09.02.21 Southwest Orange Observer

SO U T H W EST O RA N G E

Observer Windermere, Horizon West, Dr. Phillips

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

VOLUME 6, NO. 46

FREE

•

The 2021 hurricane season is in full swing.

SEE PAGE 11.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

THE OTHER SIDE: One landlord’s

struggle through eviction moratoriums Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ended President Joe Biden’s eviction moratorium.

But a local landlord is hesitant to celebrate the ruling too soon. SEE STORY PAGE 6.

OPENING NUMBER Meet the theater veteran leading Horizon High’s program. PAGE 3.

WALKING MIRACLE

City leaders examine new budget

YOUR TOWN DISNEY REVEALS ANNUAL PASSES Walt Disney World announced it will be bringing back its annual passes.

The park will begin to offer a variety of options beginning Sept. 8.

There will be four new pass options available: n Disney Pixie Dust Pass Florida residents only; $399 plus tax. Allows guests to visit one or more parks on most weekdays with an advance reservation (includes block-out dates, including peak and holiday periods).

Can have up to three park reservations at a time n Disney Pirate Pass Florida residents only; $699 plus tax. Allows guests to visit one or more parks on most days with an advance reservation (includes blockout dates, including peak and holiday periods). Can have up to four park reservations at a time.

Winter Garden city commissioners will host two public hearings this month.

SEE PAGE 2.

REAL ESTATE

n Disney Sorcerer Pass Florida residents and Disney Vacation Club members only; $899 plus tax. Allows guests to visit one or more parks on most days with an advance reservation (Includes block-out dates on select days during select holiday periods). Can have up to five park reservations at a time. n Disney Incredi-Pass $1,299 plus tax. Allows guests to visit one or more parks on the same day with an advance park reservation.

There are no block-out dates.

Lakeshore Preserve home tops all Horizon West-area real-estate transactions.

SEE PAGE 8.

PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID WINTER GARDEN, FL PERMIT NO. 81

*****************ECRWSSEDDM****

Postal Customer

Courtesy photo

Tamara and Frank Zotti are grateful for the outpouring of love and assistance throughout his sudden medical journey.

Doctors are amazed Windermere resident Frank Zotti is alive and continuing to thrive after surviving an aneurysm Aug. 16. SEE PAGE 4.

All pass-holders will get free parking and save up to 20% on dining and merchandise. New perks will include access to bonus reservations and customization options for PhotoPass downloads or Water Park and Sports options.

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OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

Winter Garden holds 2021-22 budget workshop The City Commission will host two public budget hearings later this month.

JIM CARCHIDI ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Winter Garden city leaders focused on Fiscal Year 2021-22 with a budget workshop, held during the Aug. 26 City Commission meeting.

The proposed budget is based on a 4.5 millage rate, which was approved during the July 8 meeting. Projected revenues include a General Fund of $45,788,272 with taxes accounting for 56% of the total. Of that amount, 75% comes from an ad valorem tax revenue of $19,055,430.

The budget presentation

showed the ad valorem taxable value increased 7.5%, with an increase of about $1.3 million in ad valorem revenue.

The largest contributors to the proposed Enterprise Funds revenue of $22,830,186 are utilities, which account for $14,712,879, and solid waste, which account for $5,647,481.

Proposed capital projects in the amount of $4,496,263 include $1,386,789 for culture and recreation, $871,569 for the police department, $618,360 for the fire department and $680,860 for streets.

Assistant City Manager Frank Gilbert discussed citywide personnel requests, outlined in the budget, that call for the addition of two new parks supervisor positions — one for the Tucker Ranch project and one for Greenhouse Operations; a human resources manager position for Risk Management; and a mechanic position in Fleet Services.

Gilbert also proposed a 3% wage increase for city employees, as well as a “home growing” approach to filling open positions.

“We want to bring people in who meet our service philosophy and ask them to attend classes or attend training to get their certifications,” Gilbert said. “We can’t find people (who) have the full skills we need, and instead, we’re trying to bring people in (who) we can train and put into positions as they achieve their certifications and their licenses and even their college education.”

Assistant City Manager of Public Services Jon Williams noted several major projects for the next fiscal year, including the Dillard Street Improvement Project, Marsh Road traffic-calming improvements, citywide street resurfacing and Lakeview Reserve drainage improvements.

The first public budget hearing is set for the Sept. 15 City Commission meeting, with the second hearing scheduled for the Sept. 29 meeting.

TUCKER RANCH

Commissioners moved to give City Manager Mike Bollhoefer approval for a $1,010,530 proposal from HDLA for design and construction services for the Tucker Ranch Wellness Park.

“This will be a state-of-the-art park; there’s not a park like this anywhere else in the country,” Bollhoefer said.

Tucker Ranch aims to create a culture of health and wellness through a mind-body-soul concept. The plan will be developed in two phases, with each taking about 18 months to complete.

Construction is slated to begin this summer with a completion date of summer 2023.

Project partners are Healthy West Orange, Advent Health, Orlando Health, Shepherd’s Hope, American Heart Association, Community Health Centers, American Diabetes Association, UCP of Central Florida, Mental Health Association of Central Florida and others.

IN OTHER NEWS n Commissioners approved an agreement between the School Board of Orange County and city of Winter Garden to extend the current contract for the School Resource Office Program for one more school year. n The commission also approved several special events: Winter Garden Rotary Charity Poker Tournament (2 to 11:30 p.m. Oct. 1; City of Winter Garden Heritage and Music Festival (8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nov. 6); Masonic Lodge Fall Festival (11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 6); and the Winter Garden Community Choir Wine Walk (5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 6, 2022). n Commissioners approved a motion to lower the speed limit on Marsh Road to 25 mph. The move comes following a study that found 90% of eastbound traffic exceeding 35 mph, with 20% exceeding 45 mph. The study also showed 92% of westbound traffic exceeded 35 mph, with 46% exceeding 45 mph.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

advocators for the next year.”

He worked with the program for two years, watching the impact on attitudes and aptitudes.

“They had a graduation rate that was like 30%,” Wainwright said. “But with the arts initiative, that graduation rate almost doubled.”

A NEW KIND OF PROGRAM

Jim Carchidi

Nicholas Wainwright witnessed the positive influence of an arts program while teaching at an inner-city high school.

Curtain up!

Nicholas Wainwright believes the key to success in a performing arts program is collaboration.

JIM CARCHIDI ASSOCIATE EDITOR

N

icholas Wainwright grew up in theater productions, but his love for education began at an inner-city school.

“You have to try to explain your passion to students who look at you like you have six heads until, all of a sudden, they hear that first round of applause,” Wainwright said. “And then a light bulb goes off, and you see their growth.”

His journey provided ample preparation for his current role as the first drama director at Horizon High School.

Born in New Jersey to sup-

portive parents, Wainwright was encouraged at an early age to find his passion through trial and error.

“I call it the spaghetti technique,” he said. “They’d try and stick me everywhere and see where I actually stuck.”

TRIAL BY FIRE

After ruling out sports with a goal in his own team’s soccer net, he focused on the performing arts by trying out for variety shows at age 8.

“I was in a talent show at the Strand Theatre (in New Jersey) the same week they were doing auditions for ‘Mame,’” Wainwright said. “The director saw the talent

show and said I should come and audition.”

He landed a small role in that musical and went on to more projects that allowed him to hone his skills. Each new production came with new lessons, but a surprise challenge came at age 15 while working as the music director for a production of “Cinderella.”

“I was thrown to the wolves when the director left,” Wainwright said. “I had to take over, and (the cast) was older than me, and I just had to adapt quickly.”

He adapted so well to directing that it replaced performing as his passion. Wainwright sought new projects throughout high school and built a directing résumé that led him to enroll in the Directing, Playwriting and Production program at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

While earning his bachelor’s degree, a friend from the nearby Curtis Institute of Music reached out for some assistance with a new art initiative at South Philadelphia High School.

“It was so hard every day to keep explaining to students that seemingly didn’t care, until they did,” Wainwright said. “And once they did they were your biggest

Childhood vacations to Central Florida laid the groundwork for life after college. Theme parks provided endless opportunities for performers when Wainwright moved in 2018 to Orlando, but he was called back to teaching when tourism shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wainwright took the role of drama teacher at Narcoosee Middle School in 2020 and built its drama department. Later that year, he became a teaching artist at the Garden Theatre. And in May, Wainwright was invited to join the opening team at Horizon High School as drama director and instructor.

“The wonderful joy of opening a new program and a new school is that we are all new,” he said. “We all have our own experiences that we’re bringing here, but we decided that we are building something brand new for this district and for this community.”

Wainwright’s enthusiasm for his new position is equalled by his enthusiasm for Horizon’s entire performing arts staff.

“They are crazy talented … and they’re inspiring their students already,” Wainwright said. “We support each other, we’re all willing to adapt and embrace that this is a new school, and we want to establish it as a new kind of arts department program.”

As fun and challenging as performances may be, they are a backdrop to the greater good Wainwright knows can be achieved by having the arts in the curriculum.

