12.28.23 West Orange Times & Observer

W EST O RA N G E T I M E S &

Observer Winter Garden, Ocoee, Oakland

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20YEAR IN 23 PICTURES VOLUME 90, NO. 52

Last of a generation

Amy Quesinberry

Peggy Berkelouw Duveen was too young to remember living through the Holocaust, but she said her mother’s emotional stress was built into her subconscious.

YOUR TOWN

WE ARE CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS The Observer Media Group’s Winter Garden office will reopen Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.

We thank all our wonderful readers and business partners for your continued support, and we’re excited and committed to delivering you the best hyperlocal news available in West Orange and Southwest Orange in the new year.

EXHIBIT CELEBRATES CITY’S HISTORY The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation is commemorating the downtown historic district’s progress in recent decades with its new exhibition “Modern Day Renaissance: The Winter Garden Story.” It chronicles the town’s journey from abandoned streets and empty shops to the unique, lively environment of today.

This includes the success stories of institutions such as the Edgewater Hotel, the Garden Theatre, two railroad depots that serve today as museums and the West Orange Trail. The display consists of framed photographs taken before, during and after the restorations.

The display will be up from Jan. 2, until March 31, 2024, in the Winter Garden Heritage Museum at 1 N. Main St.

Winter Garden resident Peggy Duveen was a toddler living in Amsterdam when she and her mother were assigned concentration camp prison numbers and were close to being sent to Auschwitz.

Their lives were spared during liberation in 1945.

SEE PAGES 3-4.

2023 YEAR IN SPORTS

Photo by Thomas Lightbody | TK Photography

From signings and state champs to new digs and a renewed golf club, 2023 was a big year.

SEE PAGES 19-21.

Convicted sex offender sentenced to 100 years Rudy Nunez, 40, was convicted of charges stemming from an April 2022 incident at the West Orange Cinema in Winter Garden.

SEE PAGE 2.

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023

Victims testify against Rudy Nunez NEWS EDITOR

meaning he only runs

The man convicted of sexual battery acts committed in April 2022 at the West Orange Cinema was sentenced to 100 years in prison.

A jury on Dec. 1 found Rudy Nunez, 40, guilty of seven charges.

20 years once and

THE CRIMES

each charge with them being concurrent,

satisfies all seven charges, instead once he’s done with his first 15.7 years, he will start another one for 15.7 years and then another for 15.7 more years. …”

— Sgt. Leonardo Gomez

On April 3, 2022, the Ocoee Police Department responded to the West Orange Cinema in reference to a sexual battery.

In a screening room, Nunez threatened two teenagers into performing sexual acts on each other while he recorded it on his cell phone. He then fled the theater in his white Ford Fusion.

Ocoee police officers were able to identify and arrest him for several charges, ranging from lewd and lascivious behavior to assault charges.

Just nine days after that incident, Nunez was released on bail.

Seven months later, on Nov. 7, 2022, Nunez then victimized two young ladies committing lewd and lascivious behavior and exposing his sexual organs to at least one minor child at Foxtail Coffee on Sand Lake Road in Dr. Phillips.

That case was handled by the

Ventrac 4520

Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Nunez’s bail was revoked, and he has been in jail since November 2022.

The original detective on the case, Edwardo Hernandez, is no longer with the Ocoee department. However, Sgt. Leonardo Gomez said Nunez’s crimes date back to when he was in the U.S. Army and stationed at Fort Benning, now known as Fort Moore, near Columbus, Georgia.

Nunez was reported in an incident involving “abusive sexual contact” and “indecent exposure.”

Although there is little information from the military available, the case was closed on Nov. 19, 2014.

Nunez was adjudicated guilty and classified as a sexual offender.

Gomez said the large number of years sentenced and the number of charges are fairly common, because most perpetrators don’t victimize their victims only once.

“The one thing that I did find different in this case is as opposed to charging him and then sentencing him concurrently, these charges will be completed consecutively,” Gomez said. “For example, instead

BROUGHT TO JUSTICE

Rudy Nunez

of him getting 20 years for each charge with them being concurrent, meaning he only runs 20 years once and satisfies all seven charges, instead once he’s done with his first 15.7 years, he will start another one for 15.7 years and then another for 15.7 more years. My … opinion is that this is because previously, even in North Carolina and Georgia, he was charged with something similar, and then when he was down here and got out on bond, he picked up yet another charge. He had proven to the court that he was incapable of assimilating into society and being a responsible human being. As long as the court allowed him to be out, he was going to victimize.”

The two victims from the cinema — who were 14 years old at the time — testified against Nunez at the Orange County Courthouse.

Ocoee Detective Dominic Chiuchiarlli and Hernandez also testified.

Gomez said it is important to note the teamwork that took place during the investigation, involving multiple units from Ocoee, units from the Apopka Police Department, the victims and their families, and the State Attorney’s Office.

“I’m happy that, hopefully, all of the victims have a good support system at home with their friends, their family and their parents, that made them comfortable enough to testify,” he said. “These kids went through a pretty horrific thing. ….

I don’t think anybody goes to the movies with the thought that some pedophile is going to force them to attempt to engage in sexual acts.

For them to have the courage to go in front of a jury of strangers and adults and face the man that made them do this — it’s pretty heroic. If it wasn’t for them, this guy could still be out on the streets right now still victimizing.”

The OCSO case is set to go to trial the week of March 11, 2024.

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Winter Garden resident Peggy Duveen survived the Holocaust.

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Peggy Burkelouw Duveen was assigned a prison number but avoided going to a concentration camp.

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STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP PUBLIC NOTICES Peggy Burkelouw Duveen’s mother’s life was spared during liberation.

Left: Hans Duveen, who later married Peggy Berkelouw and changed his first name to Henry upon arriving in America, spent three years in a concentration camp when he was a child.

“They survive concentration camps and then lose their homes,” Duveen said.

Duveen’s Jewish maternal grandparents were saved when they fled to the south of Holland. Duveen lived, in part, because her paternal grandmother told a lie.

According to Nazi Germany’s Nuremberg Laws, the Mischling Test could be applied to determine whether a person was a Jew; a person with three or more Jewish grandparents was considered a Jew. Duveen’s father’s mother was Christian and married to a Jew, so this gave Duveen three Jewish grandparents.

However, the grandmother claimed she had an affair with a Christian neighbor while her husband was fighting in World War I — just so she could say her son,

Duveen’s father, was a full Christian.

This would give Duveen only “two” Jewish grandparents.

Duveen’s father worked in the diamond industry and ultimately saved the lives of several family members by trading diamonds for people.

