12.14.17 Windermere Observer

WINDERMERE

Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. FREE

VOLUME 3, NO. 10

•

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

They went down in history Runners braved chilly, rainy weather to join in the games at OMG’s Reindeer Run. SEE PAGE 7.

STATE CHAMPS

Photo by Troy Herring

County addresses development pressure in rural Lake Mabel

TIE

Policy recommendations were drafted following a years-long study of four rural residential enclaves, including the Lake Mabel community in Horizon West.

BLACK

The Dr. Phillips High School football team reached the top of the high-school football mountain in Florida Dec. 9, when the Panthers beat Atlantic High 17-7 in the 2017 FHSAA Class 8A State Final . PAGES 13-16.

PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID WINTER GARDEN, FL PERMIT NO. 81

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Postal Customer

Santa’s helpers

GABBY BAQUERO NEWS EDITOR

Because of its proximity to surrounding growth areas and the highly trafficked County Road 535, a rural area in unincorporated Orange County, which self-identifies as Lake Mabel, has experienced intense development pressure.

HORIZON WEST

SEE DEVELOPMENT PAGE 4

Citrus Church has adopted Orange County Fire Station No. 35 to spread Christmas cheer.

STORY ON PAGE 4 Nonprofit unveils new holiday experience. 9.

WINDERMERE OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, DEC. 14

36TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY SOCIAL Thursday, Dec. 14, at Windermere Town Hall, 520 Main St., Windermere. Join fellow Windermere residents for the town’s annual holiday social. Bring your favorite holiday dish to share with everyone.

AMERICAN LEGION 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, at the American Legion Post 4305, 271 W. Plant St., Winter Garden.

Shane Johnson will share his Hike Across America adventures of stopping in 20 cities in 65 days visiting homeless shelters that specialize in serving veterans to raise awareness for veteran homelessness. (407) 656-6361.

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, in the Attic (second floor) of Building C at St. Luke’s United

Methodist Church, 4851 S. Apopka-Vineland Road, Orlando.

This support group is for cancer fighters, survivors, caregivers, spouses and partners. Meetings include a time of sharing, spiritual and emotional support and a different topic each month related to challenges associated with cancer. This meeting is a holiday potluck and to discuss programming for 2018. Email care@st.lukes.org or call (407) 876-4991, Ext. 262, to register.

FESTIVAL OF TREES 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, at The Sheridan at Windermere, 13798 Speer Island Drive, Windermere. Stroll through the collection of Christmas trees donated by individuals and businesses and bid in the all-day silent auction. Ongoing entertainment throughout the day. Santa Claus will make a visit, and children can enjoy cookies and milk with him.

Funds raised are donated to Matthew’s Hope homeless ministry. (407) 605-5061.

WEST ORANGE REPUBLICAN WOMEN 11:20 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 14, at the West Orange Country Club, 3300 West Orange

Country Club Drive, Winter Garden. Besides the buffet, guests will be treated to the annual Christmas auction, caroling

by Edgewood Children’s Ranch students and recognition of the new members and scholarship recipients. Lunch is $20. Rebecca Mellen, (407) 230-5968 or rebeccatmellen@gmail.com.

SATURDAY, DEC. 16

WINTER MOVIELAND 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, at the Windermere Library, 530 Main St. Enjoy a kid-friendly film fest that celebrates families of all shapes and sizes. All ages. (407) 835-7323.

SUNDAY, DEC. 17

FRIDAY, DEC. 15

FAMILY CHRISTMAS MOVIE NIGHT 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 4851 S. Apopka-Vineland Road, Orlando. At 5:30 p.m., make Christmas ornaments. At 6:30 p.m., pick up your hot dog, chips and drink for a Christmas singalong with Mickey and Friends.

At 7 p.m., settle in front of the big screen and warm up by the fires for a Christmas classic under the stars. Cost for dinner is $10 for families of six or fewer, or $20 for families larger than six. Free.

Dinner tickets can be purchased at st.lukes.org/movienight.

HOLIDAY MOVIE 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the downtown Winter Garden pavilion, 104 S. Lakeview Ave. Join friends for the holiday movie “The Polar Express.” Film starts at 6:30, with pre-movie entertainment starting at 6.

(407) 656-4111.

ADAM’S ROAD CHRISTMAS PARTY 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17, at Adam’s Road headquarters, 160 E. Plant St., Winter Garden. Join the local Christian band for an evening of food, fellowship and fun. All are welcome. RSVP to (407) 656-0885.

TUESDAY, DEC. 19

SOUTHWEST BOOK CLUB 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, at the Southwest Library, 7255 Della Drive, Orlando. Meet author Selina Siak Chin Yoke and discuss her Malayan Series: “The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds” and “When the Future Comes Too Soon.” It follows an ordinary Malayan family through the Second World War. Ages 18 and older are welcome. The book club meets monthly at the Southwest Branch Library. No registration needed. siakchinyoke.com/.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20

BOOK BINGO 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, at the Windermere Library, 530 Main St. Celebrate back-toschool by playing bingo and possibly win a book to take home.

Ages 6 to 12. (407) 835-7323.

HEALING ARTS SERIES: PAINTING 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, at the Southwest Library, 7255 Della Drive, Orlando. This art project allows you to create the perfect gift for yourself. Part of the Healing Arts Series at Southwest Library. All supplies provided. No painting or art experience needed. For ages 18 and up. Limited supplies.

Registration required at (407) 835-7323.

PAINTING WITH SCISSORS 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, at the Southwest Library, 7255 Della Drive, Orlando.

Learn about famous artist Henri Matisse and create your own bold and colorful work of art inspired by his cut-paper technique. Ages 6 to 12. (407) 835-7323.

LETTERS TO SANTA

Hey kids! Write your letter to Santa and drop it off Now thru December 15th at either of these two locations.

• Observer Office, 720 S Dillard St., Winter Garden • West Oaks Mall, 9401 W Colonial Dr., Ocoee

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Mall Hours: Mon - Sat 10AM - 9PM, Sun Noon - 6PM • Closed Christmas • Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve: Noon-6PM • New Year’s Day: 10AM - 6PM

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

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WINDERMERE OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

Dr. Phillips High School Air Force JROTC student Azia Smith, right, got some help with her pins.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

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Lt. Col. Rick Proctor was the speaker during the ceremony at Dr. Phillips High School.

Courtesy photo

FOREVER CHANGED

Cody Tapoler, a Horizon West resident, and brother Colton Tapoler are the masterminds behind The Lost Bros.

Showing their Disney side Orlando-based shop The Lost Bros — which sells unique, Disney-themed apparel — is the brainchild of Horizon West resident Cody Tapoler and his brother, Colton.

HORIZON WEST If you’re shopping for a Disney enthusiast this holiday season, checking out what The Lost Bros has to offer might be a good place to start.

The Lost Bros — an online shop that has its roots in Orlando — is the brainchild of Colton and Cody Tapoler. It sells unique, Disneythemed shirts, socks, pins, hats and more.

It’s gained a loyal fanbase, too.

Since its launch in May 2016, TLB has amassed more than 43,000 Instagram followers. And on any given day at one of Walt Disney World Resort’s four parks, you’re likely to see someone wearing a TLB shirt.

was March or April (of last year) when Cody called and asked if I wanted to sell Disney shirts. He told me about the ‘Life is the Bubbles’ design, and I thought it was brilliant.”

The name “The Lost Bros” came from the brothers’ mutual love of “Peter Pan,” and from then to now the brand has grown substantially. It carries a variety of T-shirts and other items of clothing with themes pertaining to Disney classics.

A line of T-shirt jerseys gives a nod to Disney princesses such as Belle, Cinderella and Rapunzel. One of the brand’s signature designs — a Mickey waffle and bacon strips in the shape of a cross-bone — comes in the form of a T-shirt, sweater or socks.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

MAKING MEMORIES

DANIELLE HENDRIX BLACK TIE EDITOR

Miguel Berrios had the honor of hoisting the flag.

D

r. Phillips High School Air Force JROTC cadets held an oncampus ceremony in honor of Pearl Harbor Day on Thursday, Dec. 7.

The event included live music from the DPHS band and a ceremonial flag-raising.

It all began when Colton, 27, was working as a teacher and Cody, 26, was in the music industry and touring. They would always go to Disney together and found much of their inspiration there.

In fact, it was promotional videos that televisions in Disney hotels played that indirectly sparked the idea for TLB. The brothers wanted to make Disney-themed videos and be like the people they saw on the resort’s channels.

“Before we got to YouTube, we were talking about what we needed as far as clothes, I guess, and there was nothing to wear,” said Cody, a Horizon West resident.

“We were like, ‘We’ll just make our own shirts that are cool for us,’ so we did.”

Cody already had what would become one of the brand’s first products, a Lost Boys T-shirt jersey, that he often wore while touring. But not much else they came across appealed to them enough to wear out in the parks.

“We never really wore Disney shirts to Disney, because for guys there were limited options,” said Colton, a Palm Beach resident. “It

— TIM FREED Right: Sgt. Mason Perkins and Staff Sgt. Joseph Marckenson, of the U.S. Marines, were present at the ceremony.

Andre Garcia, right, was one of several Air Force JROTC cadets at the event.

ONLINE

Cadets Miguel Berrios and Fernanda Marquez carefully unfolded the American flag before raising it.

See more photos at OrangeObserver.com

“THE 4% TEAM”

But perhaps one of the biggest factors behind TLB’s success comes from the personalities behind the brand — the Tapolers themselves.

They can be found in the parks multiple times a week and often take time to meet fellow parkgoers and social-media followers.

“People connect with us because Disney for us is just an outlet for fun,” Colton said. “We’re just two brothers who get along really well and go to Disney.”

They have since been able to incorporate their love of music into the brand, too. “Kingdomchella,” a play off of Coachella, is their next big venture, which will be held at the Rosen Plaza in April.

