09.10.20 West Orange Times & Observer

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VOLUME 87, NO. 36

09.11.01

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West Orange students make plea to play. SEE 3.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

OCPS closes Olympia High Students at the Windermere-area school will take classes via LaunchEd@Home for two weeks. SEE 7.

WE REMEMBER

W.G. discusses proposed budget Commissioners approved the first reading of the Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget, as well as the final site plan for C/Life Church.

DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Winter Garden’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 202021 looks smaller this year, but staff is confident a conservative approach will help the city remain on sound financial ground.

City leaders held the first of two budget hearings during their Sept. 3 City Commission meeting, with the second set for Sept. 17.

SEE WINTER PAGE 2

GAME TIME Foundation pummels Orangewood in season-opener.

SEE PAGE 15 PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID WINTER GARDEN, FL PERMIT NO. 81

OUTSTANDING IN THEIR FIELD

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services awarded Winter Garden’s Bekemeyer family a Century Pioneer Family Farm certificate. SEE STORY ON PAGE 4.

Courtesy photo

George John and Willie Bekemeyer, back left, started their family farm in 1920. Son George William eventually took over.

The family included sisters Alma Bekemeyer Hudson, Ruth Bekemeyer Valdes and Louise Bekemeyer Bland.

Top: Four generations: Nancy Bekemeyer Walker, John Bekemeyer, Nancy Bekemeyer, Julie Mendez, Jan Walls, Gage Walls Rivera, Rachael Walls Rivera, Bryce Walker and William Walker.

City makes changes to Ocoee Youth Council Changes the Ocoee commissioners made include reducing membership to nine members and allowing up to two non-residents who go to city schools to be involved.

TROY HERRING SPORTS EDITOR

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Amy Quesinberry

The Ocoee City Commission on Tuesday, Sept. 1, approved chang-

es to its Ocoee Youth Council program.

The program was formed in January 2019, when the commission approved Resolution No. 2019-

002. In previous meetings the group adopted bylaws and operational rules that became known as “Exhibit A.” Via a virtual conference call, OYC chair Chelsea Mendes — an Ocoee resident and dual-enrollee at Dr. Phillips High and Valencia

SEE YOUTH PAGE 6

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Winter Garden holds 4.5 millage CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The 2020-21 budget is based on a 4.50 millage rate, which has remained static for three years.

Despite a decrease in major sources of revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic, City Manager Mike Bollhoefer told commissioners in July the city was in good financial shape and staff didn’t believe a millage increase was necessary.

In his budget message, Bollhoefer told commissioners staff chose to take a conservative approach to the FY 2020-21 budget because of the uncertainty of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and its effects on the economy.

Bollhoefer said staff developed a “fiscally responsible” budget for the upcoming fiscal year that will help preserve the city’s financial con-

FINANCING AVAILABLE

dition. Despite the tighter budget, he said, the quality of services citizens receive will not be compromised.

City documents state projected revenues available for the General Fund total $41,019,254, while revenues available for the CRA Fund total $1,607,968. Revenues include collection of ad valorem taxes.

Bollhoefer said the General Fund revenues budget for FY 2020-21 represents a 5.5% decrease — about $2,366,986 — from the prior fiscal year, largely because of the projected decrease in the intergovernmental revenues.

Despite the decrease, Bollhoefer said the city is in sound financial condition with a low debt burden and “a responsible level” of fund balances.

Although the millage rate didn’t increase, ad valorem tax revenue is projected to increase by about $1.65 million because of a 9.7% increase in property values.

Additionally, the

projected unassigned fund balance in the General Fund at the end of the fiscal year is budgeted at $21,877,321 — or 53% of expenditures — which offers a cushion should projected revenues not be met or if there are any unexpected expenditures.

“I tasked all of our departments to work diligently on their operational budgets to reduce variable operating costs by 10% — not counting salaries and benefits — and still meet the quality municipal-service delivery standards that our constituents have come to expect,” Bollhoefer wrote in his message.

C/LIFE CHURCH SITE PLAN

A local church soon will be calling Winter Garden home.

Commissioners unanimously approved the site plan for what will become C/Life Orlando’s permanent campus. Located on 5.44 acres at 12201 W. Colonial Drive, the site once hosted a Camping World RV dealership.

The property is east of Carter Road and west of State Road 429.

“It has since closed, and C/Life Church has purchased the property,” said Community Development Director Steve Pash.

“They’ve gone through site-plan review with the Development Review Committee, and they’ve worked with the Department of Transportation to incorporate a better entrance and exit. It’ll cross-access with the development next door, it will get a facelift on the building, and landscaping is consistent with the State Road 50 overlay.”

According to city documents, the existing 22,876-squarefoot building will be renovated, although the overall footprint won’t change. The existing 2,237-square-foot covered entrance will remain, as will 4,427 square feet of the front of the building facing S.R. 50. Toward the middle will be a 3,977-squarefoot canopy connecting the front with a 12,133-square-foot rear building.

Mayor John Rees questioned the traffic flow and asked if the church would need a police offi-

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IN OTHER NEWS n Mayor John Rees proclaimed the week of Sept. 21 to 27 as Diaper Need Awareness Week, encouraging citizens to donate to diaper banks, diaper drives and organizations that distribute diapers to families in need. n City Manager Mike Bollhoefer told commissioners about recent complaints regarding speeding, particularly on Marsh Road and Daniels Road. Officers, he said, will begin focusing on these two roads and writing tickets as necessary. Bollhoefer added he will be working with the police department to identify other roads experiencing similar issues.

cer directing traffic on Sundays.

City Manager Mike Bollhoefer said if the church needed an officer, it would have to pay for it.

C/Life Church posted on social media it will host a groundbreaking ceremony at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13.

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OrangeObserver.com Sydney Tozzi performs alongside other members of the Warriorettes dance team.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

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Group connects, empowers moms of teenagers Horizon West resident Tracy Lewis created the Winter Garden Moms of Teenagers group to meet, encourage and support other moms of teens in the area.

DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR

#LetThemAllPlay O

West Orange High marching band members Ashton Wilson and Elise Snyder participated in the rally with their homemade signs.

— TROY HERRING

West Orange High marching band’s Vincent Pagliuca spoke to the crowd on hand at the rally.

Mike Tozzi, whose daughter is a member of the dance team, held up his handmade sign in support of those groups left out of this football season.

Right: Members of the West Orange High marching band held up handmade signs during the rally Wednesday afternoon.

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Although the group was created in 2017, the coronavirus pandemic has made it a more vital tool than ever to connect and empower local moms of teenagers. Mothers with children ages 13 and up are welcome to join the group, connect with others, build new friendships and join in on meet-ups.

To request to join the Facebook group, visit bit. ly/3i9xdpJ.

get together, all they do is talk about their kids, so I’m trying to break that barrier. … (Being a) mom is part of what you do, but it’s not who you are. … That’s another part of being in a different season with a teenager — moms feel lost. What do you have envisioned for yourself?

Now that your child is older and you can go out and do more things, what are your dreams? …

It’s kind of a place, too, to find yourself.”

One of the most important things about Winter Garden Moms with Teenagers, Lewis said, is that it’s a no-judgment zone where “mom-shaming” is not tolerated. That makes for encouraging, kind and gracious conversations — a hallmark of women empowering and supporting each other.

Lewis hopes the group will help facilitate connecting local teenagers and encourage them to make new friends, too. She envisions the group as a resource for teens to get involved and meet each other in a fun environment such as outings to the beach or an arcade.

Group members are encouraged to set up any type of meetup, event or activity that works with their schedule. After all, Lewis said, the objective is to develop new friendships.

“We haven’t done anything for so long just because of COVID, but things are opening up,” she said. “We’re still going to abide by the rules and everything, but we all need to start getting together — those who feel comfortable — so we’ll be doing more and more things.”

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range County Public Schools students and parents from West Orange County called for inclusion during a rally Wednesday, Sept. 2, at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando.

Despite an hourlong rain delay, members of the West Orange High School band and Warriorettes dance team made their way downtown — along with parents and other supporters — to voice their desire for OCPS to allow for the return of band, cheer, dance and JROTC to the sidelines this fall.

The rally was in response to OCPS’ recent decision not to allow marching bands, cheer teams, dance teams and JROTC squads from participating on game days.

When Tracy Lewis moved to the Winter Garden area a few years ago, one of the first things she did was jump into making new connections.

A networker with a heart for people, Lewis loves building friendships and connecting with others in the area. As a mom of teenagers, one of the first things she did upon moving to the area was visit a few mom groups. What she quickly realized, though, was that most of the moms involved had younger children.

“My kids are 16 and 20 now,” Lewis, a Horizon West resident, said. “When I would go, they would talk about diapers, (kids) not eating, not sleeping, breastfeeding and all of those things, and I’m not in that season anymore. I’m like, ‘There’s got to be other moms out there in the same season as me that we can relate more.’ I loved the gals and everything, but we’re just in a different season. I looked for a group that had moms of teenagers and couldn’t find anything.”

