02.01.24 Southwest Orange Observer

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FREE • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

VOLUME 9, NO. 17

KareBear: 1966-2024

Dr. Phillips Little League’s history of providing fun and enriching lives will continue at its new home.

SEE PAGE 1B.

The Winter Garden City Commission voted unanimously not to hold a forfeiture hearing for Commissioner Ron Mueller following discussions related to the City Charter.

SEE PAGE 6A.

JAZZFEST SWINGS INTO OCOEE

WIN $2,500 FOR YOUR SCHOOL!

Kari Kron Schmitz, the co-founder of the charity Bears Who Care, died Jan. 20, after a sevenmonth cancer battle.

She was 57.

SEE PAGE 4A.

Courtesy photos

Kari, Gwen and Tad Schmitz launched the Bears Who Care organization as a family.

OAKLAND HONORS HERITAGE

SNOW DAY!

YOUR TOWN

HAPCO Music Foundation and the city of Ocoee are celebrating a full day of jazz music Saturday, Feb. 3.

It begins with a jazz clinic from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ocoee High School, 1925 Ocoee Crown Point Parkway.

The free, non-competitive event is open to students in middle and high school. Professional clinicians will lead the clinic, which will include a critique of performances. To register, visit bit.ly/42gvOFz. From 6 to 10 p.m. JazzFest Ocoee provides an evening of ATTO Music Project; Latin, jazz and rock fusion; and The Jazz Professors with DaVonda Simmons. The Ocoee High School Jazz Band will kick off the event. Chef Sage’s menu includes food with a Caribbean flair by Sage’s Kitchen, wines are provided

by West Orange Creamery, and cigars are available from Astute Gentlemen Barber & Cigar Lounge.

VIP tickets include Wine & Dine and reserved outdoor concert seating. For tickets, visit bit.ly/3u85e4P. Entrance to the Wine & Dine is $75; entrance is free for the concert only. The event is at the Ocoee Lakeshore Center, 125 N. Lakeshore Drive.

Sliding into new home

City will not hold forfeiture hearing

See the top real-estate sales for West Orange and Southwest Orange. SEE 9B.

The Rosen JCC brought a flurry of wintry family fun at its 2024 Winterfest. SEE PAGE 6B.

The town of Oakland celebrated its history Saturday, Jan. 27, with a fun-filled Oakland Heritage Day. SEE PAGE 8A.

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

n Windermere Town Council members approved an agreement between the town and the Marina Bay Homeowners Association.

Under the agreement, the town will be constructing a roundabout at the intersection of Windermere and Maguire roads. To preserve as many trees as possible, the location of the roundabout needs to be shifted toward the Marina Bay neighborhood, which will require the Marina Bay HOA to deed portions of property to the town. n The council had discussion on Sunset Bay’s request to convert to a private, gated community.

Town Manager Robert Smith said the request is from a third party and not based on the town’s initiative. Sunset Bay HOA President Henry Robitaille said this is the fourth time the HOA has approached the town about the gate. Before looking into the gate, the HOA wanted to gather new council members’ input. The council consented to not having a problem with the HOA exploring the gate, as long as all of the requirements throughout the process were met. The gate would require unanimous approval from residents.

Mayor: ‘There is a process and decorum for a reason’ ANNABELLE SIKES NEWS EDITOR

New Windermere Council Member Brandi Haines voiced concerns about equitable treatment from town staff during her liaison comments at the Council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 23.

Haines was selected in November to temporarily fill the Town Council seat formerly occupied by Molly Rose. She will hold the seat until the March election.

“There have been a few issues,” she said. “I understand that I am new to the council and that this is a transition period for everyone, but I have had some issues with staff. A member of staff I feel has, at some meetings I’ve attended, tried to inform me and chastise me for speaking when I wanted to share information or disseminate information.

“I am familiar with the Town Charter,” she said. “I am familiar with the Sunshine laws, and there is no violation of me attending a meeting or sharing information. … I think that needs to be handled before it gets out of control. I am a council member, and I am here at the behest of the residents of this town to do the best things for this community and the best things for the residents, and if — for some reason — staff feels that my sharing of information is not OK — in whatever way, shape, or form — I feel like that should be handled privately or it should go

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through (Town Manager) Robert (Smith), because it’s not appropriate for some of the interactions I’ve had.”

Haines said she has not directed any other staff member, other than Smith, of things she has wanted, and said she mostly has just been asking questions.

“I want to make sure that I’m getting the same equitable treatment as every other council member, that if I have questions I want to feel like I’m able to ask them without being impeded by that from staff,” she said.

Mayor Jim O’Brien said Haines should trust the process in place for the Town Council.

“It is important as a new council (member) that we respect the institution of what is done here and how it is done,” he said. “We respect our staff, and they respect the council back. There is a process and decorum for a reason. You have to trust the rest of the council, and we have to trust you. That’s how this works. I know this can be an adjustment. I know it wasn’t necessarily the traditional way that you came on to the council. So, you know, just give it a little time.”

As t he second newest council

member, Tom Stroup said he understands Haines’ frustrations, and he has been in the same situation before.

Council Member Andy Williams also agreed.

“We’ve all been in that seat; it’s just a part of it,” he said. “That’s the hard part about being on council, is going through the process, but we’ve all been there.”

SUNSHINE LAW

Council member Tony Davit asked Town Attorney Heather Ramos about rules regarding multiple council members attending committees.

“Obviously, each one of us is (a) liaison for a specific committee for a reason, and I feel — and I would love to get your take — that if multiple council members show up to (a) committee, that that’s a violation of the Sunshine Law if we discuss our opinions and where we stand on an issue,” he said.

Ramos said multiple council members can attend a meeting, but they have to be careful about their actions at the meeting.

“If you have more than two council members at a committee meeting, they should sit separately and not talk (among) themselves,” she said.

The Town Council plans to host a session to discuss ethics and Sunshine laws Tuesday, Feb. 27.

TOWN HALL WORKSHOP

The town of Windermere hosted a virtual workshop Monday, Jan. 22, regarding potential changes to Town Hall. Town Manager Robert Smith said the only new addition to the plans was a gazebo that emerged from ongoing discussions with Rotary Inc. and Healthy West Orange. However, he said the town did not receive much pushback on the new addition.

A majority of the discussion at the meeting was whether the building would keep its historic designation rating based on the State Historic Preservation Offices.

Smith said the town met with SHPO, and the organization said the only item that would potentially harm the designation would be the bathroom bump-out.

“We were already looking at amending the multipurpose room, which used to be the bridal room, to be the outdoor bathrooms for the basketball courts and for the Town Square,” Smith said. “They said that was perfectly fine, as long as it’s not connected to the actual Town Hall and it doesn’t take away from the historical; you don’t amend the Town Hall structurally to add those additions, then they didn’t have any issues with it.”

The town next will host an inperson public workshop Wednesday, Feb. 7.

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IN OTHER NEWS

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

OPEN MARKET

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Oakland considers expanding golf-cart street access AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

Chris Manzano, owner of Cluckerz Chicken, is excited to host the first community market with the city of Ocoee and Orange Blossom Market Co. at the Ocoee Lakeshore Center.

The city of Ocoee is partnering with Orange Blossom Market Co. and Cluckerz Chicken to host monthly community markets.

The first takes place Thursday, Feb. 1.

ANNABELLE SIKES NEWS EDITOR

T

he city of Ocoee, Orange Blossom Market Co. and Cluckerz Chicken are coming together to host the first Ocoee Community Market.

The outdoor market will be held the first Thursday of every month at the Ocoee Lakeshore Center and Bill Breeze Park. The first market will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1.

The free market will showcase dozens of local vendors with handcrafted goods, unique products and artisan snacks.

At the family-friendly event, attendees also will be able to enjoy an array of food trucks offering tasty treats, live music performances by local artists, face painting, inflatable games and more.

The goal of the market is to encourage residents to shop and eat locally to support small businesses in their community.

PERFECT PARTNERSHIP

When Chris Manzano, Ocoee-area resident and owner of Cluckerz Chicken, opened his food truck last year, he did so with the intent of making a positive impact on the surrounding community.

Although known for its crispy chicken tenders, Cluckerz takes pride in not just its food but also its ability to help those who need it the most.

Manzano had been thinking of starting a food truck and movie night, and he decided to reach out to for-

mer Ocoee community member Dave Tran, who started the Lunar New Year celebration in Ocoee, to ask for advice.

Tran helped Manzano set up some meetings with the city before Manzano realized he would need additional help.

“I realized I knew a lot about restaurants and the food truck scene, but I knew nothing about dealing with city matters and markets,” he said. “I immediately thought of Sheena Willis from Orange Blossom Market Co.” Manzano met Willis at one of her networking meetings for small businesses called Oakland Networking at Nine.

“We really hit it off when we first met, and I decided to try and reach out and contact her to see if she would be interested in helping me,” he said. “I remember her mentioning to me that she had an interest in doing a farmers market in the city for a long time, so I thought this might be a great opportunity to combine our visions. I asked her if she would be interested in partnering and taking over, and then, in return, she would be the head of everything. I would gain the experience of learning from her, so that eventually I can grow the food truck events. I look at her kind of like an inspiration.”

HOMETOWN APPEAL

Through Orange Blossom Market Co., Willis has helped organize several local farmers markets, including the one in the town of Oakland.

“Chris had been able to join a few of those networking meetings since September, and we also got to know each

WANT TO PARTICIPATE?

Interested in becoming a vendor? Send an email to Sheena Willis, Orange Blossom Market Co., at sheena@orangeblossommarketco.com.

other and (our) work styles through events I host in other towns,” she said.

“Chris had set up a meeting with the city to brainstorm ways to connect locals with local businesses and invited me to join. We spent some time researching and creating a proposal to present to the city together.”

Manzano and Willis approached the city’s Parks and Recreation Department in September.

“After researching markets around Central Florida, Sheena and Orange Blossom Market Co. were linked to several of the successful markets,” Ocoee Recreation Operations Manager Toren Hogan said. “Chris is an Ocoee resident, and we have used his Cluckerz Chicken food truck at a few of the city’s events. The Parks and Recreation Department is always looking to expand the programs and services offered to the community.”

