01.11.24 Southwest Orange Observer

SO U T H W E ST O RA N G E

Observer Windermere, Horizon West, Dr. Phillips

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. VOLUME 9, NO. 14

CONVENIENCE IN STORE Three gas stations are coming soon to the Horizon West community.

Residents say they are long overdue.

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FREE • THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

‘Pane’-staking process First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden is restoring all of its stained glass. SEE PAGE 3A.

YOUR TOWN EIGHT WAVES SEEKS HELP AFTER VAN WAS STOLEN Eight Waves is asking the community to help provide support through the nonprofit’s van recovery fund.

The nonprofit’s van was broken into and stolen in the early hours of Christmas morning.

After help from the Winter Garden Police Department, the van was recovered a few days later. However, it was stripped and destroyed, leaving Eight Waves with an overwhelming amount of tasks and a long list of expenses to incur.

Eight Waves, run out of the West Orange Dream Center in Winter Garden, runs a free after-school reading intervention and mentoring program.

The van is a lifeline for vulnerable children seeking educational assistance.

Eight Waves has started a GoFundMe for the community to help the nonprofit overcome the setback so the organization can continue providing a safe and nurturing environment for children to learn and grow.

As of Tuesday, Jan. 9, the Go FundMe already has raised more than $4,000.

To donate, visit bit. ly/41OSmgz.

Ready for prime time

OAKLAND ADDING NEW STOP SIGNS The town of Oakland is installing new all-way stop signs at key intersections along Oakland Avenue. The stops at Hull Island Drive, Pollard Street and Winters Landing Drive will allow for safe golf cart crossing on Oakland Avenue.

The signs will be installed at Hull Island by February and at Pollard and at Winters Landing by spring. Upon installation, drivers will be further alerted with road signage to ensure a safe traffic pattern change.

Annabelle Sikes

Jessica Villegas, Hi-Lite Coaching and Consulting, has been selected to face off against 99 other business owners from across the United States in Weston Bergmann’s “The Blox.” STORY ON PAGE 4A.

Offers keep pouring in for McKenzy Walker The Ocoee High School senior has received college admission letters from nine major colleges, and the number continues to rise each week. SEE PAGE 8A.

Works of HeART FEATURING ANNA ZUCKER This new feature will spotlight one West Orange-area artist each month. PAGE 7A.

Sticking with love Both Winter Garden and Ocoee will host parades to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. SEE PAGE 2A.

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

Winter Garden, Ocoee to celebrate MLK with parades AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

The cities of Ocoee and Winter Garden are hosting community celebrations Monday, Jan. 15, in honor of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Both are planning parades as part of the festivities.

OCOEE

In Ocoee, the 16th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Parade and Celebration begins at 10 a.m. The parade kicks off at Citrus Elementary School, 87 N. Clarke Road, and ends at the parking lot of the West Oaks Mall further south on Clarke Road.

The public is invited to stay for the post-parade celebration that will take place in the mall food court at 11 a.m.

Bishop Derrick L. McRae, senior pastor of The Experience Christian Center, will be the keynote speaker after the parade. An Ocoee

resident, McRae is a motivational speaker, talk show host, drummer, radio personality and choir director.

The Experience Christian Center, under his leadership, has served more than 148,000 community members through various outreach efforts.

The celebration program will include the presentation of the colors by the Ocoee High School JROTC; Ocoee resident Sherrí Gladney will sing the national anthem, and Innovation Montessori Ocoee’s Show Choir will perform. In addition, sixth-grader Olivia Guinn, winner of last year’s City of Ocoee Black History Month Essay Contest, will recite her award-winning essay titled “Remembering the Victims of the Ocoee Massacre.”

“It’s important to recognize and honor what Dr. King stood for,” Ocoee Mayor Rusty Johnson said.

“His message of peace and equality resonates in our community.”

For information, visit ocoee.org or call (407) 905-3100.

WINTER GARDEN

In Winter Garden, the fifth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration 2024 includes a parade, live concert and children’s activities.

The parade begins at 11 a.m. at Woodland Street in historic downtown and ends at Central Avenue. Festivities continue at the Downtown Pavilion,104 S.Lakeview Ave. The free event runs until 4 p.m. and includes musical entertainment by Phoenix

Ventrac 4520

5 and Selwyn Birchwood, children’s activities including a gaming truck and rock-climbing wall, and food and refreshments available for purchase

from onsite vendors and downtown eateries.

A free shuttle service is available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for attendees parking at the corner of Ninth and East Plant streets.

“The City of Winter Garden Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration continues to grow in both participation and attendance,” said Laura Coar, director of the city’s Parks & Recreation Department.

“This year will feature the largest parade yet, an expanded kids’ zone providing numerous free children’s activities, and more than four hours of live entertainment. We look forward to this celebration continuing to grow as one of the city’s yearly signature events.”

SHOP OR RENT AT 415593-1

Both cities will host events Monday, Jan. 15, to honor MLK’s life and legacy.

Locations: Winter Garden, Clermont, Ocala | www.mainstreetmower.com

HIS DREAM

IS IN OUR HANDS. A

s we celebrate the birthday of a civil rights leader, we also celebrate the strides we’ve made toward achieving his dream of freedom and equality for all Americans,regardless of color or creed. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, join Lake Apopka Natural Gas District as we take a moment to honor his memory and make a pledge to uphold his message of nonviolence, love, tolerance, reconciliation and service to humanity.

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

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Pastor Melissa Stump is pleased with the restoration work done thus far on the stained-glass windows at the First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden.

WINDOW DEDICATIONS The windows on the north and south sides of the church sanctuary were donated by members of the congregation in honor of their families. n John Henry Vick (1853-1940) and Donia Dodd Vick (18531930) n Woman’s Bible Class (1942) n In Memoriam: J.H. Gregory (1854-1920), Fannie F. Gregory (1870-1959), Hugh T. Gregory (1889-1918) n Roy R. Roper (1883-1954) and Nancy S. Roper (18841969)

Restored, renewed First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden has embarked on a restoration project to clean and fortify its iconic stained glass.

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

T

Courtesy photos

The Rose Window now shines as brightly as it did when it was installed in the 1940s.

he stained-glass windows on North Lakeview Avenue serve as a beacon of hope — especially at night — to folks who pass by the First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden. The windows have shared the stories of Jesus since they were first installed in the 1940s.

But over time, the harsh Florida sun has chipped the paint and added a hazy film of grime to the protective covering, dulling the shine of these magnificent pieces of art.

The church staff and congregation have been contributing to a fund created specifically for the care of the windows, and that money is now being used on a huge stained-glass window restoration project that began in December. The work entails removing the Plexiglas and stainless-steel framework, removing or reducing pane bulging, installing new structural support braces, removing paint down to the original wood and applying primer and a finish coat of paint, cleaning the glass, installing the framework for the new clear-flow protective covering, and then adding the protective piece, said church trustee Richard Mulligan.

Most of these steps are being repeated on each window in the sanctuary and the chapel across the court-

yard. All of the southside windows are finished, and the restoration crew is working on the northern windows this week.

The biggest task will be the restoration of the window at the front of the church, “Jesus the Good Shepherd,” which has 26 large panels and stands several stories tall.

The last restoration project was in the late 1970s or early ’80s, said Marian Wagster, a longtime church member who serves on the committee because she has experience with stained glass.

“If we hadn’t put at least that coating on in the late ’70s, they’d be gone by now,” she said.

“This whole campus is a legacy left to us,” said Michael Brugal, who is in charge of finances. “It’s important to restore them and maintain them just like you would with any inheritance.”

“And they’re so beautiful,” Wagster added. “I have the best seat because I’m in the choir and I get to look at the beautiful Shepherd Window. It’s a worship experience.”

SHARING GOD’S MESSAGE FOR EIGHT DECADES

The stained-glass windows were installed in the early 1940s during the construction phase of the church campus. The windows were donated by early church members, many of them well-known citrus grove owners, who dedicated the windows to family members. Some of their descendants worship in the church still today.

“Our forefathers left a legacy to us with the windows, so it’s our job as a

church family to continue that for the future,” Brugal said.

Pastor Melissa Stump’s sermon on Sunday opened with “the power of aesthetic and how artwork has the power to communicate something to us that can’t be communicated by word or by reading something,” she said. “Someone may get something out of a sermon or Bible study or mission trip but other people are going to get something from artwork. It tells our story of faith. All the windows tell the story of faith, and even people who don’t know the story, they have the ability to share with someone the message that’s in the window.”

Furthermore, they can be a source of comfort for folks who are in need of spiritual guidance.

“Local people in the community seem to enjoy the light that we keep on at night on the Shepherd’s Window,” said business manager Ken White.

“When the schedule gets off, we get phone calls.”

“If we would have just changed the covering itself, they would look totally different,” Stump said. “I think people question why we want to do this work. From this distance to the window, it looks beautiful, but when you get up close, (you can see the) cracks throughout it. … And if we put it off too long, it will ruin the windows and they will collapse. …

The rest of the work is so they will last for generations to come.”

The cost of the project is $154,000.

Stump said the Christmas offering boosted the fund balance quite a bit, but there still is more to be raised.

To donate, visit fumcwg.org.

n Sidney Emmett Roper and Araminta Elizabeth Roper n In Memoriam: Ilah Florence Britt (Nov. 2, 1921-July 21, 1940) n Edward Vance MacAllister (1862-1942) and Mary Ellen McAllister (1864-1940) n J.W. Britt (1875-1944) n In Memoriam: G.B.W. Bray The window above the choir loft, called “Jesus in the Garden at Gethsemane,” was dedicated to Bert Hause Roper and Charlotte S. Roper. The large window at the back of the sanctuary, called “Jesus the Good Shepherd,” was donated in loving memory of L.W. Tilden.

Each of the stained-glass windows tells a story about Christianity.

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Photos by Amy Quesinberry

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

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 Editor and Publisher / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com Design Editor / Jessica Eng, jeng@OrangeObserver.com News Editor / Annabelle Sikes, asikes@OrangeObserver.com Community Editor / Amy Quesinberry, amyq@OrangeObserver.com Sports Editor / Sam Albuquerque, sama@OrangeObserver.com

Jessica Villegas was the keynote speaker at the annual District 3 Student Government Association conference held in October at Windermere High School.

Entrepreneur to compete in reality television series ANNABELLE SIKES NEWS EDITOR

J

essica Villegas, owner of Horizon West-based Hi-Lite Coaching and Consulting, will be participating in season 10 of “The Blox,” a reality competition show about entrepreneurship in startup companies.

In “The Blox,” created by reality TV star Weston Bergmann, businesses from across the country are chosen to compete in an intensive boot camp designed to take their companies to the next level. The entrepreneurs are ranked from first to last in real time, with the top three wearing red jerseys.

The entrepreneur’s scores from each game accumulate daily, culminating in “The Best Startup On The Blox.”

Villegas is one out of 100 entrepreneurs coming from incredibly diverse backgrounds in different markets and different phases of their startup.

