12.21.17 Windermere Observer

WINDERMERE

Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

VOLUME 3, NO. 11

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

Merry Christmas!

See more parade photos on PAGE 3.

The Windermere Observer staff wishes you and yours a Merry Christmas.

Nifty 50

SPORTS

Windermere High School introduces its new football coach.

PAGE 15

Courtesy photos

Windermere Elementary School on Park Avenue opened in 1968, replacing the 1916 elementary school in the town complex.

Traffic issues dominate Town Council discusson GABBY BAQUERO NEWS EDITOR

Attending the 50th anniversary celebration are Caroline Taylor, left, and Sheila Diceglie, two teachers who opened the school, as well as Jackie Harper, a former school secretary.

Windermere Elementary School celebrated its 50th anniversary on Park Avenue. It previously operated in downtown Windermere in what is now the municipal center. SEE PAGE 4.

County hosts final community meeting on Reams Road project

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NEWS EDITOR

Officials from the Orange County Transportation Planning Division laid out details for a roadwayPRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID WINTER GARDEN, FL PERMIT NO. 81

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widening project planned for the highly congested Reams Road during a community meeting Dec. 13.

Presently, between 14,100 to 16,800 vehicles travel the roadway on a daily basis, according to the county’s traffic analysis. By 2045, the county estimates those numbers to rise between 26,700 SEE COUNTY PAGE 6

SEE TRAFFIC PAGE 4

YOUR TOWN

Orange County presented its proposed roadway improvements for Reams Road from Summerlake Park Boulevard to Taborfield Avenue.

GABBY BAQUERO

WINDERMERE A new Windermere resident who moved into a home on Oakdale Street expressed exasperation over what has become an all-toocommon reality in the town’s streets: traffic, speeding and drivers who fail to obey stop signs.

Brandi Haines said she moved into the town partially

WINDERMERE BOAT PARADE

MetroWest welcomed the Christmas season with its annual WinterFest event. SEE PAGE 9.

One of Windermere’s festive Christmas events, the annual boat parade, is this Saturday, Dec. 23. At sunset, boats all decked out in lights and merriment will meet at Bird Island and travel Lake Butler to Wauseon Bay. Participants should meet at the north side of Bird Island to prepare. For information, call (407) 876-2563.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

3D DESIGN FOR PRINTING: CUSTOM HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, at the Winter Garden Library, 805 E. Plant St. Design one-of-akind holiday ornaments using a simple, free 3D software.

Learn the basics of 3D design for printing and get a firsthand view of a 3D printer in action.

Recommended audience: Adult.

Seating is limited. Registration recommended at (407) 8357323.

COOKIE DECORATING 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 22, at the Southwest Library, 7255 Della Drive, Orlando. 10:30 a.m.

Express your creativity by decorating a sugary treat. Enjoy the best part of all, eating it! Ages 6 to 18. (407) 835-7323.

MOVIE UNDER THE STARS 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, at Windermere Town Hall, 520 Main St. Grab a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy the Christmas comedy “Elf.” Free. (407) 876-2563.

MUSIC ON THE PLAZA 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, at the Plant Street gazebo in downtown Winter Garden. This week’s performer is Safia Hudson. (407) 656-4111.

SATURDAY, DEC. 23

WINDERMERE BOAT PARADE Sunset Saturday, Dec. 23, starting at Bird Island and traveling Lake Butler to Wauseon Bay. Residents are invited to deck out their boats in holiday cheer for the annual parade. Meet at the north side of Bird Island to prepare. (407) 876-2563.

TUESDAY, DEC. 26

WINTER MOVIELAND 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 26, at the Southwest Library, 7255 Della Drive, Orlando. Enjoy a kid-friendly film fest that celebrates families of all shapes and sizes. All ages. (407) 835-7323.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27

SATURDAY, DEC. 30

THURSDAY, DEC. 28

SUNDAY, DEC. 31

COUNTDOWN TO WINTER 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27, at the Southwest Library, 7255 Della Drive, Orlando. Get ready for winter with fun stories, activities and crafts starring some favorite cold-weather friends.

Ages 3 to 5. (407) 835-7323.

PLASTIC BAG PRINTING 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28, at the Windermere Library, 530 Main St. Let your imagination soar by creating unpredictable and expressive pieces of art by painting with plastic bags. Ages 11 to 18. (407) 835-7323.

FRIDAY, DEC. 29

MUSIC ON THE PLAZA 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, at the Plant Street gazebo in downtown Winter Garden. This week’s performer is the Good Times Jazz Band. (407) 656-4111.

NOON YEAR’S CELEBRATION 11:15 a.m. Friday, Dec. 29, at the Southwest Library, 7255 Della Drive, Orlando. Enjoy a children’s version of New Year’s Eve. The fun will include crafts, noise makers, yummy treats, New Year’s Resolutions and counting down to noon with a balloondrop finale. (407) 835-7323.

HAPPY NOON YEAR 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 30, at the Windermere Library, 530 Main St. Make some noise and ring in the noon year with little ones.

Join in fun and games with an exciting countdown at noon.

Ages 3 to 8. (407) 835-7323.

NEW YEAR’S EVE 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 31, at Pilars Martini Bar, 146 W. Plant St. No. 120, Winter Garden. J Street Jazz Combo & Jam, Itaso Satrustegui & Pablo Arencibia and a late-night disc jockey. (407) 369-8900.

MONDAY, JAN. 1

MID-FLORIDA MILERS WALKING CLUB Register any time between 9 and 9:45 a.m. and plan to finish by 12:45 p.m. Meet at Miller’s Ale House-Orlando Kirkman, 5573 S. Kirkman Road, Orlando to walk the 5K or 10K. The club promotes recreational walking for fun, fitness and friendship.

After the walk, enjoy lunch at the Ale House. Open to the public. Walk is free. Pre-register for the lunch. Email mlanpher@ cfl.rr.com or visit midfloridamilers.org.

SATURDAY, JAN. 13

SANDY SHUGART IN CONCERT 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at Garden Theatre, 160 W. Plant St., Winter Garden. Sandy Shugart, the multi-talented president of Valencia College, returns with his tight-knit group of musicians to create a warm blend of folk-influenced, acoustic coffeehouse-style sounds. Tickets are $25 ($15 with Valencia College ID) and can be purchased by calling the theater box office at (407) 877-4736 or online at gardentheatre.org.

SATURDAY, JAN. 27

CORNERTONE HOSPICE TRAINING 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care, 5655 Orange Ave., Orlando. Volunteers can offer support, companionship and practical, compassionate help to patients and their caregivers. Training is free, and lunch and refreshments will be provided, but interested volunteers must pre-register.

Kayla Lopes, (407) 514-8205 or klopes@cshospice.org.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

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Boomer looked festive in his Santa hat.

WINDERMERE WONDERLAND

Some golf-cart owners took a unique approach to showcasing their Christmas spirit.