That’s when she was inspired to create the Winter Garden Moms of Teenagers group. Although it was founded three-and-onehalf years ago, it’s made a resurgence after the coronavirus pandemic amplified a need for social interaction.

Any mom with teenagers is welcome to join the group, which Lewis describes as a safe haven where women can feel empowered and not judged.

“In this season, there’s hormone changes and driver’s licenses and graduating and all these things teenagers go through that babies aren’t,” Lewis said.

“That’s why I was like, ‘We just need a space where we can go and get together as moms.’”

The moms haven’t been able to meet much this year, but a small group recently visited Pammie’s Sammies for lunch and conversation. Some of the women were new to the area and a bit nervous, but Lewis reassured them most of the group members were new to one another.

“It was just fun to hear their story, where they came from, what they’re doing, why they’re here, what their dreams are,” she said. “A lot of times when moms

WINTER GARDEN MOMS OF TEENAGERS

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Observer

100 years of growth

“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

AMY QUESINBERRY

President and CEO / Matt Walsh, mwalsh@yourobserver.com Editor and Publisher / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com

COMMUNITY EDITOR

W

hen George John Bekemeyer and his wife, Willie, started their farm in Winter Garden in 1920, they likely wouldn’t have predicted it would stay in the family for the next 100 years.

Today, the farm at 1055 E. Story Road continues its legacy of fresh produce with a grandson at the helm and many family members sharing in the laborious work.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services awarded the farm last month with a Century Pioneer Family Farm certificate, given to family businesses celebrating 100 years of continuous farm ownership. The Bekemeyers join five other family farms in Orange County that have received the honor.

And it is a true family farm — with all members of the family actually working, said Nancy Bekemeyer, whose father- and mother-in-law were the original proprietors.

John Bekemeyer owns and manages the farm, which grows produce through hydroponic and natural methods. He said he and his family are proud to have “held in there that long.”

As for his grandparents, he said: “I think they’d be amazed that it’s still going on 100 years. They’re probably looking down and are proud and would be glad it’s still citrus, which is what he came down to do.”

THE BEGINNING

John Bekemeyer applied for the Century Pioneer designation earlier this year and said it was a tedious process.

“You had to show from each deed transfer that it stayed in the family,” he said. “Luckily, that’s online now and … it was all old scans. … I found the original plat.”

A majority of the property once was owned by Overstreet Crate Company, which timbered the land and made chicken crates, John Bekemeyer said.

When George John and Willie Bekemeyer arrived in the city a century ago, they bought and converted 20 acres of flatwood pine trees and palmettos into a farm and citrus groves one acre at a time using an ax, a grubbing tool, their mule and a hand plow. Orange trees were planted in the front 15 acres; the back five were used for the family’s personal garden.

Design Editor / Jessica Eng, jeng@OrangeObserver.com Community Editor / Amy Quesinberry, amyq@OrangeObserver.com Sports Editor /Troy Herring, therring@OrangeObserver.com Associate Editor / Danielle Hendrix, dhendrix@OrangeObserver.com Multimedia Advertising Executives / Ann Carpenter, acarpenter@OrangeObserver.com Iggy Collazo, iggy@OrangeObserver.com Cyndi Gustafson, advertising@OrangeObserver.com

Courtesy photos

George William Bekemeyer continued the hard work begun by his parents in 1920. Today, his son, John Bekemeyer, runs the family farm.

At left: The second and third generations of Bekemeyers helped keep the farm in operation: George and Nancy Bekemeyer and their children, Jan, Julie, George Jr., John and Nancy.

There always was fresh-squeezed orange juice in the refrigerator and fresh fruits and vegetables on the supper table to feed three generations living together near the farm.

“All we had to do was buy meat,” Nancy Bekemeyer said.

Nancy Bekemeyer recalled her father-in-law rising at 4 a.m. and driving into Orlando to sell his produce to customers. A few stores in downtown Winter Garden bought Bekemeyer produce, as well.

“It’s remarkable to think that we still have this land, and it hasn’t been turned into houses,” Nancy Bekemeyer said. “We’d like to hold onto it as long as we can.”

There are only two houses on the property. The original Bekemeyer home, a white, wooden structure; and a house just to the north of it where George William and Nancy Bekemeyer eventually moved to and where she still lives today.

THE NEXT GENERATIONS

Weather isn’t always kind to farmers, as the Bekemeyers discovered.

Several devastating freezes in the 1980s killed the citrus groves, but George William Bekemeyer was planning to recover his losses and was out in the field resetting trees.

Farming was a part of his life until he died in 2017.

Nancy Bekemeyer grew up on a farm, so she was familiar with the lifestyle when she married George.

After his parents died, his sisters suggested he take over the farm.

“We thought it would be just a few years, and those few years are still going on,” Nancy Bekemeyer said.

Their five children — Jan, Julie, George Jr., John and Nancy — are

the third generation of Bekemeyers to work in the farm. Some of their children are employed there, too.

“Growing up, we didn’t have timeouts; we were handed a hoe and told to go pull weeds and get the stink vine out of the orange trees,” John Bekemeyer said. “That was our life. We grew up on the farm.

We came home, and you went out to the grove to either play or work.

Because you had that whole 20 acres to get lost in.”

Nancy Bekemeyer recalls her children digging holes in the groves and jumping in them — or adding water and attempting to swim in them.

Those holes are long filled, but a few things from that era remain; scattered on the property are a number of decades-old vehicles.

A few still run.

“One thing I didn’t have to do was run the tractor,” Nancy Bekemeyer said. “George did most of it, and then when the kids got big enough, they did it, too.”

“I remember driving the 1951 Ford 8N tractor,” John Bekemeyer said. “We still use it. That’s what I learned to drive on.”

FARMING IN THE FUTURE

Ten years ago, the Asian citrus psyllid, a small insect that produces bacteria that kills citrus trees, made an appearance. By 2014, when John Bekemeyer took over the farm, there were no trees left, he said.

He did some research and came up with a plan that altered — and improved — the output at the farm.

The family burned the remaining citrus trees, created U-pick fields and built a farm stand. Out front

Advertising Operations Manager / Allison Brunelle, abrunelle@OrangeObserver.com

stand vertical hydroponic containers to hold strawberry plants. A greenhouse is ready to start growing flowers.

When the planting is complete, the farm will have about 2,700 citrus trees. A quick walk through the grove with John Bekemeyer gives insight to the intricacy of the job.

He can rapidly identify the varieties of the citrus trees and when each one will reach peak production.

The farm offers blueberries, bananas, mangoes, peaches, avocado, lettuces, herbs and much more, many of it available through U-pick. Another project is the growing of micro greens. Seedlings are grown indoors under lights, and the process takes only eight to 10 days to produce.

Honeybees are busy at work near the back of the property; their honey is sold in the onsite market. Berries are turned into jam processed

by Lake Meadows Farm.

Nancy Bekemeyer is in her 80s and goes out into the field almost daily while her daughter Nancy Bekemeyer Walker and grandson Bryce Walker operate the small shop on the property.

“I go out there and pull weeds, and we pick the strawberries … (and) I make popsicles for us,” she said. “I also made jam for us. … I take care of what has to be done.”

She added: “In the beginning, (the kids) said, ‘You and Daddy don’t have anything to do; just stay inside and watch your TV and have your coffee or tea.’ … Well, we did (work) anyway. It keeps you going, and it gives you something to do, and it keeps you young. It keeps you moving.”

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Orange County denies Horizon West cell tower ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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The tower would have been located south of Hartzog Road and east of Avalon Road.

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with the increased data needs that everyone has.”

The project received some opposition from neighbors, including Russell Fairchild and his aunt, Jane Fairchild, who together own the adjacent property. Russell Fairchild said they have owned the property since 1950 and currently have a contract on it. He said the tower was slated to be built 40 feet from — and in the center of — their property line, which would be problematic for the pending contract.

“Our developer … has stated — and I have no reason to doubt her — that essentially they will walk on the deal if the tower goes up, which makes sense,” Russell Fairchild said. “They want to built a class-A condo/hotel on the property with multiple restaurants, retail, hotel — which means jobs and revenue for the county. All that essentially would go away.”

“Placing a tower on the adjacent property denies the experience tourists and residents are looking for,” Jane Fairchild said.

“The location of the proposed tower reduces and/or eliminates the visual aesthetics tourists come to expect.”

Because others also have opposed the tower because of aesthetics, Johnston said, the applicant is willing to provide camouflage panels for the tower to cover the antennas and provide a cleaner look. He added the proposed location was the most optimal for both the property owner and Verizon.

District 1 Commissioner Betsy VanderLey said she could understand why the property owners selected the proposed location, because it preserves maximum use of their property while having the lease in place. However, she said, it still feels “entirely too close” to the neighboring property.

“The first thing I learned when I got on Planning and Zoning was to try and make decisions that affirmed your property rights without damaging your neighbor’s property rights and value, so I do have some concern about their choice of location right adjacent to the neighboring property,” she said.

Commissioners unanimously denied the request based on the tower’s proposed location.