About 100 members of Duveen’s extended family were killed in the Holocaust; her husband lost 96 family members, including his father, who was walking home from work and was picked up, taken to Auschwitz and never seen again.

Of the 120,000 Jews living in Holland, only 7,000 came back, she said.

The effects of the war affected Duveen as she got older and understood more.

SEE PAGE 4

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eggy Berkelouw Duveen remembers nothing of living through the Holocaust as a toddler in Amsterdam, but she says her entire life has been affected by it.

Duveen, now 80 and living in Winter Garden, was born in 1943.

One-and-a-half years later, she and her mother were assigned concentration camp prison numbers and told they were going to Auschwitz.

“Thank God the peace came, and the Americans and the Russians and Canadians came,” Duveen said. “I’m the last generation of Holocaust survivors.”

The liberation in spring 1945 spared their lives — but her mother’s stress of being pregnant, giving birth and living in utter fear through the Holocaust would create generational psychological scars.

Stories shared with Duveen have lived in her memory for decades.

A neighborhood midwife delivered her when doctors wouldn’t — and the woman paid with her life after another neighbor told authorities.

“It was something I will have with me the rest of my life that this courageous, wonderful soul … had the guts to do that, and somebody had to rat her out, and she was killed for (the equivalent of $7.50),” Duveen said.

As an infant, she and her mother frequently hid in a secret cellar her father built to keep his family safe from Nazi soldiers.

At the same time she was in hiding, Duveen’s future husband, Hans, and his mother were trying to survive in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Hans spent three years there, from age 7 to 10.

Duveen said he wouldn’t talk about his experiences until he was much older, and what he shared with her made her wince.

“At 6 or 7 years, a child is formed, and this is what he grew up with,” she said. “He saw a lot of stuff.

They had to bring the cadavers to some mass grave. They played with cadavers.”

Her mother-in-law was a seamstress and the family breadwinner. After liberation, Hans and his mother returned home to find someone else living in their house.

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Peggy Berkelouw Duveen lost about 100 family members in the Holocaust.

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“Don’t think the war was over, and it’s all done,” she said. “Today, it’s not done. You can take it as a ‘me victim,’ which I don’t want to do. I’m no victim. And my husband, too; of course, he was a victim, but he didn’t want to play that role.”

For years, Duveen covered her ears when she heard fireworks and loud booms. She discovered later that a bomb went off while her mother was pushing her in a stroller. “ T h a t m u s t h ave b e e n a tremendous noise in my subconscious,” she said. “So, when I hear that, I get extremely uncomfortable, fearful and I want to get out.”

LIFE AFTER WAR

After World War II, Duveen was sitting on the terrace of a hotel in Amsterdam, having afternoon coffee with a friend, when she met her husband, Hans. She was 17; he was 26. They ran into each other often for about 10 years before starting a romantic relationship.

They were married in 1971 and enjoyed 45 years together before his death.

It would take Duveen all those years to finally understand all that her husband endured.

“Living with a man with this background was not a piece of cake,” she said. “But you don’t know that.

You’re 27 and you think you know everything. … You learn very fast.”

After marriage, they settled down in a quaint bungalow with a lilac tree. Once it bloomed, Duveen placed some of the flowers in a vase on the table. When Hans came home from work one day, he yelled and threw the vase and its contents outside.

She made her husband explain what was happening, and he told her he and his mother where in a train car heading to a camp and when they arrived, his mother was more dead than alive.

“So they got a wheelbarrow, and they put his mother in there, and there was a farm where they had a big open stable, and they wheeled her over there,” Duveen said. “She said, ‘See those lilacs over there?

Please put them in my hands so if I die, I die with beautiful flowers in my hand.’

“During my marriage, I kept discovering things,” Duveen said.

They moved to the United States, and Hans served two years in the U.S. Army.

“He threw away his Dutch passport; he never wanted to go back,” Duveen said. “They treated the Holocaust survivors disgustingly during the war and after.”

Her husband did a lot of healing through the years, and when he was in his 60s, he decided he was ready to visit the Auschwitz memorial site. The trip was cathartic, and he eventually became a guide and committee member at the former concentration camp.

Duveen said she has dealt with antisemitism her entire life, even as an adult. She built a career in the airline industry and learned how to handle name-calling and discriminatory remarks.

Courtesy photos

Peggy Berkelouw Duveen at age 3.

“I’m not religious,” she said. “It’s my DNA, my culture, my being. I’m Jewish — heart and soul. I don’t have to be in synagogue for that.”

Duveen’s husband died in 2015 in Belgium at the age of 80. Three years later, Duveen moved to Florida to be close to her daughter, Linda. It was what her husband would have wanted, she said, knowing she was safe.

“For me, every day is a holiday,” Duveen said. “(I have) my home, my daughter close by, my good friends close by and my little doggy.

“I had a difficult life, a turbulent life,” she said. “It’s not easy to live with a man with that background, and you never get to the core, because he has that wall in front of him. … But now I understand.

There’s a lot I’ve learned the last few years, and now I understand.”

“(My husband) threw away his Dutch passport; he never wanted to go back.

They treated the Holocaust survivors disgustingly during the war and after.”

— Peggy Duveen

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28 , 2023

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20YEAR IN 23 PICTURES

Phillip Pacheco | Central Florida Events Photoraphy

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023

JANUARY

Westbrooke Elementary’s Kristy Wilkinson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 and was in remission after 12 months of treatment. Published Jan. 12, 2023.

Above: Classic cars and costumes were plentiful at the Hamlin parking garage as the area hosted its first Cruise-In Saturday, Jan. 14. Published Jan. 19, 2023.

Right: Valeria Arraiz Ramos, a West Orange High School junior, was in critical condition at the AdventHealth for Children hospital for almost three weeks with a mysterious ailment.

Published Jan. 26, 2023.

The cities of Ocoee and Winter Garden honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monday, Jan. 16, with their respective celebrations.

Published Jan. 19, 2023.

Wanda Smith was a staple at the entry gate at Dr. Phillips High, and she made students’ safety a priority beginning with the 1987-88 school year. She retired after 35 years. Published Jan. 12, 2023.

Right: Paul and Robin Bedford’s Pelican’s Snoballs has become a staple in downtown Ocoee.

Published Jan. 12, 2023.

Left: The Ocoee Police Department kicked off the new year by inviting local residents out for an open house Tuesday, Jan. 3.

Published Jan. 12, 2023.

Lift Disability Network’s Club Elevate is a new day program that gives adults with developmental needs socializing skills and allows them to gain some independence.

Published Feb. 2, 2023.

