Times& WEST ORANGE
Observer WEST ORANGE COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER FOR 109 YEARS
THURSDAY
NOVEMBER 13, 2014
FREE
WINTER GARDEN, FLORIDA
SPOTLIGHT
EXCLUSIVE
SPORTS
Dads and daughters hit the dance floor at Whispering Oak ball. PAGE 10A
Country music stars take center stage at Ocoee festival. PAGE 9A
West Orange High Warriors ready for 2014 playoff run. PAGE 1B
Mosaic Church is embracing the notion of caring for all of God’s children. Its members have adopted more than 100 children from the United States and abroad — including from China, Japan, the Ukraine and several African countries — in the last four years.
OUR TOWN + County to host recycling promotion Orange County Utilities invites residents to its 2014 Orange County Recycles Day, an event that brings local communities together to promote the benefits and importance of recycling. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Orange County Landfill, 12100 Young Pine Road, Orlando. The event is free. Participants will have an opportunity to tour the landfill and enjoy family-friendly entertainment. Heavy equipment, including a dump truck, loader and grader, also will be on display. Additionally, exhibits will be available for residents to learn more about recycling and other environmental issues in the community. For more information, call the Orange County Utilities Solid Waste Hotline, (407) 836-6601 or visit ocfl.net/ OCRecyclesDay.
+ Ocoee grad completes training U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Jamal Agoun graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas. Agoun completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate’s degree in applied science through the Community College of the Air Force. Agoun is a 2007 graduate of Ocoee High School.
Renaut and Brooke van der Riet and their eight children, Birhanu, left, Hope, Mehari, Hadley, Fitsimti, Cole, Rahel and Cullen.
STRENGTH R enaut and Brooke van der Riet already had a full household with their four children. But, nearly three years ago, the Clermont couple — called by God to double the number of kids in their family — adopted four Ethiopian siblings after meeting the youngest child during a visit to an orphanage in the African nation. Nothing about it was easy. “Our adoption was like two tractor-trailers driving toward each other at 75 mph,” Renaut van der Riet said. “They collide, and you expect them to create one tractor-trailer. (But) what you have is a giant mess of fire and metal, and you take the
+ Leadership class completes session The West Orange Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership West Orange 2014/2015, presented by Florida Hospital, completed its second session that highlighted the economic drivers in the West Orange area. The field trip started with a history lesson from Kay Cappleman, of the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation. The group continued on with stops at Manheim Orlando, Knox Nursery, Universal Studios Florida Production Group at Universal Orlando and the DAVE School.
I
WO This week’s winner is
Rebecca and Stan Brown.
See the photo on PAGE 7B.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
by Amy Quesinberry Rhode Community Editor
in Numbers
piles and the pieces, and you combine them.” Over time, what eventually emerged was a cohesive family of four boys, four girls and two blessed parents. Today, the children range in age from 7 to 16 — Cole, 7; Rahel and Hope, both 10; Cullen, 11; Mehari, 12; Hadley and Fitsimti, both 14; and Birhanu, 16. The van der Riets have embraced the Bible verse James 1:27 — “Pure and undefiled
religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” — and so have dozens of families in their church. Renaut van der Riet is the lead pastor of Mosaic Church in Oakland, where many of the congregation’s 2,500 members have heeded the call to care for orphaned and vulnerable children in some capacity.
Families have adopted more than 100 children from the United States and abroad — including from China, Japan, the Ukraine and several African countries — in the last four years. Some are sibling groups, others are infants and teens, and still others have special needs. A few couples adopted children who were in their early
SEE MOSAIC / PAGE 6A
“Because we are adopted by God, we will adopt a vulnerable child.” — Renaut van der Riet
coming soon by Zak Kerr | Staff Writer
Health Central Hospital begins expansion The $43 million project will privatize all patient rooms upon completion. It will include 68 new rooms in the emergency department and 40 in a tower. OCOEE — Health Central Hospital in Ocoee marked the beginning of its development of a bed tower and emergency department expansion with a groundbreaking Nov. 11. The project will include 68 new rooms in the emergency department and 40 bedrooms in a tower on the north side of the hospital, facing
West Colonial Drive. “We’re pulling out the wall of the existing emergency department to expand, about 50,000 square feet,” said Rick Smith, COO of Health Central. “The bed tower will have a 10room addition over levels 2-5, about 32,000 square feet.” Because the hospital currently has 18 semiprivate
rooms and wants to privatize all rooms, the net gain will be 22 beds, he said. The expansion became necessary when space became an issue in the hospital, said John Murphy, West Orange Healthcare District board chairman. “The emergency department is operating at maximum capacity,” Murphy said.
“The bed tower is expanding the maximum capacity of the overall hospital … improving a number of factors in the health care sector.” The capacity issue stemmed from an increase in the hospital’s programming, said Greg Ohe, president of Health Central. “We’re continuing services
History..................................16A Obituaries.............................17A
Real Estate.............................6B Schools................................12A
Sports.....................................1B Weather..................................7B
like programs in neurology, strep throat, surgery (and) ear, nose and throat,” Ohe said. “Each time, the community has said, ‘That’s great, but keep adding programs.’ We’re looking to add programs in cardiology and additional orthopedic and spine programs.” Health Central has undergone expansion construction before, including in its
SEE HOSPITAL / PAGE 8A
INDEX Calendar.................................2A Crossword...............................7B
Vol. 81, No. 45 | Three sections
WOTimes.com