Hogan said the city held a farmers market a few years ago, but with construction projects in downtown Ocoee, the market was suspended and never re-established.

“Also, residents and the community saw a need for a market,” Hogan said.

“We received several calls the past 12 months and social media feedback about a need for a market in Ocoee.

The city feels like the market fulfills a community need and will be a vibrant hub to bring people together. The city also thinks the market is a good idea because it supports local vendors, encourages people to visit the great businesses in downtown Ocoee and provides different family-friendly event options.”

Willis said the city has provided the managing partners an opportunity to be part of something special.

“Ocoee is a hometown — even if you recently moved there,” she said.

“The people are welcoming, and it’s an environment I want to work in. I love collaborating as a team. Parks and Recreation was very open to our ideas, and Joy Wright, with services support, has also been a great help.”

Hogan hopes the market will provide a place that brings the community together.

“I also hope the community market

ATTEND THE MARKET

WHEN: 5 to 9 p.m., first Thursday of the month WHERE: Ocoee Lakeshore Center, 125 N. Lakeshore Drive, Ocoee INFORMATION: bit.ly/3Suu7RJ

enhances social connection, while providing opportunities to shop and eat locally, establish connections to vendors and downtown businesses, and, in general, serve as a tool for community development,” Hogan said.

“One of the goals for the Parks and Recreation Department is to provide a variety of events and community services that facilitate community engagement and enhance residents’ quality of life. The community market is a prime example of this.”

COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

Vendors for the event will be set up inside the Ocoee Lakeshore Center, as well as outside on the lawn of Bill Breeze Park.

Millcookies, Captain Crazy’s Nuts and Fine Snacks, and Soulshine in a Jar are just a few of the names attendees may recognize at the event.

Cluckerz Chicken will lead the food truck scene, accompanied by others such as GringaMex, Twisted Plates, Hot Dog Therapy and Tagliolino Fresh Pasta.

Locals also will be able to capture the moment with a photo booth by Now It’s A Party LLC and enjoy inflatables games for the children courtesy of Twisted Outdoor Events. Francesca Tarantino, local 15-year-old singer, will perform.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at the beginning of the event.

“I hope to create an environment that gives our guests something to look forward to each month and (have) our vendors feel supported,” Willis said.

Manzano wants to grow the market to host about 30 to 40 vendors, as well as feature a mix of both popular and up-and-coming food trucks, and expand to encompass the downtown Ocoee area. His goal is to create an event that combines the Winter Garden Farmers Market and the Windermere Food Truck Night.

If the market goes well, he hopes to host the event more frequently.

JOHNS LAKE OUTFALL CANAL

Discussions continued on the Johns Lake Outfall Canal, which has caused aggravation for residents living on Lake Apopka and discord among the commission.

Stewart said the town has retained engineering firm KimleyHorn, and consultants have visited the project site.

The town spent $120,000 in March 2023 to remove sediment.

Days later, more sand returned. At the Nov. 14 meeting, commissioners voted 3-2 to spend the same amount of money to redo the work.

Town attorneys recommended the town get an engineer involved this time. The engineer also recommended fortification in a section of the canal.

Stewart said work could continue as soon as February.

Mayor Kathy Stark read from a prepared statement.

“While I am happy about the update to this issue, I would like to see all of us move forward with respect for each other and our positions that we have shown as a group in the past,” she wrote. “I am asking that everyone respect the process and (one another) in the future. ... I also ask that this work is done with a public purpose for the town. Time for pushing our own agendas and needs should be over.”

Commissioner Mike Satterfield agreed.

“I am much happier with the engineering we couldn’t get the first time around, and I blame all five of us,” he said. “We were in a hurry to put it behind us.”

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Annabelle Sikes

Golf-cart owners are a step closer to being able to travel on more streets in the town of Oakland following the Town Commission’s approval of the first reading of such an ordinance. Town Manager Andy Stewart said at the commission’s Jan. 23 meeting this will allow for more fluency around town.

“As Oakland Park Phase 7 completes, it will allow a majority of Oakland to take your golf carts to downtown Winter Garden,” Stewart said.

Police Chief Darron Esan has been working on this ordinance for close to seven months. If the second reading is approved at the next commission meeting, more streets will be added to the town code, and drivers would be allowed to cross Oakland Avenue, as well.

The ordinance establishes a golf-cart safety zone within the town limits and establishes fourway stops on Oakland Avenue at Pollard Street and Winters Landing Drive, as well as an established cart crossing at Tubb Street.

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 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 Sales Manager / Cyndi Gustafson, advertising@OrangeObserver.com Multimedia Advertising Executive / Iggy Collazo, iggy@OrangeObserver.com Graphic Designer / Andrea Rukstalis, arukstalis@OrangeObserver.com Advertising Operations Manager / Allison Brunelle, abrunelle@OrangeObserver.com Marketing and Sales Associate / Zari Gotay, zari@OrangeObserver.com

Bears Who Care co-founder Kari Kron Schmitz spent time with the female winners of the OktoBEARfest Fun Run.

Community remembers Kari Kron Schmitz SAM ALBUQUERQUE SPORTS EDITOR

K

ari Kron Schmitz understood that to do good, you only needed two things: a strong work ethic and a servant’s heart.

In 2008, along with her husband, Tad Schmitz, she founded Bears Who Care, a nonprofit that delivers books and teddy bears to Central Florida children who have been affected by an illness, injury, disaster or financial hardship.

Since then, the Schmitzes’ impact has been immense. By 2023, Bears Who Care had distributed books and bears to more than 28,000 children.

And the 2023 edition of the organization’s signature event — the OktoBEARfest Fun Run & Walk in Horizon West — raised more than $32,000 in just its sixth year.

For the past seven months, Kari stayed true to the mission while fighting her own battle with leptomeningeal disease, a rare lung cancer. She died Saturday, Jan. 20, at 57.

“Our beloved Kari Kron Schmitz passed away peacefully … with her husband, Tad, by her side,” family representatives wrote in Kari’s CaringBridge online journal. “In her final weeks, Kari felt the outpouring of love offered by this community of dear friends and family.”

Her legacy can be found — and felt — all over Central Florida.

AN INSPIRED LIFE

“Kari and Bears Who Care are an inspiration,” said her friend, Heather Easterling. “They helped create so many happy memories for the kids receiving those books and those teddy bears. What child would not want to receive a teddy bear and a book? I think having access to books and teddy bears is just fundamental to everyone’s childhood, and the fact that Bears Who Care took that as their mission and provided that to these children in need … made a huge impact on our community.”

When starting Bears Who Care, Kari Schmitz took inspiration from her parents, Jon and Nancy Kron, both teachers, and Tad Schmitz’s grandfather, Ted Schmitz.

The Schmitzes started with 50 bears and 50 books. Through hard work and a relentless drive, Kari expanded the reach and power of the organization through events, fundraisers and community engagement, including reading to children in local schools.

“We have huge hearts for children and wanted to find a way we could touch the lives of those in need while also honoring our family,” she told the Observer in 2018. “We look forward to this journey and hope to bring happiness, comfort and education to young lives in our community.”

The organization is best known

strengthen over that was so beautiful to see.

“But that’s just the effect she had on people,” Lang said. “She just had such a good heart. She was always reaching out and checking if there was anything that she could do to help. She was just a person who cared about everybody. … She was one of those people who just made your life better.”

Kari Schmitz’s work and memory will live on through her family, her friends and Bears Who Care.

“She was just a remarkable person,” Easterling said. “She was so important to us — both professionally and personally. Her legacy will continue on, and we’ll help it continue. She’ll be missed more than words describe.”

THE AVENGER

Courtesy photos

Kari Kron Schmitz and her husband, Tad Schmitz, founded the nonprofit that delivers books and teddy bears to local children in 2008.

for the OktoBEARfest event, which started in 2018.

“She was always the one to charge ahead, and she really established the first one to establish any kind of a race over here in Hamlin,” said Horizon West Happenings CEO Stephanie Lang, who developed a friendship with Kari Schmitz through her company’s sponsorship of the foundation. “She was just amazing, so passionate and driven, and the amount of energy and just work that she put into this event every year was absolutely amazing.”

In just six years, the run has raised nearly $150,000 for Bears Who Care, including a record-breaking $32,000 in 2023 and $24,000 in the COVIDchallenged 2020.

“It’s just been so great to see that race grow over the last five, six years now,” Lang said. “(More than) 500 families come together, along with sponsors like us, who are happy to be there to meet and connect with so many smiling faces. People look forward to this every year. … It’s amazing what she’s been able to do and how many people she’s been able to bring together to support children here in the area.

“She was a voice for the children in our community who fought for them,” she said. “With Bears Who Care, she had a mission, and she did

everything she could to get proceeds to help the kids get their teddy bears and their books, because she wanted them to have that comfort and inspiration.”

‘FIRE IN HER EYES’

Beyond her incredible drive, Kari Schmitz’s kind heart was evident to those who spent any time with her.

“She was just lovely; she was vibrant, kind and funny,” Easterling said. “She just had this fire in her eyes, she was full of light. Tenacious.

When she had a goal, she just went forward, and she got it done. She was such a good friend. … She just touched me in a very special way. She was just very strong and a huge asset to our community.”

Lang agreed.

“She just had a very contagious energy,” she said. “So when you were around her, you just felt her energy and her strength and passion. The amount of work that she put into this event and (the) charity was incredible — and it was all volunteer work. It was really important to her to do this work with her daughter, to bring her daughter into this and for her daughter to see how important it is to have that servant’s heart and to do good in the community. Kari did this side-by-side with her daughter, Gwen. … To watch their relationship

Kari Schmitz titled her first CaringBridge journal entry chronicling her cancer battle, “And the Adventure Begins …”. And for a photo, she chose a triumphant pose with Marvel’s Dr. Strange.

“As you know, I always try to find the meaning and positive in these life-changing moments, and one meaningful outcome is for all of you to be reminded of how amazing it is to be alive and to be grateful for everyone and everything that is special to you,” she wrote. “Hold your loved ones tight, hug them and tell them you love them every day, because you can never hear it enough!”