Below: Nancy Wiggins had a passion for science and education, and she excelled at both during her 34 years of teaching at Dillard Street Elementary School. She died Feb. 7, 2023.

Published Feb. 16, 2023.

The Rosen Jewish Community Center hosted its annual Winterfest event Saturday, Jan. 28.

Published Feb. 9, 2023.

FEBRUARY Family Church in the town of Windermere hosted the annual Night to Shine, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Published Feb. 23, 2023.

The weather was perfect for an outdoor culinary throw-down at Legacy Events for Education’s 2023 Central Florida Chili Cookoff. Published Feb. 23, 2023.

Left: Horizon High senior color guard member Valeria Marcial earned a spot with The Bluecoats, a prestigious DCI drum and bugle corps. Published Feb. 16, 2023.

Right: Playa Pizza owner Stephen Facella and local musician Benjamin Neil partnered to host a new event called “Fortune Finds,” a weekly songwriters showcase and open jam. Published Feb. 9, 2023.

OrangeObserver.com

James Meng, 43, opened Mr. J Hand-Pulled Noodle in Ocoee.

It was his first brick-and-mortar location. Published March 2, 2023.

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28 , 2023

Fathers and daughters enjoyed an evening of dancing and fun during the “Arabian Nights”-themed Daddy-Daughter Dance. Published March 30, 2023.

The Palm Lake Elementary School outdoor courtyard was filled with bubbles, glowing lights and delight at the 2023 Bubble Ball. Published March 9, 2023.

MARCH Carlos Cabana and Zoé Sabattié, of Winter Garden, moved into their home on wheels and are preparing for a nomadic life on the road with their 4-month-old daughter. Published March 16, 2023.

The Special Olympics unified cheer team took part in its first competition of the season at the beginning of March. Published March 23, 2023.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed CS/HB 9-B during a press conference Monday, Feb. 27, at Reedy Creek Fire Station No. 4. The legislation dissolved the Reedy Creek Improvement District and established the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. Published March 2, 2023.

The 2023 Ocoee Music Festival welcomed rock ’n’ roll classics during its first day Friday, March 10, and an evening of country artists Saturday, March 11. Published March 16, 2023.

At 90 years old, east Winter Garden resident Charlie Mae Wilder has no plans to slow down. In fact, she wants to create a space for training youth and adults on a piece of property she owns near her home.

Published March 9, 2023.

Right: Castleview Elementary School honored the memory of media specialist J. Steven Czerniejewski by dedicating its media center in his name. Published March 2, 2023.

Left: Winter Garden residents enjoyed the Evening at the Pops event hosted by the Rotary Club of Winter Garden. Published March 30, 2023.

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023

Oakland’s Celebration Among the Oaks springtime festival offered plenty of fun Saturday, April 1. Published April 6, 2023.

Thomas Lightbody | TK Photography

West Orange High School staged ‘Mean Girls High School Version’ as its spring show. Published April 27, 2023.

APRIL

The Winter Garden Fair brought 10 days of amusement rides, skills games and carnival fare to the community. Published April 20, 2023.

Twenty-seven Windermere Preparatory School students traveled to Tanzania in east Africa for eight days filled with education, exploration and community service. Published April 6, 2023.

A new educational partnership between Horizon High and Orlando Health — Horizon West Hospital is the culmination of multiple people putting their heads together to create a program that benefits both the school and medical facility. Published April 13, 2023.

The First Academy Head of School Dr. Steve Whitaker celebrated 20 years at the school. Published April 27, 2023.

Longtime Ocoee Police Department officer Bill Wagner has inspired his daughter to follow in his footsteps. Hannah Wagner, 22, was sworn into the Winter Garden Police Department Thursday, March 23. Published April 6, 2023.

Winter Garden native and U.S. Army veteran Cleve Pickens received a face-to-face thank-you from the man whose life he saved in the Vietnam jungle more than 50 years ago.

Published April 13, 2023.

Gorgeous spring weather set the tone for the Bloom & Grow Garden Society’s annual Spring Fever in the Garden festival in downtown Winter Garden.

Published April 6, 2023.

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28 , 2023

The city of Ocoee turned its downtown into an evening fiesta as it celebrated Cinco de Mayo Friday, May 5. Published May 11, 2023.

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Westly’s Mile, a program launched by Healthy West Orange and the American Heart Association in 2022, inspired Kalyn Foster, a student at Maxey Elementary, to run more than 50 miles. Published May 11, 2023.

AdventHealth hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new off-site emergency department at the Flamingo Crossings Town Center Wednesday, May 17. Published May 25, 2023.

MAY A cast and crew of 50 students gave a fun performance of “Seussical Jr. the Musical” Thursday, April 27, and Friday, April 28, at Castleview Elementary School.

Published May 4, 2023.

The King of Darkness water ski show and competition returned to Horizon West Saturday, May 6. Published May 4, 2023.

Left: Dr. Phillips High School student Katerina Carlson won six awards in the school’s 18th annual film festival, hosted by Bob Giguere, coordinator of the TV film magnet program for the last seven years.

Published May 4, 2023.

Left: The 2023 graduating class at Windermere High celebrated its graduation Wednesday, May 18, at the Amway Center. Published May 25, 2023.

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023

West Orange Chamber of Commerce

Celebrates Business

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the 50-year anniversary of Betty J’s Florist

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the 50-year anniversary of Betty J’s Florist and 20- year anniversary of Rilla Tomyn’s ownership. Located at 403 S Dillard St in Winter Garden, Betty J’s Florist has been the florist of choice for west Orange Countians for nearly 50 years.

First opened in the 1973 by Betty Brimer, it was sold in 2003 to local woman Rilla Tomyn. Three years ago, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the shop moved to Dillard Street in Winter Garden. Nov. 1 was a triple celebration - 50 years of service to the community, 20 years of “new” ownership and 3 years in Winter Garden. They specialize in fresh flowers, Gund plush and Chocolate-Chocolate-Chocolate brand truffles.

To learn more, visit http://www.myorlandoflorist.com.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the grand opening of Flamazing Flocking

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening of Flamazing Flocking. Located in Windermere, Flamazing Flocking specializes in bringing smiles to your face and those of your family and friends. They celebrate all occasions by flocking yards with pink flamingos and a bright light-up sign announcing your occasion.