The individuals will live together while also going through a formal startup accelerator, competing in a series of workshops, pitches and oneon-one consults.

Villegas will be heading in May to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to film for five days straight.

“The ultimate goal would be to develop my skills, help expose Hi-Lite to potential investors or find some sort of investor opportunity to help us scale, and to connect and collaborate with other business owners to find ways to help other business owners grow and to help Hi-Lite grow,” Villegas said. “Being in line with that vision of becoming a nationwide household name for teen and young adult development. It’s imperative that people know that we exist and for us to find a way to offer services to as many different types of families and people as possible. It’s imperative that we get that visibility, and even if that means just 99 other entrepreneurs knowing that we exist, there’s that opportunity to share.”

CALL TO ACTION

Villegas said representatives from the show sent her a direct message on Instagram in October and invited her to apply.

Although she had never heard about the show, she has begun to watch the seasons to gain a better understanding.

“I very casually applied,” she said.

“There wasn’t a lot of thought put into it initially.”

In November, the representatives sent Villegas an invitation to submit a video interview.

A week later, representatives contacted her again asking her to complete a phone interview with a producer.

Three days later, she was asked to join the show.

“First, it just seems like a really fun opportunity,” Villegas said. “I’ll be there with 99 other startups and entrepreneurs. Some of us may be

Courtesy photos

Hi-Lite Coaching and Consulting has 11 coaches with stakes in multiple states.

somewhere in the seven figures in terms of business growth, but most of us are in the start-up phase. It’s going to be really cool to see how other people are approaching things and to learn different ways of thinking about entrepreneurship, as well as getting to connect with many successful entrepreneurs who are the judges on the show.”

To be selected as a judge for the show, individuals are required to have earned more than $5 million in revenue with their businesses to show sustainability, scalability, growth and promise.

Typically, judges change each season. Because Season 10 is one of the largest casts of entrepreneurs the show has done, the number of judges has not been determined.

“You’re not just showing up and sharing random things,” Villegas said.

“You do a class with these coaches, and then you do some sort of pitch or performance or problem solvingtype thing in front of the classroom, and the judges choose people who win each day or in each category. At the end, those winners are pitted against each other to then become the champion of the show.”

The show is estimated to air in late summer or early fall 2024. It will be available on YouTube, Prime Video and “The Blox” app.

HI-LITE COACHING AND CONSULTING Website: hilitecoaching.com Email: success@hilitecoaching.com Phone: (321) 236-2053

Villegas has had to overcome a lot of fears in building her business.

“Overcoming those fears has really primed me for this opportunity,” she said. “To go in and be in somewhat of a fearless state. I have gained my publicspeaking skills, and I’ve become more confident in my decision-making as a business owner. My biggest fear in taking on this opportunity itself would be that I would be challenged in a way that might leave me vulnerable for everyone to see. They really are filming you on camera all day for 12-hour days in some very highpressure, on-the-spot situations.”

Throughout her life, Villegas believes she has done a good job of hiding her vulnerabilities and adversity.

“Over the last couple of years, I’ve challenged myself to share my story a little bit more,” she said. “It’s hard to share. Sometimes, I feel like pieces of my life that I’ve experienced are surreal. Those moments when I’m

sharing those in this opportunity for the show could be highlighted for everyone to see, and I have to be comfortable with that. It’s hard.

When I hear other people’s stories it inspires me, but it’s very different when it’s your own and when you’ve been challenged your entire life with your truth.”

MAKING AN IMPACT

Hi-Lite was born out of a passion to serve youth in a way that removes internal barriers, ignites confidence and generates excitement about the future.

The business challenges teens and young adults to know themselves in a way that empowers them to effectively navigate change, leverage their strengths and hold themselves accountable in areas that require improvement.

The company’s mission is “to equip youth with an undeniable sense of clarity and direction that inspires a lifetime of confidence, resilience and continuous improvement.”

What started with just Villegas has now grown to encompass 11 coaches with stakes in multiple states.

Villegas is no longer taking private clients to transition to a role where she can focus on overseeing and managing the company and its coaches.

Currently, Villegas is working on developing a training and onboarding program so new coaches can learn the Hi-Lite curriculum and how to be a representative for the company.

She also is working on developing strategic partnerships with a youth coaching company.

At the same time, she is having other strategic partnership conversations with organizations such as the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections.

“Being someone who comes from a very difficult background — I have experienced a lot of adversity — the program that I’ve developed could be incredibly useful to those seeking recovery,” she said. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be substance abuse recovery, it could be mental health recovery, recovering from adverse childhood experiences, it could be those in the system that really want to do the work to take control of their future. We see a really great opportunity there.”

SeaWaves — a local nonprofit dedicated to advocacy, support, education and awareness about eating disorders for those who have served in the armed forces — is yet another organization with which Villegas would like to partner.

Villegas met recently with SeaWaves founder Leah Stiles and other organizations to see how they can collaborate to access funding to provide robust services to veterans and their families.

“If you’re an entrepreneur, this is a really great resource to tap into to learn different ways to get started, scale your business, learn different skills and ways of thinking, and push yourself to think outside the box,” she said. “If there was one piece of advice I could offer for any business owner, it would be to be very open to the way that your business is going to develop. If you maintain a very closeminded perspective, you will miss a lot of opportunities to collaborate and grow in ways you never thought possible.”

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PUMPED UP: Horizon West residents say more accessible gas stations are overdue ANNABELLE SIKES NEWS EDITOR

As rapid growth and expansion continues to rock the Horizon West community, infrastructure development struggles to keep pace.

Part of the developments planned for the area in the near future are three new gas stations: a 7-Eleven along Seidel Road, a 7-Eleven at Flamingo Crossings and a Wawa at Hamlin along Avalon Road.

“I know there are many eager Horizon West residents who wish there was a convenient gas station opened yesterday, but the process takes time and careful planning,” Orange County District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson said. “We engage the neighboring residents whenever possible to make sure they are part of the process. The gas stations are coming, and my job is to make sure when they do, they comply with public safety and environmental regulations and don’t negatively impact our existing residents.”

DEVELOPMENT DETAILS

Although some believe the only gas station available in Horizon West is the Walmart Fuel Station located in Hamlin, the area has a few others scattered throughout the area, including a Mobil off of Reams Road and a 7-Eleven in the Lakeside Village Center.

Megan Adams, a Hamlin resident, dislikes the Walmart gas station for a multitude of reasons.

“It has a terrible entrance/exit,” she said. “Half the pumps are almost always blocked off. It’s a madhouse. We need a normal, bigger gas station with a better flow for traffic. Honestly, everything doesn’t have to be aesthetically

Annabelle Sikes

Construction on the 7-Eleven at Flamingo Crossings next to the Wendy’s is well underway.

pleasing. Gas stations need to have a practical entrance.”

Kelly Finkelstein, senior public information officer for Orange County, said according to the county’s planning division, staff is familiar with the 7-Eleven in Village F, as well as the recently approved Wawa along Avalon Road in the Horizon West Town Center.

Finkelstein said the only other potential application for a new gas station in Horizon West is a location at the southwest corner of Avalon Road and Flemings Road in Village I. However, she said the planning division has no formal applications submitted for review.

The gas station closest to completion is the 7-Eleven near the Star-

bucks located in The Mark on Seidel Road.

The establishment will feature 16 fuel pumps and a 3,010-square-foot convenience store.

The 7-Eleven located at Flamingo Crossings is still under construction.

When completed, the station will feature 12 fuel pumps and a 3,454-square-foot convenience store.

The Wawa planned for Hamlin, located on the southwest corner of Avalon Road and New Independence Parkway, will feature 16 fuel pumps, a large convenience store and a Sweetwater Car Wash built adjacent to the location.

Horizon West resident Ron Baumanis said although adding three

more gas stations is welcome, even with those additions, there will not be enough.

“The problem all along is not the need for gas stations, but the fact that gas stations don’t really make a lot of money and only large franchises can afford to build and take a bath on profits for years until they can finally start making some money off the deal,” he said. “Stations aren’t going to open until they get a good sense of where the traffic is and where they might make money.

“There has also been community opposition to all three proposed gas stations,” Baumanis said. “That ties things up and slows things down. There is also a general misunderstanding of the fees, licensure and general tenets of development. Gas stations will never come before people move in (but rather) always after, when they see where they can make money. And then it takes time to design, license and build. They aren’t utilities; they are privately owned.”

Adam Bates, who has lived in the Horizon West area since 2002, agreed three is not enough.

“Yes, we need more,” he said.

“Really frustrated that it has taken this long to address such a basic need in such a growing area. I am not sure why it has taken this long.”

HAS THE NEED BEEN MET?

Residents living in the Wincey Groves neighborhood in Horizon West opposed the planned development of the Wawa gas station and the Sweetwater Car Wash during a community meeting hosted by Orange County in August.

Horizon West resident Camillo Vitale said although the Wawa in Hamlin is needed, his concern is the location. Traffic in the area can be

challenging at times, and without a traffic light to let people cross safely or make a turn across a divided road, he worries about safety.

Other residents are excited about the possibility of a Wawa in the community, “While the gas pumps are nice, I’m most excited about the Wawa, because this will add an option to get fast food items late at night,” Horizon West resident David Fisher said. “As someone who sometimes works late shifts, a lot of the food options are closed throughout Hamlin.” “(I am) so excited we are finally getting a Wawa,” Horizon West resident Denise Radziwill said. “Been waiting five years. I am a Jersey girl.

(It is a) great place for snacks and gas, and Wawa coffee is the absolute best. Just hope it’s big enough. Need a super Wawa and (for it to be) kept clean.”

Although many have varying opinions on the gas stations, one fact is shared among the locals: They are long overdue.

“The developers should’ve been forced by the town to have these gas stations built before anything else breaks ground,” Horizon West resident Aaron Casey said.

“Whatever incentives have to be met to make it happen is on them.”

Nicholas Czerkies, president of the Independence Community Association who has lived in the Horizon West area in some form or fashion for almost 20 years, said the needs of the community have not been met.

“These gas stations are long overdue, and if there was ever any bureaucracy or other politics involved in delaying additional fueling options, the public should know who was behind it,” he said.

“Almost everyone in this area purchased here on the promise of retail and infrastructure that was planned to meet the needs of the community, and those needs have not been met.”

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Currently, three gas stations are planned for the community. Those include a 7-Eleven along Seidel Road, a 7-Eleven at Flamingo Crossings and a Wawa at Hamlin along Avalon Road.

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

SANTORA’S PIZZERIA

5 W. Silver Star Road, Ocoee PHONE: (407) 877-4445 WEBSITE: santoraspizzeria.com

Annabelle Sikes

Anthony Santora’s passion for food is inspired by his great grandfather’s migration in 1880 from Italy to America, when he brought family traditions and recipies with him.

Passion project: Restaurateur reopens popular Ocoee pizzeria

Anthony Santora has been on a tumultuous journey throughout the past year as he works to maintain the legacy of Franco’s Pizza while also revamping the restaurant to make it his own.

