08.13.26 Southwest Orange Observer

SO U T H W E ST O RA N G E

Observer

Windermere, Horizon West, Dr. Phillips

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. VOLUME 11, NO. 45

OCPS bans micromobility devices on school campuses. PAGE 5A.

FREE • THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026

One last hurrah!

Winter Garden families enjoy final bash of the summer. SEE PAGE 7B.

CANDIDATE

Q&A Meet the Republicans competing for Daniel Webster’s former seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. 3A.

Welcome to the flock

Photos by Liz Ramos

Jaime Pressman, a kindergarten teacher, welcomed students to her Marvelous room, themed after the comic book publisher.

YOUR TOWN DOXOLOGY TO REOPEN AT NEW HOME Doxology, a boutique located in Winter Garden, is reopening this weekend at its new home.

To celebrate, a grand opening will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, at its new location at 16 E. Plant St., Winter Garden.

There will be sweet treats, refreshments and hourly giveaways.

“Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or are discovering Doxology for the first time, we’d love to welcome you,” Doxology team members posted online. “We are so very grateful for our community that has supported us over the years.

This day is our way of saying thank you!

Feel free to bring a friend or two, explore our beautiful new home and enjoy this special day with us.”

Giveaway winners must be present to receive their prize.

Right: Noah Reis was ready to start his kindergarten year at Ovation Elementary School.

Horizon West’s newest school, Ovation Elementary, opened its doors to students and staff Tuesday, Aug. 11.

STORY ON PAGE 4A.

WAY BACK WHEN

Fifth Gen

Sherrall Dann Applegate shares her family’s long history in Ocoee. SEE PAGE 6A.

City of Ocoee maintains 4.95 millage rate The Ocoee City Commission proposed the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, maintaining the current millage rate and possibly increasing the fire fee. PAGE 7A.

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026

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Windermere Ward Trail pedestrian bridge now open The town of Windermere announced portions of the Ward Trail and the pedestrian bridge now are open.

The project includes a new shared-use trail, drainage improvements, a pedestrian bridge and landscaping that stretches about one-half mile.

Pedestrians, cyclists and people driving golf carts can use the new bridge, which will provide residents opportunities to travel to Windermere Elementary School, parks and more.

“The Ward Trail and pedestrian bridge is an investment in Windermere’s future, creating a safer connection between or neighborhoods, parks and school, and (it’s) opening just in time for the new school year,” Mayor Andy Williams said.

Although portions of the trail now are open for public use, work will continue throughout the fall as crews complete the final pathway sections as well as landscaping and other finishing touches.

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Man accused of killing stepfather near Ocoee Orange County Sheriff’s Office investigators have arrested a 44-year-old man in the murder of his stepfather.

OCSO officials confirmed Wednesday, Aug. 5, 71-year-old Jorge Vazquez-Escutia was murdered.

Vazquez-Escutia was last seen around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, near the 8600 block of Hal Court, and there were concerns for his well-being due to his memory loss issues. He was reported missing that same day.

His stepson, Jose L. Proano, 44, was arrested and is facing a firstdegree murder charge.

OCSO said deputies discovered

Courtesy photo

The bridge, along with portions of the Ward Trail, now can be used, just in time for the start of the school year.

evidence Proano killed VazquezEscutia, dismembered him and tried to dispose of his body in suitcases.

“Our thoughts are with Mr. Vazquez-Escutia’s loved ones as they navigate this unimaginable loss,” OCSO officials said.

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Leon County judge orders Amendment 3 rewrite Leon County Judge David Frank of the Second Judicial Circuit ordered Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to rewrite Amendment 3.

Amendment 3, or Florida’s property tax amendment to be on the ballot in November, needs its title and summary rewritten due to the lack of fairness and neutrality.

“Simply put, the proposed ballot title does not state the basic legal purpose of the amendment; it endorses it and diverts voters from its actual effect,” the final order reads.

Frank said the title, “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes,” is more akin to a political slogan, lacking neutrality and fairness.

“It advocates a policy position: to stop excessive property taxes,” he said in the order.

The term “save,” he said, is a rhetoric used to elicit an emotional response and not allowed to be used for ballot titles.

Furthermore, Frank said the term “save” is misleading because if a voter rents his or her home, the

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Orlando man dies after crash in Lake Buena Vista A 62-year-old Orlando man died as a result of a crash around 3:49 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, in Lake Buena Vista.

According to Florida Highway Patrol, the 62-year-old was driving eastbound on Winter Garden-Vineland Road in a 2020 Ford Escape and was approaching the intersection of Buena Vista Drive.

The other driver, a 45-yearold Orlando man in a 2011 Honda Accord, was stopped facing east for a traffic signal on Winter GardenVineland Road at the intersection of Buena Vista Drive ahead of the driver in the Ford Escape.

The 62-year-old man failed to stop for the 45-year-old driver, and as a result, the front right side of the Ford Escape struck the rear left side of the Honda Accord.

The Ford Escape driver continued traveling east and struck a light pole at the intersection.

The 62-year-old was transported to Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The 45-year-old driver was not injured and remained on scene.

Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.

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Evoo Fresh Mediterranean Kitchen opens in Ocoee Evoo Fresh Mediterranean Kitchen has opened in Ocoee.

The restaurant offers fresh

Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, including four types of wraps and four different platters.

There also are sides such as grape leaves, fries, hummus, falafel, rice and more.

Evoo is located at 10968 W. Colonial Drive, Ocoee. It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Saturdays.

property tax to be paid on the home would not benefit from the homestead exemptions and would not be subject to lower property taxes.

Instead, the voter most likely would be subjected to a higher property tax due to the likely increase of millage rates, Frank said.

Uthmeier was given 10 days from Tuesday, Aug. 4, to rewrite the title and summary, and submit it for review.

Challenges to the revised ballot title and summary must be made within 10 days after the revision was submitted.

Emergency care that’s in the neighborhood, and on your side.

Have a plan and find a location.

Fast emergency care starts with a plan.

Scan the QR code to find an Orlando Health ER location near you, with a dedicated team when you need them the most.

457880-1

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MEET THE CANDIDATES

Florida’s 11th Congressional District — Republicans Before the Aug. 18 primary, the Observer will be publishing Q&As featuring candidates in key races that will appear on ballots in West Orange and Southwest Orange. This week, we introduce the Republican candidates for Florida’s 11th Congressional District. Five candidates — Carey Baker, Ivette Palomo, Dr. Nizam Razack, Joe Strada and Tim Wilkins — are vying to succeed Daniel Webster, who became a U.S. House representative in 2011 and in 2017 began representing Florida’s 11th District.

Neither Baker nor Strada responded to repeated requests to participate in our Q&A. Some responses have been edited because of space constraints. The entire, unedited responses are available at OrangeObserver.com.

IVETTE PALOMO

DR. NIZAM RAZACK

TIM WILKINS

Age: 61 City/town of residence: Bushnell, Sumter County, Florida Family: Single mother of two grown children Education: Dual bachelor’s degrees in forensic psychology and English Qualifications: Mother. Whistleblower. Farmer. Citizen.

Age: 62 City/Town of Residence: Orlando Family: Married to my wife for more than 30 years; parent of five children Education: Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), State University of New York at Buffalo; Neurosurgical Residency, University of Miami; Fellowships at Mayo Clinic, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center; Juris Doctor (J.D.).

Qualifications: Board-certified neurosurgeon, attorney, educator and health care entrepreneur with more than 30 years of medical experience; former Chairman of Neurosurgery at Orlando Health; health care law professor; business owner; longtime Central Florida community leader

Age: 57 City/town of residence: Windermere Family: Wife, Amber; three children; two grandchildren Education: USMC, Some college, multiple certifications Qualifications: U.S. Marine veteran, business owner and entrepreneur with broad professional experience across multiple industries; more than 30 years as a professional communicator, with a background built on leadership, discipline, problemsolving, accountability and service

What makes you the best candidate for Florida’s 11th Congressional District?

As a mother, I stand at the kitchen table where the insurance bill lands, where the medical denial remains and where the grocery receipt weighs more than the groceries — and I secure the table.

As a whistleblower, I faced the corruption. I spoke the truth, and I endured the cost.

As a farmer, I study the soil and the season, and I strike the root where it runs.

I filed on Jan. 30 — before the incumbent retired, before redistricting made the seat safe. Others hedged and waited until the deadline.

Most candidates promise to prune the branches.

Better health care. Lower taxes. Stronger borders.

These are branches. The root is the government that writes rules without your vote, spends your money without your knowledge, takes your property without your consent — and faces no consequence when it fails.

Washington forgets.

I walk this district. I sit at kitchen tables. I answer the hard questions and ask them.

I will restore your vote, your due process and your right to know. I will accomplish your will in Congress.

Strike the root. Secure the table.

What are the key differences between you and your opponents?

The difference is character.

The Bureaucrat never stops regulating. Rules without your vote. Spends without your consent.

The regulation is the solution, the kitchen table is the problem, and your role is to comply.

The Showman riles to incite. Performance, not governance. Sound without substance. When the curtain falls, nothing has changed.

The Financier purchases representation. The kitchen table is not represented. It is bought.

The Constitution draws out, from the kitchen table to Congress, men and women of character.

The courage of the whistleblower, who speaks and endures.

The humility of the farmer, who studies and strikes.

The ferocity of the mother, who stands and secures.

The Fourth Branch did not build itself. It was built by the Bureaucrat, the Showman, the Financier.

I operate from the kitchen table.

The next 250 years begins with your vote.

Strike the root. Secure the table.

Evaluate outgoing U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster’s performance over his tenure in Congress. What did he do well? What would you do differently?

Daniel Webster served this district for (more than) a decade. He began with purpose. Compliance set in. He learned to manage the crowd rather than represent the people at the kitchen table.

He voted for nearly every major appropriations bill funding the Department of Education from 2011 onward — while false philosophies, false history, false science and false language filled your children’s minds.

He voted for Biggert-Waters, the flood insurance reform that made those premium increases land at your kitchen table.

What would I do differently?

Strike the root. The restoration of the constitutional power which Congress surrendered to the administrative state.

The REINS Act restores your vote — congressional approval before any regulation with economic impact (more than) $100 million takes effect.

The Administrative Independence Act restores your due process — agency actions must face real Article III courts, not administrative judges employed by the agency bringing the charge.

The Sunshine Mandate restores your right to know — every agency rule controlling your rights must face public scrutiny, not operate in the dark.

Structural constraints — and the character required to enforce them?

The courage to speak and endure. The humility to study and strike. The ferocity to stand and secure.

Strike the root. Secure the table.

What makes you the best candidate for Florida’s 11th Congressional District?

Experience matters. My career has been built on solving difficult problems, where people’s lives depended on good judgment, accountability and results. I have spent more than three decades caring for patients, creating jobs, mentoring future physicians, teaching health care law and building successful medical practices.

Unlike career politicians, I have lived the challenges facing working families, seniors, veterans, physicians and small businesses. I understand health care because I have practiced it, understand the law because I have studied it, and understand leadership because I have exercised it every day. I will bring practical solutions, not political talking points to Washington.

What are the key differences between you and your opponents?

Every candidate brings different experiences. My background is unique because I have spent my career solving real problems rather than making political speeches.

Health care is the generational issue facing America, yet very few members of Congress have actually practiced medicine. I have. I also understand health care law, business and the regulatory burdens that drive up costs.

I believe voters deserve someone who can bridge divides, work with others and focus on practical conservative solutions that improve people’s lives.

Evaluate outgoing U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster’s performance over his tenure in Congress. What did he do well? What would you do differently?

Congressman Webster has served our district honorably for many years. He has earned a reputation for integrity, accessibility and consistently supporting conservative constitutional principles.

His dedication to his constituents deserves appreciation.

If elected, I would build upon that foundation by placing greater emphasis on health care affordability, reducing insurance costs, increasing transparency in government, strengthening constituent communication and taking a more active leadership role on health care reform. My professional experience gives me an opportunity to lead nationally on one of America’s greatest challenges.

Give the current U.S. House a letter grade A-F and share how your presence would change that grade.

I would give the current House a “C+”.

Important progress has been made on border security, energy policy and restoring fiscal responsibility. However, Congress remains too divided, spends too much time on partisan conflict and has not adequately addressed health care affordability, the national debt or restoring public trust. I would bring professional expertise, a problem-solving mindset and a willingness to work with colleagues to produce measurable results rather than political theater.

Discuss three tangible ways constituents will experience your presence as their representative in the U.S. House.

First, they will have an accessible office that responds promptly and professionally to veterans, seniors, businesses and families needing federal assistance.

