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VOLUME 93, NO. 37

FREE • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

25 YEARS LATER

9/11 A DAY WE VOWED TO

NEVER FORGET

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

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2021 Toyota Camry at about 2:43 p.m. on Avalon Road approaching the intersection of Old YMCA Road, when the 20-year-old entered his direct path while crossing the street on her scooter. As a result, the woman was struck head-on. A witness advised FHP the Camry driver had a green traffic light. The 20-year-old woman was unconscious and not breathing when first responders arrived. The Camry driver was not injured and remained on scene. The woman was transported to Horizon West Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. This crash remains under investigation.

Disney Springs restaurant to close Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at Disney Springs is

closing. The restaurant, which serves Mediterranean-influenced dishes with a touch of California elegance, will host its last day of service Sunday, Sept. 13. It is located near the Coca-Cola and Chicken Guy stores, at 1514 E. Buena Vista Drive, Orlando. Operating hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Residents struck by lightning on West Orange Trail The West Orange community is rallying around two Foundation Academy employees who were struck by lightning Wednesday Sept. 2, on the West Orange Trail. Winter Garden Fire Rescue Department Chief Jose P. Gainza, Jr. said firefighters responded to a medical call in the evening of Sept. 2. According to Gainza, firefighters found Aaron Walenga, a Foundation teacher and coach, and his wife, Clare, who works in admissions, unconscious on the ground. First responders performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Both were transported to the Orlando Regional Medical Center, where they were in critical condition. There now is a GoFundMe to raise money for the Walenga family. To donate, visit gofundme.com/f/ prayers-and-support-for-aaronand-clare-walenga.

Woman dies after being struck by car in Horizon West A 20-year-old woman riding a scooter died Friday, Sept. 4, after she was hit by a vehicle. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 69-yearold man was traveling southbound in a

West Orange High School evacuated, students safely returned to school West Orange High School students and staff evacuated campus Friday, Sept. 4, for a short period of time. According to a message from Principal Andrew Jackson to families, “an unknown individual called 911, reporting the odor of smoke in building 500.” As a result, fire rescue crews responded to the school, and the building was evacuated out of an abundance of caution. Students and staff returned to campus after no hazards were found. “It was determined that maintenance was working on the air conditioning, and the heater was turned on for a short time, causing the smell,” according to Jackson’s message.

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Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill will close its doors Sunday, Sept. 13, after serving guests for eight years.

Courtesy photos

Fire rescue crews responded to the West Orange High campus after an unknown individual called 911 reporting the odor of smoke in a building on campus.

Emergency care that’s in the neighborhood, and on your side.

Have a plan and find a location. Fast emergency care starts with a plan. Scan the QR code to find an Orlando Health ER location near you, with a dedicated team when you need them the most.

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Crash kills woman, injures 9-year-old One woman is dead following an early-morning crash in Southwest Orange. According to Florida Highway Patrol reports, at about 7:45 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 6, a 44-year-old woman was driving a 2017 Honda Accord on the Interstate 4 eastbound ramp to Daryl Carter Parkway with a 9-year-old as a passenger, when she suffered a possible medical episode. FHP officials said the possible medical episode caused the driver to travel onto the grass median that separates the exit ramp from other travel lanes and continue traveling through the intersection, where she struck a curb. The front of the car struck a concrete traffic barrier on the north shoulder of Daryl Carter Parkway, causing the car to catch fire. The woman was transported to the Orlando Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The 9-year-old passenger was transported to Arnold Palmer Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. FHP officials also stated it is believed the woman was involved in a previous crash on I-4 shortly before the fatal crash occurred. Both crashes remain under investigation.

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

9/11 25 YEARS LATER

Winter Garden City Hall to host 9/11 exhibit Lifelong law enforcement officer Norman Rein has been collecting artifacts since Sept. 11, 2001. LETICIA SILVA STAFF WRITER

Courtesy photo

Winter Garden’s Jimmy Brown was a New York City firefighter at Station 10, which is across the street from the World Trade Center.

‘I’m still here’ Twenty-five years after thousands perished in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, retired first responders and veterans who were at Ground Zero either on the day or the weeks after are thankful to be alive. THE ATTACKS

MANAGING EDITOR

inter Garden’s Jimmy Brown was making his way from the north side of the North Tower of the World Trade Center to 6 World Trade Center. He was separated from his fellow firefighters from Station 10 after being among the first to respond after a Boeing 767 slammed into the North Tower Sept. 11, 2001. He heard the North Tower start to crumble. “It sounded like a freight train coming from far away, and it was getting closer, and it was getting faster,” he said. “One floor would pancake, and it just creates more force, more weight. … I felt this huge gust of wind. All I had time to do was crouch down, get up against 6 World Trade.” He had all but the left side of his body covered for protection. The debris was cascading toward him and starting to hit him. First his feet, then ankles, up his legs and then his waist and chest. All he could do was think of how he was going to die and his wife. “I remember thinking, ‘My wife is going to kill me for dying,’” he said. When he realized he wasn’t pinned down, he dived head-first into a window of 6 World Trade Center that was busted out. Seconds passed, and the quiet and the dust began to settle. Brown was covered in it. But he was alive. He survived 9/11.

Courtesy photo

Jimmy Brown still was in his probationary period with the FDNY when terrorists attacked the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001.

Later, a friend of his who was a police officer was relieved to see Brown still was alive. The friend notified Brown he had been put on a list of people who had died. “I’m still here,” Brown said. Now 25 years after 9/11, Brown is thankful to say he’s still alive as more than 12,000 people have died either on 9/11 or since because of ramifications from being in Manhattan during the attacks. He, along with countless others, including Windermere’s Raul Perez, have survivors guilt. They honor those who have died every year on Sept. 11 and are grateful they’re still here.

