREED ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Tim Freed

A statue of Tuskegee Airman Richard Hall Jr. has been repaired thanks to artist Rigoberto Torres and donations from the community. STORY ON PAGE 4.

The Winter Park Canopy project has taken another step toward construction in Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

Winter Park city commissioners on May 13 voted to SEE PROJECT PAGE 2

Winter Park/Maitland Observer says ‘good-bye’ After more than 30 years of chronicling local news, the paper was unable to generate the revenue traction to continue publishing.

TIM FREED ASSOCIATE EDITOR

After more than 30 years of reporting stories and keeping the community informed, the Winter Park/Maitland Observer is closing its doors.

The May 17 issue of the Observer will be its last.

“It breaks our hearts that we won’t be here to tell our readers and the residents of Winter Park and Maitland what’s happening in their communities,” said Executive Editor Michael Eng. “That’s what hurts the most.”

Matt Walsh, editor and CEO of SEE OBSERVER PAGE 4

THE SCENIC ROUTE Winter Park-area cyclists enjoyed a day pedaling through five Central Florida cities. SEE PAGE 9.

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FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

Project nears construction phase move the project forward to the construction drawings level, allowing construction firm Brasfield & Gorrie to hard bid the project later this year and provide the city with a guaranteed maximum price.

City Manager Randy Knight said the city’s schedule calls for construction drawings to be finished by the third week of October.

The vote marks a key step for the project, because the city will receive an actual estimate of how much it will cost to build the project — a number that can fluctuate based on a number of factors in the building market.

According to the agenda item, the total cost of the base project and all add alternates — the porte cochere, the rooftop venue, the exterior amphitheater and the raked auditorium — is $40.5 million. The budget includes all construction, soft costs, furniture and fixtures, as well estimating contingency and owner’s and escalation contingencies.

City Commissioner Todd Weaver questioned the overall design of the project, believing it will be too expensive to build when the actual price comes back before the City Commission.

Based on his own experience as a general contractor and the cost of previous projects architect Sir David Adjaye has designed, Weaver said the two building shells for the library and event center alone would cost $37.4 million.

“I don’t see how you can build this for what we’re saying is $40 million,” Weaver said. “My most important job I have as your commissioner is fiduciary responsibility. I’m asking the commission to delay this vote. … Is this design a good value for our money? That’s what I want to ask you.”

City Commissioner Greg Seidel said it’s best to wait and see what prices come back.

“I’ve been asking about the budget all along and the contingencies,” he said. “In this next phase, we’re going to get an actual price for what everyone’s been talking about, so all the numbers that Commissioner Weaver presented to us … we’ll find out if it’s really that high a cost. I’m OK to move forward to this next phase.”

The City Commission voted to move the project to the construction drawing level by a vote of 3-1, with Weaver dissenting and City Commissioner Carolyn Cooper absent from the meeting. The motion also included the design of the rooftop venue set for the new event center.

The guaranteed maximum price is set come before the City Commission for consideration at its Jan. 13, 2020 meeting. If the price is approved at that meeting, the project is scheduled to be complete for a May 1, 2021 opening.

SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS?

With Winter Park’s charter currently under review by a committee, many residents from the West Winter Park African-

American community urged the city to transition to a single-member district system for Winter Park, meaning each of the four city commissioners and the mayor would represent one of five specific districts within the city.

Residents noted having a designated city commissioner would help the residents of West Winter Park feel like their voices are being heard, because they would have a specific commissioner that answers to them.

“I’d like to encourage this commission to consider putting single-member districts for the voters to decide how the elections should be in order to have proper representation for all citizens in the city of Winter Park,” resident Mary Daniels said. “I think single-member district is the way to go. I’d also like to support that and hopefully encourage you to do that.”

“What we have here is structural racism,” resident LaWanda Thompson said. “What we need to do as a city and as citizens is dismantle structuralized racism in Winter Park. Single-member districts would help move us forward. … Who has the power and who’s been marginalized? Please put single-member district on the ballot.”

City Attorney Kurt Ardaman said the public can make comments to the Charter Review Advisory Committee, which will go through the charter piece by piece and evaluate the public input before making a recommendation to the Winter Park

City Commission.

“Then you all will decide what you believe is important to put on the ballot for the voters to consider and vote upon,” Ardaman said.

City Manager Randy Knight added the City Commission also could bring an item up for discussion that isn’t brought forward by the committee.

Ardaman noted single-member districts is within the city’s purview to bring before the voters.

WINTER PARK WILDCATS RECOGNIZED

The Winter Park City Commission chambers were filled with plenty of orange and black as three sports teams and one individual athlete were recognized for capturing state championships.

Winter Park recognized the Winter Park High School crew program, which walked away with its 38th overall points scholastic state championship at the tournament last month.

“This will be my last one — it’s just an honor to row with Winter Park crew for four years,” Winter Park High School senior Aubrey Fitts said. “Because you represent Winter Park, you have certain expectations out of you.

There’s certain things that other teams when the look at you they (expect out of you), so you just wear it with pride, and you wear it knowing that the girls before you did this and the girls after you will see this.”

Another team with a history of

success recognized at the meeting was the competitive cheer team, which won its ninth state title in 12 years. The championship marked a bounce-back effort for the Wildcats, who had taken second place behind Jupiter High School the year before.

