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Winter Garden killer faces death penalty Curtis Windom was convicted of killing three people and injuring another person in Winter Garden in 1992, claiming they had become informants.
Those included his girlfriend Valerie Davis, his girlfriend’s mother Mary Lubin, and his best friend Johnnie Lee.
After more than 30 years, he is being put to death for his crimes. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Windom’s death warrant for 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28.
According to court documents, Windom claimed Lee owed him $2,000. On Feb. 7, 1992, upon learning Lee had won $114 at the dog track, Windom told an acquaintance he was going to kill Lee.
That same day, Windom purchased a .38 caliber revolver and ammunition. Minutes later, Windom drove his car next to where Lee was standing and shot Lee twice in the back. He then got out of the car and shot Lee two more times at close range as Lee lay on the ground. After killing Lee, Windom ran
the street. Williams was seriously injured but survived.
From there, Windom ended up behind Brown’s Bar, where three men, including Windom’s brother, were trying to take the weapon away from him. By that time, Davis’ mother, Lubin, had learned her daughter had been shot, so she left work and was driving down the street. When she stopped at a stop sign, Windom approached her car, said something to her and then shot her twice, killing her.
The trial court sentenced Windom to death for the murders of Lee, Davis and Lubin.
The Florida Supreme Court affirmed Windom’s convictions and death sentences on direct appeal.
Now, Curtisia Windom, Curtis Windom’s daughter is asking for his life to be spared.
“I don’t like the decisions he’s made, but he’s not a bad person,” she said.
2
New açaí spot opens in Winter Garden
up at markets and events.
The shop’s grand opening took place Saturday, Aug. 16, at 14159 W. Colonial Drive, Winter Garden. Its menu features açaí bowls, dragon fruit bowls, smoothies and coffee.
For more information, visit theboabowls.com.
3
Southwest Middle families in need
Southwest Middle School
Principal Damian Rosado asked the community for its help to take care of 51 families in need.
Rosado said many students and their families currently live in hotels and are in need of food and clothes.
On top of that, a recent apartment fire happened Sunday, Aug. 10, near
tant Chief Corey Philman said firefighters were not sure which units were salvageable, and people still are wondering if they have a home.
The Red Cross helped 31 people in need of emergency assistance, including seven children.
Items such as basketball shorts, school supplies and backpacks are needed.
Rosado also said ramen noodles are a very popular item that can be donated.
The school also is building its SeaLion Closet and food pantry, where it will be able to provide students with necessities.
The school asks that any donations made be taken to the school’s office at 6450 Dr. Phillips Blvd., Orlando, ensuring the items
4
AdventHealth Sports Med & Rehab opens in Horizon West
Horizon West has a new sports medical facility. Located at 6056 Old Brick Road, Suite 110, Windermere, AdventHealth Sports Med & Rehab specializes in sports medicine, pelvic health, neurology and orthopedics. Its services include acupuncture, balance and fall prevention, physical therapy, pediatric and neurological rehabilitation, sports performance programs, and more.
Its services are provided to both adults and children.
No referrals are needed to be seen by experts in the facility.
To learn more, visit adventhealth. com/sports-medicine-and-rehabcentral-florida.
5
New Mediterranean restaurant to open in Ocoee
Pita Mediterranean Street
Food is close to its grand opening.
The restaurant will serve gyros, falafel, kabobs, hummus and more. Its grand opening event will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at 10341 W. Colonial Drive, Suite 20, Ocoee. There, attendees will enjoy free food and have a chance to meet the team and experience the environment.
The restaurant will be offering gyros, chicken and falafels during the grand opening, but the menu is
Courtesy Photo
Pita Mediterranean restaurant will offer a variety of gryos, kabobs and more.
Bite nights
West Orange and Southwest Orange foodies have a plethora of local options in this year’s Magical Dining.
LETICIA SILVA STAFF WRITER
Foodies: Now is the time to enjoy some delicious food for a fixed price.
Magical Dining is running from Aug. 15 to Sept. 30 with more than 150 participating local restaurants, including 26 new additions.
Participating restaurants will offer three prix-fixe courses priced at $40 or $60.
For every $40 prix-fixe meal served, $1 is donated. For every $60 prix-fixe meal, $2 is donated. The primary beneficiary is the REED Charitable Foundation, which focuses on early childhood literacy and closing the literacy gap.
Visit Orlando also will award $3,000 each to Boys 2 Men Mentoring, Early Learning Coalition of Orange County, Finding the Lost Sheep, Nuevo Sendero, Samaritan Resource Center and Therapy Wish. Since 2009, Magical Dining has raised more than $2.9 million for local causes.
RESTAURANT ROW
Sixty Vines, 7760 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando
Sixty Vines is participating in Magical Dining for the first time.
Inspired by wine country, the restaurant offers dishes designed with intentions to pair them with wines, specifically the 60 wines it offers on tap.
“Not only is it a great opportunity for new guests to get exposure to the restaurant and experience Sixty Vines, but also, we are really proud of the charity components of Magical Dining,” Sixty Vines Manager Mark Vagelakos said.
Featuring a $40 menu that includes three courses, Vagelakos said all dishes are made with love.
“One thing we’re very proud of here is that our kitchen makes the food items from scratch, fresh, daily,” he said. The restaurant is offering burrata,
Harissa shrimp or Spanish meatballs as starters.
For entrées, a selection of braised pork pappardelle, pan-roasted chicken or wood-grilled steak are offered.
Desserts include olive oil cake, sticky toffee cake and deviled affogato.
“It’s been a great success so far,” Vagelakos said. “My favorite part of the program is just being able to extend the restaurant to new faces, get new people in here to try out Sixty Vines and as soon as they try it, they’ll fall in love and continue to come back.”
Vagelakos said he can’t predict the future but hopes to continue participating in Magical Dining.
HORIZON WEST
Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine, 16418
New Independence Parkway, Suite 140, Winter Garden
Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine, a Mediterranean, Greek and Turkish restaurant, is offering a $40 threecourse menu during Magical Dining.
The restaurant is offering falafels, boregi and hummus as appetizers.
Its main course includes kebabs, lamb shanks and sautéed shrimp.
The desserts include pistachio, dark chocolate mousse or chocolate hazelnut baklavas.
The restaurant is surrounded by warm colors and tones on the walls holding Turkish paintings, handmade Turkish glassware, fragrant aromas and fresh ingredients.
DISNEY/LAKE BUENA VISTA
Summer House on the Lake at Disney Springs, 1498 E. Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista
As a second-year participant, Summer House on the Lake at Disney Springs has a $40 menu for guests.
To celebrate Magical Dining’s 20th anniversary, the restaurant has created special dishes, such as a whipped burrata crostini as an appetizer, a four-cheese ravioli as an entrée and a key lime coupe for dessert.
The restaurant also is offering
caramelized Brussels sprouts, potato salad deviled eggs and a house salad as starters.
The main course options include a miso glazed salmon, costa mesa salad with chicken and the Florida fish of the moment, which now is swordfish but will be changing to tripletail fish soon.
Desserts include lemon butter cake, chocolate fudge layer cake served with vanilla cream and warm chocolate chip cookies.
Executive Chef Michael Tiva said this is a win-win situation.
“(We’re) giving back to the charity and giving back to locals, giving them the opportunity to come out and kind of witness and enjoy a lot of the different cuisines and many items that we have that are available,” Tiva said.
He also mentioned the menu is a bit more affordable during Magical Dining, which is a great opportunity for those wanting to try the restaurant.
“I think one of the biggest highlights definitely is the 20th anniversary,” he said. “The pasta is a cool one-off item that you can get during this rendition of the Magical Dining, which we don’t usually traditionally have.”
CELEBRATION
Reggiano’s of Celebration, 691 Front St., Kissimmee Reggiano’s is participating in Magical Dining for the first time this year.
Manager Kristine Lui said the owners wanted to be a part of the REED cause and decided to join.
She also said this time of the year is slower than usual for most restaurants, so participating in Magical Dining also is a way to get new clientele and exposure.
“We’re really excited to have anyone come to our restaurant that might not normally be in this area,” Lui said. “We’re ready to welcome any new guests that want to come and try us out.”