ANNABELLE SIKES NEWS EDITOR

T

he red, green and white colors of the Italian flag wave a greeting at every customer who steps through the doors of Santora’s Pizzeria in Ocoee.

The interior of the authentic Italian restaurant features patches of handpainted classical bricks, complete with string lights stretching from corner to corner of the ceiling.

Pictures of the Santora family dating as far back as the 1800s adorn the walls.

If one were to look closely enough to observe the smaller details, the etched signatures of Debra and Justin from March 21, 2017, would be recognized.

Santora’s Pizzeria is easily recognized with its comforting charm and amicable ambiance, but what most don’t know is the recently reopened storefront has a long, emotional and tumultuous history.

NEVER FORGOTTEN

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK

In 1880, Anthony Santora’s great grandfather, Antonio Santora, migrated to America from Naples, Italy, bringing with him family traditions and recipes.

One of his favorite traditions was gathering the family for dinner to enjoy his one-of-a-kind pizza sauce.

In 2009, Santora opened his first restaurant using his grandfather’s traditional recipes and signature sauce in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri.

Since then, Santora has garnered more than 20 years of experience in the industry. He has owned five pizza places, sold his family’s sauce in a multitude of grocery stores, and has bought and sold many restaurants.

Although the food industry has always been a hobby for him, it was never a true moneymaker.

Santora, now 42, started his own construction business and settled in the Lake Nona area.

It was January 2023 when he first laid eyes on Franco’s Pizza on Facebook Marketplace.

“I’m always keeping an eye out for restaurant stuff on there,” he said. “It’s a passion project for me. … I didn’t really do anything with it at first, but I kept looking at it.

It kept popping up, and I couldn’t figure out why it was sitting there and didn’t have anyone snatching it up. So many other pizza places pop up and then get sold just like that. I wasn’t taking it seriously at the time, especially because they were asking so much money for it when it didn’t

The ceiling was redone, and new lights were in the process of being installed. Items were ripped out and replaced. The entire restaurant was cleaned from top to bottom.

Santora made some changes to the menu. In addition to pizza, Santora’s offers wings, subs, pasta, salad, ice cream and beer.

To elevate the dining experience, bread service was added to the tables, and staff now offers to add salt, pepper and cheese to food items table-side.

Things were looking up. And then chaos struck.

When Santora was out of town for his construction business, two former cooks quit. With no help, the establishment was forced to close for two months.

Franco’s Pizza reopened as Santora’s Pizzeria the first day of November.

“I don’t know if I ever intended to reopen it again,” Santora said. “It was supposed to be a fun experience, and it went downhill very quickly. There was a lot of anger and hurt feelings.

Eventually, I decided to reopen, but I knew it couldn’t be Franco’s anymore. I changed the branding to Santora’s Pizzeria. I only brought back one of the old employees, which caused a lot of drama. The guy who has been here for almost 30 years.

It’s been a huge ordeal, but I think it’s been worth it. Everyone (who) has come in here since has given us nothing but raves. The people love the atmosphere and say it feels like home.”

While Santora is excited to start this next chapter, he wants to recognize all of the great things that were done before him at Franco’s, as well as preserve the memory of Nix. The first day the business opened, Santora’s Pizzeria donated the first $500 in sales to a cancer society in Nix’s honor.

“For the past two months, we have learned a lot from the community and some of Debra’s close friends how much she meant to the community and this restaurant,” Santora wrote on Facebook. “I even had the pleasure of meeting her daughter. She told us a lot of great stories, and she said her mother would have been very happy with what we have done with the place.”

Courtesy photos

Anthony Santora opened the first Santora’s Pizzeria in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri.

Debra Nix and her daughter, Kaylee, at Franco’s Pizza in 2017.

look to be in the greatest condition or location.”

Santora did not visit Franco’s Pizza in person until about three weeks before he bought it.

“I came in kind of like a secret customer, and I didn’t tell people who I was until the broker recognized me, called the owner and told him,” he said. “The place was rough and falling apart. The people seemed

unhappy, and there was negative cash flow. Then, I met the people and started to learn their stories.”

One employee has been washing dishes in the building for almost 30 years. He has seen every change of ownership.

Franco’s Pizza has been around for about 23 years with three different owners. The last, Debra Nix, worked at the establishment for 17 years before purchasing it.

Before becoming Franco’s Pizza, the building was a Pizza Hut. Nix, 36, died in 2019 after battling cancer.

After three years, her husband, Justin, decided to sell.

“Every time I would come in, the employees would start to come out and share bit by bit of their story here,” Santora said. “Everyone knew the story about Debra Nix. She was an employee who originally wanted the place. When the previous owner got ready to sell it, they gave her the first opportunity to buy the place. It was her dream. I didn’t know how I would go about coming in here and taking over the place with all the history and emotion. I was very conflicted. The husband didn’t want to sell the place, because he felt like it was a betrayal to his wife, and the employees were all just here trying to honor her memory.”

Santora began to talk to his wife, Pilar, about buying the business, but

she was 100% against it. He walked away.

“I just kept coming up here and eating and talking to the people,” he said. “Something was drawing me. It finally occurred to me one day that it had to be me (who) bought this place, because I knew that I would find a way to preserve it. I did not want to take the chance of someone else getting it and wiping it out completely.”

Santora bought Franco’s Pizza July 5.

A FRESH START

At first, Santora didn’t plan on changing a thing.

“I was going to leave it and run it how it was,” he said. “I was just going to sit back and watch how it was run, and everybody was cool with that.

After a few days, I started noticing more, bigger stuff that I missed that was broken. There were problems with the plumbing and the electrical.

I decided I wasn’t going to just not do it. I had to improve it.”

The business was open July 6, 7 and 8. The eatery remained closed July 9 and 10, and reopened Tuesday, July 11.

Over the span of two days, Franco’s Pizza had a serious makeover.

The walls were completely repainted, now sporting the signature Italian flag with the handpainted classic bricks peeking out.

Although Santora already has overcome many obstacles, the business continues to face one of its biggest challenges: lack of staff.

With only one other employee who can make pizza, it has been difficult for Santora’s Pizzeria to offer its full list of menu items.

Santora’s son, Anthony, 12, comes in to help when he gets out of school.

The other children, Aubriella, 6; Alaniia, 4; and Auria, 1; are not yet old enough.

Besides family, there are only four other employees.

Santora said the establishment is hiring in front and back of the house positions.

Currently, the restaurant is only open for dinner.

Santora hopes with more staff he is able to open the eatery back up during the day.

Santora will be working with Kimberly Holland, a former employee and one of Nix’s dear friends, to ensure the business keeps Nix’s memory alive for as long as he has the place.

Holland will be heading all Santora’s Pizzeria’s charitable events.

Monday, Jan. 8, was the fifth anniversary of Debra’s death.

“I know Anthony has done so many things that Debra would have loved,” Holland said. “The renovation is amazing and really shows how great that place could be with some love put into it. Anthony Santora has the same passion for that business that Debra did for Franco’s. I know he is going to take that restaurant to much deserved success for years to come.”

The Nixes’ signatures will remain on the wall of Santora’ Pizzeria as a constant tribute.

“I got into the restaurant business when I was about 18, and what I’ve learned about this business is that it’s a positive business,” Santora said. “I don’t mean money-wise, but I mean fulfilling-wise. When you serve someone in a positive way, they reward you with a positive reaction. I love lighting up people’s faces with something we create. You get addicted to that positive energy.”

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

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he painter is inspired by the range of emotions humans feel.

The mission of the Winter Garden Art Association is to showcase, encourage and celebrate individual creativity and artistic expression among local artists.

West Orange is teeming with artists whose talents range from visual to performing to literary arts. Whether they are expressing themselves with a microphone, paintbrush and canvas, or the written word, artists and their creations give us avenues in which to imagine, dream and wonder.

In Works of HeART, the Observer and the Winter Garden Art Association will highlight a local artist monthly.

This month, meet Winter Garden resident and painter Anna Zucker. things laying deep in unconsciousness.

Do you have a formal art education?

I studied interior design at Columbia College-Chicago and Illinois Institute of Art-Shaumburg.

ANNA ZUCKER (self portrait)

How long have you have been creating?

I feel like I’ve been creating my whole life, but I started painting few years ago. After 14 years of working as a textile/product designer and creating mostly digital art, I went back to traditional painting. I have to admit, it felt a bit rusty at the beginning.

What are your favorite mediums?

Oil paint, graphite and mixed media What are your favorite themes in your artwork?

Emotions. I like to capture the feeling. I want someone to stop and take a second look at my paintings.

Why is expressing yourself through art important to you?

Art helps me reach deep and express myself without using words. (I’m not good with that.) Sometimes it allows me to reach and express

Who is your favorite famous artist and why?

So many famous artists to admire.

I don’t want to focus only on one.

They all had one thing in common: Their work was very important to them, and they were expressing themselves. Leonardo, Artemisia Gentileschi, Rubens, Tamara DeLempicki, Frida, Warhol and Banksy, to name a few.

What notable places has your artwork been displayed?

SOBO, Orlando Museum of Art, City Arts

Community Celebration

In which museum (worldwide) would you most like to see your artwork displayed and why?

Centre Pompidou; I’d love to go to Paris. Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago — I used to live in Chicago and worked at MCA during college.

What accolades and awards have you received?

2020 Best of Show at SOBO, 2021 Best of Show at OMA during its first Thursdays and 2022 Best Oil at SOBO. — AMY QUESINBERRY

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

MCKENZY WALKER’S COLLEGE ESSAY

Amy Quesinberry

Letters of offers and acceptance are flooding McKenzy Walker’s mailbox and email.

Tragedies didn’t derail Ocoee senior’s drive AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

Some people cower in the face of adversity, hoping to avoid all the difficulty and pain that can come with it — while others thrive.

McKenzy Walker is in the second group.

Walker, a senior at Ocoee High School, has had her share of trauma in her 18 years, but she never allowed that to keep her from succeeding in the classroom, in multiple sports and in life.

Walker has consistently earned all A’s on her report card — ever since kindergarten. She applied to numerous colleges and has been accepted to nine — many with scholarships — and likely will hear from several more.

She started her athletic path when she was 4 and has excelled on the softball diamond and on the volleyball court. In her four years at Ocoee High, she played seven sports.

RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY

Walker’s childhood was fraught with emotional distress. She didn’t have much of a relationship with her birth father growing up because he was in and out of jail, she said. She saw him once when she was 4 and

remembers seeing him again when he was on work release “We don’t see each other that much,” she said. “But then I remember that some kids don’t get to see their dad at all.”

She endured an angry stepfather when she was about 6. She persevered in school when her mother battled melanoma, thyroid cancer and the serious side effects of a brown recluse spider bite. In 2013, Walker’s grandparents died, and the family lived through a house fire. She lived with the fear of “what if” when her brother and sister were deployed to the same area of Africa around 2016.

Five years ago, just before she was leaving home to go to school and take a test, Walker discovered her dad, Lincoln Davis, after he went into cardiac arrest. He survived but not without complications that affected the entire family.

