SO U T H W E ST O RA N G E
Observer Windermere, Horizon West, Dr. Phillips
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. VOLUME 7, NO. 9
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Small Business Saturday bolsters local businesses. 10.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021
Wheelie good cause A local bike club is helping kids at Maxey Community Center. PAGE 2.
INSIDE: HE ALT H MAT T E RS T H E O B S E RV E R ’S GU ID E TO YOU R B EST YOU
Opening for a princess Horizon West Theater Company will present “Once Upon a Mattress” this weekend. SEE PAGE 4.
Photo by Melissa Kratish Depot
The evil duo — the Wizard (Alex Pommells) and Queen Aggravain (Gabriella Spotts) — get into character at rehearsal.
Boathouse discussion continues Windermere town leaders consider lease terms at Nov. 29 workshop. SEE 7. PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID WINTER GARDEN, FL PERMIT NO. 81
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IT’S FUN TO HAVE FUN! The Cat in the Hat was just one of many guests to appear at Matthew’s Hope’s 2021 Garden Party. SEE PAGE 6
D EC E M B E R 2 0 2 1
THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING Phil Collins sang, “Somehow when you smile, the day seems brighter.” Indeed, there are psychological and physiological benefits of turning that frown upside down. Inside, Winter Garden-based psychologist Dr. Kate Ionelli shares the many ways smiling can have positive effects. PAGES 6–7.
YOUR TOWN ATTENTION BIRD-WATCHERS
The sixth annual North Shore Birding Festival on Lake Apopka, sponsored by Orange Audubon Society, will take place Dec. 2 through 6. The birding festival features expertled trips into the Lake Apopka North Shore and other Central Florida birding hotspots. Trips drive into parts of the North Shore otherwise inaccessible except on foot or bicycle. Workshops for photographers, as well as youth and family trips and those targeting college students, are among the 65 trips at this year’s festival. A number of hotshot birders are participating. Among the field trips is a loop around the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive and an afternoon at Newton Park in Winter Garden. The cost of the fields trips varies. For more information and registration, visit northshorebirdingfestival.com or call (407) 637-2525.
CHURCH TO HOST HARP CONCERT The Central Florida Chapter of the American Harp Society will perform its first live concert since the pandemic at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, at the First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden, 125 N. Lakeview Ave. The program will feature holiday music with a dozen harps played by participants ranging from young students to senior citizens. There will be a reception with refreshments following the concert. Masks are required for this event. Tickets are a suggested donation of $5, with proceeds going to the local chapter. Call (407) 656-1135.