The most popular items on the restaurant’s $60 Magical Dining menu is the lasagna and the arancini al cacio e pepe. In addition, the restaurant also offers a multitude of Italian-inspired dishes, such as burrata caprese, pasta fagioli, pork chop, wood-fire salmon, as well as tiramisu, torta di pistachio and zeppole di ricotta.
Salmon from Reggiano’s of Celebration Zeppole from Reggiano’s of Celebration Burrata from Sixty Vines
LOCAL PARTICIPANTS
RESTAURANT CUISINE
RESTAURANT ROW
$40 OPTIONS
American Social Bar & Kitchen American
Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine Mediterranean, Greek and Turkish
Cedar’s Restaurant Mediterranean, Greek and Turkish
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant American
Dragonfly Robata Grill & Sushi Japanese and sushi
Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Japanese and sushi
Kabooki Sushi Japanese and sushi
North Italia Orlando Italian
Seasons 52 American
Seito Sushi Sand Lake Japanese and sushi
Sixty Vines American
The Melting Pot Fondue
Wine 4 Oysters Bar and Bites Seafood
$60 OPTIONS
Big Fin Seafood Steak and seafood
Chima Steakhouse Orlando Steak and seafood
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse Steak and seafood & Wine Bar
Morton’s The Steakhouse Steak and seafood
Norman’s American
Ocean Prime Steak and seafood
Ruth’s Chris Steak House Steak and seafood
The H Orlando Steak and seafood
HORIZON WEST
$40 OPTIONS
Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine Mediterranean, Greek and Turkish
Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Japanese and sushi
UNIVERSAL AREA
$40 OPTIONS
Amatista Cookhouse
$60 OPTIONS
$40 OPTIONS
Amare at The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve American American Kitchen Bar & Grill American
Benihana Japanese and sushi
Il Mulino New York Trattoria Italian
JALEO at Disney Springs Spanish and Portuguese
Lakeside Kitchen & Bar American
Landry’s Seafood House Seafood
Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante Italian
Summer House on the Lake American
Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill American
Zeta Asia Asian and Pacific Rim
$60 OPTIONS
Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse Steak and seafood
Four Flamingos, A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen American La Luce Italian Ravello Italian
Reggiano’s of Celebration Italian STK Orlando Steak and seafood
The Venetian Chop House Steak and seafood Todd English’s bluezoo Seafood
and seafood
Courtesy images
Clockwise from top left: Kebab from Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine. Chocolate cake from Summer House on the Lake.
Edgewood names new executive director
It all began in June, when Winter Garden resident Jeff Fitzgerald’s sister-in-law, who works at Edgewood Children’s Ranch, told him the position for executive director at the faith-based nonprofit was open. At first he was hesitant because of the word “executive.”
“That’s just not me, because I’m thinking they just need somebody to run numbers and run the business and analyze and all of that stuff,” Fitzgerald said. “And there are parts of that role here but that’s not the heartbeat of the role.”
However, despite his qualifications of 20 years in ministry leadership, at first Fitzgerald said “no” to the opportunity.
But God had other plans.
A few weeks later, his wife, Crystal, returned from a prayer walk.
I believe I heard the Lord say you need to apply for Edgewood, she told him.
He sent in his application.
Less than two months later, Jeff Fitzgerald arrived Aug. 5 for his first day at the helm of the Ranch.
‘A FLORIDA GUY’
Jeff Fitzgerald was born in Tampa, moved to Polk County when he was 1 and stayed there until he was 18. He went down to Lake Worth for college, where he met Crystal.
The two been married for 25 years and have two children, Josiah, 19, and Eden, 15. They moved to the Orlando area in 2000 and haven’t looked back. His wife has been teaching at The First Academy for 13 years, and her involvement has helped the family develop strong relationships with the parents, families and athletic programs there.
“We love the people, and I’m a Florida guy, so I love living here,” Jeff Fitzgerald said. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
It’s been great for him and his wife to raise their family in West Orange with the abundance of activities to do. He said they take the kids to state parks frequently and enjoy the beaches, but most of their free time is spent in Clearwater. Jeff Fitzgerald’s mother owns a place in Clearwater and they frequently go to get away, refresh and relax.
“That’s like a second home to us,” he said of Clearwater.
But it’s not just the activities that keep him here. Jeff Fitzgerald also loves the amount of diversity in Central Florida. It’s filled with people who don’t look, talk and dress the same.
“You don’t find very many people (who) are born here and (who) live here in Central Florida,” he said. “It’s a special place in the sense that you do get a lot of cultures here, which I love. I love diversity.”
Jeff Fitzgerald admitted he doesn’t miss living in South Florida because
of the traffic and year-round heat, but living down there shaped the trajectory of his life.
INJURY TO BLESSINGS
Growing up, Jeff Fitzgerald had one dream: to play professional baseball.
However, in high school, he tore his rotator cuff and went through personal training to allow him to play again. He went to Warner Southern College for two more years to continue his pitching journey, but his arm never returned to its full potential.
“I wanted to play baseball and nothing was going to stop me from doing that until I got hurt and then it’s like, ‘OK, what do I do now?’”
Jeff Fitzgerald said. “My whole identity was in sports and athletics, and when that ended, I had to reevaluate. ‘What is my purpose? What am I supposed to do?’”
That’s where his wife came in. They met in college, and that’s where his path led him to the Lord.
“I met my wife, and I knew I needed to get my life on track,” Jeff Fitzgerald said.
Although he attended church as a child, he didn’t have a real relationship with God. He simply just believed there was a creator of the world.
But, that all changed from the guidance of his wife. She showed him who the real God was and His grace.
“That’s where I took a turn towards ministry,” Jeff Fitzgerald said. “I’m a people person, I love hearing people’s stories and what makes their heart beat, and so that kind of led me into ministry.”
His journey to finding God was difficult at first.
“I was very hard on myself,” Jeff Fitzgerald said. “I was a perfectionist — especially when I first started walking with the Lord. I felt like I had to get it right all the time, and I couldn’t mess up.”
But God is forgiving and Crystal Fitzgerald helped Jeff Fitzgerald realize that. He had to realize I was OK not to be perfect all the time; messing up is part of the journey.
“A lot of that (perfectionism) came from my sports background, because I saw God as a coach, and I had to perform for Him, like coaches say you have to practice perfectly if you want to play and I just carried that into my relationship with the Lord,”
Jeff Fitzgerald said.
Through Crystal Fitzgerlad’s guidance, he discovered who the real Jesus was, not the cultural one but the one from the gospels, he said. He slowly learned how to have grace for himself and to accept not being perfect.
“She really steered me into showing me that this is actually who God is and her family was super loving, super accepting and just really welcomed me,” he said. “I love her family. Her family is incredible and just amazing in every way.”
Finding God transformed his life, and it’s what led him on his journey to Edgewood.
ROAD TO EDGEWOOD
Once Jeff Fitzgerald made up his mind to apply for Edgewood, he started the waiting game.
After submitting everything, he received an email from Indiana Jordan, who runs Edgewood’s business office, saying he made it past the first cut. Then, he had a meeting with some of the board members and later was invited to tour the ranch.
As soon as he stepped foot on the ranch, he felt a sense of awe. He met again with the board members for another interview and began the waiting game for their decision. Fitzgerald already had left his previous position at Crossroads Impact Church and needed a job to land for his finances.
“We’re literally walking on faith,” he said. “We thought it went well, but we’re also at the point of our lease being renewed for our house so do we sign the lease on faith or do we go start looking for somewhere else and try to move to a different house?”
They put their faith in God’s vision and decided to extend their lease, hopeful for positive news to come.
It did.
Jeff Fitzgerald was hired for the role; his first day was Aug. 5.
In just two weeks, he already has begun to pick up the responsibilities, including building relationships and the culture, that come with being the ranch’s executive director.
“My favorite moment is connecting with the kids,” he said. “There’s two kids that I’ve connected with — they’ve hit me (emotionally), and that helps with me knowing that this is where I’m supposed to be.”
Jeff Fitzgerald also said he admires the Edgewood staff. He has met the cottage parents and witnessed how they give up their lives to stay there. He feels honored to come to the ranch and be able to play a part in a larger mission.
It is also extra special to Jeff Fitzgerald that his kids are able to help at the ranch.
“(Eden) loves serving and she has a heart for kids,” he said. “That was a part of my interview process, like my family is bought in. They’re going to be a part of this in whatever capacity they can.”