That turned into extra motivation for the girls, and Winter Park made a terrific showing in the finals this year with a score of 91.20, topping Jupiter and getting the highest score of any team in Class 2A. Meanwhile, the boys golf team made history and found redemption as well as it won the first state championship in program history last November. It was a victory made all the more sweet because of how close Winter Park came to the title last year. The Wildcats finished in third place during that two-day tournament — just two strokes behind first place Gulf Coast High School.

There was also track athlete Elizabeth Nix, who won the state pole-vaulting title — her 10th state championship, with the first nine happening in Alabama.

“I ended up getting second in the state last year, so this year it was a really big goal of mine to win state and actually achieve my goal,” Nix said.

Nix has also competed in the 4x4, the 4x1, the 100-meter hurdles, the long jump, the high jump and the shotput.

The senior was named as this year’s Winter Park High School Athlete of the Year for the girls.

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FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

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Maitland City Council tables commercial vehicle ordinance Council members will consider an ordinance regarding commercial vehicles in residential areas June 10.

HARRY SAYER BLACK TIE REPORTER

Vicky and Joe Raymond have had their son, Joseph, at CECO since the nonprofit opened 18 years ago.

Forward momentum The Conductive Education Center of Orlando nonprofit has helped children with motor disabilities for nearly 20 years.

HARRY SAYER BLACK TIE REPORTER

N

adia Dobkins knew her son, Ian, would have cerebral palsy the day he was born.

She knew her son had a brain injury at birth and would face physical challenges others wouldn’t.

She also knew he would spend much of his life in a wheelchair.

What she didn’t know, however, was that one day she would see her 12-year-son walking with a cane to meet her on his own two feet.

“He had never stood up and put one foot in front of the other,” Dobkins said. “I never, ever, ever imagined it in my life. Now he’s been walking — sometimes without a cane — which I can’t put into words.”

She credits Ian’s physical progression to the Conductive Education Center of Orlando, an education nonprofit in the Winter Park area that teaches children with physical disabilities. She said Ian’s been with the nonprofit for a handful of years and in that time has become more physically capable and sociable. Dobkins said CECO has helped him walk with a cane after he received extensive leg muscle and hamstring surgery July last year.

Ian is just one of many students the school has helped in the past 18 years.

RANGE OF MOTION

Winter Parkers Vicky and Joe Raymond founded the nonprofit, which has had several locations in Winter Park and Orlando over the years, nearly 20 years ago to help their son, Joseph, who has cerebral palsy, and other families like themselves.

“When you get out of the hospital … the biggest thing we found was a lack of anybody telling us what to expect,” Joe Raymond said. “Nothing about services or anything or what to do. We went home, and it was, ‘Here we are with a special-needs child’.”

The couple found a conductor — a special-needs instructor — to oversee a six-child summer

Harry Sayer

Ian Dobkins has received help walking from CECO staff.

CONDUCTIVE EDUCATION CENTER OF ORLANDO 931 S. Semoran Blvd., Suite 220, Winter Park HOURS: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mondays through Fridays PHONE: (407) 671-4687 WEBSITE: ceco.org

program at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church.

The organization has expanded since then. CECO now hosts 36 children with physical disabilities who are watched by six conductors, each with an assistant. There is also a large number of volunteers and interns who helps CECO throughout the year.

The nonprofit’s education curriculum is the same as other schools — math, reading, science, etc. — along with individual plans for each student that focus on physical, cognitive and social development. CECO also has a focus on training the children to do physical activities they may have trouble with doing. Those activities include stretching and lifting their arms in certain ways to make it easier putting on T-shirts, folding clothes and more critical functions such as using a bathroom by themselves. They also have daily

exercise routines to promote independent movement and to combat atrophy.

The Raymonds are particularly proud of the emotional benefits they believe their group provides.

In the program’s 18 years, there only has been one family with a specialneeds child that has divorced, and Joe Raymond believes it is because the program gives parents the ability to work and take care of their other children and responsibilities while their special-needs child is at school.

“Our son has gone through 25 brain surgeries; he’s gone through a lot, and our two daughters went through a lot taking care of him,” Vicky Raymond said. “But that’s why we created CECO. We needed family balance … every single family life here is better because they have balance.”

The nonprofit also has a number of scholarships for students and families available to help with tuition, according to Executive Director Marni Stahlman. The children are given an assessment test to see if they’re suitable for the group.

The nonprofit is planning to add with adult-learning programs for students who grow out of highschool level learning. It also started a pilot program for children with Parkinson’s disease.

Maitland approved a collection container ordinance and a lengthy consent agenda but failed to reach a consensus on a commercial vehicle regulation ordinance.

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE REGULATIONS

After nearly two hours of discussion, Maitland City Council members failed to reach a decision on an ordinance regulating commercial vehicles in residential districts.

The city received a zoning complaint in 2018 concerning a commercial vehicle parked on a residential driveway. At that time, the city determined the vehicle didn’t violate zoning laws based on the definition of a commercial vehicle. It later was decided the vehicle violated a different city ordinance, and a special magistrate determined in 2019 the vehicle was in violation of the zoning law. The City Council decided in early 2019 to have staff draft an amendment clarifying what vehicles would be allowed to park in residential districts. Staff based their definition on that of the Florida of Transportation.