A total of 15 golf carts showed up for the parade through Windermere.

W

Kim Head and Heidi Calaway came to the event in their own golf cart.

indermere residents showed off their Christmas spirit through 15 decorated golf carts on Sunday, Dec. 17, at the first Windermere Golf Cart Parade.

The event raised donations for the Windermere Police Foundation, in honor of officer Robert “Robbie” German.

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ONLINE

The Mitchell family turned heads with its festive golf cart.

The Windermere parade was a great opportunity for friends and family to come together.

See more photos at OrangeObserver.com

Residents request traffic signal at busy intersection on C.R. 535 The intersection located at Winter Garden-Vineland Road and Lachlan Lane always has been busy, but some say new development-driven traffic has made it chaotic.

GABBY BAQUERO NEWS EDITOR

Chances are, if you drive, you likely know the feeling of waiting for the stars and planets to align just to cross through traffic at a busy intersection.

But if a post on the NextDoor social-media site is any indication, residents who navigate the Winter Garden-Vineland Road and Lachlan Lane intersection have just about run out of patience — especially now that new development has added more traffic to the already-busy intersection, which has no traffic-light signal.

SOUTHWEST ORANGE

The end result, resident Paula Corano said, is insanity. And she, along with others, hope Orange County officials might soon recognize the danger in allowing the intersection to have no signal.

“There’s a possibility of people turning four different ways,” Corano said. “You can go straight from both directions and you can also turn right and left from both sides. … Sometimes, you’ll see four cars in the middle all trying to head in different directions, so it’s insane.”

The intersection is sandwiched between a large residential development on one side and an upcoming shopping center on the

other side, which has yet another residential subdivision behind it.

“Once the shopping center opened, it got more chaotic, because it’s more and more directions people can turn,” Corano said, adding that she recently witnessed an accident at the intersection as well. “But its always been chaotic because (County Road) 535 is very wide. So for a car to go from one side to another, you have to cross like three lanes of traffic.

And I think what makes it more dangerous is that now there’s more development. And it’s kind of like a runway; people are going 60 mph. So people are speeding on top of everything.”

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However, Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Kim Montes said there have only been four accidents reported at the intersection since April 8, 2009.

When asked if the county has any plans to add a traffic signal at the intersection in the future, Cristine Loyfe, from the county’s traffic engineering division, said they have indeed received inquiries from residents regarding the intersection and that a traffic

signal will be installed if a study determines a signal is warranted.

The study and signal, Loyfe added, would be the financial responsibility of the developers behind the surrounding residential and commercial projects.

Typically, a signal warrant study analyzes traffic counts and crashes to determine whether a signal is warranted, and the minimum requirement is five crashes within a 12-month timeframe.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

School celebrates 50 years

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.”

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

Just a handful of schools in West Orange County can say they have been serving students for a half-century.

Windermere Elementary is among them.

In a true mark of longevity, one of its teachers, Cherie Ruhle, is in her 32nd year of teaching at the Park Avenue campus.

The community school recognized its 50th anniversary in a festive ceremony that included current students and administration, former teachers and staff and guests from the town of Windermere and from Orange County Public Schools.

Windermere Mayor Gary Bruhn, OCPS Board Member Pam Gould and Greg Moody, superintendent of the West Learning Community, were invited as guest speakers. The WES chorus sang, and Cub Scout Pack 225 led the Pledge of Allegiance. A Mustang Memory Museum was set up in the media center that provided guests a school history lesson.

As part of the celebration, fifth-grade students created tiles that will be added to one of the school walls. A new plaque for the building was dedicated to commemorate 50 years of learning at the current location.

In 1968, teachers, administrators and students moved into their new school at 11125 Park Ave. They had access to 16 classrooms, air-conditioning, a library and cafetorium. The library was staffed by a librarian who shared her time between Windermere and Tildenville elementary schools, and the music teacher served Windermere and Ocoee elementaries. Mothers who had been trained in first aid staffed a clinic on the campus.

In 2005, a two-year, $17 million redesign project began at Windermere Elementary. The first step was to relocate the 65 portables from the west side of the campus to the northeast near the ball fields. The west end was converted to a car-rider circle, and a bus loop was installed in front.

Three classroom buildings, a

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

EARLY EDUCATION Early county records indicate there was a school on Lake Floyd, east of Windermere, in 1887 and a school named No. 75, between Lake Butler and Turkey Lake, from 1890-93.

A school was approved for Windermere in 1890. The 15-foot-by-21-foot building offered orange crates as seats; the teacher was paid $25 a month if an average attendance of seven schoolage students was maintained. In 1916, the county School Board constructed the first building with two rooms at Sixth Avenue and Main Street. A second building went up in 1922.

In the 1940s, a school for black students was built and remained in Windermere until the school board had the two buildings moved to Winter Garden around 1952.

High-school students were taking a bus to Orlando High School by the 1930s. In the years of segregation, black students rode a bus to Jones High School in Orlando.

The 1916 school complex, with 11 classrooms, remained at Sixth and Main until 1968, when the current Windermere Elementary was constructed. The 1916 building now serves as the Town of Windermere Complex.

SOURCE: “Windermere Among the Lakes, History of the Town of Windermere, Florida”

Black Tie Editor / Danielle Hendrix, dhendrix@OrangeObserver.com Staff Writer / Brittany Gaines, bgaines@OrangeObserver.com Courtesy photo

Windermere Elementary received a plaque celebrating the rededication of the school. With the marker are Greg Moody, West Learning Area superintendent; Pam Gould, School Board member; Gary Bruhn, Windermere mayor; Michaal Rossi, PTA president; Diana Greer, principal; Ethel Wellington-Trawick, assistant principal; Judy Paulsen, School Advisory Council chairman; and Dean Malley, Mustang Education Fund chairman.

because of the Windermere Police Department’s reputation as a police force that strictly adheres to handing out citations for traffic violations.

But Haines was displeased to realize, months after moving into her new home, that the heavy traffic in Windermere during the workweek creates an unsafe environment for children.

“I don’t think we were really aware of what the situation was when we first moved in on Oakdale Street, and I think things have been continuing to get worse, even since my husband and I have been here — and it’s not strictly the speeding,” Haines said during the public forum section of the Dec. 12 Town Council meeting. “I live at the intersection of Oakdale Street (and East Ninth Avenue), and I can watch, probably in the time span of just 15 minutes, at least five cars run

that stop sign. And this is all afternoon long on every workday of the week.”

Windermere Mayor Gary Bruhn said the issue is not isolated to Oakdale Street and can be seen almost anywhere in town during rush-hour traffic.

“It’s not just Oakdale (Street),” he said. “It’s Magnolia (Avenue), its Second (Avenue) in certain areas, it’s First (Avenue) in certain areas. ... What really troubles me after reading the statistics is that it’s us — it’s our residents who are doing this.”