Second, I will hold regular town halls throughout every county in the district so constituents hear directly from their representative and I hear directly from them.

Third, I will lead meaningful health care reform that lowers costs, increases transparency, protects Medicare, strengthens veterans’ health care, and returns medical decisions to patients and physicians rather than Washington bureaucrats.

What makes you the best candidate for Florida’s 11th Congressional District?

I bring a combination of real-world business experience, military service and more than 30 years as a professional communicator. My career has taken me through multiple industries and given me firsthand experience with many of the challenges American families and businesses face every day.

I know how to lead, communicate, solve problems and bring people together to get things done.

Most important: I live in this district. The decisions made in Washington affect my family, my neighbors and my community, too. I believe that combination of experience, communication and personal connection to District 11 will allow me to be an effective advocate for the people who call it home.

What are the key differences between you and your opponents?

Among the five candidates in this race, three of us have built businesses from the ground up and two have served our country in uniform. I am the only candidate who has done both.

I am also the only leading candidate who actually lives in Florida’s 11th Congressional District.

This isn’t simply a district I want to represent; it’s my home.

I’m not a career politician. I’ve spent my life in the real world — serving in the Marines, building businesses, making payroll, raising a family and working in our community. I believe that experience gives me a different perspective on both the challenges people are facing and the kind of leadership they expect from Washington.

Evaluate outgoing U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster’s performance over his tenure in Congress. What did he do well? What would you do differently?

Congressman Webster has been a dependable conservative vote in the House and has maintained strong constituent services throughout the district. I respect his years of public service and the foundation his office has built.

I want to build on that foundation by expanding constituent services, taking a more active role in authoring and co-sponsoring meaningful legislation, and dramatically increasing communication between our congressional office and the people we represent.

My goal is for residents to know what I’m working on in Washington, why I’m doing it and how it affects them. Representation shouldn’t begin and end on Election Day. It should be an ongoing conversation with the district.

Give the current U.S. House a letter grade — A-F — and share how your presence would change that grade.

I would give the current House a “B” at best.

There has been progress, but Americans expect Congress to turn promises into results.

My goal would be to become an active, effective member from day one — not simply another vote.

I want to help author and sponsor legislation, build coalitions around good ideas and help move important bills across the finish line.

I’ve spent more than 30 years communicating with people from every imaginable background.

I bring positive energy, leadership and the ability to communicate across boundaries. In a closely divided Congress, relationships and communication matter. One effective member can help turn a good idea into legislation that actually gets passed.

Discuss three tangible ways constituents will experience your presence as their representative in the U.S. House.

First, communication. I intend to maintain a strong, direct connection with the people of District 11 so constituents know what I’m working on, where I stand and what’s happening in Washington.

Second, accessibility and visibility. I plan to be

CANDIDATE ANSWERS CONTINUED ON PAGE 8A

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Quinn Daniel, a kindergartner, her family and family friends are thrilled to be part of the founding families of Ovation Elementary School. She’s watched the school be built across the street waiting in anticipation to attend her new school.

Building Ovation nation LIZ RAMOS MANAGING EDITOR

F

rom their Horizon West home, 5-year-old Quinn Daniel and her mother, Katie Daniel, have seen one of Orange County Public Schools’ newest elementary schools be built from the ground up.

Across the street, they’ve seen the land be cleared and Ovation Elementary School, the school Quinn will call home for the next six years, become a reality.

When Quinn Daniel walked throughout the school and was able to see her kindergarten classroom during Ovation Elementary’s sneak peek Wednesday, Aug. 5, she thought it was the best day ever.

Finally, the wait was over.

After months of watching construction, Quinn was able to be in her school, amplifying the anticipation for the first day of school Tuesday, Aug. 11.

For Katie Daniel, the first day of school was a weight off her shoulders.

“It’s been a year of her waiting and watching and planning,” she said.

“For me, knowing this day was going to come, literally from watching them first break ground on it, I’m just watching my future get built. … She’s excited. Already, every kid she sees is her best friend.”

The school year started with excitement and hope for not only the school year ahead but for the decades of impact the school will make on families and the community in the future.

START OF SOMETHING NEW

For both Principal Patty Harrelson and kindergarten teacher Jaime Pressman, Ovation marks their first time opening a new school.

“We’ve worked so hard and so long it feels like without anyone else seeing the beautiful space we’re going to be occupying, so to have the doors open to the community and to meet our new families and kids was just a dream,” Harrelson said.

Opening a new school has been a rewarding experience for Harrelson.

She has engaged the community and staff in crafting the mission and culture of the school while building a “team that I know will work together as a family” and be a part of not only the Ovation community but also the Horizon West community.

Pressman, along with some other colleagues, came from Water Spring Elementary School. Ovation was constructed to relieve overcrowding at Water Spring and Panther Lake elementary schools. She also will be teaching alongside some former colleagues from Summerlake Elementary.

“I’m excited to see some familiar faces and some new faces,” Pressman said. “They’re nervous, I’m nervous.

But we’re doing it together, and I love to have some teammates with me. …

Now we’re building a new school and a new team. Kindergarten here is going to be the dream team, so we’re really excited for this new year.”

Photos by Liz Ramos

Maria Luzardo is thrilled to see her daughter, Miranda Gutierrez, start her K-12 education at the new Ovation Elementary School. Her son, Martin Gutierrez, will follow in his sister’s steps soon.

Being a founding family, Katie Daniel and her family will have a front-row seat to watch the future of the school unfold, she said.

“It’s nice to be, especially in kindergarten, knowing that I’m here from the beginning and on my way through being a part of seeing how the school can actually grow and find its own unique personality is exciting,” she said.

As a kindergarten teacher who has switched schools before, Pressman said being on staff of a new school means she hopefully will be able to stay with the school to see her kindergartners become fifth-graders.

She looks forward to seeing their academic and social growth.

Juliana Souza, like many kindergarten parents, is nervous but overjoyed to have her son, Noah Reis, begin his school career. She’s thrilled with the new campus and adored Pressman’s classroom, which has a Marvel theme.

But she also held back tears as she watched her little boy take his seat at the table and dive into the folder, already interested in all he will learn in his first year of his K-12 education.

She can’t wait to see the friends and memories he makes and how much he learns.

For Sara Klostermann and her fourth-grader Raegan Klostermann, the two are thrilled to have stability. The family moved from Illinois two years ago and were rezoned from Water Spring Elementary to Ovation, making this Raegan’s third school in three years.

Sara Klostermann said everyone on staff has been nothing but positive about the new school, making families more elated and eager to join the school community.

OVATION ELEMENTARY 13603 Hartzog Road, Winter Garden First day of school: Tuesday, Aug. 11 School Board representative: Anne Douglas Capacity: 834 students Gross floor area: 97,941 square feet Site area: 15 acres Construction budget: $39.2 million Parking: 74 staff, 64 visitor, six accessible Architect: Schenkel Shultz Contractor: WELBRO

Although she will miss her friends who will remain at Water Spring, Raegan’s looking forward to making new friends.

“I have butterflies,” Raegan said with a smile.

ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY

A goal of Harrelson’s has been to encourage involvement from the school community and the community at-large. She wants to build partnerships, whether it’s with the “unreal” Parent-Teacher Organization, the residents of the 55-plus Del Webb Oasis community or the businesses at Flamingo Crossings Town Center.

She’s been blown away by the community support before the school even officially opened its doors Tuesday, Aug. 11.

“It really takes a village; you really do need that wraparound feel of community for a successful school,” Harrelson said. “Not only do we want

partners to support us and sponsor us, we want to give back and we want to have our kids go and do different things in the community.”

Before the school opened, families received constant communication from school leadership, providing updates on construction and who was hired as well as asking for feedback on aspects of the school such as the mascot and more.

Katie Daniel said the constant communication was comforting, especially because she was sending her daughter to school for the first time.

“I like the fact we’re starting the culture from scratch,” Katie Daniel said. “What I read is that it’s a lot of teachers that have experience in other areas, all coming together to start something new, which I think means there is a lot of potential and there’s a lot of freedom to make things work the way that you want it to work and not necessarily be pigeonholed into what’s already been developed in the culture that’s already been there.”

The community has been engaged in choosing various aspects of the school, such as a flamingo as the mascot. At first, Harrelson questioned the choice of the flamingo, but she said the “community has run with the flamingo,” embracing all the opportunities to incorporate it into the school. One teacher made her classroom theme flamingos. Various posters and signs around the school say, “Welcome to the flock.” The school even had a flamingo mascot from Westgate Resorts at Meet Your Teacher Thursday, Aug. 6, to interact with families.

Above all, Harrelson wants Ovation Elementary School to be a high-performing school of excellence where the children constantly are learning and growing. The school’s motto is, “Ovation nation, where excellence is our expectation.” She also wants to provide enriching after-school clubs and extracurriculars.

Sara Klostermann was grateful for the opportunity to walk the school during the sneak peek before the chaos of Meet Your Teacher, where all the families rushed the school and all the rooms inside eager to bring in their school supplies and meet the staff.

She was thrilled to see all the windows throughout the school to allow natural light into the classrooms. She also was pleased with the layout of the school as the U-shape and single point of entry makes the building more secure.

Maria Luzardo was delighted to see the outdoor art space as she and her daughter, Miranda Gutierrez, a kindergartner, both have a passion for art.

She also appreciated the media center, shocked by the size.

The start of the school year brings hope for the future as students adjust to their new educational facility.

“It’s home, peaceful,” Luzardo said.

“I’m looking forward to (Miranda) growing, learning a lot and basically feeling like her home for the next five years. It’s perfect.”

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New school year begins with e-bike ban STAFF WRITER

For nearly two years, Horizon West resident Linda Sibley has been pushing for micromobility-device regulations — both to the Orange County School Board and the Orange County Board of County Commissioners.

As a morning runner, she often finds herself moving out of the way for children, teens and young adults on their e-scooters and e-bikes going at high speeds, she said.

However, even she doesn’t agree with Orange County Public Schools’ most recent action — a policy banning micromobility devices for all elementary and middle school students.

“Micromobility devices are a need, a necessity,” Sibley said.

“Education is the key. Anything that has to do with a ban totally sidesteps anything that’s rational at this point.”

Orange County School Board members Tuesday, July 28, unanimously passed the new policy, which states only high-schoolers with a learner’s permit or driver’s license will be allowed to bring e-bikes or e-scooters onto school campuses.

According to OCPS data, about 11,800 students rode to and from school on e-scooters and e-bikes.

Of those students, 68% were elementary or middle-school students; 32% were high-schoolers.

With the amount of students who use micromobility devices daily, Sibley said it is less than ideal to simply ban this mode of transportation and tell families to find another way.

Instead, she proposed computerbased lessons and courses directed

PETITION Linda Sibley has created a petition to bring forward to the School Board and the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. To view the petition, visit bit.ly/4bGzBlz.

toward students to learn about laws and regulations while riding on the road. On top of that, she proposed a course for parents to ensure they understand the laws and regulations.

“But then they also need to be out in the vehicle to get that handson training,” Sibley said. “It’s a win-win situation. You’ve got an educated child, and you’ve got an educated parent (who) fully understands everything they need to do to ensure that their own child is driving responsibly and safely.”

For hands-on training exercises, Sibley proposed that the County Commission create a state-of-theart micromobility facility at Horizon West Regional Park.

“We’ve got hundreds of acres there; there’s no reason why we can’t set aside some of that real estate to create a training center where every child and every parent from now until Doomsday knows they have that one-stop spot,” she said.

However, that idea was turned down.

Other parents agree with Sibley the ban misses the true objective.

OCPS parent Heather Grimmer said this ban could have unintended consequences for many families.

“Micromobility devices are a vital form of transportation for many students,” she said. “For some, they’re the only reliable way to get to school on time — especially when bus routes are unavailable. … Restricting their use could create additional barriers to getting to school, potentially leading to increased tardiness, absenteeism and unequal access to education.

Removing that option without fully considering the broader impact is a rushed response to a complex issue.”

Grimmer agrees education is the key instead.

“Instead of taking these devices away, let’s focus on making their use safer,” she said. “That means educating students on responsible riding, enforcing helmet use, promoting traffic law compliance, improving infrastructure where needed and ensuring drivers are

more aware of young riders. Safety is a shared responsibility.”

Middle-schooler Caitlin Weaver said while she agrees guidelines and policies are necessary for micromobility devices, prohibiting them from school grounds will impact several families, including hers.

“What will likely happen is that students will ride these devices to school and instead of parking them safely in a school bike rack, they will have to find an alternative place to park them,” she said. “I don’t think that a blanket restriction on micromobility devices on school grounds is the right choice for both students and parents. … A more specific solution for each school might be more efficient to address the main concern for of the student safety.”

