School, community rally around ill teacher 5B
Writer takes religious journey in Greece
12A
Vol. 81 No. 25
In brief
Enjoy a movie, food trucks and more on Friday
Bring the family for dinner and afterwards, watch a movie under the stars at Ocoee’s Food Truck Friday and Movie in the Park event. Held the third Friday of each month at Bill Breeze Park, 125 N. Lakeshore Drive, the June 20 event includes: an arts and crafts market from 5-9 p.m.; food trucks from 6-9 p.m.; free tours of the historic Withers-Maguire House, 16. E. Oakland Ave., from 6-8 p.m.; and the movie, “Frozen,” at 8:30 p.m. For more information, call the Ocoee Parks and Recreation Department at 407-905-3180 or visit www. ocoee.org.
Winter Garden, Florida
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Squeeze in 1st place
3B
Three Sections, 42 Pages
50 Cents
Residents oppose possible development in Windermere By Tony Judnich
A handful of residents who live in and next to Windermere told the Windermere Town Council on June 10 that a potential mixed-use development would destroy the town’s ambiance. The site of the possible development of about 55 single-family homes and 25,000 square feet of commercial space — collectively known as Windsong at Windermere — encompasses 36 acres at 1800 and 2042 Maguire Road. It is bounded by the unincorporated Orange County community of the Reserve at Belmere to the north, Windermere’s Willows of Lake Rhea subdivision to the west, Windermere
Road and the remnants of an orange grove to the south and a few private residential properties to the east. The owner of the 36 acres, Jain Family Holdings Ltd., of Orlando, recently submitted a request to Windermere that asks for the site’s future landuse designation to be amended from county rural to Windermere planned development. While the rural designation permits one home per 10 acres, the planned development category would allow a much more intensive use of the land. “Let’s find out the costs and what’s exactly being proposed” before moving forward, Windermere resident Raymond Kellett urged the council.
Kellett and other residents said a planned-unit development, or PUD, would destroy Windermere’s ambiance that stems in part from its dirt roads, massive tree cover and small-scale commercial development. Mayor Gary Bruhn said he and his fellow council members live in Windermere because of its ambiance, as well. The council also heard from a man from the Reserve at Belmere who said problems with bottlenecked traffic would increase if the potential development becomes a reality. But according to the (See Windermere, 2A)
Ocoee groups can apply for grants
Ocoee Community Grant applications will be available starting July 1 at www.ocoee. org and at City Hall. The deadline to submit applications is July 30. The Community Grant program provides grants of up to $500. Groups eligible to apply are Ocoee nonprofit organizations and civic groups, as well as non-profit organizations and civic groups from outside the city limits that benefit Ocoee residents. Completed applications should be mailed or delivered to City Hall, Community Relations, 150 N. Lakeshore Drive, Ocoee 34761. The applications are reviewed and ranked by the Community Grant Review Board, and the commission then makes the final decision. For more information, call 407-905-3100.
Camp offers lessons on environment
The first session in the Environmental Summer Camp program at Oakland Nature Preserve has begun. The theme of this year’s camp is “Going Native,” and each session focuses on the natural sciences, Florida history and prehistory and local plant and animal life. The second week is June 23-27 for campers entering third, fourth or fifth grade. The third week is July 7-11 for campers entering sixth, seventh or eighth grade. And the last week is for campers entering pre-kindergarten or kindergarten and will run from July 15-17 in the morning only. The one-week session is $100 with an ONP family membership or $125 for nonmembers, which includes a family membership. For more information about the camp sessions, call 407-905-0054.
Thairanet Lorenzana, 10, of Winter Garden, displays the paintPhotos by Tony Judnich ing she created at the Triple ‘A’ Multicultural Festival’s youth Florida Highwaymen artist R.L. Lewis paints a palm-tree frond during a youth arts arts clinic on June 13. Sharing the moment with her is Nouchelle clinic June 13 at the Triple ‘A’ Multicultural Festival in Oakland. In the background Hastings from Greater Orlando CARES. is 1 of his paintings of a peaceful, ocean-side scene.
Legends inspire at Oakland’s Triple ‘A’ Fest By Tony Judnich
With a gentle and earnest voice, 73-year-old R.L. Lewis posed a question to 15 budding artists gathered at the Town of Oakland Meeting Hall. “What is a miracle?” Lewis, one of the original Florida Highwaymen artists and a
member of the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, asked the children. The kids sat quietly, looking up at the amiable gentleman who on June 13 was leading the youth arts clinic that opened the first of the two-day, town of Oakland’s 8th Annual Triple “A” Multicultural Festival.
“The miracle of this whole room right here is no two people think alike,” Lewis said. “So naturally, no painting is going to look alike. Be yourself: totally unique.” Lewis patiently demonstrated how to paint a palm tree against a sunny sky and a glimmering body of water. The children dabbled brushes
into different colors of paint and intently worked on their masterpieces. “As an artist, don’t overdo your paintings,” Lewis instructed. “If you’re doing water, do an implication of water. If you’re putting everything in, you’re making it boring for the audience. The only limitation is your imagi-
nation.” The children at the arts clinic were West Orange County kids who normally are not exposed to art, Oakland Avenue Charter School art teacher Mark Moreland said. And capturing the attention of these children and making the (See Oakland, 3A)
Plant Street Market gets more support By Peter M. Gordon Plant Street Market LLC, the private company funding the microbrewery and artisan market planned to replace a blighted apartment building at 426 Plant St., postponed its scheduled closing on the property from May to June because a lower-than-expected appraisal reduced the size of the mortgage available to the company. The group paid a $10,000 penalty to extend the closing date and raised an additional $400,000 to close the gap between mortgage and construction costs. It also eliminated some of the amenities in its construction
plan to reduce costs. At its June 12 meeting, the Winter Garden City Commission approved a city staff request to provide Plant Street LLC an additional $60,000 grant to match the Community Redevelopment Fund’s grant of $60,000 already reserved for the market. Commissioners also voted unanimously to spend up to $30,000 improving the pedestrian right-of-way near the property and make other improvements to Plant Street. Commissioner Bobby Olszewski said, “We (See Market, 11A)
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The West Orange Times is hosting a weekly I Love West Orange Photo Contest, and winners will have their photograph featured and receive a $20 gift card. To enter, email your photo, along with your name and city and a caption, to news@ wotimes.com; put I Love West Orange in the subject line. Winners can pick up their prize at the Times office.
Photo courtesy of Searles family
Sabrina Searles competes on her horse, Just My Lexus aka Scotch, in Mississippi in March. The teen is raising money to travel to Oklahoma for a show. For story, see 14A.