The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission moved the ordinance forward in April, with the added notes of excluding vehicle manufacturer branding from the commercial vehicle definition of logos and advertisements. The Development Review Committee added language allowing commercial vehicles to be parked in garages and further clarified logo and lettering sizes.

The council introduced the ordinance in an April meeting, but with concerns for citizens with pickups that weigh more than 10,000 pounds, which would classify them as commercial vehicles. Staff increased the definition to be more than 14,000 pounds and included language allowing residents to establish the vehicles aren’t for commercial use. The ordinance also established two square feet as an appropriate amount of signage for a car.

However, the council failed to find the resolution it sought at the May meeting. Council members debated what level of weight regulation should be applied and whether the city’s current definition was too narrow.

“It’s frustrating to find our-

IN OTHER NEWS n The city authorized a grant agreement for the construction of an East-West connector trail between Maitland and the Florida Department of Environment Protection. The city was awarded $200,000 from the Recreational Trail Program in 2017 for reimbursement from construction expenses from developing the connector trail. The city will have a $200,000 cash match for the full bike trail, which will be built between Maitland Avenue and Wymore Road.

The project will take two years to complete. n McDonald declared May 19 to 25 to be Emergency Medical Services Week and May 25 to 29 to be National Public Works Week in the city of Maitland. n Florida House District 30 representative and former Maitland councilwoman Joy Goff-Marcil returned to the City Council to discuss the recently concluded Florida legislative session.

selves in a spot where we need to try to find something like this in some manner … it’s not easy to do,” Mayor Dale McDonald said. “And for 135 years, we haven’t had to do this. I’m not sure there’s a perfect way to do this. This is like finding pornography — you know when you see it; you know when it’s wrong on the street.”

The council ultimately tabled the discussion and requested city staff to return to council with the ordinance with more precise wording. The council will return to the matter on June 10.

COLLECTION CONTAINERS

The council adopted an ordnance establishing the regulation of recycling drop-off stations and collections containers.

City staff has worked with the city attorney on the ordinance to regulate these containers after receiving questions about stations that had become littered about with garbage. Staff devised a plan that included regulations, where the containers are allowed, size requirements, property, maintenance standards and more.

The council moved the ordinance forward at the April 22 meeting with notes to ensure the liability of property owners and bin owners as well as making sure the zoning violations would be put in place. The penalty for leaving garbage out after receiving a warning from the city would be up to $500 a day.

“And for 135 years, we haven’t had to do this. I’m not sure there’s a perfect way to do this. This is like finding pornography — you know when you see it; you when know it’s wrong on the street.”

— Maitland Mayor Dale McDonald

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FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

Statue fixed after vandalism TIM FREED ASSOCIATE EDITOR

T

he likeness of a local hero has been repaired and restored.

A vandalized statue of Tuskegee Airman and longtime Winter Park resident Chief Master Sgt. Richard Hall Jr. outside the Hannibal Square Heritage Center was been fixed — much to the relief of local residents who hope the repair will bring healing to the community.

The patching process was finished a little over a week after the Cinco De Mayo weekend, when an unknown person struck the statue and created a large gaping hole in the abdominal area of the fiberglass statue. Police were contacted early Monday, May 6, after the damage was discovered.

Hannibal Square Heritage Center Manager Barbara Chandler said she was thankful to see the statue repaired.

“I just feel like having it done as quickly as possible was the best way to just put one aspect of it — the visual aspect of it — behind us,” Chandler said.

The likeness of Hall was created

by Florida artist Rigoberto Torres, who was commissioned by the Crealdé School of Art in 2015 to honor the World War II hero.

Casts were made of Hall’s physical features to create the statue, which has sat on the porch of the Heritage Center ever since.

The work to repair the statue was set in motion after the incident — the Hannibal Square Heritage Center reached out to Torres to see if he could patch up the hole.

“It bothers me a lot, because when I worked with Mr. Hall in real life casting him, he became my

Tim Freed

Artist Rigoberto Torres sanded down the statue before painting it.

friend and a family member,” Torres said. “He’s a family member in my heart. For somebody to (vandalize the statue) … it was really hurting my heart all night when I heard about it. That piece is like one of my kids — I can’t leave it like that.”

Torres filled the statue with additional expanding foam to help bolster the structure of the statue, after which he crafted a new piece of the statue out of epoxy putty to cover the hole. The statue was then sanded down, cleaned and repainted, giving the piece a refreshed look. Supplies for the repair will be paid for by a donation fund raised through Crealdé School of Art. A couple hundred dollars has been collected so far through private donations, and the city of Winter Park and two private

SEARCH FOR A CULPRIT The Winter Park Police Department is still in search of the unknown person who vandalized the statue.

Anyone that has any information to help with the investigation can contact the Winter Park Police Department at (407) 644-1313 or CRIMELINE at (800) 4238477.

arts and cultural foundations have volunteered to help as well, Crealdé School of Art Marketing Manager Nicki Drumb said.

“The community stepped up once again — not just our local

community but the extended neighborhood and cities around us,” Chandler said. “They offered donations to help with the figure.

A lot of people were offended by this; a lot of people were offended that someone intentionally damaged or vandalized the figure that’s outside.”

Although grateful for the repairs to the statue, Tuskegee Airmen Inc. Central Florida Chapter member Darrell Gray said the vandalism broke far more than some fiberglass.

“We’re here to talk about the dignity, honor and respect of this man — what he stands for and who he is,” Gray said. “There’s damage to the man and what he represents and this community. It’s not just an art piece that was damaged. This community was damaged.”