“It doesn’t matter if my students leave here wanting to go to school for theater,” he said.

“They’re all learning skills that they can take outside of that medium and apply to other things.

It’s important to have at least one arts class whether it be theater, music, dance or visual arts. It just needs to be something that gets the creative mind working.”

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THE PRODUCTIONS Horizon High School’s first theater production will be Music Theatre International’s “All Together Now! A Global Event Celebrating Local Theatre.” Opening in November, the event allows schools and theaters around the world to produce and perform a musical revue featuring songs from Broadway productions with no licensing or royalty fees.

An original adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is scheduled for December in a production style called story theater.

“Narration and storytelling are in the foreground, and production elements come and go,” Drama Director Nicholas Wainwright said. “We have 16 actors (who) are playing multiple characters throughout the show.

They’ll change their costumes on stage, move the set pieces.

It’ll feel very raw.”

Wainwright is especially looking forward to the spring, when the school’s first musical production will open.

“We’re one of the first to be producing the SpongeBob musical after its Broadway run,” he said. “It’s a wonderful show about community and coming together, which is what the whole season is kind of about.”

Parents struggle with contact-tracing delays As COVID-19 cases rise throughout Orange County Public Schools campuses, so have lags in the information pipeline.

JIM CARCHIDI ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Parents monitoring updates to the Orange County Public Schools COVID-19 dashboard also have been counting the days between receiving confirmation of positive cases at their children’s school and quarantine notices.

According to an OCPS representative, school principals are supposed to send ConnectOrange phone calls and emails to notify anyone who has been in proximity of an individual with a positive test result and explain that contact

tracing by Florida Department of Health in Orange County will begin.

When contact tracing is complete, anyone identified as having been closely exposed to the individual who tested positive receives a quarantine letter from FDOHOrange.

Complaints and concerns, vented on Parent Teacher Student Organization message groups, have been accumulating, with many voices echoing similar stories of delays between the notifications.

“I received a call from the school on Friday, Aug. 20, that my son was in a class with someone (who) had COVID-19,” said one Lakeview Middle School parent, who asked to remain anonymous. “I followed up with the school, and they told me that the health department would contact me if my son needed to be tested or quarantined. If I

don’t receive a call, he is OK. “I never received a call from the health department, and (because) my son displayed no symptoms, he went to school yesterday, Aug 23,” the parent said. “Last night at 8:42 p.m., I received a recorded call from the school and an email (with a letter) stating that my son needed to be quarantined for one day and could return back to school on Aug. 25.”

The concern is that children could be at home with their families, out in the community and going to school for several days before the need to quarantine is communicated.

“It is taking four to five business days for them to issue quarantine, then a day for them to actually contact the families and quarantine the student,” said a Horizon West Middle School parent who also asked to remain anonymous.

“I believe the biggest issue for

contact has been the weekend. It seems to me that they don’t notify or trace over the weekend, which is causing more exposures.”

The contact-tracing process begins with an interview between a COVID patient and a public health professional to establish a chain of contacts who are then notified of possible exposure.

The consensus between FDOHOrange and OCPS is that staffers are simply overwhelmed by the current workload.

“The reality right now is that the number of cases is higher than our capacity to track in a four-day window as outlined in the emergency rule by DOH,” said Dr. Raul Pino, Director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, in an email. “We are taking the necessary steps to increase our capacity, but we are all competing for a very limited work force. Your concerns and the parents’ concerns are all valid.”

“Our operations staff is working with DOH not only to recruit some of our own staff to be extensions of DOH to help with contact tracing, but we’re also expediting the way that we notify parents (during) the contact tracing process,” Orange County School Board District 4 Pam Gould said.

Some parents also have reported confusion with the wording in the quarantine letters and point out inconsistencies in the dates when children can return to school after quarantine. Most letters seem to outline a quarantine of between four and five days while some state that children can return after one day as long as they show no symptoms.

A request for clarification from FDOH-Orange was not received before press time Tuesday, but parents are encouraged to address any concerns with their schools and FDOH-Orange.

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

OPINION

Will OCPS’ mask mandate achieve the desired result?

CONFIRMED CASES VS. OPT-OUT WEST ORANGE/SOUTHWEST ORANGE SCHOOLS Enrollment

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Bay Lake Bay Meadows Castleview Citrus Dr. Phillips Dillard Street Independence Keene’s Crossing Lake Whitney William S. Maxey Ocoee Palm Lake Prairie Lake Sand Lake Summerlake SunRidge Sunset Park Thornebrooke Tildenville Water Spring Westbrooke Whispering Oak Windermere Windy Ridge School K-8

634 640 723 449 691 490 800 998 526 393 612 623 754 571 973 632 795 593 530 1,094 522 1,035 600 1,078

44 84 77 27 174 97 140 195 112 12 49 66 2 63 199 40 126 1 54 125 28 227 185 83

6.9% 13.1% 10.7% 6% 25.2% 19.8% 17.5% 19.5% 21.3% 3.1% 8% 10.6% .3% 11% 20.5% 6.3% 15.8% .2% 10.2% 11.4% 5.4% 21.9% 30.8% 7.7%

2 5 15 4 7 4 8 6 6 8 15 13 13 5 16 18 15 6 13 20 11 10 11 18

5 0 0 3 1 2 3 5 0 2 3 4 3 2 1 3 2 3 0 4 3 0 0 1

1.1% .78% 2.07% 1.55% 1.16% 1.22% 1.38% 1.1% 1.14% 2.54% 2.94% 2.73% 2.12% 1.23% 1.75% 3.32% 2.14% 1.52% 2.45% 2.19% 2.68% .97% 1.83% 1.76%

MIDDLE SCHOOLS Bridgewater Chain of Lakes Gotha Horizon West Lakeview Ocoee Southwest SunRidge Water Spring

1,722 935 1,049 1,255 752 1,137 1,170 1,301 451

248 27 59 121 86 30 77 213 48

14.4% 2.9% 5.6% 9.6% 11.4% 2.6% 6.6% 16.4% 10.6%

13 10 17 19 25 11 12 18 3

2 1 2 2 2 3 2 3 0

.87% 1.18% 1.81% 1.67% 3.59% 1.23% 1.2% 1.61% .67%

2,916 1,224 949 2,425 2,908 2,611 2,990

114 233 48 82 97 451 628

3.9% 19% 5.1% 3.4% 3.3% 17.3% 21%

26 18 8 24 23 48 16

5 3 3 2 7 6 6

1.1% 1.72% 1.16% 1.07% 1.03% 2.07% .74%

School

MICHAEL ENG

U

ntil Monday, Aug. 30, parents of Orange County Public Schools students had the right to decide whether their children would wear masks in school.

Since the beginning of the year, the district operated under a mask mandate — but with an opt-out option.

Last week, the Orange County School Board eliminated that option.

Mask proponents cheered; mandate opponents jeered (Note: mandate opponents, not mask opponents. Grand Canyon-sized difference there).

The decision made me curious: Did data up to now show a correlation between the number of parents opting out of the previous mask mandate and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in each West Orange-area school? And more important: Will taking this decision away from parents actually make schools safer?

After all, according to data from Orange County Classroom Teachers Association — which, I may add, was published to rally against the opt-out option — given the choice, 92.4% of parents did not opt their children out of masks. That means only 7.6% did. Translation: According to the teachers union, of the 169,114 students enrolled in OCPS schools, only 12,884 of them opted out of masks.

Is the School Board really saying these 12,884 students are responsible for the rise in cases at OCPS schools? That’s the issue?

Not the three, four or more days of delay in communicating contact tracing (see page 3)? Not the overcrowded lunch periods, particularly at the high schools?

Not the ongoing bus delays that strand students at their respective schools on a daily basis?

It really is these 12,884 students?

A quick disclaimer: I’ve already heard the naysayers’ arguments against this data. It’s not enough data. These numbers can’t be right. There must be inaccuracies in the reporting.

And I agree: Since COVID-19 began, everyone in the news industry has been frustrated with incomplete, inaccurate and delayed statistics and information.

But alas, this is what we have.

This is all we have. So please take it with a heaping spoonful of salt.

Data from Orange County Public Schools’ COVID-19 Dashboard and the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association about West Orange and Southwest Orange OCPS schools do not show a correlation with the number of parents who have opted their children out of the

HIGH SCHOOLS Dr. Phillips Horizon Lake Buena Vista Ocoee Olympia West Orange Windermere

Opt-Out Percentage

Total confirmed cases since Aug. 2 Student Employee

Opt-Out Number

(%)

* Data as of Monday, Aug. 30

previous mask mandate.

For example, among the seven public high schools in West Orange and Southwest Orange, Windermere High School had the highest percentage of students opting out of the current mask mandate (21%). However, as of Monday, Aug. 30, its 22 confirmed COVID-19 cases (.74% of the total student population) is the lowest among all seven high schools.