Haines added that the situation has worsened since she moved to Windermere and that she has repeatedly discussed her concerns with the Windermere Police Department. Her conversations, she said, have left her wondering whether the town is in need of more officers to patrol the streets during rush hour and hand out tickets.

“If we have multiple streets

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media center, administration offices and a physical education pavilion were added for a total facility size of 95,000 square feet to accommodate 830 students.

The technology infrastructure was upgraded in the existing building, as well.

A rededication ceremony was held in January 2008, and previous principals, past faculty members and other local dignitaries attended. Among the special guests was Mildred Rosser Grice, 90, who attended Windermere Elementary in the wooden schoolhouse.

Principal Diana Greer addressed the attendees at the 50th anniversary celebration.

“Since 1967 there have been comprehensive upgrades in construction to include the new buildings and renovation of the original buildings, but one thing has remained constant, and that is the commitment to excellence as a school institution for the past 50 years,” she said. “Windermere Elementary facilitates a school community in which every child will succeed by providing tools that allow our students to inno-

Allison Brunelle,

WINDERMERE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPALS n Eugenia Messervey n J. Robert Clark n Robert C. Ellis n Virginia McIntyre n Dorothy “June” Lynch n Deborah Manuel n Dr. Nicholas Gledich (1993-96) n Anne Pledger (1996-98) n Connie Chisena (1998 to 2012) n Diana Greer (2012 to present)

vate. Whether they are creating a digital presentation, developing a 3D model of a prosthetic limb, or solving S.T.E.A.M. challenges integrating visual designs and music, our students are preparing for the future.

“Today we celebrate a tradition of excellence and look to the future as we continue to educate, excite and engage the growing young minds of our ZIP code,” Greer said.

with this problem, and there’s not enough police to have them at every single one, maybe we need a bigger police force,” Haines opined. “But there really does need to be a solution that’s not, ‘Well on Friday your street might be safe, but on Tuesday through Thursday, people are just going to be running the stop signs and you’re supposed to explain that to the children in town.’ I understand the constraints our police force has because you can’t be in so many places at once, but I think we need to nail people with citations. That’s the only way people are going to quit wanting to cut through our streets.”

Windermere Police Chief David Ogden attributed the problem to an increase in traffic volume, which has increased annually according to studies, he said.

Ogden also strongly emphasized the problem is not a lawenforcement issue but rather a traffic engineering one.

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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Traffic issues cause safety concerns CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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“It’s been an ongoing issue,” Ogden said. “We’ve done three traffic surveys out there, and we do know that in the last yearand-a-half, there’s been an increase in traffic. ... One of the biggest issues is that we have about 20,000 vehicles coming through here every day that like to cut through to avoid the main road, and it’s not illegal to do so.”

Bruhn remarked that he has been working on collaborative roadway projects with the city of Ocoee and Orange County that might present a possible solution, but he noted such projects are still in their infancy and are likely “years away” from becoming a reality.

“Here’s the problem: We have more than 18,000 people every workday who come through this town,” Bruhn said. “And Orange County is doing absolutely nothing to buy us any kind of relief. …

But at some point, there’s got to be a relief.”

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.

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Grinch targets Christmas decorations in Horizon West BLACK TIE EDITOR

The Horizon West area might have a “Grinch” on the loose, considering the handful of residents who have reported missing holiday decorations in the past couple of weeks On Dec. 6, Independence community resident Anthony Devescovi posted on NextDoor that his family’s Christmas light projector was stolen from his front yard — along with a video that captured the burglary.

“This person stole our Christmas light projector Saturday AM,” Devescovi wrote. “If anyone recognizes him or his truck I’d like to have a conversation with him.

You can zoom in and see his face briefly.”

The surveillance video shows a man pulling up to the house in a truck, getting out and walking up on the lawn. He then appears to unplug the projector, run with it back to his truck and drive off.

Just down the road in Oasis Cove, Frank Havlicek had an illuminated Snoopy and Woodstock go missing Dec. 1. His wife had put them out front only a day before.

“She decorated the whole front (lawn) and then she was down visiting my daughter, and the next thing you know someone

Courtesy photo

Independence resident Anthony Devescovi caught the “Grinch” who stole his Christmas light projector on camera.

had taken them,” Havlicek said.

“When my daughter got home from work, they were gone.”

Havlicek decided to put up a flyer and offer a reward for the missing decorations, hoping someone would come forward.

But it’s not about the money so much as he hopes to catch the person who took them, the Chicago native said.

“In Chicago, we have people that take packages,” he said. “I feel like it’s a funny thing to do (to take decorations), and for whatever reasons. I don’t know the game, I don’t know if they’re reselling stuff or what they’re doing. I have

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no idea what the motive is behind this. It’s just kind of weird that someone would want to do that.”

Because Oasis Cove is a gated community, Havlicek thinks that someone might be driving around and following residents into the communities. He wanted to let his neighbors know to keep an eye out for unusual movement or suspicious activity.

After his decorations went missing, he filed a police report and invested in a security system.

“It’s definitely someone driving around and throwing them in the trunk and seeing what they can get away with,” he said. “Nobody wants to have something taken and then worry about what’s happening in the neighborhood.”

Whether the two incidents are related is unknown, but the Orange County Sheriff’s Office recently shared some tips for better ensuring lawn decorations stay in the yard.

Ensure that decorations are staked down as firm as can be, and deflate any inflatables before going to bed. OCSO also recommends using a timer on the lights so they’re not on all night. If residents feel they need to, they can also take decorations inside the house or garage.

“If you see something, say something,” OCSO posted on Facebook. “Report suspicious activity to the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at (407) 8364357 or 911 in an emergency.”

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Residents in Oasis Cove and Independence reported thefts of their holiday decorations.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

County reveals Reams Road improvements CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

and 29,900 vehicles daily.

Blanche Hardy, the project manager, briefly went over the data the division collected during the study, including crash statistics. According to Hardy, 114 vehicle crashes have occurred between 2014 and 2017 within the project’s parameters. Of those, 78 took place at the intersection of Floridian Place and Center Drive, and 15 at Newmarket Drive and Bay Court. The road also is failing west of Floridian Place, she said.

To address the failing sections and congestion, the department suggested possible alternative solutions which were presented during the first community meeting held Thursday, Oct. 5. At that meeting, the dominant concerns expressed related to bicycle and pedestrian facilities, median openings, drainage and wildlife fatalities.

In response to those concerns and a survey of the preferred alternative solution, the county’s transportation officials decided to move forward with the Centered/Hybrid Alignment Alternative design, which calls for a five-foot continuous sidewalk on the south side of the roadway and a 14-foot multi-use trail on the north side with two travel lanes measuring 22 feet in total on both sides of the 19.5-foot median.

With the Centered/Hybrid Alignment, no residential or business relocations will be required to acquire the needed

rights-of-way to widen the road to four lanes and add pedestrian and bike-friendly trails. Currently, the sidewalks along the roadway are intermittent and the trail exists in short segments.

