07.02.20 Southwest Orange Observer

SO U T H W EST O RA N G E

Observer

Observer

Health Matters JULY 2020

Windermere, Horizon West, Dr. Phillips

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. FREE

VOLUME 5, NO. 40

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THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

‘We are destined for greatness’ Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings delivered the 2020 State of the County address virtually. PAGE 6.

AMERICA STRONG

BRAIN FOOD Food for thought, food for sight, food for circulation ...

Of course, certain foods promote certain aspects of your health. Curiously, many of them resemble the certain parts of the human body they help.

Pages 8 to 9.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Take a look at foods that resemble the parts they help.

County OKs subdivision plan for Horizon West DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR

With their approval, Orange County commissioners have paved the way for a new, 124home subdivision in Horizon West’s Village I. During the June 23 Board of County Commissioners meeting, county leaders unanimously approved the preliminary subdivision plan for a parcel of land within the Lake Mac Planned Development.

The 42.43-acre parcel is located west of Avalon Road SEE MORE PAGE 2

YOUR TOWN To celebrate July 4, we honor the workers who are keeping our country going.

SEE PAGE 3.

CONNOR IGLESIAS BECOMES MARINE

Troy Herring

DEREK CARNEY:

Previously, if you saw Derek Carney around town, there’s a good chance you would have found him behind the bar at The Whole Enchilada in Winter Garden. But lately, Carney has returned to a former career: deep cleaning. When restaurants were hit hard by shutdowns caused by COVID-19, Carney launched Electro Clean — a spin-off from a Fort Lauderdale-based crime-scene cleanup business.

“It’s an electrostatic backpack that has a great disinfectant,” Carney said of his apparatus. “It’s non-toxic, it has no violent organic compounds. The backpack charges the solution, so when it comes out of the sprayer, it’s positively charged so it sticks to all of the surfaces. It’s a new aspect of the business for the new world that we are living in.”

SPORTS

Winter Garden approves bank in West Market project City commissioners approved a bank with a drive-thru within the mixed-use project on West Colonial Drive.

DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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WOHS welcomes new staff. SEE PAGE 11.

The West Market project on West Colonial Drive is bringing a new bank with a drive-thru to Winter Garden.

City leaders — with Commissioner Mark Maciel recusing —

approved an ordinance Thursday, June 25, that will add the bank with drive-thru to the list of approved uses for the project.

The bank is yet to be named.

The applicant originally requested a Planned Community SEE BANK PAGE 4

Ocoee resident and Wekiva High School graduate Pfc. Connor Iglesias became a U.S. Marine in May after completing boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. Iglesias was part of the 3rd Battalion, Lima Company and completed required combat training held at Camp Geiger, North Carolina, in June. His graduating class was among the first in U.S. Marine Corps boot camp history that suspended family members from attending graduation ceremonies.

Iglesias is the son of Mike and Diane Iglesias, of Ocoee, and the grandson of Billy and Judy Sanders, of Winter Garden.

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THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

More homes slated for Horizon West and south of Flemmings Road.

The subdivision plan calls for 56 single-family homes and 68 townhouses, all with a minimum of 1,000 square feet of living area, according to county documents.

The project will be constructed in one phase.

The applicant — Eric Warren, of Poulos & Bennett LLC — also requested five waivers from Orange County code in conjunction with the plan pertaining to alley design, garage access and permitting lots to front mews, parks and open space. Eric Raasch, planning administrator for the county, said this would allow for lots to front mews rather than streets and allow alleys to be designed as a tract in lieu of an easement.

“The subject property is designated as a townhome district … which provides the transition from the apartment and village center to the east down to the village homes,” Raasch said. “Eventually as you get out to the county line, (it’s) a decrease in intensity.

The former orange grove property is primarily undeveloped in the area.”

The homes will adhere to the architectural design of Horizon

West as prescribed by the Horizon West Village Planned Development Code, which was adopted in 1997 and updated in 2009 and 2014. The code provides design standards for most residential and non-residential development, including neighborhood parks and open space, commercial and office centers, and associated parking and landscaping.

SHORELINE ALTERATIONS

County commissioners also considered three requests for shoreline alterations/dredge and fills in the town of Windermere, each of which was approved unanimously.

The first request comes from a Main Street property that also is located on the Fischer Canal, which leads to another canal that then connects Lake Down and Lake Butler. Because of erosion and some side-sloped bluffing into the canal, the applicant requested to construct a new seawall.

“They are putting a little bit of riprap on the east side of the wall just to tie back to the adjacent property,” said Liz Johnson, assistant manager of the county’s Environmental Protection Division.

“The EPD reviewed this, and we noticed that erosion is occurring.

“I just want to note that some of the comments that we got that are opposed to (O-Town Boardwalk changes) are folks that are worried about traffic and the impacts to the lake. I would just say that the traffic is not going to increase above the original plan, so it’s basically a shift, not an increase.”

—District 1 Commissioner ORHE-0204 ER_ObserverMedia_Halfpg_HW_PRESS.pdf 1

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We will not be requesting riprap or plantings due to navigational concerns.”

The second and third requests came from neighboring properties on Kelso Boulevard that back up to Lake Butler. Both homeowners are dealing with erosion and have attempted some repairs with sandbags, Johnson said, but they are looking for a more permanent solution. Both will be constructing vinyl seawalls with riprap and planting.

“Because there are not seawalls on either side, we did require a professional engineer to submit a statement that construction of the wall is the only practical method to stabilize and prevent further erosion,” Johnson said of the property located at 1407 Kelso Blvd.

Johnson added the property next door also has some exposed irrigation infrastructure due to the erosion. A statement from an engineer was not required for this property because there is an existing seawall on the adjacent lot to the south.

O-TOWN BOARDWALK

Commissioners unanimously approved two requests pertaining to the O-Town Boardwalk property and the Hannah Smith Property Planned Development.

The property is located between Palm Parkway and Interstate 4 at its intersection with Daryl Carter Parkway.

Applicant Jim Hall, owner of the 7.09-acre O-Town Boardwalk tract in question, requested an out-of-cycle, small-scale development future land-use

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map amendment and a concurrent said. “I would just say that the substantial change request. traffic is not going to increase The approved future land-use above the original plan, so it’s map amendment now includes basically a shift, not an increase. office space as an allowable use Additionally, I know the EPD and on Tract 4 of the Hannah Smith PD development engineer will take a land-use plan. Currently, the pro- very close look to make sure that posed use for the 7-acre tract is 165 the impacts to the lake of any hotel rooms, 314,000 square feet stormwater would be within our of office space and 50,000 square rules and regulations.” feet of commercial space.

Overall, the Hannah Smith Property PD’s development program calls for 1,300 multi-family units, one timeshare unit and 349,000 square feet of commercial uses, as well as the above office space and hotel rooms.

Because of COVID-19, the county couldn’t hold a community meeting but instead offered an informational video presentation and mailed notices to nearby property owners. Chief Planner Greg Golgowski said the presentaKEEPING WEST ORANGE tion was viewed 146 times, RUNNING FOR 83 YEARS! and the county received seven response in opposition to the requests.

“I just want to note that some of the comments that we got that are opposed Family Owned to this are folks and Operated that are worried about traffic and the impacts to the lake,” District Since 1937 The Joiner family has been proud to provide 1 Commisour community with the best care and quality available. sioner Betsy With our fast, friendly, and knowledgeable staff, we are here Va n d e r to help you with all of your automotive needs.

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Our unsung

BY TROY HERRING

F

or the past few months, the phrase “essential workers” has become common in our culture.

Often, it refers to our health care professionals and support staff who are on the front lines fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

But they aren’t the only ones who risk their health every day. Others — including those who work in retail, delivery services and cleaning services — comprise the backbone that has kept our country standing. So, in celebration of the Fourth of July 2020, we honor those citizens, the ones who kept shelves stocked, businesses clean and essential goods available.

VERONICA KOWLESSAR:

Since March, Choice Meats owner Veronica Kowlessar and her staff have worked hard to make food available to those in Winter Garden.

“We’re working longer hours and so is our staff,” she said. “The other thing is keeping costs down for the public. We’re taking some hits in our profitability, which we are happy to do, because people are out of jobs.”

MICHELLE GENTRY: AIDEN TIMBERLAKE:

Ocoee resident Aiden Timberlake, 15, started working at the McDonald’s on Silver Star Road in February — right before the pandemic began to explode.

Since then, he’s been learning the job through unprecedented changes. “It can be difficult to turn people away for not having a mask but with the CDC guidelines, we have to,” he said. “But I’ve been given the blessing of learning different stations and improving on the ones I didn’t usually work in.”

Just before she was furloughed from her job, Michelle Gentry decided to try Shipt as a way to make a little extra money. Since then, Gentry, who lives in Winter Garden, has found an appreciation for the shopping app. “It’s been pretty consistent since I started,” she said. “It’s also been good for the people that we shop for, because a lot of them can’t get out — or don’t want to get out.”

AUSTIN GODWIN-ORCASITAS

DONALD HENAULT

Despite his stage IIIC melanoma diagnosis, Winter Garden resident Donald Henault continues to serve his customers at Total Wine & More in east Orlando. He went from serving as the lead educator on wine and spirits to serving as the store’s COVID cleaner. “I’m just trying to keep track of how many people we have in the store and make sure traffic is still moving,” he said. “It’s new for everybody, so we’re writing history books as we go along.”

The U.S. Postal Service has a motto: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

That motto has remained true. Just ask Austin GodwinOrcasitas. “It’s been a lot crazier than it used to be, because packages picked up a lot once people got quarantined,” he said. “This time of the year, I usually have 200 to 300 packages. ... But when all this started, it went up to 400 to 500 packages a day.”

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THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

Observer POLICY UPDATES

The West Market PCD is located just south of West Colonial Drive, north of Sand Lime Road and west of South Park Avenue.

Bank earns approval IN OTHER NEWS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

n Commissioners approved four appointments to the Election Canvassing Board. Regular members will be Chiquita Camacho and Linette Coleman, and alternate members are Mary Rebekah Fritz and Jim Weisbecker.

Development amendment for the 18.25-acre property — located at 14180 through 14234 W. Colonial Drive — to allow for both the bank and an automotive service center as approved uses.

However, during the June 11 City Commission meeting, commissioners decided to exclude the automotive service center portion from the request due to community pushback. They voted unanimously — with Maciel recusing — to approve only a portion of the proposed ordinance.

“The proposed amendment hasn’t changed since our last meeting, and they are only now requesting to move forward with one bank that will have a drivethru,” Community Development Director Steve Pash said during the June 25 meeting. “The automotive service center has asked if we can coordinate a community

meeting with the member from the public who was opposed to it as well as the neighborhood and maybe come back in the future with a second amendment.”

Commissioner Colin Sharman said he would be open to hearing the automotive service center’s request at a later date if the applicant is able to garner public support.

Land was cleared for the West Market project in mid-2018. At the time, the project was set to include two large retail buildings on the south side of the property, as well as four outparcel buildings along West Colonial Drive.

Upon completion, it will consist of retail, restaurant, office space and a grocer. According to city documents, plans call for at least seven lots of varying sizes. Currently, a 2,612-square-foot DQ Grill & Chill restaurant with a drive-thru is under construction at the site.