School Board members said the ban is simply for the safety of students.

“We are not opposed to e-bikes or e-scooters,” School Board Member Anne Douglas said. “However, the city currently does not have sufficient regulations in place to establish clear safety standards for how students use them. We have heard too many concerning stories involving accidents and unsafe riding p ra c t i c e s.

O n ce t he city adopts ordinances govern-

ing the use of e-bikes and e-scooters, we can revisit our decision. Until we find a way to establish strong safety measures to protect our students, there are other transportation options available, including cars, traditional bicycles, scooters and other alternatives.”

School Board Chair Teresa Jacobs said it might be considered a bold and aggressive move, but e-scooters and e-bikes didn’t become a popular mode of transportation until recent years.

School Board Member Alicia Farrant said she empathizes with concerned parents but agrees a ban for element a r y , middle and some high school students is the most conscientious decision the board could make.

“Everybody up here knows I love my scooter,” she said during the July 28 meeting. “So in one aspect I say, ‘Let them scoot.’

In the other aspect, I’m seeing the results of what’s happening when you have hundreds of students using an e-bike or e-scooter at one school. School gets out, all kids are hitting the street at the exact same time, and now you have kids all over the sidewalks, the roads. It is causing problems within the community. …

For dozens and dozens of years, we have ridden bicycles, we walked to school. I love my e-scooter, but I am an adult, and it is different.”

While disciplinary actions have not been discussed yet for students who do take micromobility devices to school, Douglas said a p p ro p r i a te

MICROMOBILITY BAN DETAILS: Orange County School Board members unanimously voted to ban micromobility devices on school campuses for all students except high-schoolers with a learner’s permit or a driver’s license. High-schoolers will receive an approved e-decal from their school to ride them, and must park in designated ebike and e-scooter racks.

TIMING: Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez said consequences will begin Tuesday, Sept. 8, to allow families to make transportation arrangements.

measures will be taken accordingly.

A grace period will be in place until Tuesday, Sept. 8. After that, students will receive disciplinary actions.

Ashley LaChance, mother of Colton Remsburg, who died in an e-scooter accident in May, said the ban must happen. While she understands the convenience of riding these micromobility devices, she also understands the debilitating pain of living without her son.

“If people want to blame me, criticize me or question my role in advocating for this change, I can accept that,” she said. “I would rather carry that weight than watch another family experience what ours has endured.”

Sibley, however, said this ban won’t fix the safety issue at hand.

“As soon as the kids get home from school, they’re going to jump on their e-bike,” she said. “It’s a social thing for these kids, too.”

Because of the board’s decision to ban micromobility devices, Sibley has created a petition she will bring forward to the board regarding mandatory, hands-on simulation training.

That, she believes, will solve safety issues.

The County Commission will have a first reading of an ordinance regarding regulations for micromobility devices countywide at its meeting Tuesday, Sept. 29.

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LETICIA SILVA

6A

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026

WAY BACK WHEN Sherrall, Dixie, Wayne Jr., Betsy and Patrick Dann are the fifth generation of their family to live in Ocoee.

Courtesy photos

Photo by Amy Quesinberry Price

Sherrall Dann Applegate has boxes and albums full of information about her ancestors, who first came to Ocoee in 1862.

The quilt was made by her grandmother, Hattie Eby Dann.

Sherrall Dann Applegate The fifth-generation Ocoee resident has made a life out community service, from cutting and styling hair to teaching students with special needs to serving as president of the Ocoee Woman’s Club.

AMY QUESINBERRY PRICE HISTORIAN

S

herrall Dann Applegate comes from a long line of Ocoee residents, and she is the fifth generation to call the city home. Her daughter, the sixth generation, also lives in Ocoee, and Sherrall and Gordon Applegate are raising their late son’s child, the seventh generation.

The Dann family’s West Orange County story begins in 1862, when her great-great-grandparents, Elliot and Mary Ann Dann, moved to the area and settled on land now occupied by the Manheim Orlando Auto Auction, West Colonial Drive, Florida’s Turnpike and State Road 429.

“Our homestead is all road now,” Applegate said.

The Danns filed for homestead of nearly 80 acres in 1880, and it wasn’t granted until 1888, three years after his death. The price: $1 per acre.

Each of Elliot Dann’s 13 living children received a portion of the land, and, at one time, the Dann family owned everything from the corner of Colonial and Maguire Road west through swampy land to the area around the West Orange Chamber of Commerce property in Winter Garden.

Sherrall Applegate has done a great deal of research on her ancestry and has compiled photo albums and boxes full of family information.

One of Elliot and Mary Ann’s sons,

Elliot Dann Sr. was the first generation of the family to settle in Ocoee. He and his wife, Mary Ann, arrived in 1862.

Mary Ann Dann and her husband, Elliot Sr., were the first generation of their family to arrive in Ocoee in 1862.

George Smithson Dann, was born in 1863 in Ocoee and remained on the family land as an adult. When he and his wife, Jerusha, eventually had more children than there were bedrooms in the home, he built a smaller rooming house for his sons across from the main house on what now is Marshall Farms Road. This home, dubbed the green house by the family, was where Sherrall Applegate grew up, and she still remembers the address: Route 1 Box 167A. At the time, the mailing address was Winter Garden.

Her grandparents, Ernest and Hattie Dann, raised cattle and other farm

animals and cultivated oranges. During World War II, her father, Wayne Dann, was serving on a mine sweeper in the United States Navy. When his father had an accident on the farm, he received an early discharge to help on the farm, Sherrall Applegate said.

THE FIFTH GENERATION

Sherrall Applegate was born in 1950 at Orlando Memorial Hospital and lived the first few years in Orlando’s Fairvilla community. Her mother was a homemaker raising six children, and her father worked at Minute Maid when frozen juice concentrate was first introduced.

Helping hand and paw The Harbor House of Central Florida and Chain of Lakes Animal Clinic have partnered to offer services to survivors’ pets in need.

LETICIA SILVA STAFF WRITER

While working at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Central Florida, Dr. Angela Chesanek encountered a situation that broke her heart.

Two dogs were brought in after trying to defend their female owner from her abusive boyfriend, who broke into her house.

“The only reason she survived was because of these dogs,” Chesanek said in tears. “They attacked her boyfriend, and he stabbed the dogs instead of her, left her on the floor and ran out.”

The woman spent two months in the hospital recovering from her injuries, but the family decided to bring the dogs into the SPCA because they couldn’t care for both the woman and the two furry friends.

Knowing the owner would want her dogs back, Chesanek ensured the

dogs wouldn’t be put up for adoption.

“I think it’s just amazing what pets can do for us,” she said. “They probably helped her heal when she was out and I think they probably also made her feel safer.”

When the woman returned home, she went to SPCA to pick up her dogs, inspiring Chesanek, who now owns Chain of Lakes Animal Clinic, to later partner with Harbor House of Central Florida to help other women in domestic violence situations and hopes of making a greater impact in the community.

The partnership began after Chesanek learned Harbour House allows children and women to bring their pets to the shelter to make leaving an abusive situation easier.

According to the Laurel Center, an organization focused on intervention for domestic and sexual violence, many victims stay with their abuser for the fear of what might hap-

pen, embarrassment, shame, lack of finances, and fear for their children and their pets.

One day, while scrolling on Facebook, Chesanek came across a post from a Harbor House volunteer collecting supplies for the pets at the shelter. She learned what Harbor House of Central Florida does and recalled the two dogs she had met at SPCA years before.

With that in mind, Chesanek reached out to Harbor House of Central Florida’s team and offered veterinary care.

Although the domestic-violence shelter already provided veterinary care for the pets under its watch, it was doing so through its own funds.

“With our agreement and us footing the care, they have more funds for other things,” Chesanek said. “It frees up money for them.”

The animal clinic has cared for nearly 12 dogs and cats since the partnership’s inception, offering services

The family moved to the Dann farm in 1955. One brother, Ernie, died when he was a toddler.

The five children were expected to help around the house.

“Each of us had a chore; I was kitchen,” Sherrall Applegate said.

“When I got in the kitchen to clean, I (really) cleaned.”

She also was responsible for the eggs when her grandfather traveled as a leader of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows fraternal organization.

“I would have to go and collect the eggs and then candle the eggs,” she said. “You would hold (a candle) up to the egg, and it would show you the inside of the egg, the yolk. If it had a little spot in it, the blood spot, you couldn’t sell the blood spots. So, we would use those; that’s what Mom would cook with.”

When her grandfather sold his property to the Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, he turned the old hen house into a playhouse for the children.

When she was 7, her father built a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house, also on Marshall Farms Road, in part the family’s cow pasture.

She and her siblings frequently played hide-and-seek in the groves and pastures.

“We loved it when Pop would put a fresh salt block out for the cows because we would go and lick that,” Sherrall Applegate said. “It was good when it was fresh. And then when they watered the grove, Pop had pipes, and we would get out and play in the water. That was our Slip N’ Slide.”

On Sundays, the Dann children attended Ocoee Christian Church, where their grandfather was a deacon and treasurer. Sherrall Applegate grew up singing in the choir.

“If we were good in church, we could go to Pounds Drug Store (which was later Betty J’s) and get a drink,” she said. “I always got a Vanilla Coke.”

The Dann children attended Ocoee Elementary and Ocoee High schools.

Sherrall Applegate was involved in the first Ocoee Teen Council and helped plan dances at the youth center off Flewelling Avenue with her best friend, Brenda Watson Fiedler.

The West Orange Jaycees ran the concession stand, and former Ocoee Mayor Scott Vandergrift often helped out.

Sherrall Applegate graduated from Ocoee High School in 1969, and she and many of her classmates, including Donnie Aycock and Charles Thomas, still get together to hang out. She is the class historian.

Following high school, she attended the Orlando Academy of Beauty Culture.

ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP DETAILS: The Chain of Lakes Animal Clinic has partnered with the Harbor House of Central Florida to provide care for survivors’ pets, alleviating financial stress for the domestic-violence shelter and victims alike.

DONATIONS: Donations to the animal clinic can be made from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at 14387 Bridgewater Crossings Blvd., Suite 100, Windermere. Donations also can be made directly to the Harbor House by visiting harborhousefl. com/donate. Call (407) 5544304 for questions.

such as vaccines, heartworm testing, parasite control and sick care — all at no cost.

Chesanek said she made pharmaceutical companies aware of the partnership, and they have donated products to help offset the costs required to care for the animals.

To maintain safety for all involved, a member of Harbor House transports the animals to the clinic, where veterinarians are provided with the pet’s first name only.

The Chain of Lakes Animal Clinic has created an account under the

“I found out I was a country bumpkin,” she said.

One of her first clients was Ocoee Mayor Rusty Johnson’s mother.

She ventured into Winter Garden when Dorothy Craig opened Garden Coiffeurs across from the bowling alley on South Dillard Street. She later returned to Ocoee when Edna Wood Phillips was looking for a hairdresser. After 18 years in the salon business, Sherall Applegate switched careers.

In 1986, Applegate began a 29-year journey with Orange County Public Schools, working with elementary students at Magnolia Exceptional School. She also worked at Silver Star Center, an alternative education school. She took on a new role at Westside Technical College in 2003 and officially retired in 2016.

HISTORY PRESERVATION

Just as Applegate’s family is an important part of the city’s history, she has spent decades working to preserve the city’s overall 101-year history. She has been a member of the Ocoee Woman’s Club for 30 years and even served as president; she currently is the corresponding secretary.

She was there in the Ocoee Founders’ Day Festival’s infancy.

In the 1980s, Applegate began her long run of involvement with the city of Ocoee. She worked the concession stands at the Ocoee Little League and West Orange Girls Club fields and spent about a decade on Ocoee’s Police Advisory Board. She is past president of the historical commission and now serves on the advisory board of Ocoee Parks and Recreation.

One of her most endearing roles is as Mrs. Claus at Christmastime through the city of Ocoee.

The Applegates have been married for 54 years, moving to Ocoee four years after their wedding in 1972. They lived in the green house off Maguire Road for one year before buying the place they now call home.

They raised two children, Michelle Cummings, and the late Matthew Applegate, and they have two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Sherrall Applegate is proud of the role her family has played in the history of Ocoee, and she knows she is leaving a legacy to future generations.

When the Florida Department of Transportation built the interchange connecting Florida’s Turnpike and State Road 429, the original Dann land and burial site were replaced.

The early settlers are remembered with a special historical monument in the Ocoee Cemetery: “Dann — Pioneer Family of the Ocoee Area 1880.”

Harbor House name, maintaining anonymity for survivors, as well.