To learn more, visit http://www.flamazingflocking.com.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the grand opening of CoolVu of Central Florida

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening/xx-year anniversary of CoolVu of Central Florida. Located in Winter Garden, CoolVu Glass & Surface Solutions of Central Florida is a veteran-owned and independently operated franchise and part of the CoolVu national network. They combine high-quality products and excellent customer service to help you get the most out of your home or business. They provide you with a wide variety of impressive home and business improvement products that are sustainable and effective. From window tinting to privacy frosted glass, window and wall graphics, architectural surface finishes, and retrofit security glass solutions, CoolVu offers the depth of products and installation capabilities to help improve your most valuable space.

To learn more, visit http://www.coolvu.com/centralflorida/.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the 50-year anniversary of Stage Stop Campground

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the 50-year anniversary of Stage Stop Campground. Located at 14400 W Colonial Dr in Winter Garden, Stage Stop Campground has been a staple in the Winter Garden community for 50 years. Their 30-acre park offers 248 sites providing a picturesque setting for camping, outdoor activities, and unforgettable experiences, and coming soon - glamping!

To learn more, visit http://stagestoprvcampground.com/.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the grand opening of The Alibi at Lake Lilly

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening of The Alibi at Lake Lilly. Located at 2760 Southside Dr in Ocoee, The Alibi at Lake Lilly radiates 1920s Art Deco charm in West Orange County. With a lavish array of amenities, including a clubhouse reminiscent of the speakeasy era, The Alibi takes you on a nostalgic journey. Their community offers 410 meticulously designed apartments, townhomes and carriage homes.

To learn more, visit http://livethealibi.com.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the 10-year anniversary of Winter Garden Art Association

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Winter Garden Art Association. Located at 127 S Boyd St in the SOBO Art Gallery in Winter Garden, the Winter Garden Art Association carries on its mission to encourage individual creativity and artistic expression, promote community involvement and cooperation, and advance the appreciation, education, and availability of visual and cultural arts in the City of Winter Garden and surrounding areas.

To learn more, visit http://www.wgart.org.

The West Orange Chamber recognizes and applauds our long-standing member businesses for their continued commitment to Advancing Community, Collaboration and Leadership.

Congratulations on Membership Milestones to

30 YEARS

R.C. Stevens Construction Company Friends of Lake Apopka

15 YEARS

Edward Jones - Financial Advisor: Buster Young Florida Blue Orlando Health - Dr. P. Phillips Hospital Orlando Health Cancer Institute - Ocoee Roper Garden Building

THE WEST ORANGE CHAMBER OFFERS 3 NETWORKING GROUPS

TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY To learn more and to register for participation visit wochamber.com/ChamberGroups or call 407-656-1304

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28 , 2023

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After closing in December 2018, Stoneybrook West Golf Club reopened its doors with a newly updated golf course, clubhouse, lounge and pro shop. Published June 29, 2023.

Left: West Orange and Southwest Orange municipalities hosted four different ceremonies for Memorial Day. Published June 1, 2023.

JUNE

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings highlighted the county’s achievements and plans for the future during his State of the County address Friday, June 9. Published June 15, 2023.

Anne Bingler got a law degree and then bought a horse farm.

This year, she used legal knowledge to fight not only for the future of her property — Crown Pointe Equestrian — but her way of life. Published June 8, 2023.

Below: Families enjoyed some fun on the farm at the 2023 Hamlin Hoedown. Published June 1, 2023.

Thomas Lightbody | TK Photography

Horizon High School celebrated its first graduating class during commencement Monday, May 22, at Addition Finance Arena at the University of Central Florida. Published June 1, 2023.

A new state law requires minors to have a learner’s permit or driver’s license to operate golf carts. Published June 1, 2023.

YOUR SMILE,

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OUR PASSION

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023

BAPTIST

CHURCH OF GOD

First Baptist Church Ocoee Church of God Pastor Tim Grosshans Pastor Thomas Odom 125 E. Plant St, Winter Garden 1105 N. Lakewood Ave.,Ocoee The Roper/Duppenthaler home was built more than nine decades ago and was the gathering place for generations of family dinners, weddings and other social gatherings. It was razed in July (407) 656-2352 (407) 656-8011 to make way for a subdivision. Published July 27, 2023.

Sundays: 8:30 AM Traditional EPISCOPAL 9:45 AM Bible Study Church of the Messiah 11 AM Contemporary 241 N. Main St., Winter Garden Wednesdays: 6 PM Awana Services: 8, 9:30, & 11 AM, 4 PM (French & Creole), 7 PM 2nd Campus: www.ChurchoftheMessiah.com First Baptist Church @ Horizon West METHODIST 15304 Tilden Road, First United Methodist Winter Garden www.fumcwg.org Sundays: 9:45 AM All Ages 125 N. Lakeview Ave., www.FBCWG.org Winter Garden STARKE LAKE BAPTIST Advertise your Services or Events METHODIST NON-DENOMINATIONAL 656-1135 CHURCH Starke Lake Baptist Church (407) FIRST UNITED Services: 9 METHODIST AM Traditional PURPOSE CHURCH OLANDO on this page weekly.

Y PO Box 520,Pritchard 611 W Ave, Ocoee Pastor Jeff CHURCH 13640 W. Colonial Dr., Ste 110, 10:45 AM Contemporary Pritchard POPastor BoxJeff 520 611 W Ave., 125 N. Lakeview Ave Winter Garden Trombitas Also viewable on YouTube Winter Garden (407) 656-2351 Ocoee Service Times 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM 407-654-9661 • Prayer 9:30AM, This page appears weekly in the arden www.starkelakebaptist.org Phone – 407-656-1135 Fellowship 9:45AM, Service 10:05 AM (407) 656-2351 AM West Orange Times & Observer and Web: fumcwg.org www.StarkeLakeBaptist.org CHURCH OF GOD online at OrangeObserver.com.

At 18, Rhen Myers graduated from the OCOEE CHURCHChurch OF GOD Victory Baptist UNITED CHURCH OF University of Central Florida with a degree in Pastor Thomas Odom & Christian Academy CHRIST criminal justice.

The FBI. Published To advertise in Her thegoal: Church Directory 1105 N. Lakewood Ocoee 1601 A.D. Mims Avenue, Rd,Ocoee WINDERMERE UNION CHURCH July 20, 2023.

407-656-8011 call 407-656-2121 or email (407) 656-3097 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Rd. en Amy Klahr Terechenok led the way with Sunday: 11 AM & 6 PM Windermere, FL 34786 AdvertiseNow@OrangeObserver.com EPISCOPAL stWG.org Wednesday: a summer camp experience through her 7 PM 407-876-2112 Worship times: CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH faith-based Christian musical theater 9:30AM www.VBCOCOEE.com 9:00am Adult Sunday School organization. Published July 13, 2023.