“I’ve been making art my whole life, and nothing has ever been as appreciated as what we do as The Lost Bros,” he said. “For me, it’s humbling. Literally every time we go to the parks and see someone wearing a shirt, you realize that these people made you a part of their trip and their memories. …

It’s really humbling to be a part of all that from just a T-shirt.”

To shop, visit lostbrostradingco. com.

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WINDERMERE OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

WINDERMERE

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 / Dawn Willis, dwillis@OrangeObserver.com Executive Editor / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com Design Editor / Jessica Eng, jeng@OrangeObserver.com Senior Sports Editor / Steven Ryzewski, sryzewski@OrangeObserver.com News Editor / Gabby Baquero, gbaquero@OrangeObserver.com Community Editor / Amy Quesinberry, amyq@OrangeObserver.com Black Tie Editor / Danielle Hendrix, dhendrix@OrangeObserver.com

Top row, from left: firefighters Taylor DeMarzo, Matt Nicholson, Eli Brigham, Jason McNally and Mizel Rivera. Bottom row, from left: Brian, Melanie, Addison and Sam Johnson, Lauren Falk and Nicholas Bart Leahy.

Staff Writer / Brittany Gaines, bgaines@OrangeObserver.com Advertising Executives Michelle Gentry, mgentry@OrangeObserver.com Cyndi Gustafson, Gabby Baquero

Citrus Church adopts fire station GABBY BAQUERO NEWS EDITOR WINDERMERE Because many fire-

fighters spend the holiday season on call at their stations, Citrus Church, a fledgling congregation headed by Pastor Brian Johnson, is hosting four holiday events at Orange County Fire Station No. 35 in Windermere as part of the County’s Adopt-a-Fire-Station initiative.

Spearheaded by Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, the community volunteer program launched in 2012 and allows neighborhood groups, businesses and non-profits to show their appreciation for firefighters by providing holiday meals and volunteering their time at one of the county’s 41 stations.

To participate in the program, Citrus Church, which is affiliated with United Methodist Church but does not yet have a physical location for worship services, has planned out holiday events for the 20 firefighters at Station No. 35.

“We’re not doing worship right now, and we want to be the kind of church that’s known for serving the community and thinking more about others than ourselves,” Johnson said. “So it was a perfect match, and it’s a great way to say thank you to people who take care of our community. And a lot of our members have young kids, so I thought it would be a great opportunity for the kids to see the fire

STOCKING STUFFERS The church is collecting until Dec. 20 supplies to fill 20 holiday stockings, each of which will be given to one of the 20 firefighters at Fire Station No. 35.

Anyone wishing to help may drop off items at Scribble Space, 13790 Bridgewater Crossings Blvd., Windermere. Alternatively, you may contact Brian Johnson at Brian@CitrusChurch.org to arrange for a drop-off. n Chip bags n Christmas candy n Cookies n Healthy granola bars n Beef jerky n Gum packs n $5 gift cards for places such as Starbucks, Publix and Chick-fil-A.

station and to meet these people who keep us safe in our community.”

The first event, held Nov. 21, was more of a meet-and-greet wherein church members brought coffee and pastries from a nearby French cafe. During the second event held Dec. 4, the church brought different types of chili for the firefighters. At the upcoming third event, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 16, called Caroling and Cookies, Johnson and his congregation plan to bring freshly baked batches of cookies and have kids sing Christmas songs for the firefighters.

The last event, titled Stocking Stuffers for the Station, will be held Dec. 23.

“The fourth thing we’re doing — this is kind of our big one that we’re collecting for — we want to give each firefighter who is stationed there ... a stocking with goodies and treats and that sort of thing,” Johnson said. “So we’ve got a list of different things, like beef jerky and potato chips, candy, we’re looking for some gift cards, and all so that we could fill up a stocking and give it to each one of the firefighters right before Christmas just as our final big way of saying thanks for all that you do.”

To fill the stockings for the Dec. 23 event, Johnson and the about 30 members in his church hope to receive a helping hand from the Horizon West community.

After Hurricane Irma tore through Florida, the church part-

nered with members of the Horizon West Happenings Facebook page to do a flood bucket challenge.

For the challenge, they put together buckets filled with cleaning supplies that were later sent to areas that had been impacted by Irma. Because of the success of that initiative, Johnson said, he asked the same community members if they’d like to get involved and donate some items the church is seeking to include in the 20 Christmas stockings.

“Because we don’t have a worship service right now or a building and other stuff, it really frees us up to just find ways to serve the community,” he explained. “So my thought is if we can do that now and make that part of who we are, then as we grow and build in the years to come, it’ll help us to always keep a community focus.

And a lot of people are moving to Horizon West, and many I’ve met say they want to make their community a better place. And the community here is really building from the ground up. So I’d like to think that in some small way we’re helping make this a giving type of community.”

advertising@Orange Observer.com Creative Services Tony Trotti, ttrotti@OrangeObserver.com Customer Service Representatives Allison Brunelle, abrunelle@OrangeObserver.com Katie Rehm, krehm@orangeobserver.com

CONTACT US

The Windermere Observer is published once weekly, on Thursdays. It provides subscription home delivery. The Windermere Observer also can be found in commercial locations and at our office, 720 S. Dillard St., Winter Garden. If you wish to subscribe to, visit our website, OrangeObserver.com, call (407) 6562121 or visit our office, 720 S. Dillard St., Winter Garden.

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SEND US YOUR NEWS

Let us know about your events, celebrations and achievements. To contact us, send your information via email to Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com.

WINDERMERE OBSERVER The Windermere Observer (USPS 687-120) is published weekly for $40 per year ($50 outside of Orange County) by the Observer Media Group, 720 S. Dillard St., Winter Garden, Florida 34787. Periodical postage paid at Winter Garden, Florida.

POSTMASTER send address changes to the Windermere Observer, 720 S. Dillard St., Winter Garden, Florida 34787.

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Development pressure Located on the official border of the Horizon West community, the roughly 200 acres in the Lake Mabel neighborhood has a zoning code of R-CE, (Rural Country Estate), with a future land-use designation of Village, which allows only one dwelling unit per every 10 acres.

But that could change following the possible implementation of amendments to the county’s Comprehensive Plan — a document the county uses to manage growth via future land-use designations for all the properties in

unincorporated Orange County.

The multiple proposed amendments to the comprehensive plan regarding Lake Mabel are the result of the county’s Rural Residential Enclaves Small Area Study. The years-long study focused on four different areas in Orange County: Rocking Horse, Berry Dease, Chickasaw South and Lake Mabel, the only one of which is located in District 1.

Policy recommendations for Lake Mabel were discussed with about 40 area residents and property owners during a community

meeting held Dec. 5 at Dr. Phillips Elementary School.

Marcos Bastian, chief planner at the Orange County Planning Division, outlined the recommended changes to the comprehensive plan regarding Lake Mabel during the community meeting.

The recommended amendments seek to classify Lake Mabel as a Rural Residential Enclave with a density of one dwelling unit per acre and a minimum lot size of one acre — a provision that irked some property owners who

1970 Main St. • Sarasota, FL 34236 941-366-3468

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bought land in the area with the idea that it would remain with the current standard of one unit per 10 acres.

The proposed language also suggests to maintain the existing R-CE uses and standards, to allow lot splits, prohibit development clustering and allow special exceptions consistent with R-CE zoning designation.

Anyone with questions or concerns may contact Marcos Bastian by phone at (407) 836-5518 or via email at Marcos.Bastian@ ocfl.net.

Editor and CEO / Matt Walsh Vice President / Lisa Walsh Chairman / David Beliles Publishers of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota Observer, Siesta Key Observer, Palm Coast Observer, Plant City Times & Observer, Ormond Beach Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Windermere Observer, Winter Park/Maitland Observer, Business Observer, Jacksonville Financial News & Daily Record, Jacksonville Realty-Builder Connection, LWR Life, Season Magazine and Baldwin Park Living

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WINDERMERE OBSERVER

Isie Hale has just a few days to raise $1,325 after taking the place of another teen who couldn’t go.

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

Courtesy photo

Isie Hale took a mission trip to Honduras this summer and has the chance to go to Haiti in January.

TO DONATE To make a donation toward Isie Hale’s mission trip, send or drop off checks made payable to Foundation Academy and write Isie Hale-Haiti in the memo line. The school is at 15304 Tilden Road, Winter Garden, FL 34787.

The donation is tax-deductible.

Isie Hale has the chance to make a difference next month in several villages in Haiti. But first, the 16-year-old must come up with $1,325 by next week.

Seven students and two chaperones at Foundation Academy are taking the mission trip Jan. 9 through 13. Isie wanted to go but ended up on the wait list. When one student backed out of the trip last week, Isie was in — provided she can come up with the sponsorships and funds by Dec. 18.

“We will be visiting schools that have students of all grade levels,” Isie said. “While we are there we will be distributing shoeboxes and sneakers.”

Christians in Service provided the New Missions Christmas Shoeboxes to students and families at Foundation, and they were returned filled with school supplies, hygiene items, toys and other small gifts.

The more than 400 shoeboxes will be handed out to children in schools and villages in Leogane, a coastal community in Ouest, Haiti. New Missions supports 32 schools with more than 10,000 children.

“My heart and passion are mission trips and helping others,” Isie wrote on a Facebook post.

This will be Isie’s second trip to a third-world country. Her first was this summer to Puerto Lempira, Honduras, where her group partnered with Reach Out Honduras and visited Mama Tara’s orphanage to build a well cover and love on the children. She raised the money herself to make that trip.

“It’s humbling to help others in need,” the Winter Garden resident said. “I have a passion for helping others. I’ve grown up always reaching out and helping those in need. From the Ronald McDonald House to local women’s shelters and food banks.”

