12.08.17 Winter Park/Maitland Observer

WINTER PARK/MAITLAND

Observer

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VOLUME 29, NO. 49

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017

Sweet dream fulfilled

YOUR TOWN ROLLINS STUDENTS ADDRESS LEADERS As part of CMC 325: Incarceration & Inequality students at Rollins College showcased what they have learned over the course of the semester by presenting to local policymakers on Wednesday, Dec. 6.

In attendance were Winter Park Police Chief Michael Deal, Orlando Police Chief John Mina, Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan and Orange County Commissioner Emily Bonilla.

Topics included advocating for job opportunities after inmates get realized from jail, racism in sentencing and police practices, treatment towards mentally ill inmates, and many others.

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Inspired by his mother, Steven Brown opens The Glass Knife in Winter Park. 6.

Snow angels

SESCO Lighting opens new HQ in Maitland The company celebrated 50 years of business.

HARRY SAYER BLACK TIE REPORTER

A little more light has come to the city of Maitland.

SESCO Lighting, the nation’s largest lighting manufacturer’s representative, has moved its headquarters to Maitland. The main office had been in Winter Park for some time but, according to President Todd Langner, it was time for a change.

“The building we were in, for the last five years, we had kind SEE SESCO PAGE 6

Charlotte Cookinham Nathan, center, played with other children as faux snow fell from a machine during Maitland’s Season of Light celebrations.

I

t’s beginning to look — and sound — a lot like Christmas!

Winter Park and Maitland both got into the holiday spirit with their respective signature Christmas events.

Penelope, Princess of the Peacocks, from the Winter Park History Museum, waved to Winter Park residents during this year’s “Ye Olde Hometown” Christmas Parade.

SEE MORE ON PAGE 4

Athena Krush, 3, slowly skated her way around the rink with her mother, Katie, at Winter on the Avenue.

WINTER PARK / MAITLAND OBSERVER

YOUR CALENDAR

SATURDAY, DEC. 9

GERMAN CHRISTMAS MARKET 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at Rollins College, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park. Join the German Club and the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement at Rollins College this year for their fifth annual Christmas Market. Rollins will give its own twist on the traditional market in the center of campus on Bush Lawn. This year’s market will be the largest and most exciting yet, including more than 25 vendors from around the Rollins, Winter Park and Orlando area. All proceeds benefit relief support for Puerto Rico. For more information, call (407) 646-2000.

SUNDAY, DEC. 10

MAITLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S “A PICTURE PERFECT CHRISTMAS” 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, at Maitland Presbyterian Church, 341 North Orlando Ave., Maitland. Performing Arts of Maitland sponsors the Maitland Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Concert: “A Picture Perfect Christmas.” Guest performer Joshua Messick is a National Hammered Dulcimer Champion performing premier selections with the MSO: “The First Snowfall” and “Blue Ridge Sunrise.”

Tickets are available for $10 on Eventbrite.com, or $10 at the door. Call (321) 303-1404.

SATURDAY, DEC. 16

A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, and Sunday, Dec. 17, at Knowles Memorial Chapel at Rollins College, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park. Hear Christmas classics performed by the Bach Festival Choir, Youth Choir and Orchestra. Tickets from $25.

Call (407) 646-2182.

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017

SEEK & FIND Sports memorabilia appraiser Michael Osacky visits Winter Park to help locals discover the worth of their treasures.

TROY HERRING ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Imagine doing some cleaning up in the attic and stumbling upon a small shoebox.

Your curiosity is piqued by the dust-covered cardboard container, so you decide to just take a peek to see what’s inside.

Lo and behold, there sits dozens and dozens of old baseball cards with some familiar names on them.

The excitement of discovery lingers on as you’re left with the final question: What are these things worth?

This is where Michael Osacky, a vintage sports memorabilia expert, comes into the picture.

With his 20 years of experience appraising old sports items, Osacky has become a well-documented aficionado of all things sports, especially as it relates to baseball cards — which has earned him the title of “Dean of Cracker Jack Baseball Cards” by Forbes Magazine.

“It’s different every day — I never know who is going to call me or what things I’ll see,” Osacky said. “It’s really interesting.”

Although the Chicago native

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Courtesy photo

Baseball pennants and cards are just a few of the vintage items for which Michael Osacky has a passion.

and his business, Baseball in the Attic, are headquartered in the Windy City, Osacky travels around a lot for the job, which is why he found himself in Winter Park last Thursday for a couple of appointments.

Along with the set appointments, Osacky also offered free verbal appraisals for those interested in learning about their vintage sports items.

Osacky also said Winter Park was an ideal place to visit for his business, thanks in part to the sports collectors in the area and also the heavy presence of baseball in the state.

“There’s a lot of snowbirds, and of course, a lot of spring training camps in Florida,” Osacky said. “So over the years, people just have things — whether it’s a childhood card collection, an autograph that was passed down to them, so I’m really happy to share my knowledge and expertise with people in the community.”

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That expertise is something that Osacky has built since the moment his grandfather gave him a shoebox full of old baseball cards for his 17th birthday in 1997.

His grandfather had noticed Osacky’s routine of taking his bicycle out to the store every now and then to buy a pack or two of new cards.

That’s when, looking to introduce his grandson to the classics, Osacky’s grandfather gave him that box of cards.

“He got me these old cards that I had never seen before — cards from the 50s and 60s,” Osacky said. “It got me into the hunt of trying to find more of those cards, (and to) also learn about the history associated with all the players and then figure out what makes something valuable or not valuable.”

Through his travels, Osacky has come across some amazing finds as a vintage sports appraiser — including a baseball

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signed by Babe Ruth the month he died and championship rings from the Chicago Bulls’ dominant run in the early 1990s.

But of all the items he has seen, none comes close to a collection one couple brought to an appraisal Osacky hosted at a library.

“They had a complete 176 baseball card collection of the 1915 Crack Jacks, and they thought it was worth a couple of thousand bucks, so they kept it in a safety deposit box because they knew it was valuable,” Osacky said. “And I said, ‘No it’s not worth $2,000. It’s worth $80,000 to $85,000.’”

It’s moments like that — and the fun educating people about their sports items — that Osacky treasures the most.

“This is my passion — this is my calling in life,” Osacky said.

“I have a skill set that not a lot of people have, and it’s great — I like helping people and informing people.”

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Posing pugs

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017

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Winter Park salon owner ready to play Secret (stylish) Santa Primp Full Service Salon in Winter Park is bringing holiday shampoo kits to women in need.

HARRY SAYER

Courtesy photos

Local pugs Shiloh and Una were immortalized in a photo book of Winter Park.

A Winter Park salon owner created a photo book of his pet pugs.

TIM FREED ASSOCIATE EDITOR

T

wo Winter Park pugs have hit the big time.

Winter Park hair salon owner Michael Quick recently finished work on “The Pugs: Shiloh & Una’s Adventures in Winter Park” — a photo book that captures a day in the life of his two dogs throughout Winter Park.