SunRidge Middle had the highest percentage of students opting out of the mandate (16.4%). However, SunRidge Middle’s 21 confirmed cases since Aug. 2 (1.61% of the total student population) places it at No. 6 of the nine middle schools in West Orange and Southwest Orange. The highest percentage of confirmed cases (3.59%) in middle school belongs to Lakeview Middle, which reported an 11.4% opt-out percentage.

At the elementary school level, SunRidge Elementary tops all West Orange and Southwest

Orange elementary schools for the highest percentage of confirmed COVID-19 cases (3.32%).

However, SunRidge Elementary also has one of the lowest optout percentages among all West Orange and Southwest Orange elementary schools (6.3%).

Conversely, Windermere Elementary has the highest opt-out percentage of all area elementary schools (30.8%), but its 11 cases account for 1.83% of the total student population, placing it No. 13 among the area’s 24 elementary schools.

Those who go down the rabbit hole with me most certainly will be able to find data that conflicts with my analysis. For instance, West Orange High had the third-highest opt-out percentage (17.3%) and owns the highest percentage of confirmed cases (2.07%) among local high schools.

The point is this: As we move forward under this new mask mandate, I am not convinced this move will have the desired

effect. There are other, arguably more effective, ways to make the schools as safe as possible (again, please see page 3 for our contact-tracing story) — none of which require defying an executive order or interfering with the rights of parents.

Furthermore, as the Delta variant surge crests and begins to recede (fingers crossed), I am optimistic we will see some relief, as well.

So, as we move forward, I implore everyone — parents, teachers, district officials — to keep our students at the center of every decision made. Don’t make decisions because other districts have done so. Don’t use students as pawns for protest. And don’t be so tunnel-visioned that you end up believing your way is the only way. We teach our children to use their brains, to think critically, to consider every angle.

Perhaps we should take our own advice.

Observer “If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944 President and CEO / Matt Walsh, mwalsh@yourobserver.com Editor and Publisher / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com Design Editor / Jessica Eng, jeng@OrangeObserver.com Community Editor / Amy Quesinberry, amyq@OrangeObserver.com Associate Editor / Jim Carchidi, jcarchidi@OrangeObserver.com Sports Editor /Chris Martucci, cmartucci@OrangeObserver.com Staff Writer / Annabelle Sikes, asikes@OrangeObserver.com Multimedia Advertising Executives / Ann Carpenter, acarpenter@OrangeObserver.com Iggy Collazo, iggy@OrangeObserver.com Cyndi Gustafson, advertising@OrangeObserver.com Creative Services / Lindsay Cannizzaro, lcannizzaro@OrangeObserver.com Advertising Operations Manager / Allison Brunelle, abrunelle@OrangeObserver.com

CONTACT US

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OrangeObserver.com

The Oakland Town Commission held a regular meeting following the traffic workshop.

n Town Manager Steve Koontz announced the developer interested in building an apartment complex on West Colonial Drive in Oakland has withdrawn the application and will keep it withdrawn.

This decision was made following last week’s Planning & Zoning meeting, where about 50 residents showed up to protest the project and 45 others attended virtually. n The commission approved several public hearings, including one pertaining to land vacation on North Brock Street for the construction of a new well. n The commission proclaimed Sept.

15 through Oct. 15 Hispanic Heritage Month and September National Preparedness Month.

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Oakland considers lowering speed limits The results of a study that examined data such as traffic patterns and crashes was presented to the commission.

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

n Commissioners approved the revised Phase 7 South Subdivision Plan for Oakland Park, which will have 70 homesites. The changes resulted in a slight reduction in lot yield but an increase in park area and trees saved; minimizes the site work based on topography; added 10-foot landscape and fence easement and a 20-foot drainage swale to accommodate offsite drainage from adjacent homesites in Winters Landing; and wider roads for parking.

“We were asked to widen the roads for on-street parking, which will slow down traffic and allow space for guests,” said Debra Dremann, Oakland Park general manager. “(Among other changes), a large specimen tree was in the middle of a planned road – instead of removing it they created a tree island.”

“We appreciate you working with us and the diligence you’ve put into this,” Commissioner Mike Satterfield said to Dremann.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

The Oakland Police Department handled 56 traffic crashes — about half of those with injuries — in the last five years in an area bound by West Colonial to the south, Lake Apopka to the north, Machete Trail to the west and the Winters Landing Drive to the east.

This averages to 11 crashes a year, and town officials say this is too many. They are seeking solutions to the issue of speeding vehicles and crashes and are looking at ways to create short-term improvements.

Myra Monreal, engineer, planner and traffic consultant with Myra Planning and Design, attended a workshop Aug. 24 to present to the Oakland Town Commission the results of a traffic study performed by her transportation firm.

“We learn from the behavior, what’s occurring on your roadways,” Monreal said. “We also look at peak profiles and take a snapshot of how fast vehicles are moving.”

Her firm, along with Oakland staff, took traffic counts at seven locations: Starr Street, Tubb Street and Winters Landing; three locations on Oakland Avenue; as well as a site on the West Orange Trail.

They looked at volume and speed and took into consideration whether it was a paved or unpaved road. In one 24-hour period, unpaved Starr saw 184 vehicles, paved Winters Landing had 412, and Oakland Avenue had between 3,000 and 5,000. Bicycles were

included in the vehicle count.

Monreal said she looks at the three E’s: education (signage), enforcement (by police) and engineering (design) and the town is doing a great job with these.

Her presentation included several recommendations. She suggested more consistent speed limits throughout the town; Oakland currently has speed limits of 15, 20, 25 and 35 in different areas of town.

“Research shows that if you have a 20 mph speed limit, if there was to be a crash with a pedestrian, nine out of 10 times they are going to survive,” Monreal said.

She also recommended several

small changes to Oakland Avenue, especially on the west side from the curve at Machete Trail heading toward West Colonial Drive. Her suggestions included shorter turn lanes, landscape islands, tactile warning devices such as rumble strips before stop signs, more fourway stops and lowering the speed limit.

Reducing the speed from 35 mph to 20 mph on a road like Oakland is asking a lot, Monreal said, but it would be manageable to lower it to 25 mph now and reconsider lowering it again in the future.

“I don’t think there’s anybody in Oakland who’s going to argue

against lowering speed limits in town,” Mayor Kathy Stark said. “I like the idea of turn-lane planters and tree canopies and things that just kind of slow the traffic down.”

The commission also discussed the need to address construction vehicles and delivery trucks on the dirt roads.

Monreal said this will be less of an issue and easier to prohibit once the additional roadway networks come in that connect West Colonial to Oakland Avenue via the extensions of Starr Street and Katherine Ross Road.

The commission made no decisions because this was a workshop.

“COMPLETE STREETS” COMMUNITY MEETING The town is holding two planned public meetings for residents to give input about their desire for the future character of Oakland Avenue and Tubb Street.

The first is at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2, at the Oakland Meeting Hall, 221 N. Arrington St. GAI’s Community Solutions Group, the town’s contractor specializing in planning and landscape design, will provide a presentation on a “Complete Streets” design based on data collection and evaluation. At about 6:45 p.m., GAI will lead a walking audit from the fountain on Tubb Street to Oakland Avenue.

This half-hour walking tour intends to highlight issues and potential design improvements as well as listen to residents’ ideas along the corridor. Water, masks and hand sanitizer will be provided.

The project extends along Oakland Avenue from the proposed west roundabout at State Road 50 to Winters Landing/Katherine Ross Road (old Motamassek Road) and Tubb Street from Gulley Avenue to West Colonial Drive for a total project length of 2.52 miles.

As a next step to the town’s Master Mobility Management Plan, this project will develop detailed concepts for pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle circulation improvements.

These plans will provide a basis for the final design and construction of future improvements.

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IN OTHER NEWS

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

Resident survives brain bleed AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

F

rank Zotti doesn’t typically get headaches, so when he had a severe one after his wife Tamara left the house on the morning of Aug. 16, he knew he needed to call for help.

The phone call to his wife ended up saving his life.

The headache was actually a brain bleed. He made it to the hospital, and through a battery of tests, doctors were able to locate and coil the aneurysm. Frank Zotti remained in the hospital for 12 days — a much shorter stay than doctors expected — while he was treated for a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

“He said he felt the pressure go up his spine, and his head filled with fluid,” Tamara Zotti said.

“Doctors and nurses all said that if he didn’t call me to come and get him, and if he had just taken a pain reliever, he would not have survived. When released from the hospital, Frank will be unable to work for at least a month, maybe two — if all goes well.”

Frank Zotti, 49, is the owner

Courtesy photo

Frank Zotti, pictured in his hospital bed with his wife, Tamara, was in the hospital for 12 days following a brain bleed.

of Zotti Woodwork & Design.

Tamara Zotti previously worked at Windermere Prep and currently is active in volunteer work in the community.

“The doctors are telling him, ‘I don’t know how you’re able to get up, how you’re able to walk this floor.’

They said, ‘You do realize you are a small miracle sitting here with us.’”

— Tamara Zotti, wife of Frank Zotti

OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT

Friends jumped at the chance to do something for the woman who always is doing something for others.

Family friend Sarah Ruggieri has organized a GoFundMe page for the family.