As he takes over the role and brings his family into the mix, Jeff Fitzgerald wants to continue to change the lives of kids and families that go through the program. He said Edgewood has a great system already set up and his goal is to bring in even more funding so their mission can blossom.
Looking into the future, he dreams of opening another Edgewood location to help more in the Greater Orlando area.
“What goes on here needs to be multiplied so more kids can experience it, more families can be healed and that’s what I mean,” Jeff Fitzgerald said. “I’m just an impact guy. I want to make an impact on the world.”
Editor and Publisher / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com
Design Editor / Jessica Eng, jeng@OrangeObserver.com
Senior Editor / Liz Ramos, lramos@OrangeObserver.com
Historian / Amy Quesinberry Price, amyqhistory@OrangeObserver.com
Sports Editor / Sam Albuquerque, sama@OrangeObserver.com
Staff Writer / Leticia Silva, lsilva@OrangeObserver.com
Multimedia Sales Manager / Cyndi Gustafson, advertising@OrangeObserver.com
Multimedia Advertising Executives / Iggy Collazo, iggy@OrangeObserver.com
Madi Solomon, msolomon@OrangeObserver.com
Graphic Designer / Sarah Santiago, ssantiago@OrangeObserver.com
OUTGOING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BRUCE JORDAN
Bruce Jordan has a deeply rooted history with Edgewood Children’s Ranch. He was a child in the program from 1985-87, and he returned to Edgewood in 2013 with his wife to become a house parent for three years.
After stepping away to turn toward the business world, Stewart Eldridge, former executive director, died suddenly, and Edgewood wasn’t prepared. Jordan said there had been discussions about him taking over the role for a decade, but after Eldridge’s passing, he stepped in as the interim director in February 2020.
When COVID-19 hit in March, Jordan officially became the executive director. He described it as a “mental shift” from working for a for-profit business to a nonprofit.
“I scraped my knees so many times, because I’ve never worked in a nonprofit before, whereas Jeff has two decades of experience in nonprofit, so that’s going to serve him really well and he’s really more qualified than I was to do this,” Jordan said. Jordan served as the executive director for five years and he now feels it’s built up and prepared for a leadership transition. He credits a lot of the success at Edgewood to the staff and their dedication to making a difference in children’s and families’ lives.
“I feel like we’ve accomplished a lot,” Jordan said. “I love where the ranch is right now. I’ve had a lot of good mentors and coaches in my life…. Now I have a leadership team that runs the day- today and has their own vision for where they want to go.” Given the state of the leadership team, Jordan wanted to pass along the role to someone with more experience and a vision for its future. The expected transition is going to take a couple months as Jordan passes along his wisdom and takes on a consulting role for Jeff Fitzgerald.
Jordan already has accepted a role as the vice president of marketing for Marblelife, but he’ll continue to stay connected with the Edgewood community. His wife still runs the business office at the ranch.
“If Jeff needs something, I’m a phone call away,” Jordan said. “I don’t plan on disconnecting from the ranch. I just think it’s time for somebody more experienced, wiser and more connected in the West Orange community because it’s time for Edgewood to grow.”
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MEGAN BRUINSMA
Courtesy photo
Jeff Fitzgerald, second from left, his wife, Crystal, left, and children Eden and Josiah, are longtime Central Florida residents.
First Baptist Church
Pastor Tim Grosshans 125 E. Plant St, Winter Garden (407) 656-2352
Sundays: 8:30 AM Traditional 9:45 AM Bible Study 11 AM Contemporary Wednesdays: 6 PM Awana
2nd Campus: First Baptist Church @ Horizon West
Historic Edgewater Hotel in downtown Winter Garden closes
After opening for business nearly a century ago, the Plant Street bed-and-breakfast has closed its doors and will be sold.
officially closed its doors, ceased operations and is in the process of being sold. Built in 1926, the 28,855-squarefoot property began operations the following year with 53 guest rooms, predominantly lodging traveling fishermen in its early days. Today, after renovations converted the hotel into a bed-and-breakfast with retail shops and restaurants on the first floor, the Plant Street hotel was appraised in 2024 with a $2.57 million market valuation by the county.
The initial plans to build the hotel was formed by local businessmen J.D. McMillan, Harry E. Bumby, J.M. Lazenby, William F. Cappleman, PH. Britt and N.A. Perry when they used $120,000 to begin construction in 1924. Following the bankruptcy of the hotel’s builder later that year, construction came to a halt before local real estate agent Jerry J. Chicone formed a group of investors to finance the completion of construction.
ANGLICAN
ANGLICAN COMMUNITY
FELLOWSHIP CHURCH
Rector The Rev. Canon Tim Trombitas 1146 East Plant St, Winter Garden
SUNDAY SERVICE 10:00 AM Find us at: Theacf.net
BAPTIST
When the hotel opened its doors in 1927, rooms were rented for $2 to $2.50 per night and included all sorts of modern amenities such as an elevator, telephones in each room and fire sprinklers throughout the building.
BEULAH BAPTIST
Pastor Casey Butner 671 Beulah Rd, Winter Garden 407-656-3342 | BeulahBaptistWG.org
The current ceasing of operations isn’t the first time the hotel closed its doors. In 1968, the hotel closed and remained dormant for about the next 25 years.
SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY 9:30AM SUNDAY SERVICE 11:00AM WEDNESDAY SERVICE 6:00PM
After years of sitting vacant, Winter Garden city officials began conversations about tearing down the historic building. In response, the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation was formed in the hopes to purchase and restore the property and maintain the historically significant piece of the city’s past.
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:
The purchase and restoration by the foundation ultimately was unnecessary because the property was bought by Max Blanchard and Mike Lanza, who formed Edgewater Hotel Inc., and spent eight years restoring the hotel before reopening as the 44-room bed-and-breakfast standing there today. The property also features Earl Brigham’s Barber Shop, Scoops Old Fashioned Ice Cream Store and restaurants Thai Blossom and Chef’s Table at the Edgewater.
FOUNDATION WORSHIP
SUNDAYS 9:45 am - All Ages Foundation Academy High School 15304 Tilden Rd., Winter Garden www.FoundationWorship.com 407-730-1867
As of press time Tuesday, Aug. 19, the identity of the property’s buyer — as well as any future plans — are unconfirmed.
STARKE LAKE BAPTIST
CHURCH PO Box 520, 611 W Ave, Ocoee
Pastor Jeff Pritchard (407) 656-2351 www.starkelakebaptist.org
CHURCH OF GOD
OCOEE CHURCH OF GOD
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
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST WINDERMERE UNION CHURCH 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Rd. Windermere, FL 34786 407-876-2112 Worship times: 9:00am
Sam Albuquerque
The historic Edgewater Hotel in downtown Winter Garden officially closed its doors.
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Fire fee flames out in City of Winter Garden
LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR
The Winter Garden City Commission unanimously voted not to proceed with a fire assessment fee at its meeting Thursday, Aug. 14.
The city passed a resolution in June that allowed the commission to consider implementing a fire assessment fee that would have cost residents between $333 and $518 depending on square footage if the maximum fee was implemented.
The fee would have helped fund an $8.4 million gap in services as property taxes only would bring in about $28.4 million, which accounts for 77% of the total amount needed for fire and police protection services.
City Manager Jon C. Williams said the goal all along was to bring down the potential fee and potentially not impose it at all.
After residents pushed back on the fire assessment fee during community engagement meetings and upon further examination of the budget, Williams recommended the City Commission not move forward with the assessment.
“If you recall, we adopted the initial assessment resolution back in late June, which was certainly before we received any of our certification of taxable values, prior to the state’s adoption of the budget, prior to the releasing of revenue estimates,” he said.
Williams said city staff has been working on the budget since March, and staff identified reductions in personnel and operating totaling $1.9 million as well as reductions in the capital budget of $2.2 million for a total of $4.1 million in reductions.
IN OTHER NEWS
n Mayor John Rees read a proclamation for West Orange Healthy Selfie Day to be Sept. 19.
n The Winter Garden City Commission unanimously approved to award a contract to Schwenn Services for the purchase and installation of a rooftop A/C unit at the Garden Theatre in the amount of $54,202.90.
n Crooked Can Brewery’s annual Oktoberfest was approved for Oct. 17-19.
n TJ Ryan was appointed to the Planning and Zoning Board.