Hall, who lives nearby in Maitland and is still a member of Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Hannibal Square, is one of about 996 African-American pilots and 15,000 ground personnel who served in the U.S. Air Force’s allblack units during World War II — the first in the nation’s history.

The “Red Tails,” as they were known because of the red tails on their planes, were the first AfricanAmerican aviators in the United States military. Hall and the other soldiers reported to Tuskegee, Alabama, to receive their training. From there Hall joined the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Composite Group, which included the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 617th Bomber Squadron.

In the interest of helping to keep the statue of Hall safe, the Hannibal Square Heritage Center plans to install surveillance cameras outside the building, Chandler said.

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Observer closing its doors CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Sarasota-based Observer Media Group Inc., owner of the Winter Park/Maitland Observer, announced May 9 to the staff the newspaper would close after the May 17 edition.

“After much and careful analysis of our operations in Orange County, and where best to invest and concentrate our resources,” Walsh told the staff, “it became clear the scales tipped in favor of focusing on our three papers in West Orange — the West Orange Times, West Orange Times & Observer and Windermere Observer, as well as OrangeObserver.com.”

Walsh added this week: “This kills us to leave. When we purchased the Winter Park/Maitland Observer two years ago, we were thrilled and excited to be part of these two great communities.

“These are the kinds of communities in which we’ve built our company,” he said. “But we just couldn’t get the revenue traction we needed to give us the confidence that we could make it work.”

Observer Media Group publishes 10 similar weekly Observers in the Sarasota-Bradenton market, West Orange County and in Flagler and Volusia counties, as well as business papers in Jacksonville and on the West Coast of Florida.

Informed of the news, Winter Park Mayor Steve Leary said what he’ll miss most of all is the staff.

“It’s the people that were involved,” he said. There have been some great people. [They] were a big part of the community.

[They] were here and participated, so that’s going to be a big deal for us. We’re going to miss seeing [them],” he said. “[They] were the ones that kind of shared with the public some of the things that were happening.

“Anytime we needed something, and if we did have to ask [them] a question and get on the phone with [them], [they] were there. Having that access was really important, so we appreciate it.”

The Winter Park Observer was launched in January 1989 by Gerhard J.W. Munster, a native of Vienna, Austria. Shortly after, in 1990, Munster added Maitland to the paper’s name. “[The Winter Park /Maitland Observer] is integral in the awareness of how Maitland, Winter Park, Eatonville work together,” said Maitland Mayor Dale McDonald. “It has raised the level of expectation, what we expect of ourselves and what becomes acceptable.

“Every time I see a new edition, [I] want to know what [was] written, what we’ve done and what has been reported,” he said. “It’s a positive influence.

“If there’s not some discomfort that comes from rational discourse,” McDonald added, “you’re not making headway.”

“It’s kind of sad,” Maitland Police Chief David Manuel said.

He added that the paper brought “a little hometown atmosphere with things going on the city. This is our paper, it’s personal, and it means something. That’s what I’m going to miss about it.”

Getting information to readers that was timely and accurate was always a priority for the staff. Much of that meant working closely with first-responders to share critical news happening in the area.

Said Winter Park Police Chief Michael Deal: “We’re going to miss [it]. Our No. 1 job is developing public trust in the community.

Having the Observer there to reach out to our citizens and to tell a story sometimes helps us promote ourselves. That’s critical.

“It’s disappointing we’re going to lose that aspect and that resource,” Deal said, “but life goes on.”

In early 2018, the Winter Park/ Maitland Observer made it a point to focus more coverage on the arts and culture scene in Winter Park and Maitland with a dedicated section.

“The influence the paper has over helping communicate the arts and culture of our area, helping us spread the word and the balanced editorial staff overall have played a very important role,” said Debbie Komanski, CEO/executive director of the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens. “It’s just kind of heartbreaking to see that go away. I’m getting that reaction (from) everyone who has heard the news.”

“I thought it began to really diversify — show the diversity in Winter Park,” Hannibal Square Heritage Center Manager Barbara Chandler said. “It was accessible, easy to find. I’ll miss seeing it and seeing the local news.”

THANK YOU FOR THE STORIES I’ll always feel a special connection to Winter Park. I may have grown up in Sarasota, but as a journalist, reporter and editor, I grew up right here.

It was here in this city that I honed my craft, learned how to tell a story and realized what it means to be a community journalist.

What a ride it has been. Over the past six years at the Winter Park/Maitland Observer, I’ve seen the human spirit triumph over disease, loss, abuse, addiction and heartache. I’ve seen your sports teams experience the most bitter defeats and the sweetest victories on the high school fields and courts. I’ve seen and heard the work of artists, musicians, actors and more within a vibrant arts and culture mecca in the middle of Central Florida. I’ve seen the city of Winter Park shape its future through countless votes at more than 100 biweekly City Commission meetings.

All I can say is “Thank you.”

You’ve invited me to your homes, your places of business, your schools, your hospitals, your churches. You’ve welcomed me like I was one of your own, and gave me the privilege of sharing your stories. Here’s to the Winter Park/ Maitland community that will always feel like home — and the many stories it holds.

— TIM FREED

mation via email to Michael Eng, meng@ OrangeObserver.com. Mailed letters must be typed and include the author’s signature and phone number. Letters to the editor are subject to editing.