This is Isie’s first year as a fulltime student at Foundation Academy. She is a cheerleader and a Girl Scout and participates in student government, Christians in Service, Student Leader Institute and the American Sign Language Club.

“Isie is about helping others,” her mother, Christina Hale, said.

“Over the years, she has opted out of having a real birthday party, and instead (had) a bunch of friends meet at the Ronald McDonald House and bake cookies. She would ask that people bring something to donate to the house for the families in need. She has done this on multiple occasions. She is truly a ‘real person’ (who) lives for helping others. If it was up to her, she would go on a mission trip at least two to four times a year.”

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

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‘Tis the season for giving...

Eden and Ayla Scheid had their photo taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Left: Kathleen Hughes, of Whispering Leaves Nursery, was selling a variety of plants at her booth, including poinsettias.

The Habitat for Humanity ReStore needs volunteers: • Electronic Product Testers • Lifters to Move Furniture • Administrative Support • Handymen/women • Social Media Specialists Contact Aaron, ReStore Manager at (407)904-0406

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A group of students played a variety of holiday music at the event.

Shellie and Mike Sweet sold Amaryllis bulbs at their booth.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

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Racers had a blast at this year’s Reindeer Run.

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Reindeer Run racers received medals for finishing the 5K.

espite chilly temperatures and persistent drizzle on Saturday, Dec. 9, racers came out to compete in the Observer Media Group’s annual Reindeer Run 5K at Winter Garden Village at Fowler Groves.

Runners ran several laps around the plaza before crossing the finish line and receiving their medal. Awards were given to the top three finishers of each age group.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

Dreaming of a bright Christmas

Christmas Dreams recently debuted its new “Christmas Is Coming” experience — a 40-foot trailer decorated as Santa’s mobile home.

DANIELLE HENDRIX BLACK TIE EDITOR

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or some children who are battling life-threatening illnesses, Christmas can’t wait.

Cue Orlando-based nonprofit Christmas Dreams, which provides the Christmas experience 365 days a year for these children and their families.

CHRISTMAS CAN’T WAIT

It all began about 11 years ago with founder LeeAnn Stayer, who at the time had a foster child and wasn’t sure when he would be reunited with his birth mother.

She battled with the thoughts of whether that year was the last birthday or Christmas she would spend with him and took her concerns to several other people she knew.

Many of them were in similar situations or knew people who were — whether it was a foster child or one who was fighting a life-threatening illness.

“Some people I knew had similar journeys, and several of us on the board had children who we weren’t sure how long they were going to be around,” she said.

“We’ve been there, and there are families hurting who need some encouragement. I think that’s kind of where the dream started.

It grew with the board and volunteers in the community.”

Christmas Dreams brings the SEE DREAM PAGE 10

MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE Courtesy photos

Santa Claus is happy to share stories with his visitors.

Here are some ways you can help the Christmas Dreams crew bring some holiday spirit to children and their families. n Follow the organization on Facebook and on the web, christmasdreams.org, for communication. n Make Christmas-themed pillowcases or collect small, blue stockings for the organization. The miniature stockings can be found at Walmart for 98 cents. n Eat at any local Huey Magoos Saturday, Dec. 16, during A Very Magoos Christmas. Fifteen percent of the proceeds go to Christmas Dreams. n Donate directly through the organization’s website or GoFundMe, bit.ly/2jwCG0w.

Elves are available to help children make their own toys.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

A dream come true CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

winter holiday to kids in need any time of the year. The organization has partnered with Florida Hospital for Children for the last few years and puts together numerous projects year-round.

For example, volunteers will fill either small blue stockings or “Dream Boxes,” both of which are full of Christmas trinkets and fun things to bring some holiday cheer, even in April or May. They also make Christmas-themed pillowcases to take to kids in the hospital so they can have something cozy and comforting at all times.

They’ve even decorated some patient or procedure rooms and waiting areas, and Santa Claus will make his way through the neonatal intensive care unit to take photos with babies who won’t be home for Christmas.

“We realize some kids just can’t wait for Christmas, so we want to be able to bring Christmas to them,” Stayer said.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

New and exciting this year is the Christmas Is Coming experience, which launched Monday, Dec. 11. The experience is hosted in a 40-foot trailer that has been converted into Santa’s mobile home.

“When the kids come in the first thing they get to do is make a cookie with Mrs. Claus in her kitchen, create, talk and have a good time and learn about Santa’s favorite snacks,” Stayer said.

“Then they move to the Tinker Shop, where one wall is full of toy pieces and parts they can use to create their own new toy, name it and have fun being creative.

“Then they get to go into Santa’s ‘Man Cave,’ which has a Christmas tree and fireplace,” she said. “(Because) he’s in his man cave, Santa doesn’t have jacket or boots on. His jacket’s on a hook and the boots on the floor, and the children can put on his jacket and have their pictures taken in it.”

The trailer has been about a year in the making and was made possible by the help of volunteers who worked every Saturday morning to gut it and transform it

Courtesy photo

The “Christmas Is Coming” experience is housed in a 40-foot trailer.

into a North Pole-themed wonderland.

It’s part of Christmas Dreams’s overarching goal, which is to build an indoor, Christmascentered theme park. The theme park is currently in the fundraising phase, and would ideally be located in Christmas, Florida.

“Our big goal is to build a theme park,” Stayer said. “The funding isn’t there yet, but we knew we needed to be doing something.

So we put our mini theme park in it (the trailer) and get to take it around to these children to love on. It’s not only to love on these families, but also as a fundraising tool to show people that this is what we want to build.”

Any child who has a lifethreatening illness, as well as his or her family, is eligible to visit the Christmas Is Coming trailer.

It will be parked at Florida Hospital for Children through Friday, Dec. 15, but it can travel anywhere a 40-foot trailer will fit. Stayer hopes to take it on the road again in the spring.

“It’s been neat to see, and it does fill them with joy,” Stayer said of children’s reactions thus far. “I’m hoping to give them some Christmas joy and hope.

I hope it lets them know that they’re loved and not alone and that there are people who care that they’re struggling. We want to do what we can to make the most of the moment and give the family something to cherish.

“We want to let the entire family share in this moment with the child and for a minute forget the nightmare that they’re living and really live in a Christmas dream,” she said.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

ballroom dancing Instruction for Beginners

By Darlene Bienias t c e f r e P 407-451-5000 s a m t s i Monday Evening Classes: Chr Beginner 6-7pm Gift

Opera Orlando will host a special performance of its holiday show, “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” in Winter Garden.

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Courtesy photo

To help bring more families to the show, Opera Orlando partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida, so all children may attend the show for free.

“This is something that’s more for the family, more for kids,” Gabriel Preisser said. “We want it to be family-friendly.”

And it’s music that brings the show to life.

“Like so many others, I find this work to be irresistible,” said Robin Jensen, Opera Orlando’s music director, who will conduct the show. “The story, the music and the characters seem directly wired to the heart. The creative team we’ve put together are devising a production that will only magnify the magic of this work.”

Bringing the show to Winter Garden was largely thanks to Barbara Roper — a longtime supporter of Opera Orlando.

“Barbara used to be on the board,” Gabriel Preisser said.

“So when (her daughter) Becky Roper found out we were doing this show, she said that we should bring it out there because her mom would love it.”

At the Winter Garden show, the role of Amahl will be played by 12-year-old Jeremiah Tavey, who attends Howard Middle School Academy of Arts and is a member of the Opera Orlando Youth Company.

For Gabriel Preisser, the goal of the show is to establish a tradition of bringing opera to Winter Garden.

“It’s not this daunting art form,” he said. “We’ve grown up with it in one way or another, so it’s just about getting it out in the community. It’s something we can fall in love with.”

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For the second consecutive year, Opera Orlando is bringing its holiday show to downtown Winter Garden.

The special showing of “Amahl and the Night Visitors” is part of the organization’s community outreach, which included shows in Winter Park and Kissimmee.

For Opera Orlando officials, the show is a way to spread holiday cheer and expose more people to the world of opera.

“I’m a big proponent of if you sit in a seat and listen to opera and listen to the voices, you’ll love it,” said Gabriel Preisser, executive director of Opera Orlando. “It’s important to get the kids in the seats so they learn to enjoy it at a young age.”

“Amahl and the Night Visitors” was written in 1951 by Gian Carlo Menotti and is set at the time of Christ’s birth. The opera follows the story of the three kings as they encounter Amahl, a disabled shepherd boy.

“Our goal is to transport our audiences to fully experience the wonder of the season,” said Grant Preisser, one of the show’s directors.

One of the reasons that the organization chose to perform “Amahl and the Night Visitors” again this year was because of its ability to reach a wide audience, Gabriel Preisser said.

“It’s an American opera, so it’s in English,” he said. “And it’s short — it’s only 45 minutes — and it’s a Christmas opera.”

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OrangeObserver.com

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Feel free to stop in and say hello to Charley Girl!”

TYLER JAMES CRAVENS DIED SATURDAY, DEC. 9, 2017.

Tyler Cravens, 50, of Winter Garden, Florida, passed away at 9:15 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, after a long battle with cancer.

A memorial service will be held at Dobbs Funeral Home, Orlando, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14.

Tyler James Cravens was born in Evansville, Indiana, on June 28, 1967, and spent his formative years in Jackson, Mississippi.

He attended the University of

It is with a heavy heart that we share in the passing of Christopher Leda on Nov. 21, 2017.

He was a loving son, brother, grandson and friend to all.

Christopher was born in Saudi Arabia and grew up in Florida, where he loved to build and race RC cars, play the guitar in middle-school band, and loved to play golf and Little League football. He also enjoyed spending time with his grandparents in the Keys and on their farm in Arkansas. Christopher loved boating and camping at Silver Glen Springs.

He also was an organ donor, so he gave the gift of life. Christopher also enjoyed summer camp at Lake Aurora, where a camp scholarship is being set up in his name.