Her aunt and uncle both recently died of cancer.

“Even though that stuff has happened to me, I feel like it definitely could have been worse,” she said.

A tattoo near her right collarbone — 999 — is to remind her of the Bible verse from Matthew 18:12: “He left the 99 to rescue me.”

Through it all, Walker has remained steadfast in her academics and earned excellent grades. She was named

a Spring Lake Elementary School Dreamer and Doer in fifth grade, and she read so many books at school that the librarian donated the leftovers to Walker. She said she helped her firstand third-grade teachers grade other students’ homework. She received many awards in school, including a first place in the Modern Woodmen speech contest.

In her senior year, she is juggling honors and AP classes, Student Government Association, school sports and a 20- to 30-hour work week.

Walker’s dream is to study psychology and neurosurgery in college.

“I retain things; I have a photographic memory,” Walker said. “I always have had the mindset of, ‘I have to keep going.’ I hate studying; homework is the worst. I try to get everything done within those eight hours of school just so I don’t have to come home and do it.”

Adding to her schedule was the decision to take French, American Sign Language and Spanish 2 through Florida Virtual School.

Sports and activities have been a big part of Walker’s life since before she started elementary school. She started cheering when she was 4.

From age 6 to her sophomore year of high school, she enjoyed playing softball as catcher or outfielder. In

As I walk into the gym I once loved, I reminisce about the old smell of the building and the sounds of laughter from me and my teammates. I always looked forward to playing volleyball in my senior year.

But this year is different. My teammates from previous years don’t play anymore, and I’m the outcast now. From being captain for multiple years to being a bench-rider my senior year, I now dread the sport I once couldn’t stop talking about.

Each year, I always won academic awards for keeping a high GPA while attending practices three to five days a week with two games and sometimes even three days. The same coach who saw my potential freshman year seems to not even notice I’m at every practice and every single game trying to prove I’m good enough to play like I used to — just to catch the coach’s eye.

Putting on the jersey and praising the No. 9 seems to have become a chore instead of a reward. I realized I hated the sport I once loved. However, I never lost my focus on school. Though I spent all my time in that gym, my schoolwork was always a priority.

On the team I was once a leader, and now just the “extra person.” I spent hours trying to perfect my craft, and four years later, I at first thought it was for nothing, but now I know it was all for the right reason.

This was once a “terrible” moment in high school for me, but this just pushed me 10 times harder academically. As I began to read through college applications, a light began to shine. I realized how much I could accomplish outside of that gym.

Volleyball used to be the word and sport that would define me as a person. Now, it’s just something I did. My smarts and good grades define me as so much more than an athlete. It defines me as a hard worker, a determined student, and simply a girl with dreams further than a pro athlete. I realized I wanted to be a surgeon and that I wanted to help people in ways

sixth grade, she tackled track and volleyball, excelling as an outside hitter.

In her essay that accompanied her college applications, Walker wrote about her senior year volleyball season.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

The Ocoee teen has received many college acceptance letters in her mailbox and email. So far, she can choose between Jacksonville University, Florida Southern College, Florida Atlantic University, Nova Southern University, Arkansas University, University of Alabama, Ohio

Emmaus Church celebrates new home After eight years of worshipping in the Garden Theatre, the church, led by Pastor David Netzorg, has moved to Oakland.

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

Sunday, Jan. 7, marked a milestone for Emmaus Church and its congregation, as Pastor David Netzorg preached his sermon from the pulpit of the church’s new location in Oakland.

After worshipping for eight years at the Garden Theatre in downtown Winter Garden, the church has secured its own permanent space that will give it plenty of room to grow.

Following Sunday’s service, Netzorg reflected on the day.

“The whole vibe was just excitement, anticipation, joy,” he said. “I’m a passionate person, so it was a big day. … We had so many people come out. There was so much joy. I think overall it was thankfulness to our Lord.”

Netzorg said he is not big on pastoral fanfare, so his first sermon of the new year in the new space was simply a continuation of his series on the Book

of Matthew — although he did write a special prayer for the occasion.

Following the service, the congregation went outside for the traditional first-Sunday Picnic at the Pavilion, and adults sat at picnic tables and conversed, while the children explored the playground and campus.

“It’s surreal for me,” Netzorg said.

“I felt like it was a dream. … You work hard and long for something, and it’s an interesting thing because you beg God to help you help him. It’s a weird thing. … ‘God, please give us a place, please help us to have a place to worship You.’ When He gives you a venue like that, which is the sole purpose of loving Him, well then you’re thankful to Him. “We want to do life together and support one another,” he said.

Emmaus Church is sharing space with Family Christian School in a facility located near the Oakland Nature Preserve. The campus is a perfect fit — school classrooms become Sunday school rooms on the weekends, and the school’s auditorium becomes the church’s sanctuary. The youth leaders are excited to have a place other than their small apartment to hold meetings with a bunch of teens.

Amy Quesinberry

Pastor David Netzorg preached his first sermon Sunday, Jan. 7, at Emmaus Church’s new location in Oakland.

BUILDING UP TO THE BIG DAY

About two-and-one-half years ago, Emmaus started a building campaign, when weekly attendance was growing and the church needed more space — especially for the children’s ministry. The original plan was to buy property and build a church, and while the campaign was active, Netzorg was calling churches in a two-mile radius to see if they had any plans to move — in case it would work out better to take over another church space.

He said he actually got a call from a music buddy saying the church space was available, and the 300seat sanctuary, nine classrooms

EMMAUS CHURCH

608 W. Oakland Ave., Oakland PHONE: (407) 257-0099 EMAIL: info@emmauswg.org WEBSITE: emmauswg.org

and outdoor space were a perfect match for Netzorg and his nearly 200-member congregation.

“I think the possibilities that we have for the youth group is big,” he said. “Not having to do things in people’s homes. The availability of different days of the week. We can have a Maundy Thursday service and a Good Friday service. We can have

McKenzy Walker’s sports poster..

some people can’t offer.

I chose to take this career path when I was not only in and out of the hospital when my stepdad had a heart attack a few years ago.

It started as a normal morning when my mom called out to my stepdad, but there was no response. She told me to go check on him, and I found him lifeless on our back porch.

I screamed for help, and as she got down next to him, it was then my decision to get help. I ran two doors down to a neighbor who just moved in one week prior, and she came to help with no questions. I called 911, and she sat with my mom to begin chest compressions. During this whole incident, the only thing crossing my mind was being late to school.

So I called my sister-in-law to pick me up and bring me to school, because I knew I had a test that day and, of course, volleyball practice right after school.

After this experience, my eyes broadened. When I think of the tears my once favorite sport had brought me, I remember I’m a much more caring and helpful person who has always put others’ needs before my own. I’m a dedicated student-athlete who has never given up whether I was a first-string player or a benchrider; I realized that applied to me inside the classroom, as well.

State University, Ole Miss and Clemson. She’s still waiting to hear from Florida State, UF, Tennessee, Georgia and Montana.

Many of the schools have offered scholarships, and the amounts will factor into Walker’s decision. She said she would be happy going to any of these schools.

Her mother, Leyia Davis, is in awe of her resilience.

“I don’t know how she pushed through with tragedies in her life, but it’s like her focus is unstoppable,” Leyia Davis said. “I can’t say that I could’ve done what she’s done.”

body life during the week, weekends, fall festivals. We may continue to do (some of) those at home. Bible studies will continue at home on Wednesday nights. Small groups still meet at homes.”

At the theater, all the young people up to middle school age gathered in one room for children’s church, and it was difficult to keep multiple conversations and lessons going.

In the new space, age groups can be separated and more meaningful conversations can be had.

The building fund will continue, Netzorg said, because he would like to see the church in its own facility someday. The fund is growing because church members have been faithful in their giving. Some have sold baked goods; one woman makes and sells bracelets.

But, for now, this space is the answer to Netzorg’s prayers and he can continue sharing the Word of God. “It’s getting harder and harder to find biblical truth,” he said.

“Everybody’s trying to be a club.

Everybody’s trying to get a bunch of people in and be cool and hip and wear ripped jeans and have a rock ’n’ roll show. … We want to impact West Orange with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“People are lonely and scared and hurting and confused, living in darkness, and they don’t know God,” Netzorg said. “I was there. I was one of them. I didn’t become a Christian until I was 26. I can’t believe that God would use someone like me, but when you look in the Bible, you see the people he used were just so messed up.”

W EST O RANG E HISTO RY

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

THESE OLD TIMES

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION

THROWBACK THURSDAY JAN. 10, 1974 Whether you were looking for hairspray or hair tonic, Kodak film or film prints, pantyhose or a garden hose, Eckerd Drugs in the Tri-Center Shopping Center in Winter Garden had it all. The store advertised its new-year savings in The Winter Garden Times.

Where else could you find these prices? For the kitchen, you could get a 42-cup percolator (in aluminum or avocado) for $9.99, an electric juicer for $8.99 and a can opener (in gold or avocado) for $10.99. Toiletries were priced at 86 cents for Brut 33 antiperspirant, 99 cents for Scope mouthwash and $2.99 for 100 vitamins.

One could purchase an early American milk stool for $1.44, grapefruit spoons for 68 cents apiece, Polaroid color film for $3.19 and Vitalis hair tonic for $1.09 (limit one).

80 years ago

A big dance with orchestra and refreshments in the lakefront recreation hall in Winter Garden welcomed the 231st Signal Light Battalion.

More than 25 attended the eighth annual banquet of the Winter Garden Welfare League held at Martino’s Restaurant in Orlando.

Mrs. L.J. Brock entertained the Winter Garden school faculty at dinner. Present were Miss Lillian Tate, Mrs. Geiger, Miss Ruby Harris, Miss Edna Warren, Miss Ann Tomyn, Mrs. Sturkie, Mrs. Eby, Miss Margaret Holbrook and Mrs. Ed Robertson.

70 years ago

The mission of the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation is to preserve the heritage and architecture of Winter Garden while creating new cultural experiences. The Foundation also preserves the material culture of West Orange County, using it to educate the area’s youth on the community’s rich history.

was a member of Ocoee Christian Church, the Eastern Star Chapter of VFW Post 4305 Auxiliary and the Hugh T. Gregory American Legion Auxiliary for Post 63; and a charter member of the Ocoee Woman’s Club. She was a former assistant postmistress in Ocoee and lived her life in the house her parents homesteaded in 1887.

The West Orange Branch YMCA offered the following informal education classes: guitar, baton

twirling, karate, dancing, women’s Slimnastics, women’s self defense, men’s three-man basketball league, junior high girls basketball, tennis, senior life-saving and swim lessons for all ages.

The Woman’s Club of Ocoee celebrated its 50th anniversary with a luncheon. The club, organized in 1924, was, at the time, the third oldest Federated Woman’s Club.

30 years ago

Eleven volunteers teamed up to make a Friendship Quilt that was raffled off as a benefit for Hospice of Central Florida.

