06.09.22 West Orange Times & Observer

IN THIS ISSUE:

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Observer Winter Garden, Ocoee, Oakland

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VOLUME 89, NO. 23

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

OCPS halts laptop fines

School district officials will revamp the digital devices reimbursement schedule. SEE PAGE 2.

Ocoee FD honors members

Bird bond John Blonn’s famous macaw, Blue, travels across the West Orange community educating and thrilling people of all ages. PAGE 4.

The fire department held its first pinning and recognition ceremony since the COVID-19 pandemic began. SEE 5.

YOUR TOWN IMMUNIZATIONS AVAILABLE In partnership with Orange County Public Schools, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County will provide free school immunizations for OCPS children entering kindergarten and 11-year-old students needing their required seventh-grade Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis immunization.

No appointment is needed, but a parent or guardian with a valid ID is required to accompany the child along with the completed consent forms. The vaccine and TDAP consent forms can be found on the OCPS website: ocps.net/.

Immunizations will be available at two West Orange County schools: Lakeview Middle School gymnasium, 1200 W. Bay St., Winter Garden, from 2 to 7 p.m. Monday, June 13; and Windy Ridge K-8 media center, 3900 Beech Tree Drive, Orlando, from 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 22.

For more information, call the Florida Department of Health in Orange County at (407) 723-5004.

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Annabelle Sikes

Blue, with owners John and Karen Blonn, is a 15-year-old blue-and-gold macaw, part of a large group of neotropical South American parrots.

CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION!

Record-breakers Windermere Prep’s 4x800 boys track-and-field relay team broke the school’s event record three times. SEE PAGE 19.

Students from Windermere Preparatory and The First Academy received their diplomas. SEE PHOTOS ON 15 & 18.

EAST WINTER GARDEN UPDATE:

The city shared an update on its plan for east Winter Garden. SEE PAGE 6.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

HAVE QUESTIONS?

After outrage, OCPS to upload new digital devices protocols Orange County Public Schools officials said the district is planning to revamp its digital devices reimbursement schedule.

ANNABELLE SIKES STAFF WRITER

After Orange County Public Schools students and parents raised questions about fines they received related to damage to district-issued laptops, district officials now say they plan to revamp the digital devices reimbursement schedule for upcoming school years.

In an email sent out to all OCPS principals, assistant principals, school and internal bookkeepers, and media specialists, district officials said it will initiate a process to wipe out all unpaid student fines and offenses from Archibus for Fiscal Year 2022 and prior.

“This one-time event will start all schools and students with a clean slate for the new fiscal year,” officials said in the email.

District 4 OCPS School Board Member Pam Gould said she and other board members received recently an influx in parent questions about the devices after the Observer published a story about the concerns after conducting local parenting forums and research in its May 26 edition.

“The computers have given us the ability to Flex education and also build engagement in other ways, but they are a lot of responsibility, and it takes all of us taking care of them to make sure we can keep them up,” Gould said.

NEW PROCESS

The process will begin Friday, July 1, with a new district process for all unpaid student fines.

According to OCPS, beginning in 2023, the district will collect, from school budgets, any unpaid fine balance for the current fiscal year during the carryover process in July and the beginning of August. In addition, after collection, all previous fines and offenses for a student will be reset to no amount due in the system. This applies for grades five, eight and 12 from all schools.

For grades kindergarten through fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth through 12th, all fines that were not collected and not paid by a student

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REIMBURSEMENT REVISED

In terms of a revised reimbursement schedule, Lorena Arias, assistant director of media relations at OCPS, said there is a plan in place to distribute brand-new devices for all secondary students for the 2022-23 school year.

She said the same device will stay with each student all through middle school, where they will then receive another new device through high school — although officials said this will not include new schools built in the last two years.

Michael Ollendorff, manager of media relations at OCPS, said the estimated cost for the districtwide student device refresh is $56 million over the next four years, with the new middle and high school device being a

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Dell 3120.

As far as the old devices, Ollendorff said if the devices are deemed functional, they will be set aside as loaners when new devices require diagnostic assistance or repair.

“As has been OCPS standard practice, the repair vendor uses parts from the non-functional devices to help fix other devices in need of repair,” he said. “This results in some savings in repair.”

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

OCPS said during the past three school years, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, the average fines collected were about $459,000 per year. For the 2021-22 school year, $14,579,238 in non-recurring district capital dollars and $12,351,358.65 from ESSER II dollars were allocated for devices.

Arias said the fines are used to help cover the district’s repair costs for damaged student devices.

The district said to protect the taxpayer investment, a reimbursement structure was put in place when it started the digital initiative.

For the first occurrence, the fine is the actual cost of repair or replacement with up to a $50 maximum. The second occurrence is the actual cost of repair or replacement with up to $100 maximum. The third occurrence is the

actual cost of repair or replacement with no cap.

Arias shared that the vast majority of families had to pay between $50 and $100 in fines.

Because many parents have expressed concerns as to the expectations and conditions of the devices, the district has said the devices must power on, successfully charge, have no cracks in the screen or body damage, have working power and volume buttons, have a working microphone, have an Archibus label or serial number, have no breaks inside the headphone jack, have no missing or damaged keys, and have no decorative stickers.

COLLECTION CEASED

Last week, Ollendorff said the district had paused collection to run end-ofthe year processes within the asset management system.

“During this pause, the end-of-year process includes a review of the reimbursements assessed,” he said. “Select refunds have already been provided to students who paid the full cost of device replacement.”

After a local parent asked questions of Gould in terms of the devices, Kelly King, senior specialist at OCPS who aids Gould, said last week Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins directed schools to stop collecting and assessing device fines.

Christie Moody, media specialist for OCPS, also confirmed this fact to a parent in an email.

In addition, Jenkins also asked that those students who were fined this year be reviewed, as some of those who were fined may be eligible for a refund.

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who left their school will be wiped out at the end of each year. The district said the student offense count will remain intact.

In addition, fines from the fiscal year that were not collected and not paid by a student who stayed at their school will remain untouched. OCPS said schools can continue to seek payment from their students on a fine generated at their school.

“This process ensures the fine balances in Archibus reflect only student balances that are currently enrolled at the school,” OCPS said in the email.

Those who have additional questions should contact Senior Director of Finance Catherine Nguyen Schuessler, catherine. nguyen@ocps.net; or Senior Director of Digital Learning Maurice Draggon, maurice.draggon@ ocps.net.

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Not self but country Windermere resident and Olympia High School graduate Thomas Kelly will enter the U.S. Naval Academy at the end of the month.

AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

I

t’s no small feat to receive an acceptance letter to a United States service academy — and it’s an even bigger accomplishment to be accepted into three.

Thomas Kelly, a Windermere resident and recent graduate of Olympia High School, learned in March he had a big decision to make — whether to attend the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy or West Point Military Academy. After going through the interview process with each school, he ultimately selected to enter the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

The process for mapping out his future actually began last summer.

“The first hoop to jump through is the nomination,” he said. “To get an appointment to a U.S. service academy, you have to get a nomination from your local congressman (or senator). For me, it was (U.S. Rep.) Val Demings, (U.S. Sen.) Rick Scott or (U.S. Sen.) Marco Rubio. The first step was making sure I had a nomination.”

And there are multiple steps to get to that point.

He had to write essays; obtain two or three recommendation letters from teachers or mentors; and gather his school schedule, grades, and SAT and ACT scores.

“You mail those in to the respective offices, and then each office determines whether or not you are a competitive application,” Kelly said. “If you are, you are invited to go before a board, they ask questions … and they ultimate decide which 10 will be nominated.”

He was interviewed by all three — Demings, Rubio and Scott — and was up against hundreds of other candidates for each of the academy nominations.

“It’s definitely very hard to get a

nomination,” Kelly said. “I was very fortunate with my nomination experience.”

He had to answer questions pertaining to topics such as leadership and overcoming adversity.

“They only had 10 to 15 minutes, so they only asked five or six questions, and you had to answer well,” Kelly said.

“I know for Marco Rubio, we talked about my Eagle Scout project, being drum major in the marching band,” he said. “I think a really common theme was, ‘Why do you want to go and why do you want to serve and how do you fit into the ideals of each academy?’”

Kelly also has mastered the skill of performing under pressure. He passed his Boy Scout Eagle Board of Review interview process after building three hammock areas in Wekiva Springs State Park, and he was interviewed by multiple Ivy League schools, including Stanford and Yale.

In the spring, he heard first from West Point, receiving the official acceptance letter, he said. This was followed by letters from the Air Force and Navy.

“I got a letter of assurance, which is pretty much, ‘You’re in if you meet the qualifications,’” Kelly said.

Narrowing it down to one academy was tough, he said, but he knew he would get an excellent education and steady career through any of the three.

“Basically, each academy is the best of the best, so you really can’t go wrong with any of the three,” he said.

His first choice was the Air Force Academy, because he has a passion for aerospace and airplanes and wanted to become a pilot. But he learned an issue with his eyesight disqualified him.

Then, Kelly said he was leaning toward the Naval Academy because the U.S. Navy has more options for him once he graduates, and he made his final decision after talking to several friends at the academy.

“I took all that in and reflected on it,” he said.

Courtesy photo

Thomas Kelly, of Windermere, received an offer of appointment to the Naval Academy Class of 2026.

“I think first and foremost it’s kind of an experience to grow as a person, to grow in character and academics,” he said of attending the Naval Academy. “You surround yourself with people you want to be like. I think the caliber of people is next to nothing. I don’t think you can find a higher caliber of individuals.

“In terms of moral and character development, as well as academic development, I think the academy stands out,” Kelly said. “The rigor of their program really builds you up to

“The rigor of their program really builds you up to be an outstanding individual, American and leader.”

— Thomas Kelly

be an outstanding individual, American and leader.”

After graduating with the Class of 2026, Kelly expects to go into the U.S. Navy and become a surface warfare officer. He can decide later if he wants to dedicate his entire career to the military or if he eventually will move to the private sector and open his own consulting firm, he said.

Kelly reports to Annapolis June 30.

He is the son of Claudia Otto and Paul Kelly.

Dr. Phillips residents mobilize against apartment project Kimco Realty Corporation released its plans to build more than 850 apartments at the Marketplace at Dr. Phillips.

ANDREA MUJICA STAFF WRITER

Even though it has not yet filed any applications for zoning changes, Kimco Realty Corporation already has drawn the ire of residents in Dr. Phillips.

The development company released recently details of a plan to bring more than 850 apartments to the Publixanchored Marketplace at Dr. Phillips.

The plan calls for demolishing the now-closed Stein Mart, as well as the Office Depot and HomeGoods stores.

In their place, Kimco would construct an eight-story building, as well as two five-story buildings and a parking garage.

If the project earns approval, it would become the first eight-story building in Dr. Phillips and set new standards for future developments.

The current zoning for the property is commercial, so Kimco would have to apply for and receive rezoning for the project to continue.

Resident Rich Maladecki has lived in the area for almost 25 years and is worried about how this project could affect the area.

“I’m not opposed to growth; I understand growth is a sign of progress,” he said. “But, I’m tired of non-managed growth, because there should be some topics discussed before the growth is even approved.”

Some of these topics include how the project will impact the traffic patterns and the local schools.

Currently, Dr. Phillips Elementary School and Southwest Middle School already are at capacity, if not overcrowded. Maladecki raised concerns about how the schools would manage an influx of students if the project gets approved.

“Is anyone adding that into the equation?” he said. “(Do we) add four more classrooms or three more? How do we manage that? Is someone conducting an analysis of that?”

Maladecki said 850 apartments would bring more than 1,500 people, exacerbating traffic issues in the area.

“What are we doing about … Sand Lake Road?” Maladecki asked. “What about Della Drive? I ride my bicycle on Della Drive, and right now is a peaceful little road. But do we need to put in dedicated turning lights to keep the flow going? Do we need to widen the

roads on Dr. Phillips Boulevard right in that area?”

Paul McGarigal, who has been living in Dr. Phillips since 1972, has been working as a Realtor in the area for 45 years and is currently the president of six or seven HOA associations. He provided an example of responsible growth.

“Look at how nice the development in Horizon West came out,” he said.

“They don’t get a lot of (complaints) from the people who live there, because it’s responsible growth. They are following the rules, they are not asking to do anything crazy, and in most cases, it’s another benefit for the neighborhood. But, this is no benefit to the neighborhood, there is nobody who would benefit from 900 apartments except for the developer.”

Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson, who represents District 1, attended a meeting held Wednesday, June 1, at the Rosen JCC in Dr. Phillips, where more than 500 Dr. Phillips residents voiced concerns about the project.

“She said, ‘I want you all to understand, I will not support this, but I am one of six votes,’” McGarigal said.

During the meeting, Maladecki informed attendees he is serving on the leadership committee for a new organization that’s being formed in Dr.

Phillips, called “DP United.”

“It’s time for the Dr. Phillips community to work as one,” he said. “I’m tired of very little action, so we decided to do a meeting … (and) challenged everybody to attend and volunteer.”

During the meeting, DP United managed to gather the names and email addresses of 20 to 25 Dr. Phillips HOA elected officials.