Throughout her journal, Kari Schmitz chronicled her adventure, which included specialists at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, a visit to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, chemotherapy, countless scans, proton therapy, experimental drugs and then a terminal diagnosis in December.

“The most difficult news for me to share with you is that I have been advised that my prognosis is terminal,” Kari Schmitz wrote in her final journal entry. “Without any treatment, my life expectancy could be one to three months, and with the proton therapy, it could be six to 12 months. However, with the experimental treatment, it could be extended longer, possibly into multiple years. I am realistic and understand this is not a life-saving treatment, but there is a 30% to 40% chance it will help shrink the Death Star tumor and give me more time. I am sure it comes as no surprise that I am a risk-taker, and I want any chance I can have to more quality time with my family and friends!”

Less than a month later, Tad Schmitz wrote that his wife’s cancer had begun impacting her physical and mental function. But even then — and perhaps more than ever — she was an inspiration.

“Kari is an example of the importance to live your best life today,” he wrote. “We never know what tomorrow will bring. We are an unfortunate example of how your tomorrow can unexpectedly change pretty rapidly. So hug your loved ones a little tighter and go live your best life TODAY! That’s what Kari would want for you.”

A celebration of life ceremony will take place Sunday, Feb. 25, in Winter Garden.

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Ron Mueller will not face forfeiture hearing ANNABELLE SIKES NEWS EDITOR

After months of conversations, the Winter Garden City Commission voted not to hold a forfeiture hearing for Commissioner Ron Mueller following discussions related to the City Charter.

At the Nov. 9 commission meeting, the City Commission voted 4-1, with Mueller dissenting, to hold a public forfeiture hearing in January.

However, at the Jan. 11 meeting, commissioners voted to hold the workshop to clarify the way forward for a possible forfeiture hearing.

City Attorney Kurt A. Ardaman said the charter provides that a City Commission member shall forfeit their office if during the term of office the commissioner fails to: maintain residency and voter registration requirements of section 12 of the charter; violates any express prohibition of the charter; is convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude; or fails to physically attend three regular, consecutive commission meetings without being excused by the City Commission.

At the special meeting Friday, Jan. 26, Ardaman clarified the workshop was not a hearing to consider forfeiture of office and that Sunshine laws are not part of the charter discussions.

After several motions were made, withdrawn and workshopped, Commissioner Lisa Bennett made the final motion and the commission approved it unanimously.

City Attorney Kurt A. Ardaman clarified the motion: “The commission has received (copies of emails) that rise to the level of a possible forfeiture, but we will not hold a hearing on those emails, but direct the city manager, city attorney to bring back guidance to the commission.”

CHARTER CLARIFICATIONS

Commissioner Colin Sharman believes the commission should look at ways to make the charter more clear.

Before the commission began its discussion, Ardaman reviewed the city’s “commissioner-manager” form of government in which the manager serves as the chief administrative officer, as well as defined certain terminology in the City Charter.

According to the charter, this means, the “city manager shall be the chief executive officer of the city and responsible to the City Commission for the management of all city affairs placed in the city manager’s charge by or under this charter.”

Bennett made an initial motion that received a second from Sharman, which he later withdrew.

“My issue has been that it is not just that the charter has been mistaken and violated,” Bennett said. “We have a stack here of just some of the emails directing staff, threatening to fire people if Ron didn’t get his way. We’re not elected to … get what we want at all costs. If we all acted this way, our city wouldn’t get anything done. It’s very evident, just by the evidence in writing that we’ve reviewed, that violations of 14.1 and 14.2 are there. So, I would make a motion that we find Ron guilty of violating the charter, section 14.1 and 14.2, and we give him one, and only, warning, and then we direct the city attorney and the city manager to find him the language, even though ‘solely’ means ‘solely,’ there are some possible ambiguities that can be addressed, and bring back rules and decorum so this never happens again.”

CORRECTION

Questions regarding accusations that Commissioner Ron Mueller violated Sunshine Law were included in previous reporting about discussions related to the proposed forfeiture hearing. This was inaccurate. Sunshine Law concerns were not part of any discussions related to the City Charter. We regret the errors.

“I took Lisa’s things as trying to get a warning and not have a forfeiture hearing,” Sharman said after the initial motion. “I took it as her taking advice from us (and) constituents at last night’s meeting and realizing that, hey, maybe we just need to move forward and see what happens. I didn’t take it as she was trying to do anything different.”

Sharman believes as a commissioner, it is “common courtesy” to direct constituents to the appropriate district commissioner to handle.

“I would never hold a community meeting in another commissioner’s district or HOA,” he said. “That’s just professional courtesy. … If you go and do things in somebody’s district and upset them, they’re going to shut you down and not see your point of view. … I would be furious if somebody took an HOA meeting, Town Hall in my district.”

Bennett said this has happened to her, but her issue is the way staff has been treated.

“You don’t treat people the way that you do … and then get in a public setting and compliment them,” she said.

A majority of the workshop’s conversation was directed at Mueller, although Ardaman said the special meeting, approved at the January commission meeting, was intended to discuss certain provisions in the charter and not a single commissioner’s actions.

“One of the first rules that we established for this workshop was that this workshop was not about Ron Mueller,” Mueller said. “It is about the charter and how we interpret it and how we move forward with the charter.

Regrettably, Commissioner Bennett didn’t follow through. … That’s not what we were here to do today. The reason that we came here today and had a workshop … was to talk about how we go forward with the charter.”

Ardaman reviewed the two provisions under the City Charter —

IN OTHER NEWS These actions were taken during the Winter Garden City Commission meeting Thursday, Jan. 25. n The City Commission presented awards and a key to the city to four students from West Orange High School — Kaley Henderson, Sarah Lewis, Marissa Romeu and Cate Solomon — for being crowned champions of the Future Farmers of America’s National Food Science Competition. n The commission opted to postpone a resolution identifying and officially designating the historic east Winter Garden neighborhood to the next meeting. n The city approved a city of South Daytona piggyback contract for sewer rehabilitation services with Atlantic Pipe Services LLC. n Commissioners approved hiring Hudson Pump & Equipment for Wastewater Treatment plant effluent pump repair in the amount of $79,875. n The commission approved authorizing the city manager to execute an agreement with Healthy West Orange for a Pocket Park Sculpture. n The city approved a site plan for 411 N. Dillard St. for an addition and renovation of Health Central Park with revised architecture and minor site plan changes. n Commissioners approved Nick Farrell as a new member of the Code Enforcement Board. n City Attorney Kurt A. Ardaman discussed a Florida law firm’s plans to file a lawsuit challenging the new Form 6 financial disclosure requirements for city officials.

Ardaman said the commission can opt to join, if they please, as a whole commission or as an individual commissioner. The commission will continue to have discussions with Ardaman regarding this topic.

Article II, Sections 14.1 (appointments and removals) and 14.2 (interference with administration) — that Bennett said Mueller has violated. She first voiced her concerns with Mueller at the Aug. 10, 2023, commission meeting.

Under appointments and removals, the charter states the commission and its members shall not “control, demand, direct or request the appointment or removal of any city administrative officer or employee whom the city manager or any of the city manager’s subordinates is empowered to appoint or hire.”

The charter also states: “Except for the purpose of an investigation pursuant to this charter, the City Commission and its members shall deal with the city administrative officers and employees solely through the city manager.”

Mayor John Rees emphasized he believes it’s “common sense” that if something is needed from staff, commissioners need to go through the city manager. He said he has never had these kinds of issues in his experiences with the city.

“I was told by a previous city manager that he had asked Ron not to do this anymore,” Rees said. “I was told that our current city manager had done that. Then, there was an email in writing that said, ‘Please … do not continue to send emails to staff and copy the city manager,’ and it continued on after that.”

City Manager Jon C. Williams also spoke about staff’s perspective.

“First and foremost, it places staff in an awkward position of potential charter violation, (and) it can be interpreted as attempting to influence staff with respect to operation,” he said. “The reality is that by putting staff in that position, it forces them, or us, to choose between doing something an elected official wants versus the majority of the commission. … Every city manager can take a different approach to commissioner and staff interactions. I will say, prior to being promoted to city manager, I, along with all of your senior staff, were put in this room and were told, in no uncertain terms, that we were not to have an interaction with a certain commissioner. And if it was found that we did that, then we would be fired.”

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

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GET INVOLVED

Gotha temple leads January County Commission action The Orange County Board of County Commissioners made several decisions that impact West Orange and Southwest Orange.

Editor’s note: County Level is the Observer’s new feature, in which we will highlight the most impactful actions taken by the Orange County Commission.

ANNABELLE SIKES NEWS EDITOR

January was a busy month for the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, which rendered decisions on several major projects that impact West Orange and Southwest Orange.

TEMPLE ON HEMPEL

After a nearly three-hour discussion at the Tuesday, Jan. 23, meeting, the County Commission denied a request to build an 800-seat, 45,000-squarefoot Hindu temple near Gotha.

Residents voiced their disdain for the project at a community meeting last June. Concerns related to the scale of the project, the location in the Gotha Rural Settlement, flooding and the development being the wrong fit for the community.

Nathan Milch was the applicant representing BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, which wanted to relocate from its current home on Oak Ridge Road of 50 years to 2198 Hempel Ave. The proposal related to 8.37 acres of vacant agricultural land on the west side of Hempel, east of State Road 408 and north of Florida’s Turnpike.

Access would have been from Hempel.

At the July 6 Board of Zoning Adjustment hearing, staff recommended the denial of the special exception, and the applicant subsequently appealed the BZA decision.

At the Sept. 26 BCC meeting, despite District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson’s affirmation of staff recommendations, other board members passed a motion to have the case return.

At the January meeting, more than 80 residents signed up to have their say during public comment, although many allocated time to others.

Theresa Schretzmann-Myers, who serves on the boards of the Gotha Rural Settlement Association and Nehrling Gardens, said the size of the proposed building and parking area was inconsistent and out of character with the existing historic rural settlement.

“It is more than three times larger than any other building in the community and equivalent to all other non-residential structures combined,” she said. “There’s already a temple in Gotha. … We are also very concerned about the water issues in Gotha. … the Gotha basin is oversaturated. … We are already flooding. The more tree canopy you take away … the more we develop in Gotha, the more we will continue to flood.”