20 years ago

The Central Florida Railroad Museum saw an uptick in visitors to its old downtown Winter Garden depot after the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation took over operation of the museum.

crossword

celebrity cipher

AWESOME SAUCE! by Michael Weinerman, edited by Jeff Chen “Vacationland” 61 Seasonal McDonald’s DOWN sandwich 1 Abundant supply 62 Places for Wizards and 2 Director and writer Ephron Warriors to duel 3 Heart parts 63 Nuke 4 From where 67 Often-conjugated word 5 Maritime plea 68 Activity with crampons 6 Suisse peak and axes 7 “Please, go on!”

69 Wheel part 8 Compadre 70 “Pinocchio” director 9 Unrefined type?

Guillermo 10 Informal discussion 71 College grounds 11 Italian city known for 72 Classic TV brand sparkling wine 73 Crumple 12 Visualization of data by 74 Ballpark fig.? color 75 Fort Collins sch.

13 Cure for creakiness 76 Fast-food standards 14 Architect I.M. 78 Grammer of 2023’s 15 Breathing, a pulse and “Frasier” eye movement 80 Was ahead 16 Mac competitors 81 Tiny solar panel, of sorts 17 Trap 82 Bronte heroine Jane 19 “What a card!”

83 Number of concern to 21 Angsty music genre the Fed 23 Hamiltons 86 French philosopher Denis 27 Arizona resort town 89 SAT checkers?

30 Canadian speed meas.

90 Member of the fam 32 Altar words 91 Ousts an incumbent 33 Rural cattle place 93 Where dreams are made?

35 Environmental prefix 95 Screen rating? (Abbr.)

36 Animated movie about a 97 Wife of Zeus blue macaw 98 First-year law students, 37 Short video in slang 38 Extinct bird 99 Supplement 39 Brothers behind “The Big 101 Peaceful Lebowski” 105 Have a bug 41 Home of the Oregon 107 Bathtub for a baby Ducks 110 “House” actor Omar 43 Fairy tale monsters 112 Slow-cooker dish 45 “Looney Tunes” devil, 114 Clog, for example familiarly 115 Theater award 50 Nyong’o of “Black Pan116 Kitten picture exclamather: Wakanda Forever” tions 52 “Don’t worry about it,” 118 Acquire, slangily in text 119 Glass of “This American 54 Cheer for a matador Life” 56 Picnic pests 121 One-named “Chande57 Booker T. & the ___ lier” singer 59 More wan 122 Incendiary letters 60 State sometimes called 123 Color tint

129 Todd of Broadway

©2023 Universal Uclick

ACROSS

37 Public health agcy.

1 Chews on, like a dog with 40 Fencing equipment 42 “Paprika and vinegar? a bone Radical Filipino food!”

8 ___ Raton, Florida 44 Pirate’s plunder 12 Bitter beer ingredients 16 Tale’s bump in the road? 46 Whistle alternative 47 Fight 17 Continental cash 18 “Old MacDonald” refrain 48 Magically disappear 20 “The Indian vindaloo is so 49 The best 51 Used up rich and colorful!”

53 Ripped 22 On fire 55 On the ___ (fleeing) 24 Discolor 58 “The Japanese soy-and25 Shade trees 26 Symbol for some social citrus mix is top-notch!”

60 “The Oaxacan chilimovements 28 Bill who is known as the and-chocolate combo is astonishing!”

“Science Guy” 64 Divided, as windows 29 “Good grief!”

65 Dazzles 31 “Friends” friend 34 Transcendentalist author 66 Lanyards and collage 67 Robust of “Nature”

97 “The Cantonese sweet70 Commotion 71 Delicately thin pancakes and-salty glaze is extraordinary!”

72 Repeat aloud 100 Govt. mail agency 73 Songbird 102 Cost 75 Necklace made of links 103 All at once 77 “The milkiness of this 104 Loving refusal Mexican offering is stunning!”

106 Month with V-Day 79 “Indonesian spicy relish 108 Yank’s rival got game!”

109 Surveys 84 Home of “The Golden 111 Sets up an unfair title Bachelor” bout?

85 Redline, for example 113 Bob Marley, for one 86 Landfill site 117 Singer Keys 87 “Later!”

120 “The Italian basil paste 88 George Takei’s “Star Trek” ran away with it!” role, in brief 124 Express contempt 92 ___-Wan Kenobi 125 Cursive alternative 94 Vehicle that might be 126 Alumni gatherings articulated 127 Admission figs.

96 Move quickly 128 “Now!”

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“AH IELWC O GOZ PT URN JCOBCNA SRZB HX LCCL RN SRBC IELWRZW AUC FHJCX HK AUC HVCOZ PT HZC JOMC.” CSMRN FXCNSCT

“ZKR LFZ EKM BEKY OM, VRM FM MIT UFP TEN KU NTJCFOP, MITPT OJ F YIOMT ASTFPOEX YITPT KET OJ FSLKJM IFCCZ.” HKFE VFTG

“MSPHEZ BI NLK VRK XHRAC SM CL KL ZLNR, VH YLSEK VRJH OSC LSP VHRKM GHVBAK LSP FAHHM.”

PLK MCHYRPC

Puzzle Three Clue: L equals O

John Terrell, of Winter Garden, president of the Florida Jaycees, met with President Richard Nixon in the Oval Office at the White House. The occasion was a fourday Governmental Affairs seminar attended by all Jaycee state and national officers.

Ocoee pioneer Nora Pounds Salsbury died at the age of 82. She

Composed almost a century ago, the Jones family poses on the porch of their house located at Plant Street and Henry Avenue, the latter an unpaved byway that led to Smith Street. The house stood in the vicinity of the new mixed-use building where Matthew’s Steakhouse is located.

Some family members have been tentatively identified: Back row, far right: Lois Jones. Front row, from left: Odell Jones, Waymon Lee Jones, Adolphus James Harrison Jones, Earl (or Jack) Jones, Lizzie Mae Jones (later wed to Dock Reeves, and the parents of artist-historian Rod Reeves), Melissa Frances McLane Jones and Arlie Jane Jones (Mrs. Lewis H. Foxworth).

Puzzle Two Clue: X equals G

50 years ago

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Puzzle One Clue: P equals B

Several boys in Cub Scout Pack 46, with Cubmaster Jake Voss presiding, received merit badges: Rice Pounds, Jody Hall, Rick Donahey, Jay Sherman, John Girvin, Phil Cross, Bill Thompson, John Hovsepian, Jud Kuneman and Chuck Holland.

The Winter Garden City Commission voted to make Main Street one way from Story Road to Plant Street, allowing traffic to travel north only.

One-hundred-twenty-three boys from all sections of the United States and Canada were here for the opening day of the Washington Senators Baseball School.

9A

© 2023 NEA, Inc.

sudoku

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

©2023 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

1-11-24

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

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10B

JANUARY 11, 2024

SPORTS Former PGA pro opens golf 5 academy at Stoneybrook West HIGH

Kameren Wright is giving Olympia boys basketball what it needs to make a deep playoff push. Page 2B.

1

Both Windermere Prep boys and girls basketball teams won the BSN Holiday Basketball Classic tournament held at the school. On the boys side, the Lakers topped Centennial High by a score of 59-48 with sophomore wing and leading scorer Brandon Bass Jr. being named the tournament’s MVP. Fellow sophomore Sinan Huan and junior Samuel Shoptaw were named to the AllTournament team. In the girls tournament, the Lady Lakers won their eighth consecutive game by beating Hagerty High 57-50 in the title game. Senior guard Zoe Sedo was named the tournament MVP, while freshman Eni Oyedeji — the team’s leading scorer — and sophomore Alayiah Johnson were named to the AllTournament team.

Brian Davis Golf Academy looks to bring PGA-level expertise to golfers of every level in West Orange and Southwest Orange County.

SAM ALBUQUERQUE SPORTS EDITOR

I

2

The Ocoee High girls basketball team won the Florida Prospects Silver Division Championship, topping previously undefeated Leesburg High, 47-18. The 11-3 Knights were led by senior Micah Hannah, who won the tournament’s MVP award and is the team’s leader in scoring and steals with 13.8 points a game and 7.4 steals.

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Former Windermere Prep boys soccer player Gunnar Studenhofft was selected in the third round of the 2024 MLS Super Draft by the Colorado Rapids.

The 2021 Lakers graduate played forward these past two seasons at Manhattan College, scoring seven goals and assisting five more in 22 appearances for the Jaspers.

4

After hiring former UCF quarterback and Leesburg High coach Steven Moffett as its associate head coach and offensive coordinator, The First Academy football will add two of his former assistant coaches from Leesburg to bolster the Royals football staff. According to the Royals’ social media outlets, Chris Mitchell and Corey Broomfield have joined the staff. Mitchell will serve as a defensive assistant coach, while Broomfield’s title will be assistant head coach for TFA.

5

With just a few games left in the FHSAA boys soccer regular season, various programs are in prime position to make a deep playoff run. Windermere High (10-1), Horizon High (9-2-2), West Orange High (7-2-1), Ocoee High (10-3-2) and Windermere Prep (9-1) have shown throughout this season to be the top-tier programs in the area. Windermere Prep faced Foundation Tuesday, Jan. 9, and Windermere and West Orange met for a rematch Wednesday, Jan. 10, both after press time. Windermere Prep will host Orangewood Christian (9-1) at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, while Windermere High will host Lake Buena Vista High (6-4) at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16 before finishing the regular season in Altamonte Springs at Lake Brantley High (8-3) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. West Orange will end its season with a big-time Central Florida matchup as it goes on the road to face Timber Creek High (6-1-3) Friday, Jan. 19.

Courtesy photo

Director of the Stoneybrook West Golf Club Rocky Hodge and former PGA pro golfer Brian Davis are ready to take the club to the next level with the golf academy.

f you search Brian Davis online, among the many articles, videos and statistics you’d expect to find when searching up a professional athlete, you’ll run into a story that will tell you a lot about who Davis is as a person.

Despite playing in 385 PGA Tour events since 2005, many know Davis for one specific moment: In the playoff round of the 2010 Heritage Classic against Jim Furyk, with his first tour victory within reach, Davis self-reported a rules infraction that essentially handed the tournament win to Furyk.

The moment — that otherwise would have gone unnoticed by rules officials, spectators and fellow golfers if he had decided to not self-report — was one that received immense praise around the golf community, because it showed a real glimpse of the 49-year-old Englishman’s character.

One person who remembers it is Stoneybrook West Golf Club Director Rocky Hodge.

“We’ve never really talked about it, but to me, that moment actually gave me an idea of who he was as a person,” Hodge said. “Unfortunately, he’s probably more known for that than maybe his accomplishments.

But I think that moment told everybody a lot about who he is as a person. To me, golf is a gentleman sport and an honest sport, so when you go to that trouble and potentially cost yourself a possible career … that’s certainly something you remember.”

Serendipitously, Hodge was put in the same group as Davis in an event in which they both played. After four hours together on the course, the two hit it off. That chance meeting was the foundation for the Brian Davis Golf Academy.