In addition, roadway and drainage improvements will reduce the risk of flooding witnessed during Hurricane Irma in several locations and the potential for wildlife fatalities, Hardy said. The county has proposed a potential wildlife crossing just east of Greenbank Boulevard, which will have a wet crossing for marine animals and a dry crossing for land animals.

But one of the biggest changes is the proposed addition of the realignment of Center Drive to create a full signalized intersection with pedestrian crossings at the 7-Eleven driveway. This signal, she said, is expected to improve safety and visibility at the intersection, which was requested by residents who had concerns regarding poor visibility and people turning the wrong way to make left-hand turns on Center Drive.

The Board of County Commissioners Work Session regarding the project will be held in February, with a public hearing anticipated to take place in March.

If approved, construction will begin in 2021 and is expected to take up to two years.

Anyone seeking more information may visit Reamsroadstudy.com or contact Hardy at Blanche.Hardy@ocfl.net.

The heart of Dr. Phillips Deloris Patterson, longtime head secretary of Dr. Phillips High School, retired after 30 years at the school.

BRITTANY GAINES STAFF WRITER DR. PHILLIPS No one has been at Dr. Phillips High School as long as Deloris Patterson.

She still remembers when the high school opened in 1987.

“I was hired July 1, 1987,” Patterson said. “We were there with the construction going on. The telephones weren’t working. Everybody was new, and everybody was trying to learn each other.

Everybody was working as a team to do what we needed to do to get ready for the students to come in August.”

For 30 years, Patterson worked in the offices at Dr. Phillips High School until retiring at the end of November.

“Those were 30 wonderful years of employment,” she said. “It was just a joy.”

Patterson initially applied to work at Dr. Phillips High following a suggestion from a friend.

“My friend worked at Memorial Middle School (with me), and when Dr. Phillips hired him as the new athletic director, he said, ‘I’m taking you with me,’” Patterson said. “So I sent in my résumé and got the job interview and was hired on the spot as a school clerk.”

Her first job was working in the discipline office for the ninth- and 10th-grade students. From there, she moved to the ninth-grade center, now the north campus, as the secretary. When Dr. Suzanne

Courtesy photo

Deloris Patterson was a clerk in 1987 and eventually rose to the position of head secretary at Dr. Phillips High.

Knight took over as principal, Patterson was promoted to the position of head secretary in the main office.

Over the years, Patterson said, she considered going after her teaching degree but never pursued it because she loved her job.

“I started it, but then I stopped because I wanted to be happy,” she said. “What I was doing, I was very happy.”

In addition to managing her secretarial duties over the years, Patterson spent five years coaching the cheerleading team and always has been a scorekeeper for the basketball teams.

She watched her three sons attend school at Dr. Phillips High.

Her oldest was in the first graduating class of 1988.

“Dr. Phillips was my second

home,” Patterson said. “It was where I lived.”

For her, getting to help children was her motivation to come to work every day — something she got from her mother who ran a daycare for more than 50 years.

“I’ve always loved children,” Patterson said. “That became part of my life — nurturing children.”

She’s been to many ballgames, concerts and shows to support the students at Dr. Phillips High. She’s attended weddings of former students and later welcomed their children to the halls of Dr. Phillips High.

“I feel like the grandma around campus,” Patterson said.

In addition to her love for the students, Patterson said the work itself was always interesting.

“It was a challenge; it was something different every day,” she said. “My job was never boring.

You really have to love what you’re doing in order to do a good job. I felt like I was there for a purpose. I felt like I was able to touch a lot of lives through the years.”

She was meant to work at Dr. Phillips High, she said. Her own high school mascot was a panther, and her initials are DP. “I’ll always be a panther,” she said. “This was where I was supposed to be.”

Although she plans to make herself a retirement bucket list and do some traveling, Patterson said that she will miss her life at Dr. Phillips High.

“The Lord knows best,” she said.

“He knows when it’s time to move on, but I will miss it wholeheartedly.”

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ALSO INSIDE: Jewish Academy of Orlando: 40th Anniversary Gala. ONLINE Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association: Hospitality Gala. 8

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Virgilio Medina, a cook at Rosen Shingle Creek, added more details to his angel.

TIE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

Lazaro Ninu, of Nice Work by Laz, used dry ice in his performance.

Frozen festivities F

Tony Novoa, executive sous chef at the Rosen Centre, worked quickly and nimbly on his snowman.

or an hour, guests sitting poolside at the Rosen Plaza hotel watched as blocks of ice were transformed into angels, snowmen and more — right in front of their eyes. It was all part of the hotel’s second annual Iced Out event on Saturday, Dec. 16.

The ice-carving competition featured five participants, including hotel staff, chefs and local carving artisans. Each was given a large block of ice to chisel, saw and whittle into a creation of his choice. From chainsaws and hand chisels to dry ice, water, power tools and more, the experts used a multitude of tools to carve sculptures that would wow guests.

In the end, a snowman sculpture by Rosen Centre Executive Sous Chef Tony Novoa won the competition.

— DANIELLE HENDRIX

Ricky Lopez, executive sous chef at the Rosen Plaza, used a cone-shaped power tool to chisel the ice more smoothly.

ONLINE

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association Hospitality Gala

I

t was a glamorous night for Central Florida’s hotel industry Saturday, Dec. 17, during the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association’s Hospitality Gala.

The 25th annual event, held at the Hyatt Regency Orlando on International Drive, gave several awards to exemplary community members and leaders.

More than 1,200 guests from dozens of different organizations laughed over wine and food, caught up with friends and bid on the many high-end prizes at the silent auction.

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— HARRY SAYER

Nicole Devito and Seth Vogt dazzled with their outfits.

Swapnil Shah; VisitOrlando President and CEO George Aguel and his wife, Ana; Mary Beth and Peter Kacheris; and Peggy Shea had a great time at this year’s gala.

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Orange County Sheriff and mayoral candidate Jerry Demings, his wife, U.S. Rep. Val Demings, Adrianna Sekula and Chris McDirmit were a distinguished group at the gala.

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Bret Whitefoot and Nita Robbins had fun meeting people at the gala.

See more photos at OrangeObserver.com

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MetroWest ‘Shreks’ its halls Jazlynn Redmond, 3, got her face painted at the event.

Jenny Kolesnikov and her children Ana, 9, and Max, 7, had an afternoon of WinterFest fun.

M

etroWest residents got their fair share of Christmas fun Dec. 9 at the community’s annual WinterFest at MetroWest Golf Club.

The theme for this year’s WinterFest was “Shrek the Halls,” and attendees enjoyed Shrek characters, face painting, a showing of “Shrek the Halls,” a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, food and a variety of activities.

The event was hosted by the MetroWest Master Association.

Shyanne Simoneaux and her horse Cookie gave free rides for children.

— TIM FREED

Stilt walkers Yvette and Major Heflin kept the crowd entertained at the WinterFest.