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FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

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FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

Eyes on the (silver) prize

Courtesy photo

Cadette Troop 89 has been working hard to receive the Silver Award since last year.

Girl Scout Cadette Troop 89 is working to deliver 300 women’s hygiene kits to girls in other countries.

HARRY SAYER BLACK TIE REPORTER

It’s been an eventful year for Girl Scout Troop No. 89.

The troop, comprising 10 girls from Winter Park and Maitland, have been hard at work since last spring to achieve one spe-

cific goal: receiving the Silver Award. It’s a prestigious award that requires a sizable amount of work that benefits their community and is the highest award Girl Scout Cadettes can achieve.

That’s one thing Troop 89 has covered. The group has raised more than $1,700 since last spring to supply young women in other countries with women’s hygiene

kits. It’s been a considerable amount of work that their troop leader, Janet Young, is happy to say has paid off. The girls reached their fundraiser goal in March.

HELPING OTHERS

The Girl Scout’s Silver Award is eligible for scout troops in sixth, seventh and eighth grade. Troop 89 made the plans for the women’s hygiene project when they entered sixth grade and have been working toward it ever since.

Scouts must perform something

Experts

THE MEMORY CARE

service related with a massive impact and, to that end, Young discovered the Days for Girls organization that supplies menstrual supplies to girls coming of age across the world, particularly in Africa.

“Many of the girls this organization benefits are the same age as (the scouts), the middleschool age” Young said. “Most of the girls in that range are starting their period for the first time.”

The troop has been raising funds to acquire supplies for the Days for Girls “Portable Object of Dignity” reusable kit, which contains washcloth, soap, spare underwear, menstrual products and more. The kits can last three months to a year, according to Young.

Cadette Troop 89 decided to aim big and collect materials for 300 POD kits, something Young thought would be too difficult to achieve at first. Eventually, that changed.

“It’s really great but it’s a lot of work,” she said. “One kit can cost upwards of $20.”

The troop split into groups to raise the money and materials to gather up the kits. Through a series of community donations, church material drives and aggressive cookie-selling — Young says they tripled their cookie sales through additional booth shifts and a cardealership endorsement — the troop has slowly amassed the funds and materials they need to create their kits.

Young reached out to the Lake County Detention Center to have

PORTABLE OBJECT OF DIGNITY KIT ITEMS

1 washcloth 1 small soap 1 gallon-size freezer bag 2

pairs of panties (size 10-14)

2 Ziploc plastic bags its textile program receive the scouts’ cloth and fabric and help create the POD kits. Some of the scouts write letters of encouragement to the inmates who help make the kits.

The troop wrapped up fundraising in March with $1,700 and enough materials for their kits.

“It was a real testament to the girls’ hard work,” Young said.

“They’re getting older, and it’s such a beautiful thing to see they know how to manage their own time, they know how to put something that’s important first, and they knew what was going to be happening. The girls weren’t keeping track (of the amount raised); they were just working hard. When I told them how much we made, it was such a proud moment for me. But it was all them, it truly was fantastic.”

Young and her troop plan to distribute the kits and materials over the following year and present their project to receive the Silver Award next year.

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FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

Rollins College building gets construction funds, new name BLACK TIE REPORTER

Rollins College is in the midst of an ambitious rebuilding of its signature Mills Memorial Hall, an expensive endeavor that has been months in the making.

Luckily, the college has received financial help from one of its former students and current board of trustees members. Kathleen W. Rollins donated $10 million to the construction of the building, which she hopes will go to the post-graduation plans and career initiatives the new institution will provide. The renovated building is planning to be a hub of student engagement on campus and feature a number of experimental learning programs.

“We want to make sure students are as competitive as they can be and that they have great lives,” Rollins said. “I developed lifelong friendships while I was there. I just feel lifted when I’m on that campus … it’s just a very inspiring school to me. I received a great education and I’ve found a lot of success in life due to many of the experiences at Rollins.”

As such, the three-floor building will be renamed the Kathleen W. Rollins Hall. It’s a special moment for Rollins, who has plenty of fond

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memories pursuing a behavioral science degree at the liberal arts school.

“We are thrilled that Kathleen’s experience at the College inspired her generous support for this landmark project,” Rollins College President Grant Cornwell said. “Her gift will ensure that future generations of students realize their true potential as global citizens and responsible leaders, empowered to pursue meaningful lives and productive careers.”

The conversations about the donation started less than a year ago, according to Laurie Houck, vice president for institutional advancement at Rollins College. She and Rollins eventually reached an idea of what would be important for students — an emphasis on future planning and being successful out of college.

“As she and I were talking about our various initiatives and priorities, she responded to that particular vision,” Houck said. “It concluded with a happy marrying of her interests and a strategic initiative of the college.”

Construction already was underway with a combination of school donors and the school’s money covering the expenses.

The Kathleen W. Rollins Hall is planned to be finished in late fall 2019. Rollins said she is more than excited to see it open.

“I’m so very proud; I guess my heart has always been at Rollins,” she said. “And now my heart, mind and name will be there forever. It’s very comforting to me. It makes me think those wonderful days and everything I learned will never be over.”

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The Rollins College Mills Memorial Hall received a $10 million donation from Kathleen W. Rollins.

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Allison Swanson; Annabella, 2; and Dorothy Leach spent their Saturday in Ward Park working on the craft.