Read the Orange Observer’s latest report: bit.ly/3HC49p1.

HOTEL CONVERSION ON TURKEY LAKE ROAD

At the Tuesday Jan. 9, meeting, the commission voted to continue discussions about the Sand Lake Commons Planned Development to its March 26 meeting.

The request is to amend the Future Land Use Map from Commercial to Planned Development-Commercial/ Medium-High Density Residential to convert an existing 215-unit hotel into

n Board appearance and public comment: bit.ly/42h7djY n BCC meeting agendas: bit.ly/3vWX1Be n Orange TV live stream: bit.ly/3vV180J n View past meetings: bit.ly/42m9eeW

MEET THE BOARD n Orange County Mayor: Jerry L. Demings n District 1: Nicole H. Wilson n District 2: Christine Moore n District 3: Mayra Uribe n District 4: Maribel Gomez Cordero n District 5: Emily Bonilla n District 6: Michael “Mike” Scott

215 multifamily residential units on a 7.05-gross-acre parcel. The project is located at 9350 Turkey Lake Road.

The applicant also requested a waiver from Orange County code to reduce the minimum living area from 500 square feet to 320 square feet.

Although no residents signed up for public comment at the January meeting, the commission had a discussion filled with questions and concerns on the size and price of the housing.

Wilson said she would be willing to move forward with part of the request but not with the waiver. She believes the area needs larger units to accommodate families with children.

“So, when I look at that room, and I think about a family of four and a dog, it gives me terrible anxiety that we are lowering our standards for what the county requires for a living space,” she said.

Read the Orange Observer’s latest report: bit.ly/3Uk25JX.

The first was to allow 10-foot front setbacks, in lieu of 20, from ApopkaVineland Road. The second request was to reduce the minimum width of building base green space for all multi-story buildings to 10 feet.

About 60 residents — composed of Rosen Jewish Community Center leaders and community members — voiced opposition to the project, citing safety concerns and the area’s standards at a recent community meeting.

At the meeting, Chuck Whittall, president of applicant Unicorp National Developments, spoke to the commission and said he had met with the adjacent property leaders, the JCC, and resolved the issues.

Read the Orange Observer’s latest report: bit.ly/3Ulk7f0.

APARTMENTS IN SOUTHWEST ORANGE

HAMLIN AMENDMENTS /AGREEMENTS

At the Tuesday, Jan. 23 meeting, commissioners approved unanimously a substantial change to the Kerina Parkside Planned Development.

The Kerina Parkside PD is located south of Fenton Street, west of South Apopka-Vineland Road and north of Daryl Carter Parkway.

The existing PD development program allows for 301 single-family attached and detached dwelling units, 400 multi-family dwelling units, 200 senior living units, 150,000 square feet of retail and office uses, and a 5-acre park.

The applicant requested two waivers from Orange County Code.

At the Tuesday, Jan. 9, meeting, commissioners approved several amendments,changes and agreements in the Hamlin area of Horizon West.

The first was an applicant proposing the first amendment to the Horizon West Village F Master Planned Development Adequate Public Facilities and Impact Fee Agreement for Horizon West Village S-21.

The request was for an additional option to pay $54,342.92 per acre, for each of the 1.24 acre deficit, to the county, rather than purchasing credits from other Village F participating property owners, as stated in the previous agreement.

It was approved unanimously, with Commissioner Emily Bonilla absent.

The second was a series of three items pertaining to the approval of agreements for the Hamlin North Lot A Restaurant, PopStroke Hamlin and Vystar Hamlin impact fees for Avalon Road.

For these three projects, both the proportionate share payment and future transportation impact fee payments will be utilized toward the completion of Avalon Road/County Road 545 improvements.

All three items were approved unanimously, with Bonilla absent.

The last item was a substantial change to the Hamlin Reserve Preliminary Subdivision Plan/a portion of Parcel B — Hamlin Retail Development Plan.

The current Development Plan was approved Sept. 27, 2022, for the construction of a 9,830-square-foot gymnasium.

The applicant asked to remove two conditions of approval, which required the subject property to be re-platted. This was to allow the project to comply with the county’s updated procedures, which no longer require a property to be re-platted solely for concurrency purposes.

The item was approved 4-0, with Bonilla and commissioners Maribel Cordero and Christine Moore absent.

CDBG DISCUSSIONS

At the Tuesday, Jan. 9, meeting, the commission approved the Community Development Block Grant — Disaster Recovery Action Plan, to support long-term disaster recovery programs and activities addressing impacts from Hurricane Ian. At the Tuesday, Jan. 23, meeting, the commission approved an agreement for the CDBG program and the Emergency Solutions Grant Program.

Read the Orange Observer’s latest update: bit.ly/3Oj7L39.

TOWN OF OAKLAND AGREEMENT

At the Tuesday, Jan. 9, meeting, the BCC approved unanimously, with Bonilla absent, the execution of a county deed by Orange County and the town of Oakland. To complete the extension of Catherine Ross Road to State Road 50, the town of Oakland had requested the county convey its 50% interest in the right-of-way area.

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COUNTY LEVEL

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Oakland celebrates heritage, wellness

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

H

undreds of residents celebrated Oakland’s history and culture at the annual Oakland Heritage Day Saturday, Jan. 27, in downtown Oakland and at Speer Park. The celebration, presented by Orlando Health with Healthy West Orange and the Oakland Nature Preserve, included a fun day of music, food, a silent auction, activities and vendors. Westly’s annual Virtual 5K kicked off the day with nearly 600 participants. The event is presented by Orlando Health in partnership with Healthy West Orange and the Oakland Nature Preserve.

— AMY QUESINBERRY

Katie Bartles tried her strength at the ax-throwing game center.

Festival attendees were able to sample and purchase barbecue sauce from Mike Downs, of Mr. Mike’s Florida Style Sauce.

Left: Siblings Donna Vandergrift Deitrick and Lee Vandergrift donated to the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation more than a dozen scrapbooks from their grandmother, Eleanor “Foots” Vandergrift. Their father, Scott Vandergrift, was a longtime mayor of Ocoee.

Alec Nachtsheim and his mother participate in many 5K challenges in West Orange County.

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

9A

WYNWOOD

REAL ESTATE

The home at 2144 Greenwood Oak Drive, Ocoee, sold Jan. 24, for $567,190. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,361 square feet. Days on market: 45.

WINDERMERE

ESTANCIA AT WINDERMERE

The home at 1220 Estancia Woods Loop, Windermere, sold Jan. 26, for $1,525,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, five baths and 4,007 square feet. Days on market: 74.

KEENE’S POINTE

The home at 11334 Camden Loop Way, Windermere, sold Jan. 22, for $1,050,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,021 square feet. Days on market: 72.

WINDERMERE Adam Aptaker, Devore Design

The home at 1220 Estancia Woods Loop, Windermere, sold Jan. 26, for $1,525,000. This Taylor Morrison Monte Carlo model features four bedrooms, five baths, an office and a pool. The sellers were represented by Angela Rodriguez, Dream Finders Realty Group.

Estancia at Windermere estate sells for $1,525,000 A

home in the Estancia community in Win-

dermere topped all West Orange-area residential real-estate transactions from Jan. 18 to 26.

The home at 1220 Estancia Woods Loop, Windermere, sold Jan. 26, for $1,525,000.

Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, five baths and 4,007 square feet. Days on market: 74. The sellers were represented by Angela Rodriguez, Dream Finders Realty Group.

These are the highestselling homes in each community in West Orange.

HORIZON WEST ASHLIN PARK

The townhouse at 11716 Water Run Alley, Windermere, sold Jan. 22, for $420,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 1,629 square feet. Days on market: Seven.

HAMLIN RESERVE

The home at 15391 Shonan Gold Drive, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 22, for $570,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,979 square feet. Days on market: 68.

HAWKSMOOR

The home at 16144 Parkwyn St., Winter Garden, sold Jan. 26, for $618,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,470 square feet. Days on market: 125.

SNAPSHOT Total Sales: 42 High Sale Price: $1,525,000 Low Sale Price: $200,000

NEWBURY PARK

WINDERMERE ISLE

SUMMERLAKE

WINDERMERE TRAILS

The townhouse at 8531 Leeland Archer Blvd., Orlando, sold Jan. 22, for $410,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 1,512 square feet. Days on market: 27.

The home at 14833 Porter Road, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 26, for $589,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,770 square feet. Days on market: 32.

The home at 7906 Winter Wren St., Winter Garden, sold Jan. 25, for $590,700. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,880 square feet.

Days on market: Three.

VINEYARDS OF HORIZON WEST

The home at 6764 Bridgewater Village Road Ave., Windermere, sold Jan. 23, for $677,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,013 square feet. Days on market: 45.

WATERLEIGH

The home at 17780 Adrift Road, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 25, for $660,000. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,113 square feet. Days on market: 50.

The home at 8378 Vivaro Isle Way, Windermere, sold Jan. 26, for $650,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,224 square feet. Days on market: 140.

The home at 8553 Crescendo Ave., Windermere, sold Jan. 25, for $512,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 1,841 square feet. Days on market: 27.

OCOEE

ARDEN PARK NORTH

The home at 2838 Bigleaf Maple Drive, Ocoee, sold Jan. 26, for $624,400. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 2,874 square feet. Days on market: 76.

The home at 2022 Lake Sims Parkway, Ocoee, sold Jan. 24, for $600,000. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,911 square feet of living area. Days on market: 26.

FOREST TRAILS

The home at 2106 Laurel Blossom Circle, Ocoee, sold Jan. 24, for $560,000. Built in 2006, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 3,747 square feet. Days on market: 19.

JOHIO GLEN SUBDIVISION

The home at 2531 Dovetail Drive, Ocoee, sold Jan. 22, for $345,000.

Built in 1988, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,458 square feet of living area. Days on market: 11.

LAKE SHORE GARDENS

The home at 2525 Hempel Ave., Windermere, sold Jan. 25, for $900,000. Built in 1985, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,029 square feet. Days on market: 21.

WINTER GARDEN GLYNWOOD II

The home at 542 Duff Drive, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 22, for $825,000. Built in 2004, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,451 square feet. Days on market: 73.