He is survived by his father (Todd), mother (Kimberly), stepfather (Sheldon), brother

(Andrew) and sister (Chanel).

There will be a celebration of Christopher’s life at 1 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 16, in Winter Garden, Florida: New Horizons Christian Church, 1330 Winter Garden-Vineland Road, Winter Garden, Florida, 34787 (park in the STAR Child Academy parking lot).

Instead of flowers, the family asks that donations in Christopher’s name be made to the Edgewood Children’s Ranch in Winter Garden. They have been family friends for many years. edgewoodranch.com. Thank you for thoughts and prayers, The Leda and Stephenson Family.

MYRIAM AQUINO dos SANTOS, 85, of Ocoee, died Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Winter Oak Funeral Home & Cremations, Winter Garden.

ELENA FLORES MARTINEZ, 81, of Winter Garden, died Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. Winter Oak Funeral Home & Cremations, Winter Garden.

ERNEST H. PERECHLIN, 88, of Winter Garden, died Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017. Winter Oak Funeral Home & Cremations, Winter Garden.

ROSE BURR, 74, of Winter Garden, died Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017.

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EDWARD C. OWEN, 85, of Oakland, died Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. Winter Oak Funeral Home & Cremations, Winter Garden

MICHAEL C. RANDALL, 65, of Winter Garden, died Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017. Winter Oak Funeral Home & Cremations, Winter Garden.

CHRISTOPHER TODD LEDA DIED TUESDAY, NOV. 21, 2017.

FREDERICK EARL EMENS SR., 95, of Ocoee, died Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. Woodlawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home, Gotha.

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Arkansas and was a paratrooper and veteran of Desert Storm.

Tyler was married to his soulmate, Patcharee Suksamran, on Dec. 22, 2004.

He was an accomplished actor, a member of SAG-AFTRA and the Television Academy.

Tyler was co-owner of the award-winning Thai Blossom Restaurant, Winter Garden, Florida.

He is survived by his wife, Patcharee; and his siblings and step-siblings, Thomas J. Cravens, Teresa “Tracey” Cravens Haney, Tamara Cravens Tateosian, Cathy Campbell Emert and Melissa Campbell Rowe; and their children.

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CHURCH DIRECTORY

EPISCOPAL

CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION 4950 S. Apopka-Vineland Rd., Orlando Sun.Serv 8:30am, 10:30am, 5:30pm.

407-876-3480 www.ascension-orlando.org

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Winter Garden, FL 34787 Services 9:30 and 10:30AM 407-952-0510

Advertise your Services or Events on this page weekly.

This page appears weekly in the Windermere Observer and online at orangeobserver.com.

To advertise in the Church Directory call 407-656-2121 or email AdvertiseNow@orangeobserver.com

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WEST ORANGE OBITUARIES

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DECEMBER 14, 2017

SPORTS

2017 FHSAA CLASS 8A STATE CHAMPIONS: DR. PHILLIPS PANTHERS

Awwww DP! Photos by Troy Herring

The Dr. Phillips Panthers are all smiles after winning the state championship, showing off their trophy, medals and the banner they hung as a mission statement back in January.

A well-deserved state title for Rodney Wells

Dr. Phillips dodges déjà vu, writes better ending to 2017 Class 8A Final.

STEVEN RYZEWSKI

The Panthers' victory was also the culmination of a journey for the team's head coach that began when he was a freshman linebacker at Dr. Phillips High.

SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR ORLANDO The score at halftime was the same. The score through three quarters was the same.

Everything was setting up for a déjà vu of the worst kind for the Dr. Phillips Panthers in the FHSAA Class 8A State Championship Game. Just as they did a year ago against Miami Southridge, the Panthers led Delray Beach’s Atlantic High 10-0 through three quarters Dec. 9.

Then, an Atlantic screen pass early in the fourth quarter landed not in the hands of an Eagles receiver but rather in those of Dr. Phillips linebacker Cameron Williams. With nine yards standing between him and the end zone, Williams’ pick-six extended the Dr. Phillips lead to 17-0 — helping the Panthers to write an ending different from that of 2016, when they lost 14-10.

Not even a late touchdown from Atlantic could prevent the Panthers from finishing their mission, winning the program’s first state title by a final score of 17-7.

“It means everything,” head coach Rodney Wells said. “Last

STEVEN RYZEWSKI SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

year, we got here and we fell short. God had a plan — God came through for us. Our guys stuck to the steps and stuck to the process.”

In front of a boisterous Dr. Phillips cheering section that made the short trip up Interstate 4 from Southwest Orlando — part of an overall announced crowd of 5,900 — the Panthers got on the board first when Japerri Powell blocked, scooped and scored a SEE PANTHERS PAGE 16

Japerri Powell flexes after making a big play for the Panthers.

ORLANDO Rodney Wells knows all the names.

Some of them were teammates.

Others were players he coached.

Some came in between.

The head coach of the Dr. Phillips football team doubles as a historian of sorts for the program when it comes time to talk about the greats that have come through the halls of the school in southwest Orlando.

HaHa Clinton-Dix. Doug Gabriel. Matt Milano. Kenny Shaw.

There are plenty of others — including Wells, himself — and he knows them all.

So it’s not surprising, then, that when his Panthers finally got the program to the promised land and won its first state title Dec. 9 at Camping World Stadium, Wells was quick to point out that the

Rodney Wells embraces Brice Ingram after winning the state championship Dec. 9.

moment — his team celebrating and hoisting a state championship trophy — was bigger even than it appeared.

“This is for the guys like me, who came through (the program) in the ’80s and the ’90s. This is for the guys who fell short last year — SEE WELLS PAGE 16

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

From start to finish: Dr. Phillips football’s road to the top SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

The banner was hung in January.

It said, “Finish the Mission,” and included the date “12.9.17” — the date of the 2017 FHSAA Class 8A State Championship.

It was a bold proclamation for a program that had just lost the 2016 state championship game and had graduated 31 seniors — several of whom were Division I college prospects.

And yet, that vision statement in the Panthers’ locker room was a constant reminder of what the team was after.

SPRING GAME MAY 17 AT WINTER PARK: W, 35-21 The Panthers’ spring game offered the first look at several new faces in new roles, including then-newcomer BeSean McCray at quarterback.

Extra point: DP looked dominant against a regional finalist from 2016.

PRESEASON AUG. 18 AT OSCEOLA: L, 30-27 Turnovers haunted the Panthers in this powerhouse preseason matchup, but the end result still gave fans plenty to be excited about entering the season — including McCray’s two passing touchdowns on 235 yards.

Extra point: A preseason game that felt like a playoff game ended up serving as a bit of foreshadowing.

REGULAR SEASON (8-2) AUG. 24 VS. ORANGE CITY UNIVERSITY: W, 24-21 After trailing 14-0 at halftime, an interception by Braxton Clark got the Panthers back into it. Devodney Alford rushed for two touchdowns — including the go-ahead score — and Japerri Powell forced a fumble to seal the deal.

Extra point: An early taste of adversity would prove valuable as the season went on.

SEPT. 7 AT WEST ORANGE: W, 44-24 Once again, the Panthers trailed at halftime, but this time by one point: 17-16. DP outscored the Warriors 21-0 in the third quarter, though, creating all the cushion it needed to secure the Ol’ Orange Crate once again.

Extra point: Panther fans begin noticing a trend of DP playing better in the second half.

in the Panthers' 17-13 win over Osceola. The thrilling finish was set up by a big kickoff return by Tanner Ingle and a pair of pivotal catches by Davarius Bargnare.

Extra point: One play might not define a season, but it will be a long time before anyone forgets McCray’s pass to Alford.

SEPT. 22 VS. MAINLAND: W, 20-0 After losing to the Buccaneers in 2015 and 2016, the Panthers happily dispatched with their visitors from Daytona Beach in 2017.

Brice Ingram had 10 tackles, forced a fumble and even ran for a touchdown.

Extra point: Turns out revenge is a dish best served by the Dr. Phillips defense.

CLASS 8A, REGION 2 FINAL NOV. 24 AT SARASOTA RIVERVIEW: W, 28-19 DP led 21-19, but Riverview had tramped down the field and — with 10 minutes to go — the Rams stood inside the Panthers’ 10-yard line. The home crowd expected a score and, on the next play, they got one — but not from Riverview. A low snap rolled past Rams senior quarterback Arthur Brantley IV, and Panthers junior linebacker Jaquarri Powell scooped it and rumbled 87 yards to the house.

Extra point: This would not be the last time a defensive touchdown sealed a win for DP.

SEPT. 29 AT OAK RIDGE: W, 41-6 The Panthers did not trail at the half, but they also did not lead: Both teams went scoreless in the first half. The second half, though, was all DP. Davarius Bargnare caught a pair of touchdown passes and returned two kicks for touchdowns, accounting for 276 all-purpose yards. Devodney Alford eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark for the fourth time in as many games, and Stephen Dix had a career-high 13 tackles.

Extra point: This was the first of four dominant district wins.

OCT. 5 AT WEKIVA: L, 14-0 On a rainy night, the Panthers amassed just 76 yards of offense and were shut out for the first time since 2006. Scoreless through three quarters, the Mustangs broke it open with two scores in the fourth.

Extra point: A tough pill to swallow, but lessons learned from this loss proved valuable.

OCT. 9 VS. APOPKA: L, 21-14 Playing their second game against an elite defense in four days, the Panthers spotted the Blue Darters an early lead and, although they rallied, it was too much to overcome.

Extra point: The silver lining was that this would be the last loss of the 2017 campaign.

OCT. 13 AT FREEDOM: W, 35-8 The Panthers had been shut out in the first half of the previous three games entering this district showdown, so it stood to reason they would want to fix that. And they did, scoring on four of their first five possessions. BeSean McCray threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more.