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ocal families came together to make a Mother’s Day craft at the second annual Blooming for Mothers event Saturday, May 11, at Ward Park in Winter Park.

Children decorated small flower pots with paint and stickers, filled them with soil, and picked out flower seeds to plant — creating a special gift for mothers to admire on Mother’s Day. — TIM FREED

Justin and Brielle Yonker, 4, couldn’t wait to surprise mom with the flower pot.

Above: Olivia Park, 9, and Ivy Fishbein, 9, had a blast with the paint project.

Left: Jaiden, 3, and Yiyan Xiong had a great time together at the event.

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The scenic route

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Jose Santana, Anne Peeper and Gunther Zurstadt

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undreds of bicyclists traveled across five cities during the Bike 5 Cities Saturday, May 4. Riders kicked off the five-city trek, presented by Bike/Walk Central Florida, at Mead Botanical Garden in Winter Park and made their way to Orlando, Casselberry, Maitland and Eatonville.

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FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

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— HARRY SAYER

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FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

Owl walks of life

Violet and Olivia Melymuk made arts and crafts.

Robert Veal introduced visitors to Hank the Osprey.

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Gopher the burrowing owl peered out from his habitat.

Shalyce and Maura McCrea walked to the gazebo.

— HARRY SAYER

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uests turned out in droves to the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey during its annual Baby Owl Shower Saturday, May 11. The springtime event had families donating wish list items to support the center during the more expensive baby season. Children learned about birds of prey and Florida wildlife, made arts and crafts and more.

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Strength training at any age can help improve muscle mass and bone density of retirement a few years ago to join Elite because, he said, he saw the value in what they offered their clients.

“The equipment here is top of the line and the techniques produce results like no other,” Rinehart said.

At Elite, education is as important as the equipment. Before clients spend anytime working out, they share their medical history, goals and concerns with trainers who develop a plan that covers time inside and outside of the gym.

“Clients’ needs are evaluated and we give them a detailed analysis of what they need to do, especially at home, to accomplish their goals,” said owner Monte Mitchell.

Homework might include keeping food and exercise journals to learn more about their habits, especially if weight loss is a goal.

The gym also offers a 12-week group nutrition workshop to their members, guaranteeing results for their clients, provided they follow all the recommendations made during their consultation.

70-year-old physician Dr. Maria Bors has been a client of Elite for seven years and finds that training there fits quite nicely into her busy lifestyle.

“The 20-minute workouts are easy for me to fit in and I find them easy to commit to,” Bors said.

Rather than working out with sweaty, bulked-up gym rats, Elite’s clients find an almost Zen-like atmosphere, with trainers attentive to their every motion.

Speaking in tones of calm assurance, trainers offer equal parts encouragement and challenge, pushing clients to new levels.

The workouts are physically demanding, but not in the way one might expect.

Motions are slow and intensely controlled, demanding maximum effort from muscles while barely breaking a sweat.

“Many clients don’t even change out of office clothes,” Rinehart said. “They simply don’t need to.”

Before beginning with Elite, Bors suffered from daily back pain, but after just a few months in the gym, she experienced a noticeable change in pain levels and now rarely suffers at all.

“It’s been remarkable for me,” she said. “I can feel how strong I am, especially when I am traveling carrying luggage. I have a strength I never had before.”

“The strength training is very good for preventing bone loss,” said Bors, “which is something we all need as we age.”

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Allison Olcsvay Three years ago, the client was facing the same prognosis that she has watched her mother suffer with for de-cades. The progressive osteopenia would someday develop into osteoporosis, bringing on devastating broken bones and pain.

“My mother is 93 now, and I’ve watched her suffer so much; I just don’t want that to happen to me,” she said.

Medication to strengthen her bones never produced significant results, and after years of taking them, she decided to try a new course of action.

Following the recommendation of a friend she signed on with Elite Strength and Fitness of Winter Park and began following a twice-weekly strengthtraining regimen designed to increase her muscle mass and bone density.

At her next DEXA scan to measure density, the client's doctor noticed a big change and she was able to stop taking her medication.

Success stories like hers don’t come easy though; it took months of intense workouts with the guidance of personal trainers to get there.

At 64, Les Rinehart, one of Elite’s train-ers, knows the challenges his clients face.

After 33 years in the fitness industry, the former strength coach for the Charlotte Hornets retired in 2007, only to come out

ARTS + CULTURE

PERIPHERAL VISION

FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

ORANGEOBSERVER.COM

The Trinity Prep Players will perform “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” at Fringe.

The annual Orlando Fringe Festival features several artists and performances with Winter Park ties.

T

HARRY SAYER | BLACK TIE REPORTER

he Orlando Fringe Festival is a staple of the local arts community — and this year is no exception. From May 14 to 27, the 28th annual festival will have dozens of plays, shows and other productions at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre

area and other venues. Here are just a few of the productions that have ties to the Winter Park and Maitland area from local and international creative minds.

TRINITY PREP PLAYERS

The Trinity Prep Players, Trinity Preparatory School’s signature thespian troupe, has been performing “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” since last October. In that time, the 15-person production has won awards at theater festivals and conferences across the country for its story of a boy with autism solving the mystery of his neighbor’s murdered dog.

Now, the students will have a new challenge: performing in a much smaller, unfamiliar venue at the Fringe Festival.

