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The West
Vol. 81 No. 27
Orange Time
s Special
Section,
July 3, 2014
true com munity
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Winter Garden, Florida
Garbage, recycling pickup changes
Chris Young to headline Ocoee Founders’ Day
Grammy-nominated recording artist Chris Young, as well as Kellie Pickler and the Bellamy Brothers, will perform at Ocoee’s 21st Annual Founders’ Day Festival. The free, two-day event is scheduled for Nov. 7-8 at Bill Breeze Park, 125 N. Lakeshore Drive. Young, who has five No. 1 songs on his resume, will headline the concerts on Nov. 8. The Bellamy Brothers, from Pasco County, and the Swon Brothers also will perform that day. On Nov. 7, country artist Pickler will headline the concerts. She gained fame on “American Idol” and, in 2013, enjoyed a win on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars.” Local band Spayed Koolie and several other local artists also will perform on Nov. 7. The Founders’ Day Festival will include carnival rides, a fireworks show, games, food vendors, arts and crafts at the Marketplace, a family fishing tournament, a classic car show and the Chick-fil-A 5k and Kids Fun Run benefitting Smile for a Lifetime-West Orange Chapter. To learn more, visit ocoeefoundersfestival.org.
Blood Drive
American Legion, Hugh T. Gregory Post 63, in conjunction with the Florida Blood Centers, will conduct a blood drive from 2-7 p.m. Thursday, July 3, at the Post, 271 W. Plant St., Winter Garden. Each pint of blood donated equals three lives saved. Donors receive free movie vouchers. The Post will be open with refreshments available.
50 Cents
Oakland cops patrol trail on 2 wheels
In brief Orange County Utilities will not collect garbage or recycling on this Friday, July 4, for the Independence Day holiday. Customers with garbage collection on Friday will receive garbage service the following Tuesday. Customers with recycling collection on Friday will receive recycling service the following Friday. Bulky items will not be collected during the holiday week. To learn more, visit ocfl.net/ utilities/, call (407) 836-6601 or email Solid.Waste@ocfl. net.
Three Sections, 42 Pages
1B
By Shari Roach
The Oakland Police Department recently received a grant of $1,000 to purchase a new bicycle — an effective tool for patrolling the West Orange Trail and town streets. The police force was approved for a Justice Assistance Grant from the Federal Department of Law Enforcement as reimbursement after they purchased the new Cannondale Bicycle, complete with lights for the back along with other safety features and police decals. “We are happy to receive any amount of grant funding,” Oakland Police Chief Steve Thomas said. “And it just so Photo by Shari Roach happens that the West Orange Trail runs right through OakOakland Police officers Brandon McDonnell, left, and Chris Creegan patrol the West land. [Bikes] can get places Orange Trail on their specially equipped police bikes. Creegan rides the department’s where cars can’t, and with so many people using the trail, newest Cannondale bike – popular among law enforcement.
it is important to have a presence there.” The bicycle has been in use for about six months now, joining two others already a part of the department. Chief Thomas said it creates a “community-police model,” allowing the officers to become closer to the community and really interact with the residents of Oakland and others passing through on the trail. “The officer is among the residents,” Chief Thomas said. “A car is kind of a barrier. On a bike, the communication is more open. People aren’t as concerned with the presence of the officers. It is more casual and puts the officer in the same environment as the residents.” The bicycles have not only (See Bikes, 6A)
West Orange is hopping with new home construction By Tony Judnich
From Ocoee to Winter Garden and Horizon West, new residential construction in West Orange County continues to roar along on a redhot pace. In Ocoee, Orlando-based homebuilder Avex Homes recently announced plans to build 68 town homes at Westyn Bay, a gated community off Ocoee Apopka Road and Westyn Bay Boulevard. The first building at Townhomes at Westyn Bay could open before October, Avex
Homes officials said. Priced from the mid $100s, these residences will range from 1,515 to 1,817 square feet. In Winter Garden, Columbus, Ohio-based M/I Homes just introduced a series of new designs for many of its homes at Hickory Hammock, at Marsh Road and Stoneybrook West Parkway on Johns Lake. This neighborhood will include 500 homes that range from 1,857 to 5,266 square feet and are priced from $286,990 to (See Homes, 6A)
Photo by Tony Judnich
Ongoing residential construction in West Orange County includes development of the Hickory Hammock neighborhood at Marsh Road and Stoneybrook West Parkway in Winter Garden.
DeWitt awarded road improvement contract for Avalon, 50 By Peter Gordon
The Winter Garden City Commission awarded a contract for public improvements to the intersection of Avalon Road and State Road 50 to DeWitt Excavating Inc. Commissioners approved a total project amount of $192,271.75, which includes a 10% contingency. DeWitt’s bid was the lowest of the two received. Commissioner Colin Sharman asked Don Cochran, assistant city manager for public services, why the city
only received two bids for this project. Cochran said the city required the improvements be finished before school started. In order to make sure the work could be finished on time, the city shortened the bidding process from 30 to 21 days. Cochran said some companies that didn’t bid might have committed to work on other projects that conflict with this one. Sharman said, “If people are too busy to bid, we can expect prices will be going up.” DeWitt Excavating was already working on other
public improvement projects in Winter Garden, which reduced the company’s mobilization costs and made it easier for it to make the lowest bid. In May, commissioners awarded DeWitt contracts for the Vineland Road reconstruction and the North Dillard Street Phase 4 projects. In other business, commissioners: • proclaimed July Water Safety Awareness month. (See Winter Garden, 6A)
See our changes
The West Orange Times has implemented a few changes in this week’s edition. You will find our new Community Calendar on 2A. Obituaries are now on 12A. And we have added a Weather feature, which can be found on 13A with our “I Love West Orange” photo of the week.
Find us on Photo by Amy Quesinberry Rhode
When completed, the new water storage tank (foreground) will stand about as high as the existing pump station (in back).
Inside
Business…3A Opinion…4A Winter Garden…7A Oakland...8A Ocoee...9A Windermere...10A Social…11A Deaths…12A Sports…1-3B Schools…4B.
Town proceeding with water tank work By Amy Quesinberry Rhode
Residents are starting to see some vertical progress at Oakland’s VanderLey Park, where the town is vigorously working on construction of its long-awaited water storage tank and pumping facility. Scaffolding is in place to assist crews while they build the steel infrastructure with-
in the concrete tank walls. The massive project is costing Oakland nearly $1.8 million. The town took out a 20-year loan from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and this loan is secured by the town’s water rates. The three major components of the project are the high-service pumping facil-
ity ($425,000), the replacement raw water pipeline that connects the Speer Park water well to the new pumping station, and the 500,000-gallon water storage tank (which together cost $630,000). The cost of the electrical and control equipment is $195,000. There was some controversy when the town commission voted in 2010 to
construct the tank in VanderLey Park, which is east of the town center, but the elected officials have devised a plan that will make it less obtrusive. Oakland spent an extra $40,000 to partially bury the storage tank to minimize the height. The tank will be about as tall as the existing pump station in the park: 16
feet. An additional five feet will be below ground. Another $130,000 is being spent on lush landscaping and park amenities, including sidewalks to connect VanderLey Park to the West Orange Trail, two large covered picnic pavilions and stormwater improvements. The town is still (See Tanks, 6A)