Celebrating

Brown was a “probie” with the New York City Fire Department working a 24-hour shift preparing for 9 a.m. roll call Sept. 11, 2001. He only had been with the department for 10 weeks. Brown was sitting and reading a newspaper when he heard a plane flying low. As soon as he stood, the plane hit the North Tower. He ran out to the fire station’s driveway and saw a huge fireball coming out of the tower and debris raining down onto the street. People were running into the station, which was across the street from the World Trade Center. The Engine 10 firefighters were some of the first on the scene. Upon entering the lobby, Brown saw two burn victims. One was dead. The other, a woman, still was alive. “I remember thinking to myself, I just want to stop and help this person; it’s a human being, she’s alive,” he said. But that wasn’t his job. The medics were behind him. They had to physically step over the woman to continue on their mission. Once they received their orders, Brown was headed up a stairwell. He noticed civilians were going down the stairs in an orderly fashion. If someone was hurt, civilians were helping them get out safely. “That part helped me keep my stuff together, because on the way up, they would try and give us SEE IT SOUNDED PAGE 4A

IF YOU GO

REMEMBRANCE 9/11 TRIBUTE 25TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBIT WHEN: 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, and Friday, Sept. 11, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. WHERE: Winter Garden City Hall, 300 W. Plant St. COST: Free

Photo by Leticia Silva

Norman Rein has hosted several exhibits across Florida and New York in honor of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks.

another pla …’ He didn’t get the word ‘plane’ out, and communications went out because of the tower,” Rein said. Rein thought he had lost his son. As a fire commissioner, he was involved with emergency management, putting together about 250 pieces of apparatus to go to Shea Stadium, which served as a vital center for 9/11 relief efforts. By the time he was able to drive to Ground Zero, it already was 5:30 p.m. “My mind was so deceived by what I was seeing,” Rein said. “I had to walk for about mile to get there, because I couldn’t drive any further, and what I saw was a new world. It was hot and burning, but at the same time, it was quiet. Yet there was a lot of noise from the ironworkers who were cutting waste steel. … The time I was setting up for assistance into the city and going into the city and then sitting on the pile for 12 hours, I thought my son was gone.” The fear and uncertainty lingered, but Rein knew his purpose was to serve and help those in need. That same night, Rein learned his son had made it home safely — alive and well. For the next five days, Rein participated in the bucket brigade and any other tasks required of him. Some nights, he slept in his car. After those five days, he went on to spend the next month in the morgue with the mortuary team. It was one of the most memorable occurrences of his career. Since then, his collection of artifacts grew, and when he and his wife began packing up their home to move to Florida, Rein sorted through the piles of artifacts in the basement. Going through them, Rein became emotional. “This is treasure,” he thought.

“My mind was so deceived by what I was seeing. I had to walk for about mile to get there because I couldn’t drive any further, and what I saw was a new world. It was hot and burning, but at the same time it was quiet.” — Norman Rein

RUN AMONG THE LAKES

Year

Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026

Starting Line: 520 Main Street, in front of Windermere Town Hall w w w. w i n d e r m e re r u n . c o m

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LIZ RAMOS

For years, Winter Garden’s Norman Rein and his wife have been collecting artifacts from Sept. 11, 2001. Magazines, newspapers, photos, phone calls, firefighter uniforms — anything that would tell the story of what happened when terrorists hijacked four planes, and crashed two into the World Trade Center and another at the Pentagon. The fourth crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers fought back. Several pieces of his collection will be on display during the Remembrance 9/11 Tribute 25th Anniversary Exhibit from Wednesday, Sept. 9, through Saturday, Sept. 12, at Winter Garden City Hall. “We honor military, we honor the three branches of first responders and non-traditional first responders,” Rein said. There will be about 30 displays for residents and visitors to learn more about the event that shaped history. “This is very fulfilling,” Rein said. “The fulfillment of the exhibit is for students (and children) to remember.” Rein has had exhibits like this for years, honoring and remembering all who died on Sept. 11 and in the years since the tragedy. “I wanted to share the experience for people to know more about it,” Rein said. “I wanted the children to know about it because we’re becoming a very woke society. … If we don’t tell the story, our children don’t learn it. If that happens, we don’t honor the people who perished and those involved in the rescue.” Rein has his own story to tell as 9/11 impacted his life and career. On Sept. 11, 2001, Rein was standing in front of his mirror getting ready for another day as fire commissioner in Long Island, when he received a call from his son who was at work about five blocks away from the World Trade Center. His son said a plane hit the tower. “Then he says, ‘Dad, Dad, Dad,

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

9/11 25 YEARS LATER

‘It sounded like a freight train’ Dust to dust,’” Gray said. “And here are the ashes and the dust. Humanity connected literally by their fingertips. That was powerful to me. It was a reminder and even a motivator for me to get through this while there, hands and boots on the ground, to render the service that my wife and I were commissioned to do.” ‘IT’S NOT DONE’