Chesanek said she does not plan to set a limit of dogs and cats the vet will accept.

“We’re just doing what we can when we can,” she said.

No dog or cat is too small or too large to be treated. Chesanek just wants to be able to help when possible, in whichever way her and her clinic are able.

“As a female, (this partnership) is near and dear to my heart, not just because of the pets but also the women and children,” she said. “I’m super proud, and I’m also proud to let my daughters know that if you’re ever trapped in a situation, there are people out there that are going to help you.”

The animal clinic is collecting donations to be able to continue funding care for survivors’ pets, and plan on doing a pet calendar to raise funds.

Chesanek said community members also can donate directly to Harbor House to support its mission.

Chesanek said she’s grateful to be given the opportunity to partner with Harbor House and help survivors and their pets.

After all, making a difference always has been her goal.

“It’s nice to do something for the community,” she said.

OrangeObserver.com

Budget discussion continues in Ocoee

West Orange County’s

Church DIRECTORY

STAFF WRITER

City of Ocoee Finance Director Steve Weber presented a $74.26 million General Fund budget for the Fiscal Year 2027 at the Ocoee City Commission’s budget workshop Wednesday, Aug. 5.

The proposed budget is balanced at the city’s current millage rate of 4.95, marking the 11th consecutive year the city has maintained or lowered the millage rate. A millage rate of 4.95 generates $27,554,139 at a 95% collection rate, representing 37% of the General Fund’s budgeted revenue.

Gross taxable value from Orange County increased from $5,433,608,250 for FY 25-26 to $5,859,466,089 for FY 26-27, a 7.8% increase. Ocoee will budget $2.2 million for roadway resurfacing and $600,000 for sidewalk repair and replacement.

The proposed General Fund budget of $74.26 million is a decrease of $2.96 million from the previous year.

Personnel cost expenditures total $46,083,590, or 62.1%, of the budget; while operating expenditures total $28,177,361, or 37.9%. Public safety comprises 53.9% of the total General Fund budget and 71.5% of the General Fund’s personnel budget. Police and fire pensions will increase by about $1 million.

City Manager Craig Shadrix said the amount for personnel cost expenditures is deceiving and the actual cost is higher. City departments, such as human resources, finance and information technology, provide services across Ocoee, but the costs are not allocated to individual departments, meaning they aren’t included in the personnel cost expenditures. He said the city will use internal service funds to track those expenses more closely.

The first budget public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept.

9, with the second budget public hearing and adoption of the final budget hearing for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23.

FIRE FEE

After the Ocoee City Commission approved setting the maximum fire

The Ocoee City Commission unanimously approved Tuesday, Aug. 4, the second reading of an ordinance amending Chapter 7 of the City Code to maintain the current hybrid model of retaining the Code Board for residential code cases and use a Special Magistrate for nonresidential cases.

District 4 Commissioner George Oliver III was absent.

Ocoee City Manager Craig Shadrix will be able to assign the magistrate cases if the board can’t meet a quorum. The ordinance also sets updated fines: first violation cannot exceed $1,000 per day, second violation cannot exceed $5,000 per day and the fine cannot exceed $15,000 per day per violation for irreparable or irreversible violations.

assessment fee to 70% of assessable costs in June and sent notice letters to residents, city staff and commissioners discussed how it is a preemptive measure to offset potential first-year impacts of the proposed property tax reform.

Once a maximum rate is approved, it cannot be increased, which is why the city opted for 70%.

The commission will consider the fire assessment fee’s official adoption at the Tuesday, Aug. 18, meeting.

If the proposedANGLICAN legislation passes in November, Ocoee’s property tax revenue would be reduced by moreCOMMUNITY than $4 ANGLICAN million in the firstFELLOWSHIP year and moreCHURCH than $8 million the following EstablishRectoryear.

The Rev. Canon Tim Trombitas ing the fire fee now would give Ocoee 1146 East Plant St, Winter Garden an alternative revenue source if the SUNDAY SERVICE amendment passes.

If it does not pass,10:00 AM Find usprovide at: Theacf.net Shadrix said the city will credits or refund checks.

“We take no pleasure in this, but we BAPTIST have an obligation to do this to keep pace BEULAH BAPTIST with service demands, ” he said.

Pastor Casey Butner a Ocoee staff is working on building fiscal model that 671 provides Beulahindications Rd, Winter Garden for where the city needs to make |adjust407-656-3342 BeulahBaptistWG.org ments to react to changes.

SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY 9:30AM

SUNDAY SERVICE 11:00AM WEDNESDAY SERVICE 6:00PM

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METHODIST

First Baptist Church

First United Methodist

Pastor Jeremy Woods 125 E. Plant St, Winter Garden (407) 656-2352 Sundays: 8:00 AM Traditional 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM Contemporary

www.fumcwg.org 125 N. Lakeview Ave., Winter Garden (407) 656-1135 Services: 9 AM Traditional 10:45 AM Contemporary Also viewable on YouTube

Starke Lake Baptist Church

Pastor Jeff Pritchard PO Box 520 611 W Ave., Ocoee (407) 656-2351 www.StarkeLakeBaptist.org

CHURCH

Victory Baptist Church &STARKE Christian Academy LAKE BAPTIST

1601 A.D. Mims Rd, CHURCH PO Box 611 W Ave, Ocoee Ocoee 520, FL 34761 Pastor Jeff Pritchard (407) 656-3097 (407) 656-2351 www.starkelakebaptist.org www.VBCOCOEE.com Sunday: 11AM & 6 PM CHURCH OF GOD Wednesday: 7 PMOF GOD OCOEE CHURCH

Pastor Thomas Odom 1105 N. Lakewood Avenue, Ocoee 407-656-8011

EPISCOPAL

CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH 241 N. Main, Winter Garden Services: 8, 9:30, & 11am, 7pm www.churchofthemessiah.com

METHODIST

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 125 N. Lakeview Ave Winter Garden Service Times 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM Phone – 407-656-1135 Web: fumcwg.org

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WINDERMERE UNION CHURCH 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Rd. Windermere, FL 34786 407-876-2112 Worship times: 9:00am Adult Sunday School 10:00am Worship www.windermereunion.org

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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 125 E Plant St., Winter Garden 407-656-2352 SUNDAYS 8:30 am Traditional 9:45 am Bible Study 11:00 am Contemporary WEDNESDAYS - 6pm - Awana Pastor Tim Grosshans www.fbcwg.org 2nd Campus: FOUNDATION WORSHIP SUNDAYS 9:45 am - All Ages Foundation Academy High School 15304 Tilden Rd., Winter Garden www.FoundationWorship.com 407-730-1867

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PALOMO FROM PAGE 3A

MEET THE CANDIDATES: FLORIDA’S 11TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT — REPUBLICANS

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026

Give the current U.S. House a letter grade — A-F — and share how your presence would change that grade.

“F”. The House has abandoned its constitutional purpose: to ensure that no rule takes effect without your vote, that no agency acts without due process, that no power operates in the dark.

Right now, the House rubberstamps the administrative state.

It funds what it should constrain.

It kills what would restore your voice. The REINS Act has been killed by the Senate in every Congress since 2011.

An “F” is not a judgment on each of the 435 members. It is a judgment on a structure that has abandoned the kitchen table.

How would my presence change that grade?

The courage to file discharge petitions that force votes the leadership would rather avoid.

The humility to build coalitions that bring the REINS Act to the floor.

The ferocity to demand that agency actions face real Article III courts and that every rule controlling your rights face public scrutiny.

I refuse to comply.

Strike the root. Secure the table.

Discuss three tangible ways constituents will experience your presence as their U.S. House representative.

First: Your vote will return. No rule without a vote. For decades, agencies have written regulations that consume 20% of your household budget — more than food, more than transportation, more than health care — without a single vote from your representative. The regulation arrived in the mail. You did not vote for it. You cannot find who wrote it.

Since 1996, agencies have issued over 100,000 rules. Congress has overturned 42. The current system does not work. Your vote has been absent. I will force that vote.

Second: Your due process will return. No court without a peer.

For decades, agency enforcement actions have faced administrative judges employed by the agency bringing the charge.

The letter said, “You owe.”

The judge who ruled against you works for the agency that brought the charge. You have no peer in that court.

Your due process has been surrendered to the administrative state. I demand it face real Article III courts.

Third: Your right to know will return. No seizure without the light of day. For decades, agency rules controlling your rights have operated in the dark. The rule that took your property was written where you could not see it. When rules face scrutiny, agencies write fewer rules. When agencies write fewer rules, the regulatory burden on your household budget decreases.

The rules have been hidden. I force them into the light of day.

These are commitments to what I will force: no rule without a vote, no court without a peer, no seizure without the light of day. The Senate has killed the REINS Act in every Congress since 2011. One representative

can make compliance cost more than resistance.

The restoration: fewer regulations, more due process, more transparency.

Strike the root. Secure the table.

District 11 is a diverse district with many needs. What are the district’s three most pressing issues?

The question asks for three. The district has four.

First: Your home. A retired couple on fixed income watches their premium triple in two years.

A young family chooses between the insurance bill and the mortgage. A widow chooses between insurance and the prescription she needs. Home insurance premiums doubled and tripled under Risk Rating 2.0. An administrative rule written by FEMA without your vote, enacted without your knowledge. No seizure without the light of day.

When you can see the rule before it takes effect, you can stop the premium increase.

Second: Your health. A veteran who served his country, who put his body on the line, comes home to a system that treats him like a number in a file. He waits months for an appointment. He waits months for a decision on his claim. When the decision comes, it is made by a judge who works for the agency that denied him.

He fought for his country. His country fights him when he needs care. No court without a peer.

When you have a real court, you can challenge the denial.

A retiree discovers a treatment they need was denied by an agency they cannot name. A family chooses between medication and groceries because an administrative mandate decided what their insurance pays. No rule without a vote. When you have a vote on the regulation, you can stop the mandate.

Third: Your land and water. A rancher who has worked the land for years now wonders where he will lease because the owner sold to a developer. He cannot afford to buy. He may have to uproot his family and leave the state. Viable agricultural land is disappearing because agencies regulate what you can grow, declare ditches wetlands and make it harder to keep land in agriculture. The developer offers money because the land is worth more as a subdivision than as a ranch. No seizure without the light of day. When you can see the regulation before it takes effect, you can stop the restriction.

Fourth: Your children. (Parents watch) their child struggle under a curriculum they cannot see or stop. A teacher’s hands are tied by mandates from Washington. The Department of Education funded by appropriations that passed without resistance still controls what your children learn. No rule without a vote.

When you have a vote on the mandate, you can stop the curriculum.

Four issues. One root.

An administrative state that writes rules without your vote, denies your due process and seizes your rights without the light of day.

Strike the root. Secure the table.

Celebrating

RAYZACK FROM PAGE 3A

District 11 is a diverse district with many needs. What are the district’s three most pressing issues?

The three biggest issues are affordability, health care and protecting our quality of life.

Families continue to struggle with rising housing, insurance, grocery and energy costs.

Health care has become increasingly expensive and difficult to navigate despite incredible advances in medicine.

Finally, our growing district requires investments in transportation, public safety, veterans’ services, and infrastructure while preserving the character of our communities and protecting taxpayers.

Discuss the impending Social Security shortfall and your solutions.

Social Security represents a promise that must be honored.

Current retirees and those nearing retirement should never see their promised benefits reduced.

Congress must strengthen the program through responsible long-term reforms, including eliminating waste, promoting economic growth that increases payroll tax revenues, encouraging workforce participation, improv-

WILKINS FROM PAGE 3A

highly active both in Washington and here at home. I don’t want constituents wondering where their representative is or what he’s doing for them.

Third, and perhaps most important, constituent service. I intend to build an exceptional constituent-services team so residents throughout District 11 can get help when they’re dealing with federal agencies, veterans’ benefits, Social Security, Medicare and other federal matters. When someone calls their congressional office for help, they deserve a responsive human being who will work hard to find an answer.

District 11 is a diverse district with many needs. What are the district’s three most pressing issues?

Affordability, protecting Social Security and supporting agriculture.

Families are being squeezed by the cost of groceries, housing, insurance, health care and everyday necessities. Seniors need to know that the Social Security benefits they’ve earned will be there for them. And agriculture remains critically important to our district and to Florida’s economy.

These aren’t abstract Washington issues. They directly affect people’s livelihoods, retirement security and ability to provide for their families.

Discuss the impending Social Security shortfall and your solutions.

Social Security is approaching a serious financial challenge by 2032, and unlike many issues Congress debates year after year, this is one we cannot afford to procrastinate on.

