WINDERMERE
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. FREE
VOLUME 2, NO. 47
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2017
Pigskin possibilities See inside for our special 2017 high-school football preview. INSIDE.
Caring for Carter The family of 3-year-old Carter McPherson is reaching out to the community for fundraising ideas to help with mounting medical bills. AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR
T
hursday was a good day
New Publix to open this month DANIELLE HENDRIX STAFF WRITER
In just a few days, the Hamlin community will have a new grocery store to call its own. The new Publix store — located at the northwest corner of Hamlin Groves Trail and New Independence Parkway — is the second commer-
HORIZON WEST
for 3-year-old Carter
SEE PUBLIX PAGE 7
McPherson. Not all days
are, but Thursday was. He felt well enough to rummage through the refrigerator for a snack, well enough to carry his foam sofa into the family room to watch television, well enough to play a game with his mother and well enough to show off his jumping skills on the mini trampoline outside.
SEE PAGE 4
Carter McPherson, 3, enjoys swinging in his backyard.
BY THE NUMBERS
1,040 1,917 2,642
Bridgewater Middle’s capacity
Current enrollment as of June 1, 2017
Projected 201920 Bridgewater Middle enrollment
1,215
Relief-school capacity
PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID WINTER GARDEN, FL PERMIT NO. 81
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Postal Customer
Amy Quesinberry
Parents balk at proposal to move Bridgewater students
YOUR TOWN PAPERS WIN STATE AWARDS The West Orange Times & Observer and Windermere Observer newspapers combined to win 17 awards — including four first-place nods — in the Florida Press Association’s 2016 Better Weekly Newspaper Contest. The first-place awards include Best Headline (Jessica Eng); Portfolio Photography (Michael Eng); Sports Spot News Story (Steven Ryzewski); and Arts and Entertainment Reporting (Brittany Gaines). The paper also received 11 second-place awards and two third-place awards. The awards were presented during the Florida Media Conference Aug. 11 in Naples.
FOOTBALL FANFARE
School board member Pam Gould presented an option to move students to West Orange High’s Ninth-Grade Center. GABBY BAQUERO NEWS EDITOR
Although parents and Orange County Public Schools officials agree overcrowding continues to be a problem at Bridgewater Middle School, the best solution to that problem remains uncertain. During a community meeting held Monday, Aug. 21, District 4
School Board member Pam Gould proposed two options to alleviate overcrowding. One option involved adding about 30 more portables to the campus at a cost of $50,000, which already has 49 portables. The second option was to temporarily house students who would SEE BRIDGEWATER PAGE 6
Wolverine Nation came out in full force for Windermere High’s first football game. PAGE 3.