See more photos at OrangeObserver.com Shrek and Princess Fiona were spotted at the event.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

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Bay Lake Teacher of the Year Jameka Williams and son Dale caught up with PTO President Tammy Forrester and Lisa Current during the event.

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Students and families in attendance could grab a bite to eat from one of the food trucks outside, while they later set up blankets and lawn chairs inside the cafeteria for a showing of the Christmas movie “Elf.” Those who wanted to get their holiday shopping on could shop from multiple vendors, and even the kids had their own shopping experience to enjoy.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

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— DANIELLE HENDRIX

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or children with special needs, the Autistic/Handicapped Children of Central Florida’s annual holiday party is the perfect start to a merry and bright season.

Held Thursday, Dec. 7, at The Pines at Windermere, this year’s party was the 44th for AHC of Central Florida. The event hosts up to 1,500 children with special needs from the Orange County school district, who get to enjoy boat rides, pony rides, games, visits with Santa, a picnic lunch, bounce houses, special guest appearances and more.

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Timothy Vo sat still as he got a design painted on his hand.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

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ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER ‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’

Dec. 26 to 31. Imagine — decades after Andrew Lloyd Webber’s elegantly romantic “Phantom of the Opera,” his new musical is based on the scruffy hit movie “School of Rock.”

And like the movie, this funny musical follows Dewey Finn, a “wannabe” rock star (posing as a substitute teacher) who turns a class of straight-A students into a mind-blowing rock band. This rebelliously upbeat musical features 14 new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber, all the original songs from the movie, and musical theater’s first-ever kids rock band playing their instruments live. This year, “School of Rock” also set another record for Lloyd Webber, making him the first composer in 60 years to have four shows on Broadway in a record last set by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Lloyd Webber now has “School of Rock,” “Sunset Boulevard,” “CATS” and “The Phantom of the Opera” on the Great White Way. Fists in the air for his new “feel-good” musical at the Dr. Phillips Center for the performing arts. Call 844-513-2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org.

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8 p.m. Dec. 28. Michael Carbonaro has performed more than 500 comically perplexing and improbable feats of magic on his TV series, “The Carbonaro Effect on truTV.” Now, Carbonaro is taking his show on the road, and you can feel the effect of Michael Carbonaro — Live! If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to be on the other side of the charmingly devious Michael Carbonaro as he

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works his magic to make people believe the unbelievable, now is your chance to find out at Hard Rock Live. You will not just “sit back, relax, and enjoy the show” — Michael Carbonaro Live! is packed with audience interaction, hilarious video clips, and a tour-de-force of mind-blowing magic performed live. See for yourself why Michael Carbonaro was named “Magician of the Year” by the Academy of Magical Arts. Call 407-445-ROCK or visit hardrock.com.

Brothers and Universal Orlando, there will be film talent Q&A sessions featuring Stanislav Yanevski (Viktor Krum), James Phelps (Fred Weasley), Oliver Phelps (George Weasley) and more. You’ll also enjoy special panels, demonstrations and new surprises at Universal Orlando.

Some events are on a first-come, first-served basis, so you’ll want to sign up for email updates by visiting universalorlando.com to find the “Celebration of Harry Potter Vacation Package.”

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‘NATIVE GARDENS’

Jan. 3 through Feb. 4.

“Good fences make good neighbors” — not! In this deliciously malevolent new comedy of good intentions and bad manners from the outrageous mind of playwright Karen Zacarías, class, cultures and gardens turn good neighbors into feuding enemies.

A high-powered lawyer and his pregnant, doctoral-degree candidate wife realize the “American dream” when they purchase a house next door to the traditional Frank and Virginia (and their impeccably trimmed backyard).

A disagreement over a longstanding fence line soon escalates into a war of taste, class, privilege, entitlement and the “race issue.”

Suddenly, drawing the line on good taste means no one comes out smelling like a rose. Call (407) 447-1700 or visit orlandoshakes. org.

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‘A CELEBRATION OF HARRY POTTER’

Jan. 26, 27 and 28. It’s three days of magic as you join fellow fans exploring “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” including Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and the Escape from Gringotts. You’ll ride the Hogwarts Express between King’s Cross Station in Universal Studios and Hogsmeade Station in Islands of Adventure as you and your best friends become a part of this magical three-day event. Presented by Warner

‘THE LION KING’

Feb. 14 through March 11. Why am I writing to you about a musical that opens at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in mid-February?

Because the tickets are on sale Now, and even with an extended run, there will be many performances that sell out weeks before the show opens. Twenty years ago, “The Lion King” won six 1998 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and then went on to earn more than 70 major arts awards in New York and London alone.

One of the greatest Broadway musicals of all time, “The Lion King” has been reproduced in 24 global productions in more than 100 cities and has been seen by more than 90 million people.

This amazing success exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box-office history. The show’s director, Julie Taymor, the first woman to win a Tony Award for direction of a musical, recently has supervised new productions of the show around the world.

The Broadway score, a fusion of Western popular music and the rhythms of Africa, features Elton John and Tim Rice’s music from the animated film. For more, visit LionKing.com. Tickets starting at $35 and may be purchased online at drphillipscenter. org or by calling 844-513-2014.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

Voices off

A Winter Garden resident has started a monthly chat for those wanting to learn or get better at American Sign Language.

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Winter Garden resident Ryan Vander Weide facilitates a monthly deaf chat at Axum Coffee for those wanting to learn or get better at American Sign Language. Here, he signs, “I love you.”

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The next chat will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, at Axum Coffee, 146 W. Plant St. No. 110, Winter Garden.

For more information and to keep updated on upcoming scheduled chats, join the Deaf Chat in Winter Garden group on Facebook at bit. ly/2BHlD33.

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members and people who saw the post on Facebook.

Since then, Vander Weide has facilitated another chat in November and will host the last one of the year on Dec. 21. From those who are just learning ASL to those fluent in it, he encourages anyone interested to come by and chat with others.

For each two-hour chat, no one is allowed to use their voice or anything except for sign language. If people don’t understand the signs they see, they let others know that they didn’t understand. Then, the signer repeats the signs, does the sign slower or finger spells it.

Vander Weide hopes those coming to the event will gain a better understanding of the language, increase their vocabulary and develop skills to communicate with the deaf community.

“People involved are awesome and willing to help each other out when something is missed,” he said. “To make this event worth it, the event must use the same techniques as other people of the deaf use — voice-off, ask proper questions to help the listener understand what the people of the deaf are saying, and understand facial and body language. Facial and body language are also important to make American Sign Language effective.”

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If you’ve ever wanted to learn American Sign Language — or get better at it — the Winter Garden deaf-chat group could be a good starting point.

Started by Winter Garden resident Ryan Vander Weide, the group meets once per month outside Axum Coffee on Plant Street.

The chats are always voice-off, and attendees range from those who are new to sign language to people who have learned it and want to use it more often.