“We had a great conversation on the course, and he had mentioned looking at some changes from where he was and that he loved our energy, what the club did and also the location, because he lived very close,” Hodge said, “We then set up another meeting and spent the day together.

We played golf again and kind of just SEE PGA PAGE 2B

Three Wolverines will play D-1 ball RB Isaiah Nell, OL Noah Wright and K Lucas Glassburn all announced their commitments to play Division I college football next season.

SAM ALBUQUERQUE SPORTS EDITOR

The Windermere High football program has been around for seven seasons. For six of those, the Wolverines had a new coach come each fall, and at season’s end, no team had ever won more than two games.

That is until Dr. Phillips alumnus and former Panthers assistant coach Riki Smith returned for his second season as the Wolverines’ head coach in 2023 and led them to the most wins in school history.

“When I took the job, I remember everyone would tell me, ‘You can’t win at Windermere. They don’t have any players. You’re not going SEE WINDERMERE PAGE 2B

Windermere High football players Noah Wright, left, and Isaiah Nell, right, celebrated their college plans with coach Riki Smith on National Signing Day. Courtesy photo

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OrangeObserver.com

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

PGA pro opens academy

SPONSORED BY MARK’S FLOORING AND SHANNON TILL/STATE FARM IN FOWLER GROVES

Kameren Wright

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B

A transfer from Gainesville, Olympia High’s Kameren Wright is a 6-foot-6 wing, four-star prospect who has a tight handle, good footwork and a smooth jump shot to go along with his insane athleticism and frame. He currently holds offers from a handful of schools, including Missouri, Oklahoma State and Tennessee.

How does it feel to be named Athlete of the Week?

It feels good to be named Athlete of the Week. I am very thankful, but there is still a goal to be accomplished.

What do you like the most about playing basketball?

Why? I love everything about the game of basketball. I love the ups and downs of the game, and the lessons that can be learned from the game of basketball, such as perseverance and hard work.

What are your goals for this season — for yourself and the team?

My main goals for this season are to win state and to see every senior on the team sign to a college.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned from the basketball?

The biggest lesson I learned because of basketball is that if you take short-cuts now, you’ll pay the price later.

Who is your favorite basketball player? What about their play do you like?

Kevin Durant is my favorite player, because his ability to score the basketball is like no other, and (he) is undeniably unstoppable.

THE BASICS Age: 18 years old Sport: Basketball School: Olympia Grade: Senior

What are three things you would take with you to a deserted island? Why? Phone, hunting weapon, flare gun. I need something to do when I’m bored, so that’s where the phone comes into play. I don’t want to starve to death, and I need protection against the wild animals, so that’s where the hunting weapon comes into play. A flare gun, because if I see a plane or something, I can use that so they can rescue me.

What is your favorite movie?

Why? “Coach Carter,” because it’s just the best basketball movie ever and teaches you that your actions have consequences. It’s up to you if it’s good or bad, and I like how high coach Carter set the standards for his players.

If you could go back in time to a specific period in history, when and where would you go? Why? 1980s in New York, because the ’80s (were) pretty cool.

… started to get the relationship rolling. As soon as that happened and we laid out a similar vision, the golf academy was born.”

Davis mirrored Hodge’s excitement about the project. The course and area remind him of his home in the United Kingdom.

“When the opportunity came up with Rocky, I jumped at it; I’m looking forward to what we can do here,” Davis said. “I love the place, because, obviously, I live very close by, so I know a lot of people here. It’s very similar to what I grew up with in the U.K. I just feel settled here, it feels very much like home.”

Like Hodge, Davis also appreciates the kind of person he has found in his business partner.

“It’s going to be very successful; that’s why I’m jumping in with two feet,” he said. “Obviously, Rocky is a big part of the reason why. He’s very driven. He’s a very hands-on guy, which I like. And I think we’re going to work well together.”

Their vision for the project is focused on serving the local community, and it starts with the kids.

“I don’t want to close the door to anything,” Davis said. “There’s a possibility for everything with this project, but a great example of

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B

to be able to send them to college,’” Smith said. “A lot of people were saying what we couldn’t do, but Who do you try to model your I always believed that there were game after? players there, they just needed the I don’t try to model my game right coach to essentially cultivate after anyone, really. I just try to Who is your favorite superthem and the program.” maximize my talent in all aspects hero? Why? Those accomplishments alone of the game.

The Flash, because with super would have been enough to call the speed, you can really do anything young program’s 2023 a success.

Favorite basketball memory? and defeat anyone. He basically But just before the year made way There are a lot of great memohas the most power and capabilfor 2024, the cherry on top for the ries, but one great memory ity with just his super speed.

Wolverines came in the form of would be winning the PRO16 Division I commitments from three championship.

Who is your favorite supervilof the team’s top graduating seniors lain? Why? in the span of five days.

What is your go-to pregame Joker, because I like his origin On Dec. 15, 2023, running back meal? story.

Isaiah Nell committed to play for Chicken and rice (is my) go-to former Florida coach Jim McElwain pregame meal.

If you could have any superat Central Michigan University. power, what would it be and Three days later, kicker Lucas What is your favorite non-bas- why?

Glassburn announced his commitketball hobby?

Super speed, because you have ment to play at Temple University.

Hanging out with my friends, so many abilities that automatiAnd the following day, offensive watching movies or just relaxing cally come with super speed, lineman Noah Wright shared his at home. such as traveling through time, commitment to Bucknell Univerchanging the past or future, sity.

What is your favorite subject in invisibility, make lightning bolts, “This year is extremely special, school? go through people’s bodies, etc. because … the school that no one Math, because believes in and everyone says you when I finally If you could travel to three can’t win at, that you can’t send get the hang places in the world, where guys to school from, for us to send of what I’m would you go and why? three guys D-1 is a blessing,” Smith learning, it’s Jamaica, Dubai and a said. “I’m just proud to be a part of like the best country in Africa. Dubai, I it. But really proud of those three feeling ever. heard is very wealthy, and players, because they all bought in.

Jamaica is really beautiThey all had different leadership ful. Africa, because it’s the styles for us, but all three made a motherland. I have to go to choice to say, ‘Hey, I’m gonna roll Africa before I die. with coach Smith, and we’re going to get it done.’”

If you could be Beyond just trusting Smith and an animal for what he and his staff are builda day, which ing at Windermere, the three have one would you been instrumental in establishing be and why? the standard of Wolverine football.

Lion, because “Year three of my vision for the he’s the most program is to start to build verticalfeared in the ly, and Isaiah, Noah and Lucas help jungle. with that tremendously,” Smith said. “They made the choice to put Does pineapple 150% into their craft. They worked belong on pizza? on their own outside of what I asked No. I think pineapple them to do. on pizza is crazy.

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Take a quick peek at Nell’s highlight tape and his stat line from his senior season. In eight games, he gained 1,640 yards and scored 17 total touchdowns for the Wolverines.

It’s no wonder both the Central Michigan head coach and offensive coordinator made the trip to guarantee they were able to secure the all-purpose back’s commitment.

According to the back, CMU made an impression on him, as well.

“The coaching staff really stood out to me,” Nell said. “When I went on my visit the coaching staff there was really nice. Most of the facilities and stuff around were very new.

“I spent a lot of time talking to the running backs coach and about how they run the ball a lot,” he said. “He’s a very experienced coach, too; he’s sent a lot of guys to the NFL. That specific area too was great for me, because it’s a small town, so there won’t be any distractions when I’m over there, so I’m able to just focus on football and schoolwork.”

Nell, a converted defensive back, is a three-down running back who also excels in the return game with speed that jumps off the screen and allows him to seemingly never get caught by trailing defenders.

“Coach really liked my speed,” Nell said. “So he was always talking about that, saying a lot of people say they’re fast, but then get caught, but on my film, he said I don’t get caught. He wants me to play as like a takeoff guy, so I’m just going to maximize any opportunity I get.”

NOAH WRIGHT, BUCKNELL SIGNEE

A 6-foot-4, 275-pound offensive tackle, Wright was a classic bookend tackle for the Wolverines these past two seasons. In his senior year, the team captain didn’t allow a single sack and had 56 pancakes on his way to an All-Metro team selection and first-team All-Orange Observer

in the golf world,” he said. “For us, the academy will have a big presence of women and a huge presence of juniors.

“The juniors are a group we’ll target to serve in this community — whether it’s camps or individual lessons,” Hodge said. “We’ll have a bit of everything. We have the opportunity to help these kids, as a group, get into the game of golf.”

Beyond seeing an opportunity to serve up-and-coming youth golfers, the academy also will aim to meet the demands of the community — whether it be a novice trying to learn to play the game for the first time or the weekend warrior looking to improve their handicap. It also can accommodate groups and corporate events.

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selection — all reasons he’ll shine in the Patriot League.

However, Wright looked beyond the football program to make his decision.

“I felt the Patriot League is going to be the perfect fit for me; they play schools in the Ivies, which is cool,” Wright said. “But the main reason was, they have a worldclass mechanical engineering program, which is something I’ve been interested in for a number of years now, so that’s what really drew me there.”

Despite the obvious draw for why Wright chose to sign with the Bison, he did note one thing most kids from Florida who are heading to the Northeast would have a hard time with: the cold weather.

“I’m super excited to head to Bucknell,” he said. “Obviously, it’s going to be a new experience going from Florida to the Northeast. So I hope I can deal with the cold. Overall, I’m just super excited to get up there and see what college football is like.”

LUCAS GLASSBURN, TEMPLE COMMIT

An All-Metro team selection as a junior, Glassburn scored points in every game he played in for the Wolverines and had 33 touchbacks this past season with range to make kicks up to and beyond 50 yards.

But for the Temple commit, this opportunity is a representation of all the hard work he has done.

“It’s awesome to finally see that all the work I’ve done has finally come to something that feels real now,” he said.

And beyond the football team, Glassburn’s journey to Philadelphia is about more than just his time on the football field; his plan is to go all the way to the medical field.

“So D-1 FBS football is always a plus, but they also have a great medical school,” Glassburn said. “I want to go into the medical field, orthopedics, specifically. They also have some great coaches that have been by my side this whole way and let me know the process by always walking me through each step.”

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those guys did that. They’ve set the bar to where we can be as a program.

It’s been awesome to see, and I’m just so happy for those guys.”

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what I do want to do is this. When I came here … Rocky had not been open that long. But he told me that the West Orange High teams moved over to our course, so I said to him that it’d be a great idea to host the girls and boys teams here and basically just give them the type of information or notes that you can really only get from someone who’s played on tour for a long time.

“I never had this when I was a youngster,” he said. “So, I look at these high school kids, and I see it as a great opportunity for them. … I’d love them to improve and hopefully follow their dreams — whether that’s to get to the LPGA or the PGA or just to be a good amateur player. I wish I had someone when I was younger — Someone to give me some of that information, so I didn’t have to make all the mistakes and go for it myself. … My parents never played golf. I just want to help these kids understand what it’s going to take and show them the little tricks that we’ve learned from being on tour.”