“Everybody keeps talking about this, but everyone keeps failing to leave the police involved in these meetings. … We want to include the police in those meetings, too, and have their input because they’re going to have to move forward and implement these. They need to be part of the equation.”

— Winter Garden City Manager Mike Bollhoefer

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City Manager Mike Bollhoefer also provided commissioners and staff with updates on the city’s COVID-19 and police policies.

Because of a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases statewide, Bollhoefer said, staff will be making some changes to ensure everyone’s safety. Bollhoefer said no city employees have tested positive for the coronavirus as of press time, but new policies are in place out of an abundance of caution.

“Any employees who are having contact with the general public or contractors will have to wear masks,” he said. “We’re going to have social distancing and several new rules internally. … We’re taking all those steps to be careful as we move forward to ensure that we continue operations.”

The city also is actively taking a look at its police policies and working with other local lawenforcement, many of whom are evaluating and working toward implementing a more uniform use-of-force policy.

Bollhoefer said the Winter Garden Police Department does not use chokeholds, but the city is working on implementing some new use-of-force policies such as the duty to intervene.

“We’re going to put that in as an immediate order,” Bollhoefer said. “If the officers see other officers using excessive force … those officers will have a duty to intervene. And any time we have a use of force now going forward, they will have to file a report.”

The city is looking at such policies as bigger-picture items, and this is an opportunity for Winter Garden to become better, Bollhoefer added. Although the Winter Garden Police Department hasn’t had any significant issues as have been experienced elsewhere, he said, the nationwide issue has sparked a desire to do better.

“For instance, we’re going to be working with different resident groups, working with people, having meetings to determine ways we can get better, have a better police force and include that input in how we can make changes,” Bollhoefer said.

“Everybody keeps talking about this, but everyone keeps failing to leave the police involved in these meetings. … We want to include the police in those meetings, too, and have their input because they’re going to have to move forward and implement these. They need to be part of the equation.”

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944 President and CEO / Matt Walsh, mwalsh@yourobserver.com Editor and Publisher / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com Design Editor / Jessica Eng, jeng@OrangeObserver.com Community Editor / Amy Quesinberry, amyq@OrangeObserver.com Sports Editor /Troy Herring, therring@OrangeObserver.com Associate Editor / Danielle Hendrix, dhendrix@OrangeObserver.com Multimedia Advertising Executives / Ann Carpenter, acarpenter@OrangeObserver.com Iggy Collazo, iggy@OrangeObserver.com Cyndi Gustafson, advertising@OrangeObserver.com Creative Services / Lindsay Cannizzaro, lcannizzaro@OrangeObserver.com Advertising Operations Manager / Allison Brunelle, abrunelle@OrangeObserver.com

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Oakland police honor selfless resident

IN OTHER NEWS n Mayor Kathy Stark and Commissioner Mike Satterfield were sworn in for another four-year term. Commissioner Sal Ramos was not present at the meeting and will be sworn in at a future date.

Oakland resident Cory Rutland received the Oakland Police Chief’s Award for stopping to assist a man whose wife was killed in a hit-and-run.

n Final work is underway on the Healthy West Orange Arts and Heritage Center, located near Town Hall off Tubb Street.

A soft opening could be held this month, and then the town will schedule small tours and appointments for residents.

Town Manager Steve Koontz said the request for concessionaires will be issued in a few weeks. Space across the road from the facility will be set up with picnic tables.

The town is building a digital database framework of Oakland’s past residents and institutions from public census and municipal records. The database is starting with the three Oakland cemeteries and U.S. Census records through 1940 and will create an archive repository for residents to share documents and photographs digitally.

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

The Oakland Police Department recognized Oakland resident Cory Rutland for his role in supporting a couple involved in a hit-and-run Feb. 16 while they were walking across West Colonial Drive. Police Chief John Peek praised Rutland for his efforts and presented him with the Oakland Police Chief’s Award at the June 23 Town Commission meeting.

“During this horrific tragedy, you provided comfort and emotional support to a stranger who was suffering a great anguish,” Peek said to Rutland during the presentation. “Throughout the evening, you helped this man, whom you had never met, (and) provided emotional, psychological and physical support during his time of crisis. Many officers couldn’t help but notice your compassion and empathy during this tragic event.”

It was storming the night of the crime, and Rutland was ready to get home and out of the rain. He pulled his car into a turn lane at West Colonial Drive and Tubb Street and had to swerve to avoid a man and woman in the road.

Sheena Rodriguez had been struck and was lying in the turn lane. Her husband, Johnny Rodriguez, was with her.

Courtesy photo

Cory Rutland, second from right, accepted his award from Lt. Angela Campbell, left, Chaplain Andy Jones, Chief John Peek and officer Roger Fisher.

“As he was over his wife telling her to hold on … I just stood there and comforted him and went and got a towel out of the back of my car and held it over them so they wouldn’t get wet,” Rutland said.

While police were questioning Johnny Rodriguez, Rutland went home and picked up a dry shirt and jacket for him. Rutland said he stopped to help the couple because

he was raised to help others.

“I just wanted to help him,” Rutland said. “I didn’t know what condition they were in; I just knew it was the right thing to do. … I’m always helping people in need or trying to give a helping hand.”

He said he’d never met the couple, who moved to Oakland from Key West. Sheena Rodriguez later died of her injuries.

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Police still are looking for the vehicle involved, which is described as a blue or dark-colored older sedan, possibly a Nissan, with a white top. It may have sustained front-end damage.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department at (407) 656-9797.

THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

5

nances. One pertains to minute changes in the Zoning Code/ Land Development Code. The other is a voluntary annexation of a five-acre parcel of land at 7 Orange Ave. currently in the town’s Joint Planning Area with Orange County. The applicant, Oakland Capital Group LLC, is proposing to develop singlefamily homes along Johns Lake and commercial along West Colonial Drive. n The second public hearing of a third ordinance was passed that grants Duke Energy Florida a 20-year franchise that includes two five-year extensions. n Residents of Oakland have been slow to complete their 2020 Census, Koontz said, and the town has been working to increase the response rate.

Census information is used to determine federal funding for essential services in the future. n Commissioners awarded a bid to Petticoat-Schmitt Civil Contractors in the amount of $311,200 for lift station No. 5 and force main improvements.

The 350-gallon-per-minute lift station will be constructed on the south side of the intersection of Hull and Arrington avenues.

Rutland said he was speechless when he heard he was receiving the award.

“It was a blessing,” he said. “I will always cherish it. And I’ll keep doing good deeds to honor that award they gave me.”

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THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

BAPTIST

First Baptist Church Pastor Tim Grosshans 125 E. Plant St, Winter Garden (407) 656-2352 Sundays: 8:30 a.m. Traditional 9:45 AM Bible Study 11:00 AM Contemporary Wednesdays: 6 p.m.- Awana

Mayor Demings delivers State of County address

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Testing residents for the COVID-19 virus remains a priority for county officials.

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

METHODIST

“These past four months have been a time of great challenge, but we’re fortunate to live in a resilient community,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said in a virtual State of the “Orange County is thriving, County address Friday, June 26. “The COVID-19 virus continues to live and, together, our future is among us, and we’re learning how to cope and live with it.” thriving. We will not allow Demings addressed the issues taking place in Orange County, but most a pandemic to knock us off of the emphasis was on the coronaviUNITED CHURCH rus pandemic. our course forever.”

Starke Lake Baptist Church OF CHRIST “Testing of our residents remains a Pastor Jeff Pritchard priority,” he said.

— Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings Windermere Union Church Demings, who has four decades of PO Box 520 611 W Ave., 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Rd., experience in crisis management, said Ocoee Windermere “drastic measures” were needed to provide much-needed assistance to (407) 656-2351 (407) 876-2112 reverse the virus’ surge in the commu- individuals, families and businesses StarkeLakeBaptist.org Adult Worship: 9 a.m. nity. He declared a countywide state of hit hard by the pandemic. We are STARKE LAKE BAPTIST Sunday School: 10 a.m.

Advertise your Services or Events$10,000 grants to 6,500 emergency and a stay-at-home order distributing NGLICAN METHODIST NON-DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH FIRST UNITED METHODIST PURPOSE CHURCH OLANDO WindermereUnion.org to slow the spread. eligible on this page weekly. small businesses and plan on GLICAN COMMUNITY PO Box 520, 611 W Ave, Ocoee CHURCH OF GOD CHURCH 13640 W. Colonial Dr., Ste 110, LLOWSHIP CHURCH This ultimately caused businesses assisting 30,000 eligible households Pastor Jeff Pritchard 125 N. Lakeview Ave Winter Garden Winter Garden of God tor The Rev. CanonOcoee Tim TrombitasChurch (407) 656-2351 to close — temporarily permawith ” Service Times 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM 407-654-9661 • Prayer 9:30AM, This pageand appears weekly in $1,000. the 6 East Plant St, Winter Garden Thomas www.starkelakebaptist.org Pastor Odom NON-DENOMINATIONAL Phone – 407-656-1135 Fellowship 9:45AM, Service 10:05 AM nently — or scale back on the number County employees handed out 5.5 NDAY SERVICE 10:00 AM West Orange Times & Observer and Web: fumcwg.org Church Orlando Ave.,Ocoee Purpose of employees, and the unemployment million free masks and 1.1 million free d us at: Theacf.net 1105 N. Lakewood CHURCH OF GOD online at OrangeObserver.com. rate spiked to 16.5%. The county saw bottles of hand sanitizer.

(407) 656-8011 13640 W Colonial Dr. Ste 110, OCOEE CHURCH OF GOD UNITED CHURCH OF APTIST Pastor Thomas Odom a continual decline in tourist develThe Orange County Economic Winter Garden CHRIST Todollars advertise in the ChurchRecovery Directory 1105 N. Lakewood Avenue, Ocoee ULAH BAPTIST opment tax — 30 convenTask Force was created to WINDERMERE UNION CHURCH (407) 654-9661 407-656-8011 or Casey Butner call 407-656-2121 or formulate email 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Rd. tions were canceled at the Orange a plan for reopening busiBeulah Rd, Winter Garden Sunday Service: 10:05 a.m.

Windermere, FL 34786 AdvertiseNow@OrangeObserver.com County Convention Center, profes- nesses. Fifty residents, businessmen EPISCOPAL -656-3342 | BeulahBaptistWG.org 407-876-2112 Worship times: Sunday Brazilian Service: 7 p.m.

CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH NDAY BIBLE STUDY 9:30AM sional sports teams stopped playing in and businesswomen began meeting 9:00am Adult Sunday School Saturday Service: 6 p.m.

241 N. Main, Winter Garden NDAY SERVICE 11:00AM 10:00am Worship crowded venues and residents weren’t almost daily to come up with guideServices: 8, 9:30, & 11am, 7pm DNESDAY SERVICE 6:00PM purposechurchorlando.org www.windermereunion.org physically shopping. lines and a plan to reopen the county www.churchofthemessiah.com Nearly 1,400 county employees that was “both sensible and safe,” he ST BAPTIST CHURCH E Plant St., Winter Garden began working from home. Every said.

