SO U T H W E ST O RA N G E
Observer Windermere, Horizon West, Dr. Phillips
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
Windermere’s Xavier Roman pitches perfect game. SEE PAGE 11A.
FREE • THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2026
VOLUME 11, NO. 27
Baskets full of blessings! West Orange and Southwest Orange celebrated Easter with myriad celebrations. SEE PAGE 8A.
The safe route YOUR TOWN OAKLAND NATURE PRESERVE RECEIVES MATCHING GRANT
The Oakland Nature Preserve announced it has received a Challenge Match Grant for its environmental programs. If the preserve is able to raise $10,000, it will receive another $10,000, totaling $20,000. “Your donation will be matched, dollar for dollar, so your contribution will have double the impact and will directly help fund our mission throughout 2026,” ONP officials said. The deadline to raise $10,000 is June 30. Visit oaklandnaturepreserve. com to donate, send a check to P.O. Box 841, Oakland, FL, 34760, or drop cash into one of the preserve’s donation bins.
NEW PARKING LOT OPENS IN DOWNTOWN WINTER GARDEN Downtown Winter Garden now has a new public parking lot. The parking lot, located at 695 W. Plant St., now is open to provide additional parking for visitors. The lot is open daily from sunrise to sunset, and it has 54 parking spaces, including two designated accessible spaces, as well as an additional three oversized spaces for buses and RVs. The free parking lot has a “Public Parking” sign on Plant Street to show the lot’s entrance.
Davenport resident ambushed on S.R. Hans Hamilton recounts what happened when he tried to help who he thought was a victim. SEE PAGE 5A.
Photo by Liz Ramos
Emmett Thon, a Windermere Elementary School fourth-grader, and his mom, Leah Thon, ride their bikes over the pedestrian bridge every day. They can’t wait for the Ward Trail to be complete as it will provide a safer way to get to school.
Construction has begun on Phase 1 of the Windermere Ward Trail, a path to provide a wider, safer route to Windermere Elementary. SEE PAGE 4A.
Beer me that Hamlin festival Hundreds of beer enthusiasts hopped into Hamlin for Legacy Events for Education’s 2026 Hamlin Craft Beer Festival March 28. SEE PAGE 14A.
SPRING FEVER
The Bloom and Grow Garden Society will transform downtown Winter Garden into a two-day garden oasis. SEE PAGE 6A.