“I enjoy chatting with people of the deaf (community) and helping the hearing people wanting to learn American Sign Language to communicate with the deaf community,” Vander Weide said. “The idea of publicly hosting a deaf chat has been in my mind for several years. I hosted a deaf chat in Clermont for several months back in 2013, but it never flourished.”

Vander Weide added that people often attend ASL classes to learn the language, but never use it outside of the classes. The goal of the deaf chats is to increase awareness and understanding of ASL by using it in a social environment.

While helping out with an ASL class at Mosaic Church, Vander Weide met people who were interested in participating in a deaf chat. So he set it up and posted the information on the Winter Garden Community Facebook page to gauge interest.

“The responses and likes were great,” he said. “I even had the person that created the Winter Garden Community page on Facebook inform me to post the event on the page when it happens. …

I never thought I would get this type of responses.”

The first event was held in October, and about 14 people from various places — and with various ASL proficiency levels — attended. Participants ranged from high-school students to church

CHURCH DIRECTORY

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

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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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I love to meet new people and talk to them about their businesses, to find out what we can do to help them.

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DECEMBER 21, 2017

TFA hoops readies to host new tournament The First Academy’s City Beautiful Invitational will take place Dec. 27 to 30. Organizers hope to grow it into one of the nation’s premier prep events.

STEVEN RYZEWSKI SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Steven Ryzewski

The Cramer Family Field House made its debut on the campus of The First Academy during the boys basketball regional playoffs this past spring.

The First Academy’s basketball program has hosted holiday tournaments before.

But with the introduction of the private school’s sparkling new on-campus gymnasium last spring — the Cramer Family Field House — and the rising prominence of the program, itself, staff and administration decided to rebrand and re-energize the tour-

SEE TOURNAMENT PAGE 16

Fred Priest, Windermere High School's original athletic director, will take over the football program as its second head coach with the goal of ‘setting a foundation’ for success.

1

The Olympia Titans boys soccer team topped the Windermere Wolverines 2-0 in a meeting of previously unbeaten teams Dec. 13. Olympia’s Jonathan Masesa scored the game’s first goal in the 67th minute. Two minutes later, Andrew Lizyness scored to seal the 2-0 victory for Olympia (9-01). A photo gallery from the game is available at ObserverPreps.com.

2

The Windermere High girls soccer team shutout Celebration Dec. 18 7-0 to improve to 6-2-1 on the season. Kira Skretteberg had two goals and two assists in the victory.

3

Chloe Washington scored a remarkable five goals in a 5-0 victory for the Dr. Phillips girls soccer team against St. Cloud Dec. 18. The win improved the Panthers to 12-0. Assists were credited to Carmel de Oliveira, Jill Ross and Stephanie Oliveira.

STEVEN RYZEWSKI SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

SEE PRIEST PAGE 16

5

nament this fall.

Enter The City Beautiful Invitational — a new holiday tournament that will run from Dec. 27 to 30 and for which The First Academy has high hopes.

“We want to try and build this into, hopefully, a national tournament,” veteran head coach Chris Mayberry said.

The 16-team event features one team from outside Florida —

FIRM FOUNDATION HORIZON WEST Before introducing the new head football coach of the Windermere Wolverines at a team meeting Wednesday afternoon, Windermere High Principal Doug Guthrie told the assembled student-athletes that “to say he is old school is an understatement.”

More importantly, though, Guthrie told the Wolverines that their new head coach — Fred Priest, formerly the school’s athletic director — has a proven track record of building and rebuilding football programs.

Priest, 64, has a career record of 87-73 as a head coach — part of a larger coaching career that has spanned four decades and included stops in Michigan, Colorado, Georgia and Florida. In the Sunshine State, Priest’s head coaching record is an impressive 49-25 mark while coaching at Clay County High, Port St. Joe High and at nearby The First Academy.

During his previous roles as a head coach, he was named the coach of the year in his district on three different occasions.

After serving in an administrative capacity the past few years at Apopka High, Lake Nona High and, most recently, as the first athletic director at Windermere, Priest said he is excited to get back on the sideline.

“I’m looking forward to doing this again,” Priest said. “I missed

HIGH

SPORTS

Olympia senior Markel Hudson shows offensive prowess for Titans. Page 16.

4

The Dr. Phillips boys basketball team scored a big rivalry win Dec. 15 against Olympia, holding off a late charge for 77-71 victory.

Daniel Love scored 22 to lead all scorers. Dr. Phillips is 5-2 so far this season, and Olympia is 3-3.

5

Steven Ryzewski

New Windermere High football coach Fred Priest has a career record of 87-73 as a head coach — as well as a record of 49-25 while coaching in the state of Florida.

Windermere Prep alum Parker Davis earned his first start of his collegiate career for the Rollins Tars Dec. 9 in an 86-58 victory over Saint Leo. Davis recorded 10 points and a game-high five assists for the Tars (8-4).

16

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

Priest

SPONSORED BY SHANNON TILLSTATE FARM IN FOWLER GROVES

Markel Hudson

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

coaching, and I’m revived a little bit. I’m ready and I’m excited.”

Mike Grenci will serve as athletic director for the Wolverines now that Priest has taken on this new role.

Windermere went 0-10 in its first season and notably did not score a touchdown. Despite that, Priest said nearly 100 applicants sought out the opening at Windermere after former coach Greg Miller stepped down.

Ultimately, he and Guthrie felt the program needed someone with a vision of “setting the foundation” for years to come — something that figures to become a motto of sorts around the program.

“It starts with discipline and hard work,” Priest said, laying out his priorities for building the program. “It starts with not being a selfish player and thinking about, ‘What can I do for the team?’ The other thing is for the coaches to get these kids and put them in a position where they best can be successful.”

Priest has retained four coaches from Miller's staff: Eric Olson, who will coach the offensive linemen and serve as assistant head coach; Keith Wood, who will be the Wolverines’ defensive coordinator; Michael Lafenhagen, who will

The season is still young, but Olympia senior forward Markel Hudson already has demonstrated an ability to score in bunches for the Titans.

Hudson scored 35 points and hauled in 15 rebounds against Freedom High Dec. 1. A few days later, against Cypress Creek Dec. 4, he scored 31 points. More recently, against Apopka Dec. 8, Hudson poured in 21 points for the Titans (3-3).

In the games in which you put up big numbers on offense, is there any early sign that it will be a good night?

Every time I make my first bucket, I feel like, “Yeah, I can do it.” My team just gave me the ball, and I scored the ball very well.

How has the team adapted to playing for a new coach in Rob Gordon?

At first, we were struggling a little bit. But now, we know the system, everything is flowing and everything clicks.

What have you learned about playing for Coach Gordon so far?

He really wants you to work hard and execute stuff you’re supposed to.

What do you think is the potential for your team?

I’d say we have very good potential with this team. If everybody plays their role, I’d say we can beat any team out there.

Do you have a favorite NBA player?

