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WEST ORANGE TIMES &

Winter Garden, Ocoee, Oakland

NEIGHBORHOOD.

town of Windermere ushered in the Christmas season with its Light Up Windermere event. 1B.

Four

Winter Garden leaders share updates on eastside projects

city is continuing to work on the Dyson’s

A quartet of West Orange and Southwest Orange students performed with the Macy’s Great American Marching Band on Thanksgiving Day. STORY ON PAGE 4A.

CHURCH TO HOST LIVING NATIVITY IN HORIZON WEST

The Winter Garden Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with pastors from neighboring churches, will host a special Live Nativity and Christmas Celebration this weekend. The two-night event takes place Friday, Dec. 5, and Saturday, Dec. 6, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3850 Avalon Road, Winter Garden. Join the churches in celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Pastors from several local Christian churches will narrate the nativity story for 15-minute showtimes. The living nativity will feature live animals, live actors and school choirs and FFA groups from Hamlin Middle School, Horizon High School and West Orange High School. The event also will include a Portuguese choir for the Portuguese session, which takes place at 7:30 p.m. Friday. A Spanish session will be at 7 p.m. Friday. The event also includes a food drive, and attendees can “pay taxes” (canned food items) as they enter Bethlehem to benefit the Hope Center and Well of Hope.

ROAD WORK TO TAKE PLACE IN WINDERMERE

The town of Windermere is having road work conducted on Butler Street and Seventh Avenue to accommodate stormwater drainage installation. The roads will be under construction through Friday, Dec. 5, as crews will be installing stormwater drainage along Butler Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues.

During this time, the boat ramp should be accessible from either Seventh Avenue or Butler Street, but Seventh Avenue will be most dependable. With temporary daytime closures in effect, the town of Windermere is asking people to allow for extra travel time and to drive safely.

Anna and Maija Andert claim first at Head of the Hooch.

Courtesy photos

Lake Buena Vista High’s Collier Alexander-Sawyer, West Orange High’s Enzo Ward, Horizon High’s Noah Sidabutar and West Orange High’s Westin Filby first met on their flight to New York.

Top: West Orange High’s Enzo Ward and Westin Filby, Lake Buena Vista High’s Collier Alexander-Sawyer and Horizon High’s Noah Sidabutar all cherished the friendships they made while in New York.

5FAST

Florida’s longestserving death row inmate granted hearing

he is innocent. According to Zeigler, he walked in his store where a robbery already was taking place, and he was attacked.

Now, nearly 50 years later, Zeigler was granted a hearing on DNA evidence.

The hearing began at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 1, where Zeigler’s attorneys argued the new DNA results could prove their client’s innocence.

The court reviewed the latest DNA testing from clothing worn by all four victims and Zeigler, as well.

His attorneys said this might be Zeigler’s last chance to secure a new trial.

tracted when a person inhales small water droplets or mist containing the Legionella bacteria.

An Ocoee woman recently was diagnosed with the disease and confirmed she is a member of Crunch Fitness of Ocoee.

Ocoee man sentenced for 2018 fatal DUI crash

An Ocoee man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a fatal crash that occurred in March 2018.

motions to dismiss the case.

Evidence presented at Brimmer’s trial showed his blood alcohol content to be .23, almost three times Florida’s legal limit.

Brevard County Sheriff’s Office said Brimmer was seen drinking at Cocoa Beach Pier before hitting the road and driving recklessly.

As part of his sentencing, Brimmer was ordered to pay $750 as reimbursement to the Perrin family for funeral expenses.

Key Food Supermarket to open soon in Ocoee Ocoee is welcoming Key Food Supermarket to Ocoee Plaza. The 27,000-square-foot supermarket, located at 100 W. Silver Star Road, Ocoee, will provide residents with seafood and meats, bakery items, hot food, produce and more.

Ocoee’s Glenn Brimmer, 46, was convicted of DUI manslaughter for the killing of 66-year-old John Perrin.

Tommy Zeigler, 80, was convicted of murder and put on death row for the killing of four individuals in Winter Garden in 1976.

The hearing likely is to last through the end of the week, when a ruling will be put in place on whether his original conviction will stand or if he will be granted a new trial as his attorneys hope.

It is reported that 28 people might have been exposed to the bacteria. Crunch Fitness stated it is cooperating with health officials and has closed off parts of the gym to undergo water testing of its pool and spa systems by certified thirdparty specialists.

While at Cocoa Beach, Brimmer consumed alcoholic beverages before hitting the highway to head home.

The case took more than seven years to go to trial because 1

Legionnaires’ disease case reported in Ocoee Ocoee’s Crunch Fitness

death row inmate in Florida.

killed his wife, her parents and a customer, all inside his Winter Garden furniture store on Christmas Eve.

Crunch added it has spent more than $5 million renovating the facility, including its heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems as well as its aquatic systems prior to opening in 2024.

That’s when his Hyundai Veloster struck Perrin from behind, causing life-threatening injuries that ultimately led to his death.

The construction permit was acquired July 7, and construction was valued at $450,000.

Signage has been put up and the inside currently is under construction.

Overture Hamlin community sells for $45.7 million

Overture Hamlin, a community for adults older than 55 years old, recently was sold to CIM Group and a joint venture partner

lender and developer founded in

File photo

Overture Hamlin was sold for $45.7 million.

Tampa Bay Times/WGHF

Sweet partnership

Through the St. Johns Agricultural Cost-Share Program, Southern Hill Farms has added advanced technology to save water and its plants.

MEGAN BRUINSMA

STAFF WRITER

Southern Hill Farms owner David Hill

planted his first blueberries in 2012.

And because the delicate fruit requires careful attention in the colder months, he spent many nights in his truck next to the plants. When the temperature of the blueberries hit 45 degrees, he set an alarm every hour to wake himself up and check them. When the temperature dropped to 35, he set the alarm for every 15 minutes. He took a flashlight and checked the plants, then cranked up the water to protect them from freezing.

“That was rough,” Hill said. Three years later, Hill found the St. Johns River Water Management District Agricultural Cost-Share Program and applied for a partnership. His farm now has two weather stations, remote sensors and the newest addition — a well pump automation.

BECOMING A PARTNER

Taylor Maxwell, agricultural partnership representative at St. Johns River Water Management District, said the farm uses the cost-share program for funds to advance technology.

The program has two goals: conserve water and improve water quality.

The district strives to hold farmers accountable as well as push for proper practices of water conservation and the reduction of fertilizer going into water bodies.

The agriculture team accepts applications year-round for the program, and partners apply for 10- to 15-year contracts. Every six months, the partners must report water usage to St. Johns.

Maxwell said St. Johns references historical data of water usage to see how much water a partnership will save. It must cost $3 per kilo-gallon of

water saved for the district to approve a program.

The district chooses to fund the project based on its value, not the amount of water. She said this helps smaller farms obtain approval. In the past year, the agriculture team has funded 40 partners.

Depending on the situation, a farm might simply need an upgrade to its equipment, but other cases require brand-new technology.

When Hill planted his 40 acres of blueberries, he needed technology to help manage them as well as the farm’s strawberries, blackberries, peaches and sunflowers.

After running the numbers, St. Johns determined adding the well pump automation to Southern Hill Farms is worth the cost.

NEW TECHNOLOGY

Southern Hill Farms’ well pump automation is expected to be completed by December, Hill said. The technology will be helpful to protect plants, especially blueberries, from freezing.

“We’ve got multiple crops that we’re doing the same thing to,” Hill said. “That’s the issue. When you have so many … it’s nearly impossible to get to each one at the same

IF

YOU GO

UPCOMING EVENTS

WINTER U-PICK

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, and Friday, Dec. 5

WHERE: Southern Hill Farms, 16651 Schofield Road, Clermont

CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 6-7 and 12-14

WHERE: Southern Hill Farms, 16651 Schofield Road, Clermont

For more information, visit southernhillfarms.com

time to turn them off.”

With only 15 employees who work on the 120-acre farm with five different types of crops, it’s a large task to manage. That’s why the well pump automation funded through St. Johns’ cost- share program will be helpful.

Southern Hill Farms has remote sensors in the field that track the temperature of the plants. Hill and the workers use the sensors to calculate an incoming freeze or frost. A freeze is easy to calculate based on expected temperatures, but a frost is challenging because of the extra factors, such as humidity.

The well pump automation will allow Hill to control the water distribution from his phone, rather than standing next to the machine and automatically turning on the water. This helps with the timing of turning it on and off, which saves water.

“You have to get the plant wet, and it takes several minutes for the plant to warm up, and that’s the part where you can damage the berry,” Hill said. Hill uses the sensors in the field to track the temperature of the plants, so he knows to be alert for danger to his plants.

The sensors show him two “bulbs.”

The wet bulb is the temperature the plants think it feels like, and the dry bulb is the temperature you feel. Hill looks at the wet bulb.

“It’s kind of like when you take a shower, and you’re wet and you step out, often you’re cold,” Hill said. “But if you weren’t wet, you wouldn’t be as cold.”