“Let’s pull together and support this amazing family as Frank, Tamara and their children navigate through the healing process from this experience,” she wrote on the fundraising page. “Let’s pull together and ease the inevi-

table financial burden the Zotti family will be experiencing with loss of work and mounting hospital bills.”

Donations have been pouring in — but the medical bills are coming in just as quickly.

Two others who have been there for the Zottis are Danielle Newbold, of Miles to Go, and Shannon Connelly-Gunn.

Tamara Zotti has been amazed by the outpouring of support from the community. One sizable donation that came in was from the family of a former student.

“For what we’re going through, it definitely makes you see there are so many good people,” Tamara Zotti said. “You just pass people and you think, maybe I smiled at them. But … you definitely sit back and think, ‘Wow.’” The women in their neighborhood organized a meal train and offered to pick up her children from school.

“We are very grateful, and it’s extending a lot of grace to us,” she said. “I can’t describe the feeling of what I’m feeling from friends and community as far as the GoFundMe page. It’s pretty humbling to have friends — and people you don’t know — try to get you out of this situation.”

‘YOU ARE HERE’

The Zottis received good news on Monday: Frank’s bloodwork was normal, and he was released from the hospital and able to go straight

HOW TO HELP

To make a monetary donation to Frank and Tamara Zotti to help with his medical expenses, go to bit.ly/3kCQ3I30.

home, bypassing all rehabilitation centers.

Doctors have not cleared him to return to work yet, and that could be one or two months.

“The doctors are telling him, ‘I don’t know how you’re able to get up, how you’re able to walk this floor,’” Tamara Zotti said. “They said, ‘You do realize you are a small miracle sitting here with us.’

He said, ‘If I’ve been given a second chance then I need to fight.’”

Frank Zotti was still mourning the recent death of his mother when the brain bleed hit.

“When I say his mom was in that room protecting him, making him strong, I believe it,” Tamara Zotti said. “I tell my friends he’s like an enigma right now. First, he survived it. I pass people in the halls, and they’re on respirators.

Then I look at him and think that could have been you. I don’t know what happened, but you are here.”

Doctors have told him that the headache actually saved his life. They have done numerous tests, and nothing came back out of the ordinary.

“I don’t know where the fight came in him,” Tamara Zotti said.

“Maybe because his mom passed away and we have two children and he’s like my little enigma, I tell him.”

Windermere post office renamed after officer Robbie German Robbie German was killed in the line of duty on March 22, 2014, at 31.

ANNABELLE SIKES STAFF WRITER

The town of Windermere on Sunday, Aug. 29, hosted a special ceremony in order to honor fallen Windermere Police Department officer Robert German.

The main part of the ceremony included the renaming of the post office in Windermere, on Conroy Windermere Road to the Officer Robert German Post Office Building.

U.S. Rep. Val Demings led the ceremony and spoke about her

Windermere Police Department officer Robert “Robbie” German

appreciation for Officer German on Twitter.

“Officer Robert German was known for his service and com-

mitment,” she wrote. “He turned down other jobs to stay in the community he loved.”

German on March 22, 2014, was shot and killed in the line of duty.

He graduated from Lake Mary High School and Seminole State College Law Enforcement Academy.

Windermere Police Chief Dave Ogden said it’s important to keep German’s legacy alive.

“Today is just yet another day we get to see the community honor a hero and remember his wonderful legacy,” Ogden said at the ceremony.

German’s parents also attended the ceremony and honored their son with a plaque in dedication to his memory.

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U.S. Rep. Val Demings spoke at the ceremony Sunday, Aug. 29, to honor Robbie German.

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Landlord shares struggles AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

The pandemic has created a trickle-down effect for millions of people across the state. People have lost their jobs and their homes, businesses have folded, and many folks are struggling.

But there’s another segment of the population that has been affected and frequently is overlooked: the landlords.

Prior to March 2020, Angie Khoury and her husband, Jason, had 13 single-family rental properties, including two in Winter Garden. Last year was to be the shift from buying and renovating homes to actually building some capital, she said.

SURVIVAL MODE

In September 2020, an eviction moratorium was ordered to keep landlords from forcing out their tenants for non-payment. But what helped the tenants hurt the property owners, Khoury said.

Currently, her tenants collectively are $64,000 behind in rent payments.

The Orange County Emergency

“The bills and repairs don’t just go away because people aren’t paying their rent.”

LOSE-LOSE-LOSE SITUATION

To stay financially above water, Khoury has had to sell some of her rental properties.

“All this hard work and energy we’ve put into it … it’s emotionally draining,” she said. “Selling half of them would lift a weight, and it would reduce the risk. I do have tenants who have paid, and they have carried me though this — but this is not sustainable.”

Khoury said she was not opposed to the eviction moratorium when it was first announced.

“Whenever we saw that it started to continue and it kept being extended and extended and extended, that’s when I had to make some tough decisions,” she said.

Khoury has some tenants who continued to pay their rent on time, others who struggled but managed to get the rent paid and others who simply stopped paying their rent because they were legally allowed to.

“The sad thing is even without the eviction moratorium, I would have never evicted … the ones who reached out,” Khoury said. “I don’t blame the tenants at all. I feel like it was just so poorly managed (by) the government. They were so quick to get on unemployment and to offer the PPP, but with this, I feel like they’re actually creating a bigger crisis. … I have one tenant who is almost $14,000 in the hole — and that’s just one.”

Also feeling the effects is her property manager, who gets paid

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— Angie Khoury

Rental Assistance Program was set up to provide $33.4 million of federal funds — up to $20,000 per renter — to assist residents unable to pay their rent because of loss of income related to COVID-19 and who were at risk of eviction.

But there were qualifications — and it wouldn’t cover tenants who simply stopped paying their rent after the eviction moratorium was set in place, which was the case for some of Khoury’s renters.

She found herself in survival mode.

As the pandemic continued, Khoury lost her job as a yoga instructor, and her husband, who works in Hilton Hotels’ banquet industry, was furloughed. He returned to the job in September but was working an average of just one event per month.

Khoury said she understands many of her tenants have been financially devastated and would have worked with them before evicting them.

“When a tenant doesn’t pay rent, I’m not a heartless person, but at the same time, 18 months now, it’s getting pretty long,” she said of the moratorium.

When Orange County offered a rental assistance grant, Khoury and her property manager sent applications and information to her tenants; only one initially applied.

“We’re average, middle-class people,” she said. “We’re not living this lavish lifestyle. It’s been tough. I have a heart. … I’m not trying to put people out.”

TIMELINE MARCH 2020: Lockdown begins; Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act to aid individuals and businesses affected by COVID-19. It provided a 120-day moratorium on eviction filings and other protections for tenants, which expired July 24, 2020.

SEPT. 4, 2020: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order temporarily halting evictions in the United States. This order was extended numerous times, expiring in July 2021.

AUG. 3: The Biden administration directed the CDC to set another extension.

AUG. 26: The Supreme Court voted against the Biden eviction ban, blocking the CDC from enforcing the federal moratorium on evicting renters during the pandemic.

her 8% after Khoury receives her rent money. She has employees who work for her, Khoury said, and she also has other portfolios besides Khoury’s.

“It’s an extremely stressful situation,” Khoury said. “It’s a lose-lose-lose situation for all of us. … I went from a really good excitement … to a survival mode.

It’s heartbreaking for the tenants, too. I hesitate to say I’m against the eviction moratorium, because it was a good thing. It’s just going to create more debt.”

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

7

‘WE’RE JUST ORDINARY PEOPLE’

There has been a bit of good news for Khoury in the last week.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Aug. 26 voted against President Joe Biden’s latest eviction moratorium extension. The decision blocks the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from enforcing the moratorium on evicting renters.

However, Khoury said she isn’t celebrating just yet.

“I’m kind of in a sit-and-see situation because … they said evictions could resume not too long ago, and then it was reversed,” she said. “How long are we going to play this game of back and forth?”

Locally, Khoury has found some recent relief in the form of Orange County’s grant program.

“One tenant had applied for and got approved … for her entire back rent (four months) that she hadn’t paid,” she said. “And they approved three months in advance, too, which was pretty awesome.”

Another tenant who was 12 months behind in rent has applied, as well, but an influx of applications means approval could take a while, she said.

“The thing that shocks me the most is I think I gave myself enough padding, when buying the homes and doing repairs,” she said. “I created such a padding in the amount of rate of return that if I had a huge repair come up, it was OK. I never thought in my wildest dreams that the government would be literally tying our hands.

“This is my career; this is how I pay my bills,” she said. “It’s not like we’re a huge corporation.

We’re just ordinary people trying to get by, as well.”

OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

Windermere home sells for $2.45 million A home in the town of

residential real-estate

The home at 12564 Foynes Ave., Windermere, sold Aug. 20, for $402,000. Built in 2009, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,912 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

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LAKESHORE PRESERVE

Windermere topped

all West Orange-area

The home at 15660 Shorebird Lane, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 18, for $800,000. Built in 2017, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 4,070 square feet of living area.