“We’ve never had that before,” Maladecki said. “So if we can get all the HOA’s together representing their individual communities and we act as one unit, I believe that we can have a voice.”

According to Maladecki, the original intent for the shopping center was to be a convenience for the neighborhoods that were being established in Dr. Phillips.

Both Maladecki and McGarigal brought up a developer who, pre-pandemic, wanted to develop the northwest corner of Conroy Windermere Road and Apopka Vineland Road into a multi-use residential community.

This project was known as “Isleworth area development.” Residents of the area developed yard signs and scattered them throughout Windermere, which essentially stopped the development.

“DP United’s goal is to develop yard signs that we hope to get out in the

next two to three weeks,” Maladecki said. ”We are hoping to print a couple thousand, and everybody can have that on their lawns saying, ‘It’s time to stop this project.’”

There’s currently a petition to stop the project, with 4,409 signatures of 5,000 already collected, where multiple Dr. Phillips citizens have expressed their opposing arguments to the proposed development.

“Our neighborhood is already too crowded,” Shaista Usmani wrote in the petition. “It takes 30 minutes from exit at I-4 on Sand Lake Road to Apopka Vineland Road. In the past, it took five minutes only. I am a physician, and to go to Arnold Palmer Hospital or AdventHealth for Children for an emergency has become a nightmare.”

Dr. Phillips resident Seema Rafay agreed, also voicing her opinion in the petition.

“I have lived in Dr. Phillips for over 20 years and have been seeing the constant increase in traffic while the roads remain at 1980 capacity,” Rafay wrote.

“It is an inconceivable idea to erect a building to house 800 apartments without the infrastructure of roadways and access to support the population influx as a result of it. The fact that it would be an eyesore to a quiet residential neighborhood is in and of itself, an atrocity!”

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

Observer

Meet Winter Garden’s famous macaw

“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.”

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“Road to Serfdom,” 1944 Editor and Publisher / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com Design Editor / Jessica Eng, jeng@OrangeObserver.com Community Editor / Amy Quesinberry, amyq@OrangeObserver.com Staff Writer / Andrea Mujica, amujica@OrangeObserver.com Staff Writer / Annabelle Sikes, asikes@OrangeObserver.com Sales Manager / Cyndi Gustafson, advertising@OrangeObserver.com Multimedia Advertising Executives / Iggy Collazo, iggy@OrangeObserver.com Liane LaRosa, llarosa@OrangeObserver.com Senior Graphic Designer / Lindsay Cannizzaro, lcannizzaro@OrangeObserver.com Advertising Operations Manager / Allison Brunelle, abrunelle@OrangeObserver.com

CONTACT US Annabelle Sikes

ANNABELLE SIKES STAFF WRITER

A

nyone strolling through the Winter Garden Farmers Market on a Saturday morning is bound to recognize the beautiful blue and gold wings of the community’s favorite bird, perched upon the arm of John or Karen Blonn.

The 15-year-old macaw, known as Blue, has become a staple in the West Orange community.

Her talents are extensive, ranging from playing basketball, waving hello and goodbye, and giving her owners kisses, to stacking rings on a children’s toy, playing fetch, and more. In addition, she can speak about half-dozen words, laugh and dance, something the couple calls her Stevie Wonder impression, as she moves back and forth so hard her whole perch will shake.

The Blonns, Horizon West residents, describe their relationship with Blue as a partnership.

“I don’t think of it as me being her master or her owner; I’m her friend,” John said. “When people say, ‘Make her talk,’ or, ‘Make her dance,’ I say, ‘I can’t make her talk or make her dance.

I can ask her if she would, and then it’s up to her to do it.’ ” Blue is extremely food motivated and loves sunflower seeds and fruits like blueberries and grapes.

Although she is not overly cuddly, John said if he sits on the armchair and puts his feet up, she will sit on his toes and watch TV with him. One of her favorite places is her outdoor playground.

Blue’s persona is exceptional and undeniably close to that of a human being, and the Blonns truly treat her just as they would any other member of the family.

FEATHERED FRIEND

Blue isn’t your typical macaw.

Her favorite thing is to be around people.

On the weekends, she enjoys traveling to events around the community.

She even loves strolling with John through the local hardware stores and sitting outside restaurants with her family as they enjoy a meal.

Although the social aspect is enjoyable for Blue, John said it is also a necessity.

Macaws of Blue’s size can live anywhere between 80 and 100 years in captivity and need to be constantly engaged. John said when a macaw stays locked in a cage, it will begin to rip all of its feathers out.

In addition, the outings keep Blue friendly and help her to stay comfortable around people.

However, Blue isn’t the only one who benefits from the outings.

John said she also helps him come out of his shell.

“I tell people I’m shy,” he said. “She gets me opened up and talking to people. She understands that this is kind of what we do together.”

PET PERSONA

Blue’s relationship with people did not always come so easily, although Karen said the macaw’s gentleness is just part of her personality.

“Just like people, they have their own personalities, but part of it is also the fact that we try to be gentle

with her,” she said. “We try not to be aggressive with her or do things that would make her uncomfortable. It’s like raising a child.”

John explained the trust grew from a lot of handling in the beginning of the relationship.

The couple played with Blue often, rolling around the floor and tussling with her.

“If you’re not willing to touch the bird, handle the bird, it will never trust you,” John said.

Macaws will grow to the maturity of about a 3-year-old child and stay there for the rest of their lives. The couple said if Blue is going to live 100 years, they want her to be happy for every single one of them.

Although Blue does not like to be pet — hands cover her wings and makes her feel vulnerable — John said she is unbelievably gentle, especially with younger and older individuals.

“Personality-wise, she’s just a very gentle bird and she has a remarkable understanding and empathy towards seniors and towards little kids,” John said.

In their hometown of Chicago, John said he would take Blue to preschools, nursing homes, hospitals and more.

However, they have not been able to do the same in Florida because Blue is considered an exotic animal.

The couple is looking into getting Blue a pet therapy license so she can go to hospitals in the area.

“People bring therapy dogs all the time, but birds are something special,” John said. “People are fascinated. Some people are scared of dogs, and they see the bird, and she’s just so different. You can see the joy in their faces, and I just think that’s awesome.”

Blue is comfortable perching on anyone, as long as John is the one to guide her. For little ones, the macaw’s claws can be a bit overwhelming, so John makes sure to use his hand as a barrier.

Although Blue cannot fly — her flight feathers have been cut down — she loves to spread her wings foro a photo upon request, even occasionally doing the movement without prompt when she sees a camera.

John tries to make the interactions with the community as educational as possible, sharing facts about the bird’s species, features, likes and dislikes.

BIRD BEGINNINGS

The Blonn’s have owned birds together since they were first married 48 years ago. The two even grew up with birds in their households.

The first macaw John and Karen ever owned was an Amazon parrot they got together as a 25th anniversary gift. The bird immediately took to John, and Karen knew she wanted one of her own.

“My wife is not overly into big fancy jewelry, diamond rings and other stuff like that, although she does have some,” John said jokingly. “But it’s not what she really wants. She wanted a gift that we could both enjoy.”

The couple conducted research and decided to look for a rescue bird, although they could never find a good fit. They even rescued a cockatoo for a year, but it turned out not to be a good match.

The Blonns decided they had interest in a scarlet macaw and explored the option of a breeder in Chicago.

The West Orange Times, West Orange Times & Observer and Southwest Orange Observer are published once weekly, on Thursdays. The papers can be found in many commercial locations throughout West Orange and Southwest Orange.

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STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP PUBLIC NOTICES Blue stacked the colored rings on a children’s toy.

BY THE NUMBERS 41 to 45

The number in inches of a macaw’s wingspan

2 to 2.7

The number of pounds a typical macaw weighs

35

The speed in miles per hour a macaw can fly

80

The number of years a macaw can live

FAST FACTS The blue-and-gold macaw

is a large parrot from a group of neotropical South American parrots.

The birds typically have long tail feathers and are mainly blue and yellow in color with green on their forehead. In addition, these macaws typically have black around their chin and cheeks, with the naked skin of their cheeks colored a pinkish-white with lines of very small, isolated black feathers.

This type of macaw has a strongly hooked beak and zygodactylous feet, two toes that point forward and two toes that point backward.

However, the larger and intimidating beak of the scarlet worried Karen. The breeder suggested Karen try holding Blue, even though they were not looking for a blue-and-gold macaw.

Within a matter of seconds, the few-months-old Blue curled up in the crook of Karen’s arm and fell asleep.

“How could we ever say no?” John asked, chuckling.

Karen said a responsible bird breeder will not allow individuals to take a baby bird home until it is completely able to eat on its own. If a bird is fed improperly, it can burn out their trachea and kill them. The couple was able to get Blue a little earlier, July 2007, because of their experience feeding baby birds, having raised cockatoos earlier.

The couple moved to Windermere in 2009 after retiring, and because the Amazon parrot they had for 20 years was jealous of Blue, the couple decided to re-home the original parrot a few years later to a single retired veteran in Windermere.

When Karen’s father moved in with the couple, the pair decided it was time for a new home and moved out to the Horizon West area.

The Blonns currently are working on potty training the macaw, as well as getting her more used to being touched and handled by others. They have expressed interest in taking her to local grade schools and children’s hospitals.

John said one of their grandsons, who has just turned 8, also helps train Blue. He asked if he can take care of her when John is gone. In the end, John said there is nothing more that would give him peace than knowing Blue is happy, healthy and with family.

Source: seaworld.org

INSTA BLUE!

If you’re interested in keeping up with Blue, follow her Instagram @ladybluewg.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

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Ocoee Fire Department holds recognition ceremony

Firefighter Giovanny Veloz was recognized as a new member of the team and had his son Marcus Medina help to place his pin.

ANNABELLE SIKES

Ocoee Fire Department members, friends and family gathered for the first pinning and recognition ceremony since the pandemic began.

STAFF WRITER

Lieutenant Joe Moy was recognized for his retirement in April 2020 after 30 years of service.

Right: Matt Roy was presented with the Firefighter of the Year award by Wayne Vaughn, a former Ocoee fire lieutenant who now serves as the chairperson for the Citizens Advisory Counsel to the department.

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Friends, family and firefighters gathered in the Ocoee Fire Department Station 25 apparatus bay for a pinning and recognition ceremony Thursday, May 26.

The ceremony was the first held by the department since the beginning of the pandemic.

Ocoee Fire Marshal Shawn Sorenson kicked off the morning with the Pledge of Allegiance before passing over the floor to Chaplain Joshua Sauers, who led the group in an invocation, followed by opening remarks from Acting Ocoee Fire Chief Thomas Smothers.

The ceremony honored four retirees — Battalion Chief Dave Whitaker, Lt. Joe Moy, Battalion Chief Edwin Youman and Fire Chief John Miller.

The ceremony also recognized promotions of Tim Hoyt to senior municipal inspector; Cameron Outland and David Sprague to battalion chief; Bronson Fernandez, Joe Ponzini and Ryan Sandberg to lieutenant; and Robert LaBrunda, Sheila Rodriguez, Matt Roy, Jillian Sabat and Chris Villa to engineer.

Firefighter pinnings occurred for the following members; Kevin Benkel, Jimmy Carroll, Daniel Clayton, Evan Cotroneo, Jeff Goletz, Aiden Herrera, Harrison Koller, Kalen Lilly, Michael McCane, Juan Millan, Clay Pruim, Andrew Ramirez, Armando Rodriguez, James Sims, Nick Slater, Cory Spangler, John Varano, Giovanny Veloz and Jacob Winkelman.

In addition, Roy was presented with the distinguished Firefighter of the Year award.

After the new firefighters were sworn in, the morning concluded with refreshments and snacks inside the station.

Smothers said he was especially touched by the retirees who came to the ceremony.

“I worked closely with the three that were honored today, but there were several others that came to the ceremony to honor them and to show their support,” Smothers said.

“This touches my heart and reminds me of the camaraderie and brotherhood of the fire service that led to the love I have for my profession.”

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

City presents update on east Winter Garden plan OPEN DESIGN STUDIO

Officials held a series of meetings last week to find out what east-side residents want to see when their neighborhood is revitalized.

COMMUNITY EDITOR

Residents have been clear in stating what they want for the east side of Winter Garden — above all else, they desire affordable housing and safety.

The city of Winter Garden hosted a series of charettes and community meetings last week to refocus its efforts on the revitalization of east Winter Garden.

The project concentrates on 10th and Center streets, the intersection of Ninth Street and Story Road, and the corner of Ninth and Plant streets — with emphasis on Center Street and Orange Technical College – West Campus. OTC campus preservation is important to residents because it is the former site of the segregated Drew High School.

More than 110 residents, most of them living in east Winter Garden, gathered at City Hall Thursday, June 2, to share opinions on what they want their revitalized neighborhood to look like.

City staff and representatives of the Dover, Kohl & Partners town planning firm updated participants on the plan that was started in 2017 and interrupted, in part, by the pandemic. A poll determined more than half the attendees took part in charrettes five years ago.

After the presentation, residents were invited to create maps of how they envisioned the future of the east side.

“Those ideas become the plan,” said Jason King, vice president and senior project director for Dover Kohl.

City Commissioner Mark Maciel, who couldn’t be present at the meeting, addressed folks through a phone call and said city staff has been working hard behind the scenes.