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— Jane Fairchild

5

GO SOLAR

DANIELLE HENDRIX

“Placing a tower on the adjacent property denies the experience tourists and residents are looking for.

The location of the proposed tower reduces and/ or eliminates the visual aesthetics tourists come to expect.”

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

@Observerorange

The proposed 150-foot monopole communications tower would have been located on the Sutton Lakes planned development off Avalon Road.

Plans for a 150-foot monopole communication tower off Avalon Road were rejected by Orange County commissioners.

County leaders on Tuesday, Sept. 1, discussed the request for a Planned Development/Land Use Plan change determination, which would permit the tower on a portion of its parent parcel, the Sutton Lakes PD. The applicant also requested a waiver to reduce the minimum separation requirement — currently 1,050 feet — of a communication tower from single-family homes to 635 feet.

The nearly 139-acre Sutton Lakes parcel is located north of Arrowhead Boulevard, east of Avalon Road and south of Hartzog Road. Currently, it holds entitlements for 20,000 square feet of commercial uses and 700 attached and detached singlefamily homes. The tower would be located on a 40-foot-by-50foot lease parcel within the Sutton Lakes PD. “Vertical Bridge is the company that will have the lease area and own and operate the tower with Verizon Wireless as the anchor tenant on the tower,” said James Johnston, of Shutts & Bowen LLP, who represented the applicant. “This tower is being requested and is necessary communication infrastructure that’s needed by Verizon Wireless to fill a coverage and capacity gap in the area that will otherwise not be covered without the approval of this application.”

Johnston said the closest existing tower to this site is 1.36 miles away.

“All of the towers in the area are much taller than this proposed tower — they’re 180 to 250 feet tall,” said Johnston, who added the 150-foot height of the proposed tower was the minimum required by Verizon. “We believe this is proposed in the most appropriate area of the Sutton Lakes PD. The lease area is what was agreed to by the property owner, and that also works for Verizon. As we have seen during the pandemic … having good, reliable wireless service is vitally important to the community.

This is true as more and more people use smartphones and wireless devices for their daily activities. The need is not just to have a signal, but it’s to deal

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Youth council

IN OTHER NEWS n The commission set the dates for its two budget meetings, with the first scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9, and the second and final meeting taking place Wednesday, Sept. 23.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

BAPTIST

METHODIST

2nd Campus: First Baptist Church @Horizon West Sundays: 9:45 a.m. All Ages FBCWG.org

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

First Baptist Church Pastor Tim Grosshans 125 E. Plant St, Winter Garden (407) 656-2352 Sundays: 8:30 a.m. Traditional 9:45 AM Bible Study 11:00 AM Contemporary Wednesdays: 6 p.m.- Awana

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

First United Methodist Church 125 N. Lakeview Ave., Winter Garden (407) 656-1135 Services: Livestreaming Sunday @ 9 AM. Viewable on Facebook and Youtube

Windermere Union Church 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Rd., Windermere (407) 876-2112 Adult Worship: 9 a.m.

Sunday School: 10 a.m.

WindermereUnion.org

activities right here in the city of College — brought forth a reso- Ocoee.” lution amending the council’s The addition of these two new bylaws (Exhibit “A”) of Resolution students also would help the proNo. 2019-010. Those amend- gram gain much-needed traction, ments would reduce the member- which it has so far struggled to do, ship to no more than nine mem- Dillard said in response to a quesbers and allow membership of up tion from Commissioner Roseto two non-Ocoee residents who mary Wilsen regarding the group’s are enrolled in a public or private biggest issues. school within the city. In the resoThe program has seven stulution, the OYC also asked for the dents involved (out of the 15 availremoval of a member who had able spots) before the number was missed three consecutive regular reduced to nine on Tuesday. Curmeetings. rently, the biggest supporter of the “When I joined the Ocoee Youth OYC has been Ocoee High School, Council, I had the opportunity to Dillard said. attend legislative days this past “We’ve done not only advertisFebruary in Tallahassee, and four ing, but the students themselves of us — along with Ms. (Dorcas) have spoken at their student govDillard — learned so much about ernment,” Dillard said. “A lot of the how much government works and students who have interest in city the importance of getting involved government and finding out about in our community,” Mendes said. politics. … They’ve just been busy “However, I was really surprised with other activities and somethere were not more students times something like this goes on involved in the Ocoee Youth the back burner.”

Council.

Mendes offered a solution that “I noticed many of the other would take aim at pulling in interFlorida youth groups had more est via popular social media apps. members than our council,” she “I believe a few of the roadsaid. “I then learned there were blocks are we may not have the Advertise Services Events students who your attended Ocoee orsocial media attraction that most High School and applied to the students would like or be attracted on this page weekly.

Ocoee Youth Council, but they to,” Mendes said. “If we commitwere rejected because theyweekly were inted This page appears theto some of the social media not residents of Ocoee. ” & Observer platforms (such as) Instagram, West Orange Times and Mendes said Dillard, who serves Snapchat and Twitter — those online at OrangeObserver.com. as the program’s coordinator, platforms that kids are consisreached out to 10 other similar tently on — and if we were to proToto advertise the Church Directory groups ask if thisin was something mote that, or the council (promote call 407-656-2121 that had been done before. Of or theemail that) … I believe we could get them 10, AdvertiseNow@OrangeObserver.com eight programs responded back more involved.” confirming they had non-resiAddressing a question about dents in their programs and even how the city would handle social offered their own bylaws and rules media by Commissioner George for the OYC to get an idea of how Oliver, city attorney Scott Cooktheir operations were run. son said it could be done with The decision to include these comments on social media pages students made sense given they turned off. Maintaining a comlive in the community, Dillard said. ment section is often tricky and “They’re a part of our school difficult, Cookson said. system, so they’re going to do The commission approved of things that are right here in this the changes unanimously. city,” Dillard said. “And our youth council … is going to focus on

CHURCH DIRECTORY NON-DENOMINATIONAL

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OrangeObserver.com

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

7

Orange district temporarily closes Olympia High Six positive COVID-19 cases were confirmed, and 156 students and staff were in direct contact with them.

DANIELLE HENDRIX AND AMY QUESINBERRY

Olympia High is closed for two weeks following several positive COVID-19 cases. All students and staff have moved to the OCPSLaunchEd@Home educational format, and all school activities have been canceled.

Orange County Public Schools and the Florida Department of Health in Orange County made the announcement Sunday, Sept.

6. The decision was made after several positive COVID-19 cases were confirmed and connected through DOH-Orange contact tracing, they said.

Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins made the final decision with the consensus of the Orange County School Board, said Pam

Gould, District 4 School Board member.

Face-to-face students and staff made the temporary transition Tuesday, Sept. 8. All 922 face-toface students and 190 staff members will return to campus Monday, Sept. 21.

“Currently, there are 156 students and staff (who) have been identified as having direct contact with the six individuals who tested positive and one pending,” OCPS officials said in a prepared statement. “According to (DOHOrange), these cases are a result of community spread and not spread at school.”

Gould explained the process once a person has tested positive: “Every time we have a case, the principal is notified, and then we have a health (advisers group

to) work in conjunction with the health department to come in and ID all the people who may have been in contact with the person who has COVID. And they determine who needs quarantine letters and see how far it has spread.”

The people associated with Olympia who tested positive were identified as having attended an off-campus social gathering, Gould said. That may be the reason for the high number of infected people and why the virus was not confined to just one area of the school.

The entire campus is being cleaned and disinfected, OCPS said, and DOH-Orange is offering free drive-thru COVID-19 testing in the school parking lot through a mobile testing unit. Testing priority goes to those in quarantine, and all testing is exclusively for Olympia High students and staff members who have been on campus and need to be tested.

“LaunchED@Home is the same educational model that was used by everyone at the beginning of the school year to prepare for a situation such as this and what the majority of Olympia High students and teachers are already using,” OCPS said.

“That’s the beauty of this option — so we can flex,” Gould said.

“We’d really, really like people to observe social distancing and masking — even when they’re not at school, especially when they’re with people who they don’t know who they’ve been around,” Gould said. “My whole campaign is, ‘Leave it cleaner than you found it, and wear your mask.’ Trying to get everyone to do something about this social distancing … it’s just hard.

“We still have children and their families who are not suffering from COVID but suffering from the effects of COVID,” Gould said.

“We need the cooperation of the

community. … To move forward and not leave any child behind and do the best that we can, we need … to ensure that kids and their families stay as safe as possible. That means if someone in your house has it, but your kid doesn’t have it, keep them home and take advantage of LaunchED.” Free breakfast and lunch are available from 4:30 to 6 p.m. through Friday, Sept. 18, at Chain of Lakes Middle School.

“It’s hard, and you have to do things differently,” Gould said.

“We all need to be patient and show grace and kindness. … We really need to have empathy for each other, and every family is different. Some people are going to get a bad flu, some won’t. … But you never know if someone is living with a grandmother or someone with cancer. At the end of the day, the board and I have to make decisions based on the whole and not the few.”