-656-2352 aspect of government work changed The task force approved the detailed NDAYS 8:30 am Traditional overnight, he said. reopening plans for SeaWorld, Uni5 am Bible Study 00 am Contemporary “But I’m expecting it to turn around versal Orlando and Walt Disney World DNESDAYS - 6pm - Awana as businesses start reopening,” Dem- theme parks, as well as 15 smaller MIKE YOAKUM or Tim Grosshans ings said. “The coronavirus pandem- entertainment businesses; and it PASTOR w.fbcwg.org ic fueled uncertainty, and our role as devised the three-phase reopening Campus: P: 407.656.1520 UNDATION WORSHIP C: 407.758.3570 county leaders was to mitigate this plan for the rest of the county.

NDAYS 9:45 am - All Ages MYOAKUM407@AOL.COM temporary disruption.”

Demings said he has faith the ndation Academy High School Orange County Government went economy will rebound and tourism 04 Tilden Rd., Winter Garden into overdrive, he said, to help resi- and business industries will recover. w.FoundationWorship.com -730-1867 dents who lost their jobs.

He said 32 conventions and shows “Orange County was the first to rescheduled meetings at the convenoffer crisis assistance to residents to tion center, and Walt Disney World’s 1333 EAST CROWN POINT RD. bridge the gap until state or federal ESPN Wide World of Sports is hosting OCOEE, FL 34761 assistance was available,” Demings the NBA when games are resumed. said. “We didn’t stop there. Orange “We will not allow a pandemic to County was among the first counties knock us off our course forever,” DemORDER WeYOUR realize that not everyone is ready to move forward for any number of reasons. in Florida to receive $243 million from ings said. “We are a community that CUSTOM For MADE those individuals, we offer our Hide in Plain Sight initiative.• Custom We offer showers, Furniture, Farm Tables, the federal Coronavirus Aid Relief and stands up for a challenge and comes Barn andinMore haircuts and fresh laundered clothing each week thus making them lessDoors, noticeable our CHRISTMAS Economic Security (CARES) Act. We back safer stronger together. Yes, Repaired, Refinished people act towards and allocated $142 million in funding to Orange County is that community.”

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Breaking away to come together Families involved in Lift Disability Network’s virtual Breakaway retreat got to come together for a socially distanced movie night at Foundation Academy.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

For families involved with Lift Disability Network, one of the highlights of the year is the summer Breakaway retreat.

As with many other events and camps globally, though, the coronavirus pandemic forced the nonprofit to get creative with its camp offering. This year, Breakaway went virtual.

At Lift Disability Network, the mission is to inspire individuals and families living with disabilities to discover a new vision for their future. Its Breakaway retreat normally takes place at a convention center, where families step away from the hustle and bustle of daily life to come together for five days and connect with others.

“We call it a family experience,” Lift Disability Network founder Jim Hukill said. “We have events going all week long; we have major things that people can come to; we have a lot of activities. We give them the opportunity to be our show, so we have talent shows and dances and all kinds of stuff like that. But this year with COVID, we couldn’t do that.

“We have been working a little bit in the virtual world already with some of our monthly events ... so we just said, ‘Hey, what would happen if we did Breakaway for four days and do it all virtual?’” he said.

Going virtual is exactly what Lift Disability Network and its partner families did, with some help from the West Orange community.

From June 23 to 26, the nonprofit used Zoom as its platform to connect Breakaway families and bring them together for various activities throughout the day.

“What we’ve done is, using that tool, we opened up a meeting that was 12 to 15 hours long, and they would log into that link throughout the day, and we would place them into different breakout groups,” Hukill said. “We literally could put them in different groupings and classes all at the same time, and we just learned how to do it. It’s been really good.”

Each family registered for Breakaway also received “camp in a box,” which included all the supplies necessary to participate in the activities at home.

Although Lift Disability Network volunteers weren’t sure about how some activities would translate virtually, Hukill said they were pleasantly surprised.

And on Friday, June 26, Breakaway culminated in a big way — a dinner and movie night held at Foundation Academy’s Tilden Road campus. Although lightning in the area put a damper on the originally planned drive-in format, the show went on inside the school gym — socially distanced, of course.

“Our families … are among the

The youth group from First Baptist Church of Winter Garden was ready to help.

Danielle Hendrix

Courtesy photo

The Murdock family was thrilled to receive its Breakaway box with all necessary supplies for a fun week.

most vulnerable, and they have been isolated for a while,” Hukill said. “They live life with isolation typically, but the COVID virus has really intensified that isolation.

We’ve determined that what we want to do is make sure they’re staying connected, and that’s been our whole theme even with other events that we’ve been doing through this time.”

Hukill also said community partners Pammie’s Sammies, Frozen Cow Ice Cream, Foundation Academy, The Lakeside Church, First Baptist Church of Winter Garden, We Are Winter Garden and Imagine That Promo were instrumental in helping make Breakaway 2020 a success.

“We have great partners and sponsors that have helped us,” he said.

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THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

MY VIEW

What does the Fourth of July mean to me?

T he Fourth of July is not my favorite holiday. That honor belongs to Christ-

JULIA HIGH WINDERMERE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

mas.

To be honest, it isn’t even my second favorite. That would be New Year’s. Yet, my family and I often celebrate it like millions of other Americans. Even though the Fourth of July isn’t my favorite holiday, it’s always been a fun experience. Friends, food and fireworks make wonderful festivities on any day.

But whenever I’ve celebrated Independence Day in the past, I’d feel a sense of shame tickling at the edge of my conscience. For many Americans, the idea of freedom was a pretense. A select few enjoyed the independence that was built on the backs of slaves and land stolen from Native Americans.

Our nation’s Founding Fathers adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, but I couldn’t pretend I didn’t

know who that independence was meant for. It was not meant for minorities, not for women, and not even for the poor. It was meant for the wealthy, land-owning white men who ruled this nation for centuries.

Even now, I think back to when I read, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”

by Frederick Douglass. He describes the Fourth of July as such: “What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.”

Every Fourth of July, I would try not to wonder how my ancestors must have felt seeing people rejoice over Independence Day while they remained in chains. Or how my ancestors must have felt when they had to endure harsh Jim Crow laws meant to keep

When I celebrate the Fourth of July, I’m celebrating my hope that America will one day live up to the ideals stated in the Declaration of Independence.

them suppressed and never fully independent. I would try not to think about how those in the prison system today must feel when, after they’ve paid their dues to society, they may be unable to vote, get a job or feel free ever again. I tried not to think about immigrant children kept in cages, for whom independence is far from reality. I would try not to think about these tragedies and fail, and I would see just how hypocritical America can be.

But then I realized that it’s difficult not to think about our nation’s tragic past, because we are supposed to think about it. If the story of our nation’s history is one with many sides, should not our Independence Day honor those many sides? It is quite possible to celebrate the freedoms that we do enjoy as Americans while still lamenting those that our ancestors did not receive; that many are still fighting to gain. It would be irresponsible to only celebrate the positive things about our country on the Fourth of July, but on the other hand, it can be depressing to focus only on the negatives.

It is by those principles that I established my own meaning behind the Fourth of July.

To me, the Fourth of July is a day of reflection, learning and celebration. It is a day to reflect on the pain that my ancestors faced. The pain that minorities and women still face on this long journey toward equality. It’s also a chance to learn more about America’s history and the origins of the Declaration of Independence. An opportunity to plan for the future and think about ways to make our country a better place for everyone.

When I celebrate the Fourth of July, I’m celebrating my hope that America will one day live up to the ideals stated in the Declaration of Independence. When the idea that all men are created equal is self-evident, and when everyone can enjoy the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

So the next time that the Fourth of July rolls around, I will continue to enjoy the company of friends, food and fireworks. I will celebrate and dream of the day that America truly is the land of the free.

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THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

Post-COVID Universal Orlando Resort: A theme park pro’s review EMMA PASTIS THE FIRST ACADEMY

L

ast week, I decided to brave the 95-degree heat, throw on my mask and head over to Universal Orlando Resort.

I visited Universal Studios and then ended my day at Islands Of Adventure.

After the March 15 closing of all three theme parks because of the COVID-19 virus, Universal reopened to the public June 7. Since then, it has implemented several safety measures to ensure all park-goers remain as safe as possible while visiting.

Several specific safety protocols have been set up — two of these being temperature checks prior to entry and required face covering. Any person with a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees will not be admitted into the parks, and a face covering is required.

With the hot weather I was facing on the day I attended the parks, wearing the mask outside in the scorching Florida summer heat for the whole day was a bit of a struggle. It is a strict require-

Coutesy photo

ment that the mask must be worn for the entirety of the stay and for it to be worn correctly — covering over both the nose and mouth. The mask is only allowed to be taken off when in a designated rest area or when eating food in a restaurant, and Universal Orlando team members come around to help remind you and ensure the mask is properly being worn.

A benefit of going to Universal during this time

I noticed many of the team members were doing their best in sanitizing high-touch areas, such as handrails, chairs and benches. In most of these high-touch areas, I observed a team member sanitizing after each use.

is shorter wait times for the attractions. For some of my favorite rides, I only had to wait in a 20-minute line, where I would have previously waited 40 minutes or longer on a normal day.

There is also the option of waiting in line for rides virtually, which is made available for the more popular attractions. On your phone, you are able to reserve a time to visit that specific attraction.

I spoke with a fellow theme-park enthusiast, Crystal Fitzgerald, who has visited the parks a few times since its reopening.

“We’re grateful that the parks reopened, and it was fun to ride the rides with little to no wait, but all the restrictions did dampen the spontaneous joy of being at Universal,” she said.

She enjoyed being at the parks because of the convenience of the short lines but says her visit was less enjoyable because of the strict mask restrictions.

I noticed many of the team members were doing their best in sanitizing high-touch areas, such as handrails, chairs and benches. In most

of these high-touch areas, I observed a team member sanitizing after each use.

Practicing physical distancing by staying 6 feet apart from other travel parties is now an important requirement at Universal Orlando, and spacing guides such as floor markers are in place to help maintain these requirements. These floor markers are put in place in many areas, especially in lines for security, rides, restaurants and bathrooms.

Hand-sanitizer stations are also effective in the attraction lines and are to be put to use before getting on to ride vehicles.

Although my visit to Universal Orlando Resort was overall enjoyable, the atmosphere of joy that comes with being at these parks was not as is present usually.

However, I applaud Universal for doing its best in trying to keep everyone safe, but because of the strict rules and restrictions, my day at Universal did not feel the same.

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MY REVIEW

SUMMER SCHOOL ZONE

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6/8/20 4:46 PM

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THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

THESE OLD TIMES

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION

JULY 6, 1972 Davis Pharmacy was part of the downtown Winter Garden landscape for decades, providing medicine and health to residents of West Orange County. But it offered much more, including a place for high-schoolers to hang out, with its fountain drinks and milkshakes; sandwiches and candy bars; bus tickets; and newspapers, magazines and comic books.

Bob Davis purchased the drug store in 1934 from the previous owner. Davis sold it to Ken Fritz in 1974, and it closed in 1992.