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Every Sept. 11, Windermere’s Raul Perez wears a shirt he bought as part of a fundraiser to support families who lost someone on 9/11 to honor those who died. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3A

encouragement,” Brown said. He said civilians tried to hand them bottles of water, but being first responders, they would pass it to civilians. “The bottles just went back and forth, I don’t think anyone drank them,” he said. When they reached the 23rd floor of the North Tower, they went up against a wall unsure of what was happening as they felt the building shake violently. Meanwhile, Windermere’s Raul Perez, then a paramedic for St. Luke’s in Westchester County who also worked for the New York City Fire Department, was en route to the World Trade Center. Initially, dispatch reported a commuter plane had hit the tower, causing Perez to think it simply was “another day in New York City” after all he had seen as a first responder. They heard over dispatch it was an airline plane that crashed into the North Tower. They were en route when they heard about the second plane hitting the South Tower. They arrived on scene just after the second plane hit at 9:03 a.m. Stationed at the intersection of Vesey and West streets, they saw first responders pulling people back from the World Trade Center as two firefighters already were killed by people who jumped out of the windows of the towers. They waited for victims to come to them for treatment. Suddenly, Perez heard a rumble. He saw the South Tower pancaking down. It sounded like a locomotive coming close to him. He and his partner jumped into a nearby building. After the air cleared and they went back outside, all they heard were pass alarms and cars exploding. The alarms beep after firefighters don’t move for 30 seconds in case a firefighter becomes trapped and needs to be found. “We couldn’t find anybody toward the rubble,” Perez said. He and his partner grabbed a fire hose and started trying to put the car fires out, but there wasn’t enough pressure in the hose because nobody was manning the engine. Back inside the North Tower, everyone from Engine 10 agreed they needed to evacuate. Some companies decided to stay. Because of challenges with the communications systems, they hadn’t heard the evacuation orders from command. “Thankfully, all of us were on the same page in my company, because if one of us would have said no, we have to keep going, we’d all be dead,” Brown said. In the rush to evacuate, Brown was separated from his company. He found himself behind two Port Authority police officers who were assisting a man down the stairs. Once they reached the plaza level, they discovered the stairs to the street level were blocked due to the debris from the South Tower and they needed to go a different way. Brown and the straggling first responders and civilians who were with him headed toward 6 World Trade Center. Brown made it between the North Tower and 6 World Trade Center when he stopped and crouched before deciding to jump into 6 World Trade Center through a window as he heard crashes.

Seconds later, the North Tower was down. He shook himself loose from the debris. All he could see was darkness. He felt his lungs burn as he breathed in pulverized concrete. After Brown got his bearings, he noticed one of the Port Authority cops and the man he was helping down the stairs still were alive. The other Port Authority cop was gone. In a daze and bruised on the entire left side of his body, Brown said he would go for help and found his way onto the street where he saw crushed police cars, dust with papers swirling around and no one on the street. He kept walking until he hit Broadway and finally saw police and firefighters setting up a command post. Brown started to think he was dead. He saw other cops and firefighters covered from head to toe in dust and ash. It wasn’t until a police chief handed him a bottle of water that made him think maybe he still was alive. Outside, firefighters already were getting to work, including Perez. He went to the pile and started searching for survivors. “Your training just kicks in,” Perez said. “We have a job to do. People are depending on us. We have to do what we have to do and we’ll panic later.” After a while, Perez and his partner were told to take a break and other first responders took their places. Brown was later sent to the hospital for a potential concussion, despite his protesting. At the Weill Cornell Medical Center, Brown called his wife, Shirley, who insisted on meeting him there. Hours went by as she struggled to find her way to the Upper East Side. He listened as families desperately tried to find their loved ones. Finally, Shirley Brown arrived at the hospital, and they were reunited. “It felt so good,” he said with tears in his eyes. “I wasn’t even afraid of her getting mad at me for almost getting killed. We held onto each other for a while.” After a day that felt like forever, Brown and his wife went home and Perez returned to his station to call his wife, who was pregnant. Perez’s wife said she thought he was dead. He told her, “No, I’m still here. You can’t get rid of me.” The day after 9/11, it was back to work. THE AFTERMATH

In the days after 9/11, Perez volunteered to search the piles at Ground

Zero while also working his regular shifts responding to calls. First responders used 5-gallon buckets to remove debris carefully in case there was someone underneath. It was tedious, quiet work, he said. Surrounded by firefighters from departments across the country was heartwarming. “That’s the only time I saw the country come together to support us,” Perez said. “It was a good feeling. We needed help. That’s what it was, and people came to help us.” They looked out for one another and encouraged someone to step away if anyone noticed someone was struggling. Brown was struggling mentally and was diagnosed with PTSD. He couldn’t be around the rubble and later went on to a different station after graduation more than a month after 9/11. ‘MY OATH HAS NOT EXPIRED’

Horizon West’s Darrell Gray, who was living in Wilmington, Delaware, at the time, felt called to help. He had served active duty in the Air Force for 10 years before serving in the Delaware Army National Guard from 1990 to 1996. “While my service time has completed, my oath has not,” he said. “My oath has not expired, and will never as long as I walk and breathe. I find ways to continue to serve.” He felt the need to do something, especially after he saw on the news his childhood friend Kevin Bowser had perished in the North Tower. “When I went back to my neighborhood where my friend and I grew up (in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), and I saw the spot where we played together at the playground and there’s yellow ribbons all over the fence and people are gathering, that hit hard,” Gray said. He and his wife were deployed for at least two weeks to New York City through a local organization in Wilmington to help with humanitarian efforts. Gray went in honor of Bowser. They served in all five boroughs of the city, and at one point, they were as close as one block away from Ground Zero. Gray recalled walking near New York City Hall and smelling jet fuel and burning flesh. He remembered seeing impromptu memorials with flowers and cards. But most of all, he remembered the messages written in honor of those who died in dust that had collected on storefront windows. “We often hear at burials a benediction that says ‘Ashes to ashes.

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Jimmy Brown, who served as a New York City firefighter, is grateful to have his wife and two children by his side.