“I think now you’re going to see things kick off and move rapidly,” he said.

He urged residents to stay involved in the planning process.

City Manager Jon C. Williams said the city is eager to receive feedback and to improve the east side in terms of homeownership, economic development, health and safety.

The presentation included solutions that were short-term (two to five years starting in 2018), mid-term (six to 12 years) and long-term (13 to more than 20 years). Williams said most of the short-term goals have been accomplished. This includes adopting and promoting the East Winter Garden Plan, extending the life of the CRA from an expiration date of 2023 to 2033 (which is expected to generate $20 million to $30 million over the 10 years), installing a traffic light at the intersection of Plant and 11th streets, creating a code enforcement strategy, and continuing to annex properties into the city.

More annexations are expected, including enclaves along Hennis and East Crown Point roads.

The city also continues to work with Orange County Public Schools to find

The city of Winter Garden’s Community Redevelopment Area comprises nearly 820 acres, including the downtown Plant Street area, all of east Winter Garden and portions of the Division Street area east to East Crown Point Road.

an alternate location for a proposed bus compound on the Drew High/ OTC property on Story Road.

The presenters polled residents on their participation in city events in downtown Winter Garden and east Winter Garden, as well as what they would like to see in the former Center Street business district.

Some residents opposed bringing businesses back to Center Street, preferring businesses — such as minority-owned restaurants, offices and possibly a hotel —be placed along East Plant Street to free up land for affordable housing. Residents want to maintain the neighborhood scale along Center but don’t mind multiple-story commercial buildings on Plant, where there are fewer residents.

One attendee questioned where parking would go if businesses were on Center.

“Space there is limited,” another said. “If you’re going to put business there, you can’t take away from the homes that are also there. … There was a business district but there were also homes for people to live. If you put a parking garage there, you’re tak-

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WHAT IS A PUBLIC DESIGN CHARRETTE?

Public design charrettes bring stakeholders to the table for a short, focused period of time to work intensively to refine a plan. The charrette is rapid and intensive and includes a series of creative work sessions between the public and the design team to produce a detailed implementation plan.

The 2018 East Winter Garden Plan was the result of charrettes held in July 2017 at the Maxey Community Center. More than 170 residents participated.

ing away the potential for affordable homes.”

“You design around those houses,” King said. “Every building there is going to be in the plan.”

NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION

Dover Kohl has been involved in the successful transformation of main streets in several black communities, including Thomasville, Georgia; Detroit; South Miami; and Montgomery, Alabama.

It takes five steps, King said: rezoning to make nonconforming properties legal again, investing in streetscapes, involving the CRA using tax-increment financing, building a residential population within walking distance and reviving city parks.

Charrette attendees were polled on options for Center Street, such as wider sidewalks, landscaping, bike racks, benches and streetlights. A majority were in favor of these amenities. Other suggestions for east Winter Garden were senior housing, a community center, outdoor game areas, green space and a pavilion.

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Topic: June 21st Planning and Zoning Board Regular Meeting

Saturday morning, the city and the design team gave a walking tour of downtown Winter Garden and presented all the work completed last week. Everything presented will be printed in a book that can serve as a guide for the city. For information, visit PlanEastWinterGarden.com.

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The design team spent Friday holding smaller community discussions on economic development and the return of the eastside business district, housing, and the preservation of Drew High School’s legacy.

“You cannot have any economic development with high crime,” said Ed Johnson, who was born at the former West Orange Memorial Hospital and grew up on Lincoln Terrace in east Winter Garden. “That (revitalization plan is) pretty, but until we get the drug issues under control, this will not be safe. This will not go anywhere. … We have got to get this area under control — from crime to infrastructure. Everything needs to be put under control here. … If you don’t feel safe, it isn’t safe.”

In the Drew High School forum, King said the property takes up about seven city blocks and there is room to implement a number of suggestions.

Natalie Lipsey, town planner and urban designer with Dover Kohl, presented ideas.

“There are a lot of buildings there … and we want to keep as many as possible,” she said. “Some are trailer buildings, which could be changed into courtyard communities. (You could have) affordable housing center around a communal green corridor.

Mixed-use or different businesses, cafes, laundromats, salons, cafes, could be with apartments above.

“The larger buildings could be meeting rooms, art studios, community space, different classrooms that would provide technical or soft-skill classes, incubator and a historic center,” Lipsey said.

The north end of the property could offer sports, recreation, green space or a farmers market.

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7

How to talk to your kids about Uvalde RECOMMENDATIONS n Don’t ignore the topic. Depending on the age, and how much the child knows, address the conversation and be assertive. If you don’t have the answer, that’s OK. You don’t necessary have to have the answer, but provide them with a safe space to talk and feel heard. n Talk about “circle of control.” Parents like to feel their kids are always safe. However, there are moments when things fall outside of their circle of control, so it makes it impossible for a parent to protect them from being in harm’s way. Ask them, what can you do about this? What can you control? n Have family interactions without any electronic devices. Go out for a walk, have a nice family dinner, have a drawing session, play a board game together or even go for a bike ride. This way, the kids will realize it’s not only school, work, eat and sleep, but that there are other things involved as well. n See something, say something. If your kids don’t feel that they understand the school’s protocol regarding certain situations, encourage them to talk to their teachers, to go into the principal’s office and address their concerns. Motivate them to ask the hard questions and advocate for their lives. n Parents can be as involved as they want with their kids school. If they are worried about their kids’ safety, have them reach out to their teacher. Teachers are open to answer every question parents may have, being via email or phone. n Learn to reflect and build resilience, whether it is with your kid or with a therapist. People need to focus on their inside health as much as on their outside health. n Take some time off to decompress and relax. If you are charged with negative emotions, you are more likely to transfer that to your kids. The better you feel about yourself, the better you’ll be able to make your kids feel. n Be open with your kids. Teach your kids not to abuse social media and not to abuse the use of their phones. Social media is a world in itself, and it is always going to be there. If they are watching the news on social media and they are aware of what is happening, talk to them about it. Ask them about their opinion so they can form their own and not just simply consume information. Challenge them to form their own answer to the hard questions: What do you think about that? Are you aware of what that means?

NOW LEASING

Models Open Daily

Open communication, asking questions and family interaction are some ways families can deal with negative emotions.

ANDREA MUJICA STAFF WRITER

Recently, communities within the United States have experienced not one, but several, acts of violence that have forced families to have tough and delicate conversations at home.

West Orange-based therapists say validation and honesty are keys to successful conversations between parents and children.

Adult therapist Mirsha Alexandre has been practicing since 2015 and also is a mother of three. She believes adults need to validate their feelings and those of their children during difficult situations.

“We try so hard to pretend like we are not breaking, that we are not scared, or that we are not hurt or fazed, and that doesn’t help anybody,” she said. “It doesn’t help our kids, it doesn’t help the school, it doesn’t help us.

“If the school doesn’t know the parents are scared, they are not going to change anything,” Alexandre said.

“If the kids don’t know their parents are scared or feeling something, they are going to think their emotions are crazy. So stop pretending you are not feeling something and normalize it. … Talk about it with your kids, what are they feeling, validate them.

You don’t have to scare them. Don’t project your fears and anxieties onto them, because they can’t handle that.”

Child therapist Marissa Siegel recommends having open communication within the household.

“Be honest and blatant,” she said.

“Depending on how old the child is if they think they are mature enough to have the conversation, don’t beat around the bush and explain that there are dangers in the world and things that are scary.”

Jessica Villegas, from Hi-Lite

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS Alicia Barilla has been a school counselor and educational therapist at Foundation Academy for a little more than two years. She is also a mother of two.

“Overall, people assume if you see a counselor, something is wrong,” she said. “I think there could be more of a self-process to think, ‘It’s healthy to spend an hour per week assessing with a counselor to just process what’s going on in your life.’ It doesn’t mean that something has to be wrong; you can be proactive, and that’s when you can usually make the most change. It’s part of our health.

We go to the gym to be physically healthy, so allowing some time for your mental health can be (a) proactive (way) to learn healthy

coping skills, as opposed to develop unhealthy coping skills and then seeking help.

“Even just talking about feelings,” she said. “It’s not even just students, it’s also adults. Knowing how to attach the right emotion that they are feeling and find the right word to describe that. We struggle with that as a society as a whole, because we say, ‘I’m upset.’ Well then, why are you upset? Are you fearful, are you sad, are you worried? … With children, they don’t even know what they are feeling.”

Alexandre also believes easier access to mental health could help the younger generation of children who have had to grow up during the years of COVID-19 and mass shootings.

Coaching and Consulting, agreed, and said calmness also is key.

“My kids are more nervous about natural disasters than they are about intruders on campus,” she said. “It is crazy, but if they have questions, we just discuss them. … Address the topic casually: Do you have any worries? Do you have any anxieties? … When you maintain calmness as a parent, your child will mirror that.

So it you are very stressed and anxious, and you have a moment where you are showing them your fears, they are going to mirror that.”

Gina Gavilanez of Westridge Middle School said: “I think they think it’s very normal. … The kids couldn’t understand why we were taking the purses and fanny packs, and the principal decided to do that because of what happened the night before. … I don’t think they think it’s so serious, from a child’s point of view.”

“How do we start educating the United States of America?” she asked. “You need a licensed professional that has been trained, and has certifications, that can sit down and pick out that kid in the cafeteria. When do we start training the teachers social-emotional learning so they learn how to recognize that in the classroom?

These teachers are so overwhelmed already.”

The counselors added that mental-health awareness should also be taken into consideration on a regular basis.

“You are not going to wait until you have diabetes to watch your diet, right?” Villegas said. “So we have these proactive approaches to manage our physical health that we can see, but the things that aren’t seen, they need the same proactive approach.”

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REAL ESTATE

OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

Isleworth estate sells for $9,995,000 A

n estate in the Isle-

The home at 6542 Pasturelands Place, Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $479,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,247 square feet of living area. Days on market: 20.

worth community

in Windermere topped all West Orange-area residen-

LAKE BURDEN SOUTH

tial real-estate transactions

The townhouse at 7645 Ripplepointe Way, Windermere, sold June 1, for $475,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 1,881 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

from May 28 to June 3.

The home at 9288 Blanche Cove Drive, Windermere, sold May 31, for $9,995,000.

The townhouse at 7338 Brightland St., Windermere, sold May 31, for $389,900. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 1,567 square feet of living area. Days on market: Five.

To be built in 2023, it has six bedrooms, eight baths, two half-baths and 11,990 realtor.com

square feet of living area.

The home at 9288 Blanche Cove Drive, Windermere, sold May 31, for $9,995,000. This home, which is under construction, offers views of Lake Blanche.

Days on market: 390.

LANDSBROOK TERRACE

These are the highest-

The home at 6361 Huntsville St., Orlando, sold May 31, for $480,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,674 square feet of living area.

Days on market: One.

selling homes in each community in West Orange.

DR. PHILLIPS

PHILLIPS GROVE

The home at 7631 Wandering Way, Orlando, sold May 31, for $1,549,331. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 4,199 square feet of living area.

AVALON AT TURTLE CREEK

The home at 10638 Woodchase Circle, Orlando, sold May 31, for $700,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,336 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two.

STONEWOOD MANORHOMES

The townhouse at 7214 Della Drive, Orlando, sold June 3, for $399,000. Built in 1986, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,262 square feet of living area. Days on market: One.

BAY HILL

The home at 6006 Masters Blvd., Orlando, sold May 31, for $1,265,000. Built in 1984, it has three bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 3,261 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two.

TOSCANA

The home at 8139 Jozee Circle, Orlando, sold June 1, for $390,000. Built in 1980, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,922 square feet of living area.

The home at 6982 Dolce St., Orlando, sold May 31, for $712,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,011 square feet of living area. Days on market: Four.

BAY VIEW RESERVE

WINDHOVER CONDOMINIUMS

BAY LAKES AT GRANADA

The condo at 7550 Hinson St., No. 6-C, Orlando, sold June 2, for $485,000. Built in 1985, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,650 square feet of living area.

Days on market: 15.

The condo at 5838 Peregrine Ave., No. E03-1, Orlando, sold May 31, for $220,000. Built in 1974, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,146 square feet of living area.

GOTHA

DIAMOND COVE

AZALEA RIDGE

D LAN

O JEWISH

PEARL LAKE PARK

The home at 1890 Twin Lake Drive, Gotha, sold June 3, for $437,000. Built in 1976, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,544 square feet of living area. Days on market: 15.

SADDLEBROOK

The home at 1607 Thoroughbred Drive, Gotha, sold May 31, for $745,000. Built in 1995, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,998 square feet of living area. Days on market: 36.

HORIZON WEST

ARROWHEAD LAKES

The home at 16944 Arrowhead Blvd., Winter Garden, sold June 1, for $470,000. Built in 1950, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,008 square feet of living area.

Days on market: Eight.

HAMILTON GARDENS

The townhouse at 6233 Aralia Ivy Lane, Winter Garden, sold June 2, for $480,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 1,772 square feet of living area. Days on market: Five.

HAMLIN RESERVE

The home at 6349 Flat Lemon Drive, Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $800,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three-andone-half baths and 2,852 square feet of living area.