Extra point: The Panthers were decisive in getting back in the win column.

File photo

The Panthers celebrate with the Ol’ Orange Crate trophy after beating West Orange early in the season.

OCT. 20 VS. OLYMPIA: W, 31-10 A 17-3 halftime lead for the Panthers was tested when the Titans scored a touchdown early in the third quarter, but two quick touchdowns in response dispelled any hopes for an upset.

Japerri Powell, Brice Ingram and Cameron Williams all finished with double-digit tackling totals.

Extra point: The Panthers secured a 10th-consecutive district championship.

OCT. 26 VS. CYPRESS CREEK: W, 37-7 Sterling Stockwell set a schoolrecord with three made field goals against the Bears, and the Panthers had no trouble securing a win in their district finale.

Extra point: The win was the DP’s 40th straight in its district.

OCT. 30 AT TIMBER CREEK: W, 35-14 The DP defense dominated Timber Creek, allowing just one first down and four yards rushing through the first three quarters.

Two touchdowns to open the second half closed the door on

any comeback chances.

Extra point: The Panthers closed the regular season on a fourgame winning streak.

PLAYOFFS (5-0) CLASS 8A, REGION 2 QUARTERFINAL NOV. 10 VS. RIDGE COMMUNITY: W, 35-7 Fans had hardly settled into their seats when the Panthers exploded for 28 points in the first quarter, fueled by three touchdown passes thrown by BeSean McCray. The defense forced two fumbles that both were recovered

by Christian Williams — one of which he returned for a score.

Extra point: A stellar week of practice transitioned to a dominant opening to the playoffs.

CLASS 8A, REGION 2 SEMIFINAL NOV. 17 AT OSCEOLA: W, 17-13 With 15 seconds remaining in the regional semifinals of the Class 8A Playoffs, BeSean McCray found Devodney Alford in the end zone for the deciding touchdown

FHSAA CLASS 8A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP DEC. 9 VS. DELRAY BEACH ATLANTIC: W, 17-7 Defensive touchdowns by Japerri Powell and Cameron Williams — along with a field goal by Sterling Stockwell — proved to be enough for the Panthers.

Extra point: Thirty years after the inception of the Dr. Phillips football program, and one year after the Panthers’ loss in the state final, the team had climbed the mountain top and hoisted the FHSAA State Championship Trophy.

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FHSAA CLASS 8A STATE SEMIFINAL DEC. 1 AT WEKIVA: W, 28-7 On the first play from scrimmage, Brandon Fields found a seam and scampered 73 yards to the end zone. It was the first of two big plays for DP in the first half — the other a 72-yard touchdown run by BeSean McCray. Then, DP opened the second half with three consecutive interceptions of Wekiva passes — including a pick-six by Bryan Bell-Anderson.

Extra point: With this victory, the Panthers had accomplished the incredible task of returning to the state-title game.

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ALWAYS IN THE DISCUSSION The Dr. Phillips football team is seemingly always in the hunt for a ring. Now that it finally earned one, here is a look back at how deep in the playoffs the Panthers have progressed in the past 10 seasons.

2016 — State final 2015 — Regional final 2014 — Regional final 2013 — Regional semifinal 2012 — State semifinal 2011 — Regional semifinal 2010 — State final 2009 — Regional semifinal 2008 — Regional semifinal 2007 — Regional semifinal

SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

I

t’s sort of baked into our DNA as American sports fans — this idea that the best possible sports story is that of “the underdog.”

It’s why we’re all glued to the TV during the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament and March Madness, rooting on the No. 16 and No. 15 seeds from schools we never knew existed.

Then, there are sports movies such as “Hoosiers” and “Rudy” — and any number of others.

We are programmed to love the “Cinderella story.”

Well, the story of this year’s Dr. Phillips football team is no Cinderella story.

The Panthers are an excellent football team on an annual basis and each and every fall, they are among those in Central Florida who prognosticators list as having a chance at making a run at a title.

So no, Dr. Phillips football winning its first state championship is no underdog story.

It’s better.

The story of this year’s Pan-

SIDELINE SCENE

DP’s title is better than an ‘underdog’ story

STEVEN RYZEWSKI

15

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

Cameron Williams celebrates while crossing into the end zone during his pick-six interception.

Photos by Troy Herring

Dr. Phillips senior offensive lineman Jecquari McKnight hugs senior defensive lineman Shawn Evans in the moments after winning the state title.

thers is a story of consistency and excellence finally paying off on the big stage.

For years, Dr. Phillips has been a program that finds a way to win 10 or more games and put several kids into Division I college football programs. It is a program that has not had a true “down year” in some time.

Take a moment and think about how remarkable that consistency is, given that highschool football teams are made up of teenagers that most parents cannot goad into consistently taking out the garbage or doing the dishes.

This is a program that has created a standard of excellence —

something we should want for all of our young people.

But it is also a program that — for all of its alumni in college football and the NFL, for all of its district championships (10 consecutive and counting), for all of its 10-win seasons — was missing something in its trophy case.

When you operate at the elite level that this program has over the years, a state title — an accomplishment many programs legitimately have only a small chance of achieving — becomes an expectation.

The lack of one becomes a void on the résumé.

And then there are the close calls — the losses in the state final in the 2010 and 2016 seasons.

So, when the Panthers hoisted the state championship trophy and celebrated in the cool Orlando night after beating Delray Beach’s Atlantic High 17-7 Dec. 9, it was not the completion of the story of an underdog: It was the completion of a story of validation.

That it happened following a season that had experienced the great disappointment of losing a state-title game the Panthers had led through three quarters — and a season whose

end meant the departure of 31 seniors — certainly gives it some elements of an underdog story.

As Miami’s Southridge High celebrated at Camping World Stadium Dec. 10, 2016, with players from Dr. Phillips huddled up, watching from nearby, who would have thought that just 364 days later the Panthers would return to that same field and write a different ending?

Well, they did.

They hung a banner in January saying they would do as much.

“Finish the Mission. 12.9.17” And then they did it.

Yeah, this is no underdog story.

This is Dr. Phillips football — excellence is expected.

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Celebrates Business For more than 110 years, our award winning news and design team continues to be your credible source for local community news, events and information.

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Celebrating Ribbon Cutting of Dental Care at Westside Shoppes

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he West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Dental Care at Westside Shoppes, located at 11625 Lachlan Lane in Windermere. Your dentists at Dental Care of Westside in Windermere, FL offer lifetime dental care in a state-of-the-art facility.

The friendly dentists and team strive to provide you the personalized dental care you need and deserve. Call their Windermere dentist office today for Invisalign, Dental Implants, Oral and IV Sedation and the many other services offered to improve your smile. To learn more, visit dentalcareatwestsideshoppes.com. Photo courtesy of WOCC.

THURSDAY , MAY 18, 2017

ARTS & CUL TUR

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Transforming lives The Dr. P. Phillips YMCA is one of three a that in Central Florid In offer the Women am Transition progr ated to divorced, separ en or widowed wom en. and their childr 4 STORY ON PAGE

YOUR TOWN HELP STAMP OUT HUNGER

Buzzy and Phyllis will be collectBerry, of carriers Mail Winter Garden, and Harvest Robert for Second food ingand Cindy Martin, Florida Bank of Centralof Winter Food Springs , announ ce dury, May 13, the marSaturda onriage of Rachel Cathlee Stamp n to the 25th annual ing Robert “Bobby” Justin drive. Berry.

Hunger! food OutThe weddin asked g ceremo ts are being ny Residen and recepti full of on were bagsheld sturdy to place April 15 in other historic andOaklan goods d. canned The couple will foods beside non-perishablereside in .

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Photos by Brittany

Gaines and Amy

SEE PAGE 9.

Quesinberry

Construction on Oakland center to begin this summer

The design of the new building will blend in with the fabric of the historic town.

The Class of 2017 at Orange and Ocoe both West e high schools celebrated the end of their highschool careers in style last week.

Graduating high-sc seniors who attendehool d either Courtesy photo See Lake Whitney more photos Elementary orretiring after at Whispering reys is Humph Oak Ceil Elementary Humphreys OrangeObserv are invited 20 running years oftion er.com to gradua receptions Junior School. at theirHigh former schools.

Lake Whitney’s reception will take place from 4:30 p.m. Thursd 3:30 to ay, May 18, Danielle in Hendrix the media center.

Seniors sky, Chehan who attended LWES such as Shelly helps women 2009-10 and their in YMCA. The program parents at the Dr. P. Phillips are invited to catch up with In Transition program old friends and head of the Women ion or death. teachers. center, is the Allie Halbert, divorce, separat Whispering Oak Ramcharan, after left, and Sam its reception from will hold 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednes day, May 24, in the media was center.

RSVP to (407) Ceil Humphreys 656-7773. first educators

ere How should Winderm ? tackle security issues

ce options to enhan ers are considering and Town Council memb y, curtail loitering on Bird Island securit Park’s boat ramp.

Fernwood Park’s e use of Fernwood more strictly enforc Fernwood

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Town boat the had Windermereng for solutions access to members searchi 11 meeting.

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FINDING HER

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Ocoee High senior Dorian Jones rallied his classmates for a game of dodgeball outside in the parking lot.

West Orange homeschool pioneer to retire

VOICE

EDITOR

OAKLA ND Bob Miller, of R. Miller Archit ecture Inc., attended the May Town Commission 9 Oakland the elected official to provide s with more details regard ing proposed art and Oakland’s ter. This additio history cenn to the town center will be built on the site of the former Little White

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15 CHOOL her voice, SEE HOMES seeks to expand

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its own.

During the May 11 City Comm ission meeting, leaders design plans detailin introduced work that, if adopte g the framed, would guide development frontin Street and surroun g East Plant ding areas.