The first step should be aggres-

25

ing stewardship of the trust funds and carefully examining bipartisan solutions that preserve benefits without placing unfair burdens on future generations.

We owe today’s seniors security while ensuring tomorrow’s workers inherit a sustainable system.

Discuss the current state of health care in the United States and your solutions.

Health care remains one of America’s greatest challenges because patients pay too much while navigating unnecessary bureaucracy.

My focus is simple: lower costs while improving quality.

I support transparent pricing, increased competition, expanded Health Savings Accounts, direct primary care, stronger rural healthcare, protection for patients with preexisting conditions, expanded access to generic medications, reduced administrative burdens and reforms that strengthen the doctor-patient relationship.

As someone who has spent more than three decades treating patients, I understand where the system succeeds and where it fails. We need practical reforms, not more bureaucracy.

Do you support term limits for Congress? Why or why not?

Absolutely 100%.

Public service should never

sively identifying and eliminating waste, fraud and improper payments to ensure benefits go to those legally entitled to receive them.

But that alone won’t solve the long-term problem. Congress must also examine how the Social Security Trust Fund is managed and invested and review the actuarial assumptions affecting longterm solvency. We should be working now toward solutions designed to strengthen Social Security for the next 30 years and beyond.

Millions of Americans spent their entire working lives paying into this system. Congress has an obligation to protect it for today’s seniors and future generations.

Discuss the current state of health care in the United States and your solutions.

The Affordable Care Act failed to deliver the affordable health care Americans were promised. Too many families are paying enormous premiums and deductibles while having fewer choices about their care.

We need meaningful reform that puts patients — not insurance companies or Washington bureaucracies — at the center of health care.

That means greater price transparency, allowing individuals and small businesses to pool together to negotiate better rates, increasing competition and giving consumers greater control over their health care dollars. I also support President Trump’s approach of directing health care assistance toward consumers rather than simply sending more taxpayer dollars to insurance companies.

Health care reform should ultimately be measured by a simple standard: Are Americans paying less while receiving better care and having more choices? That’s the goal.

become a lifetime career. Term limits encourage new ideas, reduce the concentration of political power, increase accountability and strengthen public confidence in government.

At the same time, voters should continue benefiting from experienced public servants who contribute through mentoring, committee work and leadership outside elected office.

Discuss how you plan to work with your fellow representatives, the U.S. Senate and President Trump.

My philosophy is straightforward: principles first, people always.

I strongly support President Trump’s America First agenda to secure our border, strengthen the economy, restore American energy independence, rebuild our military and reduce unnecessary regulations.

I will work with Republicans, Democrats and Independents whenever it advances the interests of Florida’s 11th District. Agreement should never require abandoning conservative principles, but disagreement should never prevent respectful dialogue.

The American people expect Congress to solve problems, not simply score political points. That is the approach I will bring to Washington every day.

Do you support term limits for Congress? Why or why not?

Yes, I support congressional term limits.

Public service should be exactly that — service. When elected officials remain in Washington for decades, it becomes far too easy to lose touch with the people they were elected to represent and become dependent on the institutions and special interests that help keep them in office.

Our founders envisioned citizen legislators who would serve their country and then return to their communities. Congress should never become a lifetime career.

Term limits would bring new ideas, new energy and greater accountability to Washington.

Discuss how you plan to work with your fellow representatives, the U.S. Senate and President Trump.

The work begins before I’m ever sworn into office. I intend to start building relationships with fellow House members immediately, developing alliances and working toward committee assignments where I can have the greatest impact for District 11.

When legislation moves between the House and Senate, communication is critical. I want to establish relationships with key senators early so potential disagreements can be addressed before they become roadblocks to passing important legislation.

With President Trump, I intend to be a dependable partner in the House on legislation that advances our shared priorities. I want the administration, House leadership and my colleagues to know that when something matters to the people of District 11 and to the country, I’ll be ready to work, communicate and help get it done.

RUN AMONG THE LAKES

Year

Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026

Starting Line: 520 Main Street, in front of Windermere Town Hall w w w. w i n d e r m e re r u n . c o m

463405-1

8A

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026

9A

SNAPSHOT

REAL ESTATE

Total Sales: 58 High Sale Price: $10,200,000 Low Sale Price: $135,000 KEENE’S POINTE

The home at 6036 Greatwater Drive, Windermere, sold July 24, for $1,875,000. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 4,013 square feet. Days on market: 55.

The home at 11413 Camden Park Drive, Windermere, sold July 20, for $1,395,000. Built in 2005, it has five bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,840 square feet.

WILLOWS AT LAKE RHEA

The home at 11407 Willow Gardens Drive sold July 20, for $1,200,000.

Built in 1992, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,501 square feet.

Days on market: One. The home at 121 W. Maple St., Winter Garden, sold July 20, for $1,700,000. It was the largest transaction in Winter Garden from July 20 to 26. The sellers were represented by Tara Moore, Tara Moore Real Estate.

Golden Oak mansion sells for $10.2M A

mansion in the Golden

Southwest Orange topped all West Orange-area residen-

The home at 10012 Hyperion Lane, Golden Oak, sold

G.T. SMITH SUBDIVISION

July 24, for $10,200,000.

Courtesy photos

bedrooms, five baths, two

The home at 10012 Hyperion Lane, Golden Oak, sold July 24, for $10,200,000. Sited on a private cul-de-sac within Golden Oak, this single-story estate was built by renowned luxury builder Jones Clayton and recently reimagined to feel like a new custom home. The sellers were represented by Chris Christensen, One Luxury International LLC.

half-baths and 6,276 square

PARKSIDE

by Chris Christensen, One

The home at 8419 Pippin Drive, Orlando, sold July 20, for $1,470,000. Built in 2015, it has seven bedrooms, six-and-one-half baths and 5,394 square feet. Days on market: 362.

Luxury International LLC.

PARKVIEW RESERVE

These are the highestselling homes in each community in West Orange.

DR. PHILLIPS BAY HILL

The home at 9169 Bay Hill Blvd., Orlando, sold July 20, for $750,000.

Built in 1972, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,761 square feet of living area.

BAY HILL VILLAGE SOUTH

The home at 6028 Lexington Park, No. 69, Orlando, sold July 24, for $995,000. Built in 1986, it has two bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,591 square feet. Days on market: Seven.

BRENTWOOD CLUB

The home at 8738 Beckingham Place, Orlando, sold July 23, for $1,090,000. Built in 1991, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,754 square feet of living area. Days on market: 39.

BRISTOL PARK

The home at 9229 Wickham Way, Orlando, sold July 24, for $825,000.

Built in 1996, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,737 square feet.

Days on market: 102.

EMERSON POINTE

The home at 5619 Emerson Pointe Way, Orlando, sold July 22, for $4,700,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, five baths, two half-baths and 7,602 square feet of living area.

GRANDE PINES

The home at 8513 Native Pine Way, Orlando, sold July 21, for $830,000.

Built in 2007, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,386 square feet.

Days on market: 19.

LAKE SHEEN RESERVE

The home at 10331 Lake Sheen Reserve Blvd., Orlando, sold July 20, for $875,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,789 square feet.

CYPRESS RESERVE

The home at 279 Doe Run Drive, Winter Garden, sold July 23, for $599,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,435 square feet. Days on market: 27.

from July 20 to 26.

The sellers were represented

The home at 14001 Country Estate Drive, Winter Garden, sold July 21, for $1,000,000. Built in 1988, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 3,698 square feet. Days on market: 50.

DEERFIELD PLACE

tial real-estate transactions

feet. Days on market: 134.

COUNTRY LAKES

The home at 14187 Jomatt Loop, Winter Garden, sold July 24, for $940,000. Built in 2019, it has six bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 4,181 square feet. Days on market: 91.

Oak community in

Built in 2019, it has five

WINTER GARDEN

The home at 8399 Park Cliff Way, Orlando, sold July 21, for $1,411,010. Built in 2025, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 4,272 square feet.

SAND LAKE HILLS

The home at 8241 Caraway Drive, Orlando, sold July 25, for $625,000.

Built in 1979, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,957 square feet.

Days on market: 23.

GOTHA

SADDLEBROOK

The home at 3374 Furlong Way, Gotha, sold July 22, for $610,000.

Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,686 square feet.

Days on market: 24.

HORIZON WEST AVALON WOODS

The home at 6334 Wild Persimmon Way, Winter Garden, sold July 23, for $913,313. Built in 2026, it has six bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 3,543 square feet.

The home at 6007 Flowering Cherry Bend, Winter Garden, sold July 21, for $675,702. Built in 2026, it has four bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 2,235 square feet of living area.

DEL WEBB OASIS

The home at 15162 Canopy Cover Drive, Winter Garden, sold July 24, for $830,000. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 2,049 square feet. Days on market: 214.

HARVEST AT OVATION

The home at 14744 Field Daisy Drive, Winter Garden, sold July 21, for $664,075. Built in 2026, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,441 square feet.

Days on market: 32.

INDEPENDENCE/ SIGNATURE LAKES

The townhouse at 6530 Pasturelands Place, Winter Garden, sold July 22, for $470,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 2,067 square feet of living area.

LATHAM PARK SOUTH

The home at 9124 Merlon Drive, Winter Garden, sold July 23, for $960,000. Built in 2019, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 3,777 square feet. Days on market: Four.

NORTHLAKE AT OVATION

The home at 12890 Eureka Lemon Drive, Winter Garden, sold July 20, for $933,274. Built in 2026, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 3,074 square feet of living area.

ORCHARD PARK AT STILLWATER CROSSING

The home at 13878 Peach Orchard Way, Winter Garden, sold July 22, for $569,900. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,115 square feet. Days on market: Five.

OSPREY RANCH

The home at 12390 Clear Sapphire Drive, Winter Garden, sold July 22, for $764,990. Built in 2026, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,552 square feet. Days on market: 70.

The home at 12438 Clear Sapphire Drive, Winter Garden, sold July 21, for $650,000. Built in 2026, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 3,460 square feet. Days on market: 36.

SUMMERLAKE

The home at 15031 Purple Martin St., Winter Garden, sold July 24, for $775,000. Built in 2016, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,318 square feet of living area. Days on market: 19.

OCOEE

ARDEN PARK NORTH

The home at 1726 Sourwood Drive, Ocoee, sold July 24, for $659,000.

Built in 2021, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,296 square feet.

Days on market: 10.

FOREST TRAILS

The home at 2190 Laurel Blossom Circle, Ocoee, sold July 20, for $690,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,753 square feet. Days on market: 41.

HUNTINGTON POINTE

The home at 121 W. Maple St., Winter Garden, sold July 20, for $1,700,000. Built in 1999, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 3,243 square feet.

Days on market: Six. JOHNS LAKE POINTE

The home at 15326 Johns Lake Pointe Blvd., Winter Garden, sold July 24, for $1,335,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, threeand-one-half baths and 3,495 square feet. Days on market: Six. OAKLAND PARK

The home at 1219 Saddleback Drive, Winter Garden, sold July 20, for $1,040,000. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,667 square feet.

Days on market: 13.

The home at 3545 Starbird Drive, Ocoee, sold July 20, for $505,000.

Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,790 square feet. Days on market: 117.

The home at 897 Landrum Drive, Winter Garden, sold July 23, for $895,000. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,012 square feet. Days on market: 12.

WESTYN BAY

STONEYBROOK WEST

The home at 2835 Migliara Lane sold July 21, for $619,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, threeand-one-half baths and 3,503 square feet. Days on market: 25.

WEST ORANGE

The home at 1019 Portmoor Way, Winter Garden, sold July 22, for $580,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,401 square feet. Days on market: Six.

CASABELLA

WATERSIDE AT JOHNS LAKE

WINDERMERE

WESTFIELD LAKES

The home at 4071 Isabella Circle, Windermere, sold July 24, for $3,000,000. Built in 2017, it has five bedrooms, six baths, three halfbaths and 7,058 square feet. Days on market: 21.

BUTLER BAY

The home at 2428 Butler Bay Drive N., Windermere, sold July 20, for $1,115,000. Built in 1990, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 3,387 square feet. Days on market: 13.

The home at 16746 Turtle Hatch Drive, Winter Garden, sold July 23, for $1,265,000. Built in 2018, it has six bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 4,451 square feet. Days on market: 16.

The home at 638 English Lake Drive, Winter Garden, sold July 23, for $925,000. Built in 2005, it has five bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,708 square feet. Days on market: Six.

WATERLEIGH

The home at 18041 Cider Mill Lane, Winter Garden, sold July 22, for $813,191. Built in 2025, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 3,225 square feet. Days on market: 83.