Every time Brown has read an email from the FDNY union notifying him of the death of someone who served as a first responder on Sept. 11, 2001, his heart breaks all over again. Even though it’s years later, the death still is considered a line-ofduty death. Although 2,977 people died on 9/11, more than 9,000 more have died since due to cancer and respiratory illnesses related to that day. For Brown, the emails touched home when he sat in a doctor’s office in 2017. He had shaved his head because of male-pattern baldness and noticed a little dot in the back of his head. He was diagnosed with melanoma. While he thought the melanoma was due to sun exposure, he learned it was a result of the alkalinity of the dust that rained down on him as he escaped the North Tower. Thankfully, it was caught early. It was taken out, and he had clear margins. But the nightmare continued in 2022. In the fall, Brown had come down with a bout of anemia and saw a hematologist, who also was an oncologist specializing in breast cancer and prostate cancer. Brown recalled being referred to a urologist after a doctor expressed concern during his previous annual physical the spring prior, but life got in the way and he never went to the urologist. Until after he saw the hematologist. The urologist diagnosed him with prostate cancer. Brown had his prostate removed and went through 40 rounds of radiation. His nightmare still wasn’t over. In 2024, while visiting an ears, nose and throat doctor for his chronic rhinosinusitis and GERD from the World Trade Center, the ENT recommended Brown have a CT of his sinuses. The CT showed one little spot underneath his neck, but he hadn’t been sick. A needle biopsy was negative but the ENT still sought a second opinion from Brown’s oncologist. A positron emission tomography scan showed the area was glowing. As a result, they removed his lymph node, which tested positive for his third type of cancer: squamous cell carcinoma. He was referred to a neck and head surgeon, who conducted a neck dissection to check for spread and was certain with the type of cancer Brown had, he would find cancer cells in Brown’s right tonsil. Out of the 27 lymph nodes the surgeon checked, 26 were clean. The last one — cancerous but not squamous cell carcinoma. Thyroid cancer. The surgeon removed Brown’s right tonsil and then the thyroid, but while doing the thyroidectomy, the doctor said it had looked as though Brown previously had a thyroidectomy based on the amount of scar tissue. The doctor said the dust exposure from 9/11 created the scar tissue. Four cancers in seven years. All because of 9/11. “It’s not done,” Brown said. “Guys are still succumbing to this every day.” Despite the constant fear of cancer, Brown said he’s lucky. He’s still alive. If he had died on 9/11, his two children, now 17 and 19, would never have been born. Surviving all the cancers means he can watch them grow up. Every year, Perez participates in a 5K honoring the survivors of 9/11. He wears a T-shirt he purchased as part of a fundraiser to support the families who lost someone that day. The T-shirt is 25 years old and he only wears it on Sept. 11. Brown will speak at the remembrance ceremony in Windermere this year. “I’ve always thought that as long as people stay alive in your heart and they’re spoken about, they never die,” he said.

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9/11 25 YEARS LATER

A purpose-driven life Local resident Kurt Gies was recalled from the reserves to fight in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In the desert, he found his purpose in life. LETICIA SILVA STAFF WRITER

urt Gies was a honorable member of the U.S. Navy for 25 years — from 1982 to 2007. In 1987, he was commissioned active duty into a group called the Civil Engineer Corps. In that group, Gies and about 1,100 other officers were responsible for the base construction and facilities maintenance for any Navy or Air Force base throughout the world. In 1999, he made the decision to go into the reserves to spend more time with his family. “It was going to be very hard on the family, because it was going to mean I had to leave them, go on deployments or get out,” he said. “I got out, but I stayed in the reserves because I did like the military.” He was offered a reservist position at the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, which has an area of responsibility covering the Middle East. Once back from his reservist tour Aug. 28, 2001, Gies went back to his civilian job at an engineering firm. Fourteen days later, on Sept. 11, 2001, Gies was fired from his job. As the regional manager and CEO fired him, Gies couldn’t help but simply stare at the TV screen, watching the Twin Towers as they collapsed. After the military determined Osama bin Laden was responsible for the attacks, Gies was recalled for two years. “I got the call, and they said, ‘You need to report tomorrow,’” he said. During the night of Sept. 11, 2001, Gies sat under the stars in his truck and spoke to God. “What are you doing to me?” Gies

Kurt Gies is extremely proud of his work in the military.

said to Him. “You’re taking everything that’s important to me.” After saying goodbye to his civilian job, his children and his family, he left. ‘MORE THAN AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY’

Gies was back to active duty. While saddened by the sudden departure, he knew he was making the right choice. “(Sept. 11, 2001) was more than an attack on our country,” he said. “It was an attack on me, personally, my family and everything else.” He worked at Central Command in Tampa to fight the war in Afghanistan. From 4 p.m. to 11 a.m., Kurt was at the command headquarters handling the soldiers on ground. “It was difficult in the sense that we

Photo by Leticia Silva

had never really planned for an attack of this nature,” Gies said. There was an international agreement that only allowed 7,500 military personnel in Afghanistan at a time. As the echelon one command, Gies and his team were the ones generating and creating all the intelligence for all other commands. The only people above them, he said, were President George W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The distance from Tampa to Afghanistan began to prove difficult over time. Gen. Tommy Franks, commander at the time, said it was time to move the headquarters forward. “We can’t do this from Tampa,” he said. “We need to have a presence in the Middle East.”