JOHNS LAKE POINTE

The home at 15119 Johns Lake Pointe Blvd., Winter Garden, sold Jan. 26, for $990,000. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, four-andone-half baths and 4,048 square feet. Days on market: 70.

LAKEVIEW PRESERVE

The home at 3367 Hanging Tide St., Winter Garden, Lake County, sold Jan. 23, for $795,000. Built in 2021, it has five bedrooms, fourand-one-half baths and 4,440 square feet. Days on market: 20.

SANCTUARY AT TWIN WATERS

The home at 16668 Sanctuary Drive, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 23, for $800,000. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,528 square feet. Days on market: 193.

The home at 10705 Petrillo Way, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 24, for $750,000. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,528 square feet. Days on market: 64.

The home at 417 Vandergrift Drive, Ocoee, sold Jan. 25, for $555,000. Built in 1973, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,419 square feet of living area. Days on market: 51.

TUSCANY

OAKLAND

PELICAN ISLE

WINTERMERE POINTE

WINDING BAY

LONGLEAF AT OAKLAND

The townhouse at 1377 Painted Bunting Ave., Oakland, sold Jan. 22, for $405,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 1,809 square feet. Days on market: 13.

The home at 2407 Copperhill Loop, Ocoee, sold Jan. 24, for $435,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,470 square feet. Days on market: 56.

The home at 1613 Walkerton Court, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 25, for $590,000. Built in 1996, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,267 square feet. Days on market: 41.

The home at 2103 Wintermere Pointe Drive, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 22, for $650,000. Built in 2000, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,026 square feet. Days on market: 27.

The home at 16578 Point Rock Drive, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 25, for $589,990. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 2,494 square feet. Days on market: 53.

The home at 16554 Point Rock Drive, Winter Garden, sold Jan. 25, for $588,170. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 2,494 square feet. Days on market: 45.

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The home at 15119 Johns Lake Pointe Blvd., Winter Garden, sold Jan. 26, for $990,000. It was the largest transaction in Winter Garden from Jan. 18 to 26. The sellers were represented by Amy Kidwell, Heart and Home Orlando.

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

SHOW US YOUR

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Through Service

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CHURCH OF GOD

Ocoee Church of God Pastor Thomas Odom 1105 N. Lakewood Ave.,Ocoee (407) 656-8011

EPISCOPAL

Church of the Messiah 241 N. Main St., Winter Garden Sunday: 8, 9:30, & 11 AM., 4PM (French & Creole), 7 PM www.ChurchoftheMessiah.com

METHODIST

First United Methodist www.fumcwg.org 125 N. Lakeview Ave., Winter Garden (407) 656-1135 Services: 9 AM Traditional 10:45 AM Contemporary Also viewable on YouTube

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FEBRUARY 1, 2024

SPORTS

After leading the Royals to a district championship as an eighth-grader, Bianca Hall has taken another step as TFA’s leader on the court. Page 2B.

HIGH

D-BAT seeks to redefine training

1

5

The new baseball and softball training facility offers athletes a safe haven to train and develop their skills with state-ofthe-art equipment and expert training staff.

The First Academy named football coach Jeff Conaway as the school’s new director of athletics. Conaway will continue in his role as TFA’s football coach, and current Director of Athletics Will Cohen has been promoted to assistant head of school for campus operations.

2

The Florida High School Athletic Association has announced its new football classifications, regions and districts for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. This reclassification creates a major shift for West Orange and Southwest Orange programs, with the biggest shift coming to last season’s Class 4M, District 5.

The district that combined Dr. Phillips, Ocoee, Olympia, West Orange and Windermere, is no longer. Ocoee and West Orange will stay together in Class 7A, Region 2, District 5, while Dr. Phillips and Olympia will be in Class 7A, Region 3, District 9.

Windermere High, along with Lake Buena Vista High and six other Orange County Public Schools, are now independent football programs and are not in an FHSAA district.

SAM ALBUQUERQUE SPORTS EDITOR

3

After a 24-point outing in a 67-56 win over Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, Windermere Prep boys basketball player Brandon Bass Jr. has surpassed 1,000 career points scored as just a sophomore.

4

The Florida Coaches Coalition, an organization that advocates on behalf of all amateur coaches in the state, has been making a push to help increase the pay of Florida’s high school coaches.

FCC’s proposed plan sets a minimum number of hours coaches are required to work (750 for head coaches, 375 for assistants). It also is asking that coaches receive minimum wage on top of their salaries as teachers, for those who are part of the faculty.

5

The college football recruiting season is in full swing in West Orange and Southwest Orange County.

Ocoee High’s Joshua Guerrier, a three-star defensive back, has added Florida Atlantic and Liberty to his slew of other offers that include Iowa, Iowa State and Tennessee. His Knights teammates, Michael McClenton and Kims Pierre, both picked up offers from Marshall University.

The Thundering Herd also offered a trio of The First Academy players — Reed Ramsier, Felipe Spekla and Christian Willis — who also picked up an Iowa State offer.

At West Orange High, sophomore receiver Larry Miles and star defensive back Devin Jackson joined Willis in receiving an offer from the Cyclones.

Miles also has been offered by Syracuse and Toledo. Jackson, one of the area’s top recruits, also picked up an offer from the Orange, as well as from Nebraska and USF in this cycle. He also holds offers from Florida, UCF, NC State and others.

At Dr. Phillips High, another of the area’s top recruits is Maliki Wright. In this cycle, the three-star defensive back added NC State, Liberty, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, FAU and Coastal Carolina to his list of 12 total offers.

Former Dr. Phillips Little League president Nomi Ansari and his family have been part of the fabric of the organization since the 1980s.

Baseball is life

Nomi Ansari has been involved with Dr. Phillips Little League since the 1980s. Four decades later, the former player, coach, board member, safety officer and president is excited as the league moves to its new home.

There’s an old saying in baseball and softball: The two are games of failure, and if you fail seven out of 10 times at the plate, you’re an alltime great. Compared to sports such as football or basketball, the idea of failure is much more of a natural part of the game.

The games require patience, maturity and an ability to endure constant failure.

That’s why D-BAT Winter Garden co-owner Joey Capparelli and his team are developing players with a different mindset.

“D-BAT is a safe haven for athletes to come and train,” Capparelli said. “(It is) a place where leagues, team and parents can feel comfortable sending their kids to because we just want to help them get better.”

Capparelli, a former college baseball player, along with his sister Gina Gonick and brother-inlaw Mark Gonick, recently opened D-BAT Winter Garden — a stateof-the-art baseball and softball training facility — in the hopes of redefining the training experience for the area’s athletes.

“As a family … our goal is to extend the athlete’s baseball or softball career by just one more year,” Capparelli said. “So, if they’re freshmen, let’s get them to their sophomore year, and so on.

Baseball and softball are games of failure, so keeping the game alive is our goal. It’s not so much about making it professional — although that’s nice. Our mission is just to answer the question, ‘How do we get the player that we’re training to go up a level the next year?’”

THIS IS HOW

It all starts with its versatile training facility that offers 13 batting cages — with four pitching machines capable of throwing baseball, fast pitch, and slowpitch softball pitches — that are available to rent for both members and walk-ins.

“D-BAT is a membership-based facility,” Capparelli said.“However, we do accept walk-ins, as well. So, if an athlete has their own trainer and just wants to have a place to come get reps on our machines, they can buy time on our machines.

SEE D-BAT PAGE 3B

SAM ALBUQUERQUE SPORTS EDITOR

T

Courtesy photos

Current Dr. Phillips Little League President Andria EstrellaRoa, left, and former president Nomi Ansari are excited for the future of the league.

he first time Nomi Ansari stepped foot on a baseball diamond, things didn’t go too smoothly for the young immigrant from Pakistan.

“On my first day, I didn’t know what a glove was,” he said. “I didn’t know what a ball was. I didn’t know what baseball was. My parents … like typical immigrant parents, were like, ‘Just go play.’ The first time a ball was thrown to me, it hit me right in the face, and I got a black eye. And I thought that was it for me with baseball.”

Luckily for Ansari and eventually the Dr. Phillips Little League organization, he would give baseball another shot.

Now in 2024, Ansari — a former DPLL player, coach, board member, safety officer and president — celebrates the league moving to its new SEE DPLL PAGE 2B

Courtesy photo

D-BAT Winter Garden is a new, state-of-the-art baseball and softball training facility located on West Colonial Drive.

2B

OrangeObserver.com

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

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

Bianca Hall The First Academy freshman girls basketball player Bianca Hall is following up on her great performance as a first-time starter last season — helping TFA win the district championship — with another solid showing as the team’s floor general. Hall’s ability to run the Royals’ offense, usually while being pressured by the opposing defense, and organize their defense is what stands out about the point guard. She’s also more than capable of getting her team a basket when needed.

With the playoffs quickly approaching, expect Hall to be a big factor in the Royals’ game plan.

What do you like the most about playing basketball?

I love the competitiveness of basketball. I love competing against other people and competing against myself to try and get the things I’m working on in practice to come to life on the court. I also love the game, because it’s so fast-paced and unique. There are so many decisions that have to be made, and it’s fun trying to master them.

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

My goal for the team this season would be to make it as far as possible in the playoffs and use that momentum to propel our young team into the off-season for next year. A goal I have for myself to finish off the season would be to just get better at leading on the floor and being a coach on the floor.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from basketball?

There are going to be good times and bad times, easy times and hard times. But throughout all of it, keep going. Everyone is going to have a bad game, so don’t beat yourself up so much. Instead, see how you can grow from your mistakes.

Who is your favorite basketball player, and what do you like about their game?

I really like Paige Bueckers, because she is good all-around.

She has all the fundamentals, the I.Q., the shooting, the ballhandling, and she can score at all three levels.

What is your favorite non-basketball hobby?

Being out in nature — whether it be at the beach, natural springs or camping.

THE BASICS Age: 14 Sport: Girls basketball Grade: Freshman School: The First Academy

What is your favorite subject in school?

Math. It is very unique and different from the other subjects.

What are three things you would take with you to a deserted island?

The Bible, a water filter and something to hunt with.

What is your favorite movie?

“Coach Carter,” because it has a great lesson in the movie and a great ending.