The book features about 100 photos of the doggie duo exploring several stops throughout the city, including The Alfond Inn, Croissant Gourmet, Winter Park Scenic Boat Tours and Be On Park jewelry store.

It’s a humorous account of an adventure by the two pugs, complete with written dialogue between the two cute canines. The book also tells the reader a little bit about Winter Park and gives some background about each location visited in the book.

“I wanted it to hit on a bunch of different levels,” Quick said.

“I wanted it to hit as a pseudo memento/souvenir that would kind of represent Winter Park if you were here.

“I also wanted to appeal to the kids — that’s why the pugs kind of tell their story.”

The idea for a photo book all came from a Facebook comment September 2016. Quick had set up a Facebook page for his two pugs — at the time Shiloh and Yaya, who died in November 2016 — and occasionally would post silly photos of them at home or out and about.

One of the page’s followers suggested capturing the pugs’ likenesses in a book for everyone to enjoy.

“Una’s personality is bigger than the city of Winter Park. Whatever it is, she has it.”

— Michael Quick

Anyone looking for more information on the book or how to purchase it can visit PugSmiles.biz

“Someone tells you that and you just mull it over in your head,” Quick said. “’That’s kind of a cute idea.’”

Time passed, and Quick brought little Una home in January. He was still repeatedly asked if he had ever considered doing a photo book. It was after the third person brought up the idea that Quick began giving it some serious thought.

In March, Quick hired photographer Pat Saizan to start snapping photo of his pug pals, starting at Croissant Gourmet off Park Avenue. The first few photo shoots were “ruff” — especially with a younger, energetic Una — but the process got easier over time.

The pugs posed at several locations during multiple shoots over the next two-and-a-half months.

They ate a five-scoop ice cream cone outside of Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream Shop, sipped coffee at Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen and Una tried on a $22,500 necklace at Be On Park.

“Una’s personality is bigger than the city of Winter Park,” Quick said. “Whatever it is, she has it. …

The moment she put that necklace around her neck, that dog sat still.

That figures – diva. That’s why the caption is, ‘Yes, I’ll take it.’”

“We loved being a part of Shiloh & Una’s adventures,” Be On Park marketing coordinator Heather Cunningham said. “They are Park Avenue’s most famous pugs. We wanted to be involved because we are animal lovers here at Be On Park, you can usually see our store

mascot, Takai (a black lab) hanging out on the porch from time to time greeting local shoppers. We also believe in supporting our Winter Park community. Shiloh and Una were wonderful to work with and we are delighted to carry copies of the finished work at our store.”

Quick established a book publishing company called Pug Smiles Inc. in March and began researching how to put together a photo book. He learned the entire process of putting together a photo book, designing every last detail from the thickness of the pages to the placement of the text.

On Sept. 27, Quick received the final version of his photo book and ordered 1,000 copies. He plans to create more photo books of Shiloh and Una in the future, with talks already underway for a potential New York book, Orlando book and a Greenwich, Connecticut book.

But Quick said it wasn’t the potential for selling books or necessarily a desire to put Winter Park on the map that led him to publish a pug photo book. It wasn’t event to make his dogs famous.

Like Shiloh and Una’s story in the book, it was simply a fun adventure.

“It was the most odd thing I’ve ever done in my life, because every door I came to just opened,” Quick said.

“It was just ‘You know what?

This would be kind of neat.’ To use the book, ‘This would be a fun adventure.’”

BLACK TIE REPORTER

HOW TO HELP

Yvette Husty wasn’t expecting to spend her Christmas Eve in 2014 delivering hair products to women’s shelters.

“It was a little harrowing finding the shelters,” she said. “They were way out there in Orange County and Seminole County. … But it was wonderful, it felt really good.”

Husty is the owner of the Primp Full Service Salon, a Winter Park parlor that specializes in pampering its customers with massages, hairstyling, pedicures and more.

In December, though, the salon has a different mission — collecting shampoo and conditioner sets to donate to women in need.

Until Christmas Eve, Primp Full Service Salon is selling discounted travel-sized shampoos and conditioners. The night before Christmas, those bottles and other gifts will be delivered to women who need them.

Husty got the idea to help women in need after learning about Florida domestic shelters.

“The kids (in shelters) are always getting things,” Husty said. “But the abused women, who sometimes have to leave with just what’s on their backs — nobody really remembers them.”

They reached out to clients both through e-mail and in the store asking for donations.

By the end of December, they received 63 travel sets, each containing bottles of shampoo, conditioner and hand lotion.

“The response from the community was wonderful,” Husty said.

The staff originally hoped to have the Orange County Sheriff’s Office deliver the goods, but

Donations can be brought directly to Primp Full Service Salon, 631 S. Orlando Ave., No. 102, Winter Park. For more information, call (321) 972-3906 or visit primpfullsalon.com.

“I hope it gives the women a little faith, a little hope, a little cheer.

Because people do care.”

— Yvette Husty, owner, Primp Full Service Salon

when a scheduling snafu prevented that, Husty volunteered to drive them over herself.

“There are so many things you don’t think about,” Husty said. “You’re blessed, you have a home, a family and food. So many people don’t.”

Husty didn’t organize a delivery drive in 2015 or 2016 because of health concerns in her family as well as inventory issues. This year, they’re back and more determined than ever.

“We’re more organized now; there’s no disasters happening” Husty said. “We want to do more this year.”

Not only will the salon be selling the shampoo bottles at a discount, but also it is asking customers to donate small gifts that would make good stockingstuffers.

“Toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks, flip-flops or mugs,” Husty said. “Whatever can fit well in a stocking and can be fun to open on Christmas.”

Izzy Sanchez, assistant manager at the salon, wrapped the gifts himself last drive.

“A lot of those women are there because of necessity,” Sanchez said. “We want them to know that, ‘Yes, there is somebody paying attention.’”

The salon already has begun to receive small donations. Husty came back from Thanksgiving to find two little gifts at the salon.

“Someone had wrapped them and everything,” she said.

She’s reaching out to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office earlier this time to see if they’ll drop the sets off, but she’s more than happy to make the trip again.

“I hope it gives the women a little faith, a little hope, a little cheer,” Husty said. “Because people do care.”

Courtesy photo

Primp Full Service Salon is donating sets of shampoo, conditioner and hand lotion.

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WINTER PARK / MAITLAND OBSERVER

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017

WINTER PARK/MAITLAND

Observer “If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944 Publisher / Jackie Fanara, jfanara@OrangeObserver.com Executive Editor / Michael Eng,

The Winter Park High School marching band was one of the final treats for Winter Park residents during this year’s “Ye Olde Hometown” Christmas Parade.

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Guest conductor Paul Hostetter led the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra during “Sounds of the Season.”

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Associate Editor / Troy Herring, therring@OrangeObserver.com Associate Editor / Tim Freed, tfreed@OrangeObserver.com Black Tie Editor / Danielle Hendrix, dhendrix@OrangeObserver.com Black Tie Reporter / Harry Sayer, hsayer@OrangeObserver.com Creative Services Tony Trotti, ttrotti@OrangeObserver.com Customer Service Representative Allison Brunelle, abrunelle@OrangeObserver.com

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Hundreds gathered around to watch as the new digital tree was lit in Central Park at Winter on the Avenue.