85 years ago

The Winter Garden store of the Bumby Hardware Co., opened in 1917, will be discontinued.

75 years ago

Word comes from China that Elmer Youngblood, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Youngblood, has been promoted to first lieutenant. He is serving with the Air Force and, incidentally, is growing a mustache.

70 years ago

Ocoee-Apopka Road may get rebuilt the entire distance, Winter Garden’s county commissioner, A.D. Mims, revealed.

The original plan was to build a 22-foot road from Ocoee to Boy Scout Road with an estimated cost of $101,000. There was not enough right of way, so the commission decided on a 20-foot road instead that would cost only $60,000. With the extra $41,000, the road could be completed all the way to Apopka.

20 years ago

West Orange County celebrated the opening of the first segment of the $237 million Western Expressway (State Road 429). The 10.6mile toll road from U.S. 441 in Apopka to West Colonial Drive in Ocoee eventually would be extended south to Florida’s Turnpike and to a connection with Interstate 4.

During the West Orange Airport Authority’s Citizens

THROWBACK THURSDAY

FROM THE ARCHIVES Passengers appear unscathed after a derailment of a Tavares & Gulf Railroad train in 1916 or 1917.

Mishaps such as this were a frequent occurrence along the line, which ran south from Tavares in Lake County, past the west side of Lake Apopka and then turned east to its terminus in Ocoee.

One of the busiest lines in the nation, the company shipped citrus and vegetables for almost a century.

The riders might have been on an excursion to Gourd Neck Springs, a favorite swimming spot located in the southwest corner of the lake. Although passenger trains no longer course through the region, vestiges of the Tavares & Gulf tracks can be seen along Tremaine Street in Winter Garden, where they end abruptly at the Central Florida Railroad Museum on South Boyd Street.

The mission of the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation is to preserve the heritage and architecture of Winter Garden while creating new cultural experiences. The Foundation also preserves the material culture of West Orange County, using it to educate the area’s youth on the community’s rich history.

Advisory Board, residents expressed concern about a proposed project that would bring an airport to the community. Most who attended were from the communities of Lake Hickory Nut and Lake Avalon.

Friends were present to witness the passing of the gavel to Charles. T. Wells, a longtime Windermere resident and new chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court.

Dene Aldridge retired after

32 years at Windermere Elementary School, where she worked as reading laboratory teacher, reading resource teacher and curriculum resource teacher.

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JULY 2, 2020

SPORTS

WARRIOR WELCOME

Winter Garden resident Gabriel Cleto is helping local students hone their tennis skills. Page 12.

A LAYMAN LEARNS GOLF

Courtesy photo

Former WOHS track coach Lisa Montgomery will now oversee the school’s athletic department.

Keep your head down!

TROY HERRING SPORTS EDITOR

Troy Herring

Jordan Hefner will now lead the Warriors volleyball program into a new era.

New Athletic Director Lisa Montgomery returns to West Orange High School, while newcomer Jordan Hefner takes over the school’s volleyball program.

TROY HERRING SPORTS EDITOR

T

he campus of West Orange High School has been quiet since it shut its doors months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the perceived calm, the Warrior athletic department is making moves, including two new hirings.

Lisa Montgomery returns to the halls of WOHS — where she will serve the role of athletic director — while former High Point University volleyball standout Jordan Hefner will take over the school’s volleyball program.

“It’s been a whirlwind — between saying goodbye at Edgewater and people finding out that I was leaving, and just getting started with coaches at West Orange,” Montgomery said. “It’s just been crazy. The day Matt (Turner) announced it, I have been getting phone calls ever since — it’s been nonstop.”

With changes in administration, Hefner spent a lot of time in the dark waiting to hear back, meaning she got a bit of a late start, she said.

“It’s going through emails, talking with people who I’m going to tournaments with — making sure they’re still hosting tournaments — and just getting practice plans … and when are tryouts going to be,” Hefner said.

“This past week has been a little hectic.”

LISA MONTGOMERY

For the last year, Montgomery served as the AD at Edgewater High School, but before that, she spent almost five years at WOHS where she served as a physical education instructor, assistant AD, track coach and weightlifting coach.

Leaving Edgewater was incredibly tough, but her time at West Orange made the transition worth pursuing, she said.

“I had a great rapport with

the faculty and staff there,” Montgomery said. “At the end of the day, you’re looking for that support and that camaraderie … so going back to West Orange — again with those relationships — it was an easy thought. You have the support, you know the faculty, and you know some of the staff, so I thought it was just a better fit for me.”

The Edgewater job for Montgomery, who has worked in Orange County Public Schools since 2000, was her first fulltime role as an athletic director and different than when she served as an assistant at both Wekiva and WOHS. She found herself at the top of the department, which meant new management responsibilities, such as working with the entire staff and evaluating the condition of the football field on game days.

“It was just more of the manSEE NEW PAGE 12

“At the end of the day, you’re looking for that support and that camaraderie … so going back to West Orange — again with those relationships — it was an easy thought.”

— Lisa Montgomery, WOHS athletic director

The alarm on my phone goes off, but I’m already wide awake.

It’s 7:35 a.m. Friday morning, and by some act of Cthulhu, I am actually alive and not comatose like I usually would be. I guess my level of excitement is high, given the thought of waking up before 9:30 a.m. normally gives me hives.

Fast-forward an hour, and I’m meeting my friendslash-impromptu teacher Thomas Lightbody at the driving range at Orange County National Golf Center & Lodge. It’s 8:30 a.m., and somehow it’s already hotter than the lowest level of hell — which, I assume, is where people who put pineapple on pizza go.

But here I am, stepping into a golf facility for the first time with a set of clubs that I’ve only picked up in my backyard. We walk over to the office to get a couple of buckets of balls, before trekking what felt like a marathon to get to the range.

Lightbody tells me to grab my pitching wedge to start with some chipping, telling me where I need to place the ball in front of me.

“If you have a driver, it’s going to be off your heel, and as your clubs get bigger — 3-wood and into your irons — it comes back,” Lightbody said. “For your pitching wedge, it hardly ever goes past center. The only time that it would go past center is when I’m using my pitching wedge and I’m not in a full swing — I kind of have an open stance.”

After going over a few other things — grip, position and all that good stuff — I walk up to the tiny white ball in front of me.

Everything for which I had been “preparing” these past few weeks comes down to this first swing.

I rear back and drive the SEE LONG PAGE 12

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT

OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

New Warriors arrive Gabriel Cleto SPONSORED BY MARK’S FLOORING AND SHANNON TILL/STATE FARM IN FOWLER GROVES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Winter Garden resident Gabriel Cleto has played tennis now for 20 years and teaches both group and private tennis lessons for all ages.

He has played on scholarship for both the University of Northwestern Ohio and the University of Mobile, and graduated from the latter in 2017 with a degree in business management.

How did you first begin playing tennis?

I was 5 years old, and we had a tennis court in my hometown, but I was fascinated by soccer.

My dad played soccer — not professionally — but he played amateur. I was coming back from my soccer lesson and there was a tennis coach there.

He took me and he put me in to play, and I just accepted it. From that time on, I (was) fascinated by the sport, and I started playing and competing.

THE BASICS AGE: 25 HOMETOWN: Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil RESIDES: Winter Garden DOMINANT HAND: Right HEIGHT: 5-foot-11

“I was already coaching girls who were 16 or 17 years of age, and so I was

them improve, and looking at them and seeing that they’re enjoying it.

Who is your favorite professional tennis player?

It’s cliché to say, but it’s Roger Federer, by far. He’s such a genius, such class that he has. A play he makes, it looks so easy. He’s an amazing individual, as well. It’s not just about how he plays, it’s also about how he behaves outside of the court that counts a lot.

He deals with it with such class, and that’s admirable.

Why have you stuck with the sport for 20 years and counting?

There are so many reasons.

The first is that tennis is a very complex sport. You really need to understand what you’re doing on the tennis court, and I like to think and come up with strategies. Also, it’s an individual sport for the most time when you’re not playing doubles, so you take accountability for what you do and the mistakes you make, and you have to fix it.

It’s a sport that requires a lot of attention to detail and also a lot of persistence. I just like the fact that it made me more of a resilient person overall in my life.

Where would you love to compete?

I think it would be Wimbledon in London. I always had a fascination with Wimbledon and the history behind it, and it would be a dream come true to be there.

Who would you say is your biggest inspiration in life and why?

My dad. He is an example of dedication and perseverance. The way he raised me and raised my brother, the way he’s a husband for my mom, I cannot think about any other person.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received in your tennis career?

You’ve got to be competitive, and you’ve got to solve your problems on your own. I think that’s the main thing that I learned. Being an individual and playing an individual sport, you really do focus on fixing things and arranging it in a way to make the best of it always.

agement of the entire staff — having to juggle things when they come up,” Montgomery said. “There are days where things can go exceptionally smoothly, and there’s days that things happen and you have to work fast. It was a lot of situ-

— DANIELLE HENDRIX

Why do you enjoy teaching the sport now?

I love teaching. I love being with people and making

Family.

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Athlete of the Week Sponsored by...

just like, ‘You know what?

I’m ready to take it to the next step and do high school and see what it’s all about.’ And I already knew some of the girls and they’re awesome, so I got pretty lucky.”

— Jordan Hefner, WOHS volleyball coach

ational things that just happen, and you just have to stop what you’re doing and go handle them.”

JORDAN HEFNER

Unlike Montgomery, Hefner stepped into her role with having never coached at the high school level.

Hefner has been coaching at her old club — Orlando Tampa Volleyball Academy — for a while but decided she also wanted the chance to coach a different kind of volleyball.

“I am super excited,” Hefner said. “Throughout this whole quarantine thing, I was really nervous about what I wanted to do, and this opportunity came to me. I was already coaching girls who were 16 or 17 years of age, and so I was just like, ‘You know what? I’m ready to take it to the next step and do high school and see what it’s all about.’ And I already knew some of the girls and they’re awesome, so I got pretty lucky.”

Along with knowing the girls, Hefner also knows volleyball with a passion.

Hefner got into the game as a child — thanks to wanting to be better than her older sister, who played the sport —

Long balls, slices and calluses CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

club down toward the ball.

I make contact! And when I say contact, I mean the ball dribbles a few feet in front of me as I let out an audible “ugh.”

It’s at this point where I learn something that I would hear at least 100 more times during the day: “Keep your head down!”

“One of the fundamentals of all golf swings is to keep your head down,” Lightbody said. “You can feel where you hit the golf ball. … You’ll be able to go like this and know, ‘OK, I pulled this to the right,’ without ever taking your head off the spot. I would say it is probably the No. 1 thing that new golfers do.”

Sure enough, on the very next swing, I lobbed a ball out into the sea of green grass in front of me. Several horrendously inconsistent shots later, I switch to a 7-iron and I still have similar issues — my head wants to stay up, and I lack body rhythm to a point where I’m surprised I can functionally walk.

By now, we are a solid 20 to 30 minutes in, and not only am I digging a few craters into dear Mother Earth, but also it’s 150 degrees and there’s no shade to be had. I realize I’m horrifically out of shape and have the endurance of an obese geriatric whose favorite fruit is deep-fried ice cream.