The home at 15266 Honeybell Drive, Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $576,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,001 square feet of living area. Days on market: Five.

HICKORY HAMMOCK

The home at 15707 Orange Harvest Loop, Winter Garden, sold June 3, for $525,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 2,444 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two. HIGHLANDS AT SUMMERLAKE GROVES

The home at 15537 Honey Mandarin Way, Winter Garden, sold June 3, for $675,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,612 square feet of living area. Days on market: Five.

INDEPENDENCE/ SIGNATURE LAKES

The home at 14437 Avenue of the Rushes, Winter Garden, sold June 2, for $950,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 3,749 square feet of living area.

Days on market: Eight.

The home at 5600 Laurel Cherry Ave., Winter Garden, sold June 3, for $555,555. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,203 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

LAKES OF WINDERMERE

The home at 7009 Bramlea Lane, Windermere, sold May 31, for $690,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,624 square feet of living area. Days on market: Four.

The home at 6879 Northwich Lane, Windermere, sold June 2, for $565,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,289 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

LAKESIDE AT HAMLIN

The home at 5111 Lake Hamlin Trail, Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $520,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,771 square feet of living area.

Days on market: 30.

LAKESIDE AT LAKES OF WINDERMERE

The condo at 8169 Boat Hook Loop, No. 108, Windermere, sold June 3, for $321,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,442 square feet of living area. Days on market: Seven.

NEWBURY PARK

The townhouse at 8562 Leeland Archer Blvd., Orlando, sold June 2, for $391,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, two-andone-half baths and 1,512 square feet of living area. Days on market: Four.

CO

REG ATION

SOUTHWE

OR

The home at 9444 Azalea Ridge Way, Gotha, sold May 31, for $360,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,233 square feet of living area.

Days on market: Two.

Total Sales: 105 High Sale Price: $9,995,000 Low Sale Price: $192,000

The home at 6323 Hamlin Reserve Blvd., Winter Garden, sold June 1, for $575,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two-and-onehalf baths and 2,177 square feet of living area. Days on market: Seven.

The home at 13240 Roskin Lane, Windermere, sold May 31, for $675,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 3,108 square feet of living area. Days on market: 17.

NG

ST

The home at 8216 Diamond Cove Circle, Orlando, sold May 31, for $637,000. Built in 1995, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,303 square feet of living area. Days on market: One.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

The home at 14407 Brushwood Way, Winter Garden, sold June 2, for $595,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,629 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

The condo at 1995 Erving Circle, No. 206, Ocoee, sold May 31, for $220,000. Built in 2012, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,109 square feet of living area. Days on market: Eight.

RAVENNA

The condo at 1990 Erving Circle, No. 308, Ocoee, sold May 31, for $192,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,234 square feet of living area. Days on market: 10.

The home at 7706 Bowery Drive, Winter Garden, sold June 3, for $475,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 1,920 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two.

CROWN POINTE COVE

STOREY GROVE

The home at 10258 Love Story St., Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $965,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,505 square feet of living area.

The home at 10228 Love Story St., Winter Garden, sold June 2, for $660,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,650 square feet of living area. Days on market: Six. SUMMERLAKE

The townhouse at 15508 Blackbead St., Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $475,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,754 square feet of living area. Days on market: Eight.

WATERLEIGH

The home at 8906 Sonoma Coast Drive, Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $889,056. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 3,416 square feet of living area.

The home at 8864 Sonoma Coast Drive, Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $847,581. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,920 square feet of living area.

The home at 8846 Sonoma Coast Drive, Winter Garden, sold June 3, for $795,000. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,769 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two.

realtor.com

The home at 15624 Marina Bay Drive, Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $1,475,000. It was the largest transaction in Horizon West from May 28 to June 3.

The home at 9788 Waterway Passage Drive, Winter Garden, sold June 1, for $590,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,040 square feet of living area.

Days on market: Eight.

ROYAL ESTATES

WINCEY GROVES

The townhouse at 12113 Via Caselli Lane, Windermere, sold June 1, for $319,000. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 1,788 square feet of living area.

The home at 5721 Orange Orchard Drive, Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $699,900. Built in 2021, it has five bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 2,700 square feet of living area. Days on market: 21.

SOUTHWEST ORANGE MABEL BRIDGE

The home at 11868 Thatcher Ave., Orlando, sold May 31, for $625,000.

Built in 2013, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,107 square feet of living area. Days on market: 13.

WESTSIDE VILLAGE

The townhouse at 12083 Via Caselli Lane, Windermere, sold June 1, for $443,260. Built in 2021, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 2,335 square feet of living area.

The home at 12755 Westside Village Loop, Windermere, sold June 3, for $685,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,064 square feet of living area. Days on market: 10.

WINDERMERE ISLE

The home at 8414 Vivaro Isle Way, Windermere, sold June 2, for $1,000,000. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,648 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two.

SANCTUARY AT LAKES OF WINDERMERE

The home at 7064 Kiwano Way, Windermere, sold May 31, for $875,000. Built in 2021, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 3,059 square feet of living area. Days on market: 10.

VINEYARDS AT HORIZON WEST

OAKLAND

HULL ISLAND ESTATES

The home at 10415 Provence Drive, Orlando, sold May 31, for $987,500.

Built in 2013, it has five bedrooms, five baths and 4,082 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

The home at 13772 Ingelnook Drive, Windermere, sold May 30, for $660,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,750 square feet of living area.

Days on market: Four.

ROYAL CYPRESS PRESERVE

WATERLEIGH

PROVENCE AT LAKE SHEEN

The home at 10710 Royal Cypress Way, Orlando, sold June 1, for $755,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,314 square feet of living area.

Days on market: Five.

The home at 15624 Marina Bay Drive, Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $1,475,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 3,256 square feet of living area. Days on market: Four.

TOWN OF OAKLAND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ANNEXATION OF 2 ACRES

The home at 1000 Hull Island Drive, Oakland, sold June 3, for $590,000.

Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,344 square feet of living area. Days on market: Eight.

OCOEE

BORDEAUX

The condo at 2045 Erving Circle, No. 101, Ocoee, sold June 1, for $228,000.

Built in 2001, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,074 square feet of living area. Days on market: Eight.

The condo at 1975 Erving Circle, No. 109, Ocoee, sold May 31, for $220,000. Built in 2001, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,100 square feet of living area. Days on market: Two.

The home at 1626 Regal River Circle, Ocoee, sold June 1, for $497,000. Built in 2017, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 2,596 square feet of living area. Days on market: 46.

HAMMOCKS

The home at 1006 Featherstone Circle, Ocoee, sold June 3, for $445,000. Built in 1990, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,295 square feet of living area. Days on market: Nine.

LAKEVIEW

The home at 614 Orange Ave., Ocoee, sold May 31, for $225,000.

Built in 1957, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,390 square feet of living area. Days on market: Six. OCOEE

The home at 1433 Spring Lake Terrace, Ocoee, sold May 31, for $420,000. Built in 1953, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,604 square feet of living area. Days on market: 11.

PRESERVE AT CROWN POINT

The home at 2042 Donahue Drive, Ocoee, sold May 31, for $440,000.

Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,874 square feet of living area.

SAWMILL

The home at 5154 Log Wagon Road, Ocoee, sold May 31, for $433,500.

Built in 1991, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,887 square feet of living area. Days on market: Four.

SEE REAL ESTATE PAGE 10

TOWN OF OAKLAND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AMEND THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, FUTURE LAND USE MAP FOR 2 ACRES

The Town of Oakland will hold a public hearing and proposes to adopt an ordinance to annex property located at 17500 Broad Street, Oakland, Florida, containing approximately 2 acres, as follows:

The Town of Oakland will hold a public hearing and proposes to adopt an ordinance to amend the Future Land Use Plan Map of the Comprehensive Plan for property located at 17500 Broad Street, Oakland, Florida, containing approximately 2 acres, as follows:

ORDINANCE 2022-09

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF OAKLAND, FLORIDA, ANNEXING BY VOLUNTARY PETITION CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY OWNED BY KENDALL L BURNUP BEARING PROPERTY TAX PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER 19-22-27-0000-00-003 WITH AN ADDRESS OF 17500 BROAD ST, AND LOCATED CONTIGUOUS TO THE TOWN OF OAKLAND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION PROVISIONS OF SECTION 171.044, FLORIDA STATUTES, AND OTHER CONTROLLING LAW; REDEFINING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE TOWN OF OAKLAND TO INCLUDE SAID PROPERTY; PROVIDING FOR FINDINGS; PROVIDING FOR CONDITIONS; DIRECTING THE TOWN CLERK TO RECORD THE ORDINANCE WITH THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT, WITH THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER OF ORANGE COUNTY AND WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; PROVIDING FOR LEGAL DESCRIPTION AND A MAP; REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR NON-CODIFICATION AND THE TAKING OF ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

ORDINANCE 2022-11 AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF OAKLAND, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE TOWN’S OFFICIAL ZONING MAP DESIGNATION FROM A-1, AGRICULTURE (COUNTY) TO R-1, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL IN THE TOWN OF OAKLAND, FOR CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY OWNED BY KENDALL L. BURNUP, BEARING PROPERTY TAX PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER 19-22-27-0000-00003, AND MAKING FINDINGS, AND PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS, SEVERABILITY AND FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. General Site Description: Approximately 2 acres, located at 17500 Broad Street, in Orange County, Florida just south of Lake Apopka

General Site Description: Approximately 2 acres, located at 17500 Broad Street, in Orange County, Florida just south of Lake Apopka.

Location Map: A public hearing by the Oakland Planning and Zoning Board is scheduled to be held at the request of the property owner/ developer at the following time, date, and place::

Location Map:

A public hearing by the Oakland Planning and Zoning Board is scheduled to be held at the request of the property owner/ developer at the following time, date, and place:

DATE: Tuesday, June 21, 2022

OAKLAND TOWN COMMISSION DATE: Tuesday, June 21, 2022 WHERE: Town Meeting Hall, 221 N. Arrington Street, Oakland, FL WHEN: 6:30 P.M. or VIRTUALLY: See Join Zoom Meeting Instructions below

WHERE: Town Meeting Hall, 221 N. Arrington Street, Oakland, FL WHEN: 6:30 P.M. or VIRTUALLY: See Join Zoom Meeting Instructions below

All hearings are open to the public however attendance inside the Oakland Meeting Hall may be limited to accommodate social distancing. Any interested party is invited to offer comments about this request at the public hearing or in advance by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 20, 2022, in writing to the Town of Oakland, PO Box 98, Oakland FL 34760, or by e-mail to ehui@oaklandfl.gov. A copy of the request can be inspected at the Town Hall. Any party appealing a land use decision made at a public hearing must ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which includes the evidence and testimony that is the basis of the appeal.

The time and/or location of public hearings are subject to change. Changes are announced at the initial scheduled hearing. Notice of any changes will not be published or mailed.

Any person needing special accommodations to attend a public hearing must contact Elise Hui, Town Clerk, at 407-656-1117 x 2110, at least 24 hours before the meeting.

This meeting will be held as an in-person meeting and attendees may also attend virtually through the Zoom Platform. Instructions below will allow you to join the meeting virtually:

All hearings are open to the public however attendance inside the Oakland Meeting Hall may be limited to accommodate social distancing. Any interested party is invited to offer comments about this request at the public hearing or in advance by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 20, 2022, in writing to the Town of Oakland, PO Box 98, Oakland FL 34760, or by e-mail to ehui@oaklandfl.gov. A copy of the request can be inspected at the Town Hall. Any party appealing a land use decision made at a public hearing must ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which includes the evidence and testimony that is the basis of the appeal.

The time and/or location of public hearings are subject to change. Changes are announced at the initial scheduled hearing. Notice of any changes will not be published or mailed.

Any person needing special accommodations to attend a public hearing must contact Elise Hui, Town Clerk, at 407-656-1117 x 2110, at least 24 hours before the meeting.

This meeting will be held as an in-person meeting and attendees may also attend virtually through the Zoom Platform. Instructions below will allow you to join the meeting virtually: Topic: June 21st Planning and Zoning Board Regular Meeting Time: June 21, 2022, 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topic: June 21st Planning and Zoning Board Regular Meeting Time: June 21, 2022, 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88310666344

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88310666344

Meeting ID: 883 1066 6344 Passcode: 1pm40p

Meeting ID: 883 1066 6344 Passcode: 1pm40p

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2022

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

NEWS TODAY

Advertorial 2022

REAL ESTATE

How bullying affects academic performance

Luz S. Costa

As a teacher and daycare director in Winter Garden, I see children constantly sad for the bullying they experience in their elementary school, the school bus, and the areas of play. We are living in a society with a lot of diversity but are lacking in respect of

realtor.com

the values of others.

The home at 17801 Bonnievista Court, Winter Garden, sold June 1, for $1,485,000.

It was the largest transaction in Winter Garden from May 28 to June 3.

I wonder as a mother, educator, and part of the community if we are doing enough to

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND

VILLAGES AT WESMERE

COURTLEA OAKS

bullies. Their attendance will begin to impact their academic performance negatively.

The townhouse at 2094 Velvet Leaf Drive, Ocoee, sold June 1, for $385,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 1,915 square feet of living area.