Days on market: 19.

14 to 20.

The home at 20 Main St., Windermere, sold Aug. 20, for $2.45 mil-

ORCHARD HILLS

lion. Built in 2003, it has

4,759 square feet of liv-

The home at 20 Main St., Windermere, sold Aug. 20, for $2.45 million. This resort-style home features 200 feet of lake frontage on Wauseon Bay has its own sand private beach.

The home at 14354 Orchard Hills Blvd., Winter Garden, sold Aug. 16, for $460,000.

Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,737 square feet of living area. Days on market: 21.

ing area. Days on market:

GOTHA

PEACHTREE PARK

96.

community in West

The home at 10372 Oakview Pointe Terrace, Gotha, sold Aug. 18, for $680,000. Built in 2002, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,323 square feet of living area. Days on market: Four.

Orange.

SADDLEBROOK

five bedrooms, three-

The home at 10230 Windermere Chase Blvd., Gotha, sold

The home at 15544 Fort Clatsop Crescent, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 19, for $500,000.

Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,257 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

LAKE HANCOCK PRESERVE

The home at 14385 Breda Center Loop, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 16, for $385,000. Built in

The townhouse at 12726 Salomon Cove Drive, Windermere, sold Aug. 16, for $315,000.

Built in 2010, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 1,644 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two. LAKES OF WINDERMERE

The home at 12642 Cragside Lane, Windermere, sold Aug. 20, for $410,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,972 square feet of living area. Days on market: 14.

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The home at 8144 Gray Kingbird Drive, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 19, for $405,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,765 square feet of living area. Days on market: Five.

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The home at 13960 Ivory Gardenia Ave., Windermere, sold

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The home at 8790 Peachtree Park Court, Windermere, sold Aug. 20, for $585,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 2,896 square feet of living area.

Days on market: Four.

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The home at 1636 Thoroughbred Drive, Gotha, sold Aug. 13, for $380,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,683 square feet of living area. Days on market: 25.

Aug. 19, for $505,000. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,724 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two.

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Aug. 17, for $425,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,085 square feet of living area. Days on market: 16.

VINEYARDS AT HORIZON WEST

The home at 6710 Bridgewater Village Road, Windermere, sold Aug. 16, for $550,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 2,710 square feet of living area.

Days on market: One. WATERLEIGH

$450,000. Built in 2011, it has five bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 3,070 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

MEADOW RIDGE

The home at 438 Anessa Rose Loop, Ocoee, sold Aug. 17, for $545,000. Built in 2008, it has four bedrooms, three baths, two half-baths and 3,170 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two.

The home at 10222 Merrymeeting Bay Drive, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 19, for $725,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 2,758 square feet of living area.

Days on market: Five.

OCOEE LANDINGS

WINDERMERE LANDINGS

REFLECTIONS

WINDERMERE SOUND

WESTYN BAY

The home at 6000 Roseate Spoonbill Drive, Windermere, sold Aug. 20, for $897,000. Built in 2012, it has six bedrooms, five baths and 4,712 square feet of living area. Days on market: 78.

The home at 7481 Fairgrove Ave., Windermere, sold Aug. 16, for $479,000. Built in 2015, it has five bedrooms, four-and-onehalf baths and 2,961 square feet of living area. Days on market: 11.

WINDERMERE TERRACE

The home at 13312 Longacre Drive, Windermere, sold Aug. 16, for $420,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,063 square feet of living area. Days on market: Six. WINDERMERE TRAILS

The home at 12184 Canyon Sun Trail, Windermere, sold Aug. 16, for $425,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,154 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

The home at 8332 Bryce Canyon Ave., Windermere, sold Aug. 20, for $400,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 1,839 square feet of living area. Days on market: Six.

OCOEE

CROSS CREEK

The home at 1927 Ibis Bay Court, Ocoee, sold Aug. 18, for $405,000. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,224 square feet of living area.

Days on market: Two. The home at 1063 Shimmering Sand Drive, Ocoee, sold Aug. 20, for $409,900. Built in 1996, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,387 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two. The home at 625 Palio Court, Ocoee, sold Aug. 16, for $525,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths, two half-baths and 3,227 square feet of living area. Days on market: Eight.

WINDSOR LANDING

The home at 221 Calliope St., Ocoee, sold Aug. 20, for $679,900. Built in 2004, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,735 square feet of living area.

Days on market: 16.

WEST ORANGE

ESTATES AT WINDERMERE

The home at 2533 Ridgewind Way, Windermere, sold Aug. 19, for $695,000. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,738 square feet of living area. Days on market: 13.

OXFORD MOOR

The home at 5711 Oxford Moor Blvd., Windermere, sold Aug. 16, for $1.575 million. Built in 2006, it has five bedrooms, five-and-one-half baths and 5,486 square feet of living area.

Days on market: Two.

The home at 2327 Wickdale Court, Ocoee, sold Aug. 16, for $408,000. Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,576 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

PROVIDENCE

FORESTBROOKE

SEE REAL ESTATE PAGE 10

The home at 249 Otter Tail Court, Ocoee, sold Aug. 20, for

The home at 13426 Fossick Road, Windermere, sold Aug. 19, for $440,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,516 square feet of living area. Days on market: 21.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

9

10

OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

REAL ESTATE

WINDERMERE

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CHURCH OF GOD

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The home at 750 W. Second Ave., Windermere, sold Aug. 20, for $1.74 million. Built in 1964, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,652 square feet of living area. Days on market: One.

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The home at 1143 English Garden Lane, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 20, for $549,995. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,962 square feet of living area. Days on market: 24.

COOPER AND SEWELL ADDITION

The home at 136 N. Highland Ave., Winter Garden, sold Aug. 17, for $715,000. Built in 1914, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,867 square feet of living area. Days on market: 26.

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The home at 14326 Hampshire Bay Circle, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 19, for $700,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,599 square feet of living area.

Days on market: 138.

CAMBRIDGE CROSSING

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The home at 4205 Clarice Court, Windermere, sold Aug. 18, for $1.625 million. Built in 2006, it has seven bedrooms, eightand-one-half baths and 7,042 square feet of living area. Days on market: 32.

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LAKE CLARICE PLANTATION

The home at 2119 Water Key Drive, Windermere, sold Aug. 18, for $1.35 million. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,370 square feet of living area. Days on market: Seven.

EPISCOPAL

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The home at 5373 Isleworth Country Club Drive, Windermere, sold Aug. 18, for $2.4 million. Built in 1988, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 5,372 square feet of living area. Days on market: 17.

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The home at 13797 Jomatt Loop, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 19, for $785,000. Built in 2017, it has five bedrooms, four-and-onehalf baths and 3,896 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two. HERITAGE AT PLANT STREET

The townhouse at 692 Orange Belt Loop, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 17, for $420,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 1,567 square feet of living area.

Days on market: Two. JOHNS LAKE POINTE

The home at 15116 Dragon Fly Court, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 18, for $486,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,449 square feet of living area. Days on market: Five.

MAGNOLIA WOOD

The home at 1413 Coluso Drive, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 17, for $521,000. Built in 1977, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 2,521 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two. OAKLAND TRAILS

The home at 2551 Sky Stone Court, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 17, for $500,000. Built in 2019, it has five bedrooms, threeand-one-half baths and 3,179 square feet of living area. Days on market: 32.

STONEYBROOK WEST

The home at 2327 Black Lake Blvd., Winter Garden, sold Aug. 18, for $500,000. Built in 2006, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 2,798 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two. The home at 1340 Portmoor Way, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 20, for $400,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,727 square feet of living area. Days on market: Four.

WATERSIDE

The home at 1577 Bayfront Park Alley, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 17, for $417,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,106 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two.

OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

|

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

2021 HURRICANE SEASON Orange County stresses generator safety Although generators can provide power following a storm, they also can be dangerous if used improperly.

GENERATOR TIPS n Follow all instructions that come with your generator. n Never use a generator indoors or in partially enclosed spaces. n Never run a generator in areas where people or animals are present. n Connect a generator to the appliances with heavy-duty extension cords. n Never store fuel for your generator in your house, and do not store fuels near a fuel-burning appliance such as a stove or water heater.

COURTESY OF ORANGE COUNTY

After a major hurricane, you may find yourself without power. One way to restore some power to your home is by using a portable generator. Although generators are extremely useful tools, they also can be extremely dangerous if not used correctly.

Orange County is asking residents to take a moment to review these important generator safety tips to be safe this hurricane season.

First, review the owner’s manual and follow all instructions that come with your generator.

Placement of the generator is also critical; you should never use one indoors or in partially enclosed spaces — even those with partial ventilation.

Never run a generator in areas where people or animals are present. Opening doors and windows or using fans will not prevent carbon monoxide build-up in the home.

“Carbon monoxide fumes emitted by the exhaust cannot be smelled or seen and can be fatal, especially to those who are sleeping,” Orange County Fire Chief James Fitzgerald said. “If you start to feel sick, dizzy or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air as soon as possible.

Courtesy of Orange County

Residents always should have a carbon monoxide alarm when operating a portable generator.