“All of our staging had to be adjusted for the smaller space,” said Janine Papin, director of the show and fine arts deparment chair at the school. “The amount of space the kids are now working in is greatly smaller. We’re in a 20-foot-by-13-foot acting area. … This is the first time any of (most) of the students have been involved with Fringe. It’s a whole new world.”

Courtesy photos

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” follows an autistic boy trying to solve the murder of his neighbor’s dog.

The Fringe Festival’s Brown Venue has a thrust stage that extends into the audience area on three sides, to which the students have had to adjust. But the different dynamic has presented new opportunities, Papin said.

“It’s been freeing in a way; the kids can move more,” Papin said.

“In a thrust, you can actually turn your back on the audience, and they’re seeing an angle. … A lot of the movement has become a lot more natural.”

Papin, who is also the theatre teacher, has been with Trinity SEE ECLECTIC PAGE 12

IF YOU GO

‘THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT TIME’ WHEN: 5:30 p.m Friday, May 17; 8:45 p.m. Saturday, May 25; 1:15 p.m.

Sunday, May 26 WHERE: Brown Venue 812 E. Rollins St., Orlando TICKETS: $6; available at bit.ly/2LIBIvq AN EVENING OF SPOKEN WORD WITH ELAINE PERSON WHEN: 6:50 p.m.

Friday, May 17; 6:50 p.m.

Monday, May 20; 10 p.m.

Tuesday, May 21; 6:10 p.m. Sunday, May 26 WHERE: Breakthrough Theatre of Winter Park, 419 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park ‘TOMATOES TRIED TO KILL ME BUT BANJOS SAVED MY LIFE’ WHEN: 10 p.m. Friday, May 17; 11:35 p.m. Saturday, May 18; 4:35 p.m.

Sunday, May 19, 8:45 p.m. Monday, May 20 WHERE: Breakthrough Theatre of Winter Park, 419 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park TICKETS: $10; available at bit.ly/2w7qHJP

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FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

Eclectic approach CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Prep for nearly 20 years and first was introduced to “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime” in 2012. She said this year’s students in particular have the talent and acting ability to bring the story to life at the festival. After nearly a complete school year of performing the show, she said the students have been able to dig deeper and be more honest with the characters they’re portraying.

“The students have had to put on much more of a professional hat,” Papin said. “Typically with academic theater, you do it for a couple of times, and you leave it behind. This is a professional show that can run for however long you can have an audience for. The kids have embraced the longevity of it but also have fought to be in the moment and stay true to the story that they’re telling.”

this type of show since 1993 in different venues, this will be her first show at Fringe. But like every one of her spoken-word shows, it will begin with a story, a quiz and a game.

She also touches on her last name, Person, and how people often try to change it. Audiences will hear one of her signature humor pieces, “Ode to a Red Light.”

She likes for most of her material to be tongue-in-cheek with a humorous bent that still includes a lesson or something to learn. Many of her stories and poetry pieces reflect the hectic world she sees around her.

“I want audiences to be happy and to laugh and feel good about life and themselves,” Person said.

“My philosophy is that the world

ELAINE PERSON

Elaine Person, a prolific poet in the Central Florida community, is presenting an evening of spoken word at the Breakthrough Theatre of Winter Park starting Friday, May 17.

Person, a member of the Florida Writer’s Association, said although she’s been performing

Keith Alessi has been strumming his banjos at several Fringe Festivals.

Courtesy photos

is very stressed so I write material that makes people laugh and is upliftings.”

Person, who hosts writing workshops at the Winter Park Library and the Maitland Public Library, has written poetry, prose and music since she was a young girl.

“Things just come into my head; it’s nonstop,” she said. “It’s almost like I have to turn it off to do real life. I could probably write three poems in an hour. … It makes me happy in this stressed world.”

KEITH ALESSI

Elaine Person is delivering an evening of poetry and stories.

It’s been a long road for Keith Alessi. The dual Canada-U.S. citizen performer spent much of his life as a corporate CEO and entrepreneur before being stricken with a form

of cancer from, of all things, acid reflux from tomatoes.

These days, Alessi is an artist — at least he said that’s what others call him. He’s chronicled his life’s journey into the “Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me but Banjos Saved My Life” one-man production. Alessi is bringing that show to Orlando Fringe through Monday, May 20.

The artist tells his story using a number of banjos — he has a worldclass collection of more than 50 of the instruments — with a mix of funny storytelling and music.

Much of the runtime is dedicated to his love of the banjo, which he said helped him get through his sickness.

Alessi said a large part of “Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me” is

about learning to reject the parts of life that can damage you and embracing what can nurture and benefit you — the metaphorical tomatoes and banjos, respectively.

He touches on his dual-citizenship status on how he’s worked through his abusive father and upbringing.

“The tomatoes are a metaphor for the life I led, the household I grew up in,” Alessi said. “The banjos are more literal. They saved my life, they gave me a focus. But they are a metaphor for the lives we choose as opposed to the life we’re born into.”

Alessi has been a staple at several northern Fringe shows — he’s won a few awards at this point — but this will be the first time he has performed at the Florida festival.

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WINTER PARK / MAITLAND OBSERVER

Winter Park High School graduate Irv Broughton has interviewed and written about more than 100 pilots from years past.

