W E ST O RA N G E T I M E S &
Observer Winter Garden, Ocoee, Oakland
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
Residents remember heroes on Memorial Day. 3. FREE
VOLUME 86, NO. 22
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MAY 30, 2019
THEY MADE IT Ocoee High School Class of 2019. PAGE 6. > < West Orange High School Class of 2019. PAGE 7.
Everyday disciple Winter Garden resident Kaitlyn Fleming expects to work with young women who have been victims of sex trafficking. STORY ON PAGE 4
Church proposal irks area residents The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hopes to build a new facility on Davenport Road. DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Dozens of residents living in the Lake Avalon Rural Settlement voiced opposition to a proposed project on Davenport Road during a community meeting Thursday, May 23. The project, a new Church of SEE PROJECT PAGE 4
YOUR TOWN TWO JOIN OBSERVER STAFF
Winter Garden police chief seeks to fill officer vacancies The city’s police department is in the process of hiring 14 officers to fill its remaining 18 vacancies. GABBY BAQUERO NEWS EDITOR
Following the first reading of the proposed mid-year amendments for the city’s 2018-19 budget, Winter Garden commissioners received an update on the hiring goals for the city’s police department.
The ordinance, labeled Ordinance 19-24, includes an amendment involving $305,187 from the $4.46 million budget. Initially, the $305,187 was reserved for police personnel costs, but the funds were not spent because of existing police officer SEE POLICE PAGE 4
SPORTS
Amy Quesinberry
The West Orange Times & Observer and the West Orange Observer have welcomed two new employees to its editorial staff. Tim Freed joins the West Orange office as managing editor, and Hannah Swayze as news editor for the two weekly publications. Freed joins the West Orange office after six years with the Winter Park/ Maitland Observer. Swayze came to Central Florida from Tennessee after almost two years at the Johnson City Press, a daily in Johnson City, Tennessee.
AIRMAN FINISHES MILITARY TRAINING
PEDAL FOR THE MEDALS Joshua Bender recently won two gold medals in the Special Olympics State Summer Games. 9.
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Patrick W. Russell graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas. Russell is the son of Keith Russell, of Winter Garden.