The home at 18422 Oliver Twist Way, Winter Garden, sold July 24, for $809,000. Built in 2024, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 3,231 square feet. Days on market: 18.

WESTSIDE VILLAGE

The home at 12688 Salomon Cove Drive, Windermere, sold July 20, for $830,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 3,133 square feet of living area. Days on market: 42.

The home at 6036 Greatwater Drive, Windermere, sold July 24, for $1,875,000. It was the largest transaction in Windermere from July 20 to 26.

The sellers were represented by Rob Rahter, Stockworth Realty Group.

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026

WEST OAKS BRANCH

CELEBRATING

TUESDAY 1 P.M. 2 P.M. 4 P.M.

America 250 Trivia Genealogy Celebration STEAM Jr: DIY DNA

WEDNESDAY 11 A.M. 4 P.M.

Cookies & Milk with a Cop Touch a Fire Truck

THURSDAY

August 25-29 West Oaks Branch is turning 25!

Join us for a week of themed activities, community spirit, and library fun. Each day highlights a different part of West Oaks’ story, from history and genealogy to gardens, memories, and

11 A.M. 3:30 P.M.

Artsy Toddler: In the Garden Crafternoon in the Garden

* Drop off clean, dry plastic for recycling into EcoBricks

FRIDAY

11 A.M. Cuisine Corner Jr: DIY Lunchable 3:30 P.M. Throwback Interactive Exhibit

homecoming. Come celebrate 25 years of learning, growing, and connecting with our community.

SATURDAY 10:30 A.M. 11 A.M.

Homecoming Celebration 2001 Musical Bingo 462799-1

Anytime. Anywhere.

West Orange Times & Observer / Southwest Orange Observer In-depth reporting, real-time breaking news, stories shaping your community.

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AUGUST 13, 2026

SPORTS

Windermere High sophomore Owen Covey is ranked No. 21 in the state ahead of the upcoming wrestling season. Page 2B.

FRIDAY NIGHT SIGHTS

Central Florida Christian Academy kicked off the season with a special midnight practice to further develop the pre-existing unity.

LIGHTS. PADS. ACTION. Before the 2026 football season kicks off, here’s an under-the-helmet look into the five private high school squads in West Orange and Southwest Orange.

HIGH

5

1

Ocoee High School boys wrestling head coach Robb Karbowsky was named the Boys West Metro Coach of the Year, while girls wrestling head coach Pernell Croskey was named the Girls West Metro Coach of the Year Thursday, Aug. 6.

MEGAN BRUINSMA STAFF WRITER

S

tarting this week, the sounds of pads clashing on the field will ring across West Orange and Southwest Orange as the 2026 high school football season kicks off.

After far too long, Friday night lights are back.

Last week, we introduced the West Orange and Southwest Orange

“This recognition is a testament to the countless hours, dedication and passion coach Croskey pours into our student-athletes and the Ocoee wrestling program every day,” Ocoee wrestling officials said. “The honor is well deserved and we’re fortunate to have such an outstanding leader on our coaching staff.”

Karbowsky took the helm of Ocoee’s boys wrestling team in 2018.

The team celebrated its most accomplished season yet in 2026 with two team members becoming the first Knights to earn a top-eight finish at states. The Knights also won their third consecutive district title and qualified 11 for regionals.

“This award is not about one individual; it belongs to the entire Ocoee wrestling family,” Karbowsky wrote.

“Thank you to everyone who has played a part in building this program.

I truly appreciate ... every one of you.”

public high school football teams gearing up for their next season.

This week, we’re taking a look at the area’s private high schools.

Three of the schools will become foes in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s new Independent League Division B South Region: Central Florida Christian Academy, Foundation Academy and Windermere Preparatory School. CFCA and Foundation previously were under the Sunshine State Athletic Association’s 11-Man umbrella, while Windermere Prep played in SSAA 1A. Now, all three schools will play their respective schedules, and MaxPreps rankings will be used at the end of the regular season to determine the playoff seeding.

The top eight teams from the region qualify, and those who do not still will be eligible for a postseason bowl game.

Outside of the trio of independents, Legacy Charter School is back in the 11-man football scene and will play in the SSAA 11-man.

The First Academy also was adjusted following the FHSAA’s December decision to remove Class 7A, bringing the classes down to six. Rather than playing in Class 1A District 6, the Royals now are in Class 2A District 5.

Preseason kickoff classics begin Friday, Aug. 14, presenting fans with early-access viewing of what their beloved schools might produce in the 2026 regular season.

But before the games, the roar of fans and cheerleaders lining tracks return for the true season kickoff Friday, Aug. 21, let’s take a look at the fields of the five private schools.

The Lady Knights also found success last season under Croskey’s fifth year of leadership. The team finished as district runners-up and had nine girls qualify for regionals with one making it to states.

2

Olympia High School alumnus Jacari White signed with Windrose Giants Antwerp in Belgium for his rookie year of professional basketball.

Antwerp, the most recent Belgian league champions, announced White’s one-year contract after White had signed to play in the NBA Summer League for the Los Angeles Lakers but opted not to play in the team’s season.

White, a Class of 2021 graduate, led the team his senior year of college at the University of Virginia with 69 3-pointers. His season-high of 26 points came in Virginia’s first-

Photo by Megan Bruinsma

CENTRAL FLORIDA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY INDEPENDENT DIVISION B SOUTH REGION Head coach: Kevin Blackman, fourth year

SCHEDULE Games begin at 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 28, at Trinity Prep Friday, Sept. 4, vs. Seffner Christian Friday, Sept. 11, at Foundation Academy* Friday, Sept. 25, at Legacy Charter Friday, Oct. 2, at Bronson Friday, Oct. 9, at Cornerstone Charter Academy* Friday, Oct. 16, at Boca Raton Christian, 4 p.m. * District game

The Eagles are coming off an undefeated 9-0 regular season and a district championship last year.

But the injury bug began to bite up toward the end of the turnaround year. Last year’s quarterback Gavin Pritzkau, an eighth-grader, was injured in the final game, and the Eagles’ backup QB also was experiencing pains. The Eagles lost in the first round of the playoffs, but the players took the past eight months to rest and recuperate.

Now, they’re back to full strength.

After only graduating five seniors, CFCA’s 2026 players are coming in with a deep understanding of one another, and better yet, an understanding of how to dominate together. Head coach Kevin Blackman said it’s been a breeze this year to have his group of players come together.

round NCAA tournament win over Wright State. He also set a school record by making 12 consecutive 3-point attempts over three games. His European basketball career will begin at the Giants’ opener Saturday, Sept. 26, against the Landstede Hammers.

3

Horizon High flag football player Bailey Travis committed to Manhattan University to continue her academic and athletic careers.

Travis, a wide receiver and defensive back who graduated with the Class of 2026, recorded 14 total touchdowns her senior year, averaging 41.4 yards per game on 70 receptions.

She also played on the Hawks’ girls basketball team and averaged 11.5 points and 1.4 assists per game.

Manhattan University announced

SEE BUILT PAGE 2B

the addition of the women’s flag football team in January 2026, beginning its first season this fall.

4

West Orange High School’s flag football team is looking for managers for the spring 2027 season. Roles include film manager, social media manager, game-day manager, equipment manager and PA announcer. If you’re a West Orange student who is interested, message the team on Instagram @wow_flagfb or email head coach Vincent Chance at vincent. chance@ocps.net.

5

Winter Garden Little League’s fields will remain closed while the league prepares for the fall season. The league thanks families for their patience as they conduct maintenance repairs and field preparation.

2B

OrangeObserver.com

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026

SPONSORED BY MARK’S FLOORING AND SHANNON TILL/STATE FARM IN FOWLER GROVES

Owen Covey Windermere High’s Owen Covey has a promising sophomore wrestling season ahead of him.

He is slotted at No. 21 in Florida per Kabra wrestling’s preseason rankings.

In his freshman year, Covey earned three gold medals, including at the fourth annual Gauntlet on the Grove, Greyhound Open and the FHSAA Class 3A District 4 tournament.

Following his first season on the mat as a Wolverine, Covey placed second at the Florida AAU States and now looks to continue his success in the 106-pound weight class.

What do you enjoy most about wrestling?

I enjoy seeing the progress and growth my teammates and I make throughout the season.

I also like how in the sport of wrestling it is you versus your opponent, and the victory is decided based on who wants to win more.

When did you start wrestling, and why did you join?

I started when I was 5 after seeing a youth wrestling club march in the 4th of July parade and wanting to be like them.

Describe your best memory in wrestling?

My best memory in wrestling was when I was still living in Wisconsin, and I beat someone in the medal round of the youth wrestling state tournament who had beaten me previously that year. My goal that season was to medal at the state tournament, and I accomplished that goal.

What advice would you give someone who just joined wrestling?

I would say to never give up.

Keep pushing yourself and keep practicing. Anything can be achieved with the right attitude and preparation.

THE BASICS

Age: 15 Grade: Sophomore School: Windermere High Sport: Wrestling

Where would you want to live if you weren’t in Florida?

I would want to live in Wisconsin, because that is where I was born and lived for 12 years before we moved to Florida.

If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?

I would buy a house on the Atlantic side of Marathon, along with a large fishing boat, like a 37-foot Freeman, and then I would buy my mom her dream car, which is a matte pink G Wagon.

What future career do you want to have?

I want to follow in my dad’s footsteps and work as a chemical engineer and help run the family company.

If you had to pick a spirit animal, which would you choose?

I guess I would pick a wolverine, because it’s Windermere’s mascot and a wolverine is a ferocious warrior.

What is your perfect day?

My perfect day is waking up to my dog licking my face, going downstairs and eating avocado and eggs on toast. Playing football outside with my friends until lunch then going to wrestling practice to sharpen my game.

Getting home eating dinner and ice cream then relaxing with some video games with friends.

— MEGAN BRUINSMA

What makes being on Windermere’s team special?

I get to do the sport I love with my friends and a great coach. Coach Aaron Drone is a huge part of my success and why I am being interviewed for your paper. It is also special to me as my dad is an assistant coach, and I get to practice with him and have him in my corner with Coach Drone at tournaments.

Foundation Academy will bring a high level of toughness to each game.

Built for battle CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B

The Eagles lost a few core members of the team, such as running back Jahmari Hammonds, who produced 1,555 yards with 24 rushing touchdowns. But others, such as leading tackler, DaVion Monroe, receiver Deshaun Jones and QB Pritzkau, are back in green.

Pritzkau, who transferred to CFCA last season, is gearing up for his ninth-grade year and is ready to come back even stronger.

He threw for more than 2,000 yards but is targeting more than 3,500 yards this time around, along with some rushing touchdowns if possible.

“I want to make sure I keep building my team up because without them none of this is possible,” he said. “(Without) my O-linemen blocking, my receivers making downs, my yards, my touchdowns and all (of my stats) would have a drop without (my teammates). … This past season was an amazing growing year.”

To kick off the growing year and continue the production, the team participated in its newest tradition — a midnight practice — to kick off their season. Before the late-night practice began, they first worshipped together before taking to the gridiron. Pritzkau said the practice was a step in changing the environment within CFCA’s locker room.

“Once you get that winning mentality, that mentality that you go out to win, it’s never going back,” he said.

FOUNDATION ACADEMY INDEPENDENT DIVISION B SOUTH REGION Head coach: D.J. White, second year

What is your premeet ritual?

Before the start of a tournament, I always eat an orange and drink a homemade electrolyte concoction of water, Celtic salt and honey that my dad makes for me.

SCHEDULE All games are at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted Friday, Aug. 21, at Cornerstone Charter Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 28, vs. Lake Highland Prep Friday, Sept. 4, at Cocoa Beach Friday, Sept. 11, vs. Central Florida Christian Academy* Friday, Sept. 18, vs. Cambridge Christian Friday, Oct. 2, vs. Windermere Preparatory School* Friday. Oct. 9, at Providence School Friday, Oct. 23, vs. West Oaks Academy Friday, Oct. 30, vs. The Master’s Academy

Who do you look up to the most?

I look up to my dad the most, because he was a wrestler in high school, and he is a good role model. This sets the tone of what I can accomplish I put my mind to it.

Family.

Friends.

Community.

What is something new you’d like to learn?

I would like to learn how to Shannon Till, Agent speak Portuguese, because Fowler’s Grove 3279 Daniels Rd it’s a very common language Winter Garden, FL 34787 Toll Free: 855-742-1591 here in Central Florida.

* District game

Under first-year head coach D.J. White, Foundation AcadWe’re all in this together. emy’s 2025 team made school hisState Farm has a long traditiontory with its first 10-win season, of being there. That’s one reason which led the Lions to reach the why I’m proud to support Westsemifinals of the SSAA 11-man Orange county.. postseason tournament. ®

Family.