Call 407-656-2121 or email advertise@orangeobserver.com today.
“We are canceling the fire assessment, period,” Mayor John Rees said.
The unanimous vote was met with a thunderous applause in a packed chamber.
CITY GHOSTS HALLOWEEN FEST
During matters from the city manager, Williams recommended the cancellation of Halloween Fest, which was unanimously approved.
Williams said the city is looking into other ways expenditures can be reduced, including looking at user fees and eliminating special events.
“We’re going to continue to look at everything we do and identify some areas for possible changes to achieve some savings,” he said. “Halloween Fest was really a byproduct of COVID, and it was never intended to be permanent.”
He said the city will save $85,000 by not having Halloween Fest, and there is nothing planned for Halloween to replace the festival.
He said the reductions were achieved using zero-based funding budgeting, cutting new position requests in personnel, reducing capital expenditures and placing a freeze on 10 vacant, non-public safety positions. He said the capital equipment requests primarily were impacted.
Town Council flushes restroom dilemma
LIZ RAMOS SENIOR EDITOR
At long last, the Windermere Town Council approved the location for the Town Hall restrooms.
The family restrooms now will be constructed adjacent to the Windermere Library after the council voted 4-1, with council member Mandy David dissenting, to approve the location of the bathroom at council’s meeting Tuesday, Aug. 12.
In April, the council directed staff to evaluate the feasibility and comparative costs of relocating the proposed standalone family restroom from behind Town Hall to have it constructed adjacent to the library.
The total estimated cost for the library location is $447,468, compared to the estimated cost of $383,628 for the location behind Town Hall.
Although the proposed library location will provide strong community-facing visibility and connection to the library, it comes with a premium of about $63,841, or 16.6% more than constructing the restroom behind Town Hall.
Agenda documents state the higher cost largely is because of utility extension, site preparation and design changes.
In comparison, the Town Hall location aligns with the previously approved plans, requires no tree work and is a lower overall estimated project cost.
The library location is $849.09 per square foot, while the Town Hall location is $727.95 per square foot.
The library location also comes with $20,000 for an incremental design cost as a historical architect no longer would be needed on the project.
“I would have to say at the end of the day, we obviously are always concerned about cost, but this difference seems like a preference,” Mayor Jim O’Brien said.
Council member Andy Williams thanked staff for the hard work done on the project, delivering all requested information and looking at all the options before he made a motion to approve the library location for the restrooms.
The motion was seconded by council member Brandi Haines and then was unanimously approved.
TOWN SQUARE CONCEPT PLAN APPROVED
The Town Council unanimously approved the Town Square Concept Plan.
Windermere Town Planner Brad Cornelius presented the plan, which featured a few changes after he received feedback in April from the Town Council and landscape architect Chris Thompson received feedback from the Windermere Tree Board.
“The important part to remember is this is a concept, so nothing that’s on here is set in stone,” Cornelius said. “As it’s shown, it’s a guide for the town, so this can be adjusted and
IN OTHER NEWS
n Windermere Town Council unanimously approved a resolution allowing the town to participate in a lawsuit seeking to declare the imposition of a blanket statewide prohibition on the exercise of home rule authority over land use and zoning regulations by Senate Bill 180 is unconstitutional and should be enjoined.
n Mayor Jim O’Brien read a proclamation for West Orange Healthy Selfie Day.
n Officer Anita Singh was sworn into the Windermere Police Department.
n Individual Project Order 207, which authorizes Kimley-Horn & Associates to provide 45% design plans, final design, permitting, Florida Division of Emergency Management grant administration support, bid assistance, surveying, geotechnical services and subsurface utility verification for a lump-sum fee of $77,704 was unanimously approved.
n The third amendment to the employment contract between the town of Windermere and Windermere Police Chief David Ogden was unanimously approved.
n Town council approved the 45% plans for the Windermere Road roundabout.
changed, but hopefully this does provide you that guide.”
One notation is for the parking on Forest Street not only to be for cars but also could be designed for golf carts. Cornelius said, the final determination will be made during the final design of the concept plan.
Haines said “it would be nice” to have dedicated golf cart parking on Sixth Avenue if there is going to be parking on that street.
Some parking near the Windermere Library’s voting area was removed.
The 9/11 Memorial is slated to be moved from in front of the Windermere Library to the corner of Sixth Avenue and Main Street.
“We’re trying to create this focal point of community pride right there at that corner between the memorials of the 9/11 Memorial and the patriotic horse across the street,” Cornelius said.
Haines said personally, she likes the 9/11 Memorial where it currently is in front of the library.
“I worked in New York City for six years; I have a lot of friends that lost people from 9/11, and I just feel like where it’s at now is a peaceful place,” she said. “It’s a place where people can be over there and reflect on whatever it is they need to. I just don’t feel like a spot out in the front by the roundabout with all the traffic there makes the most sense. This is my personal opinion. I know we have a horse out there that was dedication for Mr. (John) Fitzgibbon’s son (Evan Fitzgibbon), but I’ve also had a lot of people say they’re concerned that someday it
might get hit because we do have a lot of accidents (in that location).”
GOLF CART INTERSECTIONSMike Woodward, of Kimley-Horn & Associates, presented findings and recommendations from the recently completed Windermere Golf Cart Crossings Study, which evaluated existing and potential golf cart crossing locations within the town, analyzed traffic patterns, reviewed safety considerations and identified improvements that could enhance connectivity while maintaining compliance with state and local regulations.
Currently, there are three golf cart crossings: Main Street and Second Avenue; Main Street and Eighth Avenue; and Sixth Avenue and Magnolia Street.
The study included the intersections at Main Street and Fifth Avenue; Main Street and Seventh Avenue; Sixth Avenue and Oakdale Street; and Sixth Avenue and Magnolia Street.
“The goal here was to look at whether we should modify some of those locations or add new ones,” Woodward said.
Woodward said the intersection of Main Street and Fifth Avenue had low side street volumes, relatively low queuing compared to other intersections and it was a desirable distance away from other existing crossings.
As for the Main Street and Seventh Avenue intersection, Woodward said it was near the existing Eighth Avenue and Main Street crossing, and there is a queue of cars that backs up at Sixth
Oakland Police officers receive awards
One recipient, officer Brienna Fernandez, is credited for saving a person’s life.
Several Oakland officers were recognized for their outstanding work during the year.
Oakland Police Chief Darron Esan presented the awards during the Oakland Town Commission meeting Tuesday, Aug. 12.
Officer Brienna Fernandez responded to a person overdosing on opioids. With her quick instincts, she administered Narcan, which wasn’t successful at first.
After obtaining a second dose of Narcan, she again administered it to the individual. The individual survived and was transported to the hospital to receive treatment.
“Due to her actions, Officer Fernandez likely saved the life of this individual,” Esan said. Fernandez was then awarded the OPD’s Life-Saving Award.
Officers Jason Hayes and Shawn Dozier both received the Achievement Award.
Together, they have conducted 195 traffic stops, which resulted in 162 verbal warnings and 33 citations.
Dozier and Hayes also interact with
civilians regularly and take on extra responsibilities at the agency.
“From supporting a child’s lemonade stand to engaging at a local garage sale, these officers continue to carry on the values set forth within Oakland PD’s mission statement,” Esan said.
Dozier also was awarded the Community Service Award “for his engagement and multiple calls, emails and social media posts from the residents within the town,” Esan added.
Esan also recognized two officers for their dedication to the force and their duties. Officer Nicole Hall and Cpl. Anthony Edwards received the Accommodation Award for their teamwork.
Esan said the town experienced a rise in property-related crimes in the early part of the year, and Hall and Edwards got right to work.
Through multiple investigations, the department was able to identify a group of unhoused individuals who were staying within wooded areas along State Road 50 and the town limits, Esan said.
Hall then created a list of unhoused individuals and created an efficient way of responding to property crimes and assisting in investigations.
Esan said some unhoused individuals on Hall’s list ended up being the perpetrators.
“Multiple cases were able to be closed with the assistance and the hard work done by Officer Hall,” Esan said.
Continuing with the work of Hall, Edwards was able to locate several camps where the suspects were living.