Hodge feels two sections of the golf community will be a big part of what the club’s academy will aim to serve: juniors and women.

“From just being open for a short period of time, I think juniors and women get left behind a little bit

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANURARY 11, 2024

AMY CHAPEL, WINDERMERE ELEMENTARY

INFLUENCER OF THE WEEK

Winter Garden Girl Scouts experience Broadway’s ‘Aladdin’

Amy Chapel is the media specialist at Windermere Elementary School.

She teaches media/information technology lessons; facilitates book check-outs; and serves as the news crew sponsor, Battle of the Books coach, and textbook and digital device manager. She also facilitates author and storyteller visits. In 2020, she was honored to be chosen as Teacher of the Year at her former school, SunRidge Elementary School.

She said she is proud to serve the Windermere Elementary students and community. to school and let them run around

What brought you to your school?

Last year, an amazing opportunity opened up for me to take over as media specialist here at Windermere Elementary. With some encouragement from my friends, I made the leap and left a school that was my home. WES has welcomed me with open arms!

What do you love most about your school?

Windermere Elementary is a tightknit community in a cute little town. The parents/PTO are so involved and connected.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I love helping students find a great book or series — especially those reluctant readers who suddenly love reading and come visit before school for a new book. Also, the most magical time of year: the Book Fair!

Courtesy photo

The group from One Winter Garden posed on the steps of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts foyer before going into the theater for the Broadway production of “Aladdin.”

Thirteen girls from a Winter Garden troop were treated to a day of theater and cuisine in Orange County’s first Community Giveback program of 2024.

The attendees learned that true wealth comes from within, and they discovered the importance of honesty, selflessness and the consequences of trying to be someone they aren’t.

After the show, everyone received swag bags with a T-shirt, book bag, Genie lamp keychain, cookies and water. The day also included free photos and a special cast video.

Faulk said her group was “amazed and enthused” and talked nonstop

Who influences you?

My parents are retired teachers of 35-plus years. I got my humor and ability to connect with anyone from my dad, for sure. I got my love for teaching the little ones from watching the best kindergarten teacher ever, my mom!

Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? Why? Mrs. Brown, my third-grade teacher. She would bring her pet ferrets, hamsters and even her cats

What do you like to do in your spare time?

My three kids keep me very busy, but I do love to read, swim and cheer on the UCF Knights (three generations of Knights in our family!).

If you could dine with any famous person, past or present, who would it be and why?

Julia Louis-Dreyfus from one of my favorite shows, “Seinfeld.” She is so funny and held her own on a show full of men.

If you could only listen to three bands or artists, who would they be and why?

Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay and Billy Joel.

What was your go-to lunch as an elementary student?

I’d have to say school pizza.

Who was your best friend when you were in school and why? Are you still in touch?

I had lots of amazing friends growing up and, thanks to social media, we all keep in touch. But, my best friend forever is my sister, Leslee.

What were your extracurricular activities as a student? Did you win any accolades or honors?

I played the clarinet in band, was in honor society, Tri-M, Interact and BETA club. I graduated ninth in my class, and I received multiple college scholarships.

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Children and teenagers in these programs were invited to see “Aladdin” on the big stage: n One Winter Garden n South Orlando YMCA n Family Promise of Greater Orlando n Levy Hughes Clubhouse Boys and Girls Club n Bradley-Otis Boys and Girls Club n New Image Youth Center n Sadler Elementary School n Colonial High School n Clay Springs Elementary School n Timber Creek High School n Cypress Creek High School n Wedgefield School n Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida n Mercy Drive Kidz Zone n Edgewater High School n Carver Middle School n Central Florida Leadership Academy n After-School All-Stars n Dover Shores Neighborhood Center n Englewood Neighborhood Center

What would you be if you weren’t in this profession?

I think I would probably be an accountant. Don’t tell my students, but my favorite subject is actually math.

about the experience on the bus trip back to the Dream Center. Most of them said their favorite character was the “hilarious” Genie, and the girls talked about their favorite glitzy costumes. One student was fascinated by the lighting and scenery.

This was the first time the elementary students had been to the theater to see a Broadway show.

For two of the parent volunteers, this was their first time visiting the Dr. Phillips Center, a nonprofit organization in downtown Orlando supported by the city of Orlando, Orange County, the city of Winter Park, the state of Florida, donors and sponsors.

The county started the tradition of the Community Giveback program in 2017 and has provided more than 4,000 experiences to children and residents through the Dr. Phillips Center’s mission of delivering “Arts for Every Life.”

Twenty beneficiary organizations, including schools, after-school programs and local nonprofit groups, participated in the two-day event.

“Continuing to make the arts accessible for everyone is engrained in who we are,” said Kathy Ramsberger, president and CEO of the Dr. Phillips Center. “Our team is passionate about delivering Arts for Every Life, and we are proud that our Broadway Community Giveback initiative has provided over 4,000 experiences for our community members.”

The community program is supported by Ravago Americas, Chick-fil-A Greater Orlando Area, Foxtail Coffee Co., Stax, Morgan Stanley, Donna and Howard Abell, Crouse Charitable Lead Trust, The Yuska Family, Sysco, GoPegasus, city of Orlando commissioners and Orange County Government.

What is your favorite children’s book and why?

I loved “Noisy Nancy Norris.” My mom read it to my sister and me.

Nancy was so wild and loud but learned self-control.

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A group of Winter Garden Girl Scouts learned about choosing their destiny and being true to themselves in an exciting way Sunday, Jan. 7, when they were invited to attend a performance of “Aladdin” at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

The 13 girls, ages 5 through 16, were invited through the One Winter Garden initiative and joined close to 400 other students throughout Central Florida through Orange County’s Community Giveback program.

Danykqua Faulk served as one of the chaperones, and she said she was contacted by Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson’s office about the opportunity to receive free tickets to the show.

For the Winter Garden girls of Troop 244, their day started at 10 a.m. when they were picked up from the West Orange Dream Center by GoPegasus. After picking up another group from Clay Elementary School, the driver escorted the group of excited children and teenagers to the Dr. Phillips Center, where they were greeted by staff and volunteers.

They received VIP passes and took a group photo on the steps of the foyer. They then were taken to the ballroom area for a lunch buffet that included music, a trivia game with prizes and additional photo opportunities.

The show began at 1 p.m., so the groups were ushered to their seats, and the attendees were treated to Broadway magic as Aladdin disguised himself as a wealthy prince and tried to impress the Sultan of Agrabah to win the heart of his free-spirited daughter, Princess Jasmine.

COMMUNITY GIVEBACK

the classroom. She read the best books and was always so kind. I’m sure that is why third grade is also my favorite grade to teach.

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COMMUNITY EDITOR

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AMY QUESINBERRY

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

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Garden club organizer Jen Pilgrim has enjoyed teaching students about gardening.

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The Learning Garden Club takes care of fruiting trees, raised vegetable garden beds, a pineapple patch, an herb garden and two pollinator gardens.

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The children hustle to the courtyard as soon as they arrive at school on Friday mornings, eager to hang out with Jen Pilgrim and see what’s taking shape in the campus’ various gardens.

Pilgrim, who has a kindergartner, Lily, and a first-grader, Max, at Windermere Elementary School, organizes the school’s Learning Garden Club, which takes care of fruiting trees, raised vegetable garden beds, a pineapple patch, an herb garden and two pollinator gardens.

About 70 families participate in the free before-school club.

“With these gardens, we are able to provide hands-on, outdoor learning activities and lessons where children can get their hands dirty and literally see the fruits of their labor,” Pilgrim said.

On any given Friday, close to 30 students join Pilgrim for a lesson on gardening or to hear from a guest speaker, and then they head out to the garden for inspection and maybe some weeding or gathering.

“Taking care of a garden this size is hard work, and the kids have shown they are up for the task,” Pilgrim said.

“Before we could plant, we had five yards of soil delivered to the school — that’s a few thousand

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GROUP EXERCISE

Green thumbs blossom at Windermere Elementary

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANURARY 11, 2024

5B

OBSERVER SCHOOL ZONE pounds,” Pilgrim said. “The kids all grabbed a shovel and loaded up wheelbarrows to move all of that soil to our garden beds. The next week, we worked with an amazing new Learning Garden sponsor, Amber Harmon of SunGold Gardens, who not only donated her time to teach the kids about the importance of amending our soil with organic fertilizers, but also donated dozens of organic plants to give us a jump start on our fall harvest.

“After the lesson, the kids amended the soil and planted the donated veggies,” she said.

“They later planted organic seeds generously donated by Winter Garden Lowe’s.”

Each Wednesday morning, a group of parents shows up to prepare the garden and lessons and activities for the children’s Friday club.

The garden isn’t all work, though.

“A grandparent volunteer, Ann ‘Gaga’ Barron, taught the kids some really cool facts about worms and how important their presence is in our soil,” Pilgrim said. “We even got to have worm experiments like a worm race before adding them to the garden beds. We’ve also had a nature scavenger hunt.”

At the beginning of the school year, club members vote on what they want to plant in the garden.

They have planted carrots, radishes, peas, fingerling and Yukon gold potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, various herbs, cucumbers, cabbage, lettuces, broccoli, and more. They also just planted zinnia flowers from seeds, and they love taking flowers to their teachers, Pilgrim said.

At the end of 2023, the young gardeners harvested the lettuces, radishes, cucumbers and tomatoes they’ve grown and made their own organic garden salads.

Before the Christmas break, the students used the herbs they grew to make holiday gifts for their teachers.

“As the chairperson, I get to be the ambassador for this amazing space at our school,” Pilgrim said.

“I get to experience the happiness

The Learning Garden group at Windermere Elementary School are studying vegetables, plants, bugs and pollinators in the school garden.

and excitement that this program brings to the kids.”

She is grateful for the support of the WES administration, PTO and volunteers, especially from a group of fifth-grade moms who have been loyal garden volunteers for years — Wendy Quintero, Elizabeth McLaughlin and Lisa Phillips — along with Phillips’ daughter, Annabelle. Pilgrim also is thankful for partnerships with the Winter Garden Lowe’s, which donated organic seed packets, starter soil, and weed prevention fabric and pins; Harmon, who created garden maps, assisted in planting day, hosted a lesson and donated dozens of organic vegetables; and Bloom & Grow Garden Society for its contributions of plants, lessons and pollinator garden maintenance.

Students used magnifying glasses to get an upclose look at insects in the vegetable garden.

Principal Janet Bittick inspects a Monarch butterfly caterpillar brought to her by a garden club member.

YOUR SMILE,

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OUR PASSION

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

Golden Oak sale smashes community record A

recent sale in Golden

SNAPSHOT

Oak broke the record

Total Sales: 17 High Sale Price: $10,750,000 Low Sale Price: $265,000

for the largest sale ever in the Southwest Orange

REFLECTIONS

community.

The home at 1697 Sparkling Water Circle, Ocoee, sold Jan. 5, for $419,900. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,884 square feet of living area.

Days on market: 53.