For example, if the temperature outside reads 38 degrees, but the wet bulb reads 32 degrees, he will turn on the water. To protect the blueberry, he has to get it wet before the temperature of the berry is too far below 32 degrees.

The blueberries are highly susceptible to damage from freezes during December and January because they are not ripe.

“If you turn the water off too early, you do a lot of damage,” Hill said. The strawberries are less delicate, because they are ripe and have a higher sugar content. Strawberry picking season begins in December. Blueberries also must fully be coated by water, which uses more water. Every minute the machine runs, 440 gallons of water is pumped out. The well pump automation will help reduce the amount of water wasted since it can be turned off through a phone.

Using the improvements at Southern Hill Farms through the district’s agricultural cost-share program more than 15 million gallons of water are saved every year. Hill said the farm does its best to reduce water waste, but the farm is located on sugar sand. Any water that isn’t soaked up by plants will sink directly through to the aquifer.

Photos by Megan Bruinsma

Out of the 120 acres on the farm, 40 are made up of blueberries. Once the plant is ripe, visitors can come to pick their own.

Left: The well pump automation system will turn on and off the water that coats the blueberries through an app on the workers’ phones.

Taylor Maxwell and David Hill fuse the goals of the St. Johns’ agriculture sustainability goals with personal farm goals.

‘REPPIN’ THE O’: Four band students march in Macy’s Thanksgiving parade

LIZ RAMOS MANAGING EDITOR

Every year growing up in Queens, New York, Noah Sidabutar would watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV with his family. He loved watching the bands, floats and balloons make their way through Macy’s Harold Square.

When he returned to Queens in July to visit family and walked on Harold Square now as a Horizon High School junior, Sidabutar envisioned being the one to perform in the parade.

His dream came true as he performed as a member of the Macy’s Great American Marching Band during the 99th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Thursday, Nov. 27.

“It was like a homecoming,” Sidabutar said. “I grew up watching that parade with my family, and being in it and seeing how much it meant to people was amazing. You’re in that parade, and you look to your left and your right and see hundreds of thousands of people and cameras around you with millions of people watching from home. I remember how excited I got watching that parade when I was younger, and being in it is just a crazy feeling.”

Sidabutar, along with two West Orange and one Lake Buena Vista high school students, marched down the streets of New York with a sea of people watching on the sidewalks and millions more at home viewing the parade on their TVs.

FROM TV TO REALITY

West Orange High seniors Enzo Ward and Westin Filby, Lake Buena Vista High senior Collier Alexander-Sawyer and Sidabutar all grew up watching the famous parade.

“It feels like a full-circle moment,” Sidabutar said. “It’s really an honor. So many people love this parade, and it’s one of the biggest events of the year to so many people.”

Alexander-Sawyer said he auditioned for the Macy’s Great American Marching Band because he wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself and his school marching band. No matter where his family was spending Thanksgiving, his family always made it a point to stop the hustle and bustle of the holiday and sit down to watch the parade together.

“Seeing myself up there was just a big accomplishment,” he said. “This was something brewing in my mind for the past year in terms of getting an audition for my senior year, and I felt confident in my ability as a musician. Getting that affirmation and acceptance, it really made it feel like my senior year was complete.”

To prepare, Sidabutar and Filby had to practice instruments they don’t normally play. Sidabutar had to play tenor drums instead of snare, while Filby had to play alto saxophone instead of baritone saxophone.

To prepare, Sidabutar borrowed a set of tenor drums from his band director, Charlene Cannon, and practiced marching and playing through the streets of his neighborhood in the four weeks leading up to the parade.

Filby also borrowed an alto saxophone to put in additional hours leading up to the parade to adjust to the difference between his usual baritone sax. But all the hard work for all four marchers paid off.

What the high school students didn’t know from watching the parade on TV was the jam-packed schedule they would face to perfect a performance in a matter of four days.

Unlike their high school band performances in which they have months to practice to perfection, the Macy’s Great American Marching Band directors expected excellence with every rep of the performance.

The band only had 19 hours of rehearsal spread across four days to prepare for the biggest parade in the country.

The boys said they were expected to run back to their spots to reset for rehearsal. Every rep was a chance to improve, and it was expected. Alexander-Sawyer had a little extra pressure on himself. The director of the band, Dr. Ward Miller, of Auburn University, asked him to be one of the first musicians to march in the parade, because he liked Alexander-Sawyer’s sound and marching technique.

“He put me right in the front left,

which meant I set the tone for the band once those drone clicks go up, and we take the first step,” he said. “The first thing that national TV saw was me taking that first step. I was very scared, but there was such a large pressure on me to make it perfect every time and that’s exactly what we did in every practice.”

Being one of the few out of 185 selected to lead the parade was an honor for Alexander-Sawyer. He knew he was performing with some of the best musicians across the U.S., so to be given the responsibility let him hold his head up high, he said.

Nothing would compare to the exhilarating feeling of marching through the streets of New York to finally perform on Harold Square.

PERFORMANCE DAY

Getting to Harold Square on Thanksgiving Day wasn’t easy.

The boys had to wake up at 12:30 a.m. to be ready to load the buses and head to rehearsal. Most of the students were running on an hour or two of sleep.

After rehearsal, the band went to Hard Rock Cafe. They scarfed down their meals and then heads started hitting the tables.

“I’m telling you, everyone in that place just fell asleep on the table,” Sidabutar said laughing. “It was so funny.”

But then, it was go time.

Not only was there a sense of anticipation as they waited for step off, but these Florida boys also were freezing, with the temperature in the 40s and strong wind gusts and wind chills making it feel as though the temperature was in the 30s.

“Really what was going through my head as we were walking out into the cold was, ‘Oh, I’m shivering. It’s cold out,’” Ward said with a laugh.

As tired and cold as they were, Ward said he knew their dedication in practice would pay off for a smooth and wonderful performance.

They were nervous at first. They knew the history of the parade, millions would be watching and more would be waiting for them on the sidewalks to watch every step and hear every note they made.

As they continued on the parade, the anxious nerves went away.

“It was all about fun at that point,”

Ward said.

Sidabutar said there weren’t many people at the beginning of the parade route, which started at West 77th Street and Central Park West, but after the first turn south onto 59th Street, everything changed. Thousands of people were cheering, singing along and waving as they enjoyed seeing the bands, floats, balloons and performers go down the street.

Once on Harold Square, the Macy’s Great American Marching Band per-

formed a Disney medley consisting of “This is Me” from “Camp Rock” and Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb.”

“It was something truly special,” Filby said. “You’re just finally seeing and being on the star in the center in front of Macy’s after walking past it all weekend, rehearsing in an indoor facility with a taped star. You’re just finally seeing it like that. The host of the parade was right there talking to us, being in the city, it was just magical.”

TRIP OF A LIFETIME

Not only was the trip memorable for its musical experiences but also for the friendships Ward, Filby, AlexanderSawyer and Sidabutar made that they all said would last a lifetime.

Ward said he was nervous at first meeting new people from across the country, but he realized they all had something in common that would unite them: They all performed in marching bands.

“You would think we’re all different, but really, we’re kind of all the same, because we’re all part of the band culture,” he said. “That allowed us to sort of get really close over just only a week.”

The Macy’s Great American Marching Band brings 185 musicians and about 40 color guard and dancers together from across the country.

Close bonds were created during sightseeing trips, including a cruise around the Statue of Liberty, a trip to the top of the Empire State Building and exploring what the Big Apple has to offer in Times Square. The friendships developed helped the students perform better during rehearsal and in the parade because there was less intimidation as they no longer were playing with strangers.

“The thing about playing with

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STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP

new people for the first time is it’s all about building relationships with the people you’re around, essentially like you’re co-workers,” Sidabutar said.

“It’s great we got to do the sightseeing activities, because we got to build relationships as we’re touring the city. Then come that first rehearsal, we’re ready and good to go in terms of the quick-pace learning.”

Sidabutar said the downside of having students from all 50 states participating in the parade is having to say goodbye.

For the seniors, it was bittersweet. They could potentially see their new friends again, when the Macy’s Great American Marching Band creates an alumni band next year in celebration of the parade’s 100th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of the band. All of them intend to participate next year as alumni.

“I got emotional leaving on Thursday, because I was taking a step back from all the new friends, kind of family, that I was able to build just within one short week full of rehearsals, practices and outings as a band,” Alexander-Sawyer said.

But for Filby, Ward, AlexanderSawyer and Sidabutar, the parade won’t be the last time they see one another.

The four Orange County Public Schools students actually hadn’t all met before the parade. They met when on the flight out to New York.

“The whole time we were like, we’re repping the ‘O,’ we’re repping OCPS,” Filby said. “It was kind of nice knowing we were all there and we all went through the same experience.

They all will meet again at AllCounty Honor Band in January and All-County Jazz Band in April. And, of course, at next year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving

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Day Parade.

