Times& WEST ORANGE
Observer WEST ORANGE COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER FOR 109 YEARS
THURSDAY
SEPTEMBER 17, 2015
FREE
WINTER GARDEN, FLORIDA
REAL ESTATE
TRIBUTE
SPORTS
New urbanism trend grows in West Orange. PAGE 1C
West Orange honors anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks. PAGE 8-10A
West Orange outduels Dr. Phillips in Ol’ Orange Crate Rivalry. PAGE 1B
OUR TOWN
DEVELOPMENT by Zak Kerr | Staff Writer
Relief high groundbreaking set Groundbreaking on-site will precede West Orange Country Club’s reception and the 60% design meeting.
+ W.O. Times adds new writer The West Orange Times & Observer has added a new staff writer to its editorial staff. Jennifer Nesslar joined the newspaper Sept. 8. She will cover news, features and sports. Nesslar holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies, along with a minor in English writing studies, from the University of South Florida — St. Petersburg. Before coming to the Observer Media Group, she served as an intern for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and B2 Communications. She also served as editor-in-chief of her school newspaper, The Crow’s Nest.
HORIZON WEST — Orange County Public Schools officials have announced the groundbreaking of the relief school for West Orange High School. Officials scheduled the groundbreaking to begin at
4 p.m. at the school site, with West Orange Country Club hosting a 5 p.m. reception and then a 6 p.m. 60% design meeting for the school, all Sept. 24. OCPS staff has encouraged families and children to at-
tend, especially considering a legacy piece of art they can have a hand in before it is on display in the new high school when complete. The 60% design meeting will be a followup to the commu-
nity meeting Aug. 12 at West Orange High School, where SchenkelShultz Architecture partner Dave Torbert reviewed the site layout and relevant statistics, such as a 2,776-student capacity, a parking lot with 860 spaces capable of stacking 557 cars and 85 buses and the property’s size of 332,982 square feet — about 6.64 acres.
I
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by Jennifer Nesslar | Staff Writer
One hour with an innovator A Windermere Prep freshman interviewed Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
Michael Eng
West Orange students Rachel Gregorie, Allie Mercedes and Jaimie Steck cheered for the Warriors in the Ol’ Orange Crate Rivalry game Sept. 11 against Dr. Phillips High School. West Orange pulled off a last-second victory to win the game, 41-34. For more photos, see page 15A and wotimes.com. For complete game coverage, see Sports, 1B.
UPCOMING by Catherine Sinclair | Staff Writer
Parks invite residents to celebrate 2015 National Public Lands Day WEST ORANGE — There is one day each September when volunteers throughout the country pack up their sunscreen and bug spray and take a trek to their local parks and preserves — not only to enjoy some time outdoors but also to participate in the nation’s largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands. National Public Lands Day has been recognized every year since 1994. Some of its goals are to educate Americans about the environment and natural resources, build partnerships between the
SEE PARKS / 6A
This week’s winner is
Ron Whitehead. See the photo on PAGE 5B.
SEE SCHOOL / 4A
EDUCATION
+ Teens graduate from OPD academy The Ocoee Police Department has graduated its 12th Teen Police Academy Class. Thirty-seven teenagers spent three hours a day for one week learning about a variety of law enforcement topics, including police equipment, the K9 unit and Crimeline; took a tour of the station; saw a Taser demonstration; and participated in a mock crime scene. They also learned about the traffic units and criminal investigations division. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit, Crime Scene Investigators, Aviation Unit (C.H.A.S.E.) and Crimeline “Speak Out” also participated. The Ocoee Teen Police Academy started in 2004 as an outreach program to educate teens about law enforcement and the Ocoee Police Department. The teens get to have positive interaction with officers while learning about the Explorer program, volunteer opportunities and law enforcement-related career paths. Multiple officers, Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Orange County Crime Scene Investigators volunteered to teach the program.
Although Eileen Fernandez — associate general counsel for OCPS — said the legal agreement between Orange County and OCPS prevents changes to most aspects of the school, some could change. Torbert said the color scheme in particular had not
BY THE NUMBERS
FINANCES by Peter M. Gordon | Contributing Writer
W.G. approves first reading of budget
Commissioners will consider the budget’s second reading at their Sept. 24 meeting.
al parks, seashores and preserves in Florida. 171: The number of state parks/trails in Florida. 99: The number of Orange County parks, preserves and recreation sites. 18,500: The number of jobs sustained by state parks in Florida. 175,000: The number of volunteers nationwide for National Public Lands Day 2014. $1.2 billion: Generated by state parks per year.
WINTER GARDEN — City commissioners unanimously approved a budget of more than $30 million for the next fiscal year and kept the millage rate flat at 4.250 for the sixth consecutive year. This budget includes no increases in taxes. The budget ordinances will become law if they pass the second reading at the next city commission meeting, scheduled for Sept. 24. City Manager Mike Bollhoefer discussed some items that he said generated questions from several commissioners. He said $400,000 of
Community Calendar..............2A Crossword...............................5B
Obituaries.............................23A Real Estate.............................1B
13: The number of nation-
the $500,000 budgeted for street improvements was currently reserved to cover part of the cost to redesign Plant Street around the West Orange Trail. Winter Garden applied for a grant to cover the rest of the cost. If the city doesn’t receive the grant, the money can be spent on other capital projects, such as redesigning Dillard Street. The budget includes an increase in city cemetery fees to create a fund to cover perpetual care after the last plot is sold. The goal is to
SEE COMMISSION / 4A
INDEX Arts & Culture.......................17A Classifieds..............................6B
Sports.....................................1B Weather..................................5B
WINDERMERE — The moment she found out Steve Wozniak was coming to Orlando, she wanted to interview him. Sarina Khemchandani, a ninth-grade student at Windermere Preparatory School, had interviewed high-profile people before, but never anyone as prominent as the co-founder of Apple. Khemchandani, a fan of Wozniak, read his book “iWoz” when she was 12. She found his contact information on his website and sent him an email requesting an interview. No response. Later, her father contacted Wozniak. It wasn’t until Wozniak had arrived in Orlando that he agreed to the interview, to the shock of the entire Khemchandani family. Sarina had less than a day to prepare. The family met Wozniak in the lobby of the Orlando hotel at which he was staying. Khemchandani set up a camera her grandmother gave her and began the interview, which has been picked up by prominent news organizations such as Business Insider, Daily Mail and TIME Magazine. “It was just so amazing,” Khemchandani said.
SEE WOZNIAK / 4A
Courtesy of Sarina Khemchandani
Sarina Khemchandani took a photo with Steve Wozniak directly after her interview with him.
Vol. 82, No. 38 , Four sections
WOTimes.com