The home at 10297 Summer Meadow Way, Golden Oak, sold Jan. 5, for

SOUTHWEST ORANGE

$10,750,000. Built in 2021, it

CYPRESS CHASE

The home at 9753 Pecky Cypress Way, Orlando, sold Jan. 2, for $610,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, two baths, two half-baths and 2,969 square feet of living area. Days on market: 48.

has five bedrooms, six-andone-half baths and 6,756 square feet of living area.

The sellers were

WINDERMERE

BELMERE VILLAGE

represented by Rob

The home at 1124 Lascala Drive, Windermere, sold Jan. 3, for $592,000. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,818 square feet of living area. Days on market: 45.

Rahter, Stockworth Realty Group. The buyers were represented by Jenny Dunn, also with Stockworth.

These are the highest-

Courtesy photo

The home at 10297 Summer Meadow Way, Golden Oak, sold Jan. 5, for $10,750,000. This sale is the largest ever in the private community at Walt Disney World. The sellers were represented by Rob Rahter, Stockworth Realty Group. The buyers were represented by Jenny Dunn, also with Stockworth.

HORIZON WEST

selling homes in each

ENCLAVE AT HAMLIN

The home at 15373 Arcadia Bluff Loop, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 2, for $583,000. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,441 square feet of living area. Days on market: 16.

community in West Orange.

DR. PHILLIPS BAY HILL VILLAGE SOUTH

The home at 6073 Lexington Park, No. 87, Orlando, sold Jan. 4, for $902,000. Built in 1986, it has two bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,771 square feet of living area. Days on market: Five.

HIGHLAND RIDGE

The home at 14388 Braemar St., Winter Garden, sold Jan. 5, for $532,305. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,114 square feet.

HIDDEN SPRINGS

The home at 5921 Cedar Pine Drive, Orlando, sold Jan. 2, for $705,000. Built in 1986, it has four bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,677 square feet of living area. Days on market: 13.

KENSINGTON PARK

The home at 4872 Keeneland Circle, Orlando, sold Jan. 5, for $1,200,000. Built in 2002, it has six bedrooms, five baths and 4,311 square feet of living area. Days on market: 36.

WATERLEIGH John Ruiz Photography

The home at 4872 Keeneland Circle, Orlando, sold Jan. 5, for $1,200,000. It was one of the two top sales in Dr. Phillips from Jan. 1 to 8. The sellers were represented by Kelly Ann Whitaker and April Winters, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.

LAKE MARSHA HIGHLANDS ADDITION

RUBY LAKE

The home at 5364 Glasgow Circle, Orlando, sold Jan. 5, for $379,000. Built in 1972, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,554 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

The home at 11262 Lemon Lake Blvd., Orlando, sold Jan. 4, for $1,200,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 3,844 square feet of living area. Days on market: 25.

The home at 10230 Atwater Bay Drive, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 3, for $730,000. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,840 square feet of living area. Days on market: 26.

OCOEE

EAGLES LANDING

The home at 2939 Westyn Cove Lane, Ocoee, sold Jan. 4, for $602,000. Built in 2015, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,408 square feet. Days on market: 65.

The home at 13036 Lake Roper Court, Windermere, sold Jan. 4, for $1,775,000. Built in 2003, it has five bedrooms, five-and-one-half baths and 4,044 square feet of living area. Days on market: 47.

WINTER GARDEN

COVINGTON CHASE

The home at 501 Millwood Place, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 3, for $495,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,692 square feet of living area.

Days on market: 78.

DANIELS CROSSING

The home at 272 Daniels Pointe Drive, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 2, for $320,000. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 985 square feet of living area. Days on market: 21.

SOUTHERN PINES CONDOMINIUMS

The condo at 304 Southern Pecan Circle, No. 204, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 2, for $265,000. Built in 2005, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,264 square feet of living area. Days on market: 14.

JIMMIE F. WHITEHURST DIED JAN. 7, 2024.

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANURARY 11, 2024

7B

BRAINFOOD The Observer answers kids’ burning curiosities.

Helping Hands I Michael Eng // Editor and Publisher For many, the start of the new year is a great time to

BEARS WHO CARE

make a few positive changes in their lives.

Bears Who Care brings comfort and engages the imaginations of ill and disadvantaged children during times of need through teddy bears and books.

This organization welcomes volunteers for for fundraising or staffing Bears Who Care events. If interested, send an email to tad@ bearswhocare.org.

Often, these goals are intended to improve the person. Some set goals of reading more, eating less or spending less time on an iPhone or iPad. But have you ever thought about any changes you can make that might help others, too? There are tons and tons of ways you can donate your time or your talent to help others in our community. Of course, there are plenty of ways to do just that at your school or church. But if you’re looking for something new, here are just a few of the many places where you can make volunteerism and community service a part of your life in 2024.

MATTHEW’S HOPE MINISTRIES

Winter Garden’s Matthew’s Hope Ministries assists the community’s homeless population in many different ways, and the nonprofit organization always is looking for volunteers to assist in its mission.

There are several opportunities that would be perfect for students.

GROUP SERVICE PROJECTS

Student groups, church groups, meet-up groups, corporate groups or any gathering of people can partner with ministry leaders to plan a service

READING REINDEER

project. Projects may vary depending upon the ministry needs and are determined based upon the age group, size, time frame and season of service.

DESIGN A PROJECT

Many students and groups have created their own ways of having a meaningful impact on the ministry and its work. The sky is the limit with creative ideas! Many have conducted item collection drives, designed cards and crafts to share with guests, prepared meal items or snacks to share on Tuesdays, Thursdays and more!

PREPARE AND SERVE MEALS

A rotating group of teams assume one meal (breakfast, lunch or to-go dinner) for each Tuesday & Thursday Ministries Services Day of the month. They prepare or purchase the food, and then have the option to deliver or stay and serve the meal to the 100 or more guests each week.

Remember: Any volunteers younger than 15 must be accompanied by an adult or guardian while volunteering.

If interested, contact Matthew’s Hope at Meals@MatthewsHopeMinistries.org or (407) 905-9500 for more information.

HEALTHY WEST ORANGE

You’ve likely seen Westly, the cute, orange stick figure mascot of Healthy West Orange. This organization is a grassroots movement to inspire West Orange County to become the healthiest community in the nation. The group provides tools and social connections to help local residents eat well, stay active and enjoy life.

And yes, it needs your help!

Healthy West Orange has tons of volunteer opportunities.

If you’re interested, visit healthywestorange.org to get started!

The Observer Media Group’s Reading Reindeer literacy program, which started in 1997, is an annual holiday book drive through which we collect new books to be given to underserved children from birth to age 17 during the holidays.

The books are given to Edgewood Children’s Ranch, Eight Waves, Oakland Police Department, Matthew’s Hope Firm Foundation, Christian Service Center, Community Health Centers, the Winter Garden Police Department’s Holiday Gifts For Kids Program and the Ocoee Police Department’s Holiday Toys for Kids in Need Program.

Each year, the Reading Reindeer program needs collection points, so students could spearhead a book drive at his or her school. We also need help sorting the books once collected.

For more information, email us at contact@orangeobserver.com.

ORANGE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM

If you’re looking for community service hours, consider joining the Orange County Library System’s Teen Volunteer League.

Orange County Library’s volunteer opportunities are designed for students between the ages of 11 and 18.

For more information visit ocls.info/support-library/volunteer.

RECOMMENDED READING NON-FICTION n “Librarians in Our Community” by Michelle Ames n “City of Neighbors” by Andrea Curtis; illustrated by Katy Dockrill

Library resources, closer to home!

407628-1

FICTION n “All are Welcome. Give what You Can” by Alexandra Penfold; illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman n “Pa, Me, and Our Sidewalk Pantry” by Toni Buzzeo; illustrated by Zara González Hoang

wwww Illustration by Andrea Rukstalis //Graphic Designer

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANURARY 11, 2024

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2024

WHEN YOU WORK WITH ME, YOU WORK WITH THE

#1 NAME IN

REAL ESTATE BAPTIST

CHURCH OF GOD

First Baptist Church Ocoee Church of God Pastor Tim Grosshans Pastor Thomas Odom I Know West Orange 125 E. Plant St, Winter Garden 1105 N. Lakewood Ave.,Ocoee (407) 656-2352 (407) 656-8011 Sundays: 8:30 AM Traditional EPISCOPAL LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE 9:45 AM Bible Study Church of the Messiah AWARD WINNER 11 AM Contemporary 241 N. Main St., Winter Garden Wednesdays: 6 PM Awana Services: 8, 9:30, & 11 AM, 4 PM (French & Creole), 7 PM 2nd Campus: www.ChurchoftheMessiah.com First Baptist Church @ Horizon West METHODIST 15304 Tilden Road, First United Methodist Winter Garden www.fumcwg.org Sundays: 9:45 AM All Ages 125 N. Lakeview Ave., www.FBCWG.org Winter Garden STARKE LAKE BAPTIST ANGLICAN METHODIST NON-DEN 656-1135 CHURCH Starke Lake Baptist Church (407) FIRST UNITED METHODIST Services: 9 AM Traditional PURPOSE C ANGLICAN COMMUNITY PO Box 520,Pritchard 611 W Ave, Ocoee Pastor Jeff CHURCH 13640 W. Colo 10:45 AM Contemporary FELLOWSHIP CHURCH Pastor Jeff Pritchard PO Box 520 611 W Ave., 125 N. Lakeview Ave Winter Garden Rector The Rev. Canon Tim Trombitas Also viewable on YouTube Winter Garden (407) 656-2351 Ocoee Service Times 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM 407-654-9661 Scan here to1146 East Plant St, Winter Garden www.starkelakebaptist.org Phone – 407-656-1135 Fellowship 9:4 (407) 656-2351 SUNDAY SERVICE 10:00 AM Web: fumcwg.org www.StarkeLakeBaptist.org get started. Find us at: Theacf.net

CHURCH

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OCOEE CHURCHChurch OF GOD Victory Baptist BAPTIST Pastor Thomas Odom & Christian Academy 1105 N. Lakewood Ocoee BEULAH BAPTIST 1601 A.D. Mims Avenue, Rd,Ocoee 407-656-8011 Pastor Casey Butner (407) 656-3097 671 Beulah Rd, Winter Garden Sunday: 11 AM & 6 PM EPISCOPAL 407-656-3342 | BeulahBaptistWG.org Wednesday: 7 PM CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY 9:30AM www.VBCOCOEE.com SUNDAY SERVICE 11:00AM WEDNESDAY SERVICE 6:00PM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 416530-1 125 E Plant St., Winter Garden 407-656-2352 SUNDAYS 8:30 am Traditional 9:45 am Bible Study 11:00 am Contemporary WEDNESDAYS - 6pm - Awana Pastor Tim Grosshans www.fbcwg.org 2nd Campus: FOUNDATION WORSHIP SUNDAYS 9:45 am - All Ages Foundation Academy High School 15304 Tilden Rd., Winter Garden www.FoundationWorship.com 407-730-1867

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