Lake Buena Vista’s Collier Alexander-Sawyer, Horizon’s Noah Sidabutar and West Orange’s Westin Filby and Enzo Ward were able to go sightseeing in New York, including a cruise around the Statue of Liberty.

Courtesy photos

Horizon High School’s Noah Sidabutar, second from left in bottom row, performed with the drumline in the Macy’s Great American Marching Band.

Horizon West Church finds forever home

LETICIA SILVA STAFF WRITER

Horizon West Church welcomed nearly 800 people for a Sunday service Nov. 16.

The Vision Sunday service was an outdoor event that took place next to the nearly 13 acres, located at the corner of Schofield Road and State Road 429, the church purchased in 2022.

Attendees sang worship songs, some were baptized, and everyone prayed over the property. Although the church has yet to be built, it is nearing its groundbreaking.

Since its inception in 2018, Horizon West Church staffers began looking for easy-access locations in Horizon West to purchase and build their forever home.

In 2021, as Horizon High was opening, Horizon West Church partnered with the school and used it as the church’s campus, while also giving back to staff and students.

Although the partnership is great, the church’s goal always was to have a property of its own.

In 2022, the perfect Horizon West location became available for purchase — nearly four years after beginning their search.

“We just kept praying, kept walking, kept believing,” said Chris Ogden, Horizon West Church campus pastor. “The location was definitely right where we wanted to be (and) believed we needed to be — not only to have a high visible and accessible church but also a place that generations of people just can come and find hope, find freedom in a place that’s not hard to find, not hard to access.”

for children and student programming.

worship and fellowship through Bible teachings.

The hope is to have phase one of the project completed by Easter 2027.

What they’re most excited for is the permanent footprint the church will have from which generations to come are going to be able to benefit.

The campus will be built in two phases, with a cost of $20 million for construction.

Phase one will break ground in the spring of 2026 and will consist of a 33,000-square-foot building that will include a worship center with seating for 800 people, a two-story education wing and dedicated spaces

To them, it was a no-brainer that they would be calling that land home in the future and bought the property for $6.5 million.

With this first phase, Horizon West Church hopes to continue its partnership with various organizations, groups and ministries like Celebrate Recovery and Family Advocacy Ministry.

“We want to bring that message of hope, healing and transformation,” Ogden said. “We believe that our community is right for the needs that we’re hoping this church is able to meet.”

The first phase of the project also will include ESL classes, Sunday services and midweek activities for children and students to experience

The second phase would include space for a The First Academy school campus, as well as a worship center auditorium seating 1,500 people and accompanying support space.

“We are expecting to fill all these seats multiple times on a Sunday, Lord willing,” First Orlando.

Pastor of Administration Matthew Robinson said. “There’s a verse in the Bible that says that God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, so we’re just hoping and believing for that.”

“This isn’t just a building for us today but also for our kids and grandkids and generations to follow in the future,” Robinson said.

More than that, they hope to be a church sharing the love of God with the community.

“It’s really about representing the impact that God can have through a church on people because that’s what it’s about,” Ogden said. “We want to get the good news to as many people as we can and believe that God’s positioned us to do that.”

OCPS considers school start time changes

LETICIA SILVA STAFF

WRITER

Orange County Public Schools is considering new start times for elementary, middle and high schools. This comes after Senate Bill 1112 and House Bill 733 were passed in 2023, requiring all middle schools to start no earlier than 8 a.m. and all high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

Two years later, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 296, which amended the earlier bills to allow school districts to make a decision on whether to adjust start times.

OCPS board members reviewed proposed start times, which would have elementary schools starting at 7:45 a.m., middle schools starting at 9:35 a.m. and high schools starting at 8:40 a.m.

According to Mary Bridges, senior executive director of the OCPS Student Services Department, one of the main concerns with this plan is the 7:45 a.m. elementary start time. This has sparked safety concerns among parents because children would be waiting at bus stops in the dark.

Another concern is the impact it would have on after-school care, because students will be getting out early while most parents still are at work.

For middle schools, starting later in the day also means getting out later in the day. The main concerns include increased traffic at dismissal time; decreased teachers’ planning time; and impacts to sports and club participation. Furthermore, weather delays could cause middle-schoolers to have a very late dismissal.

“If it’s 4:35 p.m. and there’s lightning or there’s rain, and they have to stay longer, they may not be getting home until 6:30 or 7 o’clock,” Bridges said.

High schools include some of the same concerns, including impacts to sports and club participation. But more than that, concerns also include students not being able to get to work on time; not being able to assist with younger siblings; and the effects it would have on dual-enrollment students and their classes.

Some general concerns for all three levels include lighting on the playing fields, lunch times and cleaning

schedules for custodians.

“Some schools don’t have lighting on the fields,” Bridges said. “For instance, for the middle school, if they were to have a track meet after 4:35 p.m., it just really would not be possible without lighting on their fields. … If the elementary schools start so early, their lunch would be early. If they did stay in extended care, they may not be home for dinner until very late.”

With multiple concerns being presented to board members, District 6 School Board member Stephanie Vanos asked if there would be any benefits to making these changes.

“We cannot argue with the science,” OCPS COO Roberto Pacheco said. “Science has stated that later start times does help students with their educational experience.”

Some benefits of having later start times for middle and high schools include better sleep; better wellbeing; improved focus, performance and grades; as well as more daylight for high schoolers to drive in, which leads to less car accidents.

OCPS released a survey out to the community for its input to then make

SUGGESTED TIMES

a decision on whether these changes will be made.

For Aileen Junco, a parent at OCPS, these changes will do no good.

“Having high-schoolers going in late would leave them no time to do homework or anything high school demands,” she said. “I can’t even imagine for students who do dual enrollment and have to tackle school work, college work, extracurricular activities and a job if they have to leave school late. It’s definitely not setting high-schoolers up for success.”

Brittany Skinner, another parent, has shared on Facebook that there is “no way” her 4 year old will be getting on a bus at 6:30 a.m. She said the best solution would be to add more transportation and allow elemen-

tary schools to start at 8:30 a.m. with high-schoolers.

“Small kids aren’t more resilient to waking up early,” she added. “It will just make their days longer.”

Other parents think these changes are appropriate to make.

Erin Valera is a mom at OCPS and thinks high-schoolers should start later in the day, while elementary school children should start earlier.

“This schedule would more closely follow the biological development of each age group,” she said. “Teens, as they develop, favor staying up later in the evening and would benefit from sleeping in a bit, while the younger kids naturally wake up earlier and go to bed earlier.”

Valera added she has lived in Charleston, South Carolina, for a number of years where school operated on this schedule.

“It worked well, and no one seemed to take issue with it,” she said.

If implemented, these changes will be in effect on July 1, 2026.

The survey closed Nov. 21. School Board members will discuss their findings at a later date.

Courtesy photo

The church campus will be located next to OCOM at the corner of Schofield and State Road 429.

WAY BACK WHEN Ward Britt

street,” Britt said. “I didn’t wash my face, brush my teeth; I just put on my clothes and went to school. … I didn’t go to the corner with the crossing guard, and I got in trouble all the time for it.”

Plant Street called The Bonnie Shop.

“Downtown Winter Garden was very busy and very successful; all the stores were busy,” he said. “We had Leader Department Store. We had restaurants, we had a movie theater, Bray Hardware store; Flip Sterns had Western Auto, Mr. Wolf had Wolf’s Hardware Store.” It was at Wolf’s that Britt got one of his first tastes of punishment.

“He caught me stealing,” he said. “I bought a new fly rod, and I spent all my money, and I needed plugs. … I was at the gas station about an hour, and Mother said, ‘Come home.’

She marched me back to the store by my ears and made me apologize to Mr. Wolf and give it back.”

Fishing was an important and popular sport in the 1950s when Lake Apopka was an international bass fishing mecca.

Britt’s father operated the city docks at the lake’s edge in 1951-1952, and he sold bait to the fishermen and candy and sodas to the children at the community pool.

“We rented boats and motors, and we’d go fishing every day and catch lots of bass,” Britt said. “Lake Apopka was clear back then. I used to waterski — in those days it was two feet deeper than it is now.”

Britt said he knew he always would live in Winter Garden, just like his dad did.

“Winter Garden was peaceful,” Britt said. “The war was over. Everybody had money. Citrus was king. We had car dealerships in downtown Winter Garden.”

He bought his first new car, a Ford Fairlane, at the Chevrolet dealership at the southeast corner of Plant Street and Highland Avenue. And it was in that very car that he faced a night in the local jail for spinning out at Monk’s Drive-In diner on Dillard Street.

“I called Mother, and she came and got me,” he said. “The next time it happened, she left me there.”

After high school, Britt continued his studies at The Citadel — and then returned to his beloved Winter Garden to live for one year before he started pilot training. He taught one year of seventh-grade geography at Lakeview High.

For the Winter Garden native and Oakland resident, all roads lead back to West Orange County.

AMY QUESINBERRY

HISTORIAN

Editor’s note: Way Back When is a new feature that records and preserves the stories and memories of lifelong West Orange and Southwest Orange residents.