AM 6:00PM

H en

JULY

CHURCH DIRECTORY

241 N. Main, Winter Garden Services: 8, 9:30, & 11am, 7pm www.churchofthemessiah.com

10:00am Worship www.windermereunion.org

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In the span of two weeks in 2018, Winter Garden resident Tyneshia Perine lost both her husband and her job. Five years later, she’s the name and face behind Tootles Event Sitters. Published July 6, 2023.

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Taylor “Matthew” Bodine Jr. died in a car crash Friday, June 30. He was on his way back to Winter Garden from college. Published July 13, 2023.

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The city of Ocoee welcomed the first skateboarders and cyclists to its new Action Sports Park.

Published July 6, 2023.

LV14252

P es School rden om

Left: Doug Bowman, center, — a 20-year volunteer with the Windermere’s Parks & Recreation Committee and the Tennis Subcommittee and the person in charge of Windermere’s tennis camps — died July 2. He was 59. Published July 13, 2023.

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28 , 2023

Thomas Lightbody | TK Photography

West Orange High School seniors spent their morning Saturday, Aug. 5, personalizing their parking spaces for the new school year. Published Aug. 10, 2023.

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Allen’s Creamery had been a staple in downtown Windermere for 15 years. Anne and Mark Allen, left, and Amy and Matt Allen opened Allen’s Creamery in 2008 to give the Windermere community a sweet place to gather. It closed this summer. Published Aug. 24, 2023.

Horizon West’s Caleb Foarde, through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, spent a day with the Buffalo Bills. Published Aug. 3, 2023.

AUGUST

Left: Two former Oakland Avenue Charter School students — Libby Kohmetscher, left, and Skyla Vega — planned a project at their old school to earn their Bronze Award.

Published Aug. 17, 2023.

The Winter Garden Art Association and SOBO Art Gallery remembered artist and past SOBO director Paul Gerding with a reception to celebrate the opening of a new exhibition.

Published Aug. 10, 2023.

West Orange High student Elias Lopez, 17, is the second youngest to graduate from the Air Force JROTC Flight Academy. In 2023, he earned his private pilot’s certification. Published Aug. 24, 2023.

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The city of Winter Garden hosted a back-to-school event at Zanders Park and Bouler Pool.

Published Aug. 10, 2023.

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023

A new east-west connector — Schofield Road — opened to allow drivers to travel from Horizon West and Clermont faster and with less congestion. Published Sept. 28, 2023.

It was a sea of black and gold as Ocoee High School took over downtown Ocoee Wednesday, Sept. 6, for its 2023 Homecoming Parade. Ocoee Mayor Rusty Johnson paraded in style with the Knights. Published Sept. 14, 2023.

Left: Edgewood Children Ranch’s Hope Farm is a place where students can learn the values of patience and persistence.

Published Sept. 14, 2023.

Lisa Walsh, co-owner of the Observer Media Group, died Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023.

Published Sept. 21, 2023.

Cadets from the Air Force Junior ROTC program at Dr. Phillips High School, students and local first responders gathered in front of the school’s doors during the annual 9/11 memorial tribute ceremony. Published Sept. 14, 2023.

SEPTEMBER The Castleview Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization hosted a special evening Friday, Sept. 15, for the school’s students and their grandparents. Published Sept. 28, 2023.

Left: Residents in Windermere joined the town’s police department to fish among the lakes at the fourth annual Cops & Bobbers event Saturday, Sept. 9. Published Sept.

14, 2023.

Hamlin Elementary School held its popular Grandparents Bingo Night Friday, Sept. 15. Published Sept. 21, 2023.

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28 , 2023

Town of Windermere residents and families welcomed cooler weather and a new season Saturday, Oct. 7, at the 2023 Annual Officer Robert German Memorial Event — the Windermere Fall Festival. Published Oct. 26, 2023.

Above,right: Carlos Evans, a Winter Garden wounded veteran, received a Chevrolet Tahoe equipped with controls adapted to his severe war injuries. Published Oct. 5, 2023.

OCTOBER

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Jean Grafton, the former city clerk served her hometown of Ocoee for 30 years and was known for her love of laughter, family, friendships and traveling the world. She died Sept.

24, 2023. Published Oct. 26, 2023.

Stina D’Uva served as president and CEO of the West Orange Chamber of Commerce for 22 years. In October, she turned over the reins to Stephen Lewis.

Published Oct. 19, 2023.

Matthew’s Hope returned with its annual fall fundraiser at the Ocoee Lakeshore Center.

This year’s theme was “Wild Wild West,” and attendees dressed in both steampunk and western attire. Published Oct. 5, 2023.

Right: Fathers created lifelong, special memories with their daughters at the first Daddy Daughter Dance hosted by the town of Windermere.

Published Oct. 12, 2023.

Thomas Lightbody | TK Photography

The West Orange High School community showcased school spirit during a week full of activities for Homecoming 2023.

Published Oct. 26, 2023.

NEED BASED SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE STARTING FALL 2024 Up to $30,000 per undergraduate scholarship Limited to students with a maximum annual 2021 family of 4 income of $69,000 For graduates of West Orange County and South Lake County high schools Pays 100% of the actual cost of in-state public university tuition, fees and books, but can be used for private or out-of-state schools Applications available on the Oakland Presbyterian Church website www.oaklandpres.org/education-fund/ 407 656-4452.

Successful applicants must maintain a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale

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Applications accepted if submitted by Feb. 12, 2024

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023

The family of Gregory C. Reed, 60, pleaded for information after the veteran was killed in Ocoee. Published Nov. 16, 2023.

Horizon West Church welcomed the fall season with 2023 Fall Street Party.

Published Nov. 23, 2023.

All public school marching bands from West Orange and Southwest Orange showcased their 2023 field shows at the 2023 Florida Bandmasters Association District 8 MPA. Published Nov. 16, 2023.

NOVEMBER Joseph C. Ware, a well-known Windermere artist and community member, died Oct. 6, 2023. Anne Scharer, leader of Windermere Arts and the Windermere Fine Art Show, is making sure his memory lives on. Published Nov. 16. 2023.

Below: Olympia High School hosted its first Homecoming Parade Wednesday, Oct. 18, in the heart of downtown Windermere. Published Nov. 2. 2023.

Despite a lingering drizzle, a record number of happy families flocked to the town of Windermere for the 2023 Light Up Windermere, held Friday, Nov. 17, downtown.

Published Nov. 23, 2023.

Left: The seventh annual Challenge 22 event took place Saturday, Nov. 11, kicking off at American Legion Post 63.

Published Nov. 16, 2023.