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fter a long day, there are few things better than coming home to a nice, home-cooked meal. However, if you’re the top chef in your household, cooking is more pleasurable, when you have natural gas. With busy work schedules, school and childcare, it’s easy to plan and cook fun, delicious and nutritious meals that work for you and your family.

If you are looking for an opportunity to finally mix things up in the kitchen, there’s no better time to start than now; September 25 is National Cooking Day. Of course, National Cooking Day is a time to celebrate all that cooking has to offer, but it’s also a perfect way to discover something new and enjoyable in the kitchen.

CONTROLLED TEMPERATURES With just a simple turn of a knob, you can regulate the exact temperature of your stovetop when you cook with a natural gas range. Often, temperature is the factor that can make or break a good meal, and with natural gas cooking, you have full control. Precise temperatures also allow for even cooking, so even the thickest cuts of meat and most complex meals in your cookbook can be made to perfection with a natural gas range.

INSTANT HEAT When you’re hungry and ready to eat, waiting can be the worst part. With a natural gas stove, you won’t have to wait long to get cooking. Burners on natural gas ranges provide instant heat, which result in faster wait and overall cook times as compared to electric ranges.

Whether it’s a new recipe you’ve been itching to try, new meal prep techniques or that virtual cooking class you just haven’t had time for yet, National Cooking Day is your chance to ramp up your cooking skills and literally bring something new to the table.

This year, Lake Apopka Natural Gas District wants you to consider natural gas cooking as your latest kitchen hack.

Natural gas grills, ovens and stoves come with many benefits and, as a result, are the preferred kitchen appliances for restaurants and commercial kitchens nationwide. By making the switch to natural gas, you can elevate your cooking game to a whole new level.

THE MANY BENEFITS OF NATURAL GAS COOKING

The team at Lake Apopka Natural Gas District wants to celebrate National Cooking Day with its customers all month long.

Any residential customer who purchases and installs a new natural gas range between Sept. 1 and Sept. 30, 2020 can qualify for a rebate of $125.

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OBSERVER

|

OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

REAL ESTATE

Isleworth estate sells for $2.95 million A home in the Isleworth GOTHA

ISLES OF LAKE HANCOCK

real-estate transactions

The home at 2029 Lake Fischer Cove Lane, Gotha, sold Aug. 29, for $875,000. Built in 2015, it has seven bedrooms, five-andone-half baths and 5,641 square feet. The price per square foot is $155.11. Days on market: 255.

The home at 7802 Skiing Way, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $985,000. Built in 2016, it has five bedrooms, five-andone-half baths, a pool and 4,379 square feet. The price per square foot is $224.94. Days on market: Seven.

from Aug. 28 to Sept. 3.

SADDLEBROOK

LAKE SAWYER SOUTH

community in Win-

dermere topped all West Orange-area residential

The home at 6462 Deacon Circle, Windermere, sold Sept. 1, for $2.95 million. Built in 1990,

BRAEMAR

The home at 1910 Thoroughbred Drive, Gotha, sold Aug. 31, for $380,000. Built in 1995, it has five bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 3,152 square feet. The price per square foot is $120.56. Days on market: 190.

SIENA GARDENS

it has four bedrooms,

feet of living area. The

The home at 269 Siena Gardens Circle, Gotha, sold Aug. 31, for $385,000. Built in 2012, it has four bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,481 square feet. The price per square foot is $155.18. Days on market: 19.

price per square foot is

HORIZON WEST

$410.98. Days on market:

selling homes in each

The home at 11450 Misty Oak Alley, Windermere, sold Aug. 31, for $395,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 2,253 square feet. The price per square foot is $175.32. Days on market: 60.

community in West

HAMILTON GARDENS

five-and-one-half baths, a pool and 7,178 square

89.

These are the highest-

Orange.

ASHLIN PARK

The home at 6006 Glory Bower Drive, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $470,930. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 3,136 square feet. The price per square foot is $150.17. Days on market: Zero.

The home at 13251 Jervey St., Windermere, sold Aug. 31, for $429,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, threeand-one-half baths and 2,745 square feet. The price per square foot is $156.28. Days on market: 14. zillow.com

The home at 6462 Deacon Circle, Windermere, sold Sept. 1, for $2.95 million. This estate sits on Lake Chase.

HICKORY HAMMOCK

The home at 16082 Johns Lake Overlook Drive, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 28, for $1,310,000.

Built in 2015, it has five bedrooms, five-and-one-half baths, a pool and 4,474 square feet. The price per square foot is $292.80. Days on market: Six. The home at 16175 Johns Lake Overlook Drive, Winter Garden, sold Sept. 2, for $655,000. Built in 2014, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 4,760 square feet. The price per square foot is $137.61. Days on market: 41.

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The home at 3434 Buoy Circle, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 28, for $497,472. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, threeand-one-half baths and 2,755 square feet. The price per square foot is $180.57. Days on market: Zero.

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The home at 6728 Point Hancock Drive sold Aug. 31, for $483,000. Built in 2010, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,833 square feet. The price per square foot is $170.49.

Days on market: 16.

The home at 12652 Arley Drive, Windermere, sold Aug. 28, for $365,000. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,460 square feet. The price per square foot is $148.37. Days on market: 147.

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OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

|

9

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

LATHAM PARK NORTH

WINDSOR LANDING

The home at 243 Sagecrest Drive, Ocoee, sold Sept. 2, for $454,500.

Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,026 square feet. The price per square foot is $150.20. Days on market: 16.

The home at 11923 Camden Park Drive, No. 1, Windermere, sold Aug. 31, for $529,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths, a pool and 2,820 square feet. The price per square foot is $187.59. Days on market: Three.

ORCHARD PARK

WEST ORANGE

ISLEWORTH

The home at 14018 Aldford Drive, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 28, for $400,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,066 square feet. The price per square foot is $193.61. Days on market: 78.

The home at 3184 Winesap Way sold Aug. 31, for $433,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,013 square feet. The price per square foot is $143.71.

Days on market: Four.

SUMMERLAKE

The home at 7025 Scarlet Ibis Lane sold Sept. 2, for $425,000.

Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 2,363 square feet. The price per square foot is $179.86. Days on market: 16.

SUMMERPORT

The home at 4785 Blue Major Drive, Windermere, sold Aug. 31, for $480,000. Built in 2006, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,239 square feet. The price per square foot is $148.19. Days on market: 10.

The home at 4307 Blue Major Drive, Windermere, sold Aug. 28, for $430,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,673 square feet. The price per square foot is $160.87. Days on market: One. WATERLEIGH

The home at 16055 Bayou Crest Drive, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 28, for $475,000. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, four-andone-half baths and 3,227 square feet. The price per square foot is $147.20. Days on market: 14.

The home at 16790 Oakboro St., Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $396,990. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 2,489 square feet. The price per square foot is $159.50. Days on market: Seven.

WEST LAKE HANCOCK ESTATES

The home at 7924 Minutemen Loop, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $385,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 2,448 square feet. The price per square foot is $157.27. Days on market: Zero.

WINCY GROVES

The home at 16286 Misty Hills Ave., Winter Garden, sold Aug. 28, for $439,000. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 2,235 square feet. The price per square foot is $196.42. Days on market: 94.

GLENMUIR

realtor.com

The home at 16082 Johns Lake Overlook Drive, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 28, for $1,310,000. This was the largest transaction in Horizon West from Aug. 28 to Sept. 3.

SNAPSHOT

Total Sales: 105 High Sale Price: $2.95 million Low Sale Price: $194,000

The home at 16280 Misty Hills Ave., Winter Garden, sold Aug. 28, for $420,000. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 2,235 square feet. The price per square foot is $187.92. Days on market: One. WINDERMERE ISLE

The home at 8385 Vivaro Isle Way, Windermere, sold Sept. 1, for $819,000. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, three baths, two halfbaths, a pool and 4,893 square feet. The price per square foot is $167.38. Days on market: 134.

WINDERMERE TRAILS

The home at 8775 Lookout Pointe Drive, Windermere, sold Sept.

2, for $460,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 3,423 square feet. The price per square foot is $134.39. Days on market: 111.

WINDING BAY

The home at 15312 Gilligan Court, No. 113, Winter Garden, sold Sept.

3, for $630,000. Built in 2020, it has five bedrooms, four-andone-half baths and 3,652 square feet. The price per square foot is $172.51. Days on market: 24.

price per square foot is $189.59.

Days on market: 139.

OCOEE

EAGLES LANDING

The home at 207 Westyn Bay Blvd., Ocoee, sold Aug. 28, for $399,000. Built in 2016, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,393 square feet. The price per square foot is $117.60. Days on market: 19.

KENSINGTON MANOR

The home at 3434 Bromfield Drive sold Sept. 1, for $339,900. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,498 square feet. The price per square foot is $136.07.

Days on market: 140.

OCOEE COMMONS

The home at 836 Kazaros Circle sold Sept. 1, for $334,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,310 square feet. The price per square foot is $144.59.

Days on market: Five.