He then used resources to locate property owners and began working with them to start trespass warning procedures.
“For their superior initiative in recognizing a problem while working with others to develop a plan to resolve that problem, Cpl. Anthony Edwards and Officer Nicole Hall are awarded the Oakland Police Department’s award of accommodation,” Esan said.
Edwards also was recognized as Officer of the Second Quarter because of his eagerness and initiative in addressing the response to a rise in property-related crimes and the influx of unhoused individuals.
He also assisted the Winter Garden Police Department in locating a vehicle where the occupant was alleged to have a firearm.
SITE FEATURES
“Cpl. Edwards has continued to learn and make daily improvements within his new role related to his promotion to corporal,” Esan said.
Decision Tactical, a local training facility, is offering Edwards a free day of training for his accomplishment of being Officer of the Quarter.
Finally, Officer Samaria Lake was recognized for her commitment to the staff and students at Oakland Avenue Charter School while providing quality and positive work.
Lakes was awarded OPD’s Community Service Award.
Lake has completed her first year as the School Resource Officer for Oakland Avenue Charter School and has made a significant impact so far.
“I’ve received multiple calls, emails and letters from parents and staff at the school commending her for her professionalism and ability to have a positive impact of on the lives of the children,” Esan said.
A teacher of the school sent a letter to Esan about Lake, commenting on her professionalism and how she interacts with the children.
Esan also recognized Lake for providing safety training for the staff at OACS. Staff learned about emergency responses and evacuation of students if the need arises.
Avenue because of the existing crossing at Eighth Avenue, which is about 400 feet away.
“It would be a redundant location that would really serve a lot of the same purposes as the crossing at Eighth,” he said. “Given there’s a relatively short distance from the roundabout, we felt like Eighth Avenue is a better location for the crossing than at Seventh Avenue. I would recommend you do not put crossings at every single street.”
Woodward recommended keeping the crossing at Seventh Avenue and Main Street, not implementing the crossing at Eighth Avenue and Main Street, and implementing the crossing at Fifth Avenue and Main Street. Woodward did not recommend adding a crossing at Sixth Avenue and Oakdale Street when there is another crossing at Sixth and Magnolia Street 400 feet away. He also did not recommend switching the crossings.
Haines said she was under the impression the town council would look at no longer having the Eighth Avenue crossing and implement a crossing at Seventh Avenue instead. She said the crossing at Seventh Avenue would be safer because traffic isn’t as backed up, cars are driving slower and more.
Haines preferred a golf cart crossing be implemented at the roundabout on Sixth Avenue, because it would allow easy access to various directions of the community.
O’Brien said staff would need to look at town ordinances and council needed more information to proceed with the discussion.
IN OTHER NEWS
n Town Manager Elise Hui was designated administrative authority over plats and replat submittals in accordance to Florida Statutes Section 177.071. Hui also was designated as the town’s emergency contact, with Darron Esan as the alternate emergency contact in accordance to Section 252.38(3)(a) in the Florida Statutes.
n Mayor Shane Taylor signed a proclamation declaring Friday, Sept. 19, Healthy West Orange Selfie Day.
n Road woes in Oakland are looking up. Oakland Shores residents are happy with the new mills put down. Commissioner Michael Satterfied said he was impressed with the finished product.
n Commissioners sent a letter to Oakland’s cemeteries concerning the conditions of them. The owners of the cemeteries said they are private property and each plot is sold as a deed plot. It advises anyone who wants to go and clean headstones to contact families of the deceased directly for permission.
LETICIA SILVA STAFF WRITER
THE WAYS WE WERE FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION
80 years ago
C.G. Tilden, who operated one of the large truck farms in West Orange County, reported to have shipped out 75 tons of watermelons. That was two days’ pickings.
55 years ago
Dr. Hardie B. Webb Jr. attended the annual homecoming of Palmer College of Chiropractic at Davenport, Iowa.
50 years ago
A building on Broad Street owned by H.M. Bowness, of Ocoee, being rented as a maintenance garage by Hawthorne Grove Service caught fire and burned to the ground. According to Winter Garden Fire Chief Jaes Briggs, the shop foreman was working with a cutting torch when sparks made contact with spilled fuel.
The Bicentennial Committee, chaired by Ray Spears, announced tentative plans for Winter Garden’s Bicentennial Birthday Celebration. Serving on the committee were Ernie Hawk, Ann Cross, Phil Cross, Cathy Fischer, Jim Powell, James Briggs, Neil Austin and Wayne Struble. Brian Bowen, 13, of Winter Garden had a hole-in-one at West Orange Country Club.
45 years ago
The West Orange Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees approved the purchase of $30,000 worth of surgical equipment for the ophthalmology department. Dr. Shannon Boyer, an ophthalmologist, was hired to the hospital staff.
The city of Winter Garden provided residents with the ability
to pay their water bills without leaving their cars. A drop box was placed in the parking lot of the municipal complex.
35 years ago
The Ocoee Recreation Department sponsored a Wheels for Life bike-a-thon, and participants met at the Ocoee Youth Center on Flewelling Avenue before beginning their ride around Peach Lake. Riders bringing in the most pledges received a new bicycle.
Jim Beech coordinated the event.
Principal Melanie Craig was ready for a projected 450 students to walk through the doors of the new Bay Meadows Elementary School.
Showing on the big screen at Orange Tree Cinema in Ocoee: “My Blue Heaven,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Flatliners,” “Ghost,” “Ducktales,” “Problem Child” and “Air America.”
Water managers took four giant steps to preserve part of Florida by approving purchase agreements that were to bring 15,000
FROM THE ARCHIVES
From the vast postcard collection in the archives comes this fascinating item mailed Aug. 21, 1911 — 114 years ago. “Bessie” writes from town to 17-year-old Oakland resident Gladys Tilden, who is vacationing at Trefethen, Maine. Bessie said: “I don’t go riding very often now because there isn’t anyone to go with me but Trainer, and she can’t go much. We spent the day with her yesterday. It was her birthday.” The Devil’s Punch Bowl, a natural spring pictured on the card, was a tourist attraction located in Coconut Grove, just south of Miami.
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.
acres of land into public ownership. The St. Johns River Water Management District governing board gave its nod to spending about $23 million to acquire lands with significant water management value in Brevard, Clay, Lake and Orange counties.
Cpl. Vernon Hammock, a nineyear veteran of the Ocoee Police Department, was named Officer of the Year in recognition of his bravery in saving the lives of two people, one wheelchair-bound, from a house fire.
THROWBACK
THURSDAY
AUG. 20, 1954
Advertisements promoting local and national campaigns were popular in the Winter Garden Times in the 1950s. They typically were presented as cartoon drawings.
The March of Dimes, a nonprofit organization focused on improving the health of mothers and babies, was founded in 1938 as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis to combat polio. During the 1950s, amidst a boom in the American beef industry, a significant marketing drive — the Eat More Beef campaign — was launched with the direct goal of doubling beef consumption.
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SWAP MEET by Michael Schlossberg, edited by Jared Goudsmit
By Luis Campos
SPORTS
HIGH 5
1Legacy Charter School has named Brandon Bristow as its next football coach, taking over for interim Jed Ebersole, who will remain on staff as defensive coordinator.
Bristow joins the Eagles program after spending time in a variety of coaching roles across both football and basketball, most recently serving as the head girls hoops coach at Astronaut High.
“I’ve been all over the place,” Bristow said. “I’ve been a head basketball coach, an assistant football coach, quarterbacks coach, a JV offensive coordinator. I’ve literally coached a little bit of everything all over the state.”
Directly prior to being tapped to take over the Ocoee-based charter school program, the first-time head football coach wasn’t coaching.
“I wasn’t coaching before applying for this job,” he said. “I was just teaching at Seabreeze High in Volusia County. I just saw this coaching position open and thought I’d reach out. I’ve been coaching for a long time and figured this would be a good opportunity to take my chance as a head football coach.”
2Olympia High football player Eric Weems Jr., son of former NFL player Eric Weems, announced his commitment to continue his academic and athletic careers at his father’s alma mater, BethuneCookman University.
Weems Jr., a 5-foot-9 athlete, shined for the Titans last season as a versatile offensive weapon, being lined up in various receiver slots and in the backfield as a running back.