I continue on with my 7-iron, before I finally decide to pull out my driver. This is the moment I’ve really been looking forward to, because I’m hoping to blast some golf balls into orbit. As I learned, hope and reality are often two different things.

“I’m going to miss this one, I can feel it,” I said as I step to the ball. I didn’t miss the ball, but watching it struggle-roll a few feet in front of me was highly agonizing and incredibly funny. Also — once again — my head was up.

But then, something truly magical happens. Several attempts in, I connect on a drive, sending the ball hurdling through the air. I slice the hell out of it, but hey, it’s better than throwing out my back by totally missing the ball

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— which I’ve done multiple times already.

All of a sudden, I feel like a golf god — shoot, put me in the PGA right now. But as soon as that high hit, the next attempt brought me back to level as I almost start a brush fire with the friction created between by club and the Earth. It’s that up-down nature that makes it both the best and worst thing ever, Lightbody said.

“Golf is like a drug,” Lightbody said. “You’ll be like, ‘I don’t like this,’ and then you get one good hit and you’re like, ‘I like this sport — this sport is great.’ Then it sucks you back in.”

After another 30 minutes of knocking around golf balls, shooting the breeze and pouring cold water onto newly formed calluses on my left hand, we decide to pack up and head home.

I’ll keep working on my long game, but next week’s lesson will be a foray into putting, which I’m sure will be super easy and won’t lead to me breaking a club …

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and throughout the years progressed to the point where she became an integral part of the High Point University volleyball team. At middle, she broke the all-time season blocking record as a sophomore in 2016 with 143 in a single season and led the Panthers to three NCAA tournaments.

With her graduation from High Point in 2019, Hefner decided to get into coaching at the club level, which ultimately is what led her to taking on her new role at West Orange.

Working with a tight timeframe — student-athletes will start workouts July 6, and the first volleyball game is Aug. 20 — will be challenging, but Hefner hopes her players will be open to all the new things coming their way this year.

“My expectations are to just have a great season and get to — hopefully — states, and have the girls have a good attitude with getting a new coach; I know they haven’t had a steady coach for a while,” Hefner said.

“I’m hoping they come in with an open mindset and that they are open to learning new things and be ready to take to take the new season head-on.”

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WEST ORANGE OBITUARIES

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included a term of service as Chief Steward for Mercy Ships and a mission to the Philippines with YWAM. In 2003, she met Harold on Match.com, and they were married the same year. After retirement in 2005, the two enjoyed many travel adventures visiting most every state and several countries outside the U.S. Kathy was an able pastor’s wife and eager and capable, as

hospitality was her special joy.

She was a cherished member of Fellowship Bible Church in Orlando and on the Winter Garden Community Advisory Council for AdventHealth, a supporter of the Garden Theatre and the Spring Fever in the Garden by Bloom & Grow Garden Society of West Orange.

In 2015, she suffered a severe brain aneurysm which was temporarily repaired. She lived the next five years with enthusiasm and joy. Because of her faith in her savior Jesus Christ, she told numerous people that she was ready to go and was at peace with her condition.

She is loved and missed by all. A memorial service will be scheduled later due to the restrictions of the pandemic.

kind and loving as a wife, mother, sister, grandmother and now organ donor.

It would be wrong to say that Barbara lost her battle, because she never stopped fighting. No matter how sick she was, she was always determined. When anyone else would have broken, Barbara stayed strong. Through her, we know what resilience

and perseverance truly look like.

Besides her husband, Edward, she is survived by her children, Dixie Todd, Jessica Todd, of Orlando, Florida, and the late Billy Joe Williams; and her stepchildren, Jennifer Grimes, James Grimes, Ashley Grimes and Chasity Grimes, of Minneola, Florida; two brothers, Clifford Cotton, of Polk City, Florida, and Jerry Cotton, of Lake County, Florida; three sisters, Sally Ricks, of Clermont, Florida, Sandra Metts, of Winter Garden, Florida, and Carol Richardson, of Clermont, Florida; and many loving nieces; nephews; and grandchildren.

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KATHLEEN L. BEKEMEYER DEC. 28, 1948 TO JUNE 21, 2020

Kathy was born Dec. 28, 1948, in Rochester, New York, to George Lloyd and Rita Donahue Lloyd and lived much of her life there. The eldest of nine siblings, where she was notably the big sister to all.

She was the beloved wife to Harold Bekemeyer Jr.; mother to Alisa, Joe and Dan; Grammy to nine; aunt to a host of nieces and nephews; and a friend to all she met.

In 1995, she relocated to Orlando, Florida, working there until her retirement as Administrative Assistant at Westminster Services in 2005. Highlights to her life before moving BARBARA COTTON RICHARDSON DIED SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2020.

Barbara Cotton Richardson, 61, of Minneola, Florida, passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 21, 2020, at South Lake Hospital in Clermont, Florida, with her loving family by her side. Barbara was born Aug. 23, 1958, in Winter Garden, Florida, the daughter of the late Clifford Cotton Sr. and Martha Patsy Cotton.

Barbara was the loving wife of Edward Grimes. Barbara was a homemaker and has helped raise a multitude of children and many more grandchildren. She was known for being generous,

13

THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2020

|

CLAYTON PADGETT DIED MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Clayton Padgett on Monday, June 15, 2020. He was 92.

Growing up in Ferndale, he went on to serve in the U.S. Merchant Marines and later in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Clayton would go on to have a career of more than 30 years with Continental Can in Winter Garden, Florida. After his retirement from Continental, Clayton pursued his interest in real estate.

Clayton was a 32° Scottish Rite Freemason, raised more than 60 years ago to the degree of Master Mason in 1954. Many have remembered him for his kindness and generosity to others throughout the years.

Clayton is survived by his loving wife; four children; one sister; eight grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held June 20, 2020. The family suggests in lieu of flowers that memorials in Clayton’s name be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the American Heart Association.

The family also invites friends to share memories and pictures of Clayton on Legacy. com.

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109 Pulled off 110 Adopt-___ (shelter program) 111 Taunt 112 *Things to do 114 Mosquito net material 115 Captain’s spot 116 Lauder of cosmetics 117 Grammy winner Chick 118 Stage designs 119 Palm or poplar 120 Get ___ of (obtain) 121 Midwestern speedway venue, familiarly

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25 Group of yaks 26 Chew like a squirrel 27 Prohibit 28 Appalled

29 Cosmologist Carl 30 Shogi or mancala 31 Musical opener 33 Horror actor Chaney 34 *Device near a crib 36 Impulsive 37 Comment after a yawn 40 Alludes (to) 41 For ___ (not free) 43 Six-pt. plays 44 Droopy-eared hound 47 Economy division 50 *Oscar, e.g.

52 “That was so obvious!”

55 Theater guide 56 One might be ultraviolet

57 Unchanged 58 Public spectacle 60 Soft drink in a float 62 Book signing need 63 Replenish inventory 65 *”Need our help?”

69 “I wouldn’t advise it!”

71 Organ with a lobe 72 Carrier to an Asian gambling mecca 75 The things here 76 Code segments?

78 Say further 79 Express aisle count 80 “Avengers: Infinity ___” 81 *Clumsy

84 Brie of “BoJack Horseman” 85 “Hurry up!”

87 Bonnet buzzer 88 “She’s a Lady” songwriter Paul 89 “Fifty Shades of Grey” heroine 92 “No clue!”

94 Social standard 98 *Deep-fried finger food 102 “Are you?” reply 103 Feng ___ 104 Ladder level 105 Corporate raider Carl 106 Collie of classic TV

DOWN 1 Inapt place to make a dry martini?

2 Cornell University city 3 Shouts at a pep rally 4 Kit ___ bar 5 Rounded third and scored 6 Crib dweller 7 Aunts, in Acapulco 8 Send forth 9 Knight’s title in “Game of Thrones” 10 Post-op program 11 Lamenting verse 12 SoCal NFL player 13 Language related to modern Icelandic 14 Silly present 15 Highly decorated 16 Win the heart of 17 Drainage systems 19 Cybersecurity org.

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42 Prohibited 44 Another name for bingo 45 Grocery store convenience, briefly 46 Olympian’s no-no 47 Big ___, California 48 That, to Frida Kahlo 49 Clam soup 50 Gilbert of “The Conners”

51 Like most Goodwill goods 52 Figures out 53 Number of Z tiles in Scrabble 54 Pronoun for a cruise ship 56 Pulls from the shelves 58 Popular breakfast drink in China 59 Typical University of Zagreb students 61 Summer, in Montreal 62 GDP ___ capita 64 Drop the ball 66 Unfamiliar with 67 Do the dishes 68 Short-lived crazes 69 Texter’s “Oh, before I forget ...”

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78 Back up, as a burglar 81 Followed a healthy diet 82 Extremely, informally 83 ___ culpa 84 Iron deficiency 85 Victory margins at a racetrack 86 North Pole toy maker 88 Stockpiled 89 Hightails it 90 Bald spot cover 91 Frank’s comics partner 92 Big ___ (London attraction) 93 Longtime critic Gene 95 “Phooey!”

96 Wrecked 97 Lunchtime, and a hint to the starred answers’ center three letters 99 More standoffish 100 Word after “picnic” or “pool” 101 Unifying concept 106 Hair that may be false, for short 107 Regarding 108 And so forth (Abbr.)

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Health Matters JULY 2020

BRAIN FOOD Food for thought, food for sight, food for circulation ...

Of course, certain foods promote certain aspects of your health. Curiously, many of them resemble the certain parts of the human body they help.

Pages 8 to 9.

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CONTACT US: The Observer is published once weekly, on Thursdays. It provides subscription home delivery. The Observer also can be found in commercial locations and at our office, 661 Garden Commerce Parkway, Suite 180, Winter Garden, Florida 34787. If you wish to subscribe to, visit our website, OrangeObserver.com, call (407) 656-2121 or visit our office, 661 Garden Commerce Parkway, Suite 180, Winter Garden.

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Community Health AdventHealth for Centers promotes Patel Children earns top ranking in U.S.

Courtesy photo

Dr. Roshni Patel

Community Health Centers Inc. promoted Dr. Roshni Patel to associate medical director.

Patel joined Community Health Centers in 2015 as a pediatrician and has held the title of chief of pediatrics since October 2018. Patel is a graduate of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science and completed her residency in 2012 at Orlando Health’s Arnold Palmer and Winnie Palmer hospitals.

Patel has contributed to the growth of Community Health Centers’ pediatric department and numerous quality initiatives, policy and procedure developments, and accreditation readiness. She will continue to provide health care as associate medical director. Patel also will continue her role as chief of pediatrics, leading the pediatric department to improve the lives of children and the community.

Community Health Centers Inc., a federally qualified health center, provides primary health care services to insured, uninsured, underinsured and underserved children and adults within Central Florida.

It provides care to nearly 70,000 patients each year in the Apopka, Bithlo, Clermont, Forest City, Four Corners, Groveland, Lake Ellenor, Leesburg, Meadow Woods, Pine Hills, Tavares and Winter Garden communities.

U.S. News & World Report ranked AdventHealth for Children as one of the top neonatology programs in the country in the 2020-21 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings.