RESERVE AT MEADOW LAKE

The home at 1338 Glenleigh Drive sold Aug. 31, for $215,000. Built in 2010, it has three bedrooms, twoand-one-half baths and 1,752 square feet. Price per square foot is $122.72. Days on market: 24.

The home at 6618 Crestmont Glen Lane, Windermere, sold Sept. 1, for $535,000. Built in 2002, it has five bedrooms, threeand-one-half baths and 2,818 square feet. The price per square foot is $189.85. Days on market: 38.

LAKE SAWYER

The home at 12800 Lake Sawyer Lane, Windermere, sold Aug. 31, for $1,150,000. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, four-and-onehalf baths, a pool and 4,395 square feet. The price per square foot is $261.66. Days on market: One.

WINDERMERE

BELMERE VILLAGE

The home at 11626 Vicolo Loop, Windermere, sold Sept. 2, for $530,000. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,539 square feet. The price per square foot is $208.74. Days on market: Two. The home at 947 Lascala Drive, Windermere, sold Sept. 1, for $355,000. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,233 square feet. The price per square foot is $158.98.

Days on market: Five.

KEENE’S POINTE

The home at 8160 Tibet Butler Drive, Windermere, sold Aug. 31, for $1,099,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, two half-baths, a pool and 4,284 square feet. The price per square foot is $256.54. Days on market: Six.

The home at 6462 Deacon Circle, Windermere, sold Sept. 1, for $2.95 million. Built in 1990, it has four bedrooms, five-andone-half baths, a pool and 7,178 square feet. The price per square foot is $410.98. Days on market: 89.

TOWN OF WINDERMERE

The home at 729 Main St., Windermere, sold Aug. 31, for $1,410,000. Built in 2015, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,950 square feet. The price per square foot is $356.96. Days on market: 55.

The home at 105 Palm St., Windermere, sold Sept. 2, for $735,000. Built in 1955, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 3,268 square feet. The price per square foot is $224.91. Days on market: 93.

The home at 205 Palm St., Windermere, sold Aug. 31, for $665,000. Built in 1979, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,832 square feet. The price per square foot is $173.54.

Days on market: 91.

WATERFORD POINTE

The home at 12809 Water Point Blvd., Windermere, sold Aug. 28, for $930,000. Built in 1991, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,040 square feet. The price per square foot is $230.20.

Days on market: 618.

SEE REAL ESTATE PAGE 10

The home at 15408 Gilligan Court sold Aug. 31, for $411,389. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,445 square feet. The price per square foot is $168.26.

Days on market: Zero.

OAKLAND

HULL ISLAND AT OAKLAND

The home at 1913 Iron Horse Way sold Aug. 28, for $352,060. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 1,857 square feet. The

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The home at 243 Sagecrest Drive, Ocoee, sold Sept. 2, for $454,500. It was the largest transaction in Ocoee from Aug. 28 to Sept. 3.

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OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

The home at 21701 Water Point Blvd., Windermere, sold Aug. 31, for $765,000. Built in 1996, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,293 square feet.

The price per square foot is $232.31. Days on market: 230.

feet. The price per square foot is $206.88. Days on market: 98.

The home at 860 Rhett St., Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $490,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,974 square feet. The price per square foot is $248.23. Days on market: 31.

WESTOVER CLUB

The home at 9322 Westover Club Circle sold Sept. 2, for $604,000. Built in 2002, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,548 square feet. The price per square foot is $170.24. Days on market: Two.

WINTER GARDEN BLACK LAKE PARK

The home at 752 Rainfall Drive, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 28, for $420,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 3,160 square feet. The price per square foot is $132.91. Days on market: Seven.

FOXCREST

The home at 12535 Dallington Terrace, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 28, for $540,000. Built in 2007, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,769 square feet. The price per square foot is $143.27. Days on market: 12.

JOHNS LAKE POINTE

The home at 959 Marsh Reed Drive, Winter Garden, sold Sept. 2, for $427,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 3,477 square feet. The price per square foot is $122.81. Days on market: 15.

LAKE COVE POINTE

The home at 516 Lake Cove Pointe Circle, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $489,900.

Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 3,483

realtor.com

The home at 16899 Broadwater Ave., Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $1,169,000. Waterside is fewer than two miles from downtown Winter Garden.

square feet. The price per square foot is $140.65. Days on market: Six. MCCALISTER LANDING

The home at 1662 Juniper Hammock St., Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $519,990. Built in 2019, it has five bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,628 square feet. The price per square foot is $143.33. Days on market: 140.

The home at 1685 Juniper Hammock St., Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $499,990.

Built in 2020, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 3,816 square feet.

The price per square foot is $131.02. Days on market: 127.

The home at 664 Brooks Field Drive, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $485,000. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,763 square feet. The price per square foot is $175.53. Days on market: 48.

OAKLAND PARK

The home at 1200 Union Club Drive, Winter Garden, sold Sept.

3, for $860,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 3,911 square feet. The price per square foot is $219.89. Days on market: 58.

The home at 1201 Union Club Drive, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 28, for $696,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, threeand-one-half baths, a pool and 2,793 square feet. The price per square foot is $249.19. Days on market: One. The home at 889 Easley Ave., Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $565,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 2,512 square feet. The price per square foot is $224.92. Days on market: Four.

The home at 839 Civitas Way, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 28, for $565,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 2,731 square

The home at 930 Civitas Way sold Aug. 31, for $465,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,949 square feet. The price per square foot is $238.58. Days on market: One. OAKS AT BRANDY LAKE

The home at 629 Bending Oak Trail, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $399,320. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 3,133 square feet. The price per square foot is $127.46. Days on market: Nine.

The home at 848 Bending Oak Trail, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $375,000. Built in 2009, it has four bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 2,595 square feet. The price per square foot is $144.51. Days on market: One. RICHARD ACRES

The home at 1118 Brick Road, Winter Garden, sold Sept. 2, for $425,000. Built in 2007, it has six bedrooms, four baths and 3,200 square feet. The price per square foot is $132.81. Days on market: One. SANCTUARY AT TWIN WATERS

The home at 16761 Sanctuary Drive, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 28, for $511,425. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 2,846 square feet. The price per square foot is $179.70. Days on market: Zero.

STONEYBROOK WEST

The home at 1348 Marble Crest Way, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $515,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,244 square feet. The price per square foot is $158.75. Days on market: One. The home at 15507 Pebble Ridge St., Winter Garden, sold Sept.

2, for $435,000. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,284 square feet. The price per square foot is $132.46. Days on market: 24.

The home at 14833 Masthead Landing Circle, Winter Garden, sold Sept. 1, for $415,000. Built in 2005, it has five bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,812 square feet. The price per square foot is $147.58. Days on market: 17.

The home at 1443 Portmoor Way, Winter Garden, sold Aug. 28, for $385,000. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,659 square feet. The price per square foot is $144.79. Days on market: 42.

VERDE PARK

The home at 12009 Florida Hills St., Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $455,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 3,586 square feet. The price per square foot is $126.88. Days on market: 10.

WATERSIDE

The home at 16899 Broadwater Ave., Winter Garden, sold Aug. 31, for $1,169,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, threeand-one-half baths and 2,937 square feet. The price per square foot is $398.03. Days on market: Eight.

The Observer has been an invaluable asset to our approach at staying in front of the most important element in our strategy, which is our community.

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OBSERVER

WEST ORANG E HISTO RY

OrangeObserver.com

THESE OLD TIMES

|

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION

Announcement was made by Gov.-elect Spessard Holland that he plans to make at least one campaign speech in every Florida county between now and the General Election.

75 years ago

There are innumerable beauty spots in Florida, but one of the most beautiful is Trailer City, according to residents who have lived there since 1939. It is a paradise where cultured people park their traveling home for a season.

Curtis Pickens, Ray Fleming and Carroll Dickinson, 1950 graduates of Lakeview High School, went to Tampa for a physical examination with a view to enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard. Selby Burch, a junior at Florida Southern College, made the trip last also for his physical.

Ladies, attention: We have been appointed exclusive agents for New Home sewing machines. Winter Garden Hardware. Phone, 208.

50 years ago

Nearly 500 local officials, educators, guests and citizens gathered at 950 Kirkman Road for the groundbreaking of Valencia Junior College’s permanent campus.

THROWBACK THURSDAY SEPT. 9, 1971 Webb’s Fabulous Pharmacies had several locations in West Orange County — in Ocoee and Winter Garden — and there were always bargains to be found just by looking in the advertisement in The Winter Garden Times. Where else could you find a Mickey Mouse watch starting at $7.95? Or how about cough syrup for 33 cents, Duo-Tang report covers for 9 cents, artificial flowers for 5 cents or round metal snack tables for 99 cents?

80 years ago

70 years ago

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

FROM THE ARCHIVES In 1966, First Baptist Church of Winter Garden took a large group of its members to a music conference held in Ridgecrest, located south of Clearwater on Florida’s West Coast. The annual conference provided training and leadership programs in Sunday school teaching, the Women’s Missionary Union, Baptist student works, music, managing media libraries, Centrifuge bible study groups and more.