If you could have dinner with one person — dead or alive — who would it be?

My dad, because he’s my best friend, and I just love spending time with him.

If you could go back in time to a specific period in history, when and where would you go?

I would go back to the time that Jesus was on Earth, because I would love to see Jesus and get to experience how he taught others.

Looking back, what piece of advice would you give your younger self?

If I could go back and tell my future self anything, I would tell myself not to get so caught up in getting something right immediately. It’s going to take time to master a skill. You can’t just practice it once and go in a game and be perfect at it. So, just be patient and let everything play out.

If you could ask your future self a question, what would you ask?

Is there anything that I wish I would have done that I didn’t do?

Favorite superhero?

My favorite superhero is Thor, because he is my dad’s favorite.

Favorite supervillain?

Venom, because while he has some bad parts, he has some good parts, too.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

If I could have any superpower, it would be to fly, because it would be so much fun.

If you could travel to three places in the world, where would you go and why?

The Bahamas, because I love the beach. Italy, because I just want to experience the uniqueness of it. Hawaii, again, because I love the beach.

If you could be an animal for a day, which would you be?

I would be an eagle for a day, because I think it would be awesome to fly!

Courtesy photo

Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings and members of the Dr. Phillips Little League celebrated at a groundbreaking ceremony for the league’s new facility.

DPLL moves into new facility CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B

home. The complex sits on 16.06 acres near the corner of Buenavista Woods Boulevard and Bissell Street.

It features four grass fields: one dedicated softball field, two smaller baseball fields — to accommodate games for the 12-and-under division — and one big baseball field to accommodate games for the 13- to 16-year-old division. It also includes a concession stand and restrooms.

BATTER UP

In 1988, when Ansari was in the fifth grade, his family moved to the Dr. Phillips area and similarly to his first experience with baseball, Ansari was dropped into then-Dr. PhillipsWindermere Little League — except this time he was being welcomed in with open arms and not a baseball to the face.

“I was struggling with learning English,” he said. “I was struggling with just social anxiety because of the language barrier, the cultural shock. Everything was a struggle.

And so I was introduced to Dr. Phillips Little League, kind of the same way I was introduced to baseball the first time … but I still remember my first coach, Coach Ramos.

“I was really out of my element, but he was so welcoming to me, and the kids on the team were so welcoming to me that I really started to enjoy it,” Ansari said. “By the time the next season started, I became a pretty good ballplayer. But more importantly, everything in my life started really to change for the better.

I became more confident in myself and who I am, I became a better student and it all started because of that feeling of community and being welcomed and encouraged by that group. … I can truly say that I will always feel indebted to Dr. Phillips Little League for what it’s done for me and continues to do.”

From that first season in 1988 through all of middle school, Ansari played baseball, learned English, met new friends and made lifelong memories on the DPLL old fields near the corner of Wallace Road and Dr. Phillips Boulevard.

“I tell the kids that I coach now: All I remember from my playing days are the special moments of friendship, camaraderie and hanging out at a friend’s house in the neighborhood across the street from the fields,” he said. “I couldn’t tell you what our records were or anything like that. But what I can remember is that my experience had a lifelong

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impact. I believe who I am today, in every aspect of life — personally, professionally and academically — I attribute a lot of it directly to my introduction to Dr. Phillips Little League and to all the good people that I encountered there.”

One of those memories came in a game where his team was up seven or eight runs. Ansari, who predominantly played in the infield but occasionally pitched, had made multiple errors in a row that shrunk his team’s lead.

His coach, Joe Hoffman, didn’t pull Ansari. Instead, he put the game in his struggling shortstop’s hands.

“At that point, Joe comes out to the pitching mound and he calls me over,” Ansari said. “ I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, I’m going to the bench.’

But instead, he takes the ball from the pitcher, hands it to me and says, ‘Hey, if you really don’t want to win this game, do it from the mound.’”

Ansari recalls his teammates’ parents in the stands were outraged at the decision, feeling as if the young Ansari had dealt with enough after making those errors, but Hoffman didn’t flinch.

“I proceeded to walk like three or four batters in a row,” Ansari said. “At that point, the parents are coming over the fence. They’re wanting to fight Joe.” But Hoffman was a veteran coach, he knew his player and his capabilities.

“I strike out the next couple of kids,” Ansari said. “We get three outs, and we win the game by two. … Now, as a dad of three boys, I understand that putting them in a situation where they may fail is OK. And if they fail, that’s OK. But hey, maybe they won’t, and they’ll come out of it with a new sense of who they are and what they’re capable of. That happened to me with that coach, on that ball field, representing Dr. Phillips Little League.”

GIVING BACK

These sorts of experiences shaped Ansari’s life. So, when he signed his oldest son up for T-ball, the itch to give back to the organization that gave him so much was undeniable.

“When I moved back to Orlando in 2011, my oldest at that time was 5, so I put him in T-ball,” he said. “At that time, Little League didn’t have T-ball, but they played at the YMCA right next to the Little League fields.

So I started going out there a lot, and we were right there next to these ball fields where I grew up. The rush of memories and positive experiences started coming back.

“And I was like, ‘Man, I would

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love for my kids to experience half of what I experienced,” Ansari said.

“I signed my kid up when he got to the age, and I was just drawn to wanting to be more than a spectator.

And I felt the sense of obligation to the community to not just sit in the stands and watch. … I just felt that internal debt because of my experience there, that I felt like I needed to be more involved. So I started coaching.”

That’s when he met former MLB player James Parr, DPLL’s coaching coordinator, and Ansari’s involvement grew from coaching to eventually serving as the local organization’s president.

“I was just talking to James and telling him that I used to play here and telling him some stories and he was like, ‘Well, since you played here, you coach here and you’re always here now that you have two kids, you might as well join the board,’” Ansari said. “When I got on the board, because of everything that I had experienced, I knew I wanted to provide that same experience to every kid that walked through those gates. I wanted them to feel like they were in a place where they could just be kids and play baseball. And beyond baseball, be among friends, be among people who support them, people who encourage them. Hopefully, through the game of baseball, they would learn lifelong lessons that will be way more beneficial to them than learning how to hit a fastball or catch a pop fly. So I decided to be as involved as I could be, and obviously, being the head of an organization can be stressful … but it’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my life.”

To those who saw Ansari in action, he succeeded in his drive to provide kids a space to fall in love with America’s pastime like he did.

“I’ve never seen a more dedicated guy to the league’s people and the overall well-being of the league, and I’ve served under some really, really, really good presidents,” Parr said.

“Nomi is there all the time. He wore more hats than anybody. I’m a big believer that actions speak louder than words, and Nomi’s actions were just something else.”

Now, more than three decades since Ansari first stepped foot on those fields as a fifth-grader, the league is heading to a new home and he has passed the presidential baton to Andria Estrella-Roa. As the league transitions to its new facility, Ansari is going to miss the fields that had such an impact on his life.

“I really point to that specific facility, that field as the starting point of who I am,” he said. “Before stepping foot on those fields, I felt like I was just a kid, kind of lost and not really knowing what direction life would take me. That was a place that just really set me up for success in a lot of aspects of my life. So, I just have such an affinity for those fields.”

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

3B

SunRidge Elementary School remembers second-grade teacher Allisha Douglas was known for her willingness to help anyone in need and went the extra mile for her students.

MESSAGE OF APPRECIATION

At the memorial tree planting, middle-schooler Anthony Marinelli, one of Allisha Douglas’ former second-graders, read a message he wrote.

“Dear Mrs. Douglas: It’s hard to believe you are gone. I’m so glad you are not suffering in pain anymore. You were my favorite teacher of all time! You taught me a lot about empathy. You taught me how to be the best version of myself. You taught me that I can be whoever I want to be and do whatever I want to do.

You helped shape me into who I am and who I will be.

“Before you passed, I wanted to tell you how important you were to me, but I couldn’t find the words. Over the years, I have had amazing memories in your class. Some of (them are) being able to meet an airplane pilot, a K-gunner, when I was in your class. My favorite memories outside the classroom were helping the less fortunate, game night and Legoland.

“You have made an impact on my life, and for that I am forever grateful!”

Anthony’s mother, Christina Quetel, said Douglas fought for Anthony’s education and worked to get him an Individualized Education Program. Even after Anthony moved on to higher grades, Douglas kept in touch with Anthony and his family and often invited them to game nights.

“She meant a lot to us,” Quetel said.

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

SunRidge Elementary School teachers and friends knew if they needed something, Allisha Douglas would deliver.

She had a knack for holding onto items that might be of use to someone in the future, and her car, garage and house served as storage for random objects.

Likewise for getting things done. If a student was in need of extra attention or an Individualized Education Program, it was good to have Douglas on their side.

Colleagues, friends, former students and family gathered Wednesday, Jan. 24, to plant a pink trumpet tree on the campus of SunRidge Elementary in memory of the devoted secondgrade teacher who died last summer of leukemia.

Douglas, 46, of Winter Garden, learned she had cancer in April 2022 and fought it for 15 months. Even while she was in the hospital or recovering at home, she was thinking of her students, said Paul Caswell, a kindergarten teacher at SunRidge. She often wrote grants, as well as letters of recommendation for former students.

“I can honestly say I’ve never met anyone else as giving as her,” Caswell said.

Douglas was named Teacher of the Year twice in her career, which included teaching stints at Sunset Park and Pine Hills elementary schools.

If there was an event with her students, Douglas was there, including ceremonies and after-school events.

Amy Quesinberry

Lee Douglas, right, husband of Allisha Douglas, attended the tree-planting ceremony at SunRidge Elementary School with their child, Emily, and his parents, Helena and Jim Douglas.

Melanie Alday taught across the hall from Douglas and often saw her taking her students outdoors to “experience the lesson,” especially if it was science.

Douglas thought the best way to learn about something was through means other than a textbook.

“They were always outside,” Alday said. “She was always having someone come in for something, always having a guest speaker.”

In addition to looking out for students at school, Douglas also served as executive director for S.T.A.R.S. of West Orange, a nonprofit organization that gives backpacks and

school supplies to needy children. She delivered food and clothing to families in the area and ran a food pantry at SunRidge.