AdventHealth for Children ranked No. 32 nationally and best for neonatology in Florida.

The 14th annual Best Children’s Hospitals rankings recognize the top 50 pediatric facilities across the country in 10 pediatric specialties: cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology.

“AdventHealth for Children is committed to providing worldclass, whole-person care for children and their families close to home in Central Florida,” said Dr. Rajan Wadhawan, senior executive officer of AdventHealth for Children and a board-certified neonatologist. “Ranking among the top 50 programs for newborn care for the third consecutive year is a recognition of that commitment. Our incredible team of talented physicians, nurses, other staff and volunteers — who care for more than 2,000 babies in our neonatal intensive care units each year — continue to demonstrate their compassion and unmatched skill year after year.”

U.S. News introduced the Best Children’s Hospitals rankings in 2007 to help families of children with rare or life-threatening illnesses find the best medical care available.

For more information, visit Best Children’s Hospitals for the full rankings and use #BestHospitals on Facebook and Twitter.

COVID-19 creates demand for assistance The Salvation Army of Orlando Social Services Department reported an influx of applications for assistance with rent, mortgage and utility payments. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, nearly 70% of applicants are applying for the first time.

“What our numbers are showing is that this pandemic has had a widespread impact on all residents,” said Capt. Ken Chapman, area commander of The Salvation Army in Orange and Osceola counties. “With the limitations brought by COVID, we are doing all that we can with all that we have to serve this community.”

The Salvation Army of Orlando has three campuses actively providing relief for COVID-19: the Orlando campus, the Osceola campus and the Adult Rehabilitation Center. Shelter, meals, clothing, showers, emergency financial assistance, and spiritual and emotional care are the services currently available to residents in Orange and Osceola counties.

AdventHealth honors ‘White Coats for Black Lives’

AdventHealth physicians, nurses and other team members across Central Florida took bended knee together in solidarity with other health care professionals across the nation for a moment of silent reflection as part of the White Coats for Black Lives campaign.

The movement is centered on combatting higher rates of disease among black communities, higher barriers of entry to the health care industry for black individuals, lower rates of black medical students and the fear among black individuals to seek care.

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Hospital officials, DeSantis address COVID-19 case increase As the number of positive cases continues to rise, local health care leaders say Orange County’s hospital system is not overburdened.

DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Despite the number of COVID-19 cases growing statewide, Orange County physicians say the median age is skewing younger and hospital capacity is not currently a concern in Central Florida.

During a press conference at Orlando Health Tuesday, June 23, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke with the physicians about their perspective on the rise in positive case numbers.

DeSantis said the median age of positive cases in Orange and Seminole counties has dropped to 32. Some of that, he said, could be attributed to more widespread testing compared with the testing that occurred in March.

“In March, testing was really limited to people symptomatic and those 65 and older,” DeSantis said.

“Now we’re in a situation where if you identify a potential cluster, you can just go test people and we have the capacity to do it. I do think that that infrastructure is very important to have in terms of the testing.”

Despite the fact that there is more testing, he added, the test results still are coming in with a higher positivity rate than before.

Orlando Health physicians believe that is due in part to more social interaction and widespread transmission.

“The community needs to think about what the risk really is,” said Dr. George Ralls, an Orlando Health physician. “Where we’re letting our guard down are the pool parties or social gatherings or the places we’re not thinking about social transmission. … Our testing is much, much broader than it was during the first wave.

What we’ve seen in our percent positive rates looks exactly like what we’re seeing in the community. It really has to do with the fact that there’s been more widespread community transmission.”

DeSantis and Orlando Health staff also addressed concerns regarding hospital capacity and other factors that may be contributing to rising COVID-19 numbers.

Ralls confirmed that hospital census has increased in the last month as patients begin to return for elective surgeries and health care they had delayed when the pandemic began. A normal hospital capacity lies in the neighborhood of 85 to 90%, said Dr. Sunil Desai, another Orlando Health physician. Many hospitals were running at about 60% capacity during the shutdown, but Orlando Health has seen “pent-up demand with elective surgeries and care,” Desai said.

“Not only do we have capacity to take care of all our community

Epidemiologist Dr. Vincent Hsu is AdventHealth’s infection control officer.

and patients, but we have not even tapped into the surge capability should we ever need that,” Desai said. “That’s 30% to 40% bed capacity above our base.”

Desai added that while the COVID-19 population now is skewing younger — between ages 30 and 55, he said — the acuity of symptoms presented also has changed.

“The acuity is less — a lot less folks requiring mechanical ventilation or the severe presentations of COVID-19,” Desai said. “We’re not seeing as much of that. I think we are beginning to understand how to treat this disease, recognizing it in a better fashion and modifying as we go the various treatment regimens.”

Doctors at AdventHealth agreed. During AdventHealth’s morning briefing Thursday, June 25, Dr. Vincent Hsu, an epidemiologist and AdventHealth’s infection control officer, and Dr. Eduardo Oliveira, executive medical director of critical care, spoke about the increase in COVID-19

“We are unfortunately at an all-time high with respect to hospitalizations, but we are well-prepared to handle this. We are not in crisis mode.

We want to do what we can in the community to keep these cases as low as possible.”

— Dr. Vincent Hsu, an epidemiologist and AdventHealth’s infection control officer

cases in Florida, the impact on the community and the latest in science.

Although COVID infection numbers are rising in Florida, the death rate is not, suggesting health professionals may be getting a better handle on the treatment.

“We have more availability of treatments now, and we’ve learned more advanced ways of treating those patients,” Oliveira said. “The younger population tends to be more resilient. They have less co-morbidities, other illnesses or diseases that tend to make the virus more lethal.”

Both doctors emphasized that wearing masks, practicing social distancing and making smart decisions regarding personal and community health are essential.

“As the number of cases increase in the community, we are seeing that also in our hospitals,” Hsu said. “We are unfortunately at an all-time high with respect to hospitalizations, but we are wellprepared to handle this. We are not in crisis mode.”

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Protecting our most vulnerable AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

When the COVID-19 pandemic started spreading throughout the United States in March, older adults were deemed more susceptible, and nursing homes and assisted-living facilities immediately created protective measures for their communities.

Non-essential visitors were restricted from entering the facilities, group activities and dininghall meals were canceled, outings were halted, residents were issued masks and encouraged to stay in their apartments as much as possible, and staff members were trained on new protocols.

Facilities have been following guidelines issued by the state of Florida and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

Leaders educated their teams, residents and families on the new practices and have kept everyone involved up to date on changes.

Many put additional protocols into place in an effort to minimize the spread of the virus.

“To our knowledge, Sonata Senior Living (was) among the first provider in the state to proactively, and at its own cost, contract with vendors to test 100% of its staff and residents,” said Shelley Esden, chief operating officer of Sonata Senior Living, which operates Sonata West and Serenades in Winter Garden.

“This (was) happening despite the fact that there have been zero reports of any resident or staff member exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 and with residents

and staff following applicable guidelines such as staff members and residents having their temperatures taken multiple times throughout the day to monitor for any symptoms,” Esden said.

To combat the spread of the virus, the Florida Department of Health issued an emergency order prohibiting visitation to nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and other long-term care facilities except during compassionatecare situations or for the purposes of health care or legal services. The CDC issued the same restrictions and recommended restriction of all volunteers and non-essential health care personnel, especially those who care for residents in multiple facilities.

“I am very proud of the community’s ability to execute proactive testing and implement all necessary and CDC recommended precautions to mitigate the spread of this virus,” Esden said.

Early access to testing kept the virus from spreading in the facility, said Maria Oliva, chief operating officer of Pathway to Living, which owns and manages Azpira at Windermere.

“With a significant shortage of tests all around, early on, we were really diligent in trying to figure out how can we do that, how can we access this resource,” Oliva said. “We leveraged relationships, local labs, and we were able to forge a relationship with a private lab that we contract with to do testing on our team members and our residents. We’ve been doing testing since the beginning or middle of April.

In West Orange, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities acted early to prevent large outbreaks.

Their diligence continues to this day.

File photo

Last month, Health Central Park in Winter Garden resident Petra Arroyo Mendez celebrated her 101st birthday. Family members celebrated with her on opposite sides of glass to ensure residents would remain safe.

“That’s been critical and crucial to keeping our community COVID-free,” she said.

“We took on an approach early on — how to impact our teams and how to impact our families,” she said.

Like most assisted-living facilities, Azpira found a way to keep its residents engaging in activities. One way is having them create individual projects that are all parts of something bigger.

“If a resident is making an art piece, it’s not just for that resident — but it becomes part of a much larger project,” Oliva said. “It’s purposeful.”

On June 16, Gov. DeSantis issued a new executive order requiring that all staff working in health communities get tested every two weeks effective July 7.

“Those communities and health care settings who have been doing this all along, like Sonata West and Serenades West Orange, are ahead of the game and have already identified potential asymptomatic carriers, quarantined them and prevented outbreaks,” Esden said.

“They have been COVID-free for weeks and must simply maintain the status quo.”

To keep families in touch with their loved ones, Sonata Safe Connect appointments can be made for a family-window connection or a video chat. A visitation tent for families is being set up.

At Inspired Living at Ocoee, team members are working hard to protect residents and associates while, at the same time, understanding what their needs are during the pandemic isolation.

“It will take years to understand the impact of restricted visitation on the mental and physical wellbeing of senior living residents,” the Ocoee facility’s website said.

Staff at the company’s St. Petersburg facility came up with an idea that allows residents to safely experience the comforting feeling of touch. The team built the company’s first hug booth, a combination of a plastic sheet and long gloves that gives families the opportunity to embrace without fear of spreading the virus.

As the country continues to reopen, many facilities, including Inspired Living, have been examining ways to give residents chances to interact with each other from a distance until Phase 3 can be initiated in the state. They are adding flexible dining options, organizing masked parades and window visits, and offering creativity carts and daily activity sheets.

“We’ll continue with infection control,” Oliva said. “We’ll continue to do group programs, small-group programming with social distancing. … We’re looking at our dining program with more disposable, safer sanitation. … As soon as we get the green light, we will move forward with those. We have a reopen recovery plan.”

The state announced its detailed three-phase reopening plan at the end of April, and senior communities were told they can welcome visitors in the third phase. The date of this phase has not been determined.

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from the world

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7

Your Story Is Just Beginning

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll in every aspect of life, and the psychological impacts have been overwhelming for many.

TROY HERRING

ZOOM FATIGUE

When the coronavirus pandemic overtook the United States in March, no one knew what the tolls would be on society.

Since then, much has happened. The country has seen financial hardships, political unrest and, of course, fear associated with COVID-19. And all those stressors have led to anxieties that might not have been there for some people, said Rachel Russell, a licensed mental health counselor at Hope Counseling Clinic in Winter Garden.

Russell — who specializes in a variety of psychological foci such as anxiety and trauma — said she has seen a rise in anxiety levels of both clients and the community in general. Something as simple as being around others in a home has led to anxieties, she said.

“Parents who have to stay home with their kids now who would generally work ... maybe they loved the opportunity to stay home with their kids, but not in this way where there is no other option for anything else and it’s 24/7,” Russell said. “And couples weren’t meant to be together 24/7 and to work from home. We were meant to have some balance where we have friendships outside of our marriage.”