The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation would like help identifying everyone in this group photo. The random names already provided are Mr. Hayes, Phyllis, Mrs. Beach, Danny Hartsfield, Kay Quigley, Fred Dorman, Jerry Clark, Pam Beach, Randy Maloy, Sharon Thames, Brenda Boston and Jean Patee. Call the foundation at (407) 656-3244 to add names.

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

William E. “Uncle Billy” Paquin, 99, received a plaque for being the oldest person at the city of Winter Garden’s 67th anniversary at the Municipal Auditorium and surrounding park.

20 years ago

District 1 Orange County Commissioner Teresa Jacobs stood on the corner of Dillard Street and West Colonial Drive in Winter Garden to thank voters for electing her into office with 68% of the vote.

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The Ocoee City Commission approved a 213,000-squarefoot Walmart Supercenter next to Health Central Hospital. Planning Director Russ Wagner said the project would be more upscale than other existing stores.

11

OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Deadline extended for Bright Futures Recent Florida high school graduates now have more time to achieve SAT or ACT test scores required to earn Bright Futures scholarships.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sept. 1 issued an executive order that extends the deadline for students graduating in the 2019-20 school year to earn the minimum qualifying SAT or ACT score to earn a Bright Futures scholarship until Dec. 1, 2020.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the spring and summer administrations of the ACT and SAT tests were canceled, limited in availability or not offered, which impacted the ability of seniors graduating in 2020 to qualify for Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Awards, the order stated.

The deadline previously was extended to July 31, 2020. However, the College Board did not offer the SAT prior to that deadline. The ACT was offered over the summer in some places, but in many instances, these tests were canceled or reached capacity.

OCPS updates COVID-19 stats Orange County Public Schools continues to give updated COVID-19 numbers each week.

According to Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins’ Friday, Sept. 4, update, since Tuesday, Sept. 1, the district recorded an additional 18 cases at 16 schools.

The West Orange- and Southwest Orange-area schools included: SunRidge Middle, Ocoee Middle, Horizon West Middle, Whispering Oak Elementary, Olympia High (see related story, page 6), Lake Whitney Elementary and Castleview Elementary.

Also since Sept. 1, the Department of Health issued an additional 174 quarantine letters for individuals in 11 schools.

INFLUENCER OF THE WEEK

12

BRAD LORD, FOUNDATION ACADEMY At Foundation Academy, head football coach Brad Lord has reached hundreds of students and helped them move on to the next level both academically and athletically. Lord has been the school’s head football coach since 2008 and helped built the football program into a success. Lord’s dedication to the school is evident through his heart for having a positive impact on the lives of his players and the student body.

What brought you to your school?

I was drawn to the school, because my daughters went there. When they started football, I knew they needed a lot of help, and I’d coached in the public school system and played college football.

I also really enjoyed Pastor Keith Yarborough. I knew him from the community. He was the youth pastor, so I did a lot of work with him with youth group.

place to live in, and like that old Rocky Balboa movie says, “Life’s going to knock you down. But it’s not how many times you get hit, it’s how many times you can get hit and keep moving (forward).” That’s been in my mind. It’s about preparing all our kids — not just our football players, but all our students — and (doing) whatever I can do to help them be successful at the next level or their next journey in life.

What do you love most about your school?

It’s a family, it’s a tight community.

There’s a lot to do to run a school.

The one thing I know since I’ve been there in my 15 years, there was no doubt for how much they love and care for the kids. All kids, every kid. They’re a very loving faculty and administration, and it’s all about the kids. It’s about helping our kids develop to be better Christian citizens in the community.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

When they come back four or five years later and still care about our school and still care about our football program. I get kids sometimes on Father’s Day (who) are telling me ‘Happy Father’s Day’ (who) have graduated five or six — or even eight or 10 — years ago.

That’s special. That’s worth more.

That’s why I do what I do. The kids are the influencers on me. They help me as much as I help them.

What is your motivation?

Watching our kids develop in their skill level, watching our kids develop in their character and preparing our kids for college or whatever they have to do after high school. The world’s not the easiest

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Golf and spend time with my family. And I’m not that good at golf.

I’ve played for a long time — if we

could call it playing. I have a lot of good friends who played pro golf … and I have a group of guys that are my best friends in the world who I play with.

Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school and why?

His name was Mr. Leavitt, and he taught Latin. He didn’t put up with any garbage from me — and I wasn’t the nicest kid growing up.

He taught me a lot of lessons, and I wish I had listened to him more.

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

Why? Baseball player — no doubt about it. I wanted to play for the Boston Red Sox. I loved baseball all the way until high school, and then I started excelling at football. I played three sports in high school. I ran track, as well.

— DANIELLE HENDRIX

NOMINATE YOUR INFLUENCER

REPORT CARD

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.

POSITION: Head football coach TIME AT SCHOOL: 15 years

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OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

13

OBSERVER SCHOOL ZONE

Renaissance Charter debuts aquaponic farm The farm will teacher kindergartners through eighth-graders about sustainable farming on their campus — from seeds to produce. vision broadcasting the opening ceremony to all the students.

Taylor was excited to be able to The dream to create an aquaponic offer something unique to stufarm on the campus of Renais- dents — a chance to experience sance Charter School at Crown an aquaponic farm in action, from Point was more than two years seed to produce, with their own in the making for Principal Brett hands doing the work. What’s Taylor. The hands-on learning more, the lessons in the farm can concept made its debut Friday, be tied into classroom lessons in Sept. 4, with city of Ocoee staff subjects such as science, math and representatives from Our and social studies, he said. A curCharter Schools USA in atten- riculum for each grade currently is dance and a closed-circuit tele- being formed.

Backyard Farm Express, a sustainable farm that grows nutrient-rich produce, built and will manage the project.

“The food we eat is either filling us or killing us,” Mark Pester, president of the farming company, said.

This is BFE’s seventh educational aquaponics farm, and Pester is encouraged by students’ willingness to taste something new and different.

Aquaponics is a natural balance between healthy fish, naturally Mark Pester, of Backyard Farm Exoccurring organic bacteria and press, explained the health benefits “truly amazing produce plants,” of eating local fresh produce.

BFE officials said. “With aquaponics, the more authentic and AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

Photos by Amy Quesinberry

“This has been a dream for almost two-and-a-half years, and that dream comes true today,” Brett Taylor, Renaissance Charter principal, said at the opening ceremony.

natural it’s operated, the better the quality.”

Pester said students are getting a taste of what “real food” tastes like. He said a student at another school told him he doesn’t like tomatoes, but when he tasted a grape tomato from an aquaponic farm, he became a fan.

Renaissance Charter students will be able to grow up to 14 tons of produce annually, Pester said. BFE will work with an after-school club to grow and sell cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce to parents, as well as to local restaurants.

An app is coming out soon that will allow parents to order and pay for produce and then pick it up the next day in the school’s car line.

Some of the proceeds return to the school, while the rest will be

used for the upkeep of the farm.

Aquaponics is a system of farming that grows plants and fish in linked systems. The waste from the fish feed naturally occurring bacteria that consume the ammonia from the fish. These nitrifying bacteria produce nitrate, which is the nectar on which the plants thrive. The plants consume the nitrate, returning fresh water back to the fish.

The food produced requires no soil — just roots and water with a balanced filtration system and no pesticides.

“The seed-to-harvest concept helps our students understand how the entire life cycle and food chain work and can sustain itself if done properly,” Taylor said.

“Students learn so many scien-

tific principals in this process and get to enjoy the fruits – or actually the vegetables – of their labor through hands-on learning. We are very excited to have this living lab right here on our campus where students benefit in so many ways.”

“Today’s consumers demand clean, sustainable agriculture, and our aquaponics farms fit that bill,” Pester said. “Our hyperlocal approach allows the community to enjoy fresh, pesticide-free produce grown right here in their backyard. We love working with students and seeing how thrilled they are when they see their hard work start to produce real food.”

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Going for the gold West Orange High senior Amelia Sauls recently earned the Girl Scouts Gold Award after hosting an agriculture-centered day camp for young girls.

Amelia Sauls fell in love with the agriculture industry while taking the classes at SunRidge Middle.

Now a senior at West Orange High, the 17-year-old is an FFA member and hopes to have a career in agriculture someday.

And as a Girl Scout for 12 years now, her passion was the driving force behind her accomplishment of earning the prestigious Gold Award.

For Girl Scouts, earning the Gold Award means tackling issues that are important to them and driving lasting change in their communities. It’s also an achievement only 2% of Girl Scouts reach.

Earning the Gold Award requires plenty of paperwork, planning, proper execution and presentation skills. But when it came time for Amelia — a member of Troop 707 with the Girl Scouts of Citrus — to start thinking about her project last fall, she knew exactly what she wanted to do.

At the end of February — and before the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the United States — Amelia hosted a day camp called “Plant Palooza” for local Girl Scouts in fourth and fifth grade. Her goal was to share information about the agriculture industry while sparking and

facilitating the girls’ interest in and knowledge of it.