But before getting to the Middle East, Gies and his crew had another project to complete: a mobile command center in St. Petersburg with Raytheon, a U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation. The challenge, however, was having it completed in one year instead of the planned five-year contract. It was completed, but the technology never was tested. “It can’t fail, because people will die,” Gies said. From the parking lot of Raytheon, they fought the war in Afghanistan while testing the technology simultaneously. “It actually worked, but there was a 50,000 line item punch list of things that needed to be fixed,” Gies said. Because of that, Gies was tasked to lead a team to Qatar to start building a new $160 million command center, where the mobile command center also would be transported. For seven-and-one-half months, Gies was in Qatar working 20 to 22 hours per day. From sandstorms to harsh weather and culture shock, the transition was not easy. And yet, he felt a sense of determination and purpose. With a team of contractors during the day and military personnel during the night, Gies devoted all his time to the headquarters. “We did what we had to get done,” he said. “God was preparing me for a time in the desert where all I had to worry about was the mission. I remember sitting under the same stars in the desert with basically nothing, looking up and saying, ‘God, I’ve never been happier in my entire life, because I’m serving a mission that’s bigger than me, and we’re doing a really good job.’” A BIGGER PURPOSE

As the wars went on, Gies found a sense of peace like never before, because he found his purpose. He knew how important it was to fight the wars so people at home didn’t have to. But more than that, he also grew. He found himself learning about the

GIES’ TIMELINE 1982: Joined the military 1987: Joined the Civil Engineer Corps 1999: Went into the reserves 2001: Was recalled because of 9/11 2003: Came back from mission, went back to reserves 2007: Left the military 2016: Joined American Legion 2017: Established Challenge 22

Muslim culture and understanding the difference between the terrorists and those controlled by the regime. “All they want is to just live their lives just like we want to live our lives,” he said. He worked closely with local contractors to make the headquarters a reality. Every day after work, Gies and other personnel would analyze battlefield reports and share declassified information with the media. It was never-ending, but it was purposeful work. It was intentional work. “We’re fighting this war so that people could go on with their lives normally and not be afraid to live,” Gies said. “Because (during) 9/11, everyone was petrified. … As we watched the country go back to normalcy, there was a huge victory in that. The problem was, we continued to fight the war, and the country continued to not. … It was always challenging for us, because we wanted people not to worry about it, but at the same time, don’t forget about us.” After fighting the Afghanistan War for one year and the Iraq War for another, Gies was sent home. During a phone call with his family back home, they asked him what he wanted to do, see and have when he landed in the U.S. Jokingly, he asked for the key to the city of Orlando, a Porsche 911 and other items. When he landed, all those items were there waiting for him. He was greeted back by his family, children, Orlando Predator cheerleaders, the key to the city and a rented Porsche 911.

9.11

PAT R IO T DAY WE WILL NEVER FORGET This Patriot Day, We Pause to Remember and Reﬂect on the Lives Lost 25 Years Ago and Honor the First Responders Who Answered the Call Then and Continue to Protect Us Today.

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25 YEARS OF REMEMBRANCE

THE TOLL

Kurt Gies’ family held a homecoming party to welcome him back.

2,977

LIVES LOST ON 9/11 Courtesy images

Kurt Gies and Gen. Tommy Frank outside the U.S. Central Command.

The day couldn’t have been more perfect. At last, he was home. He remained in the reserves until 2007. “When I retired, I went through it a lot,” he said. “I didn’t know I was going through it, but in hindsight, it’s what all military tend to go through. You cut the tie to your service, and then there was a huge void, because it was my purpose. I went years without purpose.” In 2016, he learned about the American Legion in Winter Garden and decided to join. Through his involvement with the American Legion, he learned 22 veterans commit suicide per day.

Kurt Gies was full of joy as he reunited with his children.

Knowing he had to make a difference, he continued to fight for veterans and first responders who fought for the country through his nonprofit, Challenge 22. The nonprofit helps veterans and first responders fight post-traumatic stress by raising money and partnering with organizations to provide them with care. While Gies never imagined this would be his life, he thanks God for the determination, strength, hope and purpose He put in his heart and mind.

7,000+

U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS LOST IN GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM OPERATIONS SINCE 9/11

THE MISSION

The Toll We Never Forgot

On September 11, 2001, our nation lost 2,977 innocent souls in the opening moments of a changed world. That day, our nation was changed in an instant, but our resolve was forged for generations. We remember the heroes of September 11th; the first responders, the civilians, and the brave service members who answered the call in the dark days that followed. In the years of Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) operations that followed, more than 7,000 of our brothers and sisters in arms gave their lives in defense of freedom.

SEPTEMBER 11TH

25 Anniversary Twenty-five years later, we pause to remember the lives lost, honor the bravery of first responders, and reflect on the resilience of our nation.

The Promise Kept

Numbers tell the scale of the sacrifice, but local action preserves the legacy. True remembrance isn’t just looking backward, it’s standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the veterans who returned home and the families carrying the heaviest burdens.

As we commemorate this solemn anniversary, we stand united in gratitude for those who served, those who sacrificed, and those who continue to uphold the values of freedom and community.

The Ongoing Mission

We remember the fallen by serving the living. True remembrance is found in service. Guided by the 4 pillars of The American Legion, we remain dedicated to supporting our veterans (Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation), strengthening our families (Children & Youth), and standing tall for our community through strong Americanism and National Security programs.

We Will Never Forget. In respectful remembrance, The Mayor, Town Commission, and Staff of the Town of Oakland

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Honoring the past. Serving the future. Horizon West American Legion, Post 419 horizonwestamericanlegion.org | Est. 2023

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

9/11 25 YEARS LATER

They saw. They served. Horizon West American Legion members reflect on their time serving in the military or joining following 9/11. LIZ RAMOS MANAGING EDITOR

Courtesy photo

Anthony Alzate was immersed in the community of Bayji, Iraq, and tasked with weeding out Al Qaeda operatives.

bilizing the Marine so he could be transported to Walter Reed Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, to undergo hundreds of surgeries. She never knew if he recovered. Despite the sacrifice, the heartache, the unknown and the mourning, Alzate and Eller were proud to serve. Neither ever thought they would join the military, but after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, they felt called to take action. They felt something needed to be done. They felt their country needed them. Alzate and Eller, along with Jeff Lesosky and Jason Mascuilli, who all are members of the Horizon West American Legion, were called to action while serving in the military in 2001 or joining two years after the attacks. They all wanted to make an impact in some way.