I

t all began Nov. 27, when the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra performed its annual “Sounds of the Season” concert before a large crowd at Central Park. Under the direction of guest conductor Paul Hostetter, the Orchestra performed a variety of old and new holiday classics such as “The Nutcracker” and “White Christmas.”

The fun continued Dec. 1, as Winter Park hosted Winter on the Avenue in Central Park.

The afternoon kicked off with the lighting of a new digital Christmas tree, whose lights are synced with Christmas music, followed by a night of Christmas movies and fun.

The next day, the holiday spirit took to the streets as the the 65th annual “Ye Olde Hometown” Christmas Parade worked its way down Park Avenue. The parade featured local businesses, elected officials, schools and much more.

Finally, the cackling of children and smell of kettle corn filled Lake Lily Park as Maitland kicked off the holidays with its annual Season of Light. Visitors took in a wide variety of events, including musical performances from local schools and a slide made of snow for sledding. There was also a “snow” machine for kids looking to find a winter wonderland in Florida.

The night finished off with a bang with a fireworks show that lit up the park.

— TROY HERRING AND TIM FREED

Let us know about your events, celebrations and achievements. Send your information via email to Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver. com. Mailed letters must be typed and include the author’s signature and phone number. Letters to the editor are subject to editing.

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WINTER PARK/ MAITLAND OBSERVER The Winter Park Ukulele Society played music from their float headed down Park Avenue during this year’s “Ye Olde Hometown” Christmas Parade.

Left: Liliana Muldoon, 3, enjoyed some time with Santa at this year’s Season of Light.

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Santa and Mrs. Claus waved to onlookers as they rode down Park Avenue on a Winter Park fire truck during Winter on the Avenue.

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017

New bakery slices into Winter Park dessert market

IF YOU GO THE GLASS KNIFE

276 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park PHONE: (407) 500-CAKE HOURS: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily WEBSITE: theglassknife.com

The Glass Knife luxury dessert shop recently opened for locals looking to satisfy their sweet-craving palates.

HARRY SAYER BLACK TIE REPORTER

Orlando Avenue just became a whole lot sweeter.

The Glass Knife dessert shop opened Nov. 10 in Winter Park.

The café, at 276 S. Orlando Ave., offers an assortment of cakes, pastries, artisan doughnuts and other meals.

Although the cafe has been in development for nearly a year, owner Steven Brown has been working on the project for much longer.

“I’ve had this idea in my head for probably two decades,” Brown said.

Brown, 49, didn’t start up the

dessert shop to make ends meet.

He’s still the CEO for Accesso, a London-based ticket technology company with an office in Lake Mary. Rather, the Glass Knife is a passion project that has origins in Brown’s childhood.

It all started with his mother Jacque, a hobbyist baker who made cakes and treats from the comfort of their Lakeland home.

“From the time I could remember, she made wedding and birthday cakes from our home kitchen,” Brown said.

Those same family recipes are being used for customers today; the Glass Knife’s red velvet cake, carrot cake and even the refrigerated pickles are all made with the

Courtesy photo

The Glass Knife opened Nov. 10 in Winter Park.

Brown clan’s original designs.

Growing up, Brown often felt dessert shops and bakeries would make food that was either delicious or aesthetically pleasing — but rarely both. The Winter Park resident wanted his cafe to change that.

“You see a lot of beautiful desserts, but they don’t always taste great,” Brown said. “We wanted to make something rewarding to both the eye and the tongue.”

The café’s name, too, is credited to Jacque.

“She was a collector of these pieces of depression-era glass knives — royalty glass from the twenties and thirties,” Brown said.

Before stainless steel, cutting something acidic or soft with a metal knife would leave a bitter, metallic taste, Brown said. Glass knives were a way to avoid that acrid sensation and were considered good gifts for housewives.

“The marketing was, ‘Every wife should have a glass knife,’” Brown said.

He’s kept ahold of his mother’s

SESCO moves headquarters to Maitland of maxed out on,” Langner said.

“We actually had three satellite offices (in the neighborhood), and we just didn’t have enough room. We found this lovely piece of property and purchased it.”

The new office sits at 272 W. Maitland Blvd., and is about 16,000 square feet, about 4,000 square feet larger than the company’s former digs. The reasoning behind the move to Maitland is simple: It was relatively close to the old headquarters, and the

employees were familiar with the area. The additional space also comes with some perks.

“The primary benefit, in addition to being a great environment for our workers, is we’ll be able to bring our customers here and show them what we’re trying to specify for them,” Langner said.

SESCO Lighting primarily deals in different forms of commercial and industrial lighting controls and designs. It typically sells its products to architects, engineers

and electrical contractors. The extra space allows them to show off the various lighting products to their customers.

“It’s a real showcase for us,” Langner said.

This isn’t their only reason to celebrate. This year also marks the company’s 50th anniversary.

To mark the occasion, the company held an open house celebration at the new headquarters Thursday, Nov. 30. More than 500 invited guests, composed of

customers, manufacturers and SESCO employees, attended the event.

“There’s been a few moments of exceptional pride for me with this job … watching all these people tour the facility and celebrate with us (was one of them),” Langner said. “It was a very heady moment for all of us to see how far we’ve come.”

The new office, which holds both the corporate headquarters and the Orlando sales office, has

collection and has it on display in the restaurant. He even had the chance to meet the granddaughter of John Didio, the inventor of the glass knife, a few months ago. She loaned Brown one of her grandfather’s printing plates, which now rests in the cafe for customers to see.

Brown said he has been pleased with the reception his new venture has received. He only wishes his mother was around to see it.

Jacque died last year, just after her son had chosen the Orlando Avenue location to build the cafe.

“I think my mom would have been so pleased … to see the concept and the heritage carried over,” Brown said. “We (the staff) are just so proud to be working on something that has meaning.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

nearly 70 of the company’s 270 employees. The company records nearly $300 million in annual revenue and hopes to reach $500 million by 2020 with the new headquarters.

Langner, 62, has been the SESCO Lighting president for two years. He’s excited to see what comes next with his company’s new base of operations.

“We just needed to get everybody back under one roof,” Langner said.

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WINTER PARK/MAITLAND

Observer

July Fourth area celebrations. PAGES 6-7.

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

VOLUME 29, NO. 26

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De Sola’s

TIM FREED ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Caring for Winter Park’s Pets and Their People Since 1955

It’s cold backstage in the Linda Chapin Theater, but that’s fine.

Ballet dancer Sasha De Sola has to warm up anyway.

Between a towering hallway of dark curtains just feet away from stage right, De Sola practices her craft while wearing a black tutu with elegant gold trim.

She hops in place for a moment before stretching her joints. Feet wrapped in silk extend straight out, carrying her entire body weight on her toes. She flexes her feet up and down in a crisscross pattern – her heels kissing the ground for just a second at a time.