Days on market: Five.

We as a community must raise awareness

As a parent, we must teach our children emotional and interpersonal skills. We must also

W.H. WURSTS ADDITION

DEER ISLAND

and understand the impact bullying has on

model those skills, as well as model positive behavior to our children. It is also crucial to

children. Bullying has a negative impact on

set boundaries with technology. Bullying happens through social media platforms

a child’s academic performance. According

(Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.), chat rooms, gaming, and text messages. Cyberbullying

to StopBullying.gov, “nearly 50% of

of any kind must be documented and screenshotted. Any form of bullying should be

students in grades 4 through 12

reported to the school, and an additional copy should be sent to the school

experienced bullying within a given month,

superintendent.

help minimize this problem. There is a common misconception where people think that bullying is only a teacher’s responsibility, but us parents play an important role in helping minimize bullying in school.

and more than 70% of students admit to having seen bullying occur in their school”.

Children who are repeatedly being bullied participate less in class and show less academic improvement. They also show less interest in activities they enjoyed. Bullying will also begin to impact their attendance at school. Children become scared to go to school because of the bullying they experience, which leads them to skip school to avoid their

The home at 612 Hill Ave., Ocoee, sold June 3, for $330,000. Built in 1973, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 1,516 square feet of living area. Days on market: Five.

WESMERE

The home at 423 Laurenburg Lane, Ocoee, sold June 3, for $605,000.

Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,630 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

Finally, looking for and detecting the problem in time will help our children to not have aggressive and antisocial behavior in case they are the bullies. It is important to teach children not to respond to harassment, because it can lead to violence. It is also important to talk to our children to share with other children who are not problematic and seek help

WINDSTONE AT OCOEE

from an adult. We must take into account that there are rights against bullying where the

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

cases of bullying.

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law reinforces standards so that schools can prevent, report, investigate and respond to

The home at 2412 Anacostia Ave., Ocoee, sold June 1, for $508,250.

Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,174 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

WINDERMERE ISLEWORTH

The home at 4705 Joanna Garden Court, Windermere, sold May 31, for $3,000,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, four baths, two halfbaths and 6,060 square feet of living area. Days on market: 242.

TOWN OF OAKLAND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ANNEXATION OF .42 ACRES

MARINA BAY ESTATES

The home at 11036 Schooner Way, Windermere, sold May 31, for $1,450,000. Built in 1986, it has four bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 3,391 square feet of living area. Days on market: 24.

The Town of Oakland will hold a public hearing and proposes to adopt an ordinance to annex property located at 17987 State Road 438, Oakland, Florida, containing approximately .42 acres, as follows:

ORDINANCE 2022-12

RESERVE AT WATERFORD POINTE

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF OAKLAND, FLORIDA, ANNEXING BY VOLUNTARY PETITION CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY OWNED BY LONDON CENTRAL LLC BEARING PROPERTY TAX PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS 30-22-27-0000-00-003, 3022-27-0000-00-039 AND 30-22-27-0000-00-032 WITH ADDRESSES OF 17987 AND 17979 STATE ROAD 438, AND LOCATED CONTIGUOUS TO THE TOWN OF OAKLAND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION PROVISIONS OF SECTION 171.044, FLORIDA STATUTES, AND OTHER CONTROLLING LAW; REDEFINING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE TOWN OF OAKLAND TO INCLUDE SAID PROPERTY; PROVIDING FOR FINDINGS; PROVIDING FOR CONDITIONS; DIRECTING THE TOWN CLERK TO RECORD THE ORDINANCE WITH THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT, WITH THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER OF ORANGE COUNTY AND WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; PROVIDING FOR LEGAL DESCRIPTION AND A MAP; REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR NON-CODIFICATION AND THE TAKING OF ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

The home at 2001 Roberts Point Drive, Windermere, sold May 31, for $1,015,000. Built in 2004, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,528 square feet of living area. Days on market: Five.

WEATHERSTONE ON LAKE OLIVIA

The home at 9633 Weatherstone Court, Windermere, sold May 31, for $1,000,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 4,060 square feet of living area. Days on market: Five.

WILLOWS AT LAKE RHEA

The home at 11398 Willow Gardens Drive, Windermere, sold May 31, for $900,000. Built in 1990, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,567 square feet of living area. Days on market: Four.

General Site Description: Approximately 1.9 acres, located at 17987 and 17979 State Road 438, in Orange County, Florida just north of the Killarney Trailhead.

A public hearing by the Oakland Planning and Zoning Board is scheduled to be held at the request of the property owner/developer at the following time, date, and place:

WINDSOR HILL

The home at 2626 Windsor Hill Drive, Windermere, sold June 3, for $900,000. Built in 1997, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,471 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

DATE: Tuesday, June 21, 2022 WHERE: Town Meeting Hall, 221 N. Arrington St., Oakland, FL WHEN: 6:30 P.M. or VIRTUALLY: See Join Zoom Meeting Instructions below

WINTER GARDEN BELLE MEADE

The home at 15123 Serenade Drive, Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $845,900. Built in 2009, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 2,926 square feet of living area. Days on market: Three.

All hearings are open to the public however attendance inside the Oakland Meeting Hall may be limited to accommodate social distancing. Any interested party is invited to offer comments about this request at the public hearing or in advance by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 20, 2022, in writing to the Town of Oakland, PO Box 98, Oakland FL 34760, or by e-mail to ehui@oaklandfl.gov. A copy of the request can be inspected at the Town Hall. Any party appealing a land use decision made at a public hearing must ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which includes the evidence and testimony that is the basis of the appeal.

The home at 17801 Bonnievista Court, Winter Garden, sold June 1, for $1,485,000. Built in 1990, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 4,295 square feet of living area. Days on market: One. FULLERS CROSSING

The home at 925 Burland Circle, Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $470,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,004 square feet of living area. Days on market: Five.

HERITAGE AT PLANT STREET

The home at 708 Orange Belt Loop, Winter Garden, sold June 2, for $680,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,956 square feet of living area. Days on market: Four.

ISLAND POINTE

The home at 1023 Sadie Lane, Winter Garden, sold June 3, for $480,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,725 square feet of living area. Days on market: Four.

MCALLISTER LANDING

The home at 747 Caterpillar Run, Winter Garden, sold June 3, for $670,100. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,027 square feet of living area. Days on market: Seven.

OAKLAND PARK

The home at 1017 Linehart Drive, Winter Garden, sold June 1, for $1,095,000. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths and 3,521 square feet of living area. Days on market: Eight.

WATERSIDE AT JOHNS LAKE

The home at 16744 Broadwater Ave., Winter Garden, sold June 2, for $1,260,000. Built in 2017, it has five bedrooms, five-and-one-half baths and 4,408 square feet of living area. Days on market: One. VERDE PARK

The home at 12000 Florida Hills St., Winter Garden, sold June 3, for $913,000. Built in 2016, it has seven bedrooms, four baths and 4,704 square feet of living area. Days on market: 14.

WATERSIDE

The home at 1425 Viscaya Cove Blvd., Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $478,595. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three-and-onehalf baths and 2,502 square feet of living area. Days on market: Four.

WINTER OAKS

The home at 918 Butter Oaks Court, Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $522,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths and 2,116 square feet of living area.

Days on market: Four.

BLACK LAKE PRESERVE

The home at 14534 Driftwood Court, Winter Garden, sold May 31, for $955,000. Built in 2018, it has six bedrooms, five baths and 5,233 square feet of living area. Days on market: Four.

The time and/or location of public hearings are subject to change. Changes are announced at the initial scheduled hearing. Notice of any changes will not be published or mailed.

Any person needing special accommodations to attend a public hearing must contact Elise Hui, Town Clerk, at 407-656-1117 x 2110, at least 24 hours before the meeting.

Seeking a Travel Advisor

This meeting will be held as an in-person meeting and attendees may also attend virtually through the Zoom Platform. Instructions below will allow you to join the meeting virtually: Topic: June 21st Planning and Zoning Board Regular Meeting Time: June 21, 2022, 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88310666344 Meeting ID: 883 1066 6344 Passcode: 1pm40p

Please Forward Your Resume to

One tap mobile +19292056099,,88310666344#,,,,*705322# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) Meeting ID: 883 1066 6344 Passcode: 705322

The home at 209 Trail Bridge Court, Winter Garden, sold June 3, for $1,060,000. Built in 1999, it has five bedrooms, three-and-one-half baths and 4,392 square feet of living area. Days on market: Six.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

2022 HURRICANE SEASON Now is the time to prepare for hurricane season The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30, and now is the perfect time to get your home and family ready for a potential future emergency.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, through ready.gov, has created a 12-step checklist to ensure you are ready for the hurricane season.

For more information visit ready.gov.

HURRICANE SEASON STORM NAMES

12 WAYS TO PREPARE

1.

Courtesy of ready.gov

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

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16.

17.

18.

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21.

Alex (tropical storm) June 6 Bonnie Colin Danielle Earl Fiona Gaston Hermine Ian Julia Karl Lisa Martin Nicole Owen Paula Richard Shary Tobias Virginie Walter

Now’s the Time to Get Hurricane Ready ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Build Emergency Kit Prepare Home Prepare for Power Outage Follow Local Officials for Directions and Latest Updates Create Evacuation Plan Verify Your Insurance Coverage Your insurance policy is just as important as all other items needed to properly prepare for a hurricane before it arrives.

Call me today and make sure your policy is hurricane ready.

Jo Barsh Your Local Agent 407-299-0301 317 West Road Ocoee, FL 34761 JoBarsh.com

AUTO • HOME • RENTERS LIFE • LOANS • HEALTH • BUSINESS

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

STAY INFORMED, BE SAFE. Hurricane season has arrived and is predicted to be above-normal* acitivity this year.

Stay up to date on the latest hurricane activity affecting West Orange County by following the West Orange Times & Observer and Southwest Orange Observer on the following digital channels.

Read Online and Sign Up for the Daily Headlines at OrangeObserver.com Follow on Facebook Orange Observer

*Prediction from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

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Special-needs shelters provide care COURTESY OF THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

A special-needs shelter is for someone who, during periods of evacuation or emergency, requires sheltering assistance, because of physical impairment, mental impairment, cognitive impairment or sensory disabilities. The Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Preparedness and Response administers a statewide Special Needs Shelter Program to assist county health departments in addressing the special medical

needs of people in their communities.

Special-needs shelters are designed to meet the needs of persons who require assistance that exceeds services provided at a general population shelter. Shelters may be activated during an emergency event to provide mass care for people who cannot safely remain in their homes. Specialneeds shelters are intended to provide, to the extent possible under emergency conditions, an environment that can sustain an individual’s level of health.

If a person is medically stable but needs help with basic tasks or uses an electronic medical device and has no other evacuation options, he or she should pre-register for a special-needs shelter. To do so in Orange County, visit/netapps. ocfl.net/psn.

The capabilities of each specialneeds shelter varies based upon a community’s needs and available resources. Vsit https://www.floridadisaster.org/counties/ to contact an Emergency Management Office to learn about local services.

LOCATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR SPECIAL-NEEDS SHELTERS

BEFORE GOING TO A SHELTER PERSONAL CONTACT AND MEDICAL INFORMATION LIST.

Compile a list of friends or family who can be contacted during an evacuation. Include the name and phone number of a primary medical provider as well as the names and doses of all medications.

MAKE A SHELTER KIT.

Assemble an emergency supply kit in a duffle bag or backpack and label it with the client’s name and phone number. Store the supply kit in a place that is dry and easily accessible. Include all medications and medical equipment including batteries and power cords. A more detailed checklist of suggested items to bring to a shelter can be found on this Shelter Items Checklist for Special Needs Client.

GATHER IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS.

Store an emergency contact list and documents in your emergency supply kit in case your home is damaged. Keep the information in a safe place and give copies to your personal support network and out of area contact.

n Special-needs shelters often are set up in public facilities. n Food and water is available, but shelters may not be able to accommodate special dietary needs. n Shelter staff only offer basic medical assistance and monitoring. n Complex medical equipment or care is not available. n Clients and their caregivers will have a small sleeping area. n Back-up electricity for light and essential medical equipment will be available.

ELIGIBILITY FOR SPECIAL-NEEDS SHELTERS n People with special medical needs n People whose care exceeds the basic first aid provided at general population shelters n People with impairments or disabilities who are medically stable and do not require medical care n People with disabilities are not required to go to a Special Needs Shelter. Some people with disabilities can be safely accommodated in a general population shelter.

ASSISTED-LIVING FACILITIES PREP FOR HURRICANE SEASON Staff in Florida’s assisted-living facilities and adult family care homes have preparing for the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which is predicted to be above normal for a recordbreaking seventh consecutive year.

Following the significant 2017 Atlantic hurricane season and the implementation of the Emergency Environmental Control for Assisted Living Facilities requirements, ALFs and AFCHs continue to be vigilant with their preparations.

Earlier this year, the Florida Assisted Living Association, along with other industry partners, hosted an annual emergency management seminar in Orlando. Presenters covered essential topics, including comprehensive emergency management plan approval, generator requirements, water intrusion, fire safety, elopement, and preand post-disaster considerations.