Ebenezer Scrooge and all his ghosts visited Foundation Academy’s Tilden Campus stage for performances of “A Christmas Carol.” Published Nov. 2. 2023.

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28 , 2023

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A delightful time was had by all at the 2023 Santa’s Coming to Hamlin event, held Saturday, Dec. 2, in the Hamlin green space. Published Dec. 7, 2023.

Right: ‘Moonshine & Mistletoe: An Appalachian Christmas Tale’ ran through Dec. 23, at the Garden Theatre. Published Dec. 7, 2023.

DECEMBER

Thomas Lightbody | TK Photography

Winter Garden residents packed Dillard and Plant streets Saturday, Dec. 2, to catch a glimpse of the 2023 Winter Garden Christmas Parade. Published Dec. 7, 2023.

Windermere High School hosted its annual Winter Wonderland event Wednesday, Dec. 6. Published Dec. 14, 2023.

Upper right: Ocoee crossing guard Leonarda Richardson — known to the children as “Mrs. Lee” — threw a Christmas party for the students she helps. Published Dec. 7, 2023.

Left: The city of Winter Garden held its annual Light Up celebration Friday, Dec. 1, along downtown Plant Street. Published Dec. 7, 2023.

celebrity cipher

©2023 Universal Uclick

ACROSS 1 Genius “Family Guy” baby 7 Badger 13 Tsai Ing-wen’s country 19 Corn product for grits 20 Korean War site (old spelling) 21 Acting like a total hog?

22 *Tiny Tim, to Bob Cratchit 24 Crescent-shaped window 25 Sin city?

26 *Like the children shown by the Ghost of Christmas Present 28 Hawks, on scoreboards 31 BLT part 33 Pushover 34 “Here comes trouble!”

36 “Nailed It!” disaster

37 New Mexico art haven 38 Pokemon with magical ability 42 Vaudeville offerings 44 SEA letters 46 One-fourth of a 4x400 47 Drums tuned with tuning paste 49 Cali chica 50 “Come over the top,” in poker 52 ___ of Strength (Festivus tradition) 53 Desmond of “Sunset Boulevard” 56 Dutch banking giant 57 Chase film?

59 Photo file type 61 *Getting a boss like Mr. Fezziwig vs. one like Scrooge, e.g.

66 Some WBA ends 68 Gut call?

69 Period of work 70 “___ words were never spoken” 71 Shout to a keeper 72 Cuup offering 73 *The ghost of Jacob Marley, e.g.

76 Casbah covers 77 Cuneiform tool 79 Palindromic antipoverty agcy.

80 Poet Thomas 82 “Gesundheit!” preceder 83 Ready to get down 87 Vinyl half 90 Israeli currency 92 “Gnarly, dude!”

93 “For shame!”

94 Eminem hit

95 ___ and now 96 Keatsian 98 Hindu god 100 Like horses’ hooves 101 Cry attributed to Archimedes 103 Devoted, and then some 105 Attempt 106 *Many a sound from Scrooge at the end of “A Christmas Carol” 111 Treatments for one’s dogs?

113 Bodies of work 114 Description of snowflakes ... and the letters within each of the answers to the starred clues 119 Marks in a con game 120 French dramatist Antonin

57 Psychoanalyst Sigmund 58 Bird of old Celtic lore 59 “You had one ___ to do!”

60 911 producer 62 Rock or Cudi of music 63 Artist Yoko 64 Asmaran’s IOC code DOWN 1 Hardly a company person? 65 Did some holey work?

67 Utters, in slang 2 “___ bad, so sad!”

73 Gin fizz flavorer 3 Australian bird 74 “___ out!”

4 Prevails 75 Idris of “The Suicide 5 Unit inside Fort Knox Squad” 6 They make you read the 78 Join up, in a way fine print, for short 81 “Raiders of the Lost Ark” 7 Prolific musician danger 8 Mandela’s party (Abbr.)

82 Vesuvius spew 9 Bonehead 83 Toon who collects human 10 Actor LaBeouf detritus 11 Kicks up one’s feet 84 Lake Huron island 12 Academic addenda 85 Ivan Drago’s country 13 Lonely Planet reader, 86 Track regions that test often cornering 14 Golfer Palmer, to fans 88 “Monty Hall Problem” 15 Seals a victory prop 16 “___ pleasure!”

89 Swirl 17 Some chips, often 91 Crescendos 18 Pressing requirement 94 Was ingrained 21 Former planet 97 Little black ___ 23 3x3x3 puzzle cube 27 Having to do “adulting” 99 Don’t stay in your lane?

101 Actor Zac 28 Ghostly glow 102 Greek area in a common 29 Agender pronoun phobia 30 *Bob Cratchit, to Tiny 103 Clashing Tim 32 Place for a beret or toque 104 Disney princess making beignets 35 Sci-fi award 106 Club in a Manilow hit 38 Be on the lookout, 107 Tara of “Sharknado” perhaps 39 *Backdrop for when the 108 Car often derided on “Car Talk” Ghost of Christmas Yet to 109 Atop Come appears 110 Start of some addresses 40 Dirty quarters 112 King or queen’s sup41 Rotter porter?

43 Noble title 115 “Bien sur!”

45 It’s all washed up!

116 “TBH ...”

46 Politician Lori 117 Japanese word for “carp” 48 Some 118 MDs’ sites 51 Colonial soldier?

“V MVBD MO GCRIL SRY RS BCKO CZ YDO GDAVBYKXB BSVAVY VE TXAB XEL CSOE X TXA CZ VY OJOAP KCEYD.” DXAIXE KVIIOA

“CHZ TP TZR JTDJFRZ XNHS TR CHZ ZJCZ RFHEFR CPL TPRZHWVZR RNVTFZM CPL JWSCP LFEFKNYSFPZ.” JCHHM OFKCXNPZF

“TAEFIZAYO AM ZDF LERPFYSYIF RH URJYOFE OJUM. ... ZDSZ’M VDU REMRY VFGGFM ORZ ZR BSXF ‘IAZAKFY XSYF’ (1941) SZ 25.”

VAGGASB HEAFTXAY

Puzzle Three Clue: P equals V

121 Capture one’s heart 122 Makes glitzy 123 Pants named for an island 124 It’s the talk of the town!

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: D equals G

GILT TRIP by Jeff Chen, edited by Jeff Chen

Puzzle One Clue: P equals Y

crossword

© 2023 NEA, Inc.

sudoku

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

54 Dragon in “Mulan” 55 Do the job of ©2023 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

12-28-23

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023

West Orange Chamber of Commerce

Celebrates Business

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the grand opening of Double O’s Coffee - Ocoee

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening of Double O’s Coffee - Ocoee. Located at 1517 Maguire Rd in Ocoee, Double O’s Coffee is a quick-service drive-thru coffee company that provides customers the beverages they love at the speed they need.