With many being stuck at home for months, Russell said she had seen people facing this issue, and often, there is a series of signs when things begin to go sour. The stress of being around someone for so long can lead to people being short with one another, becoming easily irritable and just having the feeling of being stuck.

However, there are some ways to work through it.

“Some things that can really help with that is recognizing, ‘OK, we really need to get those serotonin levels in our brains up,’” Russell said. “For me, if I just need to run into the store because I need to get a sweater, I end up maybe spending a halfhour just walking around Mar-

With many now using digital communication hubs such as Zoom to communicate with their family and jobs, there is a disconnect that exists and it can lead to what is now being termed as “Zoom fatigue.”

Radloff compared it to the difference between calling and texting, as the latter creates a disconnect where tone and speech patterns are missed and can be misinterpreted. Communicating faceto-face is how we’ve been programmed, he said.

“It’s estimated that 80% of what we communicate is done non-verbally,” Radloff said. “If you have six different people on the screen and you’re trying to read their faces but you can’t see their postures, what they are doing with their hands or what’s going on around them, that can ... take away that very important element of how we are wired to interact and communicate.”

That said, both Radloff and Russell agreed that for the time being, communication is key to keeping yourself in better mental health.

“We’re being creative because we need to be, so I’d rather they being doing that than not be doing anything,” Russell said. “It’s not as fulfilling as being in a room full of people or being one-on-one with people — even if they are surface-level conversations, they fill a need for us. Zoom … FaceTime, it can be more draining than it can fill us, but it does fill us a little bit, so we need to do that.”

“… couples weren’t meant to be together 24/7 and to work from home. We were meant to have some balance where we have friendships outside of our marriage.”

— Rachel Russell, Hope Counseling Clinic in Winter Garden

shalls — being around the energy of other people — looking at different things that are meant to make me feel good.

“And when we’re not able to do that, I think it drains us,” she said. “So we have to do purposeful things of what we call selfcare — going out and taking a walk, taking time to get together with a friend.”

Another thing that can really help is to simply talk out how you’re feeling with those around you, said Jesse Radloff, a licensed mental health counselor at Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital.

“There’s a number of things — one of the easiest, hopefully, for most people — is if you live with people sit down and have an honest and empathic discussion among everyone who lives together to set some kind of boundaries,” Radloff said.

“Explain what your needs are and come to a consensus so you can still have some sense of your space.”

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STRIKING RESEMBLANCE Looking for the right food to tackle a specific part of the body? Sometimes, a food’s shape reveals its benefits.

WALNUTS: THE BRAIN

Individuals looking to snack on some brain food might want to grab a bag of walnuts on their next grocery run. Once the shell is removed, walnuts resemble the brain, which they also benefit.

“If you look closely at these nuts, you will notice that they look like tiny versions of our brains,” Appelsies said. “They are rich in omega-3 fats and contain high amounts of antioxidants. Eating walnuts may improve brain health and prevent heart disease and cancer. They are great on their own as a snack, added to salads, baked goods or tossed in pasta dishes.”

Cooper added that omega-3 fats can help with memory and also are important for brain development throughout life.

ERIC GUTIERREZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

E

verybody knows a key aspect to a healthy body is a nutritious, wellbalanced diet.

It’s no secret certain foods contain nutrients that are beneficial to certain parts of the body. But is there a way to know what body part will benefit from a certain type of food just by looking at it?

For some foods, the answer is: yes.

There are quite a few varieties of foods that look just like body parts they help, and there’s an even larger list of possibilities of how those foods can be prepared. “(Depending on) the food, you might be able to find one thing that supports the health of that body part (it looks like), but really, the food has many nutrients and can be supportive of health in a variety of ways,” said Lisa Cooper, a registered dietician at Orlando Health’s Center for Health Improvement in Horizon West. “It’s not just one food, but it’s a variety of foods and the nutrient mix you get.”

Chef Gary Appelsies, director of healthy eating at the YMCA of Central Florida, said because families are finding themselves at home more because of the coronavirus pandemic, they can use the time to learn about healthy foods.

“With kids and parents home these days, we can take this as a little learning opportunity,” Appelsies said. “You might even have these (food) items in your pantry or fridge (that resemble a body part they help). Take them out and see if your kids can tell you what body part these represent, and talk to them about the benefits they have for your body.”

BEANS: DIGESTIVE SYSTEM AND KIDNEYS

Legumes, such as beans, peas, chickpeas, soy beans and lentils, are packed with fiber and nutrients that benefit the digestive system. Cooper said black beans are good for the colon and kidney beans can help promote healthy kidneys.

“Black beans, when they’re still in the pods, they look like the intestines,” Cooper said. “The reason I thought this was a good match is because they’re high in fiber, and fiber, as it gets digested, keeps your colon healthy and promotes colon health altogether. … It provides food for the good bacteria in our colon.

“Kidney beans (are) helpful for kidneys,” Cooper added. “Healthy kidneys filter out waste that the body makes when they’re breaking down proteins. Plant-based proteins, like from legumes and kidney beans, decrease the amount of protein lost in urine, and they lower the acid load on the kidneys. So really, plantbased proteins are less harsh on kidneys and they actually recommend more plant-based protein for people who have kidney disease.”

In addition to benefiting the digestive system, Cooper said nuts and legumes also can benefit the immune system. Some nuts and legumes are shaped like lymph nodes, which play an important part in the immune system. Foods that contain zinc, vitamin C and vitamin A provide nutrients that support a healthy immune system, and nuts and beans are high in zinc.

THE LUNGS: POMEGRANATES

A glass of pomegranate juice could help someone breathe a little easier.

The nutrients in pomegranates benefit the lungs, and the seeds inside the fruit even look like the air sacs in lungs call alveoli.

“If you cut a pomegranate in half from top to the bottom and you look at it, it looks like … the lungs with the little alveoli in there,” Cooper said. “Pomegranates (are good for) lung health because the nutrients in pomegranates are protective against lung cancer. They’re high in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, folate, copper and resveratrol, so it’s a mix of nutrients.”

HEALTH MATTERS

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THE HEART: TOMATOES

THE EYES: CARROTS AND SWEET POTATOES It’s commonly known that eating carrots can be good for one’s eyes. They’re high in vitamins and nutrients that can help improve eye function. Carrots aren’t the only vegetables that are good for the eyes; sweet potatoes are beneficia,l as well. If both vegetables are cut a certain way, they can even look like an eye.

“If you slice a carrot into round circles, you will notice that it resembles an eye,” Appelsies said.

“Carrots are most notably known for helping you see better. Science shows that the Vitamin A in carrots may improve eye function. They are also good sources of beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin K, potassium and antioxidants.”

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Although many think tomatoes are vegetables, they’re actually a fruit.

Rich in antioxidants, tomatoes can help promote a healthy heart, Cooper said.

“If you cut a tomato in half, it kind of looks like the chambers of the heart,” Cooper said. “Tomatoes are high in vitamin C and lycopene, which are strong antioxidants that help with inflammation and can actually help with lowering blood pressure.”

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Trend on two wheels As cabin fever continues, many are seeking solace in a popular outdoor activity — riding bicycles.

TROY HERRING SPORTS EDITOR

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s the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt normalcy, West Orange residents have been lucky that their community is home to some of the best biking in Central Florida.

The local industry has enjoyed an increase in business since March, and shops such as David’s World Cycle are excited to introduce new customers to the activity. “(There’s) a lot of new faces,” Marketing Director Ray Kennedy said. “Just in general, the excitement around biking has been bigger than we have ever seen it the past few months, which is awesome. Of course, there is the COVID side, as well — it’s been tough for all of us — but the biking makes up for a portion of what we’re missing out on by getting outside.”

With so many new people looking to get into riding, shops such as David’s and Winter Garden Wheel Works have become the first stepping stone into the world of biking. And with that responsibility comes getting new riders the information they need on all things biking.

Tyler Junkins works on a bike’s handlebars in the shop at Winter Garden Wheel Works.

FINDING THE RIGHT BIKE

The first question most bike shops get is the most sensible one: “What bike is best for me?”

The answer to that question revolves around what kind of riding a customer wants to do, said Winter Garden Wheel Works co-owner Dennis Jones.

“That’ll kind of narrow us down to a category of cruising with the family, or ‘Something I want to take to the beach,’ ‘I want something fast and light,’” he said. “So there (are) all these different avenues we can go down — different types of bikes. So typically, we will want to find out what type of riding they want to do first and then steer them to the right bike.”

Through the last few months, cruiser-style bikes have been among the most popular. These are made for those looking for a leisurely ride.

“The typical person who comes through the doors doesn’t want to ride 100 miles; they just want to ride the local trail — the West Orange Trail, in our case — or they just want to ride around the neighborhood,” Kennedy said. “All of those things are accomplished by the cruiser bike or a hybrid bike. … For most riders, you don’t need to get too fancy with it — you just need something that’ll fit you well and is fun to ride. As a result, you’ll end up riding it more often.”

MAINTENANCE

Once you choose your bike, often there are some extra things folks at Wheel Works and David’s suggest.

Safety-related items such as helmets always are suggested for any rider — no matter their experience — while something as simple as a water bottle that attaches to your bike can help you

Photos by Troy Herring

Wess Irons works on a bike during a busy day at Winter Garden Wheelworks in downtown Winter Garden.

“… the excitement around biking has been bigger than we have ever seen it the past few months, which is awesome. Of course, there is the COVID side, as well — it’s been tough for all of us — but the biking makes up for a portion of what we’re missing out on by getting outside.”

— Ray Kennedy, David’s World Cycle

keep hydrated in Florida’s steamy weather. There are also bells, horns and lights that can be used when riding the streets and trails.

These are important, but the upkeep of a bike is just as key, Jones said. Accessories such as a flat-tire pack are incredibly useful, while chain lubricant is vital to keeping your bike rolling.

Among the many maintenance aspects of a bike, Kennedy suggests, is checking tire pressure, which will help the ride quality more than anything.

“If they’re over-inflated, you are going to have a rough ride; if they’re under-inflated, you’re going to be working too hard on the pedals,” Kennedy said. “Finding that correct tire pressure before you leave for your ride is a super important thing to remember.”

QUICK TIPS & SETTING GOALS

Both Jones and Kennedy are cycling veterans and have accumulated a number of tips and notes to help customers get the most out of their cycling experience.

For Jones, one of the main tips he has taken from his time in the industry goes back to maintenance — specifically getting a professional to look at it, because you never know what could be wrong with a bike.

“No matter where you got the bike or if you haven’t ridden it in a while or anything like that, I always caution people to have it checked by a professional before you head out,” Jones said. “I’ve done the mistake where we have had bikes come in for service and somebody says, ‘Oh, it’s making a little bit of noise,’ and you want to take it out

for a test ride — the handlebar is loose, the seat is loose, the wheel is loose. You never know what may be underneath, so you just don’t want to grab somebody’s bike and go take off on it.”

Other things such as group rides and racing are fun ways to get deeper into the sport. Kennedy has two tips he often suggests for beginners looking to set goals.