“Our members and providers throughout the state are required to be prepared for many different situations, and hurricanes are a major threat to the state of Florida, FALA CEO Veronica Catoe said. “A storm could potentially impact hundreds of our members at the same time. It reflects our members’ dedication to their communities that they all have submitted an emergency power plan and have a generator on their properties.”

Although these communities are prepared, there are situations where a facility may become uninhabitable during an emergency or natural disaster and operators are tasked with finding suitable alternate housing for dozens of residents. FALA has connected with outside resources that may be able to provide shelter in the event any of FALA’s members are forced to evacuate residents.

“These partnerships allow our members to easily identify businesses in the areas they may need to evacuate to that have emergency power, easy entry and other amenities that will provide for a pleasant experience during stressful times. No one wants to leave their home, and ALFs and AFCHs are our residents’ homes,” Catoe said.

FALA provides emergency management resources on its website. For more information, visit fala.org.

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

ADVERTORIAL

ARE YOU

READY?

THIS HURRICANE SEASON, RELY ON THE SAFETY OF NATURAL GAS

I

t is officially that time of year when Floridians begin stocking up on canned goods and non-perishables, flashlights and batteries, and a hearty supply of bottled water. Hurricane season waits for no one, so it is imperative for individuals to prepare early. Having a solid plan in place helps ease the unpredictability of storm season and, with Lake Apopka Natural Gas District (LANGD) by your side, you can ensure you and your loved ones will be well taken care of during a major storm.

The Atlantic Hurricane Season officially begins June 1, but since 2015, there has consistently been a named storm before the start of every season. Because of this, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is debating whether to change the official start of the season from June 1 to May 15. At LANGD, we have always emphasized the importance of preparing for hurricane season sooner, rather than later. Although no official changes have been made thus far, perhaps this year more than ever it is important to plan ahead and prepare for a potentially busy storm season.

According to Colorado State University, another above-average hurricane season is in the forecast for 2022, with at least 19 named storms and nine hurricanes – four of which are projected to be Category 3 or higher. Regardless of size, any hurricane has the potential to cause electric power outages and severe damage to your home or business, even if your community is not in the eye of the storm. Fortunately, LANGD customers can rest assured knowing that, even when the power goes out, they will be covered thanks to the direct use of a reliable, resilient and convenient energy source: natural gas.

The true beauty of natural gas is that it is delivered underground directly to your home, making it extremely dependable – especially during a storm. This is why so many essential services like hospitals, nursing homes and fire stations rely on natural gas to cook meals, keep their water hot and keep generators running.

Not only is natural gas cost-efficient, yielding an average savings of $879 per year; but it is also environmentally friendly.

According to a recent article by Blue Flame Alliance, natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel and helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, emitting 50-60% less carbon dioxide than coal and 30% less than petroleum.

The peace of mind that comes with knowing you and your family are protected by natural gas is priceless. Don’t delay, formulate a plan and explore the potential for natural gas at your home now. There are also many resources to take advantage of like FloridaDisaster.org, to ensure you have everything you need to safely ride out a storm.

Ready to make the safe choice and switch to natural gas ahead of hurricane season?

For more information on natural gas service for your home, business or vehicle, please contact the District marketing team at (407) 656-2734 x307, marketing@langd.org, or visit www.langd.org.

Already a customer and loving your natural gas hookup?

Tell us all about it! Email marketing@langd.org and share what you love about using natural gas in your home or business for a chance to be featured on LANGD’s Facebook page.

As always, be sure to like, follow and re-share LANGD’s content on Facebook at @LANGDFL.

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

Stephanie Defilippo, Alizah Thompson, Mitali Patange, Ashley Greco and Sam Vetere spent the time prior to the ceremony talking and sharing some laughs.

Selfies were common among the soon-to-be graduates. Groups of friends gathered together to capture the moment.

Windermere Preparatory School celebrates Class of 2022

Left: Suveda Ramakrishna and Courtney Mogauro were all smiles.

W

indermere Prep celebrated the graduation for the class of 2022 Tuesday, May 31, at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Seniors were excited to see their high school years come to a close among their friends and families in attendance.

— ANDREA MUJICA

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Even bathroom selfies were popular prior to the graduation ceremony as Maria Luiza Larangeiras, Karie Yanez, Simone Watson and Caroline Becker took advantage of the huge mirror in the women’s room.

Right: Myra Syed, Hailey Phang, Kini Lani Magpuri and Eshal Mehmood were excited to graduate.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

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KELLEY BELL, HORIZON WEST MIDDLE SCHOOL Kelley Bell is the S.A.F.E. Coordinator at Horizon West Middle School. She works with students who are in crisis, have suicidal ideations, or have anxiety or depression. She also helps students and families connect with counseling resources and any other additional resources needed to ensure that students have the mental and emotional help they need. Although she has received job-related accolades, Bell said she would rather boast about the amazing opportunity she has to work with the students and staff at the school.

What brought you to your school?

I worked with our principal, Michelle Thomas, at our previous location and loved her leadership style and passion for education.

So when the opportunity opened to apply for Horizon West Middle School, I did so as soon as I could.

What do you love most about your school?

The students! We really have some amazing kids at our school. With us being a new school, I also love the ability we have to create traditions for our students, family and staff.

While it has been challenging opening a school through the pandemic, I enjoy coming to work every day.

What is your motivation?

To impact the lives of students positively. To be able to plant a positive seed in their lives that one day they can look back and remember that Mrs. Bell was there for them when they needed someone the most.

friends and running my business.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Creating a safe space for students where they trust speaking to me.

I get the pleasure of hearing the hearts of our children and can play a part in helping them make decisions for their lives.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Why? I wanted to be a teacher. My mom was a teacher and will be the principal of North Lake Park Community School this upcoming school year. I always wanted to be like my mom.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I like spending time with my family,

What is your favorite children’s book and why?

“The Watsons Go to Birmingham.”

I can’t say I have a reason why, but it’s just always been a favorite of mine.

REPORT CARD POSITION: S.A.F.E. Coordinator TIME AT SCHOOL: Three years TIME WITH OCPS: 12 years

Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? Why? My fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Jackson. She was an amazing teacher!

What are your hobbies?

Singing, playing the piano and trying new restaurants.

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at your school? If so, please nominate him or her for our Influencer of the Week feature. Nominations can be sent via email to contact@orangeobserver.com.

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OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

17

OBSERVER SCHOOL ZONE FROM OPPOSITE PAGE

Bay Lake Elementary hosts End-of-Year Carnival

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

I would love to be able to teleport. I spend a lot of my time driving and would love the ease of teleporting.

If you could only listen to three bands or artists for the rest of your life, what would they be and why?

India Arie, PJ Morton and Maverick City Music. As a worshipper, I love the songs that Maverick City Music creates to reverence God, and I love the musicality of India Arie and PJ Morton.

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

Any favorite snacks or special treats you remember?

I didn’t have a go-to lunch or any favorite snacks I can recall.

What is your favorite holiday and why?

My favorite holiday is Easter, which as a Christian, I use that time to reflect on what Christ did for us on calvary. Easter is also referred to as Resurrection Sunday.

Sofia Bustillos tried to hold on as long as she could to the monkey bars.

Friends Logan Militao and Bruno Diloreto, both 8, crashed onto each other after sliding down one of the inflatable slides.

B

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

Are you still in touch?

Nicole Ellis, and yes, we are still in touch now. We met in middle school in Cleveland, Ohio.

Twenty-plus years of friendship and counting!

ay Lake Elementary School hosted its End of Year Carnival Wednesday, May 25. Students ran around from inflatable to inflatable with huge smiles on their faces while encouraging their friends to keep up the pace. Families were able to enjoy different games, and some parents even made a picnic out of the afternoon carnival. Food trucks included Oh My Dogs, Bettas Pizza, Jour De Crepe, Hole Lot of Donuts and Yum Yum Pops.

Ana Laura Gomdim, Mariza Qunha, Matias Jimenez and Chase Vaiden tried to piggyback each other while walking from one inflatable to the next.

What were your extracurricular activities as a student?

Did you win any accolades or honors?

I took piano lessons, was on the volleyball team, step team, bell choir, sang in the choir and more. Yes, I have won accolades and honors, but don’t want to bore you with all of them!

Right: Matias Argotte and his friend Pedro, both 5, were super excited when they found each other at the carnival.

— ANDREA MUJICA

Benjamin Tatanus, 1, enjoyed sliding down one of the slides at the park after eating some snacks with his parents.

— ANNABELLE SIKES

CONGRATULATIONS

CLASS OF 2022

664 COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES including Vanderbilt University, Princeton, Cal Berkeley, Harvard, UCLA, Pepperdine University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Samuel Ledden Valedictorian

26 STUDENTS

Janella Laaksonen Salutatorian

Sofia Darquea International Laureate Scholar

have been a Laker since PreK3, PreK4, or Kindergarten.

SIX OF EIGHT Ivy League School Acceptances

72%IB CLASSES of Senior Class took one or more

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES TO 39 STATES AND 6 COUNTRIES

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

Dinari Bennett prepared for the graduation ceremony to start.

Upper School President Kat McSorley offered a few words of encouragement to graduates, friends and families.

Twins Andrew and Ariana Argyrakis celebrated their graduation with their family.

The First Academy’s Class of 2022 enjoys commencement

T

he First Academy seniors made the transition from high school students to alumni at their graduation ceremony Friday, May 13, at the First Baptist Orlando Worship Center. Conner Riley was this year’s valedictorian, and Johnson Laguerre was this year’s salutatorian.

Class Officer President Hannah Brady said the Class of 2022 is unique because of all of the things that have brought them to where they are today. Families, faculty, friends, staff and administration celebrated, laughed and even shed some tears as their senior students crossed the stage.

Hannah Brady, Upper School president and senior thesis presentation winner, presented her thesis.

Salutatorian Johnson Laguerre received his diploma from Upper School Principal Dr. Shayne Grove.

Mallory McDonald has her cap and gown fixed by her family.

— ANNABELLE SIKES Courtesy photos

Some graduating seniors decorated their caps with unique messages or words of inspiration.

celebrity cipher

58 Part of BDSM 59 Vladimir who helped overthrow a 13-Down 60 End of Wikipedia’s URL DOWN 62 Gum or a paper clip, to 1 Skyrocket MacGyver 2 BBs and such 63 Lifesaving skill, briefly 3 Wet sponge’s spot?

64 Greek H 4 Burn treatment 65 Energy 5 Gibberish 66 Mobile device with a 6 Alert about a missing Super Retina display person, say (Abbr.)

67 Angola’s capital 7 Toxin in Victorian 68 Oscar winner Meryl wallpaper 72 Books that let you fol8 Lineups of songs to low Rte. 66 perform 73 Soda container 9 Zilch 74 Where to go after leav10 Iowa city ing home?

11 City west of Tesla Giga 75 Captain who fought Nevada Khan 12 Summer setting in 76 Site for film lovers NOLA 78 Blue-green 13 Former Russian ruler 80 Skills, slangily 14 Natural flavors, surpris- 81 Neighbor of China ingly 82 Understood by few 15 Head honcho 84 1977 Paul Davis hit with 16 Pilots’ zones the words “When I look in 17 Main M.D. your eyes” 19 CNN doctor Sanjay 85 Grand ___ (wine desig20 Humiliate nation) ©2022 Universal Uclick 25 Cuttlefish’s pouch, e.g. 89 Piece of a certain metal 92 ***”Conan” channel, 59 Textile machine (Last two letters) ACROSS 27 DNA strands, footprints, gate once (Last two letters) 28 “Old-fashioned” way to 61 *Observation about 1 Plastic wrap brand etc.

90 Dream sleep initials 93 *Jumping-in line observation make money 6 Some batteries 29 Irish actor Stephen 93 Drink that “platter” sur30 Three letters in “lullaby” 69 Guest columnist’s essay 96 Whole bunch 9 One might seize dope 30 Raison d’___ rounds, aptly 97 Tough H.S. courses 70 Mesh material 31 Water source 13 “Toodles!”

32 ___ party (sleepover) 94 Thrown for a loop 98 Precise type of clock 71 ___ your foot down 32 *Tip for a waiter?

17 Grapefruit cousin 33 Director Judd 95 Bark sharply 99 Chances to hit 72 Willing to do 18 ***Tailgated on campus, 40 ___ pickle (stuck) 34 Sweet’N Low alternative 100 Beyond dry 101 Bold and shameless 75 Children 41 “Top Chef” garments say (Note this answer’s 35 Charged particles 101 Champagne descriptor 104 **Get down on one 77 Pal, in Paris 42 Perform onstage first two letters) 36 Suffix with “differ” 102 Repetitive learning knee 78 In that place, to a whaler 43 Not just like?

20 “Same here!”

37 Four-leaf clover, for the method 110 Begin 79 Garden bed filler 44 Carpet cleaner, for short 21 Began airing clover plant 103 Swear to 111 Book after Psalms ... or, 80 It’s hot in the tropics 22 ***Above-average pupil 45 Took a short trip 38 Two-word confession 105 High woodwind read as one, two or three 83 “That was good!”