Ward P. Britt always has returned to Winter Garden, the place he first called home 85 years ago as an infant. After high school, he left for The Citadel but came back. He served in the Vietnam War and returned home. As a commercial pilot, he was based around the United States and in Berlin, but Winter Garden eventually called him back.

Today, he lives less than three miles from his childhood home in the neighboring town of Oakland — but he’s in his hometown frequently to attend the church in which he grew up and to participate on the board of the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, which houses many generations of Britt files, photos and newspaper clippings.

Britt’s first home, fittingly, now is a historical building. When he was brought home after his birth in 1940, it was to an apartment above the Winter Garden fire station on South Boyd Street. Today, it houses the SOBO Art Gallery.

The family eventually moved to a house one block south and then to a neighborhood near Lakeview High School. After graduation in 1958, Britt attended The Citadel — The Military College of South Carolina.

As the oldest child of four — he was followed by Bruce, Bonnie and Neil — Britt was a bit of a rascal, often finding himself in trouble at school and home.

He attended the old Winter Garden Elementary School on nearby South Main Street before moving on to Lakeview for his upper-level studies.

“The first bell woke me up, and I made it to school by the next bell, because I ran right across the

He had a hard time keeping up in school because of dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, he said.

“I struggled mightily in high school and barely passed,” he said. “If my last name wasn’t Britt, I probably wouldn’t have passed.”

When he was in high school, his mother was forced to take drastic measures to ensure he didn’t flunk out.

“My mother made my teachers sign a notice that I made a ‘C’ that week and I could go out that weekend,” he said. “If I didn’t make a ‘C,’ I couldn’t go to the football game, to dances, to the lake. … I wasn’t bad and didn’t do anything illegal, but I just didn’t care. I didn’t have a background in education. So, fun became the goal.”

‘WINTER GARDEN WAS PEACEFUL’

When he was out having fun, it usually was with buddies Stanley “Babe” Roper, Tommy DeLoach, Jimmy Varnadoe, Don Dickerson and Jack Woodley — they went all through school together.

Fun was what they made of it, and there was never a lack of something to do.

“We went out in the groves and shot rabbits and fished all the lakes,” Britt said. “We took rabbits and possums to the back area and sold them. And then we went spear fishing in Lake Butler and sold them, too, in the same place. We rented air tanks and went to all the springs and went diving; we had no earthly idea what we were doing or how dangerous it was. We would go to the bottom of the springs and fanned the bottom and found pottery.”

The family’s Britt Camp was on Lake Butler, and Britt and his siblings and friends camped there for three or four days at a time, surviving on rabbits and fish.

“That’s the reason I was such a bad student,” he said. “My goal was to keep my fun meter pegged.

“Growing up in Winter Garden was Mayberry,” he said. “When I was growing up here, the citrus industry was strong, people had money, people were friendly. … There were grocery stores and department stores right on Plant Street.”

Britt’s mother had a business, too — a girls clothing store on downtown

“The worst job I ever had,” he said with a laugh. “Mr. Higginbotham was the principal, and Mother was registering Neil for school. He mentioned he needed a teacher. … I didn’t know the first thing about geography. Mr. Higginbotham told me I was going to have … kids who had been in seventh grade two or more years. ‘Your job is to maintain discipline; you keep them quiet.’”

While the teaching position was miserable, Britt said he and a few of the other single male teachers made time for fun. They played poker, hung out at local bars and bowled nightly, usually throwing the last ball at 2 or 3 a.m. It was during this time he met the woman who would become his wife. He and Judy were introduced at a party on Lake Butler and got married in 1965. They enjoyed 55 years of marriage and built a large family of three daughters, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren (with another on the way).

“I told Judy, ‘I married you because you were the most beautiful woman who ever gave me the time of day,’” Britt said.

GENERATIONS OF BRITTS

Britt’s father, Morgan “Ward,” was a farmer, inheriting land and groves from his father, Morgan Henry. The elder Britt owned 50 acres near the intersection of East Plant Street and West Crown Point Road, land he eventually would pass down to his four children and later would be home to the popular Starlite DriveIn movie theater.

Morgan “Ward” Britt lived on Lakeview Avenue with his parents and two brothers, Henry and Merritt. The three siblings often set out on adventures. They rode their bikes to Highway 50 and then walked seven miles on a dirt road to Lake Butler.

“They’d be gone about a week,” Britt said. “Their mother didn’t worry about them. They had a gun, they all had knives and fishing poles. … They probably slept on the ground, bathed in the lake. They would take a pound of bacon and go out there. They had a big old boat they fished in. They’d eat fish, and when they ran out of food, they’d go home.” Morgan “Ward” Britt married Gertrude “Trudy” Martin after high school, and then he was shipped overseas during World War II. His deployment was short-lived; he was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge after about five days when a mortar

Amy Quesinberry Price

Ward Britt has a collection of all the planes he has flown throughout his life.

Commercial pilot Ward Britt posed for a photo with two of his grandchildren, Erin and Zach Bailey.

Ward Britt received the Silver Star when he returned home from the Vietnam War.

“Growing up in Winter Garden was Mayberry. When I was growing up here, the citrus industry was strong, people had money, people were friendly. … There were grocery stores and department stores right on Plant Street.”

— Ward Britt

shell exploded, sending shrapnel into the side of his face.

“God wasn’t ready for him; it wasn’t his time,” Britt said. “He came back, convalesced in Japan and then in Daytona. I was born while he was gone.” Following the war, Britt’s father took up farming on family land. After a while, he wanted to get out of the farming business, so he became a fertilizer inspector for the state and traveled all over Florida. He switched careers when a Continental Can Co. employee willed him his job upon his death. Neither position fulfilled him, Britt said.

His father’s life went in a different direction in 1958 when he was buying wood at West Orange Lumber Co. to build shelves and the owner asked him if he would like to buy the company. After much deliberation, he borrowed $70,000 and made the move. The lumber business was booming, and he paid off the debt in two years. He also paid for Britt’s college and paid off the mortgage on the house.

HEADED TO VIETNAM

With a degree from The Citadel in his hand in 1963, Britt was commissioned a second lieutenant and devoted six years to military service. He attended pilot school in Del Rio, Texas.

“If they’re going to give the world an enema, they’re going to give it there,” he said.

A little over a year later, he was assigned to the B-52s at Dyess Air

Force Base in Abilene, Texas, but first went to California for flight training and nuclear bomb training. He said he didn’t like the airplane or the mission.

“We would fly for 12 hours (to the Aleutian chain of islands) and come back,” he said. “They called it Chrome Dome – a strike force for if a nuclear war started, we would be the first to go into Russia.”

In 1966, he applied for and got accepted to be a forward air controller in the Vietnam War.

“I was a lucky boy to survive it,”

Britt said. “There were so many times I came close to being killed. I was flying at 1,500 feet at 60 mph.

One of these got shot down with a bow and arrow once.

“I was in Vietnam a year,” he said.

“We flew all day every day. It was dangerous. It was a serious time in my life, and I got some medals for some dumb things I did over there.”

Among his medals were the Silver Star, Bronze Star, close to 30 air medals and a distinguished service award.

For the next year and one half, Britt served as an instructor for forward air controllers headed to Vietnam.

Ward and Judy Britt settled in Kelso on Lake Butler, building their home in 1975.

A career change took Britt into the skies flying for commercial airlines — a far cry from the dangerous airspace over Vietnam. First was a 10-year stint for National Airlines, followed by 10 years with Pan American World Airways after it bought out National. For five of those years with Pan Am — from 1985-1990 — Britt was a copilot based in Berlin and witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall. He returned to the United States and advanced to captain. After Pan Am went bankrupt, Delta Air Lines bought the international piece. Britt continued with Delta and eventually became a flight instructor.

He retired from Delta in 1999.

“I was burned out from mergers, hotel rooms, crew bus rides and eating airport food,” he said.

Britt enjoys living on Lake Apopka, where he has a big, screened porch with a spectacular view of the lake, his pontoon boat and several alligators that frequent the lake bank. He and his late wife bought the property

35 years ago as an investment, and although he was against the purchase at the time, he’s grateful she insisted. They built the house and made it a home for three years before she passed.

His retirement years have afforded him the opportunity to give back to his community. He is an usher at the First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden, where he has attended for all of his 85 years. He also joined the heritage foundation and served as president starting in 2001.

In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors, hitting the golf course several times per week and going fishing and hunting.

At his sister’s urging, Britt asked out longtime Winter Garden resident Andy Davis, who served for years as the board secretary for the heritage foundation.

“I took her to Chef’s Table; we hit it off,” he said. “We see each other every day.”

Courtesy photos

Ward Britt, pictured with his parents, Morgan “Ward” and Gertrude “Trudy” Britt, has many wonderful memories of growing up in Winter Garden.

Top: A family photo taken around 1978 features Ward and Judy Britt and their three daughters, Muffett, GeeGee and Heidi.