DAY OF IMPACT

When American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m., Sept. 11, 2001, Alzate was in English class his junior year of high school in New Jersey. He noticed a shift. Teachers were coming in from the teachers’ lounge talking about what they saw on TV. His English teacher went off script and paused their lesson for the day. Eller was in her third week of her freshman year at West Liberty University. She sat in her dorm with friends and watched smoke billow from the North Tower on TV. “It was just so surreal,” she said. “We thought it was a joke, like it was just some kind of accident.” Mascuilli was talking fantasy football with Chris Boone, one of his classmates from the Air Force Institute of Technology with whom he was

JOINING THE FIGHT

After 9/11, Mascuilli said security on Maxwell Air Base increased. He was charged with analytical work in regards to transportation and logistics. It wasn’t until November 2006, when he volunteered for a one-year deployment, that he went to serve in the Middle East. He was tasked with supporting bases with equipment, moving and managing equipment and supplies where it was needed. He saw the greater picture. The efforts were not only to get rid of Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden but also try to do nation building, fight the Taliban, overthrow Saddam Hussein and his regime, and ultimately get the country under control, he said. “It was a lot bigger than just going after terrorists,” he said. He went on to serve in 2009 in Kuwait to support the Iraq War, where he was a part of a convoy unit moving supplies in and out of Iraq to Kuwait. He was in Afghanistan in 2010 and early 2011 at an airbase serving as the second in command. “One of the things I was proudest of is the work and logistics to as we would say keep them flowing, basically keep forces in the fight, keeping aircrafts going to support any core mission,” Mascuilli said. “The time in Afghanistan was the hardest I worked in my life.” Lesosky’s call to duty didn’t come for at least two-and-one-half months after 9/11. He received a call from his Air Force Guard unit the day of the attacks notifying him he was on standby. He previously had served from 1995 to 1999 in the U.S. Navy but transitioned to the Air Force Guard unit. At any moment, he could receive a

9/11 WE WILL NEVER FORGET

25 YEARS LATER, WE REMEMBER. W e re m e m b e r t h e l i v e s l o st . W e h o n o r t h e h e ro e s w h o ra n to w a r d d a n ge r. W e sta n d w i t h t h e fa m i l i e s w h o co n t i n u e to c a r r y t h e i r l o s s . A n d w e ce l e b rate t h e st re n g t h o f a n at i o n t h at sto o d to ge t h e r.

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Lake Apopka Natural Gas District

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nthony Alzate recalled sitting on a rooftop in Bayji, Iraq, with a few of his fellow Army infantrymen talking about their favorite episodes of “The Office” or coming up with games to pass the time in the quiet of night as they conducted an overwatch on a portion of the city. It was moments such as these during his deployment to Iraq from 2006 to 2008 that were a reprieve from the nightly firefights against Al Qaeda operatives and days of trying to discern the difference between the average Bayji citizen who simply was trying to live and Al Qaeda members dressing as citizens to blend in with the community. Alzate lost close friends — service men who became brothers — in firefights and sniper fire. There were two others in his company who were selected for recruiting duty. All turned it down, which left a negative mark on their military records as they were barred from promotion and reenlistment for a year, but they didn’t want to leave their teams. Out of the three, only Alzate made it home. Years later, in a hospital in Germany, Bethany Eller was holding the hand of an 18-year-old Marine who had been hit by an IED in Iraq and was a triple amputee — both his legs and an arm. He was being put under anesthesia for surgery to wash out his wounds. She was on the medical team sta-

stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. Monday Night Football was the night before, and one of Mascuilli’s players was injured. That’s when Boone received a call from his wife saying a plane had crashed into the towers. At the same time, Lesosky had woken up to a radio broadcast in Dallas, Texas, talking about the Twin Towers. He initially thought the broadcast was referring to the World Trade Center bombing in 1993. He quickly realized they weren’t talking about the past. Alabama. New Jersey. West Virginia. Texas. Everything and everyone just stopped. All eyes across the nation were glued to TVs. United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower at 9:03 a.m. At 9:37 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. Learning of the news, Eller was desperate to contact her sister, who was attending Pennsylvania State University. American Airlines Flight 77 had flown directly above her. Alzate stepped outside with classmates and teachers to see the smoke from the towers in Manhattan across the Hudson River. He watched as people traversed across the George Washington Bridge on foot to escape the dust and smoke of Manhattan. As the day went on, emotions started shifting. Shock. Fear. Confusion. Anger. Grief. What did this mean? What would happen next? Alzate, Eller, Lesosky and Mascuilli didn’t have the answers, but they knew they were needed. “I just felt this feeling of wanting to be a part of the conflict of my generation,” Alzate said. “I had no idea this would go on for 20 years in terms of global war on terrorism. It ended up being the actual conflict of my gener-

ation, but I wanted to respond where my nation needed me.” As a first-generation American whose family moved to the U.S. from Colombia, Alzate said he “owed a huge debt of gratitude to this country.” He, along with the other veterans, felt there was no other way of providing services to the country other than serving in the military.