If you experience serious symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.”

Always connect a generator to the appliances with heavy-duty extension cords. Hooking up your generator directly into your home power supply could energize the outside power lines and electrocute an unwary utility worker. If you must connect the generator through the house wiring to power appliances, use a qualified and licensed electrician to install

an appropriate power transfer switch.

Last, never store fuel for your generator in your house, and do not store fuels near a fuel-burning appliance such as a stove or water heater. Before refueling the generator, turn it off and let it cool down. Gasoline spilled on a hot engine can ignite.

For more information on generator safety and how to prepare for a hurricane, visit ocfl.net/ storm.

HURRICANE SEASON STORM NAMES 1. Ana (tropical storm) May 22 to 23 2. Bill (tropical storm) June 14 to 16 3. Claudette (tropical storm) June 19 to 22 4. Danny (tropical storm) June 28 to 29 5. Elsa (hurricane) July 1 to 9 6. Fred (tropical storm) Aug. 11 to 18 7. Grace (hurricane) Aug. 13 to 21 8. Henri (hurricane) Aug. 16 to 23) 9. Ida (hurricane) Aug. 27 to 31) 10. Julian 11. Kate 12. Larry 13. Mindy 14. Nicholas 15. Odette 16. Peter 17. Rose 18. Sam 19. Teresa 20. Victor 21. Wanda

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

The importance of hiring a licensed contractor Often, the cheapest option ultimately may cost you the most in the long run.

HOW TO HIRE A CONTRACTOR n Avoid door-to-door solicitors.

COURTESY OF ORANGE COUNTY

During post-storm cleanup, unsuspecting consumers can be easy prey for unlicensed contractors whose bids almost inevitably will be much lower than bids from licensed contractors. The strong appeal of saving money can be overwhelming, but buyers must beware. The cheapest contractor available may be the one who will cost the most in the long run.

Most people don’t understand the risks and therefore don’t do the proper background checks on contractors, and they often end up regretting it. Having a license is critical, because it protects both parties from anything that may go wrong during the process.

Unlicensed contractors have advantages that enable them to provide the lowest prices. They don’t have to pay licensing fees; don’t have to obtain a bond to protect their work; and, more often than not, don’t purchase liability or workers compensation insurance. Without these added expenses, the unlicensed contractor can provide their services at a rate lower than the legitimately licensed professional, but it puts the consumer at risk.

If you hire an unlicensed con-

n Insist on references, a proper license, bonding and insurance. n Check out credentials. n Make sure the contract can be broken if you don’t receive financing.

File photo

When hiring a contractor, make sure he or she has a proper license, bonding and insurance.

tractor and he or she falls off a ladder while doing work at your business or house, you’re liable.

An unlicensed contractor also may try to cut corners on the work, because he or she doesn’t have to adhere to building codes.

So if a hurricane or even a severe thunderstorm hits, your house or business may not hold up to Florida weather conditions.

The goal of the Orange County Consumer Fraud Office is to investigate consumer complaints and work to resolve them through mediation. The office also can issue citations, refer the complaint to other appropriate

agencies and even press criminal charges against the egregious party.

Although many of these contractors are just too lazy and cheap to get their licenses, some are real criminals who will take your money without doing the work and even steal your property. These are organized criminals who canvas neighborhoods and business areas to lure you in with cheap prices.

Although fraud may not adhere to geographical boundaries, the good news is that specific Florida laws protect property owners from incompetent or dishonest

contractors. The state-licensing process tests basic competency and also screens out dishonest contractors. A valid license is the first indication your contractor may be qualified to do the job.

For more information on the Orange County Consumer Fraud Office and how you can protect yourself from fraud, visit orangecountyfl.net, call (407) 836-2490 or 311 or email fraudhelp@sao9.org.

The home repair/construction complaint form also can be found at ocfl.net/fraud. You can report unlicensed contractors by calling (407) 836-5960.

n Hire a contractor with a real office, not just a post office box address.

Source: Orange County Consumer Fraud Office

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OBSERVER

WEST ORANG E HISTO RY

OrangeObserver.com

THESE OLD TIMES

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FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION

All Orange County school children had to be within the boundaries of the county two weeks prior to the opening of school due to polio and other diseases.

The engagement of Miss Doris Tyson to Clarence Heidt, son of Mr. and Mrs. T.E. Heidt, of Winter Garden, was announced

by Mr. and Mrs. T.W. Tyson, of Barton. Friends of the couple were invited to attend the wedding Sept. 7 in Barton.

Cpl. Tom Raden, who had returned from Korea, received his discharge at Camp Rucker, Alabama. Following his discharge, Raden and his wife spent a few days at Safety Harbor and Clearwater.

Miss Jackie Humphries, former student at Lakeview High, was made secretary to Principal James Garland at the school.

George Bray, Tye Youngblood, Malcolm McMillan and Elmer Youngblood spent the week deep-sea fishing in the gulf.

FROM THE ARCHIVES This south-to-north (from left to right) view of Tildenville School Road was photographed from the South Lake Apopka Citrus Growers Association’s water tower almost a century ago. The beautiful Luther Willis Tilden home, known today as Meadow Marsh, is seen at upper left. Continuing north along the road, the structures at lower left no longer stand, though a barn constructed shortly afterward by the Hurley family survives today. The small buildings on the west side of the road are long gone; the structure at left was owned by the Sam Williams family, and the one at the right was possibly expanded as the two-story dorm for packinghouse workers. (The South Lake packinghouse is to the far right, out of view.) The large field, planted with rows of vegetables, was partly sold to South Lake for the site of an office that was built around 1925; it still stands today at the repurposed complex.

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.

45 years ago

Robyne Teal, West Orange High School’s drum major, won first place in the drum major competition at the Heart of Dixie Halftime Camp held at Auburn University.

THROWBACK THURSDAY AUG. 19, 1971 School has started! Do you have all your back-to-school outfits? If you were a student in August 1971, then you might have hit up Griffin’s Menswear on Plant Street for the latest fashions. Did you wear the Jarman shoe brand?

Your options were chocolate brown or honeycomb in styles such as The Rube, Desert Boots, The Primitive and The Klunk.

Griffin’s Menswear was a frequent advertiser in The Winter Garden Times.

80 years ago

70 years ago

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

YMCA Director Ben Hargrove made plans for the kickoff dance at the West Orange Youth Center in Winter Garden with Teen Council officers Wes Rutherford, president, and Marcia Roberson, vice president.

30 years ago

It was back to school for thousands of local students, including the 1,350 pupils who would be attending the new Southwest Middle. Two new principals were announced at local schools, as well: Sarah Jane Turner at

West Orange High and Jennifer Reeves at Ocoee Middle.

20 years ago

Orange County Public Schools celebrated the opening of a new relief high school, Olympia, in West Orange County.

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

OCPS IMPLEMENTS MASK MANDATE Orange County Public Schools students now are required to wear masks.

The Orange County School Board on Tuesday, Aug. 24, directed Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins to implement the mask mandate, which removes the opt-out option parents had at the beginning of the school year.

The new mandate is in place for 60 days, through Oct. 30.

School Board District 4 Pam Gould said she was in favor of moving forward with action against the option in the meeting.

She spoke of vulnerable children with a higher risk of being exposed to the virus.

“Right now, our ability to protect those kids and provide them education is not there,” she said.

The issue has become a particularly polarizing topic among parents in recent weeks, and many were quick to offer their opinion on the OCPS’ decision.

One parent said she recently moved to Florida because of the freedom it offered to her children.

“Moved here from Hawaii just over a week ago to allow my kids to play sports and not wear a mask in school,” Kaili Walters said. “I’m not a happy mama right now.”

Some also wrote in support of the School Board’s decision.

“Kudos to the board for following the science and looking out for the most vulnerable,” Ali Elhajj wrote.

Students will be able to opt out of the mask mandate through a medical exception only if they have an authorized note from a doctor.

SHARYN STIEGLITZ, WATER SPRING MIDDLE SCHOOL Sharyn Stieglitz not only is the first school counselor at Water Spring Middle School, but also she has the honor of being its first Teacher of the Year. Her responsibilities include communicating and forming positive relationships with students, parents and staff. She will make sure students have the proper classes needed for graduation, and plans to help out as needed in other areas.

What brought you to your school?

There were two major factors that brought me to Water Spring Middle School. First, I wanted to have the opportunity to work and serve in the community in which I live. The second reason is our principal, Mrs. (Laura) Beusse. She was the principal at my former school, and when I heard she was going to be opening the school, I wanted to continue to work under her leadership.

What do you love most about your school?

We are located on a high school campus, which gives the middle school students a unique experience. Our sixth-graders will move to the new middle school campus when it opens in August 2023 as eighth-graders. The seventh- and eighth-graders will attend classes on the Horizon High School campus throughout their middle school and high school years. These students have the opportunity to make this place their home for the next five or six years. They will help build foundations and traditions. I look forward to attending graduation ceremonies, having watched my students grow and achieve their goals throughout the years.

REPORT CARD

What is your motivation?