47 Pixies (First two letters) 39 Deteriorates 106 Okra parts 86 ***Credit card fig. (Last parts (as indicated by the 23 ***Celeb’s image prob- 49 TV star Leakes 46 Had the courage 107 “Garfield” dog stars), this puzzle’s theme two letters) 50 Off-roaders, briefly lem (Last two letters) 48 **Take a knee, maybe 108 Homes for many fish 113 Homes 87 Feature of Ghana, but 51 Sound booster 24 **Declare 49 Pixar clownfish 109 Corner computer key 114 Borden cow not Germany?

54 Purges (of) 26 “Old” city in a Tex-Mex 52 Club ___ resort 111 Faux ___ 115 Robocall setting 88 Madam’s counterpart 55 Tablelands brand name 53 Energy 112 Sneaky 116 Heavenly signs?

91 Starbucks size above 56 Me, in Montreal 27 ***Dominican people 55 Swarm around 117 Pomegranate tidbit Tall 57 Arboreal snake now called the Kalinago 57 Rock ___ boat

“S ZOGT NTRXNBTU ... RE ZEBEN RZT GOISOBR CTB FZE USTU. ... TGTNJ COB FZE VTR PEER EB ECOZO DTOLZ ... FOV O ZTNE.”

– ECON B. DNOUITJ

“A’W JADF G WFVX GP GV FHTFVKABF IFKPGXIGVP; CYX RGV JYYD GP WF, SXP CYX RGV’P GMMYIL WF.” – GVVG DYXIVADYBG

“WMSRUZNU ML X CMI HDSCRUB. OSS BXZF NTMRKDUZ XDU KFMZI. OSS BXZF NTMRKDUZ. AU BYLO KS LSBUOTMZI.” – IXCDMURRU IMGGSDKL © 2022 NEA, Inc.

Puzzle Three Clue: H equals P

118 Slow-cooked meal 119 Holler 120 Affirmatives

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

Puzzle Two Clue: T equals P

THREE-WAY SWITCH by Michael Schlossberg. Edited by David Steinberg

Puzzle One Clue: L equals C

crossword

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

©2022 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

6-9-22

JUNE 9, 2022

SPORTS HIGH

Ava Matthews has spent the last two summers playing with the Windermere Wildfire. Page 20.

1

5

Windermere High School will host an eSports summer camp from 8 a.m. to noon June 13-16 at Building 5, Room 117. Registration is free for Windermere High students ages 13 and up. Games include Super Skas Bros.

Ultimate, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Rocket League and League of Legends. The camp will teach about teamwork, competitive mindset and sportsmanship.

Lunch will not be provided, so students are encouraged to bring a snack. Students attending the camp are allowed to bring their own equipment.

For more information, visit sites.google.com/view/whsesports.

2

Local and national lawenforcement officers partnered with the Special Olympic USA Games to bring the Flame of Hope to Orlando. The final leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run paraded through the town of Oakland Friday, June 3, to bring awareness and funds for the Special Olympics movement. The final leg began May 20 in Chicago and traveled the Midwest and the East Coast before arriving May 31 in Florida. The 2022 Special Olympics USA Games kicked off at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Sunday, June 5, and will last all week, with the final events taking place Sunday, June 12.

3

Striker Soccer is still taking registration for its indoor soccer summer camps. These will take place from 9 a.m. to noon June 20 to 23, June 27 to 30 and July 25 to 28 at Lakeview Middle School. Cost is $120 per child with a $20 discount for siblings who also would like to participate. To register, visit conta.cc/3xlorPc.

Courtesy photos

Patrick Holden, Brant Josephs, Dean Shuffield and Lorenzo Allwood are looking forward to breaking eight minutes next season.

THRICE IS NICE The Lakers 4x800 track-and-field boys relay team broke the school record three times and already is planning on doing it a fourth time.

ANDREA MUJICA STAFF WRITER

T

he Windermere Prep 4x800 track-and-field boys relay team broke the school’s record not once, not twice — but three times in the last year.

Lorenzo Allwood, Dean Shuffield and Patrick Holden started practicing track at about the same time when they were in middle school. Brant Josephs started running cross country in sixth grade but didn’t join the track-and-field team until he entered high school.

Allwood and Holden are both sophomores, while Shuffield and Josephs are juniors.

“I love the brotherhood you develop with your teammates, because definitely we are experiencing the same

4

The Windermere Prep athletic department earned several championships during its 2021-22 season, including one FHSAA state championship; one FHSAA regional championship, five district championships, six district finalists and two Citrus League championships.

5

The Orange County Convention Center will host the 49th AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships, which is scheduled to start June 14.

THE LINGO n What does ‘2-‘ mean? Usually, this boat is called a pair. In a 2- pair, each rower holds one oar with two hands, either on starboard side or port side, and there’s no coxswain. n What does ‘8+’ mean? This boat always carries a coxswain and is always a sweep boat (when rowers hold one oar with two hands), either on starboard side or port side. This means there’s four people rowing on port side and four rowing on starboard side. n What does ‘4+’ mean? It is similar to the 8+ but this boat only carries two people rowing on port side, two on starboard side and a coxswain.

amount of pain,” Holden said. “So it develops a friendship that is different than other (in) sports.”

“With it being an individual sport, the work that you put in shows better than in any other sport,” Shuffield said. “And then, (when) running the relay, obviously, the camaraderie between the four of us is really good.

It’s like a bubble that we have — we are all just doing our own thing but also work together super hard.”

The boys competed at the state championships Thursday, May 12, at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where they set their last record of 8:10. One week before that run, the boys had set a new school record of 8:15 during the regional meet.

According to head coach Devin Bennett, prior to last year, the school record had been 8:38 for five years,

until Allwood, Shuffield, Josephs and Holden recorded a new time of 8:30.

“They broke their own record, but they broke the record originally by a significant margin last year when they were younger, as well,” Bennett said.

“It feels so good, (because) we broke it by so many seconds,” Josephs said.

“Made us all feel good.”

For next year, the boys have set a huge goal for themselves — to break the record again, this time by breaking eight minutes.

“It’s nice to have some records under our belt,” Shuffield said.

THE PLACEBO EFFECT

It’s not news that the Windermere Prep track team does not practice on a rubber track but rather on a grass field.

Holden, Shuffield, Allwood and Josephs, see this as the placebo effect.

“It definitely helps,” Holden said.

“If we believe that we can run faster on a rubber track, then we will.”

SEE LIFE PAGE 20

OARS to compete at 2022 Youth National Championships The regatta will feature more than 2,000 rowers racing for medals in up to 43 events.

THE BOYS

ANDREA MUJICA STAFF WRITER

The Orlando Area Rowing Society has five boats participating in the 2022 Youth National Championships June 9 to 12 at the Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota.

Coach Nick Hall has been training the boys high school team at OARS for two years. He believes the team’s ability to adapt played a huge part in the team’s success so far.

The boys team has three different

Andrea Mujica

Tyler Murphy and Ian Ballard communicate all the way down the race course.

boats competing at nationals: the Men’s Youth 2-, the Men’s U16 8+ and the Men’s U17 4+. The girls team has

two boats competing at nationals: the Women’s U16 8+ and the Women’s U17 8+.

Although the last few weeks lineups have been set, the order of the boys within the boat can change.

“Through practices, we’ve been trying different lineups,” he said.

“When we switch lineups every day, we haven’t rowed the same lineup too many times, so they don’t get like, ‘Hey, this is my lineup; this is the only way I can row.’ No, we train them so they can row in any lineup in any given day and still perform.”

Prior to the qualifying race for nationals, the USRowing Southeast Youth Championships, the team struggled with some issues relating SEE OARS PAGE 20

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

20

OBSERVER

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OrangeObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

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

Ava Matthews Ava Matthews, a sophomore at Seminole High School, has spent the last two summers playing with the Windermere Wildfire softball team. Matthews pitched 18 innings May 28-29 with an ERA of 0.00. The team played five games against Miami Lady Canes Orange, Florida Select Davis, Lady Bombers - Ries, Miami Lady Canes Green and Clearwater Bullets. Matthews already is receiving emails from different colleges regarding the summer camps they offer, asking if she’d be interested in attending.

When did you start playing with the Windermere Wildfire?

My old team was falling apart, so I tried out for them before last summer. So, I’ve played for them last summer and this summer.

THE BASICS AGE: 15 SPORT: Softball POSITION: Pitcher SCHOOL: Seminole High GRADE: 10 TEAM: Windermere Wildfire 16U

How long have you been playing softball?

Since I was 9 years old.

Hot, because in the cold, I cannot feel my fingers and I cannot pitch (well).

Why softball, out of every other sport out there?

My friends played softball, too, so I just wanted to try the sport.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee. I drink iced coffee or frozen coffee. (Also) the pink drink from Starbucks.

What is it you love most about softball?

It feels good to do (well). It’s nice when people congratulate you after (a game), laughing with my teammates and having fun before and after (a game), and I like my coaches.

What’s your favorite holiday?

Christmas, because we get a lot of time off school and a lot of family comes (to visit).

What’s your favorite thing about being a part of your team?

The competition, we have a really good team so it’s fun to play. (Also), the defense behind me — it’s fun to play with them, because I trust them, and I know if I give up a hit, I know that they can back me up.

What do you love most about being pitcher?

I like making good hitters not look like good hitters. Like, going against the best hitters and being better. I like competing against one person, like one-on-one — it’s just about me and her.

How do you think being a pitcher makes you see the game differently?

(In) pitching, you have to think about every pitch. Where you are going to throw the ball and how you are going to throw it, because how you pitch is how the game is going to go.

Favorite movie?

“Hush.” It’s a horror movie and it’s (based) in the woods. I like horror movies; they are fun to watch when you are watching with your friends and they get scared.

What TV series are you watching right now?

“Criminal Minds.” I like that they always find out the criminal; they always finish the case before the episode is over.

Favorite hobby?

Softball. Always softball.

What’s your favorite dessert?

Chocolate ice cream.

What’s your favorite food?

Chicken nuggets.

If you could have a superpower, which one would it be and why?

I think to fly, because I could get to places faster. I don’t have a car; I am too young to have a car.

What’s your favorite thing about summer?

Going to the beach. I like to walk around, go to the stores and get ice cream.

Best vacation place you’ve visited?

The Bahamas. I went to this hotel and it was on the beach. I like (virgin) piña coladas.

Three top things on your bucket list?

I want to go to Hawaii, I want to go skydiving and play college softball.

Favorite class at school so far?

Probably history, it’s interesting to learn about.

What was your favorite cartoon to watch when you were growing up?

Peppa Pig.

Who are your goto music artists?

I listen to Kodak Black and A Boogie Wit A Hoodie.

ANDREA MUJICA

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

The team uses the grass as their most significant trainer, because the terrain of the field they run at is uneven. So, maneuvering around the inconsistencies takes some time and focus out of their speed.

But that also means when they get to run on a rubber track, they automatically feel faster.

“It’s harder to run on grass than it is running on a rubber track,” Josephs said. “So, we use that to motivate us to run even better when we get on a rubber track.”

“We don’t let the grass get in our way,” Shuffield said.

A DEEP BOND

How did you get into softball?

Because my brother, Ayden Matthews, plays baseball.

Do you enjoy the practices?

Yes. We have practice Wednesdays, and it’s very fun. But we work a lot; it’s not just playing around. It’s good practices.

Life in the fast lane

The boys have formed deep and close bonds with one another. For Shuffield and Josephs, the team — and sports in general — have helped shape them into who they are today.

Shuffield grew up in Orlando and has played soccer his whole life. He learned he had alopecia early in life — when he was only 9 years old. “(After) a couple months of losing hair, we shaved it off six or eight months after I figured out I had it,” he said. “When I lost my hair, I started doing CrossFit as well.”

He continued to play soccer and got even closer to his parents. By the time he entered sixth grade, he

carries with him today.

“I also do weightlifting for the school,” he said. “I’ve been lifting since I lost my hair, but then I moved that into bodybuilding-type lifting, and that’s definitely grown my confidence a whole bunch.

Losing my hair at that age, you are growing, right? So your face has a weird structure and everything, so I always thought I was a little odd.

But now that I’ve grown into my own body and lifted and worked out, I feel good about everything. … I like being a little different, I like standing out a little bit more.”

Josephs and Shuffield met through track back when they both were in ninth grade. Since then, they do everything together.

“We definitely motivate each other to be better,” Shuffield said.

“I see him running, of course, day in and day out, and that makes me want to be better. He’s gone to this level where his consistency has increased, his ability is there, and it just inspires me, because I know him in and out, and I know how hard he works for it.”

The two friends even found ways to work out together during the pandemic, back in 2020.

“We actually biked to meet up and work out,” Josephs said. “Running is my thing, but on the side, I like to work out, and he knows a lot about working out. He’s probably one of

OARS power to Nationals CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

COVID-19. It had to cancel some practices as some athletes tested positive for the virus days prior to the May 14 to 15 competition.

“We got our stuff together and kind of ended the season on a high note,” Hall said.

OARS doubled the intensity of its practices to ensure its athletes are in their fittest shape for this weekend.