The routine almost resembles the pregame warmup of a professional athlete, and that’s not far from the reality of being a worldrenowned ballet dancer, De Sola said. It could even be an understatement.

“We’re trained to make it look easy,” she said.

“I would train six hours a day from the age of 11 on. … It’s difficult on the body.”

Later that day she would be performing in front of 2,600 people.

But this isn’t just any audience – it’s her hometown crowd.

It’s been four years, but she’s finally come home.

1601 Lee Road, Winter Park

De Sola showcased her ballet skills alongside partner Max Cauthorn on Saturday, June 24 at the World Ballet Competition’s Gala Performance, performing “Black Swan pas de deux” from “Swan Lake” at the Orange County Convention Center.

The 27-year-old knows the Linda Chapin Theater and its backstage well – she grew up performing numerous ballet dances there. She was born in Winter Park Memorial Hospital and grew up not far away in Winter Springs.

But Central Florida isn’t just her home, it’s where she discovered her passion for dance.

Flying into Orlando from where she currently lives in San Francisco, the memories came flooding back for De Sola.

“It felt sort of surreal,” she said.

“Just even getting on 417, it’s very nostalgic. It’s a really good feeling to be back.”

BY TROY HERRING ASSOCIATE EDITOR

During Monday night’s City Council meeting in Maitland, the Council motioned and passed an ordinance to amend the Planned Development (PD) zoning district and Development Plan for an apartment complex in the city.

After a presentation on the plan’s specifics by Community Development Director Dan Matthys, and Becky Wilson, who was representSEE MAITLAND PAGE 5

YOUR TOWN MAYOR LEARY ELECTED TO FLORIDA LEAGUE OF MAYORS

Courtesy Erik Tomasson

Winter Park Mayor Steve Leary was elected to the Board of Directors of the Florida League of Mayors for a term ending August 2018. The Florida League of Mayors is an organization for mayors and governed by a Board of Directors of mayors from around the state representing geographical districts.

Winter Park ponders banning medical marijuana dispensaries TIM FREED ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Winter Park City Commissioners are pondering their approach to medical marijuana dispensaries in the wake of Gov. Rick Scott signing the medical marijuana bill into law last week.

City Attorney Kurt Ardaman gave the City Commission an idea of what’s next for the city of Winter Park during their meeting on Monday. The state legislation on medical marijuana preempts any local regulations in place, but

FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2017

The controversial ordinance will be ultimately decided upon on July 10.

Professional ballet dancer Sasha De Sola gave a special performance in front of her hometown crowd on June 24 at the Orange County Convention Center.

SEE BALLET PAGE 4

Born in Winter Park, Sasha De Sola is now a world-famous ballet dancer.

(407) 644-2676

•

Maitland City Council moves unpopular apartment ordinance forward

Homecoming Dance

does give cities the opportunity to ban dispensaries if they choose to do so, he said.

Unless the facilities are banned outright though, the city has no control over where the dispensaries go or how many of them

Photo by Tim Freed

Will Winter Park ban medical marijuana dispensaries? Some City Commissioners think it’s for the best for now.

The general purpose of the League of Mayors is to provide a forum for Florida mayors to: • Jointly study and assist each other in solutions to problems faced by Florida’s municipalities.

• Work cooperatively for the general improvement and efficient administration of Florida’s municipalities.

• Promote the exchange of ideas and experiences in successful methods of administration of Florida’s municipalities.

SEE NOW PAGE 4

ADVERTISE OR SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 247851

Call us at 407-401-9929

Email us at AdvertiseNow@OrangeObserver.com or Subscribe@OrangeObserver.com

Kids, seniors, families, veterans, the homeless . . . all need your help with food assistance right now. Your investment of $1 provides up to $9 in groceries for them. Your support equals hope!

FAY O. PAPPAS, ESQ. BAILEY FISHER, PLLC

www.FeedHopeNow.org 255794

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11/6/17 9:51 AM

1400 West Fairbanks Avenue Suite 101 Winter Park, FL 32789

258832

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(407) 628-2929 (office) (407) 628-3909 (fax) www.baileyfisherlaw.com fay@baileyfisherlaw.com

WINTER PARK / MAITLAND OBSERVER

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017

Dress For Success Greater Orlando

Holiday Cupcake Challenge

BLACK

TIE

OrangeObserver.com

Letty Alvarez, Thalia Benites and Ruth Santos represented LA Sweetz.

Dress for Success Greater Orlando’s Renita Hunt was all smiles with the various cupcake award winners.

B

uttercream frosting, crushed peppermints and even bacon bits were a few ingredients of choice from local cupcakeries at Dress for Success Greater Orlando’s Holiday Cupcake Challenge Sunday, Dec. 3.

Held at the Winter Park Civic Center, the challenge brought together cupcake experts from across Central Florida to compete for awards such as Best Icing and Crowd Favorite cupcake. WFTV’s Greg Warmoth was the emcee, and even Santa and Mrs. Claus were in attendance.

Dress for Success assists women by providing professional attire, support and career-development tools to help them thrive in the workplace and in life.

Penelope and Coen Van Denberg had plenty of hugs for Santa and Mrs. Claus.

ONLINE

See more photos at OrangeObserver.com

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— DANIELLE HENDRIX

WINTER PARK / MAITLAND OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017

Orlando Repertory Theatre

Holiday Family Gala

T

he Orlando Repertory Theatre was full of holiday cheer during its fifth annual Holiday Family Gala Sunday, Dec. 3.

The event, which raises money for the theater’s educational programs, offered a silent auction, a Christmas cupcake decoration table and a photo booth for parents and their children alike.

Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus were present to take photos and help make holiday treats. Guests mingled for more than an hour before enjoying a private performance of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical!”

Tracy Palumbo sat her children, 9-year-old Mia and 2-year-old Ryan, down with Santa Claus.

11-year-old Skyler Avery spent the event taking care of the photobot.

— HARRY SAYER

ONLINE

A couple of the geniuses from Mad Science showed off their concoctions.

See more photos at OrangeObserver.com

BLACK

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Jilly Gerry took her children, Myles and Reese, to the event.

First Congregational Church Preschool & Kindergarten Since 1957, the experiences we provide focus on the unique development of our students' social, emotional, physical, and cognitive abilities.

Opportunities for students to create, explore, invent, observe, listen, question, imagine, sing, dance, and more every day!

Individualized instruction in a hands-on, developmentally-appropriate environment that meets all state standards for early learning.

Classes available for children two years of age through Kindergarten.

Registration for the 2018/19 school year begins on January 16, 2018.

Contact us today to schedule a tour!

407-628-5427 | director.fccps@gmail.com | www.fccwp.org/preschool-kindergarten

258755

Cari Rotenberger, Director

WINTER PARK / MAITLAND OBSERVER

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017

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CONTINUING ‘ANNIE’ Through Dec. 23 Little Orphan Annie charms her way into the heart of a New York millionaire during the Depression as one of the world’s bestloved Broadway musicals comes to life. At the Garden Theatre in Winter Garden.

Call (407) 877-4736 or visit gardentheatre.org.