“She was never cheap, but she was very frugal … very resourceful,” Caswell said. “She could take a dollar and turn it into $100. Or she’d say, ‘Well, it’s for the kids.’ She was doing that constantly, whether it was for S.T.A.R.S. or for the school. She was always, always, always doing something for other people.”

Douglas’ husband, Lee, is trying to carry on her passion for helping others. The couple, who met through

mutual friends and were married 20 years, volunteered together regularly.

“She loved it; it was her passion,” he said. “She was very warm, giving.

Everything was about helping others more than herself.”

When the couple wasn’t volunteering, they were traveling, mostly on cruises, to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. They enjoyed going to see movies and Broadway shows, too, and were regular vistors to the Disney theme parks.

Douglas also is survived by one child, Emily.

D-BAT opens in Winter Garden D-BAT 14207 West Colonial Drive, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 749-6783 HOURS: 10 a.m. Mondays through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays; noon to 6 p.m.

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LASTING IMPACT

Beyond helping athletes improve, Capparelli and his team view this new venture as a way to positively impact the community.

“We want to provide the community a premium establishment that parents can feel good about sending their kids to or come with their kids and have an enjoyable experience,”

Capparelli said. “As a parent, oftentimes when you do lessons, they are in a field in the middle of the summer, or in the rain. We want to provide somewhere where parents can come and enjoy themselves, they can feel safe about bringing their kids here, we provide a luxury feel and state-of-the-art facilities.

“We also just want to have a positive impact in the community,” he said. “Because we’re not associated with any teams or travel organizations, we’re not in it to charge you thousands of dollars in the hopes that your kid might get a chance.

We’re in it to help your child attain whatever goal you want them to attain and ultimately enjoy the game of baseball and softball.”

Erica Flanigan, a mom of two middle school-age boys, is one of D-BAT’s first customers.

“They enjoy finally having a place where they can just go and do what they love to do, which is play baseball,” she said. “Around here, we didn’t have a real facility that they could just go to — rain or shine.

Now, every day when they wake

Courtesy photo

up, they’re like ‘Mom, can we go to D-BAT today? What time can we go?’ Finally, they have something that they can just go do and not have to worry about the weather outside or if there’s somebody to play with them. They can just go into a cage and they can just take swings.”

One of the reasons Flanigan is excited about D-BAT is the facility provides them with a productive

activity in a safe environment.

“It is a place they can go, and we don’t necessarily have to worry about what they’re doing,” she said.

“Knowing that my boys are there gives me a sense of comfort, because I know what he’s doing. … As a parent, it’s comforting to have a place where they want to go and that I feel my kids are safe.”

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The facility offers personalized private lessons from its staff of former college and professional players.

“Our private lessons are really athlete-specific,” Capparelli said. “The way that my instructors do it is, we have a conversation with Mom and Dad or whoever brings in the athlete, to identify what their goals are. From there, we try and set attainable goals for the first month, second month and so on, to establish what we’re striving toward.

“We don’t have a cookie-cutter method,” he said. “We focus on finding a way to hone in on what you’ve already learned, establish what you don’t know and based on our expertise, teach you the game of baseball or softball. ... If you look at baseball and softball, everybody has a different swing, different body type, different level of skill, so we cater specifically to each athlete.”

IF YOU GO

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B

OrangeObserver.com

418911-1

INFLUENCER OF THE WEEK

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

ROPER YMCA 100 Windermere Rd Winter Garden, FL 34787 407-656-8816

The YMCA of Central Florida is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening our community.

What do you love most about your school?

I have worked at the high-school and middle-school levels but found it difficult to make connections with the students. When I moved to the elementary-school level, I loved working with the students and how respectful they were.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I find it most rewarding when someone tells me that things are looking good and thanks me for my work.

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LEARN MORE!

REPORT CARD POSITION: Custodian crew leader TIME AT SCHOOL: Nine years at Citrus Elementary School, 17 with Orange County Public Schools

age now, but I still visit her when I am in her town.

What is your favorite children’s book and why?

My favorite children’s book was called “The Old Sea Dog.” It was my favorite because it has lots of short stories and poems.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time, I enjoy building cabinets. I build cabinets before and after work, not for money, but for the beauty of it. I really enjoy sending pictures of the cabinets that I build to my family and friends.

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

If I could dine with any famous person, I would dine with Mike Tyson. I would love to ask him what goes through his mind when he is in the boxing ring.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

If I could have any superpower, I would have the powers of Superman! I would love to travel around the world without an airplane.

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What brought you to your school?

My uncle was a custodian at the time I was seeking a job, and he recommended that I apply for a position with OCPS.

Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? Why? My favorite teacher when I was in school was my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Joyce. I remember her telling me that she was not letting me go home one day until I learned how to spell my name. She is up in

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Clive Washington is the custodian crew leader at Citrus Elementary School. His duties include making sure the school is clean and comfortable for the students and staff.

“Mr. Clive works hard to not only keep our school clean, but safe as well,” Principal Mary Clark said. “He truly cares about our staff, students and school community and takes pride in his work at Citrus Elementary School.”

Who influences you?

My uncle and some of his coworkers influence me because they have all been custodians for many years.

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

If I were not a school custodian, I would want to build cabinets.

Building cabinets is my passion!

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4B

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

5B

OBSERVER SCHOOL ZONE

Palm Lake students spread kindness on campus Kindness Ambassadors keep recognition coins on hand to give out when they see students being nice.

FROM OPPOSITE PAGE

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

If I could only listen to three artists, I would listen to Kenny Rogers, Frank Sinatra and Sam Davis.

Principal James Weis, left, Matt and Amy Allen, and school counselor Lauren Akesson recognized students at Palm Lake Elementary School for being kind.

IT COSTS NOTHING TO BE KIND

The Kindness Ambassadors — Kasai Uche, Cristal Carmo, Lara Oliveira Da Silva, Jackson Nguyen and Valeria Luna Ordonez — said it costs nothing to be kind. Kasai said he holds doors open for people, Valeria plays with students when she sees them sitting on the Buddy Bench, Lara cheers people on when they are struggling to complete a task, Cristal always looks out for other people, and Jackson picks up water bottles after recess if students leave theirs behind.

The ambassadors shared the kindness they have received as well: Valeria said when she was in a new reading class, someone helped her find the classroom, Kasai’s friend

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

When I was in school my best friends were my cousins. We were all the same ages, and we started kindergarten together and went all the way through high school

Amy Quesinberry

HOW TO HELP

To get involved or make a donation to the Kindness Campaign at Palm Lake Elementary School, email Amy Allen at Amyjo1030@aol.com or Lauren Akesson at lauren. akesson@ops.net.

let him use his headphones when he needed them, a student helped Lara open a door when her arms were full, someone brought Jackson’s lunchbox to him when he left it outside, and Cristal was told she is a hard worker.

together. We have not seen each other for more than 20 years, but we still text each other.

What is your favorite holiday and why?

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving because of all the food.

CREATING A KINDNESS CULTURE

cream and volunteered for an ice cream social with more than 500 people in attendance. Kindness crafts and activities were part of the evening’s events.

“I love the stories of kindness where students connect and make friends with someone new,” Akesson said. “To me, it’s the little things of noticing others. ... We have several classrooms with students who have autism. I love when I see our general education peers embracing them and playing with them on the playground, having fun together. ... In a world where you can be anything — be kind.”

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

My go-to snack as an elementary student was banana chips.

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

As a student, I tried all of the extracurricular activities available but wasn’t very good at them.

PLES parent Amy Allen, whose son, Ashton, attends the school, brought the idea of Kindness Week to the school two years ago. The PTA loved the idea and created a Kindness Committee, and Akesson incorporated it into the school.

The first fundraising event was a welcome back family dinner that brought more than 600 people to the school for pizza and kindness crafts.

Amy and Matt Allen, along with The Matt Allen Real Estate Team,have supported Palm Lake as a Partner in Education for several years. The realestate company also provided ice

— AMY QUESINBERRY

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Palm Lake Elementary School students are being rewarded when they are caught participating in an act of kindness on campus.

Last week was the Great Kindness Challenge, and PLES was one of many schools taking part in the national celebration.

They wore T-shirts Wednesday, Jan. 24, announcing “kindness matters” and other positive messages, and students participated in a challenge to complete as many acts of kindness as possible. These included a variety of acts, as students wanted to be as kind as possible. “(There were) kind acts like creating a kindness poster, complimenting others, inviting someone new to play, sending thank-you notes, making hearts to share with others and opportunities for students to create their own kind acts,” school counselor Lauren Akesson said.

“We have also been doing lessons on kindness in the classrooms and encouraging classes to work together to complete the challenges.”

Several hundred challenge forms were returned to Akesson. The students who completed the most challenges, as well as the classes with the most students participating, were recognized on the Bobcat news, received a kindness coin and had a special lunch.

Students keep track of their

kindness coins, and when they receive five, they get a kindness bracelet. When they reach 10, they are recognized on the morning announcements. At 15 coins, they are given the Kindness Ambassador title and a bag of coins to hand out, and when they reach 20 coins, they get a special lunch.

Akesson said the Kids Who Care service learning club and National Elementary Honor Society also have been instrumental in being leaders in action and spreading kindness.

Last year, acts of kindness were documented on kindness strips, which were made into links to form a kindness chain with 1,417 strips and hung in the cafeteria.

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COMMUNITY EDITOR

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AMY QUESINBERRY

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Snow in Florida?! Rosen JCC keeps cool at Winterfest T he Rosen JCC Winterfest is perhaps the first event ever to feature snow and a petting zoo at the same time. The family-friendly festival took place Sunday, Jan. 28, at Rosen JCC and featured a plethora of activities. Children of all ages enjoyed zooming down a huge snow slide, making snowballs and even petting a duck in the petting zoo.

Younger children spent time in a winter-themed play area just for them, and the bravest of attendees attempted to scale a rockclimbing wall. Families also were able to grab lunch at one of several food trucks, and a deejay kept the tunes spinning throughout the afternoon.

Above: Aranza Fonseca, 7, absolutely loved scaling the rock-climbing wall.

Left: Atlas Hegstrom, 4, rode the snow slide at least 20 times.

