W E ST O RA N G E T I M E S &
Observer Celebrating more than 110 years in West Orange
MERRY
CHRISTMAS
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. VOLUME 84, NO. 51
FREE
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017
Sir Benji’s Donuts sets up shop Winter Garden’s newest bakery opened in Plant Street Market. SEE 8.
Bright beginning
YOUR TOWN IT’S A BOY!
Bradley and Heather Jackson, of Ocoee, are the parents of a baby boy, Nolan James Jackson, born Oct. 28, 2017, at South Lake Hospital. He weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces, and measured 20 inches in length. He joins three brothers, Cody, Aaron and Evin. His grandparents are Jerry and Meribeth Jackson and Donald and Rebecca Hallahan.
OCOEE STARTS WASTE CAMPAIGN
Kids of all ages loved lighting their own candles at the first Hanukkah ceremony held in downtown Winter Garden.
Danielle Hendrix
“Every person has a spark, a light, inside. When you witness the lighting of the menorah — which represents illuminating the darkness and making the world a better place — it also represents spirit.”
STORY AND PHOTOS ON PAGE 4 ICE, ICE BABY!
The Ocoee Police Department is partnering with Waste Connections of Florida to keep citizens’s valuables protected. Operation Safe Disposal runs through Jan. 2, 2018, and instead of placing cardboard boxes for gifts such as flat-screen TVs, video game consoles, computers and jewelry by the curb, residents can drop them off at recycling bins. Drop-off locations are on Brushy Creek Court, south of the Ocoee Police Department Headquarters, and Vignetti Park, 1901 Adair St. The police suggest keeping a record of valuable gifts by documenting the make, model, serial number and detailed description.
NIGHT LIGHTS
County hosts final community meeting on Reams Road project Orange County presented its proposed roadway improvements for Reams Road from Summerlake Park Boulevard to Taborfield Avenue. GABBY BAQUERO NEWS EDITOR
Local chefs turn in solid performances at Rosen Plaza’s second annual Iced Out. SEE PAGE 9.
Officials from the Orange County Transportation Planning Division laid out details for a roadway-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 and 29,900 vehicles daily. Blanche Hardy, the project SEE COUNTY PAGE 4
Holiday cheer rolls at golf cart parade. SEE PAGE 14.