W E ST O RA N G E T I M E S &
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VOLUME 85, NO. 44
KEEPIN’ IT COUNTRY
YOUR TOWN RUN FOR THE GIFT SET FOR NOV. 10
The Gift of Swimming has received $7,750 in checks from several organizations in support of the annual 5K Run for the Gift. The 11th annual 5K takes place at 7 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, and 100% of the donations go directly toward services for at-risk children in need of basic swim survival lessons. Joy McGinty, above, with swimmers from Dillard Street Elementary Head Start, is the founder of The Gift of Swimming and owner of Southwest Aquatics, in Winter Garden. For more information on the 5K, visit run4acause.org.
Danielle Hendrix
Country music star Jake Owen was the Nov. 2 headliner at the 2018 Ocoee Founders’ Day Festival. For more photos, see page 13.
Following a sewage backup, the Simon family still is waiting to see who will take financial responsibility for the resulting damage and repairs. NEWS EDITOR
It’s been more than a month, yet a couple is still plagued with the aftermath of a flooding incident that occurred in their Ocoee home on Sept. 24. The couple’s home in the Lake Olympic Townhomes neighbor-
NOVEMBER 8, 2018
Thompson unseats Olszewski for HD 44
GABBY BAQUERO AND DANIELLE HENDRIX
Ocoee couple burdened with repair, medical bills following flooded home GABBY BAQUERO
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Geraldine Thompson, of Windermere, became the first Democrat to take the Florida House District 44 seat.
OCOEE TO HONOR VETERANS The public is invited to attend the City of Ocoee’s Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 12, at the Woman’s Club of Ocoee, 4 N. Lakewood Ave. The keynote speaker is Steve Shuga, past state commander of the American Legion Department of Florida. Ocoee Middle School band students will perform, and the Ocoee Police Department Honor Guard will present the flags. Refreshments will be served after the ceremony.
Best Buddies celebrated at Gatsby Gala. PAGE 11.
hood flooded with sewage water after a malfunction at a nearby lift station, causing extensive damage and costly repairs the couple cannot afford. “My husband, Alex, got up to go to the bathroom, and then he heard the sound of water and turned on the light to find out the toilet had overflowed and all this water had
come in,” Irene Simon, 75, recalled. “We had no idea where it was coming from, but we later found out it was coming from the lift station.” Irene and Alex, 83, had to hire a water-restoration company to remove all the water following the incident at a cost of more than $6,700, Irene said. The couple now has hired a company to replace all the damaged carpeting, baseboards and drywall for another $6,000. SEE FLOODING PAGE 8
In a close race for Florida House District 44, Geraldine Thompson edged out incumbent Bobby Olszewski to secure her return to Tallahassee. Thompson, 69, is a Windermere resident who served in the Florida House of Representatives for six years and in the Florida Senate for four. She challenged Olszewski — the former Winter Garden city commissioner who had held the seat since October 2017 — and garnered 51.29% of the vote. Olszewski took 48.71% — a difference of 2.58%. In a victory speech given during her election watch party Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the Embassy Suites Downtown Orlando Hotel, Thompson noted she is the first Democrat, woman and person of SEE ELECTION PAGE 4
A PRO’S PASSION
Former Orlando Magic star Sam Vincent helps grow the game he loves. SEE PAGE 21.