— MICHAEL ENG

Besties Beckham Firestone, left, and Mateo Llinas, both 2, ruled the ball pit in the play area at the Rosen JCC Winterfest.

Children loved getting up-close-and-personal with a cow at the petting zoo.

Of course, the snow slide was one of the most popular attractions at Rosen JCC’s Winterfest.

The petting zoo gave children a chance to spend some quality time with bunnies, goats, a duck and more.

Right: It’s-a-me, Anabella Alfonso! The 6-year-old opted for a Super Mario face painting.

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FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION FROM THE ARCHIVES

80 years ago

The marriage of Miss Virginia Wilson to James Calvin Sadler Jr. took place at the First Baptist Church with Dr. J. Powell Tucker officiating.

70 years ago

Fishing on Lake Apopka just about broke all records beginning last week. Guy Neff, operator of Lakeview Lodge, said more than 1,000 speckled perch came into his camp along every day this week.

Calvary Baptist Church was planning its first revival since the church’s inception last year.

Mrs. Clarence Heidt entertained at a wiener roast at her home honoring her little daughter, Kay Heidt, on her birthday.

The Leader Department Store featured men’s Endicott work shoes at $3.98, hats at $1.98 and $2.98, ladies’ blouses at $1 and $1.98, nylon hose at 49 cents, and ladies’ corduroy and gabardine jackets at $3.98 and $5.98.

50 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.

sold, making sufficient funds available for the project.

The board of directors of Orange Federal Savings & Loan Association named Waymon L. Jones president of the organization, replacing Franklin Cappleman.

The First Baptist Church of Windermere marked a historic moment by turning the first spadeful of dirt to signify the beginning of construction on the new sanctuary. The Rev. Gordon T. Smith conducted the brief ceremony, and

J.B Rodgers Jr., chairman of the building committee, led the group in prayer.

Construction was moving rapidly on the new Howard’s Winter Garden Hardware building on South Dillard Street at Florida Avenue. The owner was Howard Vanlandingham.

Russell Crouch was named to the staff of the West Orange Branch YMCA to serve as a fulltime program director and be involved in all phases of recreation.

Many varieties of local citrus ripened to maturity and were harvested during the nippy months of January and February. A bit of cold weather helped to sweeten the juice, although significant drops in temperature resulting in hard freezes could devastate a grove.

The Valencia tree shown in this circa-1940 photograph is mature and ready for harvesting. Some few months earlier it would have been covered with blossoms.

Many can recall driving through the region when hundreds of thousands of citrus trees blanketed West Orange County, perfuming the air with intoxicating fragrance.

Because of West Orange County’s past position as one of the planet’s busiest centers for shipping citrus and vegetables, the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation preserves a world-class collection of photographs and artifacts documenting the industry that sustained the area for more than a century.

40 years ago

The youth fellowship of the Oakland Presbyterian Church returned from a retreat to Beech Mountain, North Carolina. Those who enjoyed the trip were Leigh Anne Hargrove, Ross Lenhardt, Stephen Judy, Sidney Arrington, Glen Thomas, Kevin Britt, Doug Bullman, Jennifer Howard, Terri Terrell, Scott Boyd, Wendy Myers, Brent McCoy, Jim Garrison, Scott Britt, Kevin Anderson and adviser Ben Hargrove.

crossword

celebrity cipher

AWAY WITH WORDS by Celeste Watts & Jeff Chen, edited by Jeff Chen her PASTORAL out loud?

48 Fieri of the Food

They ___

Network

107 Creative type

51 “Godzilla vs. ___”

108 Playful mammals

54 “Fists of Fury” and “Fist

109 Cookie-filled dessert

of Legend”

110 “What if,” slangily

55 Blubbers

111 Fencing gear

56 Rival of PanAm

112 Minstrels, often

57 Where to find Mr.

DOWN

Snuffleupagus

1 Some grad school grads 2 Wife of Zeus 3 Furrow 4 Mont Blanc, e.g.

5 Hawaiian offerings 6 Activist Medgar 7 ___ Flyer wagon 8 Put down 9 UNLV collegian 10 Willingly 11 Claim 12 Screamed 13 So-so, in slang 14 “End of story!”

15 Rodeo whoop 16 Comet competitor 17 Halfback’s play 19 “Quiet!”

20 Marx’s “___ Kapital” ©2023 Universal Uclick

1 Strip that turns blue?

8 Arrangement of data 13 “Possibly ...”

18 Extremely, in slang 19 Anastasia of “Fifty Shades of Grey” 20 Partake of 21 *How did the cruciverbalists commercialize a BALLAD? They ___ 23 Sum thing?

24 Spotted 25 Heep of bad news?

26 They can be full of baloney 28 Old salt’s direction 29 Canon and Xerox rival

32 Famed orca

___”

the CENTIMETER? They ___

33 Knell

55 Like Mr. Darcy or Ray-

80 Japanese noodles

35 *How did the cruciver-

mond Holt

82 With 59-Down, meat-

balists suck all the life out

57 Tenuous, as an alibi

heavy regimen

of a DRAWING? They ___

58 *How did the cruciver-

83 True-blue

37 VW model also known as balists make a HEATHEN

84 *How did the cruciver-

the Dasher

chicken? They ___

balists make a FATALIST a

39 Like some bad apples

63 Some change

star? They ___

40 Expel

65 Medical dripper

89 Congeals

41 *How did the cruciver-

66 Topper for some brats

90 Ritz alternatives, once

balists molder a LIGA-

69 Overdraw a line of

91 Filling, like stew

MENT? They ___

credit?

92 Gets a flat?

43 Presently

70 Vehicles crashed by

95 Patron saint of Norway

45 Ceremony goodies

Calvin and Hobbes

96 Crack, as a crossword

49 Pub quaff

72 Jazz trumpeter Louis

97 Poultry factory worker

50 Goner

74 Concern for a wine snob 98 Lucy of “Elementary”

51 Person who takes

75 Narcissist’s obsession

101 Michaelangelo’s patron

unplanned trips

76 They go on top of beans

family

77 *How did the cruciver-

103 *How did the cruciver-

balists find the middle of

balists make a poet read

30 Man who made radiation 52 Shakespeare’s “you” 53 Neil Simon’s “Lost in click?

JAN. 26, 1951 The 1951 Ford with new Fordomatic Drive had 43 “lookahead” features built with an eye to the future. It had automatic ride control, which ironed out the bumps with the variable-rate rear spring suspension and shock absorbers; automatic mileage maker, which included “a magic brain” to give better mileage; doubleseal king-size brakes; automatic posture control with the touch of a lever in front of the seat; and a “magic lift” deck lid that opens with the turn of a key and closes with no effort.

An advertisement in the Winter Garden Times boasted with Fordomatic Drive, the owner and car “takes off like a jet” and is “always boss.”

The Ford was available for a test drive at Winter Garden Ford, 236 E. Plant St., where it intersected with Dillard Street, in Winter Garden.

22 “The Moon Lady” author 27 Asimov collection 29 Right, on a map 30 U.S. territory in Micronesia 31 Woods of “Legally Blonde” 32 BART stop 33 Painter Veronese 34 Requisite 35 Marsh growth 36 “Happy Days” star 37 “___ ball!”

38 Metaphorical irritant 39 British sports cars 42 Ill at ___ 43 Opening for a castle archer 44 “Yowie!”

46“Too funny!”

47 “All systems are go”

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“RUHTS KZVS ZL FJST Z XZLKRTIS VELSUP POHV KJS MHZISL HP KJS FHOUX LH Z IRT JSRO VE HFT.” HBORJ FZTPOSE

59See 82-Across 60 Contents of some box sets 61 Throw off

“O UKOGS OL BFX’WP LPPVOGM MWPRU

62 Like some summers

RJFXU NKPWP BFX RWP, PYPWBUKOGM

63 Colbert’s station

UKRU VPT XC UF OU KRT UF JP

64 Smelted material 67 Singer Wainwright

UPWWOLOI.”

68 Dexterous 70 Home for a big nursery rhyme family 71 Crow’s-nest cry 72Pound, e.g.

73 “Citizen Kane” studio 77 Mustachioed president 78 Nivea competitor 79 Nights when children stay up too late, often 81 Gets in touch with privately, on X (Abbr.)

82 Tiffany’s iconic jewelry designer 84 Train of children’s TV 85 Enrage 86 “They forced me!”

GFWHRG VPRW

“NC FCHSZCY, JNVG ZSS YDF OFLXFPV, JF GZMF LUTF UB VGF XSZNCFLV ZPVOFLLFL NC VGF FCVNOF JUOSY ZL UDO HOFZVFLV.” © 2023 NEA, Inc.

TNCCNF YONMFO

Puzzle Three Clue: X equals P

A major remodeling program was underway at Penny Saver Department Store, and when completed, it became two separate stores to be called HIS and HERS. Members of the congregation of Macedonia Freewill Baptist Church on East Bay Street, Winter Garden, followed their pastor, the Rev. A.W. Whitehead, into their new church building after the ribbon was cut

by Mayor C.H. Johnson.

Two major developments occurred regarding bringing the much-needed new West Orange High School closer to reality. The Orange County School Board, by court order and with a deposit of $225,000, took possession of the property, and the state bonds were

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Puzzle Two Clue: B equals Y

THESE OLD TIMES

ACROSS

7B

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Puzzle One Clue: F equals W

W EST O RANG E HISTO RY

OrangeObserver.com

sudoku

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

87 Spin yarns about 88 Must 92 Whistle-blower 93 Glorify 94 Indira Gandhi’s father 96 “To ___, With Love” 97 Brillo competitor 98 Standing makes them vanish 99 “___ Cake?” (Netflix show) 100 Heavy duty SUVs 102 Pool stick 104 Come together 105 Cutting rooms (Abbr.)

106 Taro paste

©2023 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2024

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This week’s Crossword answers

This week’s Sudoku answers

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “Alone time is when I distance myself from the voices of the world so I can hear my own.”

Oprah Winfrey

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Puzzle Two Solution: “I think if you’re feeling great about where you are, everything that led up to it had to be terrific.”

Norman Lear

Puzzle Three Solution: “In England, with all due respect, we have some of the plainest actresses in the entire world as our greatest.”

Minnie Driver

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