In the NBA, I look up to Kevin Durant. He’s my favorite player since forever. He can do anything — he can shoot, dribble, post, anything. You can’t really stop him.

What did you work on in the offseason?

I was trying to improve on my

THE BASICS School: Olympia Class: Senior Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 205 Position: Power forward Hometown: Orlando

shot, dribbling and trying to get better around the rim.

Which of your teammates is the funniest?

I’d have to say Brian (Gracia) — he’s the funniest.

If the team is down by one point and there are only a few seconds left, which teammate would you trust the most to take the final shot?

I would say Jordan (Grant).

What’s something you learned about this school year that you enjoyed?

In statistics, we talk about probabilities and stuff — I enjoyed that.

Steven Ryzewski

Fred Priest addresses the Windermere football team at a meeting Dec. 13. Priest and his staff laid out a vision for the program going forward.

coach Windermere’s outside linebackers; and Keith Babinski, who will coach inside linebackers.

New additions to the coaching staff include Jason Greer, Windermere High’s track coach who will work with wide receivers during football season; and Russell Williams, a dean at Windermere who played collegiately for Florida State and will work with the Wolverines’ secondary.

Priest anticipates hiring two more coaches: a running backs coach and a quarterbacks coach.

Priest will serve as the offensive coordinator.

During the meeting, Priest praised the team for finishing in

the top 10 in the state in Class 7A for team GPA. “We have smart players — we will win with smart players,” Priest told the team.

Priest also laid out a detailed itinerary for the players, outlining what to expect from that day forward through the beginning of the 2018 season. He impressed upon those assembled that whatever success the program will or will not have in the coming years, it will start with them — again imploring them to be “foundation builders.”

“It’s what we’ve got to do, those are the people we’ve got to be,” Priest said.

Tournament

one of those looking to learn a little more about where it is in its evolution. The Royals (3-3) graduated several blue-chip players from their nationally ranked 2016-17 team, including Wake Forest freshman Chaundee Brown, and are looking to new, young players to step up this season.

“It’s been pretty fun to see them grow,” Mayberry said.

Because of how well the Royals have played in recent years, they have been invited to several of the country’s larger, more prominent tournaments, such as the City of Palms Classic. It is with that experience in mind that The First Academy is hoping to grow The City Beautiful Invitational into a popular and noteworthy event.

For more information on the event, including brackets and a full list of teams in attendance, visit thecitybeautifulinvitational.com.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

What are you hoping to study in college?

I’m hoping to major in business.

Either business or marketing.

I’d like to be a marketing person and travel.

Ohio’s Centerville High Elks — a handful of teams from the Jacksonville and Tampa areas, and several formidable foes from here in Central Florida.

Even more locally, beyond its hosts, the tournament will feature Olympia High’s boys basketball team.

Players and coaches will attend a luncheon the day before competition begins and hear a message from Keith Tower, a former NBA player who now serves as a pastor.

According to Kristin Summers, the tournament coordinator, one of the motivating factors for the new event is providing a platform of exposure for players in front of college coaches who will be in attendance. The event also will

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Probably China. It’s big and crowded, and I just want to explore.

What are you looking forward to the most about the holidays?

Family — I like spending time with my family. They’re pretty funny, and I have great times with them. I have a lot of brothers and sisters, so it’s kind of a big get together.

Family.

Family.

Friends.

Friends.

Community.

Community.

What’s your go-to rainy day show to watch?

I like to watch “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

— STEVEN RYZEWSKI

be live-streamed for college coaches to watch remotely. “(We want) to promote the kids so they can further their basketball (careers) and further their education,” Summers said. “(The administration) thought this would be an incredible opportunity to share the gospel and watch great basketball.”

Like all holiday tournaments, The City Beautiful Invitational will offer a competitive field and give teams a chance to play several games in a short span of time.

“We’re going to get four games in four days, so you learn a lot about your team and how they bounce back from a loss,” Mayberry said. “You kind of get to see where your team is.”

Mayberry’s team will be

RESULTS 26lbs lost and dropped 10.74% body fat!

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Your Neighborhood.

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At last! Work begins on relief school Officials hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new West Orange County high school Sept. 24. STORY ON 6

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INTRODUCING �balanced habits (J KICK START

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David Haynes

Windermere Mayor Gary Bruhn strikes the only suitable pose when holding a glass from “The Godfather.”

Since the 1980s — far longer than he has been mayor of Windermere — Gary Bruhn has collected and sold movie memorabilia. SEE STORY ON PAGE 4

YOUR TOWN SCOTT APPOINTS AREA RESIDENT Gov. Rick Scott announced Sept. 18 two appointments and one reappointment to the Florida Virtual School Board of Trustees. Robert Gidel Sr., of Windermere, is the managing partner at Liberty Capital. He fills a vacant seat and is appointed for a term that began Sept.

18 and ends Sept. 10, 2017.

He joins Iris Gonzalez, of Tierra Verde, on the board.

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THE GROVE ORLANDO BOOGIES AT BIRTHDAY BASH SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 10

What you’re holding in your hands is the product of more than a year of planning. It’s the product of our wildest dreams — a bold step for a company that last month celebrated our 110th anniversary.

Welcome, readers, to the first edition of the Windermere Observer, a sister paper of the West Orange Times & Observer, which has roots that date back to the Winter Garden Ricochet in 1905.

For more than a century, our newspaper — through all its previous owners and iterations — covered the entire West Orange region with just one edition.

Today, that changes.

Put simply: West Orange has grown too large for one hyperlocal community newspaper.

For longtime readers: this new Windermere Observer will cover Windermere, Horizon West, Dr. Phillips, Bay Hill, Gotha and MetroWest, while the West Orange Times & Observer will renew its focus on Winter Garden, Ocoee and Oakland.

As the 10th newspaper owned by the Sarasota-based Observer Media Group, the Windermere Observer will strive to deliver on OMG’s slogan: “You. Your Neighbors. Your Neighborhood.”

SEE NEWSPAPER PAGE 6

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GAME FILM

Wolverines, Warriors meet on the hardwood

N

ew rivals Windermere High and West Orange High met twice on the basketball court last week, with the schools’ girls teams meeting Dec. 11 at Windermere and the boys teams meeting Dec. 15 at West Orange.

And although the Warriors won both exchanges, both games drew strong crowds and showcased four exciting teams.

In the girls game Dec. 11, West Orange won 48-45. West Orange’s Morgan Beacham led all scorers with 18 points on the night, and teammate Kennedi Rodgers chipped in 12 points.

Leading the Wolverines in scoring was freshman guard Sara Pedraza with 14 points. Mikayln Nash had 13 points for Windermere.

For the boys game, the Wolverines started strong and led 27-21 at halftime. But the Warriors outscored their guests 28-10 in the third quarter and never looked back en route to a decisive 62-48 victory.