“I’ve been taking ag classes since I was in sixth grade, so I knew a bit about it, and I wanted more people to know about it,” Amelia said. “I wanted to educate younger girls … so that they know more about it when they’re looking to getting into classes for ag in middle school. It was a camp that was designed to consist of two different badges through Girls Scouts, so it would be kind of a badge-ina-day type of thing. They’d get those requirements done while also learning about the ag community. They learned about gardening and all the different steps it takes to start up a garden and different styles of gardening. Then they learned about horticulture, so they learned the different parts of a flower, different types of flowers and how horticulture is used in different jobs, (like a) florist.”

Amelia began mapping out Plant Palooza last fall and proposed the project to the Girl Scout Council in January. Gold Award projects require girls to have an adviser.

For Amelia, it was Katrina Alford, her former agriculture teacher at SunRidge.

Alford is currently studying at the University of Florida to earn her doctoral degree in agricultural education, Amelia said, but she worked hard to help Amelia accomplish her goals.

Courtesy photo

Amelia Sauls had campers sign a Plant Palooza T-shirt during her event.

“(Alford) was definitely the backbone of the project,” Amelia said.

“She came down from Gainesville like four or five times during this project to help me with this paperwork and revise my essays. She was the driving factor of it all.”

After her project was approved, it was time to put the plan into action. Amelia and her volunteers hosted Plant Palooza at SunRidge Middle. The girls were shy at first, she said, but the camp was a hit.

“The camp consisted of five different stations — bath-bomb

by Debbie Ellerin; CROSSWORD DIS-TORTION Edited by David Steinberg

1 Hybrid citrus fruits 6 Parka parts 11 Perform, as one’s trade 14 “Me too!”

19 “Fine” or “floral” follower 20 Pains’ partner 21 Tee-___ 22 Walked to and fro 23 Toss some junk mail?

26 Please, in Potsdam 27 Make a selection 28 Assistant professor’s goal 29 Didn’t dine out 31 Author/director Ephron 32 Turning off phone notifications, say?

35 Important Tuscan family 38 Huge amount 39 Actor Matt 40 Eden evictee 41 Badger or hound ... or an old horse 44 Edge that’s sometimes salted 46 Frequent surfer 50 Deem “please” and “thank you” unimportant?

55 Milan’s La ___ 56 “You can’t win ___ all” 57 Flight for one 58 The Constitution, for one 61 Firing place

62 Meat market?

64 T, on a test 67 ___ tear (common sports injury) 68 Ipanema’s city, informally 69 “Do the Right Thing” pizzeria owner 72 Have a sale on woolly animals?

76 Start of something?

77 Pub brew 78 “Yada, yada, yada” letters 79 NYC neighborhood near East Village 80 Cheesy Italian dish, for short

82 Designer’s detail, briefly 84 Hand-me-down 86 Name that anagrams to Dane 88 Teeny 91 Azalea, for one 93 Place poultry in the window?

98 “Go us!”

101 Eden evictee 102 Bout ender, at times (Abbr.)

103 Like fried food 104 Cut-and-dry establishment?

106 Suffix for north

— Amelia Sauls

47 Rumble in the Jungle setting 48 Perry of fashion 49 iPod Minis’ replacements 51 Chatted online 52 Voice below soprano 53 Like a shutout 54 Iranian ruler until 1979 59 Swell treatment?

60 Call for help 63 In ___ of 65 Half dos 66 Lucy’s friend on “I Love Lucy” 69 Smart-alecky 70 Aristotle’s beginning?

71Not fully trusting 73 Looped in on an email 74 Pop, to some DOWN 75 Some hybrids, per Toyota 1 Fancy coif 81 Highest peak in N.Z. 2 Part of a racket 83 Plays hooky 3 “He’s making a ___ ...”

85 Yahtzee cube 4 Business magazine 87 WaPo competitor 5 No radio silence?

89 Hop-jump connector 6 “I ___ noticed” 90 Crowdsourced review site 7 Happen 92 Suitor 8 Catherine of “Schitt’s 94 Slender Creek” 95 Country where Quechua 9 Emulate Sherlock is spoken 10 Government ID issuer 96 Canadian louts 11 It’s snapped 97 Science Guy Bill 12 Story of Atlantis, for one 99 “The Sun ___ Rises” 13 Positive thinker’s assertion 100 Sweet Italian wine 14 Widespread P.D. alert 105 “Wicked Tuna” channel, 15 North Pole resident informally 16 Role player 107 Lipton rival 17 D.C. subway 109 Gives it a whirl 18 Model of perfection 110 Lavished love (on) 24 Pine substances 111 “Go me!”

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making, plant dissection, floral arrangement, butterfly garden and pizza garden,” she said. “We broke the girls into troops so we could give each and every one of them a different experience. … I wanted it to be a hands-on learning experience that they would actually remember.”

Volunteer high-schoolers acted as camp counselors and led their children around to the different stations, where adult volunteers directed activities and helped keep the girls on task. At the end of the day, the children got to take home a variety of plants and their own floral arrangement.

Amelia added that along with volunteers, it wouldn’t have been possible without in-kind donations from the community and local businesses. Donors included Ace Hardware, Knox Horticulture, Orlando Flower Market and Living Towers.

“I wanted to show girls that ag is not just farming … it’s food sciences, it’s food safety, it’s drug testing,” Amelia said. “Basically, our dayto-day life consists of so much ag that no one really knows about, but I wanted to shed light on it.”

She submitted her paperwork in March and presented her final project to the Girl Scout Council via Zoom in April. Now, Amelia can officially say she is among the 2% of Girl Scouts who end up earning their Gold Award.

“I couldn’t be more proud,” said Nicole Sauls, Amelia’s mom and troop leader. “It’s definitely an accomplishment we always talked about and aimed for. With the whole troop, I emphasized it with the girls about what a prestigious award it is and how many doors it can open for them in their future by showing that they have the dedication to complete that.”

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09-10-20

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

SPORTS

Senior Kamari Garcon is a strong member of Ocoee High’s crosscountry and track teams. Page 16.

Foundation pummels Orangewood in opener A three-touchdown night for senior Danny Stutsman led the Lions to a big win last Friday.

TROY HERRING SPORTS EDITOR

File photos

Season of change TROY HERRING SPORTS EDITOR

S As practice for volleyball gets underway, coaches around the area deal with a shortened season, rearranged schedules and challenges.

ports seasons are in a weird place.

Fewer folks know that better than those coaches whose sports make up the fall portion of the high school calendar, which includes volleyball.

Monday, Aug. 31, was the first day of practice for teams in the Orange County Public School system, but for most, the first few days consisted of just tryouts.

In an ordinary year, those would have taken place the last week of July.

This year, teams such as Dr. Phillips High School are just finding their footing in what will be a shortened, chaotic season.

And the late start has made for an already strange beginning, said Dr. Phillips volleyball head coach Emily Loftus.

“It’s very, very different from years before, because last season — right after tryouts — this was when the girls were still in sum-

mer, so they hadn’t yet started school,” Loftus said. “So we could do those two-a-day practices and really gear them up for a season.

We don’t have that luxury anymore.

“We had a conversation when we first brought our team together, and I sat them down and I said, ‘It seems strange … but it’s season time — the first day of tryouts were the first day of the season,’” she said. “I think the girls had to be like, ‘Oh, OK yeah, this is our full-time season right now.’”

Normally, Loftus would have held three days of tryouts but instead opted for two days. There isn’t much time to get ready for the team’s first game against West Orange High School Tuesday, Sept. 15.

In her tryouts, Loftus — a self-titled “Type A personality” — said she saw a large turnout for the team, and she knew that going into last week. The tryouts needed to be done correctly. She SEE VOLLEYBALL PAGE 17

On a hot, steamy night on the campus of Foundation Academy, the Lions football team did something that — just a few weeks ago — they weren’t even sure they’d be able to do: Play football.

Not only did the Lions (1-0) play football, but also they dominated just about every second in their 41-0 win over Orangewood (0-1) in front of a large crowd — which was almost entirely masked up — Friday, Sept. 4.

The blowout against a strong Orangewood team came as somewhat of a surprise to Lions head coach Brad Lord, but there was only one thing that he had on his mind the whole night. “(The) kids played,” Lord said.

“We can always get better on both sides of the ball, but the kids played — that’s what it’s about. They’ve been yo-yoed up and down… (but) they played tonight.”

Before the start of the night’s game, Foundation celebrated its senior football, cheer and athletic staff members with a Senior Night ceremony. The idea: Honor the seniors in case the season was shut down early by the coronavirus pandemic.

Following the celebration, the Lions got to work on the field in an opening quarter during which both teams shook off the rust in what normally would be Week 3 of the season.

SEE LIONS PAGE 16

Troy Herring

Travis Hutchinson ran past the Orangewood defense during a play.