SEE FRAME

WORK PAGE

4

Celebrating Ribbon Cutting of The Funk Collection

West Orange alum Nate Ozdemir leaves FAU — and his football career — to serve in the U.S. Marines. PAGE 13.

T

he West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors gathered to celebrate the ribbon cutting of The Funk Collection, located at 422 Main Street, Suite 1 in Windermere. Whether a buyer is looking to call Central Florida home, or a seller moving onto the next chapter in life, Orlando Broker Associate and Windermere Resident, Jeffrey Funk facilitates the process like no other. Thanks to his unparalleled knowledge of the Central Florida area, Jeffrey has consistently ranked amongst the top real estate professionals year after year. To learn more, visit realtyinorlando.com. Photo courtesy of WOCC.

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ER WINDERM

16

WINDERMERE OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

MEET THE 2017 DR. PHILLIPS PANTHERS # NAME 1 Tanner Ingle 2 Davarius Bargnare 3 Devodney Alford 4 Brice Ingram 5 Jaquarri Powell 6 Brandon Fields 7 Tarrie Reese 8 Japerri Powell 9 Bryan Bell-Anderson 10 Devon Buckhanon 11 BeSean McCray 12 Demarquis Cummings 13 Kenyon Baron 14 Michael Fox 15 Cameron Williams 16 Be-Jai McCray 17 Tarvon Young 18 Bobby Johnson 19 Jacquez Jones 21 Braxton Clark 22 Malik Clark 23 Dwight May 24 Tevin Griffey 25 Nivon Holland 26 Sebastien Celestin 27 Islander Timeau 28 Jackson Morrow 29 Stephen Dix 30 Jeremiah Grandison 31 Joshua Gabbidon 32 Canaan Mobley

Quarterback BeSean McCray looks to elude wouldbe tacklers, above, and Japerri Powell scoops up a blocked punt for a touchdown, right.

Panthers FROM PAGE 13

punt attempt in the first quarter.

That was the beginning of an outing for Powell that included 2.5 sacks and seven total tackles.

His twin brother, Jaquarri Powell, got in on the fun with four tackles and a sack of his own.

Dr. Phillips next scored in the second quarter on a 28-yard field goal by Sterling Stockwell. The Panthers also left points on the

board in the first half, though, and went into the locker room up by just 10 points.

On offense, Dr. Phillips moved the ball throughout the game — the Panthers ended the game with 199 yards of offense and 13 first downs — but it had trouble sustaining and completing drives against a stout Atlantic defense.

The Dr. Phillips defense was stout in its own right, allowing just 40 yards of offense in the first half.

Atlantic did begin to move the ball in the second half, though,

2017 COACHES

Head coach: Rodney Wells Offensive coordinator: Jason Jackson Defensive coordinator: Steve Breitbeil Quarterbacks coach: Tony Gulla Running backs coach: Riki Smith Wide receivers coach: Steve Schyck Offensive line coach: Adam Sitter Linebackers coach: Ken Jones Defensive backs coach: Roderick Ryles Defensive backs coach: Boris Jackson

Defensive line coach: Lorenzo Martinez Assistant coach: David Aubrey Assistant coach: Adrian Bouie Assistant coach: Bryan Ingrande Head athletic trainer: Danielle Perrotti Assistant athletic trainer: Amanda Hosier Public address/Sports information: John Magrino Athletic director: Steve McHale Principal: Suzanne Knight

racking up 185 additional yards to finish with 225 yards of total offense. Despite that, time after time, the Panthers defense got stops when it needed to — including on four of six fourthdown conversions that Atlantic attempted —and eventually scored 14 of the team’s 17 points.

“We talked about it on Monday — (head coach Rodney) Wells was telling us all week that we (the defense) was going to be the reason that we win this game,” senior defensive back Tanner Ingle said.

What became the game’s decid-

Wells FROM PAGE 13

this is for a lot of us,” Wells said.

There are many coaches who work tirelessly at the craft and whose passion for molding teenagers into adults exudes in all they do. Both of those qualities describe Wells, but also many other high-school coaches.

What makes the Dr. Phillips coach truly unique, though, is the way he personifies the program.

“I can go back to me being a teenager, in seventh or eighth grade, wanting to play for Dr. Phillips,” Wells said. “I got there in ninth grade, had a really good career and never thought I’d be back as a head coach.”

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# NAME 33 Devon Charitable 34 Gerald Rice 35 Riley Stephens 36 Jayden Ellis 39 Sterling Stockwell 40 Frannel Rene 41 Christian Williams 42 Joe Gulla 43 Frank Maciejczyk 44 Khalil Hicks 45 Matteo Morange 46 Michael Jean Baptiste 51 Shawn Evans 52 Jordea Bayron 53 James Richardson 54 Alesandro Martinez 55 William Lewis 57 Jecquari McKnight 58 Dontae Ortiz 59 Michael MacNeil 72 Jacob Tesggai 73 Brian Velez 74 John Campbell 75 Christian Przybysz 77 Derek Haupt 80 Trey Schyck 81 Jackson Hodor 82 Arron Edwards 84 Marcus Pruitt 85 Matthew Messina

ing moment — Williams’ pick-six — began first with a punt by Sterling Stockwell down to the Atlantic 15 with 10:03 to play. After an incompletion on first down, Williams read the screen that was setting up on second down and jumped in front of the intended receiver.

“The running back went out for a swing route, and I saw it — I jumped the route and I caught it,” Williams said. “I was just surprised I had the ball. I tucked, ran and celebrated.”

Atlantic did score on a keeper

After a college career at Syracuse, Wells did come home — but at first as a defensive coordinator.

Wells spent six years as an assistant before being promoted to head coach in 2011.

Since then, all he’s done is coach the Panthers to an 81-14 record over seven seasons — an average of 11.5 wins per season.

But until Saturday night, the program hadn’t achieved the one thing it wanted most.

“It’s been a long 13 years (of coaching at Dr. Phillips),” Wells said. “It’s been a process. I waited my turn, went through three head coaches — but now it’s our time.”

And for the man who embodies Dr. Phillips football, the chants of “Awww DP” that echoed through the cool Orlando night could not have sounded much sweeter.

POS. YEAR LB 11 LB 12 K 10 DB 11 K 12 DL 11 DT 12 LB 12 DL 11 DL 11 OL 12 LB 12 DL 12 DE 11 OL 12 OL 12 DL 12 OL 12 DL 12 OL 12 OL 12 OL 12 OL 12 OL 11 OL 10 WR 10 TE 10 WR 10 WR 12 WR 10

by quarterback Antoine Williams with 3:38 to play, but Michael Fox recovered the onside kick attempt that followed.

Tasked with sealing the deal, quarterback BeSean McCray then ran for a first down that allowed the Panthers to run out the clock — and the celebration was on at Camping World Stadium, ending the 30th year of football at Dr. Phillips High on the highest possible note.

Rodney Wells joined the staff at Dr. Phillips in 2005 and became head coach in 2011.

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Jaquarri Powell gets his hands on a running back for Atlantic for an important tackle.

POS. YEAR ATH 12 WR 12 RB 12 DE 12 LB 11 RB 10 DB 12 LB 11 DB 11 WR 11 QB 12 WR 12 WR 11 WR 12 LB 11 QB 9 WR 11 TE 12 WR 10 DB 12 S 12 LB 12 DB 10 RB 10 S 11 DB 12 WR 9 LB 10 RB 11 DB 11 QB 9

WINDERMERE OBSERVER

OrangeObserver.com

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

17

Kolasinski and Burkowski win ‘Golden Reindeers’ at 2nd Annual Reindeer Run 5k

Young Morgan Devitt takes her running seriously.

Lorraine Chen proudly ran for Orlando Health/Health Central

Jason Kolasinski (31) wins overall male with a time of 18:06.

T

Katherine Burkowski (38) wins overall female with a time of 18:35.

hank you to all runners, walkers, sponsors, vendors and entertainment who endured the weather for our 2nd Annual Reindeer Run 5K, held Saturday, December 9, at Winter Garden Village at Fowler Groves.

— OBSERVER MEDIA GROUP

— PHOTOS BY CANNONFIRE PHOTOGRAPHY

Eric Martinez and his sons ran and finished the race together.

Santa, his reindeer and Chick-Fil-A cow were on hand to spread holiday cheer to the runners.

Running group “Moms on the Run” were excited to finish their first local race as a group.

