WINDERMERE
Observer Serving Southwest Orange County
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. FREE
VOLUME 2, NO. 12
SPORTS
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2016
Happy New Year! The Observer Media Group wishes you health and happiness in 2017.
Celebrate the best sports moments in our Year in Sports.
PAGES 15-17
YOUR TOWN St. Luke’s women raise $37,000 The United Methodist Women of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church raised more than $37,000 at the 34th annual Holiday Bazaar. More than 14 specialty shops with handmade fall and holiday crafts were set up to resemble a Christmas market. Homemade pickles and baked goods, along with antique and decorator items, were offered to shoppers. The funds raised will be used to support local, state and international missions. If you would like to become involved with this fundraising group/bazaar, would like more information about the mission donations or have holiday donations, send an email to UMW@ st.lukes.org or call (407) 876-4991 and leave a message for UMW.
Pageantry with a purpose Rosie Moore, recently crowned Mrs. Windermere, has embraced the opportunity to gain her charity further recognition in Windermere and surrounding communities. GABBY BAQUERO STAFF WRITER
R
osie Moore always has been the quiet type. As a natural introvert
who was known for being shy and soft-spoken at her high school in New Jersey, she believes most of her old classmates would react in disbelief to hear she was crowned Mrs. Windermere last November.
Gabby Baquero
SEE PAGE 4
Rosie Moore, the founder of The Gift of Life nonprofit corporation, was crowned Mrs. Windermere in November. She will be competing in the Mrs. Florida-America pageant April 2017.
New lightning-detection system increases safety at Foundation The Jesse Watlington Memorial Foundation donated the WeatherBug Lightning Alert System to the school. BRITTANY GAINES STAFF WRITER WINTER GARDEN The students at
Foundation Academy are a little bit safer, thanks to a generous PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID WINTER GARDEN, FL PERMIT NO. 81
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Postal Customer
donation from the Jesse Watlington Memorial Foundation. Earlier this fall, the foundation donated a WeatherBug Lightning Alert System to the school, and it was officially activated during a short ceremony Dec. 12 at the school’s South Campus. “We’ve had the WeatherBug (application on our phones) but
never had the lighting detection,” said Luanne Lumpkins, director of advancement at Foundation Academy. “The app on your phone sends alerts, but the warning system is far better, because you could lay your phone down or you walk away (from your phone) or have it on silent. So it’s helped a lot.” The Jesse Watlington Memorial Foundation was created by SEE FOUNDATION PAGE 4
2016 YEAR IN PICTURES
In our 2016 Year in Pictures, we share some of our favorite images of the year PAGE 3-14.