16

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Lions Kamari Garcon conquer SPONSORED BY MARK’S FLOORING AND SHANNON TILL/STATE FARM IN FOWLER GROVES

Senior Kamari Garcon transferred from Evans High to Ocoee High last year, and since then he’s found a home on the school’s cross-country and track teams. Last season Garcon was one of two athletes from the Knights track team to make it to regionals.

When did you first get into running?

In middle school I always wanted to run track, but I used to do theater, so I didn’t really have time to do track, because theater was just so much — I was always occupied. I ended up leaving that school, and then when I went to high school … they didn’t have such a good theater program, so it kind of forced me to do track, because I just didn’t want to be on my butt at home.

THE BASICS SCHOOL: Ocoee High GRADE: Senior AGE: 17 SPORT(S): Cross country, track and field

‘Mind over matter.’ I have this thing I say to myself when I’m running. I call it, ‘Pushing past,’ and basically what I mean by that is I’m pushing past the ideas of being tired, pushing past my legs burning and just keep pushing until you finish.

What has kept you motived to stay in the sport?

The idea of being in shape and always having a new boundary to pass. Once I started doing track — and seeing me putting in work that created results — it was something that I wanted.

What is the biggest change you’ve seen in yourself since you first started?

The biggest change I’ve seen in myself is that I’m not a quitter. Running has changed (me). I was told by many people there is so much potential, but I’m tired of seeing the potential. I want to put the potential into kinetic energy — I actually want to get to that point where I’m at my peak.

What is your favorite thing about running?

My favorite thing about participating is testing that boundary. I like being in shape, and it also keeps me out of trouble. The most challenging part about the sport is there is always going to be practice. That’s the hardest part, because you always face your mind, you have to tell yourself,

What was your first year like at Ocoee?

My first year at Ocoee was amazing running crosscountry. When I was running track, it was a while to get to where I was important to my team, but I trained, and I worked my butt off. I went to regionals last year — that was my first time receiving an award for running.

Do you have a highlight moment that stands out during your time at Ocoee?

My highlight moment would be going to regionals. Also this year, too, at the start of my track season every meet I was proud of myself, because I was (setting personal records) — every meet I dropped my time down.

I had a very good season, I was in shape — I could tell because how my body was, how I was running and how good it felt running.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

About halfway through the quarter — after taking over at the Rams’ 27-yard line thanks to a botched/shanked kick — the Lions found their way into the end zone for the first time on a short run by Danny Stutsman on a direct snap at the 5:09 mark. The proceeding extra point was good — giving the Lions the 7-0 lead.

Stutsman, an Oklahoma commit, followed touchdown run with another in the second quarter to make it 14-0.

Stutsman finished the night with three total touchdowns — including two-rushing, and a 98-yard pick-six in the second quarter during which the senior blazed past the entire Orangewood team with just under eight minutes to go in the opening half. On the following extra point — after the long pick-six — kicker Ian Garcia picked up a loose ball that was fumbled after the snap, before running right and hitting Greyson Labiad for an impromptu two-point conversion to push the Lions lead to 22-0.

After making a big play on special teams, Labiad recovered an Orangewood fumble, which would then lead to an 11-yard touchdown run by Travis Hutchinson to put the Lions up 29-0 at the half. Hutchinson finished the night with 78 rushing yards on nine carries.

While the offense exploded for 22 points in the second quarter — and ultimately put up 41 points in the game — the Lions defense shut down Orangewood all night and didn’t allow a first down until the second quarter.

Junior Bryan Thomas wreaked havoc in the Rams’ backfield

Photos by Troy Herring

Danny Stutsman battled a defender as he went up for the ball.

with nine total tackles, two tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and a sack, while Brady Lord and Bowman Bower grabbed six total tackles each.

“Our defensive line, I’d put (them) up against anyone in the state,” Lord said The Lions’ biggest threat on the night wasn’t so much the Rams as it was the mass cramping and a few injuries — which plagued both teams through-

— TROY HERRING

Ian Garcia fought hard to convert an impromptu two-point play.

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out the game. Stutsman left the game early in the third quarter with severe cramping and eventually was taken to the hospital for intravenous therapy. Standout lineman Hunter Moss was taken out for an undisclosed injury in the first half.

“We usually have three weeks to prep,” Lord said. “The cramp mess? I knew it was going to happen. I mean, we pumped stuff into them — water to rehydrate them. We’ve got some work to do, but the kids came out in a week-and-a-half and got prepped for a Friday night game. … To be honest with you, we were only in pads for two days.”

The Lions also had scores by Eric Osborne — whose 14-yard reception from quarterback Tate Ewing forced a running clock. Ewing finished the night 11-for-19 for 179 yards and one touchdown. He also carried the ball five times for 26 yards.

Thomas scored on a 5-yard run with less than three minutes to go to seal the 41-0 win.

“I’m proud of the boys,” Lord said. “We have to clean some stuff up before we go to Mount Dora next week, but in this pandemic, it’s one day at a time.”

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Volleyball starts had to conduct them under safety protocols. Girls were placed into small specific groups and water times were staggered, and Loftus also had to keep track of which students were face-to-face and LaunchEd@Home. Luckily, the AAU season — which included many of the same protocols — helped prepare Loftus for the additional challenges.

Meanwhile, about 22 miles north, first-year West Orange High volleyball head coach Jordan Hefner was putting on tryouts for her girls. Some of the guidelines put into place early were difficult for them, she said.

“The first day of tryouts, they had to play with a mask on, and it was a little difficult for them — you could see that some girls were struggling with that,” Hefner said. “But then, after that, our AD called me and she was like, ‘No

“I haven’t yet met a coach that has been irritated by making things work within 30 seconds, because I think that we are all just really grateful that we get to have a season.”

— Emily Loftus, Dr. Phillips volleyball head coach

will be forced to play a schedule with weeks packed with consecutive game days. The marathon also has affected how coaches work practices, Hefner said.

But despite the challenges, one thing remains perfectly clear for coaches: They’re just happy to be here.

“I’m just super excited,” Hefner said. “I’m very excited with the girls that I have (and) to see how they progress throughout the season and watch them get better, and hopefully go as far as states.”

“I haven’t yet met a coach that has been irritated by making things work within 30 seconds, because I think that we are all just really grateful that we get to have a season,” Loftus said. “I know I am. … I’m so happy that we just get the chance — that’s all I could ask for.”

more masks.’ After that, it definitely picked up, and it wasn’t as chaotic as I thought it was going to be. We had 45 girls come out, which was a really good number.”

SCHEDULING DURING A PANDEMIC

Coaches in every fall sport also have had to deal with schedules that have been changed frequently over the last month.

When Orange County Public Schools announced the details of the upcoming season, volleyball teams learned they only would have a monthlong regular season before the playoffs started. Last season, the Panthers played 24 regular-season games — between Thursday, Aug. 22, and Saturday, Oct. 12 — while the postseason ran into early November.

Going into this season, Loftus went about it as if nothing was going on. She didn’t cancel a single game until the day the game schedule was released, she said. Since then, numerous playing opportunities have been dropped, including tournaments such as the Nike Tournament of Champions in Sarasota.

“It was more so holding out hope that we were going to have something, and I wanted to make sure the girls heard me say, ‘We are having a season … no matter what that season looks like, we’re still going to plan like we are having a season so that when it comes around — like it has — we’re not scrambling all of a sudden,’” Loftus said.

Hefner’s schedule was set

File photo

before she had arrived at West Orange, so when things started to get crazy she had to contact coaches around the area who she was just speaking to for the first time. It was difficult, but Hefner said everyone had been flexible with scheduling during the pandemic.

First-year Olympia head coach Sheila Bodway echoed those sentiments.

“You had to try and fit a month of the schedule you missed into the remaining month, but the coaches have been great,” Bodway said. “We’ve been calling each other trying to work it out and seeing how we can be creative with Wednesday matches or tri-matches. Everyone has been really accommodating trying to figure out how to get in as many matches as we possibly can for these kids into what is left of the season.”

Bodway’s Titans team will have an even shorted season following the temporary closure of the school — announced Sunday,

Sept. 6 — due to cases of COVID-19. That will force the Titans to miss the first real week of practice, as well as the opening week of the regular season.

Given the already-shortened nature of the season, schools like DP, West Orange and Olympia

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FLOORING T E • WAT E R P R O O F CARPET • LAMINA

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179.95 BMW 5 Series $199.95

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301015

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301030

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$

Three Business Card Sizes to choose from:

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$

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AUTO SERVICE

SA LE BR AK E PA Dedes C-Class BMW 3 Series Merc

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Ins

301025

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LV11098

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301035

OBSERVER

301014

WEST ORANGE TIMES &

298995

22

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

.com

Color included on all ads!

Publishes every Thursday, and deadlines Friday the week prior.

OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

We look forward to serving you!

OUR SERVICES

LO C A L LY OWNED & OPERA TED

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www.brightcarepharmacy.com 2775 OLD WINTER GARDEN RD SUITE 2775 OCOEE, FL 34761 TEL: 407-813-1800 FAX: 407-813-1808 341379-1

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20

*For prescriptions only, within a 10 mile radius **Limit one per customer while supplies last