“Adding the second practice can be very tough, but it helps them find their actual limit,” Hall said. “When you are doing one-a-day, you are training and you are tired every day, because you work hard, But when you add in that second practice, that’s an extra 90 minutes every day. You’ve got to dig deep when you are already tired and keep pushing, because when you are in the middle on the race and you are tired, you’ve got to find some more. So we kind of emulate that in training.”

Tyler Murphy, 15, and Ian Ballard, 17, have been competing in the Men’s Youth 2- category since they were paired in November for The Hootch regatta, which takes place in Tennessee.

“They tried a bunch of different guys, and Ian and me just clicked,” Murphy said. “We actually ended up winning that race, we’ve just progressed from there and they never moved (us).”

Throughout the entire season, the pair has won most of the races, only placing second in one of them and third during the qualifying race — a spot they locked in during the last 500 meters.

The boys are feeling optimistic about racing their entry this weekend, hoping to get top 15 in the country. Because they don’t have a coxswain, they developed an effective communication method.

“We actually just talk the whole way down the course,” Ballard said.

“It’s not very conventional or good, but it really keeps us motivated because it is a conversation, just with not as much talking and a lot more hurting.”

This is the first year the Youth National Championships is offering races for the Men’s U16 8+ and Men’s U17 4+. OARS has boats competing in each.

“It’s going to be really interesting for them to set a benchmark for themselves to track their progress and see how they can improve from right now to one year from now, when they raise up in an older category,” Hall said.

Usually, for the regattas, boats categories are based on experience — novice, junior varsity and varsity.

However, for Nationals, categories are based on age. For example, the U17 category can’t have a rower in the lineup who turns 17 this year.

“It makes a really level-playing field.” Hall said. “By adding this age category, it allows everyone to compete against kids their own age.”

Adrik Gruenenfelder will be racing in the U17 4+ boat. He explained that initially, the four was supposed to be entered into the U17 8+ category, but because of unforeseen circumstances, the boat got scratched and changed into the four.

“We’ve definitely improved a lot,” he said. “We’ve gotten more synchronized with one another, and that in itself has allowed us to get faster as a whole.”

For the U16 8+, Alexander Matteson is excited not only to compete at nationals for the first time but also about the friends he has made.

“At the beginning of the year, none of us knew each other,” he said. “It’s one of those things that can bring people together, throw them in an eight, and they start to become friends.”

Coach Jon Michael Francis has been leading the girls high school team for the first time this year.

“Everyone is really excited and looking forward to next weekend,” he said. “It’s a younger group of girls that we are taking over there, so it’s kind of fun to see the progress happening everyday from the start of practice to the end of practice because there’s always improvement.”

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Thanks to the two-a-day practices, the girls have been able to work on their rowing technique a little more, especially since they’ve not rowed together before.

“We started off a little rocky, because everyone had different ways on how they row,” women’s U17 8+ coxswain Julia Parish said.

“But then we got used to realizing that we have tow work together to be as fast as possible.”

This year, competition will be tougher than last, because the boats who are competing at nationals actually had to qualify for the race.

Last year, because of COVID-19, there were no qualifiers.

Isabella Romain, who also rows in the Women’s U17 8+ is excited to see how her boat does this year.

“It’s a little overwhelming,” she said. “But it’s a really fun environment because you are there with your boat and you are there for a reason — to just race as hard as you can.”

The goal for the boats is to compete in every step of the race — time trials, semifinals and finals.

“Regardless of which final they make it into, we want to try to be into that top-12 position for both boats,” Francis said. “We will try to go into the A or B semifinal, and the A or B final.”

In rowing, the A final is the main final, where the top six boats with the fastest times compete for the top three places to earn a medal.

The B final serves for the top six to 12 boats.

“We have a good chance going into it,” Francis said. “It’s kind of tricky with the U16 and U17 boats, because you don’t know the speed of the other teams. But these girls have been stepping it up, and we are excited to see what we can do.”

The girls’ mentality throughout their morning and afternoon practices has been to see every stroke as a reset.

“If you have a bad stroke or bad piece, you have the next opportunity to reset it and rewrite it,” Francis said. “You can finish the day better We’re all in this together. than how you started it. We are tryStatetoFarm a long tradition as much as ing keephas that mindset of being there. possible. ” That’s one reason

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already had been running with his mom in the mornings, so he began running track at school. After that, he began doing cross country and started attending Windermere Prep, where he met Josephs — who remains his closest friend.

“I definitely found myself through these activities,” Shuffield said. “Growing up, with hair or without hair, you are still finding yourself, and my parents pushed me to do CrossFit and that helped me become who I am, working wise, and enjoying all aspects of sports.

And so, really I would do all these things to become the best version of myself and see myself in the best way.”

Shuffield said he was confused when his hair started to fall out. But his parents and others around him always were there to make sure he was happy.

“I had a teacher in third grade, his name was Mr. Steiner, he actually shaved his head with me,” he said. “Which I was so grateful for, because he was my favorite person in the world, and he was just an amazing human being. … Being his student for two years in elementary school really helped me transition from being a normal child to becoming the person who I am today.”

Running and working out helped Shuffield build the confidence he

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he left people who were touched by his kindness, his wisdom and his love of Jesus. He was, however, a great husband and father. John Wayne Carlton was blessed by God as a gifted evangelist and could preach the stories of the Bible better than anyone we knew. People were mesmerized by his telling of the stories of the Bible.

John and Mellaree’s story is truly a “God Blessed Love Story for the Ages.” Mellaree prayed for a partner in life that she could always count on, and in walks John Wayne and her prayers are answered. Sixty-five years later, he has gone on to be with Jesus.

He is survived by Rick Wayne Carlton (son); Sandy Cargil (daughter); Michael Cargil, Nicole Gant,

until retirement at age 76.

Walter loved NASCAR. He enjoyed spending time with his family and at the beach. Walter

was a lifetime member of 42 years at the Winter Garden Elks Lodge.

Besides a strong work ethic, a deep love and patriotism for his country, he is best known for his wit, being neighborly, kind and always willing to help out.

He was a loving father, grandparent and a loving companion of four years to Laura Vittum, of Winter Garden, Florida. He will be truly missed by all.

Walter is survived by his daughter, Synamon Bohn, and her husband, Justin Bohn; two grandchildren, Chloe and Conrad Bohn, of Casselberry, Florida; one brother,

WALTER HENRY CUMMINGS DIED MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022.

Walter Henry Cummings, 81 of Winter Garden, Florida, passed away Monday, May 2, 2022, at South Lake Hospital, Clermont, Florida, with his family and friends by his side.

Walter was born May 26, 1940, in the small town of Batavia, New York. He is the son of Silas and Ruth Cummings, brother of Vincent and Bradshaw Cummings.

Walter was a graduate of the prestigious Columbia Military School, in Columbia, Tennessee, in 1956. After graduating, Walter enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1957, working in fire rescue. He was a A2C and honorably served his country until 1963. He was a graduate from the University of Kentucky in Engineering.

During his career, he worked at General Electric in Louisville, Kentucky. The bulk of his work was in aerospace and military defense, working for NASA, Morton Thiokol in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Lockheed-Martin in Orlando, Florida. In 1994, he made a career move, working at the Central Florida Auto Auction in Ocoee, Florida,

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Bradshaw Cummings, of Rangeley, Maine; his nephew, Hanniel Cummings and his family, of Atlanta, Georgia; nephew, David Cummings and his family, of San Diego, California; and stepson, Michael Moss and his family, of Watervliet, Michigan.

Walter Cummings will be buried at 12:30 p.m. June 10, 2022, at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, Pavilion A, Mims, Florida.

Winter Oaks Funeral and Cremation in Winter Garden, Florida handled Mr. Cummings’ burial arrangements.

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Christi Cargil, Sam Carlton Waitt, Mary Cargil, Catherine Cargil and John Wesley Carlton (grandchildren); Marvin Carlton (brother); and five great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements will be held at 10 a.m. June 4 at Glad Tidings East Campus, 8550 Clarcona-Ocoee Road, Orlando, Florida 32818.

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John Wayne Carlton, 84, of Tavares, Florida, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, passed away Friday, May 27, 2022, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

He was born in Ridgley, Tennessee, on Jan. 1, 1938, and his mother aptly named him John Wayne because of her admiration of the “Duke.”

He moved to Florida at the tender age of 17 and promptly met a vibrant, red-headed beauty he saw walk by and declared, “She will be my wife.” He was married to Mellaree Gibson Carlton on June 8, 1958, and from then on, they built a solid life together and were blessed with a son and daughter, which was his dream.

John, speaking of Rick and Sandy, said, “If I’d known how good they would have turned out, I would have had more.”

John Wayne Carlton was an accomplished carpenter, construction superintendent and has many buildings that can be credited with his exceptional knowledge of the industry, two of note being a tree house in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Nashville, Tennessee, for his grandsons. John was a man of few words, but his words were chosen from a deep understanding of the Bible and his unwavering conviction to do the right thing. He was a talented artist who could illustrate any given event or memory that came to mind.

John Wayne Carlton was not a Great Man, he was a good man, but

21

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DIED FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022.

WEST ORANGE OBITUARIES

the strongest people at school.”

Josephs found his way into Windermere Prep early in life along with his twin sister, Arielle, after their aunt — their dad’s sister, Beth Coban, and her husband, Cristian, took them in as their own kids, and not only have they provided them with their education, but also with cultural values.

“They were already with me during the summer and every holiday,” Coban said. “I see them as my kids.”

Josephs mom, Eleanor, died unexpectedly from a heart attack when he and his sister were only 5 years old. Their dad, Jo, died three years later of Stage 4 lung cancer.

By that time, Josephs and his sister were living in the Cayman Islands, but after their father’s passing, Coban brought them to Orlando and enrolled them at Windermere Prep.

“I was really young, so it didn’t impact me as much, because I didn’t understand,” Josephs said.

“Now I understand more, and that definitely motivates me to do more for them.”

Josephs said growing up in Orlando has opened myriad opportunities for him, including getting to know track as a sport.

“He loves sports very much so, he’s passionate about his track and field,” Coban said. “That takes precedence over his academics. He is very dedicated to that, he will get up at 5 in the morning and never ever be late to his practices.”

The best memory Josephs has from the time he shared with his parents was “being able to go out on the boat and play with them” back in the Cayman Islands. He is, to this day, grateful for his aunt and uncle.

“They want the best for me — that’s all they want,” he said. “They put their lives on the line for my sister and I, they do everything for us. They make sure to work hard everyday to be able to send us to this school.”

JOHN WAYNE CARLTON

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022

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BAPTIST

First Baptist Church Pastor Tim Grosshans 125 E. Plant St, Winter Garden (407) 656-2352 Sundays: 8:30 AM Traditional 9:45 AM Bible Study 11 AM Contemporary Wednesdays: 6 PM Awana 2nd Campus: First Baptist Church @ Horizon West 15304 Tilden Road, Winter Garden Sundays: 9:45 AM All Ages www.FBCWG.org Starke Lake Baptist Church Pastor Jeff Pritchard PO Box 520 611 W Ave., Ocoee (407) 656-2351 www.StarkeLakeBaptist.org Victory Baptist Church & Christian Academy 1601 A.D. Mims Rd, Ocoee FL 34761 (407) 656-3097 www.VBCOCOEE.com Sunday: 11AM & 6 PM Wednesday: 7 PM

CHURCH OF GOD

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

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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

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METHODIST

First United Methodist www.fumcwg.org 125 N. Lakeview Ave., Winter Garden (407) 656-1135 Services: 9 AM Contemporary 11:15 AM Traditional Also viewable on YouTube

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Purpose Church Orlando 13640 W Colonial Dr. Ste 110, Winter Garden (407) 654-9661 Sunday Service: 10:05 AM Sunday Brazilian Service: 7 PM Saturday Service: 6 PM www.purposechurchorlando.org

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This is a secure site for giving Garden, FL 34787 Help Us. Help Them. 611 Business Park Blvd #101, Winter 905-9500 MatthewsHopeMinistries.org Help Themselves.

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VISIT DOWNTOWN WINTER GARDEN FOR A SLICE OF PATRIOTIC SMALL TOWN CHARM. THE FESTIVE DECORATIONS ARE BETTER THAN APPLE PIE!

4th OF JULY FESTIVITIES Friday, July 1 • 7-9 pm

Live Blues Music Centennial Plaza • Historic Downtown

Saturday, July 2 • 8 am-1 pm

Live Music • Kids’ Crafts • Patriotic Decorations Lawn Games • Summer Produce & BBQ Essentials Downtown Pavilion • 104 S. Lakeview Ave.

Monday, July 4 • Parade at 10 am (Line up 9:45 am) Kids Free Pancake Breakfast – 8 am Entertainment, Activities, and Fun! Winter Garden Masonic Lodge • 230 W. Bay St.

Monday, July 4 • 11 am & 1:15 pm Film Screening of WWII Documentary Garden Theatre • 160 W. Plant St.

Monday, July 4 • 9:15 pm

Fireworks Display on Lake Apopka Festivities begin at 6 pm – Games, Crafts, Vendors, & More Newton Park • 29 W. Garden Ave.

All Fourth of July Festivities are FREE.

www.cwgdn.com

www.downtownwg.com

@OfficialDowntownWinterGarden