TIM FREED ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Winter Park High School graduate and Spokane, Washington resident Irv Broughton can’t help it — he loves to tell stories before they’re lost in time.

Over the years, Broughton has written more than 18 books that he’s compiled through interviewing historical people of interest — from distinguished writers and

WANT TO READ? For more information about Irv Broughton, visit his website at irvbroughton.com or look him up on Amazon at amzn.to/2YycrGa.

producers to old-time Floridans and World War II pilots.

One of Broughton’s most recent books, “Where the Wings Grow: Conversations with Pioneering Women Fliers,” includes 29 indepth interviews with women who dared to touch the sky, going back to Dorothy Hester Stenzel, who was flying in 1926. The book also includes WASP and WAF pilots, along with one of the first female commercial pilots in the U.S. “Who doesn’t like a good story?” Broughton said. “You’re sitting in the presence of somebody (who has) lived a life and done some incredible things. ... I’m kind of in awe of people who put it on the line.”

With a special passion for interviewing fliers, Broughton meets and hears about pilots through various air shows — he’s spoken to more than 100 aviators, publish-

Author Irv Broughton has a passion for storytelling and has compiled numerous interviews into published books.

Courtesy photo

ing his interviews in books such as “Forever Remembered: The Fliers of World War II” and “Hangar Talk: Conversations with American Fliers.” For his female pilot book, Broughton met with interviewees about once a year to hear their amazing stories, with sometimes a couple years in-between.

“It’s been a labor of love,” he said. “The crazy thing about it is it’s like a 40-year project. I was interviewing women pilots back

before it was widely known or publicized. … They were real pioneers.”

The wheels are always turning for Broughton; he’ll often work on three or four books or projects at a time. The author and interviewer does several kinds of writing beyond capturing those pilot stories, as well. He has used interviews to write novels such as “The Levees that Break in the Heart” — a love story that’s based on the levee

FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

13

builders in the 1950s.

His book, “Producers on Producing: The Making of Film and Television” — which offers opinions from different experts on a producer’s role and how to be successful in the industry — even includes an interview with Fred Rogers.

“Interviewing him was interesting — he’s just exactly like you’d think he’d be,” Broughton said.

The author has also ventured off into other media. He has worked in film and has been working on some musicals, with about 58 songs finished.

“If you like to write and you have a little ability, it’s fun to try a lot of different things,” Broughton said. “I get an idea and I sort of go with it. It hasn’t made me a bestselling, famous person or anything, but I work away. If I think it’s a good idea and I feel like there might be something to be said in that, I just work along and do it.”

For now, Broughton plans to continue chasing those hidden stories — meeting those influential people in history with tales that deserve to be put on a page.

“I hate to see history and stories lost — it seems tragic,” Broughton said.

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FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

Franklin’s Friends’ Unleashed. Uncorked. Unframed.

REAL BLACK

TIE

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Franklin’s Friends founders Monisha Seth and Anthony Douglas were excited for a great event.

Melissa Thompson and Leah Fu enjoyed perusing the silent-auction items.

WESH 2 morning anchors Jason Guy and Michelle Imperato got a photo with Nola, from the Daytona Beach German Shepherd Rescue.

L

ocal animal lovers sipped drinks, bid on auction items and supported a good cause at the Franklin’s Friends 6th annual Unleashed. Uncorked. Unframed. event Saturday, May 4 at the Holy Trinity Reception Center in Maitland.

More than 250 guests came together to support Franklin’s Friends and local animal welfare. The sold-out event raised almost $127,000.

— TIM FREED

Jane Davis, Mona Dera, Kathy Blackman and John Foderaro, of Sophie’s Circle, browsed through the various silent-auction items.

YourObserver.com

Heather Peterson and David Gryboski enjoyed the event.

WINTER PARK OBSERVER

1

WinterJune Park/Maitland Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or Friday, 9, 2017

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LV16623

to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Winter Park/Maitland Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with town codes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

June 9, 2017

L I S T I N G S

FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

Open House

Homes For Sale

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OrangeObserver.com

FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019

Where Wholeness, Fitness & Medicine Meet The brand new, state-of-the-art Center for Health & Wellbeing is a unique healthy living center focused on improving the quality of life for our community. The Center delivers a full range of clinical and medical services that are integrated in our model of whole-person care and include the following: •

Acupuncture

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Weight-loss management and diabetes education

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Massage therapy

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Outpatient lab

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Primary care and physician office

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Diabetes and endocrinology physician office

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Gastroenterology physician office

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Retail pharmacy

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Sports medicine and rehab

Family Medicine

Gastroenterology

Arianna Becker, DO Board-Certified Family Medicine Physician

Raul Badillo, MD Board-Certified Gastroenterologist

Diabetes & Endocrinology Louise Owen, MD Board-Certified Endocrinologist

Ailiz N. Martin, PA Certified Physician Assistant

Maryam Kashi, DO Board-Certified Gastroenterologist

Mari Rivera, MD Board-Certified Gastroenterologist

Karissa Yelverton, APRN Certified Family Nurse Practitioner

Now Accepting New Patients | Same-Day Appointments For more information, visit AdventHealthMedicalGroup.com or call 407-303-DOCS.

2005 Mizell Avenue, Suite 1600A | Winter Park, FL 32792

19-SYSTEM-03249 WP Observer - May 2019 - CHWB Provicers-F4.indd 1

19-SYSTEM-03249 299504-1

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