To learn more, visit http://www.doubleoscoffee.com.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the grand opening of AdventHealth Well 65+

Winter Garden The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening of AdventHealth Well 65+ Winter Garden. Located at 12323 W Colonial Dr Ste 140 in Winter Garden, AdventHealth Well 65+ provides wholeperson healthcare for seniors 65 and older on traditional Medicare and certain Medicare Advantage plans.

To learn more, visit https://www.adventhealth.com/adventhealth-well-65.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the grand opening of Crestcom of Central Florida

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening of Crestcom of Central Florida. Crestcom, an internationally trusted name in Leadership Development for over 35 years, has had the honor of working alongside more than 30,000 CEOs worldwide. They’ve collectively conveyed a shared truth: Leadership development is paramount to the future of their organizations, and they seek something extraordinary, effective, and unique to nurture their leaders.

To learn more, visit http://crestcom.com/leadership-trainer/eric-ursich/.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the grand opening of San Jose’s Original Mexican Restaurant Windermere

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening of San Jose’s Original Mexican Restaurant - Windermere. Located at 11620 Lakeside Village Ln Ste 140 in Windermere, San Jose’s Original Mexican Restaurant is a family-operated restaurant serving delicious, made-from-scratch dishes. It is a place where guests of all ages can gather to experience the unique flavors, along with the art and culture of Mexico. The San Jose’s story is simple: Extraordinary flavor, impeccable service and memorable experiences.

To learn more, visit https://sanjosesoriginal.com/.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce celebrates the grand opening of Ellie Mental Health Ocoee

The West Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors celebrated the grand opening of Ellie Mental Health Ocoee. Located at 529 East Crown Point Rd Ste 120 in Ocoee, Ellie Mental Health Ocoee isn’t your average therapy clinic. They’ve created a comfy, judgment-free zone where you can be authentic, get real about where you’re at in your mental health, and receive the compassionate care you deserve. They strive to break down treatment barriers and provide customized counseling services both in person and online for individuals, couples, and families.

They provide support for a wide range of mental challenges and common mental health issues. They have immediate openings for participants ages 9 and older.

To learn more, visit https://elliementalhealth.com/locations/ocoee-fl/.

The West Orange Chamber recognizes and applauds our long-standing member businesses for their continued commitment to Advancing Community, Collaboration and Leadership.

Congratulations on Membership Milestones to

10 YEARS J&J Building LLC

5 YEARS

Exchange Place Inc. Live2Row Studios

THE WEST ORANGE CHAMBER OFFERS 3 NETWORKING GROUPS

TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY To learn more and to register for participation visit wochamber.com/ChamberGroups or call 407-656-1304

DECEMBER 28, 2023

SPORTS

1

Courtesy photos

YEAR IN 2023SPORTS

BY SAM ALBUQUERQUE | SPORTS EDITOR

From back-to-back state champions to groundbreaking facilities to local football stars making the jump to bigtime colleges, 2023 saw some amazing achievements.

2

W

hat a year it was in West Orange and Southwest Orange County sports. As a collective community, we saw tremendous achievements from the area’s athletes, teams and coaches, as well as some incredible developments off the field in 2023.

Here’s a look back at the stories that defined the year that was 2023 in the sports world.

1

BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPS After rolling through its 2022-23 schedule with just one loss — a three-point defeat to Georgetown Visitation Prep — Dr. Phillips High’s girls basketball team (30-1) topped Winter Haven High 47-43 on Feb. 25 on its way to hoist — for the second consecutive year — the Class 7A state championship trophy.

This marked the sixth time the Panthers have won the girls basketball state championship.

The Panthers’ four-star guard Trinity Turner, a Georgia commit, led the Panthers in every major category with averages of 20.6 points, 7.1 assists, 10.4 rebounds, 4.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game during the season. She also stepped up big in the state title game, scoring 22 points, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out four assists, forcing five steals and blocking two shots.

With most players from this championship roster back this season, we could be seeing DP win its third straight title come late February.

2

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES The 2023 season not only saw some teams win state championships but also a group of elite individuals stand above the rest and claim their spot as the state’s best in their respective sports.

The First Academy’s Mi Li won her second consecutive individual girls golf state championship after finishing the tournament eightunder-par, shooting 136 over the 36-hole event. Her efforts this season also earned her the Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Golf Award.

Windermere High had a handful of individual state champions in powerlifting and in swimming. Like TFA’s Li, Windermere junior Andres Giron won his second consecutive individual state championship — except his state crowns were in weightlifting for the Wolverines.

In the swimming pool for Windermere, Brooke Larweth, Addison Reese, Aidyn Reese and Hollace Stokes won the girls 200-yard freestyle relay state championship. Addison Reese, a Florida signee, also added the gold medal in the 100-yard girls butterfly individual state championship.

On the boys side, Ryan Erisman, Walter Kueffer, Lawson Seward and Roberto Zarate won the 200-yard freestyle relay state championship.

Junior Ryan Erisman added two more golds in the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle state championships, and fellow junior Walter Kueffer won the 50-yard freestyle state championship.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023

3

3

CHEER CHAMPS

Both Foundation Academy and Windermere won their respective competitive cheerleading state championship competitions in 2023.

The Wolverines cheer team topped Durant, Nease, Tate, Park Vista, Timber Creek, Land O’ Lakes, George Steinbrenner and Wiregrass Ranch high schools in the FHSAA Class 2A small varsity state championship. Likewise, the Lions captured the Class 1A state championship, its second consecutive title in the large non-tumbling category.

Both teams competed and won their state crowns Feb. 4.

4

GOLD-MEDAL PERFORMANCE

Victor Wright, a West Orange High graduate, is used to making a splash now and again.

In October, he once again made headlines after winning a gold medal at the 2023 Special Olympics swimming championships in Vero Beach The former Warrior swimmer — the first person on the autism spectrum to make the West Orange swim team and a varsity letter — won his meet by six seconds.

5

COLLEGE COMMITMENTS

It’s clear the West Orange and Southwest Orange County areas are full of top-tier football talent, and as the 2023 football season is officially over and college football recruiting and committing season is in high gear, we are once again reminded just how much the college football powerhouses we watch on Saturdays covet the talent in our area.

Just take a look at all the players that recently committed their football futures from the areas’ teams.