Family .

Friends.

Friends.

Get to a better State .

Community.

Community . www.shannontill.com

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Athlete of the Week Sponsored by Shannon Till,

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Shannon Till, Agent We’re all all in this together.

We’ re in this together.

TM Fowler’s Grove 3279 Daniels Rd ® State Farm® has a long tradition State Farm has a long tradition Winter Garden, FL 34787 Toll Free: 855-742-1591 of being there.there.

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State Farm, Bloomington, IL Get to a a betterbetter State .

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State Farm has a long tradition of being there.

That’s one reason why I’m proud to support West Orange county.

“We always talk about never being complacent,” White said.

“Whether it’s from game-togame, whether it’s from practiceto-practice or season-to-season.

It’s a new season, new opportunity, so we have to make it count starting Day One.” The new opportunity will unfold at the hands of a younger squad ready to buy into the team’s opportunity to play in the FHSAA. White, a graduate from Apopka High who attended many district playoff games, is excited for his team’s opportunity to be back within the FHSAA and to be one of the first teams in the league’s inaugural season.

As always, high school athletics brings a revolving door of players and opportunity as each new year begins, and the Lions will embark on the journey without the 12 who graduated in 2026. But others are back in their previous slots, and secondary players now prepare to step into the starting role.

Cole Huntley, senior safety/ wide receiver, will return after leading the team with 60.1 receiving yards per game and recording 12 total touchdowns in his junior campaign. On D, he added 4.8 tackles per game, forced four

®

1211007 State Farm, Bloomington, IL Farm, Blooming ton, IL

West

Photos by Megan Bruinsma

Although Legacy Charter is boasting a small team, the Eagles are excited to be back in 11-man football.

LEGACY CHARTER SSAA 11-MAN

Head coach: Brandon Bristow, second year SCHEDULE All games are at 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 21, vs. Seffner Christian Friday, Aug. 28, vs. Satellite Friday, Sept. 4, vs. Santa Fe Catholic Friday, Sept. 11, at Cornerstone Charter Academy Friday, Sept. 18, at Halifax Academy Friday, Sept. 25, at Central Florida Christian Academy Friday, Oct. 9, vs. Master’s Academy Friday, Oct. 16, at Cocoa Beach Friday, Oct. 23, at Faith Christian

As Legacy embarks on its second season under head coach Brandon Bristow, all practices will have a different feeling — comfort. Gone are the days where the Eagles will play eightman football; now the team has found itself back on the 11-man landscape. “(We’re) more prepared,” Bristow said.

“They know what they’re doing.”

The team’s preparation was on full display in the spring game, which they won, 8-0, over Halifax Academy in a tight fourth-quarter battle.

That success helped the Eagles find players to buy into the program and reinforce their confidence. Legacy’s putting its past winless season behind them.

The identity of the Eagles will remain the same — a small-butmighty team. Legacy’s roster includes about 25 players, with two coming from Hope Charter School, the middle school tied to Legacy High. With a smaller charter school, 25 boys make up a good chunk of the school’s enrollment, with around 150 boys total across the four grades. Bristow said adding middle-schoolers as a player option has been pushed SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 4B

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fumbles and hauled in three picks.

The Lions will have a new starting quarterback, Dustin Cormier, who recorded four passing touchdowns last season. Senior Mika Johnson who plays defensive end, kicker and punter and recorded four sacks, is returning ready to capitalize on his opportunities.

“I want to reach the doubledigits on sacks,” Johnson said.

“Definitely I had some missed opportunities, but I just have to capitalize on those, because I’m getting in the back field. I just have to make those tackles.”

The No. 1 pillar of the team as it always will be is toughness.

“We’re very young, very inexperienced, but guys have been showing up every day over the summer ,and they’re hungry,” White said.

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Following a championship title, the Lakers’ program has seen a surge in participation.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2B

for years. He is excited to add the younger players to the mix.

All the coaches feel more confident, as well, which should carry over into the practices and game plans. The Eagles will continue to lean on defensive coordinator Jed Ebersole, whose knowledge of the game proved to be pivotal. All but one coach has returned to the Eagles’ sideline.

A similar carry over is seen in the players — only one senior graduated last season, and four were lost in the webbing of the high school transfer portal. But important players such as Landen Mathihs, Kael Rushing and Wyatt Canaan remain. Their leadership and efforts through the new brand of football last season were game changing. Now they have a full year under their belt, and with more experience comes more production. Most important — they’re used to getting hit.

“Everyone knows the terminology,” Bristow said. “They’re a lot more comfortable.”

THE FIRST ACADEMY CLASS 2A DISTRICT 5 Head coach: Jeff Conaway, fourth year

SCHEDULE All games are at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted Friday, Aug. 21, vs. Dr. Phillips Friday, Aug. 28, at Edgewater

Friday, Sept. 4, at Port Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 11, at South Lake Friday, Sept. 18, vs. IMG Academy Friday, Oct. 2, vs. Cocoa* Friday, Oct. 9, vs. Archbishop McCarthy Friday, Oct. 16, vs. West Boca Raton Friday, Oct. 23, at Altamonte Christian School Friday, Oct. 30, at Lakeland

alongside them is a core of freshman leaders. It won’t be a seniorheavy led team, which is unique.

“You don’t always have that,” Conaway said. “Those are some things that we’re excited to see mesh. We’re excited to see our oldest guys mesh with our youngest guys, come together and put a great product on the field.”

The talent and leadership is present on both sides of the ball, with defensive line senior Jean-Pierre Furtado, offensive line senior Reed Ramsier and four-year starting middle linebacker Kyler Priester. On the younger side of the ball, quarterback and captain Deuce Woods, who started in one game last season as an eighth-grader, will step into the limelight as a ninth-grader.

“We’ve got great anchors all over the offense and the defense, and I really think that those guys are going to have a whole lot of fun leading this young team this year,” Conaway said.

WINDERMERE PREPARATORY SCHOOL INDEPENDENT DIVISION B SOUTH REGION Head coach: James Hamilton, third year

* District game

The First Academy has undergone a whirlwind of adjustments in the last two years. Of course, the excitement heading into this season revolves around the possibility of reaching the coveted state championship. However, head coach Jeff Conaway said building unity through the adversity of the last two years is the true victory.

The Royals are staying on-brand by scheduling a murderer’s row of opponents. Their 5-5 record in 2025, which was played against top national teams, set them up for long-term preparation. According to MaxPrep’s preseason rankings, TFA is No. 11 in Florida and this year will face No. 2, IMG Academy and No. 7 West Boca Raton.

Although the Royals lost 19 players from the 2025 team and brought only a few new players, the talent within the small squad of 31 is real.

The coaching staff is focused on the quality over the quantity. Conaway said a great group of senior leaders will anchor the Royals. But standing

SCHEDULE All games are at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted Friday, Aug. 28, vs. Taylor Friday, Sept. 4, at Cornerstone Charter Academy* Friday, Sept. 11, vs. Faith Christian*, 4 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 18, at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic School Friday, Sept. 25, vs. Trinity Prep*, 4 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 2, at Foundation Academy* Friday, Oct. 16, vs. All Saints’ Academy Friday, Oct. 22, at Geneva Friday, Oct. 30, at Lake Highland Prep* * District game

Windermere Prep celebrated reaching the milestone all teams crave but most aren’t lucky enough to attain — a state championship.

One year after going 2-7, the Lakers finished 2025 as the SSAA1A Champions. The team now is ready to leave the SSAA on a high note

Photos by Megan Bruinsma

The First Academy’s balanced leadership has its eyes on the final prize.

and transition into the world of FHSAA football.

“It was a good turnaround for us,” head coach James Hamilton said.

“The kids bought in that summer going into that season, just understanding what we were trying to build, the culture we were trying to build and the identity we were trying to build.”

The success in last year’s postseason helped to skyrocket the participation throughout summer training.

His first summer, there only were about five to 10 players, then it grew to 15 to 29 players. Over the summer leading up to the 2026 season, the middle-school team has continued to grow, and varsity had around 25 players show up every day.

Windermere Prep’s name now is known in the football community.

The players are young but have been on the Lakers’ training fields for two years, so Hamilton has high expectations for them. Hamilton regarded quarterback Ty Tracy as one of the best young QBs in the area.

“Last season was a really good season for the whole team,” Tracy said. “Our motto is, ‘Leave no doubt,’ so that’s what we’re going to aim for this year.”

They intend to continue working together to showcase their strength not only to themselves but also to their opponents and continue to inspire the future generations of Lakers.

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Vasthi Lincifort with Revive Chiropractic Care brought her son, Khari, to the event.

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Nick and Lucas Culp sat and chatted during the event.

Elena Graefe painted a graduate on her space.

Makayla Mason and Nicole Robinson were all smiles.

indermere Preparatory School students grabbed their chalk, paint and paintbrushes and showed off their creativity during the school’s annual parking spot painting day Saturday, Aug. 1.

By the end of the six hours of painting, the dozens of parking spaces were bright and colorful works of art.

Roper Y throws shindig for the whole family

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Gabriel Reyes, an instructor at the Y, brought his wife, Chelsea Reyes, and daughter, Amelia Reyes, to enjoy the event.

amilies gathered Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Roper YMCA for a free, family-friendly event featuring clinics for various sports such as swimming and basketball, local WWE superstars, local businesses and fun activities for all to enjoy.

The goal of Healthy Family Day event is to introduce community members to wellness and family programs, sports and experiences the Y has to offer.

From hand-eye coordination challenges, agility games to all-body activities, attendees were able to have fun while learning about ways to stay healthy physically and mentally.

— LIZ RAMOS

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Dhriti Arora used pastel colors to make her space pop.

Right: Riya Patel added layers to her parking masterpiece.

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JAMES GROSSHANS FOUNDATION ACADEMY After being in the classroom for 17 years, James Grosshans will be the new assistant principal at Foundation Academy’s Tilden Campus.

As the assistant principal, Grosshans said he will be mostly working with teachers to ensure they have everything they need to be successful.

Grosshans, aka Mr. G, has completed his master’s degree in reading education from the University of Central Florida and is “best known for building purposeful relationships with students, parents and colleagues,” according to school officials.

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Who influences you?

I have been fortunate enough to have so many incredible influences throughout my career. My parents have always been important to me.

My mom was in education for nearly 50 years and my father was one who supported my siblings and I in any endeavor that we chose, as long as we strove to be the best we possibly could at it. At my previous school, I also had a principal (Luci Higgins) who was absolutely incredible. Her views on students and education have shaped me more than any class or textbook. Finally, my principal at FA, Sarah Reynolds, has been an absolute joy to work with, as well. Her positivity and her joy/humor despite the situation makes coming to work significantly easier and more fun.

Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? Why? I was blessed to have a number of really wonderful teachers growing up. The one I attribute a lot of who I was in the classroom to though was my 12th-grade ELA teacher Mrs. Graham. She was the teacher (who) would make you work your butt off, but you were having fun the entire time.

What is your favorite book and why?

“Frankenstein”! I love the commentary on humanity that it has. I love the story behind how and why Mary Shelley wrote it. I love the character development. I love the way you read the entire book and even when it is all said and done, you still do not know who the protagonist and the antagonist are. The themes of the dangers of playing God and the longing to be

REPORT CARD Position: Assistant principal Years at school: 10

understood/known/loved are done in such a way that it still impacts readers so deeply more than a century after it was written.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

My family and I love getting out and into nature. We have been slowly checking off as many national parks as we can. Mountains are our happy place!

If you could dine with any famous person, past or present, who would it be and why?

I have two … and they are very, very opposite people. One would be Edgar Allan Poe, who in my opinion is the most influential and most talented American author of all time. The other is Mother Teresa. I have always been so impressed/inspired at how she was able to live a life so devoted to loving God and others so deeply.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Probably invisibility. I am an extreme introvert, so the ability to just disappear for a little bit sounds so incredible some days.

What is your favorite holiday and why?

Christmas. The lights, the gifts, the music, the general joy and most important, the celebration/remembrance of Jesus choosing to leave Heaven to be with us. International Sandwich Day (Nov. 3) is also pretty spectacular, as well. Why? Because who doesn’t love a good sandwich?

What were your extracurricular activities as a student? Did you win any accolades or honors?

I did a lot growing up. I ran crosscountry, played soccer, ran track (800 meters, high jump, 300 hurdles and 4x800), kicked for the football team, was in a number of our high school plays, (and) was in Best Buddies Club, Ultimate Frisbee Club, Spanish Club, National Honor Society, Student Government Association, and anything else that I could sign up for to keep me out of trouble. Track is where I had most of my accolades, still have a lot of the ribbons, so I can remind my son how much faster than him I was and still am.