3
The Windermere High girls and Horizon High boys cross-country teams both finished third at the FCA Cross Country Preseason Invitational at Southern Hill Farms Saturday, Aug. 16. Hawks senior Jacob Finch led all the area’s boys runners with a second-place finish, and Wolverines sophomore Annabella Ekebergh topped the area’s girls runners with a seventh-place finish.
4
Despite severe weather shortening the 2025 Central Florida Top 10 Preseason Invitational hosted at Mission Inn Golf Club, The First Academy boys golf team still took home the win after shooting three under par through the first 12 holes — topping secondplace Circle Christian, which was one-over through 13 holes, and Lake Highland Prep, which was three-over through the front nine.
5
West Orange High baseball player Lukas Stirewalt announced his commitment to play college ball at Arkansas. Last season, the 6-foot-4, left-handed pitcher appeared in 12 games for the Warriors as a sophomore, striking out 47 batters and maintaining an ERA of 2.58 over 21.2 innings pitched.
“Lukas is heading into his junior year in our program and continues to set the standard with his work ethic, talent and dedication,” West Orange coach Mike Scudero said. “His relentless drive to improve and his commitment to his teammates have made him an integral part of our program’s success. We are proud to see him achieve this milestone and know that even bigger things are ahead. We look forward to watching his continued success on and off the field.”
The missing piece
After three seasons as Apopka High’s starting quarterback, QB Tyson Davison will finish his high school run at Ocoee. His expectation: States or bust.
SAM ALBUQUERQUE
SPORTS EDITOR
There’s a lot to get excited about when it comes to Ocoee football’s new starting quarterback, Tyson Davison — a 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior, who transferred to the West Orange program from nearby rival school Apopka High.
The former Blue Darters starting quarterback has a solid physical frame that makes him a nightmare to tackle in the open field. He is lightning quick and has the agility and straight-line speed to embarrass defenders. But Davison isn’t just a running
quarterback. He’s the textbook definition of a dual-threat — meaning he can sling it just as well as he can tuck the rock and make a run for it. He is also as experienced as any senior QB can be, considering he’s
played in 37 varsity football games over his three seasons at Apopka. In that time, he amassed a 23-14 record and even led the Blue Darters to within
SEE DAVISON PAGE 11A
West, Southwest Orange high school girls volleyball players to watch in 2025
To get you ready for the season, here are some of the area’s top high school girls volleyball players to keep an eye on this season.
SAM ALBUQUERQUE SPORTS EDITOR
The 2025 girls high school volleyball season is off to a hot start in West Orange and Southwest Orange, and as always, the area is stacked with talented players leading their teams on a championship hunt.
Whether it’s the defending West Metro Conference Champion Horizon Hawks, led by eight returning seniors, or the three-time defending Class 7A, District 6 Champion Olympia Titans, who bring back most of its roster from a team that finished 2024 with an 18-6 record;
this season is shaping up to be one the most exciting in recent memory.
To make sure you know who to look for this season, here are some of the area’s top girls volleyball players to watch in 2025. Editor’s note: Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
GEILIANY DEL VALLE Foundation Academy
Senior | Setter
An Embry-Riddle commit, Del Valle is a four-year starter for the Lady Lions, racking up a total of 2,328 assists and 795 digs throughout her time at the private school program. Beyond her gaudy career numbers, the senior setter also set the program record for assists in a single game on two separate occasions; once dishing out 55 assists against The Master’s Academy and
Standing at 6-foot-3, Cole Simons’ size is matched by an insane vertical, which serves him well on the hardwood during volleyball and basketball seasons for West Orange. Page 10A.
West Orange’s Katelyn Landis is one of the few returners from a great 2024 Warriors team.
Photos by Sam Albuquerque Olympia girls volleyball’s Mia Diouf was a star on the outside for the Titans in 2024.
Photos by Sam Albuquerque
Ocoee’s new starting QB, Tyson Davison (No. 12), brings championship experience to the Knights program.
Tyson Davison brings a versatile skillset to the Ocoee offense that will allow the Knights to take advantage of defenses.
Cole Simons
West Orange High junior Cole
Simons is an all-caps ATHLETE.
Standing at a towering 6-foot-3, the Warriors’ two-sport athlete’s height comes with the hops to match; a vertical leap that he uses to leap over opponents on the hardwood as both a power forward for the West Orange boys basketball team and an outside hitter for the boys volleyball team.
Despite excelling with a the ball in his hands as a hooper, Simons’ future as an athlete most likely is centered around spiking the ball instead of shooting. As a sophomore, he recorded 188 kills and 48 total blocks in 63 sets played, which helped lead the Warriors to its best season ever, finishing with a 20-5 record and the program’s first Metro West Conference Championship.
With a good chunk of that historic team graduated, Simons not only returns as Warrior volleyball’s top weapon on offense but also as a one of the team’s leaders.
How does it feel to be named Athlete of the Week?
I’m extremely honored to be recognized for this award.
What do you enjoy the most about volleyball?
I really enjoy the intensity and excitement it brings me.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from volleyball?
You have to lose in order to win.
What is your favorite volleyball memory?
Winning the West Metro Championship for West Orange last season.
Who is your favorite athlete?
Michael Jordan because he had a killer mentality and never stopped working until he was the best.
What is your go-to pre-game meal?
My pre-game meal is cereal.
What is your go-to pre-game hype song?
What is your favorite subject in school?
Science, because it’s the most interesting.
What are three things you would take with you to a deserted island?
Some food and water, because I need that to survive; and then I’d bring a phone, so I can call someone to get me off the island, and I can go home.
What is your favorite movie?
I like the movie “Ready Player One,” because it’s creative and has good dialogue.
If you could have dinner with one person — dead or alive — who would it be?
Probably my grandfather, because I never got to meet him.
If you could go back in time to a specific period in history, when and where would you go?
I would go to the 1980s, because I love ’80s music and I think the world was better back then.
Looking back, what piece of advice would you give your younger self? Keep working hard, your time will come, and always stay confident.
If you could ask your future self a question, what would it be? Did I achieve everything I wanted to in my life?
Who is your favorite superhero?
Definitely Iron Man — not only because he’s very smart but he also defeated Thanos.
Who is your favorite supervillain?
Magneto, because he has a very cool power.
Volleyball players to watch
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
the second time bumping her total to 57 against Dr. Phillips High.
MIA DIOUF, Olympia
Junior | Outside hitter
An uber-athletic threat on the outside for the Lady Titans, Diouf continued her ascension from young gun to certified killer in Year 2 of varsity volleyball; jumping up from 191 kills in 85 sets played as a freshman to 287 kills last season in 76 sets played, to go along with 36 aces, 28 total blocks, 201 digs and 66 serves received.
HALEY HIGGINS,
Foundation Academy
Junior | Middle hitter
The Lady Lions’ 6-foot-2 middle and Georgetown commit, Higgins is a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball. In 149 sets played during her two seasons of varsity ball, Higgins led the team with 85 total blocks while also racking up 486 total kills.
ISABELLA JOHNSON
Windermere Prep
Senior | Outside hitter
Despite the Lakers’ disappointing 2024 season — a 7-16 record — Johnson, their dynamic, athletic and powerful, 5-foot-11 outside hitter was alone worth the price of admissions for those in attendance.
SELAH KOHLER
The First Academy
Junior | Libero
Under a new coach in 2024, the then-sophomore libero provided much-needed stability and leadership for the Royals defense, racking up a team-leading 219 digs while receiving 268 serves in the 52 sets she played.
KATELYN LANDIS, West Orange
Senior | Middle hitter
After helping the Lady Warriors not only break the program’s streak of three consecutive losing seasons but also capture the 2024 Class 7A, District 5 championship over area rivals Windermere in straight sets, the 6-foot-2 Landis is one of the few major contributors returning to West Orange in 2025. The University of Denver commit racked up 126 kills and 34 total blocks in her 50 sets played last season — both tops among the Warriors returning bunch.
LILY OZANIC, Legacy Charter
Freshman | Setter
Although the sample size is small for the young setter, Ozanic has shown throughout the 2025 preseason just how talented she is and why she will be one to watch for the Eagles right now and for years to come. Through just 10 sets played in her first varsity volleyball season, Ozanic has dished out 34
assists, zipped 12 serves for aces and recorded 17 digs and 14 kills for Legacy.