West Orange High’s Ivan Taylor, son of Super Bowl champion Ike Taylor, headlines the group as one of the top-rated players in the country. The four-star defensive back chose to continue his football journey at Notre Dame, picking the Irish over the likes of FSU, USC, Michigan and others.

Elsewhere in the area, a pair of elite playmakers have decided to stay home and charge on with Gus Malzahn and the UCF Knights.

West Orange wide receiver Jordyn Bridgewater and Dr. Phillips defensive back Jashad Presley both have committed to UCF over other top schools.

The list goes on. Foundation’s JT Bronaugh committed to Eastern Michigan over other Power 5 options. A pair of Windermere Wolverines also made their college choice known — running back Isaiah Nell is heading to Central Michigan, while kicker Lucas Glassburn committed to Temple. Olympia High’s Jalon Thompson has committed to play at North Carolina, and Windermere Prep’s Tyler Simmons is heading to Virginia.

Beyond this list, there are still a handful of the area’s top seniors, including DP’s Alfred Thomas, Olympia’s Tyler Cross, Romelo Ware and Romelo Walker, who have yet to announce their decisions.

6

6

4 Thomas Lightbody | TK Photography

5 7

TOP TITAN

Laney Perdue is the best hitter in Olympia girls volleyball history.

She set school records in both career kills and single-season kills — 1,043 career kills and 468 kills in 2023 — all while leading the Titans to a 22-7 record, backto-back Class 7A, District 5 titles in 2022 and 2023. She also helped secure the program’s first Metro Conference Championship since 2007.

But that is not what is most impressive about the University of Tampa commit.

7

Thomas Lightbody | TK Photography

SHE’S AN ALL-STAR What she will point to as imporAfter only one year as tant is the impact of her leadership part of Winter Garden Little on a young Olympia starting rotaLeague’s 9-and-under team, tion. That’s what truly makes her Blakely Olszewski is already among special and what she cares about the league’s best players. That was leaving behind. made clear by her selection to the “Her legacy here will be always U9 All-Star team. putting the team first,” Olympia Although Olszewski is the only coach Semei Tello Ponce said. girl on the team, don’t think she “She’s the most unselfish player was a novelty pick. She earned her I’ve ever coached. She’s always Shannon Till, Agent We’re all in this together. spot on the team. willing to help which only Fowler’s Grove 3279 Danielsothers, Rd State Farm has a long tradition “Our ultimate goal was to find the Winter Garden, FL better.”

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Among the sea of orange and purple you see on the sidelines of a Horizon High football game, you might spot Nathan Freid, the Hawks’ equipment manager, who just so happens to have Down syndrome.

“It means the world to me (to be a part of the team),” he said. “I love football; I like to take care of people and the equipment.”

Freid, a football aficionado, views football as a shared experience with his family.

“When he started high school,

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I knew I wanted him involved in something, and football seemed like a great option because my family loves football,” his mother, Trish Freid, said. “I didn’t necessarily know how we were going to pull it off, but we met the right people at the right time and they connected us with coach (Dennis) Thomas.”

Now a sophomore at Horizon, Freid has finished his second season as the Hawks equipment manager and feels blessed for the opportunity not only because he can help his team, but also because he has found a family away from home.

“I feel happy; I like how people really love me at school,” he said.

“My team helps me by being there for me and being nice and encouraging.”

For Freid’s family, the opportunity Nathan gets with the team means the world to them. All they have ever wanted was for their son to be included.

“I didn’t know (what) it was going to look like, but I didn’t imagine it was going to look this awesome,” Trish Freid said. “He is 100% included in his classes and with the football team, and all of it is helping Nathan be the best version he can be.”

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out what some of the players were, and we went and watched one of Blakely’s games.”

Olszewski’s determination, discipline and hard work are perfectly suited for competitive baseball — and also why she will continue to pursue baseball instead of softball at the moment.

“That determination of wanting to be the best sometimes is good and sometimes is bad,” her father, Matt Olszewski, said. “She’s probably harder on herself than I am.

She makes an error or strikes out, and that makes her try that much harder. I try to tell her that’s part of the game, but it’s hard for her to grasp that because she strives for perfection.”

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28 , 2023

10

STONEYBROOK WEST GOLF CLUB IS BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER

Athletes from both Windermere High and Windermere Prep are excited for the new athletic facilities coming to their respective campuses.

9

9

ficulties — including safety, traffic and parking — that come with playing at Deputy Scott Pine Community Park.

Windermere’s new stadium, estimated to be ready for football season in August 2024, is expected to seat up to 1,850 people and will cost upwards of $3 million to build onto the existing practice field.

Just down the road from Windermere High, Windermere Prep also is getting a significant upgrade

NEW DIGS

2023 saw both Windermere High and Windermere Prep get approval for new athletic facilities that should continue to carry their programs for years to come.

For the Wolverines, an on-campus football stadium was approved by the Orange County Commission in October. The new stadium will mean those attending games no longer need to deal with the dif-

to its athletic facilities.

Although a new football stadium is not in the works this go-around, the Lakers are upgrading a whole host of athletics facilities, including adding artificial turf to its multi-purpose field, repaving its track, expanding its weight room and redoing its basketball gym floor.

The Lakers’ ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new athletic digs will be held in January 2024.

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After years of turmoil following the abrupt closing of the course in December 2018, the Stoneybrook West Golf Club reopened its doors to the public under the leadership of Rocky Hodge.

With renovations to the club that include updates to the golf course, clubhouse, lounge and pro shop, it’s safe to say the West Orange course is new and improved.

Hodge said the renovations have touched every single wall in the building, as well as every floor and ceiling in the 145-acre property.

The renovation of the course is the biggest part of the project.

Reopening the club has been a passion project for Hodge.

“Fortunately, that opportunity came last year with the HOA of

21A

Stoneybrook West, and we were able to put together a deal that was good for them and obviously good for me, as well,” Hodge said. “We’re now at my dream career … so it’s been really cool.”

Beyond Hodge’s dream of reopening and running the club, he feels the course being open and thriving will benefit the city of Winter Garden and its residents.

“We want them to feel like it’s part of them and that they’re a part of the success,” he said. “This golf course in this community is probably the most central part of Winter Garden, and probably the easiest access to probably 15 to 20,000 homes within a 10-minute drive.”

The club reopened in July 2023 and has since announced the opening of the Brian Davis Golf Academy.

10

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28 , 2023

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023

2024 is on its way!

We’re spreading cheer and warmth to our readers and advertisers. As we bid farewell to another

year, we hope that the coming year is filled with joy, laughter, and endless good news.

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