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?

I had to ask my wife this question.

She was pretty quick to say that it is that I love to bake. It was actually one of the things that helped win her over.

Before we started dating, she was hosting a party; on my way to one of my college classes, I stopped by her place and dropped off two tarts I had made from scratch for her to have at the party. She still makes me make them for her every once in a while.

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The students. Easy. Being able to connect with them, see them develop, have conversations with them, see them start to become the people they will eventually be. Those are the things that keep us going.

What would you be if you weren’t in this profession?

I love soccer, and I love analyzing how teams play and what a team could do to try to improve. I think it would have been a lot of fun to be a video analyzer for a team. I wouldn’t want to be the head coach, but one that gets to work with players individually to work on their game and to help them prepare for their next one.

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OBSERVER SCHOOL ZONE

8 Waves handed out books to attendees.

City of Winter Garden hosts final bash of summer

Sarah and Iyannah Merissaint showed off their new backpacks and colorful face paint.

Megan Paredes and Emilia Michalska grabbed a complimentary treat while walking around.

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Winter Garden’s Evonie Minoso brought her daughter Leah Minoso to enjoy the event.

Left: Winter Garden’s Sebrenia Brown laughed as she perfectly fit between the stilt walker’s legs.

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he city of Winter Garden held its annual Back to School Bash Saturday, Aug. 1.

Attendees were able to choose from a plethora of free backpacks to take home, as well as various school supplies.

Beyond school supplies, attendees also enjoyed complimentary treats and refreshments as well as free activities such as swimming and cornhole.

Tifinie Boutot, owner of Superficial FSX, offered free face-painting services to all attendees as well.

The foam party was a big hit among the kids, as well as the interactive DJ who entertained the children through music and activities.

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W EST O RANG E HISTO RY

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026

THE WAYS

WE WERE

THROWBACK THURSDAY

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION

AUG. 13, 1970 Do you need a place to rest your head for the night? If you were traveling to — or through —the West Orange County in 1970, there were multiple options for getting a good night’s sleep.

The KOA Kampground was located on West Highway 50 in Winter Garden and had all the amenities needed to stay with a camper: water, electric and sewer availability, laundry facilities, restrooms and a grocery store. Have kiddos? There was a playground and swimming pool, too.

Ramada Inn West, on Highway 50 in Ocoee, was one of the few hotels in the area, and it offered rooms as well as banquet facilities and space for club meetings.

Killarney Trailer Court was located on the southern shores of Lake Apopka, offering space for one night or more, with monthly rates available that included water, sewer and garbage.

KOA and the Killarney Trailer Court still are in operation today.

1936: 90 years ago

Pounds Motor Company advertised a 1935 Ford V-8 Deluxe Tudor for $500.

1971: 55 years ago

From Editor’s Notebook: On the subject of land turtles — most local people called them “gophers” and said they are “good eatin’.”

Johnie Griffin used to sell them at his grocery store. In fact, according to the legend, he used to buy and sell gophers. Sometimes he’d make change with them. If a customer brought in a 75-cent gopher and wanted 50 cents’ worth of rice, Griffin would give them two 10-cent gophers and a five-cent gopher in change.

1986: 40 years ago

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.

Orange to assume the role of principal at West Orange High School.

He replaced Sarah Jane Turner.

Two local residents were honored to carry the Olympic torch as it made its way through Florida and into Georgia for the Centennial Games in Atlanta. Ocoee Fire Lt. Ben Buckner and Dr. Phillips senior Mary Russell each ran five-eighths of a mile near Cocoa Beach and

Casselberry, respectively.

The Walt Disney Company’s Jerry Van Dyke received an affectionate retirement salute after 37 years with the company. He started as an hourly worker and personally knew Walt Disney.

2006: 20 years ago

Windermere Elementary School students were returning to a newly

renovated facility that alleviated the need for portable classrooms.

The redesign of the campus cost $17 million.

John Lory added another college mascot to the roof of his warehouse off Brayton Road in Winter Garden. In addition to a Florida State Seminole and Florida Gator, a Miami Hurricane mascot was hoisted up to the collection.

celebrity cipher

crossword

By Luis Campos

CHANGES OF CLOTHES by Kareem Ayas, edited by Jared Goudsmit ern film 125 Tiny amount of lotion 126 Spring zodiac sign 127 Cedar and cypress 128 Agile 129 “American Fiction” actress Rae 130 Arabian Peninsula country where coffee was invented

DOWN

49 “Is there more?”

50 Anger 51 Poker giveaway 53 High tosses 54 Binary code digits 55 Despicable 56 Sinus docs 59 Sushi eggs 61 Steak’s spice blend 63 Nature walk 64 VII - IV 65 Tail motions 66 Comanche Nation, e.g.

68 “___ come a long way” 69 Email, say 73 “Whoa, ___!”

74 Movie FX 75 Barbie’s beau 76 Red road sign word 78 Jean-___ Picard 81 Arm muscles, for short 82 “Uh-huh” 83 Fancy shindig 84 “Rick and Morty” pro-

1 Small crossword size 2 “Victory was mine!”

3 Actress Kunis 4 “Am I responsible?”

5 Has some taffy 6 GQ and O, for short 7 Aid and ___ 8 Cinema or ceramics 9 Official such as Zohran Mamdani 10 Bartender, e.g.

11 Woodsy, vowel-shaped houses gramming block 12 ___ Bridge (NYC sight 85 Like many mosques’ aka the Triboro) roofs 13 Perfect score number 86 Drizzle ranch on, say 14 Certain sailing ship 87 Restaurant queue ©2026 Universal Uclick 15 Informal “Get me?”

88 Threat to a small B. Wells 36 Location 93 Eco-friendly org.

ACROSS 16 “Portlandia” state colony?

68 “Operation Mincemeat” 95 Singer Edith 39 In ___ of 1 Imitate 17 They get crossed in 89 Well-read 42 Reprimand ... or a hint to conflict, for short 97 “Superfudge” writer Judy misunderstandings 6 Polite address 90 Network at a large din70 Shakespearean king 80-Across 98 Teeny 10 Second section 18 Scottish girl ner party, perhaps 44 “___ live and breathe!” 71 Mules’ dads 99 Bill for drinks 15 Cat’s shriek 25 Gave the nod to 94 Customers 72 Some goal-scoring op- 100 Shave, like a sheep 45 Printer supplies 19 “If only” 26 Christmas tune 96 Hats related to trilbies 103 Dive bar beers portunities in soccer 20 ___ Kadabra (DC Comics 47 Mollusk in a shell 28 Arctic dwellings 101 Tiny, blobby organism 48 “Stop talking!” ... or 77 Coated with a precious 104 Golf ball peg villain) 32 Stickler 102 One hammer curl, e.g. a hint to understanding 105 Eruption substance metal 21 Suggest, like a price 33 “___ that nice?”

105 B-ball 87-Across 109 Chatted privately on 79 “Wednesday” actress 22 Solo at the Met 34 Jacob’s twin 106 Loathe 52 Egyptian boy king Insta Templeton 23 “It’s true!”

36 Like WLW relationships 107 Like some strong arms 111 QB feats 24 With 27-Across, become 53 Emotion in many ballads 80 Famous Abraham 37 “Yes, indeed!”

108 Key near the space bar 57 Dried plums 112 Key ___, Florida Lincoln speech agitated, to a Brit ... or a 38 Like Hamlet in “Hamlet” 110 Holdup 58 More pained after a 114 “Star Wars” insurgents and Shrek in “Shrek” 87 Electrical outlet hint to 72-Across 113 Sticky craft stuff workout 118 Name hidden in “go it 90 Mined rock that contains 27 See 24-Across 40 “Monsters, ___” 115 Tom kha kai cuisine 60 Casual “Enter!” alone” a metal 29 Cajun veggie 41 “OMG a rat!”

116 Some wines 62 ___ in high regard 91 South American country 119 “Well, fancy seeing you!” 43 Bail on 30 River in Bangladesh 117 Like a pink sirloin (deeply respected) 120 Plastic flamingos’ home to Chimborazo, the 31 NYC arena 45 “The Hollow Men” poet’s 121 Once called 63 Box unfairly ... or a hint farthest point on land from places 32 Early newborn initials 122 ***-**-**** ID to 114- and 119-Across 123 Play matchmaker for Earth’s center 35 Bouncing marsupials 46 Snooty sort 67 NAACP cofounder ___ 124 “High” time in a West92 Actor Kapoor

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“HU’C HRLFNUEWU UF SEJY E BNYER AYQEOCY USEU’C GSEU’C MFHWM UF BNHJY ZFO ... UF MYU FOU FT AYB YJYNZ CHWMIY BEZ.”

RHQSEYI LSYILC

“PEXW JYD’LX SW IW SWGSKIGX LXMIGSYWCEST, SG EYMOC DT I KSLLYL ... GEIG PIC IW XWOMXCC CYDLBX YA SWCTSLIGSYW.”

YMSUSI LYOLSZY

“FI DMM FDJA AG UI WIDPV. FI DMM FDJA AG UI APIDAIV HDYPMX DJV APQAWHQMMX, DJV FI DMM FDJA AWI RDBI AWYJKR HGP GQP HDBYMX.”

VDPXM VDEYR

Puzzle Three Clue: V equals D

Gary Preisser, a former head football coach and member of the administrative staff at Dr. Phillips High School, returned to West

Although students returned to classrooms this week, teachers have been preparing for the new year for weeks. Everyone has seen teachers in action in the classroom, but some of the most important work is done behind the scenes in the early days of August. This 1950s photograph shows Lakeview High School teachers and staff at a faculty planning meeting. In the center of the photo, Myrt Hubbard appears to be leading the meeting. In those days, rather than creating digital lessons, teachers relied on paper and pencil.

Puzzle Two Clue: E equals H

1996: 30 years ago

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Puzzle Two Clue: N equals R

A temporary office was set up on Wallace Road so Principal Bill Spoone could prepare for the opening of Dr. Phillips High School with a projected enrollment of 2,100 students.

Agriculture officials confirmed a Florida strain of canker had been found in a 3-year-old tangerine tree on Carrizo rootstock in a grove north of Ocoee.

A public notice was posted at Ocoee’s Starke Lake warning residents not to swim because of the threat of amoeba.

The Walt Disney World Company announced the construction of Pleasure Island, a nighttime entertainment complex that would feature six themed nightclubs, specialty food outlets and a number of shops. Atmosphere entertainment was to include street theater performers, artisans, nighttime fireworks and water shows.

sudoku Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

©2026 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

08-13-26

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This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle Two Solution: “When you’re in an intimate relationship, it holds up a mirror ... That was an endless source of inspiration.”

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Paint town RED! Paint thethe town RED!

This week’s Crossword answers

You’re only cheating yourself.

peekers’ place

Observer Media Group reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Observer Media Group to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

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Land Clearing & Trash Removal | Tree & Stump Removal Road Building & Dirt Hauling | Bush Hogging & Disking

“If you’re on a mission to fix your transmission call...”

ATW

ALLTRANSMISSIONWORLD

ALLTRANSMISSIONWORLD

Central Florida’s Oldest & Largest Transmission & Total Car Care Company

Central Florida’s Oldest & Largest Transmission & Total Car Care Company

• Transmission • Clutches • CV Axles • Foreign & Domestic

Neighborhood heroes found here.

465544

estimate

407-495-9733

407-656-2121

• Transmission • Clutches • CV Axles • Foreign & Domestic

FIRE TECH

EXTINGUISHER

SERVICE

1207 North Lakewood Avenue Ocoee, FL 34761

Danny Motes

12939 W. Colonial 1150 E Semoran Blvd.Dr.Ste. B Apopka, FL,FL 32703 Winter Garden 34787 alltransmissionworld.com

FREE

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Relax. You’ve got better things to do. Find a professional here in the Observer Red Pages.

Closer is better.

407-877-7600 407-880-9300

Call for a

500231

“If you’re on a mission to fix your transmission call...”

LET’S CLEAR IT & CLEAN IT

465538

SHOP LOCAL. SUPPORT LOCAL.

465536 454591

465542

407.656.1817

1150 E Semoran Blvd. Ste. B Apopka, FL, 32703

407-656-2121

Cell 407-466-4738 Tel 407-654-2395 407-880-9300

TFN

alltransmissionworld.com www.Firetechextinguisher.com

465540 454595

SCHEDULE APPOINTMENT

• Bridgestone • Michelin • Toyo • BFG Tires

10B

OrangeObserver.com

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