JOSH GARRICK

Josh Garrick, a West Orange resident, is a fine-art photographer, writer and curator.

‘MESSIAH SING ALONG’ presented by Orlando Light Opera, Opera del Sol and Space Coast Symphony 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 Through a “heavenly” collaborative effort, this “Messiah SingAlong” invites all to debut as members of the chorus. Maestro Aaron Collins leads the audience in this “interactive” performance at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in St. Cloud. Admission is free, with donations appreciated. Call (407) 927-0058 or visit CFLVocalArts.com.

MAITLAND SYMPHONY’S HOLIDAY CONCERT 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 Performing Arts of Maitland sponsors the Maitland Symphony’s Holiday Concert

CROSSWORD

“Christmas Is Comin’ Uptown!” takes Dr. Phillips Center stage Dec. 15 to 17. with guest performer Joshua Messick. Messick is a National Hammered Dulcimer Champion who will premiere new works with the orchestra. Tickets are $10 at the Maitland Presbyterian Church, 341 N. Orlando Ave., Maitland. Call (321) 303-1404.

‘THE BOOK OF MORMON’ presented by Fairwinds Broadway in Orlando Dec. 12 to 17 The Tony Award-winning “Book of Mormon” is back to satirize the Mormon religion with script, lyrics and music by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Call 844-513-2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org.

‘IT WAS A VERY GOOD YULE: 1940S EDITION’ Dec. 15 to 23 Gather friends and family to enter a time machine as you walk through the doors of “Club Moo,” aka Mad Cow Theatre. Sip on hot cocoa as everyone sings classic songs of the season. Call (407) 297-8788 or visit madcowtheatre.com.

“CHRISTMAS IS COMIN’ UPTOWN” presented by Cultural Fusion Dec. 15 to 17 “Christmas Is Comin’ Uptown!” returns to the Dr. Phillips Center in a Tony-nominated, familyfriendly musical that updates “A Christmas Carol” with Scrooge as a Harlem slumlord and all those Dickens’ characters singing, dancing and swingin’ to a Harlem beat. Call (407) 6008651 or visit culturalfusion.org.

‘NUTCRACKER 2017’ presented by Central Florida Ballet 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16; 2 p.m.

Dec. 17 “The Nutcracker” gets special treatment by this company, merging the classic fairytale with magical cloud effects and pyrotechnics at the Orange County Convention Center.

With only three performances, visit centralfloridaballet.com for tickets.

‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL, A GHOST STORY’ presented by Phantasmagoria 8 p.m. Dec. 15 and 16; 2 p.m.

Dec. 17 Orlando’s own scary Victorian Performance Troupe Phantasmagoria will present the best known “ghost story” of all time — Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol, a Ghost Story.” Bringing dance, puppetry, projections and music to the stage, the most famous ghost story of all time comes alive. (You will never see “Scrooge” in the same way again.) Visit OrlandoAtPlay.com or call (407) 476-5121.

‘THE NUTCRACKER’ presented by Orlando Ballet Dec. 21 to 24 The Orlando Ballet’s journey to a fantasy world promises the kind of performance that makes little girls wish to become ballerinas. Including a performance on Christmas Eve, the onstage Christmas party shows how a magical gift helps Clara grow in courage, poise and, perhaps, first love. Call 844-513-2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org.

COMBO-TION ENGINE by Timothy B. Parker

97 End of a batter’s count, sometimes 98 County near San Francisco 100 Nabisco cookie 103 Rock’s ___ Speedwagon 104 Ms. de Havilland of old Hollywood 106 They think they’re all that 111 Reciprocation combo 115 Small business combo 117 Build up, as troops 118 Candidate’s target 119 A domestic 120 Ireland, to some 121 “Inferno” poet 122 Squirrels’ nests 123 Meal droppings 124 Pack cargo

46 Blasts, as a baseball 47 Quite healthy 48 Behrs and Howland 49 Like mugs, trophies and some seals 53 Sluggers in the AL, but not the NL 54 Donald Trump’s status, briefly 57 First name among “Charlie’s Angels” 59 Doesn’t dele 62 Remind over and over and ...

63 Like Tinker Bell 65 Santa ___ 67 Look of discontentment 68 Hearing-related 70 Salmon up to 2 years old DOWN 71 “Sleepless in Seattle” 1 Expect a baby?

2 Entertainer David ___ Grier penner Nora 72 Any one of a spacious 50 3 Some solve experimental 73 Furbys, for a time mazes 74 Competition for the swift 4 Duped twin of the Bible 75 Sheep-related 5 “If I ___ Care” (Ink Spots 76 Like movies and TV shows hit) 77 Org. that looks after 6 Supplement boxers 7 Opposite of paleo 79 Like some campers for 8 Mad (about) pickup trucks 9 Put back in the kiln 80 Major-leaguers 10 Delightfully entertained 81 Salmon River locale 11 Kind of closet 84 Kelley of “Star Trek” 12 Install, as a bug 86 A rial spender 13 It drops eggs 87 Maple stuff 14 Gas molecules with the 93 How the comfortable live? atomic number 18 94 Steve Irwin’s catchphrase 15 Chinese metropolis 95 Bile sources 16 That dude 96 Word in a “timely” promise 17 Rapid City-to-Fargo dir.

98 Supercharged thing 18 Verbal turn-downs 99 Having wings 24 Rover creator 101 Mail in owed money 26 Emptied, as a tub 102 “Great Caesar’s ghost!”

29 Prime minister Yitzhak 32 Necklace item, sometimes 105 Pellets and bullets 107 Worst time for Caesar 35 Entertaining combo 36 Teachers with the small- 108 Meat turner 109 Spanish bull est classes 110 Gush, as lava 37 Utilizes a wok 111 Travel without a plan (with 38 Olive-colored woodland “about”) flycatcher 112 “___ Believer” (Monkees 39 Provider of a warning hit) 40 Secure combo 113 Mover on wheels 41 It’s involved in blowups 114 Movie holder 43 Do a donkey thing 116 Boat pusher 44 Interior design

©2017 Universal Uclick

ACROSS

1 Cut away an orange skin 5 “Aw, heck!” relative 9 Fiennes or Lauren 14 Needing some color 19 “Sadly, ...”

20 “You got a better ___?”

21 “The Life of ___ Zola” 22 Huge horned African beast, briefly 23 Pet combo 25 Recreation combo 27 Following as a consequence 28 Gotten out of bed 30 Paul or Howard 31 Cease an activity

33 “___ you clever!”

34 Acute anxieties 38 Kind of salad 42 Drifted back into the sea 44 Dispense, as good advice 45 Stylish flamboyance 46 Person “handling” Lamb Chop 48 “I’ve ___ thinking ...”

50 Prefix with trust 51 Float on air 52 Tolstoy’s combo 55 Prince of a Borodin opera 56 Preferences center?

57 Running total

‘THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER — THE MUSICAL’ Through Dec. 30 At the Orlando Rep, where they understand musicalswith-a-message, we are told to “Beware the Herdmans” — a family of kids who lie, steal, swear, fight and light things on fire. As the delinquents demand parts in the Christmas pageant, there is no chance for a silent night, but sometimes a little joyful noise can be just the ticket.

