W EST O RA N G E T I M E S &
Observer Happy 4th! Winter Garden, Ocoee, Oakland
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 89, NO. 26
FREE
DANCERS QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS
Family, friends remember Peter Abatiello
The popular West Orange High School teacher retired in 2018. He died June 19, 2022. SEE PAGES 8-9A. PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID WINTER GARDEN, FL PERMIT NO. 81
*****************ECRWSSEDDM****
Postal Customer
THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2022
You’ll see them on TV
YOUR TOWN Kathryn Austin, director of the Centre for Dance & the Performing Arts, has one of the largest highland dance schools in the southeastern region and has trained students for 32 years. During the pandemic, the Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing, suspended all competitive events throughout the world for more than 18 months, and teachers resorted to virtual platforms. Despite the pandemic, Austin’s students were successful at last year’s Citrus Class Competition Series in Ponte Vedra, the nation’s first competitive event after the COVID lockdown. The first regional championship in two years was held last month in Savannah, Georgia, and Austin boasts three qualifiers for the National Championships in July. Allison Williams, Natasha du Toit and Alyse Duppenthaler will travel to Madison, Wisconsin, for the ScotDance USA Championships featuring the top 90 Scottish dancers in the nation.
•
Gymnastics USA’s boys team is the best in the state. The goal? The Olympics. SEE PAGE 1B.
SPIRIT OF AMERICA
Wheeling & healing
Annabelle Sikes
Kurt Geis, commander of American Legion Post 63, and Bob Hughes, director of the Legion Riders 63, are two of the leaders of the Winter Garden post.
The American Legion Riders Post 63 utilizes a love of motorcycles as a vehicle to support veterans. STORY ON PAGE 5A.
FOUNDATION’S FASTEST FOURSOME Foundation Academy’s 4x100 boys relay team broke the school record three times in 2021-22. SEE PAGE 1B.
City OKs rezoning for east W.G. The Winter Garden City Commission’s approvals were the final step in the annexation process for east Winter Garden. SEE PAGE 2A.