ELIZA PERDUE, Olympia Senior | Libero
Entering her third season as a member of the Lady Titans varsity team, Perdue’s consistency and stability on the Olympia backline and in the serve game are going to be huge in 2025 with a majority of Olympia’s leaders returning in 2025. Last season the senior libero recorded 57 aces, 464 digs, 435 serves received and 60 assists in her 76 sets played.
KATELYN PULVER, Lake Buena Vista Senior | Outside hitter
The Vipers’ 6-foot-1 versatile offensive weapon, Pulver racked up 251 kills and 50 aces in 73 sets played in 2024. She also was a big-time contributor for LBV on defense with 22 total blocks, 205 digs and 232 serves received.
MADISON WEHR, Olympia
Senior | Setter
Wehr, a Middle Tennessee commit, is by far the most decorated setter in the area — having
dished out a total of 1,773 assists throughout her 239 sets and three seasons at the varsity level. Surrounded by talented hitters once again, the senior setter should surpass the 2,000-assists and 300-sets played mark this season while likely helping lead Olympia to yet another district title and more.
ELENA WHITE, Horizon
Sophomore | Outside hitter
As a freshman, White was a big-time factor in the Lady Hawks 14-4 record and Metro West Conference Championship last season; nailing down 156 kills, 126 digs and 31 aces. Expect more of the same this season for White as Horizon’s starting setter, Stefany Ortiz, should have a clean bill of health this year after missing nearly a quarter of 2024.
KIERA VAZQUEZ, Horizon
Senior | Outside hitter
Vazquez, Horizon’s top returning offensive weapon having scored 171 kills and served up 49 aces in 2024, is one of the eight talented seniors leading the Lady Hawks this season.
Photos by Sam Albuquerque
TFA libero Selah Kohler provided much-needed stability and leadership for the Royals defense in 2024.
Right: Foundation setter Geiliany Del Valle has been one of the most prolific playmakers in the area for years.
Windermere Prep’s Isabella Johnson is one of the most dynamic athletes on a volleyball court in West, Southwest Orange.
Davison to lead Knights offense
three points of winning the 2022 Class 4M State Championship.
Beyond his freakish physical traits and impressive career résumé, another reason to rave about Davison is his success in the classroom. The Knights QB1 has managed to maintain an impressive 5.0 weighted GPA.
There’s no denying it: The kid is a unicorn. A coach’s dream. Ocoee coach Buck Gurley’s dream — but not for the reasons listed nor for any you could possibly imagine. What gets Davison’s new coach excited about having him under center can be best described as having a high football I.Q.
“With Tyson at QB, we’ve been able to progress on offense in a way that’s a breath of fresh air,” Gurley said. “There was a play in the preseason game that demonstrated his (I.Q. perfectly). He stepped up into the pocket, and it looked like he had an opportunity to throw it down field, but all of a sudden, the safety bolts over to that receiver and cuts off that throw. He saw the dang safety, mid-progression and didn’t panic. He didn’t throw a bad pass. He didn’t take a sack. He simply threw the ball away and lived to play another down.”
For Gurley, that decision to throw the ball away was a representation of what he has seen from Davison since he showed up to the Ocoee campus. From his attitude during practices and workouts to his leadership style among his teammates and commitment to the mental aspects of the quarterback position, Davison’s commitment to his craft might just be what helps this Knights program take a step forward from good to championship-worthy.
“I just bring a mentality of hard work,” Davison said. “Being part of a program the past few season that always had a hard-nosed, put your head down and don’t compare yourself to anybody else type of culture instilled in me a work ethic that I’m making sure to bring here. To me, we’re grinding every second, we lift weights hard, we run fast every time. That’s the type of stuff we need to do in order to be mentality strong.”
The experience Davison brings with him to Ocoee is just part of the equation. If he can’t effectively communicate and connect with his new teammates, it’s useless. However, that’s not the case for Knights new QB.
“Tyson’s been there before; he’s been where we want to go,” Gurley
said. “He has an understanding of what we need to do to be competing at the highest level and fighting for championships. But it’s not just an understanding; he’s a leader for our guys, too. When the guys mess up, he’s not out there tearing into them. The opposite actually. He’s building guys up. Letting them know that we can do this and from that we’ve see just huge spark come from our offense.”
From Davison’s perspective, he feels his experience and leadership abilities can be most useful during the doldrums of the long season, when things aren’t breaking his team’s way.
“We’re going to have to go through adversity at one point,” he said. “Along those long playoff runs, there’s a lot of ups and downs … and having been there and because we have a great group of guys here who are ready to work, who want it really bad, we are approaching this season with a mindset of states or bust, and you better believe we’re going for states.”
On the field, Davison knows he has to blend his physical, mental and leadership skills together to accomplish that goal of bringing home a state title.
“As a player, I know that I’m pretty good at extending plays, but I have to be smart about when I do that so I don’t force things,” he said. “I also know a lot of that comes from making sure my teammates are where they need to be, when they need to be there. So I put that responsibility of making sure everybody’s on the same page on my back. As well as being an example of a hard worker, who’s ready to ball.”
If you ask Gurley if his new QB is doing what he’s set out to, there’s no question in his mind.
“Not only am I sitting here like this dude came already knowing the scheme,” Gurley said. “He’s not only out there running the offense like a pro, but how he communicates it to his teammates in the huddle has them coming back after each play thanking him for the advice or the direction. That speaks volumes, that lets you know that you don’t just have a football player, but you a leader. That’s what sets him apart most: The simple fact that he’s all about us as a team. When you have a kid (who) is focused on all of us and acts that way, it’s easy to give him respect. He sets himself to the side every day and says with his words and actions that this is a team game. Because of that he’s just been able to lead guys through whatever we’ve seen so far.”
KICKOFF CLASSIC RESULTS
The First Academy Royals, 7 IMG Academy Ascenders, 41 HIGHLIGHTS: After jumping out to a 7-0 lead on the back of long touchdown run by junior Jaelyn Powell, The First Academy wasn’t able to hold back the powerhouse prep program from Bradenton from imposing its will on the preseason game.
Dr. Phillips Panthers, 30 Boone Braves, 7 HIGHLIGHTS: Led by its stout defensive front and stifling secondary, the Panthers were able to slow down the Braves offense all game during their home preseason win.
Lake Buena Vista, 26
Freedom, 0
HIGHLIGHTS: The Vipers managed to hold the visiting Patriots scoreless in their Kickoff Classic thanks in large part to the work they dem-
WEEK 0 RESULTS
Foundation Academy Lions (1-0), 33 The Master’s Academy Eagles (0-1), 8
HIGHLIGHTS: In the Lions regularseason opener, 2024 leading rusher Sam Wood continued to shine, rushing for 124 yards on 21 carries with four touchdowns.
Foundation QB Braydon Marks threw for 159 yards on 11-of-15 passing, finding Cole Huntley for a touchdown pass. On defense senior linebacker Aiden Cubero had a phenomenal performance racking up nine tackles, 1.5 sacks
onstrated on the field.
“We played with more effort than last spring but (we) still have a lot more work to do,” LBV coach Brant Peddy said. “We played a sloppy first half, but the players did a better job of executing in the second half.”
Ocoee, 27 Mount Dora, 14 Ocoee, 28 Lyman, 0
HIGHLIGHTS: In a two-game Kickoff Classic, the Knights faced off against Mount Dora and Lyman for one half each. Led by its new star quarterback Tyson Davison, Ocoee won both games by multiple scores. Davison scored six total touchdowns on the night and ran for more than 100 yards in just two quarters of action.
Olympia, 38 Wekiva, 0
HIGHLIGHTS: In the annual Gabriel brothers preseason bowl,
and a fumble recovery in an effort to get his new coach, Daniel White, his first win as a head coach.
“I thought we played tough,” White said about the win. “Toughness was our team’s essential word for the week. My coaches challenged our players to practice tough all week and the team responded by displaying mental and physical toughness on Friday night.”
Legacy Charter (0-1), 0
Lake Mary Prep (1-0), 73
HIGHLIGHTS: The Eagles struggled in their first eight-man football game, falling behind quickly to the Griffins of Lake Mary Prep.