Bib Name Age Gender Guntime OA 159 ....Jason Kolasinski.................. 31........ M ..........18:06.9.........1 107 ....Katherine Burkowski ......... 38......... F...........18:35.9.........2 229 ....Clay Marsh .......................... 18........ M ..........20:45.9.........3 4 ........Hector Clemente ................ 60........ M ..........21:13.0.........4 222 ....Pamela Simon ..................... 33......... F...........22:26.1.........5 131 ....Ron Mueller ........................ 53........ M ..........22:33.2.........6 270 ....Bryan Rabung ..................... 29........ M ..........22:48.5.........7 266 ....Cooper Shaban ................... 12........ M ..........22:49.4.........8 23 ......Diana Fitzpatrick................ 13......... F...........23:01.3.........9 15 ......Eduardo Massoti ................ 38........ M ..........23:05.7.......10 14 ......Dan Suarez .......................... 28........ M ..........23:06.0.......11 132 ....Michelle Clotaire ................ 40......... F...........23:22.7.......12 267 ....Evan Bailey .......................... 35........ M ..........23:40.5.......13 196 ....Colby Beck .......................... 46........ M ..........25:02.6.......14 199 ....Dan Morgante..................... 55........ M ..........25:20.8.......15 231 ....Mark Marsh ........................ 50........ M ..........26:00.1.......16 256 ....Elena Smith ......................... 38......... F...........26:07.1.......17 230 ....Julie Marsh .......................... 49......... F...........26:38.5.......18 204 ....Rebekah Mattern ................ 36......... F...........27:03.8.......19 194 ....Madison Brune ................... 16......... F...........27:09.2.......20 244 ....Carolina Arocho................. 36......... F...........27:13.7.......21 271 ....Caroline Schmidt ............... 99......... F...........27:30.7.......22 173 ....Doug Mcdonald ................. 43........ M ..........27:59.2.......23 228 ....Austin Marsh ...................... 12........ M ..........28:07.5.......24 205 ....Katie Fanning...................... 38......... F...........28:17.2.......25 209 ....Kristi Seamon ..................... 32......... F...........28:18.6.......26 211 ....Paige Bowen ........................ 41......... F...........28:20.6.......27 53 ......Kimberly Hudson............... 40......... F...........28:23.1.......28 176 ....Patsy Ford............................ 50......... F...........28:30.7.......29 190 ....Roger Thibault.................... 59........ M ..........28:41.9.......30 206 ....Elizabeth O’Hara ................ 38......... F...........28:55.0.......31 153 ....Jennifer Clark ..................... 37......... F...........29:00.1.......32 218 ....Greg Murphy ...................... 54........ M ..........29:11.5.......33 177 ....Angel Butler ........................ 38......... F...........29:32.3.......34 151 ....Maureen Twohig ................ 40......... F...........29:35.3.......35 195 ....Sarah Luccio........................ 31......... F...........29:55.8.......36 145 ....Casey Strong ....................... 32........ M ..........30:25.8.......37 144 ....Eric Borgsmiller ................. 32........ M ..........30:25.8.......38 175 ....Steve Paterakis ..................... 8......... M ..........30:30.6.......39 154 ....Cynthia Penney .................. 44......... F...........30:57.2.......40 170 ....Joe Nunes ............................ 58........ M ..........31:26.9.......41 169 ....Taylor Devitt ........................ 9.......... F...........31:32.5.......42 207 ....Dawn Watts ......................... 44......... F...........31:37.6.......43

Bib ....Name...............................Age ..Gender .Guntime ....OA 208 ....Valerie Parrish .................... 30......... F...........31:37.8.......44 163 ....George Rawlins................... 50........ M ..........31:38.4.......45 172 ....John-Paul Rando ................ 11........ M ..........32:20.0.......46 167 ....Michelle Devitt ................... 36......... F...........32:23.8.......47 168 ....Morgan Devitt ..................... 7.......... F...........32:25.0.......48 120 ....Lisa Cooper ......................... 51......... F...........32:27.7.......49 264 ....Marissa Woodruff .............. 35......... F...........32:30.2.......50 226 ....Jackson Lauer....................... 9......... M ..........32:32.0.......51 1 ........Robin Burkett ..................... 61......... F...........32:35.7.......52 80 ......Qamile Morina ................... 36......... F...........32:58.7.......53 259 ....Val Brannon ........................ 59......... F...........33:16.6.......54 171 ....Darlene Rando.................... 43......... F...........33:27.4.......55 217 ....William Buckley ................. 52........ M ..........33:30.5.......56 203 ....Luz Buckley ......................... 53......... F...........33:31.1.......57 166 ....Alfredo Hurtado.................. 8......... M ..........33:44.3.......58 227 ....Lisa Tepe.............................. 45......... F...........33:49.8.......59 234 ....Andrea Hinks ..................... 46......... F...........33:49.9.......60 280 ....Savannah O’hara ................ 11......... F...........34:00.5.......61 160 ....Megan Bacon ...................... 10......... F...........34:08.8.......62 174 ....Maria Paterakis ................... 10......... F...........34:10.3.......63 18 ......Katie Huber ......................... 26......... F...........34:27.3.......64 38 ......Jerry Lamitie ....................... 49........ M ..........34:41.5.......65 20 ......Yemi Thazhmon ................. 33......... F...........34:43.5.......66 19 ......Alexander Thazhmon......... 7......... M ..........34:46.6.......67 201 ....Laurie Morgante ................. 56......... F...........35:15.0.......68 197 ....Dorothy Moy ...................... 67......... F...........35:39.3.......69 202 ....Rozanne Regateiro ............. 65......... F...........35:39.8.......70 71 ......Heather Higgins ................. 47......... F...........35:47.0.......71 260 ....Jamie Carl ............................ 48........ M..........36:08.6.......72 219 ....August Miller ....................... 6.......... F...........36:10.2.......73 220 ....Cynthia Miller .................... 44......... F...........36:11.2.......74 165 ....Jill Sypko .............................. 45......... F...........36:15.0.......75 49 ......Julie James ........................... 58......... F...........36:40.0.......76 198 ....Brittany Morgante .............. 27......... F...........37:20.1.......77 96 ......Holly Taggart ...................... 47......... F...........37:24.9.......78 58 ......Dylan Prinzel ....................... 9......... M ..........37:59.4.......79 91 ......Orlando Jimenez ................ 59........ M ..........38:05.0.......80 90 ......Beatriz Montoya ................. 51......... F...........38:05.0.......81 261 ....Jessica Heins........................ 29......... F...........38:08.5.......82 262 ....Kevin Heins......................... 29........ M ..........38:08.5.......83 210 ....Matthew Bewley ................. 35........ M ..........38:11.0.......84 149 ....Jennifer Zenkel ................... 39......... F...........38:19.4.......85 119 ....Emma Dyal ......................... 11......... F...........38:24.0.......86

Bib ....Name...............................Age ..Gender .Guntime ....OA 148 ....Cadence Zenkel .................. 11......... F...........38:24.1.......87 185 ....Rossenllini Watson ............ 34........ M ..........38:36.1.......88 184 ....Minh-Thi Dombrowski..... 42......... F...........38:39.8.......89 164 ....Pam Rawlins ....................... 50......... F...........38:47.7.......90 186 ....Damian Thomas................. 49........ M ..........38:48.4.......91 249 ....Tara Ford ............................. 40......... F...........38:52.3.......92 247 ....Joan Mcmullen ................... 47......... F...........38:52.5.......93 135 ....Barb Moore ......................... 68......... F...........38:54.1.......94 43 ......Christena Kishore .............. 52......... F...........39:04.1.......95 13 ......Rebecca Hammac............... 40......... F...........39:30.5.......96 263 ....Esther Grillo ....................... 40......... F...........39:41.8.......97 235 ....Abigail Lewis....................... 11......... F...........40:08.5.......98 33 ......Kelly Kollstedt..................... 49......... F...........40:36.3.......99 118 ....Miles Martinez .................... 9......... M ..........40:44.6.....100 117 ....Justin Martinez ................... 11........ M ..........40:45.3.....101 116 ....Eric Martinez ...................... 42........ M ..........40:45.8.....102 238 ....Christi Johanneman........... 39......... F...........40:52.2.....103 243 ....Danielle Taliaferro ............. 35......... F...........40:52.9.....104 17 ......Alison Osterberg ................ 41......... F...........41:08.7.....105 182 ....Nathania Guerra................. 26......... F...........41:32.6.....106 115 ....Elle Martinez....................... 13......... F...........41:42.8.....107 242 ....Nick Moyer ......................... 10........ M ..........41:43.1.....108 251 ....Kevin Williams ................... 10........ M ..........41:47.0.....109 40 ......Cayla Cieslak ...................... 25......... F...........41:49.5.....110 41 ......Lauren Sack ......................... 26......... F...........41:50.0.....111 193 ....Bear Loucks.......................... 7......... M ..........42:28.5.....112 138 ....Brianna Loucks................... 32......... F...........42:28.7.....113 57 ......Heather Prinzel................... 38......... F...........42:37.8.....114 114 ....Ranae Simonson................. 37......... F...........42:53.8.....115 200 ....Kellie Morgante .................. 25......... F...........42:57.3.....116 150 ....Elise Woelbern.................... 11......... F...........43:05.4.....117 72 ......Molly Higgins ..................... 12......... F...........43:05.8.....118 187 ....Brenda Caraballo................ 50......... F...........43:56.2.....119 183 ....Jason Cloninger .................. 45........ M ..........43:56.3.....120 269 ....James Kovarik ..................... 87........ M ..........44:01.3.....121 100 ....Lorraine Chen .................... 47......... F...........44:43.2.....122 101 ....Dennis Chen ....................... 50........ M ..........44:43.4.....123 46 ......Leandra Greenhalgh .......... 43......... F...........45:32.9.....124 273 ....Carrie Wilson ..................... 36......... F...........45:32.9.....125 31 ......Susan Bartlett ...................... 52......... F...........46:28.3.....126 134 ....Ken Becker .......................... 72........ M ..........46:51.9.....127 10 ......Evan Moore ......................... 12........ M ..........47:04.2.....128 11 ......Mari Moore ......................... 42......... F...........47:16.1.....129

Please visit TriNRun.com, to view age group awards. If you left early and did not receive your award, or if you registered for the Reindeer Run and did not pick up your bib, shirt and goodie bag, pease stop our office at 720 S. Dillard St. in Winter Garden Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30PM