The students. I want to make a difference in as many lives as possible, and I love working with future generations to help shape a better tomorrow.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Seeing my students succeed. There’s nothing more heartwarming for me than watching a student overcome obstacles or get accepted to a dream college and know I had a small part in their educational journey.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, going to Disney World, concerts, sports games, and working out.

Who was your favorite teacher in school?

I’m thankful to have had many teachers throughout my life who made an impact on me as a student and future educator. The two who stand out most are my middle and high school counselors.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to be an educator.

Both my parents and grandmothers were teachers. My parents actually met at the teacher’s union. I would go with my dad to “Take Your Child to Work Day” and loved being in the school setting on the other side.

What is your favorite children’s book and why?

“Oh! The Places You’ll Go” is my favorite children’s book. I love the message of positivity and that you can go anywhere and do anything you set your mind to.

If you could be any cartoon character, who would it be?

I’ve always related to Belle from “Beauty and the Beast.” Wanting adventure in the great wide somewhere, staying true to herself, and seeing the beauty in others inside and out.

NOMINATE YOUR INFLUENCER

POSITION: School counselor TIME AT SCHOOL: First year

— JIM CARCHIDI

Do you have an “unsung hero” at your school? If so, please nominate him or her for our Influencer of the Week feature. Nominations can be sent via email to contact@orangeobserver.com.

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INFLUENCER OF THE WEEK

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

OBSERVER SCHOOL ZONE

Ocoee High seniors showcase creativity

O

Senior Brianna Roopchand, left, mom Indira Roopchand and Angelina Sookdeo spent time together painting SpongeBob SquarePants on Brianna’s parking spot.

coee High School seniors hit the parking lot early Saturday, Aug. 14, to avoid the heat and the afternoon rains when personalizing their individual parking spaces. They showed up with their paint cans, paint brushes, coolers and tarps — as well as their family and friends — to leave their mark at the school for their senior year. When the painting was finished, the parking lot was left with images of cartoon characters, movie themes and odes to sport teams.

— AMY QUESINBERRY

Sarah Hoffer worked on the background of the shield in her parking space at Ocoee High.

Senior Jasmyne Wright, left, and her artist friend, Kiara Purcell, poured bright colors into Jasmyne’s space.

Right: Seniors Paisley Wallace, left, helped her friend, Bradie Crabbs, personalize her space.

Zach Schaefer painted a sentiment about friends on his parking space.

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CROSSWORD

©2021 Universal Uclick

ACROSS 1 "Dear old" parent 4 One may love you unconditionally 7 Splendid assortment 12 Ardor 16 Empire State higher ed. system 17 "Absolutely right!"

19 Assess 20 What makes a reader pause 21 *Seem less impressive 24 Many Yemenis 25 Krypton, e.g.

26 Rite-minded person?

27 Victors' plunder

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

SUNDAY PUZZLE by Paul Coulter; Edited by David Steinberg

28 Krypton, e.g.

29 "Malcolm X" director Spike 30 Team spirit 31 Feeling blue 34 Trees symbolizing strength 37 Most vulgar 39 Baby bed 41 Like a cappella pieces 42 Word before "hazard" or "hog" 43 Guitar attachment 46 Shrunken Asian sea 47 *Inexperienced 51 Renaissance woman seen at the Louvre

53 Battering ___ 54 Son of a son, in a name 55 Fixes, as a contest 56 Trumpeting birds 57 Holed up 58 German sausage 60 Auction offering 61 Enjoying a summer afternoon ... or what each starred clue's answer has been doing, based on its altered word and three letters above it?

67 "Be quiet!"

70 Shape that sounds like a Zodiac sign 71 "All systems go"

co-discovered 40 Mel of many voices 41 Star Wars program (Abbr.)

42 Backboard attachment 44 Jason's ship 45 "Check this out!"

48 "___ Brockovich" 49 Could really play a sport 50 Blow off steam?

52 Aspiring atty.'s exam 57 Iron Man's possessive 58 Stir-fry pan 59 Robin's friar friend 62 Mary ___ Lincoln 63 Some Louisianans 64 ___ and puffed 65 Make dirty 66 More upscale 67 Bed board DOWN 68 LP player 1 Twofold 69 Some whalers 2 "___ Karenina" 73 Carried 3 Extremely eager (to) 74 Work on something?

4 Treaties 75 Way of dressing 5 Comedian Philips 77 Cherokee ritual designed 6 Fill-in worker to bring precipitation 7 Have the same opinion 79 "I solved the problem!"

8 Bring up 80 Noncoms above cpls.

9 Reddish coat 81 "We have a problem!"

10 Before now 82 Advanced degree?

11 Longing 84 Means (to) 12 Founder of an ancient 85 Up to, in ads Persian religion 86 Debtor's promise 13 Online thread 93 All the rage 14 Mosey 94 Butte's bigger relative 15 Girl from Scotland 96 Kidney-related 16 Fuel additive maker 97 Boat that a tugboat may 18 "Fresh Air" airer tug 20 Salad made of mozzarella, 98 Battling tomatoes and basil 99 Prepares to write a book 22 "Read Across America" report org.

100 One may carry a crumb 23 Afflicts 101 Queen, e.g., in chess 27 Roll on a golf course?

102 Color quality 30 Wheel for a Jeep, perhaps 103 Buggy terrain?

31 Good ones may take 104 Ashes holder you in 105 Ariz. neighbor 32 Cupid's projectile 107 Balloon or snowball 33 Goddess of the hunt 108 Brood 34 Couple's possessive 109 "Take your pick" 35 Actress Taylor-Joy 111 Afternoon hrs.

36 Soviet spy grp.

112 Cheerios grain 37 Negative aspect 113 Diminutive 38 Element that Marie Curie

95 Turn red, perhaps 96 Events with bulls and horses 97 Sweetie 99 Saweetie's genre 102 Lease signatory 103 Nissan brand 106 Mystery 110 Upturned, as a box 111 *Be discouraging about 114 Bust makers 115 Japanese comics 116 Call for 117 Steal answers from 118 Alternatively 119 Animal in a roundup 120 Cancels, with "out" 121 Flock female

72 Credits as a source 76 One making things up 78 Rock's ___ Leppard 79 French for "friend" 80 Outlay that cannot be recovered 83 *Worried about a monster under your bed, say 87 DIY handicrafts site 88 Easy two-pointer 89 Princess with a cinnamon bun hairstyle 90 Texter's "Then again ..."

91 Authentic 92 Discreetly, informally 94 Cry to a team of sled dogs

CELEBRITY CIPHER

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

"MJF LKD'S WSKM SZG WKUG. HX MJF'NG K UFWHLHKD KDY K WHDCGN, MJF ZKBG SJ LZKDCG, SZKS'W SZG PKM HS PJNIW." BKD UJNNHWJD "YGN LWU NV VHJVLZ AGTVZYPUK JGAPZPBV ZG LGTV XDGT WEE ZYV UVKWZPBV ZYWZ NV JMZ PUZG ZYPA NGDEI?" KEGDPW VAZVXWU Puzzle Two Clue H equals X

OBSERVER

Puzzle One Clues X equals F

18

© 2021 NEA, Inc.

SUDOKU

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

©2021 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

9-2-21

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

HIGH

SPORTS

Lake Buena Vista High’s Brady Ruth is a dual-sport athlete for the Vipers. Page 20.

1

5

Horizon High School celebrated its first varsity game last week when the girls volleyball team made its debut Tuesday, Aug. 24. The Hawks defeated Ocoee in three straight sets to deliver the school’s first sports victory.

2

The First Academy alum Teahna Daniels was honored during halftime of TFA’s football game against West Oaks Academy.

Daniels won a silver medal as part of the USA’s women’s 4x100-meter relay at the Tokyo Olympics. The Royals defeated the Flames 42-12.

3

Horizon and Lake Buena Vista high schools made their varsity debuts in football Friday, Aug. 27. The Hawks lost to Freedom on the road 42-6, and the Vipers lost to Windermere at home 48-0.

4

Foundation Academy started a new era in Lions football with a 27-0 thrashing of Cambridge Christian.

The win is Andre Walker’s first victory as a head coach after taking over for Brad Lord. Quarterback Greg Jones threw for 165 yards and three touchdowns, while Bryan Thomas led the defense with three sacks. The defense also had three interceptions.

Chris Martucci

From left: Eddie Kelly, Brody Riffe, Hunter Moss, Bryce Czachorowski, Janareus Willis and Greysen Riffe. Chris Dauphin was not present for the photo.

MEET THE

MOB West Orange High School’s rebuilt offensive line already has led the Warriors to two wins. It goes for No. 3 tomorrow night against powerhouse Apopka.

SPORTS EDITOR

M

ost successful football teams

have a good offensive line to go with it — five big guys tasked with keeping the quarterback as clean as possible and clearing the path for running backs to take the open field. And often, that offensive line will have a catchy nickname

5

Friday Night Lights continues Sept.

3 with some big early-season matchups.