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

Courtesy photo

Louis Eller, a World War II veteran, was proud to see his granddaughter, Bethany Eller, promoted to chief petty officer in 2019.

phone call and within 24 hours would need to report to his unit in Ohio for deployment. “Every time my phone rang, I was wondering if I was actually getting that call to make that trip,” Lesosky said. As an operations specialist for Verizon Wireless, he was working with a customer when one of his employees said he received a call. He told his employee to tell the caller he would call them back; he was with a customer. His employee came back to him stating he needed to answer the phone; the call could not wait. He had been federally activated. The clock started ticking. He had 24 hours to get to Ohio. He was sent to Incerlik Air Base in Turkey, where his mission task was patrolling the no-fly zone over northern Iraq and taking missions as part of the 121st Air Refueling Wing of actively refueling any fighter jets or support planes that were in Afghanistan and Iraq. His military training kicked in. He had a mission to accomplish. But he knew a shift had occurred when the base started bringing in prisoners from Afghanistan, members of the Taliban who were coming through the base to be transported to Guantanamo Bay. His unit from its base also ran the mission that bombed the Syrian bor-

der to push the Scud missiles back into Iraq so troops could make an entrance into Iraq. Lesosky was released from active duty and completely discharged out of the military in 2003. But as Lesosky was retiring, Alzate and Eller’s military careers were just beginning. When Eller was in high school, her parents told her that her options were to get good grades and go to college or join the military. She didn’t even entertain the notion of joining the military. But after seeing the attacks unfold on 9/11, she changed her mind. She didn’t want to go to war, but she had to do more for her country and for herself. “We, as a country, had never felt so bonded, so together, so proud to be Americans,” Eller said. That really brought out a sense of pride in me, and what better way can I help than to help serve?” On Sept. 12, 2003, she stood in her commanding officer’s driveway, raised her hand with her father, who served in the Navy, by her side and joined the Navy reserves. Of her 21 years in the Navy, she served in the medical field, starting as a hospital foreman before going to surgical technical school. She then worked in surgery during her deployment in Germany in 2013 to care for

the wounded who came back from Iraq and Afghanistan. “It was that little piece that I could do to help make a better place for them and their kids,” Eller said. “I may not be on the front lines. I may not be the one taking the bullets. I may not be the one shooting people, but I can be the one to help see them on their worst day and maybe help save their life.” While working in the medical field in Germany, Eller said there was a point where she wanted to de-humanize her patients so she wouldn’t become attached, but when it comes to the military, those she was helping were her brothers and sisters. “It’s almost easier to deal with it when they are a complete stranger off the street versus you’re in the military,” she said. “They’re your family, and now, you have to take care of one of your brothers and sisters and just be like, ‘Hey, I hope you make it.’” After helping countless patients in Germany, Eller didn’t know the outcome of all her patients after they left to go stateside. Except one. She learned from a trauma surgeon giving a presentation that one of his patients also was one of hers from a couple years earlier. She finally had closure on one patient. He had survived. Alzate officially joined the Army Jan. 25, 2003. He had to have his parents sign a waiver to allow him to sign the contract to join because he was only 17 years old. A month after high school graduation, he was off to basic training as part of an accelerated Military Entry Program. “My thoughts were, if I’m going to be involved in a conflict and have it be part of my history and me be a part of that history, the idea was that I wanted to be as close to making an impact as possible,” he said. He felt lucky to be a member of the 82nd Airborne Division based out of Port Bragg, North Carolina. The unit was historical, serving throughout multiple conflicts dating back to World War I. As a division-ready unit, the unit served as rapid response for the nation, meaning they had to stay close to base, ready to report for duty immediately and prepared to be shipped off to wherever help was needed. He recalled spending time with

Photo by Liz Ramos

Jason Mascuilli received a flag flown over the United States Capitol when he retired from the military.

friends at the movies on a Friday night when he received the call. Within 12 hours, he was on a plane to Afghanistan with his entire unit to help secure the first national elections in Afghanistan’s history. Being a part of the unit securing the first national elections for Afghanistan was a full-circle moment for Alzate. “When I initially decided to enlist, it was about being part of history, whether good or bad, but leaving a little bit of a mark on history and being able to be part of that mission and secure folks’ ability to exercise democracy for the first time was just monumental to me,” he said. During his deployment in Iraq, his directive was to connect with the community and weed out Al Qaeda cells. Instead of operating outside a forward operating base, his unit took over a police station in Bayji. He said he almost “grew a heart for the community” while interacting with the residents. They were trying to live their lives as foreign forces occupied

their city and provided protection from Al Qaeda cells who were dressing just like them and bombing water treatment plants, schools and more. Alzate also had to create a mindset that nightly firefights were his new normal. “There’s just little bits of happiness in terms of camaraderie and comedy. You laugh so you don’t cry,” Alzate said. “It emboldens you and pardons you, and it’s almost a bit of a stoic feeling knowing all you can do is do your absolute best for the person to your left and your right.” Alzate, who retired from the Army in February 2008, considers himself lucky — lucky to have lived during the attacks and the ensuing wars, lucky to join the Army, lucky to have built relationships, make memories and have experiences he did in the military, and lucky to be alive. “I just find myself very grateful to be able to do all that and still be able to keep my brothers’ memories alive by telling their stories and talking about them to friends and family,” he said.

WE REMEMBER

We will never forget the lives lost 25 years ago, the heroes who rose, and the resilience of a nation forever changed.