East Winter Garden projects progress

will target between 15 and 20 homes each year with funding up to $50,000 per home for repairs.

The city of Winter Garden is making progress on revitalization projects for the Historic East Winter Garden Neighborhood.

Marc Hutchinson, the city’s economic development director, shared an update on the Dyson’s Plaza Commercial Revitalization project as well as the Legacy Home Rehabilitation Pilot Program with the Winter Garden City Commission.

Hutchinson said the Community Redevelopment Agency is funding the projects.

DYSON’S PLAZA COMMERCIAL REVITALIZATION

The city broke ground on Dyson’s Plaza Commercial Revitalization Project in August 2024.

The project includes the redevelopment of the 2,300-square-foot property that is a fourth-generation, family-owned business since 1939.

There is redevelopment work set aside to improve the interior and exterior of the building shell as well as site improvements for the parking lot, paving, outdoor dining and seating and landscape.

Hutchinson said it previously was a three-unit building, but now it will be converted to a two-unit building, allowing for an expansion for a potential restaurant as well as a retailer for the second unit.

“It’s pretty impressive work thanks to (Assistant City Manager) Mr. Steve Pash, who has been trying to land this plane,” Hutchinson said.

As work on the project continues, Hutchinson said the outside dining area will be facing north and there are trees facing south from the back of the building to the right. There also is improved electrical work.

There also is ADA accessible parking facing north as well as a Molok garbage receptacle facing north.

Hutchinson said the garbage receptacle is partially underground, which “allows for our smallest signature in garbage storage, and also it does a really fantastic job of containing the smell.”

Hutchinson said the project is about 95% complete, with a few remaining work items left regarding the electrical connections, installation of an awning, some landscaping and striping of the parking surface.

“We’re happy we’re almost there, rounding the corner for Dyson’s,” he said.

LEGACY HOME REHABILITATION

PILOT PROGRAM

The Community Redevelopment Agency is partnering with Rebuild Together Greater Florida, the administrator and contractor of the program, as well as We Are Winter Garden for the project.

Hutchinson said the mission of the overall legacy program is to bring improvement to homeowners’ home residences to focus on improving the health and safety of the home, add better quality of life as well as extend and add value to the home.

“This is a monumental effort to really try and bring some value and raise a standard for the quality of life and living for our residents in the Historic East Winter Garden Neighborhood,” Hutchinson said.

The city received 34 applications for the pilot program, 10 of which were declined. Four homes were approved for the pilot while nine are under review and 11 are preapproved for the next round of the program.

Once the full program is running, it

“We thought it was prudent to kind of walk the walk of doing a pilot to really understand what we’re getting involved with and understand the process and make improvements, especially walking alongside for the first time without a partner,” Hutchinson said. “We just wanted to make sure there was absolute diligence in the process, so we took the route of doing a four-home pilot to focus on four homes under the same criteria.”

The first home under renovation is for Janet Gilbert. The project is 80% complete with a $34,435 budget. The single-family, 1,056-square-foot home was built in 1962.

“We’re really impressed with the lightning clip in which this process has taken place and how much has occurred,” Hutchinson said.

One of the slated improvements includes masonry work to replace tile flooring, which had gaps in pockets affecting about 50% of the area within the home.

There also are plumbing improvements such as a shower-to-tub conversion in the master bath.

Other improvements include carpentry work, HVAC and electrical improvements as well as extermination and exterior painting.

The second house belongs to Lonnie Jefferson and is 70% complete with a budget of $43,026. The single-family, 1,152-square-foot house was built in 1965.

Slated improvements include a master bathroom renovation, widening of the master bath doorway, carpentry replacement of kitchen cabinets, bolstering some of the doors to ensure home security, electrical work, mold remediation and roof replacement.

The third pilot home is for John Rainey. The project is 80% complete with a budget of $44,765. The singlefamily, 1,494-square-foot home was built in 1951.

“Now that is a beautiful home,” Hutchinson said. “A beautiful home only on the exterior. When you get inside and you take a look, there are hidden problems within the foundation and behind the walls.”

He said there was wood rot and piping work on the exterior that was compromised with at least 80% blockage.

The project includes a complete overhaul around the home’s foundation, plumbing work, structural framing repairs, flooring repairs in the bathroom and remediation in the kitchen and below the bathroom.

The fourth and final home in the pilot program is Valerie Brown’s. Work on the 848-square-foot home has not yet started and has a budget of $54,000. Hutchinson said work hasn’t started yet as it’s still going through the permitting process, and there’s some refinement needing to be done on the cost to bring the renovations within the $50,000 threshold.

Work needed on the house includes masonry work, especially around the framing outside, as well as siding and roof replacement, foundation upgrades, electrical work, plumbing work, renovations to the bathroom and kitchen and ADA upgrades to the front entrance.

Hutchinson said once the four pilot program homes are complete, the city will make quick assessments about lessons learned, refinements to the process and more before opening the program to more homes.

LIZ RAMOS MANAGING EDITOR

File photo

The city broke ground on Dyson’s Plaza Commercial Revitalization Project in 2024.

Amansion in the Keene’s Pointe community in Windermere topped all West Orange-area residential real-estate transactions from Nov. 10 to 16.

The home at 6030 Greatwater Drive, Windermere, sold Nov. 12, for $3,178,500. Built in 1999, it has six bedrooms, six-and-one-half baths and 6,489 square feet. Days on market: Four. The sellers were represented by Tj Cosgrove, Real Broker LLC.

These are the highestselling homes in each community in West Orange.

DR. PHILLIPS

BAY HILL VILLAGE SOUTH

The home at 6035 Jamestown Park, No. GE, Orlando, sold Nov. 11, for $769,000. Built in 1987, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,712 square feet. Days on market: 31.

BELLA NOTTE AT VIZCAYA

The townhouse at 8413 Via Bella Notte, Orlando, sold Nov. 12, for $525,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,066 square feet. Days on market: 80.

HIDDEN SPRINGS

The home at 7619 Lake Marsha Drive, Orlando, sold Nov. 12, for $555,000. Built in 1986, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,308 square feet. Days on market: 87.

ORANGE TREE COUNTRY CLUB

The home at 6836 Bittersweet Lane, Orlando, sold Nov. 14, for $700,000. Built in 1981, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,432 square feet. Days on market: 109.

The home at 7668 Pinemount Drive, Orlando, sold Nov. 14, for $500,000. Built in 1983, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,390 square feet.

RUBY LAKE

The home at 10748 Citron Oaks Drive, Orlando, sold Nov. 14, for $1,020,000. Built in 2019, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,273 square feet. Days on market: 28.

SAND LAKE POINT

The home at 10036 Brandon Circle, Orlando, sold Nov. 10, for $1,060,000. Built in 1993, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,546 square feet. Days on market: Four.

HORIZON WEST

HARVEST AT OVATION

The home at 12898 Harvest Rain Ave., Winter Garden, sold Nov. 14, for $730,000. Built in 2025, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,858 square feet. Days on market: 45.

INDEPENDENCE

The home at 15613 Camp Dubois Crescent, Winter Garden, sold Nov. 13, for $560,000. Built in 2014, it has six bedrooms, three baths and 2,630 square feet. Days on market: 109.

LAKES OF WINDERMERE

The home at 13055 Overstreet Road, Windermere, sold Nov. 10, for $670,000. Built in 2008, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,827 square feet. Days on market: 137.

LAKESIDE VILLAGE

TOWNHOMES

The townhouse at 10615 Village Lake Road, Windermere, sold Nov. 12, for $459,000. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 1,834 square feet. Days on market: 79.

NEWBURY PARK

The home at 11701 Fitzgerald Butler Road, Orlando, sold Nov. 13, for $725,000. Built in 2006, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,217 square feet.

NORTHLAKE AT OVATION

The home at 11219 Pixie Mandarin Court, Winter Garden, sold Nov. 10, for $1,200,000. Built in 2024, it has four bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 3,101 square feet of living area. Days on market: One.

ORCHARD HILLS

The home at 14419 Magnolia Ridge Loop, Winter Garden, sold Nov. 14, for $650,000. Built in 2017, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 2,514 square feet of living area. Days on market: 117.

SERENADE AT OVATION

The home at 13036 Serene Glade Road, Winter Garden, sold Nov. 10, for $544,990. Built in 2025, it has three bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 2,078 square feet.

SILVERLEAF OAKS

The home at 16371 Bright Leaf Road, Winter Garden, sold Nov. 10, for $920,632. Built in 2025, it has five bedrooms, four-andone-half baths and 3,878 square feet of living area. Days on market: 47.

The home at 5254 Citrus Leaf Blvd., Winter Garden, sold Nov. 12, for $682,195. Built in 2025, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,080 square feet. Days on market: 88.

SUMMERLAKE

The home at 15420 Southern Martin St., Winter Garden, sold Nov. 10, for $935,000. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,782 square feet of living area.

SUMMERPORT

The home at 4837 Indian Deer Road, Windermere, sold Nov. 14, for $660,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,644 square feet. Days on market: 22.