Olympia and coach Travis Gabriel got the best of the Mustangs and coach Doug Gabriel thanks in no small part to the Titans disruptive defense, which Travis Gabriel said as a unit were the players of this game. Combined Olympia’s defense accounted for six sacks, three interceptions, a fumble, two defensive touchdowns and a safety in the shutout win. On offense, QB Noble Davis scored two TDs, athlete Eric Weems Jr. returned a kickoff for a 58-yard touchdown and Matthew Haynes took a carry almost the entire length of the field (98 yards) for a score.
West Orange, 54 Horizon, 13
HIGHLIGHTS: In the only area vs. area team matchup, the Warriors handled their business against the Hawks at home. Led by sophomore QB A.J. Chung and his 210-plus passing yards and three touchdown passes — two of which were to senior Edison Delgado, who had five catches for 132 yards — and senior athlete Devonte Anderson, who snatched an interception in the red zone and booked it 92 yards for a touchdown, West Orange showed once again just how dynamic this team can be in 2025.
Windermere, 32
Gateway, 6
HIGHLIGHTS: The defending Independent League champions came out in dominant fashion against the visiting Gateway Panthers, scoring 32 unanswered points to start the game. Transfer QB Breylon Sanchez seemed to hit the ground running in this one, scoring three TDs — one on the ground and two in the air to Jaylen Davis. Wolverines defensive lineman Elijah Mosby got in on the scoring fun, as well, returning an interception for a TD, while running back Henry Rodgers also added a touchdown of his own.
OBSERVER EIGHT
A power ranking of the eight best football programs in West, Southwest Orange County, entering Week 1. 1. The First Academy (0-0) 2. West Orange (0-0) 3. Dr. Phillips (0-0) 4. Ocoee (0-0) 5. Windermere (0-0)
Olympia (0-0)
Sam Albuquerque
The First Academy’s Jaelyn Powell (No. 22) opened up the scoring with a long TD run in this preseason clash against IMG Academy.
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Dana Christopher is the K-5 visual
art teacher at Panther Lake Elementary School. She is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive art curriculum. She teaches a variety of art techniques, media and art concepts. She also prepares student artwork for exhibitions and a school wide art show.
She is a national, board-certified teacher and was awarded Teacher of the Year at three different schools within Orange County Public Schools. Christopher has been an educator for 40 years, 38 of which have been in OCPS. She has been a teacher at Panther Lake Elementary since it opened in 2022.
“After 40 years, it’s clear Ms. Christopher’s dedication goes beyond just teaching art — she’s been cultivating an appreciation for it,” Principal Christine Szymanski said. “By sharing her passion, she’s not only taught countless students how to create, but she’s also instilled in them a lifelong love for art. Her impact on the community and on generations of students is truly a masterpiece in itself.”
What brought you to your school?
Panther Lake Elementary is a school in the community where I live. The chance to work with Principal Dr. Christine Szymanski and collaborate with the talented and passionate staff of educators was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
What do you love most about your school?
Panther Lake Elementary has a wonderful atmosphere where we really care for one another. The supportive administration, encouraging colleagues and kind students truly make it a special place to be.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
As an art teacher, the most rewarding part of my job is the ability to influence a student’s lifelong appreciation for creativity. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see them develop confidence in their self-expression and artistic skills, knowing that I’ve helped them make personal connections through their art.
What would you be if you weren’t in this profession?
It’s tough to imagine another path after a wonderful 40-year teaching career, but if I had to choose, I’d likely be an architect. I’ve always loved the design and creativity that goes into shaping spaces and buildings.
Who influences you?
My mother, as an educator, influenced my appreciation for knowledge and teaching while my father taught me the power of perseverance. My students fuel my curiosity and remind me to view learning about art through fresh perspectives. My colleagues inspire me to focus my sense of purpose and enjoy the teaching journey.
Who was your favorite teacher
REPORT CARD
Position: K-5 visual art teacher
Time at school: Three years; 38 years at OCPS
when you were in school? Why?
DANA CHRISTOPHER PANTHER LAKE ELEMENTARY INFLUENCER OF THE WEEK
My high school teacher Mr. Miller was so impactful, because he encouraged me to think critically and step outside of my comfort zone. He assigned our Catholic Studies class to explore several other religions, which allowed me to broaden my perspective and appreciate cultural and religious differences. It gave me an understanding that there are often multiple paths to reaching a goal.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love to travel and spend time with family and friends. I volunteer at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and have almost 2,000 hours of service. Going to local performances, sporting events and tourist attractions fill my free time with fun.
If you could dine with any famous person, past or present, who would it be and why?
I would dine with the artist MC Escher, a graphic artist whose works were inspired by mathematics. I would want to ask him about the art work “Relativity,” which features a complex network of staircases and figures that seem to exist on different planes of reality, creating a mindbending visual puzzle.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
If I could have any superpower, I’d choose omniscience. The ability to know everything, from the inner workings of the universe to the most complex human emotions, seems like the ultimate superpower. With the power to understand, I could solve global problems (such as) climate change and disease and could mediate conflicts with the knowledge of all perspectives.
If you could only listen to three bands or artists, who would they be and why?
If I could only listen to three musical entities, my choices would be Enigma Variations and symphonic pieces my son has performed, “The Stars” from “Les Misérables,” and the “Wicked” soundtrack. Enigma Variations and other symphonic works hold deep personal significance as they remind me of the joy of watching my son’s musical journey and the beauty of live orchestral music. Finally, “The Stars” from “Les Misérables” is a singular piece that encapsulates a profound emotional journey and a powerful sense of duty and conviction. The “Wicked” soundtrack offers a rich narrative and powerful female vocal performances that I find moving and engaging.
— LIZ RAMOS
Senior Wolverines create pavement masterpieces
Jerry Liu showed off his love for “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
Nathaniel Parish, center, and his parents, Tory and Adam, worked together to create a beautiful spot.
Luiza Cabrai helped create a bright, beautiful spot.
Left: Lyric Eng showcased his love for the piano and, particularly, Steinway & Sons.
Hawk eyes for detail
Horizon High School seniors had a chance to make one of their final marks on the school before graduating.
About 1,000 students, friends and family members of the students grabbed paint, brushes, rollers and spray paint to paint seniors’ parking spots during the school’s fourth annual parking lot painting event Saturday, Aug. 16.
Students came up with creative art, varying from quotes to personal interest to album covers, memes and more.
The school also played music, provided a station with misting fans and had vendors such as Chick-fil-A and Jeremiah’s Italian Ice on campus.
Take us home, country roads
Mike Stanczyk used a towel to wipe down his 1931 Ford Model A to make it shine.
He purchased the car almost three years ago, promising the owner he would keep the car in the Orlando area and would join the Greater Orlando Model A Car Club. He since has fulfilled both promises and takes
—LETICIA SILVA
the car to various car shows, including Hamlin Cars & Country Saturday, Aug. 9.
“Every time I go somewhere, there’s someone who wants to take a picture with or of it and wants to hear the horn because it’s unique,” Stanczyk said of the car. “For it being almost 100 years old, it’s still doing its thing.”
The 1931 Ford Model A was among at least 12 other cars at Hamlin Cars & Country, which brought together car fanatics for a car show while country artists performed live.
Southbound performed first followed by Jaclyn Hayden.
—LIZ RAMOS
AJ Feth posed next to his finished project — inspired by his snowboard’s brand.
Julia Medici, Sofia Braga, Sara Braga and Beatriz Dutra posed for a photo after working hard on Sara’s and Sofia’s spot. The twins will be graduating in 2026.
This spot is inspired by singer Frank Ocean’s album.
Left: Senior Arthuro Ocanto, right, brought his family with him to paint his parking spot. His mom, Stefania, his father, Arthuro Senior, his younger brother, Jesus, and baby sister, Samara, all were there to help and support him.
Gwen Schmitz focused while painting her flower.
Holliday Katz and Kelsey Katz were a little worried about the weather at Cars & Country but decided to join in on the fun. “This is a perfect way for us to get out as a family and enjoy live music,” Kelsey Katz said.
Mike Stanczyk showed off his 1931 Ford Model A, which he has owned for almost three years.
Right: Larry Taylor and John Miller took a look at the Ford F-100.
Manuela Bersaneti enjoyed roaming the car show with Eduardo Bersaneti and Letycia Bersaneti.