Call (407) 896-7365 or visit OrlandoRep.com.

Courtesy photo

58 Souped-up racers 60 Horace’s “___ Poetica” 61 Issue forth 63 Book recited during Purim 64 Things picked up at the beach 66 Tandoor-baked breads (var.)

67 “Do the Right Thing” pizza-shop owner 69 Currency exchange store abbr.

70 Await a decision 71 Ready to snap 72 Ballroom floor markings 74 Bullfighter

77 SAT relatives 78 With Waldorf, a hotel 80 Dockers you don’t wear 82 Gardner of old Hollywood 83 Wearing penny loafers 85 NBC TV combo 87 Temperamental tizzy 88 Sister on “Charmed” 89 “___ have to wait” 90 Protective castle surrounders 91 Facial outbreak 92 Tell secrets to (with “in”) 94 Wear purple with limegreen 96 Going rate?

ONE-MAN ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ 7:30 p.m. Dec. 22 and 23; 2 p.m.

Dec. 24 David McElroy is about to celebrate his 20th year of performing a one-man “A Christmas Carol.” McElroy is a theatrical tour-de-force taking on 37 different characters with little more than a change of vocal inflection to define a character. Presented at the Blue Bamboo Center in Winter Park. Call (407) 636.9951 or visit bluebambooartcenter. com.

CELEBRITY CIPHER

By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“WJSZLWP RJA OJ YFESLIAVFEVR DFSSCEG. NAS L’D WJS GAEC

SZFS’G F PECFS CMIAGC TJE OJLWP LS YJJEVR.” – XJZW DFVBJHLIZ “LI NUG’KH DLWHY DLIFV UK MCHVVLYDV LY NUGK CLIH, LF’V GA FU NUG FU OHCA FOH DGN EUZLYD GA MHOLYS NUG.” – BLZZN VZLFV Puzzle Two Clue: W equals V

‘ONCE UPON A DECEMBER’ presented by CFCArts 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7, 8 and 9 CFCArts presents the thrill of the 300-member CFC Choir and Symphony Orchestra in an allnew holiday performance that offers our favorite traditions, songs and stories wrapped up into one special evening.

At Northland Church in Longwood. Call (407) 937-1800 or visit cfcarts.com.

Puzzle One Clue: H equals V

JOSH RECOMMENDS

OrangeObserver.com

©2017 NEA, Inc.

SUDOKU

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

©2017 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

12-7-17

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WINTER PARK / MAITLAND OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017

WinterJune Park/Maitland Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or Friday, 9, 2017

to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the Winter Park/Maitland Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with town codes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

INFO & RATES: 407-656-2121 • Fax: 407-656-6075 Announcements EMAIL: classified@orangeobserver.com HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 8:30am-4:30pm DEADLINES: Classified - Monday at 10:00AM • PAYMENT: Cash Check or Credit Card.

RETIRED COUPLE providing personal services for individual needs. References available. 407-4912123 6/16fb

Homes for Sale

Troy Herring

Zak Sutton, left, and Rodolfo Motta Alvarez, far right, are helping lead the boy’s soccer team, while Heather Herndon, Julia Bryant, and Kaelyn Jones lead the girl’s team.

619 GENIUS DRIVE, WINTER PARK, FL 32789 $950,000 4 Bed | 4 Bath | 3,860 SF Kevin McClanahan 407-491-8509

SATURDAY 1-3

1685 Chestnut Avenue, WP 5 BR | 4.5 BA | 3,410 SF | $1,124,000 Brand New Lazarus Homes Construction

1140 KEWANNEE TRAIL MAITLAND, FL 32751 $399,000 4 Bed | 3 Bath | 2,261 SF The Bagby Team 407-620-8868

SATURDAY 1-4

3018 KINGFISHER POINT CHULUOTA, FL 32766 $3,875,000 5 Bed | 8 Bath | 12,579 SF Nancy Bagby + Zoltan Kecskes 407-741-3081

L I S T I N G S fanniehillman.com

585 Osceola Avenue, WP 4 BR | 4.5 BA | 2,918 SF | $849,000 Beauty & Charisma in Historic Winter Park

700 MELROSE AVENUE, B 24 WINTER PARK, FL 32789 $225,000 2 Bed | 2 Bath | 1,074 SF Olivia Maxwell 407-222-4440

SUNDAY 1-3

3810 Wingbow Court, Orlando 3 BR | 2 BA | 1,385 SF | $229,000 Centrally Located Home in Bradford Cove

1238 TRUST LANE MAITLAND, FL 32751 $429,000 4 Bed | 3.5 Bath | 2,474 SF Meg Dolan 321-948-0701 2210 CADY WAY WINTER PARK, FL 32792 $549,900 4 Bed | 2 Bath | 2,679 SF Lisa Shear 407-721-9375

505 OAK LANE MAITLAND, FL 32751 $429,900 3 Bed | 2.5 Bath | 2,822 SF Megan Cross 407-353-9997

SUNDAY 1-3

2501 Tuscaloosa Trail, WP

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers 5 BR | 3 BA | 3,000 SF | $485,000

Puzzle OneBeautifully Solution: Remodeled Dommerich Hills Home “Nothing you do particularly matters.

But I’m not sure that’s a great SUNDAY 1-4 excuse for doing it poorly.”

1790 Spruce Avenue, WP John Malkovich 5 BR | 4.5 BA | – 3,737 SF | $1,250,000

650 PINETREE ROAD WINTER PARK, FL 32789 $1,575,000 5 Bed | 4.2 Bath | 4,115 SF Maria Van Warner 407-256-8066 1713 LAKESIDE DRIVE ORLANDO, FL 32803 $1,499,000 5 Bed | 4 Bath | 4,481 SF Megan Cross 407-353-9997

New Lazarus Homes Construction Puzzle Two Brand Solution: “If you’re given gifts or blessings in your SUNDAY life, it’s up to you to help the1-4 guy coming 45 Cypress Lane, WP up behind you.”

4 BR | 3.5 BA | 3,713 | $1,195,000 – SF Jimmy Smits Stunning Lake Maitland Owl Preserve Home

This week’s Sudoku answers

1212 N. PARK AVENUE, WINTER PARK, FL 32789 $4,950,000 5 Bed | 5.1 Bath | 4,681 SF Patrick Higgins, Gwyn Clark + Megan Cross 407-353-9997

740 Palmer Avenue, WP 5 BR | 4.5 BA | 4,810 SF | $3,450,000 Gorgeous Gamble Rogers Estate

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WINTER PARK/MAITLAND

Observer ©2017 NEA, Inc.

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers

Puzzle One Solution: “Nothing you do particularly matters.

But I’m not sure that’s a great excuse for doing it poorly.”

– John Malkovich

This week’s Crossword answers

Puzzle Two Solution: “If you’re given gifts or blessings in your life, it’s up to you to help the guy coming up behind you.”

– Jimmy Smits

This week’s Sudoku answers

©2017 NEA, Inc.