WATERLEIGH

The home at 10643 Atwater Bay Drive, Winter Garden, sold Nov. 13, for $530,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 2,200 square feet of living area. Days on market: 41.

WEST ORANGE

BUTLER RIDGE

The home at 5141 Autumn Ridge Lane, Windermere, sold Nov. 10, for $930,000. Built in 1990, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,390 square feet. Days on market: 91.

WINDERMERE

KEENE’S POINTE

The home at 11407 Camden Park Drive, Windermere, sold Nov. 14, for $1,262,500. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 3,416 square feet.

RESERVE AT LAKE BUTLER SOUND

The home at 11014 Hawkshead Court, Windermere, sold Nov. 12, for $1,675,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 4,240 square feet. Days on market: 175.

TUSCANY RIDGE

The home at 1450 Belfiore Way, Windermere, sold Nov. 12, for $1,435,000. Built in 2007, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 4,477 square feet. Days on market: 109.

WATERMARK

The home at 9573 Meadow Hunt Way, Winter Garden, sold Nov. 14, for $880,000. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,849 square feet. Days on market: 243.

The home at 14757 Glade Hill Park Way, Winter Garden, sold Nov. 14, for $750,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,935 square feet of living area. Days on market: 51.

WINDERMERE SOUND

The home at 13254 Penshurst Lane, Windermere, sold Nov. 12, for $750,000. Built in 2015, it has five bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 3,720 square feet. Days on market: 96.

OCOEE

CROWN POINT WOODS

The home at 1260 Log Landing Drive, Ocoee, sold Nov. 14, for $565,000. Built in 1988, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,970 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two.

VILLAGES OF WESMERE

The home at 1991 Fishtail Fern Way, Ocoee, sold Nov. 10, for $565,000. Built in 2012, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,506 square feet. Days on market: Three.

WYNWOOD

The home at 2043 Ashwood Bluff Drive, Ocoee, sold Nov. 12, for $682,000. Built in 2025, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,787 square feet. Days on market: 69.

The home at 3350 Wynwood Forest Drive, Ocoee, sold Nov. 13, for $542,990. Built in 2025, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 2,601 square feet of living area. Days on market: 20.

The home at 3164 Briarwood Grove Drive, Ocoee, sold Nov. 12, for $537,990. Built in 2025, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 2,601 square feet of living area. Days on market: Six.

WINDERMERE DOWNS

The home at 2015 Woody Drive, Windermere, sold Nov. 14, for $670,000. Built in 1978, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,042 square feet of living area. Days on market: 28.

WINDERMERE ISLE

The home at 8349 Vivaro Isle Way, Windermere, sold Nov. 13, for $1,150,000. Built in 2019, it has six bedrooms, four baths and 4,202 square feet of living area. Days on market: 74.

WINTER GARDEN

ACREAGE

The home at 12151 Walker Pond Road, Winter Garden, sold Nov. 12, for $2,835,000. Built in 1984, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,993 square feet. Days on market: 54.

GLENVIEW ESTATES

The home at 617 Glenview Drive, Winter Garden, sold Nov. 14, for $625,000. Built in 1984, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 3,050 square feet. Days on market: 25.

OXFORD CHASE

The home at 14873 Ellingsworth Lane, Winter Garden, sold Nov. 13, for $630,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,583 square feet. Days on market: 43.

ROPER RESERVE

The home at 474 Wrangler Road, Winter Garden, sold Nov. 13, for $715,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 2,877 square feet. Days on market: 24.

STONEYBROOK WEST

The home at 2149 Black Lake Blvd., Winter Garden, sold Nov. 13, for $690,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,709 square feet. Days on market: 65.

TRADITIONS

The home at 139 Faulkner St., Winter Garden, sold Nov. 14, for $560,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,591 square feet of living area. Days on market: Five.

YOUR

GLOW UP!

It’s officially the Christmas season!

The town of Windermere kicked off local festivities with its Light Up Windermere event, held Friday, Nov. 21, outside of Town Hall.

The festive evening included performances by various choirs from Family Church and selections from White Swan Academy ballerinas. Attendees also enjoyed a variety of food options from a plethora of food trucks as they awaited the big moment — the lighting of the all-new downtown holiday lights.

At about 7:15 p.m., Mayor Jim O’Brien led the countdown as town officials flipped the switch, officially welcoming the holidays to the town. Following the lighting, kids and parents flocked to the glow-in-the-dark bubbles and danced to tunes courtesy of a nearby deejay.

MICHAEL ENG

Family Church choir members used kazoos during their performance.

Left: Hunter Hyun loved playing in the glow-in-the-dark bubbles with his dad.

White Swan Academy showcased pieces of its upcoming ‘Nutcracker’ performance.

Family Church brought the holiday cheer through song.

Various singers from Family Church performed Christmas carols at Light Up Windermere.

White Swan Academy dancers performed selections from a variety of popular ballets.

Members of the Windermere Little League helped Mayor Jim O’Brien as he led the countdown to flip on the lights.

The best part about Windermere Prep is its community—incredibly collaborative, diverse, and kind. The teachers wish nothing but the best for the students, providing resources needed to succeed. The IB experience was completely lifealtering, transforming me into a resilient, openminded, and risk-taking change-maker.

— WPS Class of 2025 Student, via Niche

INFLUENCER OF THE WEEK

LYNNE SCHABER GOTHA MIDDLE SCHOOL

Lynne Schaber is the vice president of outreach for Gotha Middle School’s Parent-Teacher Organization.

Schaber is responsible for overseeing committees for community and student outreach.

“Every year, Ms. Schaber puts all of her effort into providing for our families in need,” Gotha Middle Principal Monica Emery said. “Not only does she run our annual Grizzlies Give Drive to support our families during the holiday season, but she has also stocked our Bear Necessities closet with clothes, hygiene items and other items to support our students. She is one of the most generous people I know.”

Why did you join Gotha Middle School’s PTO?

watching my kids in their extracurricular activities, and I enjoy walking, hiking and running outdoors.

If you could dine with any famous person, who would it be and why? I would dine with Tina Fey. I think she is hilarious, smart and so talented.

I enjoy being connected to the school and learning about what the school is doing with the students.

What do you love most about your school? I love that the school creates a positive community between students, teachers and parents and that (it focuses) so much on kindness to others.

What is the most rewarding part of your job with the PTO?

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

My superpower would be the ability to clone myself so I could have an assistant, personal shopper and chef.

If you could only listen to three bands or artists, who would they be and why?

Such a hard question! I would have to say U2, the Dave Matthews Band and Sara Bareilles. Their music is so nostalgic for me.

At Lake Apopka Natural Gas, we’re helping families connect to affordable, reliable, and efﬁcient natural gas, with appliances that pay dividends for years to come. Studies show a home with natural gas has a 6% greater resale value than an all-electric home.

www.langd.org

The most rewarding part is getting to be part of the Guardian Angels program that directly supports students in need.

Who influences you?

Definitely my kids; they are always teaching me things. Also, all the members of the PTO. They are an amazing group of individuals.

Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? Why? Mr. Martin, my high school math teacher. He was always so supportive and encouraging.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Spare time? What’s that? Ha ha! I love

REPORT CARD Position: VP of outreach Years at school: Five

What was your go-to lunch and favorite snack as an elementary student?

My go-to lunch was PB&J, and I loved Hostess zingers.

What is your favorite holiday and why?

My favorite holiday is the Fourth of July, because I love summer. My birthday is the day before, and my daughter’s is right after. Such a fun week to celebrate!

Who was your best friend when you were in school and why? Are you still in touch?

My best friend was Marye. We played side-by-side together in the band for years. We try to keep in touch with all the busy schedules.

— LIZ RAMOS

Ocoee Middle celebrates 12th Multicultural Night

Ocoee Middle School opened its doors to the community to celebrate its diversity through music, food, art and traditions from around the world Thursday, Nov. 20.

At the school’s 12th annual Multicultural Night, attendees were given a passport to stamp as they traveled around North, Central and South America, Caribbean and Islands, Asia, Africa and Europe. They came hungry and left full after enjoying samples from the booths.

On stage, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida performed, followed by Ocoee Middle’s band and orchestra, and Latinos in Action.

— MEGAN BRUINSMA

Ocoee Middle School’s girls one, two and three choruses took the stage and serenaded guests with their voices.

Liana Hulcher and Jordan Summerlin ran Cuba’s booth. They handed out Cuba’s ration tickets used for grocery shopping.

Left: Lena Le, left, said Panama had the best rice, and it was her favorite booth. Emily Lopes had fun sampling food with Le.

Cassie Dotson, an eighth-grade English teacher, and Rachel Giannone, a sixth-grade science teacher, represented France and handed out stickers to visitors.

Shaunette Abraham smiled with her three kids and liked tasting different dishes.

Julissa Becerra was happy to complete her passport.

Right: Beenish Waheed worked hard to give children henna tattoos. Elsley Ramirez sat patiently.

