W E ST O RA N G E T I M E S &
Observer Celebrating more than 110 years in West Orange
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VOLUME 85, NO. 21
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THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2018
You made it!
See inside for our special section honoring the Class of 2018.
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West Orange High’s class of 2018 has two valedictorians, Erica Marsel and Faiyaz Hafeez, who tied for the No. 1 spot with a weighted GPA of 5.2.
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The Spring Fashion Soiree raised funds for pediatric cancer research. PAGE 7.
Mayor Jacobs delivers final State of the County address
DANIELLE HENDRIX BLACK TIE EDITOR
T
he road to achieving valedictorian status isn’t an easy one— and it doesn’t even start
in high school, according to West Orange High School’s 2018 coDanielle Hendrix
Erica Marsel and Faiyaz Hafeez have been working toward achieving valedictorian status since they were seventh-graders.
valedictorians.
SEE PAGE 4 Eric Gutierrez
Ocoee considers designating 725-acre area as brownfields
Mayor Teresa Jacobs smiled and savored the moment as she delivered her final State of the County address.
PAINTINGS OF PARADISE
The designation would help fund the cleanup of parcels that might be contaminated with pollutants or hazardous substances. DANIELLE HENDRIX BLACK TIE EDITOR
Nearly 725 acres in the city of Ocoee soon could be undergoing remediation, rehabilitation or economic redevelopment, if commissioners approve a resolution to create the Ocoee Downtown Brownfield Area. The brownfields program is
overseen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Designated brownfield sites are properties on which potential expansion, redevelopment or reuse could be complicated by the presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. Currently, there are more than SEE BROWNFIELD PAGE 4
Jacobs said 149,660 new jobs were created in Orange County since she took office in 2011. ERIC GUTIERREZ STAFF WRITER
Winter Garden resident Jim Holehouse has been painting tropical landscapes for 40 years. SEE 9.
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs’s entrance and exit were met with the same thing: a standing ovation and roaring applause. Jacobs delivered her final State of the County Address Friday, May 18, at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Those in attendance included local leaders from several SEE JACOBS PAGE 5