Bib ....Name...............................Age ..Gender .Guntime ....OA 189 ....Linda Thibault .................... 63......... F...........47:36.1.....130 102 ....Julia Pacheco ....................... 49......... F...........47:59.7.....131 85 ......Jennfier Pacheco................. 23......... F...........48:00.1.....132 86 ......Nelia Pacheco...................... 49......... F...........48:00.7.....133 223 ....Paula Conrad ...................... 64......... F...........48:01.3.....134 233 ....Kay Ownby.......................... 60......... F...........48:01.3.....135 24 ......Gayle Fitzpatrick ................ 76......... F...........48:05.9.....136 7 ........Sara Dudley......................... 23......... F...........48:23.6.....137 6 ........Emily Egner ........................ 28......... F...........48:23.6.....138 253 ....Meghan Grady .................... 30......... F...........48:48.3.....139 74 ......Keisha Kasim ...................... 21......... F...........49:01.3.....140 162 ....Gengie Nail ......................... 52......... F...........49:06.4.....141 12 ......Rhonda Price ...................... 35......... F...........50:13.2.....142 178 ....Tiffany Daniel ..................... 26......... F...........50:13.3.....143 113 ....Henry Fitzpatrick ............... 76........ M ..........50:27.9.....144 37 ......Debbie Lamitie ................... 47......... F...........50:30.5.....145 45 ......Kate Greenhalgh................. 12......... F...........50:51.1.....146 272 ....Ava Johnson ........................ 11......... F...........50:51.2.....147 237 ....Sara Lewis............................. 9.......... F...........51:09.7.....148 236 ....Lori Lewis............................ 42......... F...........51:09.7.....149 30 ......Yelitza Rivera ...................... 36......... F...........51:22.9.....150 29 ......Michael Rivera .................... 40........ M ..........51:31.0.....151 88 ......Juan Jimenez ....................... 27........ M ..........51:39.3.....152 89 ......Claudia Robles .................... 53......... F...........52:07.5.....153 87 ......Laura Zuluaga ..................... 27......... F...........52:07.7.....154 82 ......Giacinia Huertas ................ 45......... F...........52:22.4.....155 83 ......Emily Marreo-Huertas ...... 17......... F...........52:22.7.....156 84 ......Jade Jaramillo ...................... 31......... F...........52:23.3.....157 2 ........Alec Nachtsheim ................ 25........ M ..........52:32.2.....158 22 ......Barbara Fitzpatrick ............ 50......... F...........52:41.9.....159 265 ....Mike Hinks ......................... 52........ M ..........0:52:48.....160 241 ....Heather Moyer.................... 40......... F...........53:03.9.....161 250 ....Karen Williams ................... 47......... F...........53:04.0.....162 240 ....Don Moyer .......................... 41........ M ..........53:06.0.....163 246 ....Megan Miller ...................... 26......... F...........54:49.6.....164 122 ....Michelle Haimdas .............. 50......... F...........55:15.5.....165 103 ....Rita Sukhdeo....................... 41......... F...........55:17.7.....166 155 ....Doris Pulido........................ 43......... F...........55:43.7.....167 73 ......Abigail Haag........................ 34......... F...........55:43.8.....168 3 ........Theresa Nachtsheim .......... 60......... F...........55:57.0.....169 34 ......Suzann Vinson.................... 61......... F...........58:40.2.....170 70 ......Nanette Hamley-Hanauer .. 62......... F...........58:40.4.....171

To view and to order photos from the event visit www.cannonfirephoto.com/reindeer5k

260030

Runners lined up at the start ready to brave the elements.

WINDERMERE OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

I LOVE WEST ORANGE

W EAT HER

18

FORECAST THURSDAY, DEC. 14 High: 71 Low: 56 Chance of rain: 20%

FRIDAY, DEC. 15 High: 73 Low: 50 Chance of rain: 60%

SUNRISE / SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Dec. 14

7:11a

5:31p

Friday, Dec. 15

7:11a

5:31p

Saturday, Dec. 16

7:12a

5:32p

Sunday, Dec. 17

7:12a

5:32p

Monday, Dec. 18

7:13a

5:33p

Tuesday, Dec. 19

7:14a

5:33p

Wednesday, Dec. 20

7:14a

5:33p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, DEC. 16 High: 69 Low: 50 Chance of rain: 0%

Doug Pierce submitted this beautiful image, which he captured one evening on Lake Down with the OARs rowing team off in the background. He snapped it at the dock in the Windermere Downs community.

The Windermere Observer is hosting this weekly contest, and winners will have their photograph featured and receive a $20 prize. To enter, email your photo, along with your name, city and a caption, to amyq@orangeobserver.com; put “I Love West Orange” in the subject line. Please include your mailing address to receive your prize.

Dec. 3 Full

Dec. 10 Last

Dec. 17 New

RAINFALL Tuesday, Dec. 5

0.00

SUNDAY, DEC. 17

Wednesday, Dec. 6

0.00

High: 76 Low: 59 Chance of rain: 10%

Thursday, Dec. 7

0.00

Friday, Dec. 8

0.00

Saturday, Dec. 9

0.52

Sunday, Dec. 10

0.00

Monday, Dec. 11

0.00

See other winning photos at OrangeObserver.com

YEAR TO DATE:

DEC. TO DATE:

2017 52.23 in.

2017

.52 in.

2016 48.40 in.

2016

.42 in.

258159

ONLINE

Dec. 26 First

94 Mr. Kristofferson 96 Part of a foot 97 Pre-Columbian Peruvian 98 Venues for bulldoggers 101 Settle for the bronze four times 108 Gain, as weight 109 Sound of a crowd or tiger 110 Incredibly absurd 111 Yak 112 With rice, the San Francisco treat 113 Painful reminder 114 Peter, to a pumpkin 115 Prefix meaning left 116 Parry alternative 117 Hammering superhero 118 Cricket, for one 119 Site of the first eviction

42 Placed a wager 43 They travel through ducts 44 Ancient upright stone 45 Third Hebrew letter 48 Fancy window with brackets 49 Pinot ___ (wine) 50 Egyptian, e.g.

51 Some pullover shirts 57 Source of wall flowers?

58 “See ya” 59 Non-P.C. “pitchers” 61 Smallish film 62 Lincoln’s secretary of state 63 Spring upward 64 Fixes, as a carnival game 65 French military cap 66 Beastly resting places 67 Give out in shares DOWN 68 The Life of ___ (ease) 1 Some beer containers 73 Conning activity (Abbr.)

74 “Hold on there!”

2 Give a major speech 75 Some coastal eagles 3 Large city in Italy 76 Be quite suspicious 4 Little brown thing?

77 Precisely sculpted shrubs 5 Big name in perfumes 78 Scored on a serve 6 It’s more than a job 7 Source of online tech news 79 Banjo relative, briefly 82 Men’s suit material 8 Jethro of music 83 Public util.

9 Qualities that outshine 84 Coast the usual 90 Of service (var.)

10 Views with contempt 92 Type of roast 11 Alfresco dining spot 93 Bad type of dorm mate 12 Of great proportions 94 Danish monetary units 13 Some parrots 95 Guillaume who was 14 Be frugal Benson 15 Ending for crypt or 96 Certain native of southmethod 16 Flutie who threw passes ern China 97 Type of potato 17 It can be a single chip 99Looked at all over 18 Sucker attachment 100Aida was one 28 Type of training 101“C’mon, be ___” (“Help 29 Orange Free State me out here”) denizens 30 Really go down with the 102Wise giver of advice 103Prestigious school or ship type of collar 35 Same as before, for 104Scottish waterway writers 105“Sack” lead-in 36 Vinegary 106Partnership for Peace 37 Hot dog biter?

38 Noted Baroque composer org.

107Black of old poetry 39 Brainstorm product 40 Mambo kin 41 Had dinner at home

©2017 Universal Uclick

ACROSS

1 Long NFL pass 5 The FDIC insures them 10 Minor work detail 14 Carbonated drinks 19 Soft white cheese 20 Accumulated, as charges 21 Guitarist’s accessory 22 Genetic duplicate 23 Syllables in “Deck the Halls” 24 Shampoo brand 25 “Narc” ending 26 Mailperson’s responsibility

27 Go for the gold four times 31 Confine, as zoo animals 32 Double negative 33 Fighting force 34 Mouse mover 35 When Brutus was a brute 36 At the pinnacle of 37 U.S. crime busters 40 Certain clergyman 43 Horrific smell 44 Garbage-hauling ship 45 Happy and appreciative 46 Versatile truck, informally 47 Statue you bought in

Guam, e.g.

52 Achieved, as a goal 53 Goes all over the place 54 Scarlet and strawberry 55 Big city in Nebraska 56 Brief lines about one’s life 57 “Rambo” or “Rocky” ending?

58 Island near Borneo 59 Potable in a pub 60 Take the silver three times 69 Bubkes relative 70 Smallest Great Lake, by volume 71 Medium limits?

72 He floated and stung 73 Neighbor of a Finn 76 Drink unit from a flask 77 Natural hosiery shade 80 Needing medicine 81 Mantle decoration, sometimes 85 Shad delicacy 86 First-rate 87 Has-been’s verb 88 Sword-wielder’s competition 89 Vigorously passionate 91 Informal mothers 92 A way to unite things 93 Was an aggressive baserunner

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.

“S AEDEUFSJG ED UFL NRU MSF TEFK RED NSG PG XUUFHEWRO SFK DLL ORL KSNF PLTUJL ORL JLDO UT ORL NUJHK.” – UDMSJ NEHKL “EWYNY KNY ELB LKDI BC IJNYKVART OATWE: EB MY EWY ZKRVOY BN EWY SANNBN EWKE NYCOYZEI AE.” – YVAEW LWKNEBR Puzzle Two Clue: M equals B

FIVE-RINGED by Timothy B. Parker

Puzzle One Clue: W equals G

CROSSWORD

©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

12-14-17

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Puzzle One Solution: “A visionary is one who can find his way by moonlight and see the dawn before the rest of the world.”

– Oscar Wilde Puzzle Two Solution: “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

– Edith Wharton

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This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers

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This week’s Sudoku answers

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Puzzle One Solution: “A visionary is one who can find his way by moonlight and see the dawn before the rest of the world.”

– Oscar Wilde

This week’s Crossword answers

Puzzle Two Solution: “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

– Edith Wharton

This week’s Sudoku answers

Schools/Instruction AVIATION GRADS work with JetBlue, United, Delta and others- start here with hands on training for FAA certification. Financial aid if qualified. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 888-242-2649.

1214fcan

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This week’s Crossword answers

2017

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017

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259334

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