W EST O RA N G E T I M E S &
SEASON SPRING 2025
Observer
SPRING / SUMMER 2025
SEASON
1
Winter Garden, Ocoee, Oakland
THE OBSERVER’S GUIDE TO ARTS AND SOCIETY
MUSIC DANCE ART THEATER BLACK TIE
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FREE • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2025
VOLUME 92, NO. 9
The old ballgame! We round the bases to give you everything you need to know about the 2025 prep baseball season. PAGE 1B.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE YOUR TOWN DPHS GRAD SERVING WITH NAVY IN ITALY
Petty USA performed note-for-note renditions of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers hits.
Groove operators W
inter Garden found its wings and learned to fly at the 2025 Winter Garden Music Festival, held Saturday, Feb. 22, in downtown. The festival featured 11 hours of live music of all genres on six stages, as well as a plethora of food trucks and booths, a Kids Zone and much more. — MICHAEL ENG, SAM ALBUQUERQUE AND AMY QUESINBERRY PRICE
Left: Vocal Flash performed with plenty of charisma.
CFX gives details about proposed S.R. 429 expansion The proposal would expand S.R. 429 from Seidel Road to Tilden Road from four lanes to six lanes as well as adding Flex Lanes. 8A.
Photos by Michael Eng
Hazel Jones and Ava Johnson served up plenty of Ms. Bee’s Gourmet Popcorn.
NO TRAIN, NO GAIN! The Roper YMCA Family Center presented a weekend of fun and fitness at Healthy YOU Day. SEE PAGE 9A.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Vanessa Benzaquen, daughter of Gladys Vivas, a resident of Ocoee, is serving in the U.S. Navy assigned to U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command, Sigonella/U.S. Naval Hospital, Sigonella, Italy. She serves as a hospital corpsman responsible for assisting healthcare professionals in providing medical care to Navy personnel and their families. Benzaquen, a 2012 graduate of Dr. Phillips High School, joined the Navy more than three years ago and graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science in psychology. “I joined the Navy to further my education and for the opportunities the Navy provides and for job security,” Benzaquen said.
Dynasty receives key approvals from Ocoee City commissioners approved a future land use map amendment and rezoning of the property for the billion-dollar youth sports project. SEE 2A.