K.J. Simon led all scorers with 16 points, and Elijah Jackson chipped in 11 points for West Orange. Dakota Rivers had 11 points to lead Windermere, while Josh Colon was strong with nine points off the bench.

17

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

Nigel Brown takes a step back to reset the Warriors’ offense.

Freshman guard Ashley Vargas waits for a play to develop while dribbling out on the perimeter.

Mikayln Nash had 13 points for Windermere in the Wolverines’ 48-45 loss to the Warriors.

Photos by Steven Ryzewski

West Orange senior K.J. Simon roars after slamming home a crowd-pleasing dunk.

Josh Colon played well off the bench for the Wolverines against West Orange. He scored nine points.

— STEVEN RYZEWSKI

LETTERS TO SANTA

Thank you for sending a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

Santa will leave a special gift for you at the West Orange Times & Observer office at 720 S Dillard St, Winter Garden.

260534

260671

Congratulations Jose Quiros Jr. and Ruby Hernandez

W EAT HER

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017

I LOVE WEST ORANGE

FORECAST THURSDAY, DEC. 21 High: 80 Low: 58 Chance of rain: 20%

FRIDAY, DEC. 22 High: 82 Low: 62 Chance of rain: 10%

SUNRISE / SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Dec. 21

7:15a

5:34p

Friday, Dec. 22

7:15a

5:34p

Saturday, Dec. 23

7:16a

5:35p

Sunday, Dec. 24

7:16a

5:35p

Monday, Dec. 25

7:16a

5:36p

Tuesday, Dec. 26

7:17a

5:37p

Wednesday, Dec. 27

7:17a

5:37p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, DEC. 23 High: 84 Low: 65 Chance of rain: 10%

Ocoee resident Jan Pewsey submitted this gorgeous photo taken at Magnolia Park Lake Apopka at sunset. Pewsey calls it, “Man’s Best Friend.”

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.

Jan. 1 Full

Jan. 8 Last

Jan. 16 New

RAINFALL Tuesday, Dec. 12

0.00

SUNDAY, DEC. 24

Wednesday, Dec. 13

0.00

High: 81 Low: 63 Chance of rain: 20%

Thursday, Dec. 14

0.00

Friday, Dec. 15

0.00

Saturday, Dec. 16

0.00

Sunday, Dec. 17

0.00

Monday, Dec. 18

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

Jan. 24 First

118 Cheerfulness 121 Poison 122 Old lyric poem 123 Short film, in projectionist-speak 124 Arm support 125 Scatter seed again 126 Exxon, pre-Exxon 127 Radical group of the ‘60s, for short

DOWN

©2017 Universal Uclick

ACROSS

1 Impact sound 4 Wise know-it-all 8 Some pears 13 1/6-inch printing units 18 Dashboard features 21 “Hurray!” relative 22 Blow one’s top 23 Seventh-inning song 25 In and of itself 26 Opera feature 27 Primed 28 Attack verbally 30 Morning moisture 31 Call a game 32 Make oneself at home

33 The object’s 35 Nail-on-hosiery result 37 Secret hook-up 39 Catches lazy flies 42 Some greetings 46 Finders of superstars 52 Eucalyptus leaves lover 53 Beautiful and then some 55 Kind of jack?

57 Cold weather coat 58 Japanese stringed instruments (var.)

59 Paradise lost 62 Put one’s foot down 63 French river

64 Twosomes 65 Sushi bar fish 66 Round-mouthed cries 69 Leftover burning bit 70 Stop for good 71 A Kennedy 74 Crane relative 76 An NFL squad 77 Palm foodstuff 78 Old newspaper photo sections 81 Be a jackal 85 Like a “no” voter 86 First Super Bowl MVP 87 Windfalls and major boons

88 Reverses editorially 90 They make pancakes from anything 93 One who is not himself 95 Twist partner, to the Beatles 96 Injection of truth?

100 Unruly uprising 102 Feathered six-footer 103 Pool hall staple 105 Mali-to-Iran dir.

106 Sailor’s back 109 Sudden, sharp pain 113 Almost an A 115 Mr. Holland’s creation 116 Ring-tailed critter

1 “The African Queen” star 2 Huge fan 3 Make changes 4 Goopy salon application 5 Where fetuses develop 6 Stopwatch button 7 Bear that’s up all night?

8 Short farewell 9 Pair on the lake 10 Vulnerable leg part 11 Stimulating plant 12 Bathday cakes?

13 Coach’s motivator 14 Intense wrath 15 Milky dairy product 16 Peas anagram 17 Mulligan, for one 19 Postgrad deg.

20 Ones who enjoy inflicting pain 24 Greek legends 29 Frontal attachment for “log” 32 Parties for guys only 34 ___ fly (runner advancer) 36 Spurred into action 38 Bacon unit 40 Epicureans 41 Violently breaks in two 43 Impressive gymnastics maneuver 44 Soothing ingredient 45 Cut, as two-by-fours 47 Stan with all the superheroes 48 Longest geologic time unit 49 Some Greek consonants 50 It gets under your collar 51 Balloon used as a probe 53 Fence attachment

54 Breakfast eatery staples (var.)

56 Sentence VIP 58 Gettysburg-to-Baltimore dir.

59 Sodom’s sister city 60 Walk casually 61 Tae Bo was one 63 Locks down 66 Kin of net and gov 67 Word on one of two towels 68 Baseball card info 72 54-Down VIPs 73 Jane who shall remain nameless?

75 Swelling of the thyroid 77 Word with horse or common 78 File in a woodshop 79 Word with latch or catch 80 Big wine holder 81 One of the musical note sounds 82 Rig driver’s license 83 Chemistry suffix 84 Poem or bible unit 87 Reached by accumulating 89 Appropriate 91 One of the Stooges 92 Rhythmic Cuban dance 94 Your stadium seat sits in one 97 Holds off or back 98 Still on the shelves 99 Gentlemen (Abbr.)

101 Large feline 103 Perfect treatments 104 Needers of rehab 106 Does a thespian’s thing 107 April dupe 108 Uber alternative 110 Yep antonym 111 Syllables from baby 112 Tropical vegetable 114 Clair de ___ (moonlight) 115 “It takes ___ to know ...”

117 Roofing material, sometimes 119 Word with York or Delhi 120 “Gloria in excelsis ___”

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.

“R OUPMI DVLK IUBK WUXK ZRYD WF OVXKKX YDVB R IRI ... BU CUPX HXVTKC; R WKVB, R IUB’Y DVLK VBF XKHXKYC.” – NUDB DKVXI “EKFL FXZNU IZO VFX YKKPXOV YZV HL LXI AKNM YHVA ... FX IZO UXTHZLV ... DKXVHY ... FX IZO NHUHYGPKGOPA RXLXNKGO.” – UZLHXP OVXNL Puzzle Two Clue: D equals P

COLLECT $200 by Timothy B. Parker

Puzzle One Clue: M equals L

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

12-21-17

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This week’s Sudoku answers

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2017

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