“Just starting out — for most riders — I tell people usually just to get on your bike and set a goal of riding once or twice this week, after work, around the neighborhood,” Kennedy said. “The second step that I do suggest … is tracking mileage — it’s really motivating for a lot of guests I talk to, and to myself. That’s an awesome carrot to dangle and push (yourself).”

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Your generosity feels encouraging.

During the pandemic, AdventHealth patients and their families rely more than ever on the community’s support to help with items like groceries, costly medications and medical equipment needed to receive the best care close to home.

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Melinda McCann is the owner of PhysioFix, a new fitness center in Dr. Phillips that utilizes electric muscle-stimulation training.

PhysioFix opened earlier this year at the Dellagio Town Center in Dr. Phillips.

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A new fitness center in Dr. Phillips utilizes exercise technology that’s a little shocking — literally.

PhysioFix at the Dellagio Town Center offers electric musclestimulation training, also known as EMS training — a high-intensity, full-body workout that uses low-frequency electric impulses to stimulate muscles. The fitness center utilizes an EMS suit and other devices that can cover and target most of the body’s major muscle groups or specific muscles, depending on the workout.

PhysioFix opened its doors in February and is located at 8014 Via Dellagio Way, Suite 230, Orlando.

“People are afraid when they hear electricity (is involved),” said PhysioFix owner Melinda McCann, a certified EMS personal trainer. “They don’t understand that this is how your body works. Your body sends electrical signals to the muscles in order for muscles to contract, and this is the same thing. We’re just enhancing it … so it’s not like we’re doing something that’s unnatural.”

EMS training offers many benefits compared to traditional workouts at a standard gym.

Exercise through EMS training is low-impact and joint-friendly, so individuals with limitations related to joint pain can still enjoy a full workout. Additionally, because of the intensity of it and the fact that multiple muscle groups can be stimulated at once, a 20-minute workout through EMS training is the equivalent of a three-hour workout utilizing traditional exercise methods. Because of this intensity, EMS training for muscle workouts is only recommended for a maximum of twice a week.

“It’s 80% of the muscles that are (being worked) at the same time,” McCann said. “When you go to the gym, you do legs, then

IF YOU GO PHYSIOFIX

8014 Via Dellagio Way, Suite 230, Orlando PHONE: (407) 701-6145 WEBSITE: physiofixfitness.com HOURS: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, by appointment only

Courtesy photos

PhysioFix utilizes this body suit for its electric muscle-stimulation training. The suit is equipped with EMS technology that stimulates various muscle groups during a workout.

you do arms, then you do abs.

Here, you’re in (an EMS) suit … and everything is on the whole time. … It’s only twice a week because it’s a really hard workout.

You cannot do it more than twice per week because your muscles are so exhausted that you need at least 48 hours to recover.”

Although EMS training wasn’t approved by the FDA until 2019, the training method has been popular for decades in Europe, Asia, South America and about 60 different countries across the globe. McCann was inspired to open her business and offer the training method in West Orange after she tried EMS training herself in her home country of Slovenia a few years ago.

“I tried it in Europe three years ago, and I just fell in love,” McCann said. “I don’t have much time, I hurt myself in the gym, and I want to be fit. I’ve said, ‘I want to be a fit grandma one day.’ That’s my goal.”

PhysioFix offers a variety of packages for those interested in EMS training. Packages offer once- or twice-per-week workouts in a 10-day block session that must be scheduled within a two-month, three-month or sixmonth period.

“I believe everyone should invest in themselves,” McCann said. “If you think wellness is expensive, try illness.”

HEALTH MATTERS

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GOOD

VIBES With vibrational sound therapy, spa therapists at Four Seasons Resort Orlando use custom Himalayan singing bowls and more to create a restorative experience for guests.

Courtesy photos

Vibrational sound therapy connects sound with relaxation and natural cleansing.

DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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or many, sound and music serve both as an outlet of expression and a form of relaxation.

Vibrational sound therapy takes the connection between sound and relaxation a step further. Sound therapy — which involves the use of Himalayan singing bowls — has been used for centuries to assist with healing and provide a natural way of cleansing negative energy and emotions.

The treatment is available locally at The Spa at Four Seasons Resort Orlando, which first introduced it to resort guests last summer. And as the resort reopens this month following a closure due to COVID-19, staff is ready to bring back the “good vibes.”

Stephany Collins, master spa therapist at the resort, compares the treatment to tuning an instrument. It works to “tune” the body and improve functionality.

“Sound therapy works through the ears first and then to the brain to quiet your mind and bring about a meditative state that allows your body to truly relax, feel weightless and induce a dream-like state,” she said. “The vibration is soothing and stimulates your nervous system to ‘let go’ and allow true relaxation. As your muscle tension melts away, your circulation is increased, and your body is allowed a muchneeded pause to make space for your body’s vital systems to get into rhythm.”

Vibrational sound therapy features special bowls, mallets and cushions made by artisans in Nepal. The Himalayan sound bowls used are made out of bell metal “with traces of seven sacred metals that align with each planet,” Collins said. The bowls are

VIBRATIONAL SOUND THERAPY placed on cushions and gently set on and around the body, while the mallets are used to create the vibrations.

Tingsha bells, which emit a clear, harmonic tone, are used to begin the treatment. The sound is meant to clear the air and bring mental focus to the sound.

Derek Hofmann, senior director of the spa at Four Seasons Resort Orlando, said staff is always looking for new offerings to introduce for guests’ well-being.

“This service has been very popular since its introduction,” Hofmann said. “We’ve seen couples book and rebook, guests book in the evening to help them sleep better, and we’ve had some groups schedule group vibrational ‘sound baths’ for their attendees.”

Hofmann added that the bowls,

together with spa therapists, make an intuitive team. Therapists focus on trouble spots based on the feedback the bowls provide, he said, and each bowl has its own sound character.

“We can audibly hear a change in the energy exchange that passes between the bowl and your body and work to clear any areas of stagnant stress, muscular adhesion or chakra imbalance,” Hofmann said.

Other benefits of sound therapy include an increase in energy, creativity and motivation; removal of toxins; stimulation of circulation; overall stress reduction and deep relaxation. Plus, spa-goers at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando have access to indoor and outdoor relaxation lounges, a locker room with an outdoor whirlpool and a solarium room with memoryfoam loungers.

While a traditional massage comprises pressure and movement, the pressure in sound therapy is light and flowing with the movement of the bowls — even though the guests are lying still, Hofmann said.

“Your body will feel massaged, but in a deeper, yet gentler way,” he said. “You’ll finish your treatment with a very refreshed, renewed sense of well-being and energy. Additionally, this treatment can heighten feelings that reside below the surface. We have seen guests’ experiences range from euphoric and uplifting to cathartic and emotional. It really is an individualized experience for every guest.”

This special treatment has been around for centuries, and it has been offered at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando for about a year.

Vibrational sound therapy exists as an avenue for participants to achieve a refreshing, peaceful state through the sound and vibrations of Himalayan singing bowls.

The unique therapy is offered as a 50-minute treatment for $190 or an 80-minute treatment for $275. Guests can reserve the treatment by calling (407) 313-6160.

The Four Seasons Resort Orlando also offers a Florida resident rate for overnight stays at $359 per night. This includes parking for one car. To book your stay, call (407) 313-4900.

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HEALTH MATTERS

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JULY 2020

How Delayin g Care Can Increas e Your Risks

ADVERTORIAL

CONTRIBUTED BY Orlando Health Josef George Thundiyil, MD, Emergency Medicine, and Marianna L. Sisk, DO, Family Medicine

any of us are more focused on our health now, perhaps more than we have been in a long time. We are staying at home and flattening the curve. We are wearing masks in public settings and observing social distancing guidelines.

Health and medical safety extend beyond our risks for COVID-19, however. There is so much more to address beyond the coronavirus, and delaying care for any issue can be detrimental to our health. Whether it’s going to the emergency room when you have chest pain or taking care of annual screenings, avoiding delays in your healthcare can improve your recovery.

WHAT WAITING DOES In the emergency room, we’ve seen many people delay seeking care so much during this time that they often get very sick, making for dangerous and unnecessary situations.

Instead of an appendix just being appendicitis, it’s now a ruptured appendix. People coming in with underlying heart problems like congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or emphysema have progressed to severe levels.

Or those who have infections now don’t simply have infections that are easy to treat with antibiotics. Instead, they are going into full-on sepsis, which is a severe form of an infection that gets in the bloodstream.

At our primary care offices, patients are telling us they’re skipping cancer screenings. But it’s important to avoid doing this.

Waiting two or three months on that mammogram could mean a major change to how undiagnosed breast cancer might develop.

And some cancers can be more aggressive than others. Just three months can make a significant difference.

PATIENT CONCERNS We understand the concern from the standpoint of patients. What a lot of people are thinking is, “Does the benefit of me coming into the hospital outweigh the risk of me getting a severe infection?” We have the same concerns as you do. We don’t want you to get sick. We don’t want you to spread COVID-19 in our community. We have processes in place to help minimize that risk of transmission to you.

Another concern patients may have is, “What if I go to the emergency room and I sit in the waiting room for a long time, and I’m waiting around a bunch of other patients?” Right now, we are doing our absolute best to minimize any time in the waiting room. We’re getting people back right away to a room that’s been freshly decontaminated. If you have to wait, you already will be masked, and we are making sure there is enough space between everyone.

HOW YOU ARE PROTECTED What people may not understand is we have precautions in place in our ERs to help protect patients as well as us healthcare providers. We’re adequately supplied with personal protective equipment. When you come to see us, we provide you with the mask. Not only are we at lower risk for giving anything to you, you’re at lower risk for transmitting anything to us.

Secondly, the number of patients who actually have COVID-19 and are coming to our ERs is very small. Those who are even suspected of having it are placed in negative-airflow rooms, It’s also important to address all your chronic conditions, espe- where the air is vented to an outside environment. That way you cially during times like this. Don’t put off taking care of your dia- don’t have to worry about being in a room next to somebody who betes or your high blood pressure. These are high-risk factors for might have the illness and being cross contaminated with the air them.

ER_ObserverMedia_Halfpg_PRESS.pdf 1 5/5/20 PM heartORHE-0204 disease, the number one cause of death in the United States.2:15surrounding

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MAINTAINING YOUR HEALTH WITH VIRTUAL VISITS Overall, it’s important to focus on your health at all times. Think about your health beyond COVID-19. Don’t put off preventive cancer screens, mammograms, colonoscopies or pap smears.

Remember that much of the care we offer can be addressed through virtual visits. Touching base is important. From your home, you can utilize virtual visits to talk with your doctor or specialist about new issues that may be bothering you or what you can do to continue managing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.

For more information about our continued focus on safety and options available, including virtual appointments, visit OrlandoHealth.com.

EVER READY

DON’T DELAY. Orlando Health wants to remind you to make your

overall health a priority. If you experience symptoms

that require immediate attention our emergency rooms are open and ready to provide care.

OrlandoHealth.com/ER

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Whether in the hospital or the practice offices, we are sanitizing more. Every room is thoroughly cleaned between patients with alcohol and bleach wipes. In the ER, we also can use special ultraviolet lights to decontaminate a treatment room and further minimize possible risks.

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