West Orange travels to Apopka; Windermere Prep will face The First Academy, and Ocoee will take on Wekiva. In addition Dr. Phillips will play its first home game against Timber Creek.

The Panthers are looking to get back in the win column after losing to Jones at Camping World Stadium Friday, Aug. 27.

CHRIS MARTUCCI

that endures for all time.

SEE O-LINE PAGE 20

Longtime Warrior wrestling coach Kristen Iannuzzi leaves West Orange The coach will take a new role as administrator of school safety and security for Orange County Public Schools.

CHRIS MARTUCCI SPORTS EDITOR

West Orange High School head coach Kristen Iannuzzi has been the leader of West Orange wrestling for 13 years and has delivered

several district championships to the school.

During her first two years, she took a team that went 5-12 to a 23-5 record and a district championship in the 2009-10 season.

She was a trailblazer who showed women could coach boys wrestling just as well as men at a time when there were hardly any female coaches in boys wrestling.

That era has now come to an end.

Iannuzzi on Aug. 25 announced SEE ALL PAGE 21

Courtesy photo

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

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

Brady Ruth

O-Line anchors Warriors

Brady Ruth is a freshman at Lake Buena Vista High School and is a dual-sport athlete. Not only does he play wide receiver and linebacker for the Vipers football team, but also he is a middle blocker in volleyball. In August, he was selected to play on the Orlando Gold’s 16-and-under volleyball team.

What’s fun about playing football?

I like the hitting part and being able to go out there with teammates. Catching the ball and playing receiver is fun, too.

What do you like about the positions you play?

I get to play both sides of the ball, which is fun. At linebacker, I get to play with friends, and it’s fun blitzing and hitting whoever I can. At receiver, it’s fun blocking the cornerbacks and catching the ball whenever I get the chance.

Who is your favorite NFL wide receiver?

I like Odell Beckham Jr. and DeAndre Hopkins.

Favorite NFL linebacker?

Von Miller.

How did you get into volleyball?

In sixth grade, I decided to go to some of the training, and then I ended up trying out and making it. It progressed from there, and I went into club.

The first year, like football is now, we didn’t win any games, and it built up from there.

THE BASICS AGE: 14 SCHOOL: Lake Buena Vista YEAR: Freshman SPORTS: Football/volleyball POSITIONS: Wide receiver, linebacker (football); middle blocker (volleyball)

What’s fun about being middle blocker?

You get to block both sides and the middle, so you get a lot of blocking. You get quick sets and get the whole court to hit instead of being on the outside where if you’re right, you hit right and left if you hit left.

You were recently named to Orlando Gold’s 16-andunder team. What was that like getting named to the team?

I was pretty happy. I hadn’t played since July, so it was my first time stepping back out on the court. I’m with all my same teammates from last year, but with a few new teammates, too. We should be good to go. October is when our regular practices start up.

Between football and volleyball, which would you pick to pursue further if given the choice?

It depends on if I get scholarships for either one and how my skill level is in each one by my senior year.

Favorite TV/Netflix show?

“Marvel: What If” If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be?

Bugs Bunny.

Favorite school subject?

Biology. I like all the science behind everything, especially with animals. I’d like to be a marine biologist or something like that.

What’s one interesting thing about you that no one would expect to know?

I like to fish. It’s one of my favorite hobbies.

— CHRIS MARTUCCI

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is the new kid on the block. For most, it would take a long time to get used to playing with new teammates and developing that chemistry — especially if they only will be around for one year.

Moss, however, jumped right into it.

“It’s like I’ve been here all four years,” Moss said of his teammates. “We developed that chemistry right away, and it’s been great so far. I’m looking forward to winning with these guys.”

Already, Moss has won over his new coaches with his attitude and football intelligence.

“He understands football, he understands what everybody is doing … understands blocking schemes,” Ficka said. “He was obviously a leader and taught well from Foundation. He was able to come here and take the young guys under his wing and be a leader and an alpha dog.”

“His football IQ is off the charts,” Furrey said. “His desire to want to win and his ability to fit in and become a part of the team and not make it weird has been like no other transfer we’ve seen.

We’re happy to have him here.”

That chemistry has already led to success with two wins to begin the season. In the Preseason Kickoff Classic, the Warriors went to Winter Park and took care of business in a 33-19 win over the Wildcats. Then, in the regular-season opener against

East River, the line cleared the path for Terrell Walden III to score three touchdowns during their 48-0 victory over the Falcons.

The offensive line will be put to the test tomorrow night when the team travels to Apopka to take on the Blue Darters in one of West Orange’s biggest games of the season. However, the coaches see every game as a big game.

“It doesn’t matter if we’re playing East River, Apopka, Osceola; they’re all big, and we have to take it one game at a time,” Furrey said. “Every week, we have to be at our best. We say that the game is already won by the time we get to Thursday.”

Furrey and Ficka are confident that not only is the line up to the challenge presented tomorrow, but also it will be a driving force for West Orange for the rest of the season. That starts with practice.

“Our job as coaches is to make sure Monday through Thursday is the hardest thing they see all week,” Ficka said. “It’s beneficial for us that we have a great defensive line that brings it every single day. Iron sharpens iron.”

Because most great teams give their offensive lines nicknames, what would the Warriors’ offensive line’s nickname be? Some names such as O-Block were thrown around until the linemen settled on one they liked: The Mob.

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The Buffalo Bills of the 1970s had the Electric Company. The Washington Redskins of the 1980s had the Hogs. The 1990s Dallas Cowboys had the Great Wall of Dallas.

The West Orange High School Warriors came into the 2021 season needing to replace four of five starters on their offensive line; the only starter to return was senior guard Chris Dauphin.

West Orange’s offensive line coaches Will Ficka and Bryan Furrey knew they had a tough task ahead of them.

“It’s always scary when you have to replace seniors that have been here and cared so much about the program,” Furrey said.

Even so, there was reason for optimism.

“We knew we had some size and ability coming up,” Furrey said. “From our sophomores going into the juniors and the freshman class that has been successful in Little League. It’s always scary to replace seniors, but every year you have to.”

The Warriors’ new offensive line looks something like this: senior Brody Riffe at tackle, Dauphin at guard, sophomore Bryce Czackorowski at center, senior Hunter Moss at the other guard and senior Greysen Riffe at the other tackle. Senior tight end Eddie Kelly also can be added to that group as an honorary member.

And although they represent a rebuilt line, already, the players are beginning to jell.

“We’ve already got a good chemistry,” Czackorowski said.

“We go out there and play as a group.”

“We just keep pounding,” Dauphin added.

“We have the best bond,” Kelly said. “We play with heart and soul.”

While four of the guys have been playing together for at least a year, Moss, who transferred to West Orange from Foundation Academy for his senior season,

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All on the mat

In high school, Iannuzzi became the first three-time Florida state champion for girls wrestling. She went on to the University of North Florida, where she graduated with a degree in English. That eventually led to West Orange.

So what does Iannuzzi hope her lasting legacy at West Orange will be now that she’s retiring?

“An individual who put the team first and who wanted the best out of the athletes as people first and as wrestlers second,” Iannuzzi said.

Now, Iannuzzi will head into her new role as the administrator of school safety and security for Orange County Public Schools after receiving her doctoral degree from the University of Central Florida last summer.

She is handing the wrestling program over to former West Orange wrestler Wesley Blevins, who was a member of Iannuzzi’s first senior class as a coach.

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via Facebook she is hanging up her whistle.

“There are moments in our journey that are bittersweet,” she wrote. “As I stand at the precipice of new beginnings, I leave behind an enormous piece of who I’ve been for 23 years.”

She thanked her fellow coaches, athletes and everyone else who played a part in the way they influenced her and also said she hoped that she left West Orange “just a little better than (she) found them.”

Her journey is a unique — but one she would never change.

Iannuzzi’s wrestling journey began in 1998, when she began her freshman year at Winter Springs High School. Iannuzzi was originally a volleyball player but was riding the bench.

That’s when she heard a morning announcement for wrestling tryouts. In that moment, she decided to trade the court for a wrestling mat.

“When I told the coach I was going to come out, he said, ‘I knew you were smarter than your brother,’” Iannuzzi said.

Her brother played all sorts of sports, but wrestling was the one sport that always eluded him.

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During the Homecoming parade each year, West Orange wrestlers carried their beloved coach, Kristen Iannuzzi, atop a wrestling dummy.

female wrestler on the boys squad, but that did not mean she was not expected to do the same things as her teammates.

“I didn’t get any special treatment, and I think (my teammates) bonded quickly, because we’re all in that shared environment,” Iannuzzi said. “I still keep in touch with a lot of those guys to this day. … It didn’t matter if I was a girl or not.”

Being treated just like any other wrestler on the team was something Iannuzzi contributed to her philosophy as a coach.

“It was easy not to expect any different from every athlete,” Iannuzzi said. “My passion for the sport transcended gender. It didn’t matter that I was a female.

The wrestlers at West Orange saw my passion for it and that was what created the foundation — understanding that I was going to give it my all. If they could meet me halfway in training that we would be successful.”

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