There’s only a few weeks left in school before the amazing holiday break begins! We know all of our students are ready for a much deserved break from the classrooms.

And a few weeks off from school is the perfect time to catch up on some adventure! This year, Orange County Library System librarians worked together to create lists for the Best Books of 2025 that highlight hidden gems that might have slipped past readers’ attention.

“We sought books that spark curiosity and empathy — while celebrating the many ways stories connect us,” the librarians said. “Representation and inclusivity also guided our choices. We wanted young readers to see themselves in the books we recommended and to discover new experiences and voices along the way. A little something for everyone!”

So, instead of wasting your day away on yet another round of”Fortnite,” why not choose a book (or several!) to devour alongside a plate of Christmas cookies and a mug of hot cocoa? We promise: It’ll be well worth your time.

You can see all titles on OCLS’s Best Books of 2025 in the December issue of Books & Beyond (available at your local OCLS library location) and at ocls.org.

BRAINF D

The Observer answers kids’ burning curiosities.

PAGE-TURNERS I Michael Eng // Editor and Publisher

1. “The Escape Artist: A True Story of Octopus Adventure” by Thor Hanson

2. “How to Talk to Your Succulent” by Zoe Persico

3. “Speak up, Santiago!” by Julio Anta and Gabi Mendez

4. “J vs. K” by Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft

5. “Cruise Life: Queen of the Sea” by Reese Eschmann

6. “We Could be Magic” by Marissa Meyer

7. “Silence. 1” by Yoann Vornière

8. “Wings of Starlight” by Allison Saft

9. “Wizard of Earthsea: The Graphic Novel” by Ursula K. Le Guin; adapted by Fred Fordham

10. “Story Spinners: A Sisterly Tale of Danger, a Princess, and Her Crew of Lady Pirates” by Cassandra Federman

Feeling pine

McDaniel and Joree King

Left:

Robert and Leah Varner enjoyed the outdoors along with Dori Madison and Ellie Chase.

Brenda Smith and Suzanne Lothrop were happy at Winter Garden Heritage Foundation’s event.

Lenka Brady from Betty J’s Florist attended the event with friend Jennifer Agrait.

Right: Kathy Valadja helped Dana Wells from Sunshine Coaching Group with her tree.

HIGH 5

Dr. Phillips football’s incredible 2025 campaign came to an end in the regional finals as it lost to Vero Beach 49-23 Friday, Nov. 28. The team went down early 21-7 in the first quarter and wasn’t able to return from the deficit. Dr. Phillips’ running back Zion Matthews had 95 yards after coming off an ankle injury in the regional semifinals game. Quarterback Tien Williams had 107 passing yards and two touchdown passes.

Dr. Phillips closed the 2025 season with a 9-4 overall record, undefeated at home and a 3-0 district record to earn the district champion title. The Panthers were the last local team in the playoff picture.

Windermere High swimmer Rylee Erisman, who defeated the National High School swim record at the FHSAA State Championship, announced her commitment to continue her academic and athletic career at the University of California at Berkeley. She is following in the footsteps of her older brother who is a freshman on the Bears’ mens swimming team.

Erisman reclassified to the Class of 2026 and she will graduate high school a year early to join the Bears in the fall semester. Her recent record of 46.69 in the 100-yard freestyle would have placed her in fourth in the NCAA Championship.

West Orange Wildcats Junior Pee Wee team placed first at the Southeast Regional Cheer and Dance Competition Friday, Nov. 28. The girls had worked hard since July and practiced three times per week to prepare for the competition. During that time, the team also supported the local football athletes on game days. The team qualified itself to Nationals Friday, Dec. 5, in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is asking for help with donations to send the girls to the competition. You can donate at zeffy. com/en-US/peer-to-peer/ west-orange-cheer-competition-road-to-nationals.

The First Academy quarterback Anthony Woods Jr. is playing for the Football University Central Florida eighth-grade team. FBU is dedicated to developing middle school and high school athletes and has trained more than 100,000 student-athletes to become advanced football players. Woods tried out for the FBU Central Florida team and was selected as QB 1. The eighthgrader received his fourth Division I offer from the University of Central Florida. The Class of 2030 QB played his first year on the varsity squad this season and already is proving to be a high-level athlete as he continues to grow. He played in three of TFA’s games in the 2025 season and recorded four touchdown passes with 310 yards.

5Legacy Charter is having a pajama party for all of the school’s home games this week. Any guest who dresses in their pajamas will get into the game for free. The Eagles are asking guests to come in style and comfort to support their teams as they fight to defend the home courts. The middle school girls basketball team plays Life Center Academy at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4. The middle school boys basketball team plays Life Center Academy at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4.

TWIN IT TO WIN IT

Orlando Area Rowing Society rowers Anna and Maija Andert finished first in the Head of the Hooch among top 19 year olds in the country.

MEGAN BRUINSMA STAFF WRITER

“Do it for the girls.” Anna Andert wrote down the saying and plastered it across the side of her and Maija Andert’s boat as the twin pair took on the waters at the Head of the Hooch. They did their “Top Gun”-style high-five and took pre-race energy shots from Publix. All of this was to bring up the 17-year-olds’ energy before competing against some of the top 19-year-olds from around the country.

With the Anderts’ energy at a high, they set their eyes on the water and used “doing it for the girls” as their main motivation. They wanted to give it their all not only for themselves but also for the Orlando Area Rowing Society.

In 2024 at the Head of the Hooch, the OARS’ girls teams placed third in both the U17 2- and U17 4x. A women’s pair team from OARS had never taken home gold in the U19 2-, adding an extra weight on the Andert twins’ shoulders.

Until now.

The Anderts rowed 5 kilometers in 17:37.793 to place first in the Women’s Youth U19 2-. OARS had three other boats return with medals from the regatta. The U17 8+ mixed boat, consisting of half girls and half boys, earned third; the boys youth/novice 8+ earned second; and the boys youth/novice 4+ took first.

HIGH COMPETITION

The Head of the Hooch, often called “the Hooch,” is widely known in the rowing community for its size and intensity. It began in 1982 on the Chattahoochee River in Roswell, Georgia, and has since grown into one of the world’s largest regattas. The Hooch is held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and holds more than 2,200 boats.

With about 20,000 spectators and competition from all across the United States, it’s the largest regatta the Anderts compete in outside of Youth Nationals. What adds to the regatta’s uniqueness is teams don’t have to qualify, rather they need a bid, and everyone can be in multiple races. There were 2,223 entries and 193 clubs represented this year.

The twins placed third at the Hooch last year and entered the regatta with ambitious hopes to win gold. A few weeks before the race, teams began to enroll their boats. The Anderts did research about their competition and realized how challenging the event would be.

“We were definitely a little bit

shaken,” Maija Andert said. “We were anxious for sure.”

Their confidence wavered after they saw top teams, which had won the event for years, filling the lineup. Anna and Maija Andert changed their goal to finishing in the top five or possibly reaching the podium.

The pair hadn’t raced together since last season, and they weren’t sure how they would stack up against the other teams. Traditionally, the Anderts do sprint races, which are 2,000 meters, but for the Hooch, they were rowing 5,000 meters.

“Those (nerves) kind of just shut off as soon as the race started, and all I was worried about was just pressing and gaining some space between us and the boat behind us,” Maija Andert said. For the first 4,000 meters, the pair was alone on the water with the sound of water sloshing as they trudged along against the 26 other boats in the final of U19 2-.

Once they approached the 500-meter mark, bridges emerged into their sightline, and as they rowed underneath, they saw the thousands of spectators standing at the top, peering down. People lined the bleachers and steps, screaming at the rowers from across the river.

That’s when they knew they almost were done and gave had a final push of energy to finish the long race. They were filled with adrenaline, and the spectators screaming at them added fuel to their fire.

At the finish line, the Anderts were

met with the cheers from their coaches, parents and teammates.

“They were really excited because, of course, our coach believes in us and thinks we’re going to do great, but I don’t think anyone, even us, thought we were going to end up winning,” Maija Andert said.

They said it was a major honor to bring home gold for OARS.

“If we can do good and bring a good name for us and we’re bring ing in a good name for OARS then that’s really what matters,” Anna Andert said.

FULING FOR THE FUTURE

The twins, who finished seventh in the USRow ing’s Youth National Cham pionship last spring as their first season racing as a pair, said winning the Hooch shows them the dedication and long hours are paying off. They’re already doing better than they did last year.

Their head coach, JonMichael Francis, allows them to practice in the pair more often at practice. They said he believes they have a bright future ahead together. It’s given them a new sense of confidence going forward with the season and the recruitment process for college. Anna and Maija Andert said they initially were nervous about heading off to college and taking the next big step in their young lives, but now they feel ready.

“Getting to know the colleges and getting to build a relationship is making me a little bit more at ease and more excited for it because I can picture myself (there),” Maija Andert said. “But just being able to talk to colleges across the nation, it’s just like Anna said, it’s such an honor. I feel insane that I get to do this.”

