Times& WEST ORANGE
Observer WEST ORANGE COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER FOR 109 YEARS
THURSDAY
JULY 30, 2015
FREE
WINTER GARDEN, FLORIDA
REAL ESTATE
ARTS
SPORTS
Windermere home tops weekly sales in West Orange. PAGE 5B
HapCO Music Foundation hosts swingin’ soiree. PAGE 13A
Windermere Little League softball team wins state title. PAGE 1B
OUR TOWN development by Peter M. Gordon | Contributing Writer
Commission approves downtown parking lot
+ Newspaper wins 10 awards The West Orange Times & Observer received 10 awards, including three first-place honors, at the Florida Press Association’s 2014 Better Weekly Awards presentation and luncheon July 24, in Lake Mary. The awards include: First place, Faith and Family Reporting, Amy Quesinberry Rhode First place, Medical & Science Reporting, Amy Quesinberry Rhode First place, Humorous Column, Amy Quesinberry Rhode Second place, Overall Graphic Design, Jessica Eng Second place, Sports Section, Steven Ryzewski Second place, Sports Column, Steven Ryzewski Third place, Front Page Makeup, staff Third place, Community History, Amy Quesinberry Rhode Third place, Education Reporting, Michael Eng Third Place, General News Story, Michael Eng
City leaders expect the garage to be completed by Aug. 19, 2016. WINTER GARDEN — The Winter Garden City Commission unanimously approved the downtown parking garage contract negotiated with
Finfrock for $8,105,953.00. The commission selected Finfrock, an Apopka company, as the design/build team for the long-awaited garage
at an earlier meeting. This contract approval allows Finfrock to begin the final design and off-site construction immediately. Starting construction off site reduces the amount of time required for
COMMISSION / PAGE 6A
Courtesy rendering
Construction on the $8.1 million parking garage will take about a year.
The Emmaus Church youth group of Winter Garden spent a life-changing week serving deaf children in secluded Jamaica.
+ Celebrate Mayor Scott
Jay Conn reflects on the last 17 years of Winter Garden’s programs, activities and expansion.
A 16-person Emmaus Church team spent a week serving impoverished children in Jamaica’s mountains.
Two Worlds, One Family
BEYOND PARADISE by Zak Kerr | Staff Writer
A retirement party for Ocoee Mayor S. Scott Vandergrift will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 31, at the Ocoee Lakeshore Center, 125 N. Lakeshore Drive. For more, call (407) 905-3100.
M
I
WO
Courtesy photos
The Emmaus youth group formed deep bonds with the deaf children they served.
This week’s winner is
Elizabeth Warren. See the photo on PAGE 7B.
by Amy Quesinberry Rhode Community Editor
Longtime recreation director accepts new post
+ Preschool to host open house Matthew’s Hope Firm Foundation Preschool is holding an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, July 30, at the school, 1460 Daniels Road, Winter Garden. Parents of children between the ages of 3 and 6 are invited to meet staff. The new year starts Aug. 24. Secure a spot by emailing Director Ginger Allen at ginger@matthewshopeministries.org or by attending the open house.
farewell
any think of Jamaica as nothing but a tropical paradise, a getaway island on which the locals must be thrilled to live. But the youth group of Emmaus Church in Winter Garden learned firsthand that many Jamaicans face daily hardships and can have difficulties getting by. From June 13 to 20, 12 children and four adults took the
youth group’s first foreign mission trip, a week of service at the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf in Knockpatrick, Jamaica, a remote mountain village. Pastor David Netzorg organized the trip, where Emmaus members aided construction and building painting, donated clothes and supplies, played
JAMAICA / PAGE 4A
INDEX Arts & Culture.......................11A Classifieds..............................8B
Community Calendar..............2A Crossword...............................7B
Obituaries.............................15A Real Estate.............................5B
Sports.....................................1B Weather..................................7B
THE BEST THING ON OUR MENU IS HOSPITALITY! • BREAKFAST & LUNCH • CATERING • BEER & WINE
407-730-3212 5907 Turkey Lake Road, Suite 100 Orlando, FL 32819
Located in the Promenade Office Plaza - AROUND BACK!
WINTER GARDEN — Jay Conn, the recreation director for the city of Winter Garden, remembers the day he saved a camper’s life. “It was on a field trip, and we were laughing and eating lunch,” he said. “I looked over, and he couldn’t breathe and had this scared look on his face. I gave him the Heimlich (Maneuver), and the piece came out.” Conn, who was hired by the city in 1998, could tell stories all day about his adventures with the Winter Garden Recreation Department. He has been with the city for 17 years, the first seven of which were as recreation supervisor. He became director when longtime employee Larry Caskey retired from the position. Now it’s Conn’s turn to say goodbye to the rec department; his last day was Friday, July 24. He has taken the position of leisure services director with the city of Maitland’s Parks and Recreation Department. “I still have 25 years of working ahead of me, and I felt like I needed some new challenges,” Conn said. “I feel like the (Winter Garden) department is in a good place, and there are good
CONN / PAGE 4A Vol. 82, No. 31 , Two sections
WOTimes.com
SUMMER HOURS: Monday-Friday 8am-3pm Closed weekends. EVENING HOURS RESUME AUGUST 13
CHECK OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR SPECIAL EVENTS & HOURS!