This week’s Crossword answers

2017

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SUNDAY 2-4

WILDCATS, HORNETS START STRONG

N E W

Open Houses

The high-school soccer season is in full swing in the Winter Park/Maitland area. Here is a run down of the action thus far.

TROY HERRING

OTHER AREA TEAMS EDGEWATER EAGLES (BOYS) OVERALL: 3-1-0 DISTRICT: 0-0 GAME RESULTS: L, W, W, W GOALS FOR: 17 GOALS AGAINST: 3

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

WINTER PARK WILDCATS (BOYS) OVERALL: 3-0-1 DISTRICT: 3-0

The Wildcats are unbeaten through their first four matches of the season, thanks in part to a balanced team.

Behind the play of junior midfielder Rodolfo Motta Alvarez, the Wildcats have put up an impressive 12 goals so far — an average of three goals per game.

The defense has been equally impressive, as the Wildcats, led by senior defender Zak Sutton, have just about shut out opposing teams through the season.

The Wildcats have six games left before the holiday break.

WINTER PARK WILDCATS (GIRLS) OVERALL: 8-1-2 DISTRICT: 3-1

The lady Wildcats came out of the gates on fire this season. They kicked things off with a eightgame unbeaten streak (8-0-2) before falling to Lake Nona 3-1.

Despite the one blemish, the Wildcats have since gone on a two-game winning streak, during which they outscored their opponents by a combined score of 9-1.

The Wildcats, who were supposed to be in a rebuilding mode this season, have shown zero sign of inexperience and have had quite the season on offense.

Through 11 games, the Wildcats have racked up a whopping 45 goals. The offense has been largely led by senior forward Heather Herndon and senior midfielder Kaelyn Jones.

The defense for the Wildcats has been just as precise, as the backline and keepers have given up only 12 goals, which means the Wildcats are giving up less than a goal per game.

BISHOP MOORE HORNETS (BOYS) OVERALL: 6-1-1 DISTRICT: 0-0

After a solid season last year during which Bishop Moore went 21-7 (5-0 in conference) and won a district title, the Hornets continue their winning ways.

Kicking off the year with a fivegame unbeaten streak, the Hornets boast a solid 6-1-1 record, thanks in part to a well-balanced team.

Offensively the Hornets have put up an impressive 26 goals through eight games — or just over three goals per game.

The offense is led by junior

EDGEWATER EAGLES (GIRLS) OVERALL: 3-2-0 DISTRICT: 2-1 GAME RESULTS: W, L, W, L, W GOALS FOR: 16 GOALS AGAINST: 9 TRINITY PREP (BOYS) OVERALL: 2-2-0 DISTRICT: 0-1 GAME RESULTS: W, W, L, L GOALS FOR: 10 GOALS AGAINST: 8 TRINITY PREP (GIRLS) OVERALL: 4-5-0 DISTRICT: 0-0 GAME RESULTS: W, L, L, L, L, L, W, W, W GOALS FOR: 20 GOALS AGAINST: 20 ORANGEWOOD CHRISTIAN (BOYS) OVERALL: 3-1-0 DISTRICT: 0-0 GAME RESULTS: W, W, W, L GOALS FOR: 14 GOALS AGAINST: 4 ORANGEWOOD CHRISTIAN (GIRLS) OVERALL: 0-7-0 DISTRICT: 0-0 GAME RESULTS: L, L, L, L, L, L, L GOALS FOR: 2 GOALS AGAINST: 38

Gio Guazzaroni, who leads the team with 13 goals so far through the season. He has added threeassists, as well.

Much like the offense, the defense for the Hornets has proven to be just as effective. The Hornets have restricted opposing offenses — giving up an average of one goal per game through eight games.

BISHOP MOORE HORNETS (GIRLS) OVERALL: 4-3-3 DISTRICT: 0-0

The season started off rough for Bishop Moore. The Hornets went 1-2 in the opening three games.

Since that difficult start the Hornets have improved quite a bit as they’ve gone 3-1-3 in their last seven games.

Led by the trio of Grace Haggerty, Vanessa Piedmont, and Cara Elmendorf, the Hornets have averaged around two goals per game.

Defensively, the Hornets have a much stouter stat-line than you would think for a team with three losses in 10 games. In their three losses so far, the Hornets only fell 1-0 in each match.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017

HOUSE + HOME

Today’s lifestyle …

The New American Home 2018 will be showcased at the International Builder’s Show in January 2018.

Courtesy photo

… tomorrow’s tech The New American Home for 2018 — designed

by Winter Park’s Legacy Custom Built Homes — features a Tuscan design and futuristic amenities.

HARRY SAYER BLACK TIE REPORTER

T

here is a two-story house in the Bella Collina community in Montverde nearing completion.

Inside its walls are a number of cutting-edge elements: slidingglass doors that disappear into the walls and a touch-activated refrigerator. Furthermore, rather than light switches, heat pads set different moods for different rooms.

This house is the New American Home for 2018, a showcase of the best modern and cutting-edge

HOMES BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

building techniques used in the industry today.

And it’s all the brainchild of a Winter Park homebuilder.

“We’ve put a lot into this house,” said John Kolb, vice president of Legacy Custom Built Homes. “A lot of blood, sweat and tears — from the design to completion.”

From Jan. 9 to 11, 2018, the Orange County Convention Center will become home to the International Builder’s Show, an annual showcase of state-of-the-art construction designs and practices. There, tour buses will transport visitors from across the country

to the Bella Collina community to tour the finished house.

LONG TIME COMING

Legacy Custom Built Homes was picked for the job based on its past work at the end of 2016, Kolb said.

After the company workshopped the home’s concept for a few weeks, they got to work creating and refining the design.

Legacy Custom Built Homes typically juggles 10 to 12 projects a year, and the New American Home — sometimes called Lot 37 in the SEE LUXURIOUS PAGE 14

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149 CHELTON CIRCLE WINTER PARK

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WINTER PARK / MAITLAND OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017

Why you should call a Realtor before you call OfferPad Here’s what I learned about their process. They say the closing is guaranteed. But it isn’t — at least not immediately.

HOW IT WORKS

CHRISTINA RORDAM FLORIDA REALTY INVESTMENTS

I

first heard of OfferPad earlier this year. A friend asked me what I thought of it, and I didn’t think much — I was not yet aware of the company. Months later, after much research, I think even less.

I know how my opinion may seem: sour grapes, an oldschool Realtor angry at the onset of industry disrupting tech making the process easier for buyers and sellers. I love and embrace tech. I’m also not one to fight change. I remember selling new homes in Baldwin Park when most of the community was still dirt, marveling at the “smartphone” a local agent brought in while previewing the builder models. Fast-forward to today, and I have a smartphone, a tablet, and industryleading software and marketing technologies. I can’t wait to see what tools will come next, streamlining and improving the process for both Realtors and consumers. But to me, OfferPad is more of the same, repackaged as something different and money-saving for consumers.