The Anderts aren’t sure where they are going to announce their commitments. The juniors still are early on in the recruitment process. The twins have one main goal to work on before they begin their college journey: row below a 7:20 on their erg test, which is a machine that tests rowers’ capabilities.

Anna Andert said the 2,000-meter erg test is a “telltale sign” of how someone will move in the water on a boat. It’s important for college coaches to look at since it tests their individual rowing abilities, rather than how rowers compete in a team. Maija Andert is striving toward pushing to consistently be the best boat. It’s a standard to which she holds herself, and she wants to show college coaches she is a strong and successful rower. Her goal this season is to make it back to nationals and finish in the top three boats. It’s made her antsy seeing College Signing Day and other athletes announcing their commitments, but she knows hers will come in time.

Individually, Anna Andert hopes to build on her confidence.

“So that way, when I hopefully commit this year…I feel more like, ‘OK, I am able to step up to the plate,’” Anna Andert said. “I’ll be able to come

Maija and Anna Anderts’ parents are the twins’ biggest supporters and traveled to Tennessee to watch the twins row in the Hooch.

Anna and Maija Andert tackled the waters together. Courtesy photos

Anna and Maija Andert celebrated rowing themselves to victory in the Head of the Hooch.

OF THE WEEK Olivia Ray

As a freshman, Ocoee High School swimmer Olivia Ray defeated the school’s record in the 100 breaststroke. A year later, Ray returned as a sophomore to beat her previous record by two seconds.

Ray now holds Ocoee High’s school record in the 100 breaststroke with her time of 1:07.70. She recorded the time during the preliminary round of the FHSAA Class 4A State Championship Friday, Nov. 14. In the finals, Ray swam the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.73 and finished 14th overall.

The sophomore swimmer is ranked No. 1 on Ocoee’s swim team, No. 6 on Southwest Stars Swim Club and No. 75 in Florida.

She has a power index of 46.75, and she is on track to continue her growth in her next two years as an Ocoee swimmer.

What do you enjoy most about swimming?

What I enjoy most about swimming is the feeling I get when I enter the water.

When did you start swimming, and why did you join?

I started swimming when I was 8, and I started swimming because I finished swimming lessons and decided to move up.

What is your biggest accomplishment in swimming?

My biggest accomplishment is converting from a flyer to a breaststroker.

THE BASICS

Age: 15

Grade: Sophomore Sport: Swimming School: Ocoee

were sad or having a bad day, could make you laugh.

What advice would you give someone who just joined swimming?

I would say don’t be discouraged if your times aren’t what you want or if someone is better than you, because you progress at your own pace.

If you were a coach, what speech would you give the team? It’s not about the time; it’s about the effort.

What is your pre-game ritual? I eat three oranges and then warm up and go behind the blocks early to see the competition.

If you could pick a different sport, what would it be? Why? I don’t think it’s a sport, but I would be a band member, because they are so cool.

Who do you look up to the most?

I look up to my dad the most, because he always strives to be his best, and he has a lot of confidence in himself.

What is something new you

CFCA scores with Sun Bash tourney

Central Florida Christian Academy hosted the third annual Sun Bash high school basketball tournament Monday, Nov. 24, and Tuesday, Nov. 25.

RESULTS

MONDAY, NOV. 24

n CFCA 66, Pine Ridge 60 n Olympia 62, Providence 61

TUESDAY, NOV. 25

n Windermere High 67, Suncoast 59

Where would you want to live if I would want to live in New York City and in an apartment with a

What is your favorite holiday?

My favorite holiday is Christmas,

What future career do you want

During the two days, 20 teams competed including five from West Orange and Southwest Orange. Those included CFCA, The First Academy and Dr. Phillips, Olympia, and Windermere high schools. The teams competed in the exciting high-level tournament to showcase their talent to college coaches, scouts and the media.

Instead of competing for first-, second- and third-place honors,

n CFCA 62, Winter Park Lake Howell 55

n TFA 70, Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic 43

n Dr. Phillips 50, Providence 53

the teams showcased their skills against programs they wouldn’t face during the regular season.

— MEGAN BRUINSMA

My perfect day would be if we did sprints off the blocks at practice.

Would you rather only eat fruit

6-7 means so-so or maybe, but

MEGAN BRUINSMA

CFCA’s Joshua Hernandez set up the Eagles’ offense for success.

Dr. Phillips’ Josiah Gillard is ranked No. 24 in Florida as a sophomore.

Left: TFA’s Corey Capps fought with Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic’s player for the rebound.

Max Simmons finished with 14 points during TFA’s 70 points Tuesday, Nov. 25.

Left: The Eagles’ Alex DiPaolo is a senior, and he along with Dylan Campbell scored 16 points in CFCA’s total of 62.

Isaiah Gillard worked hard to fight for the Panthers against a challenging opponent.

THE WAYS WE WERE FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION

1965: 60 years ago

Walt Disney spoke to hundreds of invited guests at a conference at the Cherry Plaza Hotel in Orlando. He shared a little about his plans for his 27,000-acre mystery tract south of Winter Garden. He left a good bit to his listeners’ imagination — except the price tag. He left them bug-eyed when he said his project would cost more than $100 million.

1970: 55 years ago

The board of directors of the Bank of West Orange in Ocoee appointed Jerry A. Kennedy vice president of the bank. He joined the bank during its organization in 1960 as a trainee before becoming as assistant cashier and cashier.

1975: 50 years ago

Children in the First Baptist Day Care in Winter Garden program and their chaperones took a fun field trip to Sea World: Brad Baker, Maggie Cuddy, Kent Makin, Joy Ungaro, Jeff Dodge, Megan Davis, Tanya McClellan, Roy Hoequist, Valerie Wright, Sue Hobdy, Vicky Hobdy, Kevin Butts, Vonciel Ungaro, Drixie Provenzano and Kay Wright.

In a letter to the editor, Roy and Barbara Fulmer sang the praises of Bill and Jerri Cook, owners of the Winter Garden Laundromat, for their service to community.

The Cooks washed the football and basketball uniforms for Lakeview and, later, West Orange high schools free of charge. That’s a lot of water and soap to make sure those uniforms were the cleanest possible.

TG&Y advertised some great sales on its double-knit fabrics for seamstresses looking to make

Oakland resident Bob Willis died Dec. 7, 2000. For years, he had decorated the large tree in front of his Oakland Avenue house for the Christmas holidays but expressed regret he was not up to the task that season. However, angels in the form of his Oakland Presbyterian Church friends took on the job, ensuring the lighted tree would grace Willis’ property one last time. This is one of the many unforgettable stories that help keep Oakland’s history alive.

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.

new holiday apparel. Polyester crepe stitch was $3 for two yards, and polyester jacquard was $1.97 per yard.

Eckerd Drugs aimed to get customers in the holiday spirit with a 6.5-foot Douglas fir tree for $19.99. Other deals included a 50 mini-lite set for $2.29, metal tree stand for $1.18, tinsel garland for 58 cents, a tree skirt for 66 cents, Christmas cards for 88 cents and gift wrapping for 48 cents.

The Windermere Standard Chevron station on Main Street was giving away 10 gallons of free gasoline for customers who filled out a coupon printed in The Winter Garden Times.

1995: 30 years ago

Windermere Mayor Gene Spears officially declared Dec. 5 Manuel G. and Eunice Lucretia Parramore Day in the town. The two senior

residents, who operated a service station in the 1930s, deeded three lots to Windermere.

Playing at West Orange 5 in Ocoee: “Father of the Bride II,” “Money Train,” “Toy Story,” Goldeneye,” “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls: and “Sabrina.”

THROWBACK

THURSDAY

DEC. 3, 1970

Once the calendar turns to December, businesses typically start advertising their products ahead of the Christmas season. In downtown Winter Garden, two companies announced their merchandise for sale in The Winter Garden Times At Winter’s

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BUNDLES OF JOY by CJ Tan, edited by Jared Goudsmit

By Luis Campos

12.04.25 West Orange Times & Observer

WEST ORANGE TIMES &

Four

Winter Garden leaders share updates on eastside projects

5FAST

Sweet partnership

NEW TECHNOLOGY

IF

‘REPPIN’ THE O’: Four band students march in Macy’s Thanksgiving parade

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP

WEST ORANGE TIMES

Horizon West Church finds forever home

OCPS considers school start time changes

SUGGESTED TIMES

WAY BACK WHEN Ward Britt

GENERATIONS OF BRITTS

DIRECTORY

BAPTIST

METHODIST

PRESBYTERIAN

East Winter Garden projects progress

YOUR

GLOW UP!

INFLUENCER OF THE WEEK

LYNNE SCHABER GOTHA MIDDLE SCHOOL

Ocoee Middle celebrates 12th Multicultural Night

BRAINF D

PAGE-TURNERS I Michael Eng // Editor and Publisher

Feeling pine

HIGH 5

TWIN IT TO WIN IT

OF THE WEEK Olivia Ray

CFCA scores with Sun Bash tourney

RESULTS

THE WAYS WE WERE FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION

THROWBACK