This is OfferPad’s process of purchasing a home from a homeowner. The OfferPad website touts a “Dream Move Promise.” A line below this shiny little badge on the site’s “Benefits” page states you avoid the risk of the deal falling through by selling to them.

But ultimately, there is always some risk involved that a deal may not close until the property actually has closed.

In my experience, OfferPad will send the seller a contract with an inspection period included. In my case, when I requested an offer, I was sent a contract for purchase with a 15-day inspection period. The website makes no secret of this fact, but what type of guarantee has a 15-day period wherein the buyer can back out for any reason?

There is even a short video explaining that OfferPad will send an inspector out to your house to determine if any repairs need to be made.

The video goes on to say you have three options once OfferPad has determined the necessary repairs need to be completed. First, reduce the price to match the amount they attribute to the repairs they say are needed. Second, hire a contractor yourself to complete

the repairs and move forward to closing. Three, do not reduce the price or repair the requested items and cancel the contract.

Truly nothing is guaranteed until after the inspection.

The offer I was made was presented on an AsIs contract that I was only able to view after clicking that I accepted the most basic terms of their offer online. Because I am always willing to sell for the right price and terms, I agreed to view the actual agreement. OfferPad wanted to buy my home “AsIs” at what, in my opinion, was well below market value, and they want to potentially make me repair things or reduce the contract price even further?

These potential concessions are in addition to — wait for it — 6% in commissions and a fee termed “The OfferPad Experience.” Fun fact: If you hover over the question mark next to that fee, it mentions part of this experience is that they will move you for free. Free, but you still pay for it when you pay the OfferPad experience fee.

Confused yet?

NO SUCH THING AS FREE

As a seller, I am to pay Offer Pad a 6% commission fee plus an additional fee termed “The OfferPad Experience.” In my case, the OfferPad experience cost $1,860, bringing my total fees to 7.5%. Again, by hovering over the question mark next to this line item, you can see the following: “Pick your

close date, enjoy certainty that the deal wont fall through, remain in your home up to three days after closing and let us move you for free.” Last time I checked, it didn’t cost a seller extra money to negotiate a closing date they prefer with a buyer — either direct or through their agent. And the company plainly states they utilize inspection periods. So the company most certainly can request items you may absolutely not want to reduce the price for or repair, in which case the deal would in fact “fall through” or not move forward.

I get they are saying they have the funds to buy homes, but it makes it sound like there are no hurdles between you and closing.

Furthermore, there was an additional addendum to the AsIs contract that had a line item stating, “Under no circumstances will Buyer be obligated to purchase the property with any open or expired permits. If an open or expired permit is discovered at any time prior to COE, Buyer can cancel this contract and receive a full refund of the EMD.” The devil really is in the details. What if you had an open permit of which you were not aware?

Now on to what OfferPad states are “average real-estate fees.” Because I am a licensed professional and because of to antitrust laws, I cannot make statements such as “XYZ is the average Real Estate fee.” What

I can say is that if you were to consider OfferPad as a direct buyer for your home, I would strongly recommend you chat with a Realtor about this claim, as well.

So that left me wondering, why am I to pay that 6%? There is no marketing of the home outside of the advertising of their platform, and the home is only presented to the groups of purchasers/investors selected

by OfferPad. Your neighbors, coworkers, that family looking for a home as they relocate from Vermont or that out of the country buyer looking for a vacation home are all going to miss out on your home because it is not being marketed to anyone but OfferPad’s investors.

OfferPad appears to eliminate the middleman — which seems to be Realtors. In actuality, it also is eliminating competition from other buyers.

THE PRICE ISN’T RIGHT

At least not for me, it wasn’t. So OfferPad is an investor-driven platform making an offer on your home sight unseen, what could go wrong? Now I’ve sold for the nations top lenders as an REO/foreclosure agent, and the banks often requested that any buyer view the home in person prior to accepting the buyers offer. But some investors are comfortable making offers on homes with out seeing them first-hand, as is the case with SEE OFFERPAD PAGE 14

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Legacy Custom Built Homes since 2010.

“I’ve learned a lot about what people buying homes like this are looking for,” he said. “You almost create pictures in certain locations that wow people, whether it’s the view of the master bathroom or the frontal elevation of the home.”

What excites Kolb himself is the house’s floating staircase.

“What I really love is that it’s got this floating staircase, where you can see through a really large opening … and there’s these hanging lights in the opening that create a really beautiful view,” Kolb said.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

office — took a lot of manpower.

The house has 6,600 square feet of air-conditioned living space and more than 10,000 under-roof square feet.

“Building a house this size and detail in 16 to 18 months — it’s not a small task,” Kolb said.

Construction runs in Kolb’s family. His father was a builder and Kolb earned his contractor’s license in 1999. He’s been part of

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While this may be Legacy Custom Built Home’s first time winning the title, it’s not the first time Winter Park has been in the limelight. Just last year, the New American Home 2017 was built by another Winter Park architect — Phil Kean.

Kolb doesn’t chalk it up as coincidence; he believes the city attracts custom builders.

“Winter Park is such a centralized location for Central Florida,” he said. “Any of the builders here work out of Winter Park.”

Right now, the house is receiving its finishing touches. After more than a year’s work, Kolb is looking forward to admiring the house.

But he can’t just yet.

“There’s still so much to do to the house … to show it off properly,” Kolb said. “I haven’t stepped back to really appreciate what the home is; I’m just looking forward to getting it finished. For more information, visit tnah.com.

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OfferPad. The main point to consider is how OfferPad is determining the value of your home. When I asked, I was advised it was by partnership with local agents who provided estimations of values, along with a proprietary algorithm. I was made an offer $5,000 less than a home I sold in my neighborhood nine months ago that was 200 square feet smaller and with fewer upgrades.

Based on recent sales in the area, my home’s market value is $20,000 to $25,000 higher than the OfferPad figure. Plus they wanted me to pay them 7.5% for “OfferPad fees/Agent Commissions.” So I would be starting off with a much lower than market value price and also paying fees for this company to not market my home to anyone except their group of investors. I also would be expected to potentially repair or reduce that already low contract price and close out any existing permits at my expense.

Although I can believe (even though I have no proof) that OfferPad can make good on its

promise to pay you cash for your home and give you a flexible closing date of your choice, I just can’t see anything new or improved about the process. In my experience, cash buyers don’t want long periods with which to inspect your home, and if they make a lowball offer on an AsIs contract, it’s understood they aren’t going to ask you for repairs or reductions on top of the lowball offer. And I can never recall an all cash buyer making a lowball offer and asking to be paid 7.5%.

I was interested to see if OfferPad really had something new to show us. What I found was what I feel are large fees, low offer prices and guarantees with several conditions. I can’t find anything new, innovative or easier for the seller in the process, save for the fact that you don’t have to show the home to multiple buyers.

But isn’t it worth the hassle if you can get potentially tens of thousands of dollars more?

Luxurious living

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

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John Psomas RICP, Agent 922 Lake Baldwin Lane, Suite A Orlando, FL 32814 Bus: 407-277-2997 www.johnpsomas.com Hablamos Español

OFFERPAD INSIGHT

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2017

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