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

Rise Up: America 250 in Motion will celebrate Constitution Day

West Orange County’s

Church DIRECTORY

This patriotic event will take place in the town of Windermere and feature a performance by The Climbers silk aerialists. IF YOU GO

LIZ RAMOS

BAPTIST

METHODIST

First Baptist Church

First United Methodist

Pastor Jeremy Woods 125 E. Plant St, Winter Garden (407) 656-2352 Sundays: 8:00 AM Traditional 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM Contemporary

www.fumcwg.org 125 N. Lakeview Ave., Winter Garden (407) 656-1135 Services: 9 AM Traditional 10:45 AM Contemporary Also viewable on YouTube

MANAGING EDITOR

Members of The Climbers will cascade on silks from trees in the grassy area behind Windermere Town Hall and perform as images from the Broadway hit “Hamilton” are projected onto a 10-by-10-foot cube and music from the musical is playing. The event, Rise Up: America 250 in Motion, held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, will be in honor of America’s 250th birthday and to celebrate Constitution Day. “America’s 250th birthday is not just July 4; it’s all year long,” Austin Arthur said. “If we’re in the year 2026, every month of that year is a time to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.” With Constitution Day being Thursday, Sept. 17, Arthur said the event is to celebrate “the greatest constitution that ever existed and the longest-lasting constitution that ever existed.” The night will start with a patriotic opening ceremony at 7:30 p.m., allowing VIPs to enjoy drinks and lite bites when doors open at 7 p.m. The ceremony will include members of the Lone Sailor Division of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, which is based out of Windermere, presenting the colors, followed by prayer, the pledge of allegiance and national anthem, and ending with brief remarks from civic leaders. Although the event is free to the community, VIP tickets are available for purchase for $75. There are approximately 100 VIP tickets available for purchase. The VIP tickets will include exclusive seat-

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

RISE UP: AMERICA 250 IN MOTION WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17 WHERE: Windermere Town Hall, 520 Main St., Windermere DETAILS: The evening will start with a patriotic opening ceremony followed by a featured aerial performance inspired by the Broadway hit “Hamilton.” COST: Free, VIP tickets $75 WEBSITE: windermerea250.com

ing, two drink tickets as well as lite bites. The proceeds from the event will benefit the Lone Sailor Division. “Organizations (such as) the Naval Sea Cadets are more important than they ever were, and sadly, it seems that more and more organizations like these are less robust, less funded than they’ve ever been, and that’s something we want to try to change here in our local community,” Arthur said. “We want to make sure children and families have a place to put their young people in a program where they’re learning the values and principles of individual reliance, morality, honesty, integrity, decency, humility and honor — honor to your country, to your community and to your family.” Arthur said the goal is to raise $2,500 for the program. After the ceremony, the show will begin at about 7:50 p.m.. Roberto Aldazabal’s The Climbers will perform a “Hamilton”-inspired routine. Arthur said any chance Aldazabal has to celebrate the U.S., he jumps on it because of his personal history.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET

9.11

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

11A

9/11 25TH ANNIVERSARY

FOREVER REMEMBERED File photo

The Climbers will perform a “Hamilton”-inspired show to celebrate America’s 250th birthday and Constitution Day Thursday, Sept. 17.

Winter Garden Office

1165 E Plant #6, Winter Garden, FL 34787 407-656-2211

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“Hamilton” as told in Ron Chernow’s book on the historic figure, was a “pivotal individual for the success of the constitution.” “This guy was just incredible, and I think probably without him, we wouldn’t have our constitution, and the same to be said for James Madison, as well, so it’s a great night for that to honor our Constitution and our framers but also our founders who were there in 1776 and creating the spark that changed world history,” he said. Arthur is looking forward to bringing the community together in a historical space to honor and celebrate the country’s history. “What everybody could agree on probably is that we live in a wonderful country,” he said. “Now we have different opinions about it. … But on the whole of it, I would say we can agree that we have a great place to live. If we can get together in a beautiful setting in historic downtown Windermere and enjoy something that inspired a nation together, while honoring our constitution, while honoring our country’s founding, that’s going to be one of the highlights of my year to be able to do that with my fellow community members.”

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Aldazabal was a gymnast for Cuba and a champion at the Pan American Games representing Cuba. Cubans were not allowed to compete at the Olympics. While at a competition in Puerto Rico, Aldazabal and a couple of his teammates fled the oppression of communist Cuba to the U.S. “They were born into a system where they were treated almost like prisoners in a sense, in terms of their training and they had to live on campus; they didn’t really live at home, and life in Cuba was really not what a lot of people think it might be,” Arthur said. Aldazabal became a U.S. citizen and started The Climbers. Twelve years ago he started a partnership with Gymnastics USA in Winter Garden to start the Climbers Academy at the gym. Arthur said although most of the performers for Rise Up will be from Aldazabal’s professional team, there will be a few youth performers participating, as well. Arthur said “Hamilton” being the inspiration for the performance was a result of the Broadway musical staying true to the history of the founding fathers. He said Alexander Hamilton, whose life is the basis for

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

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SPORTS

GAME OF THE WEEK

HIGH

Horizon High junior outside Elena White is heating up after breaking the program’s kills-in-a-match record. Page 2B.

WINDERMERE PREP (1-1) VS. FAITH CHRISTIAN (0-2)

The Ocoee High golf team swept the Tri-Meet Tuesday, Sept. 1. The Knights competed against University and Colonial high schools at Winter Park Pines Golf Club. Both the boys and girls won 2-0. Jaylah Brown led the Lady Knights with her strong round of 40. The boys tallied their two victories through strong performances from Parker Lopez, Hudson Roebke, Jackson Bittner and Dallas Wren. Brown finished the week with another impressive performance Thursday, Sept. 3, by shooting a 39 in the match against Innovation at Forest Lake Golf Club.

Amare Nicholas, sophomore running back for Dr. Phillips, announced Monday, Aug. 31, he is taking a break from football. He wrote the decision wasn’t made lightly as football has been an important part of his life and taught him discipline, resilience, leadership, brotherhood and more. He also thanked all his coaches and teammates for their support and blessing him with the opportunity to play. Nicholas said he feels a call from God to focus his shift toward Him, continue building Ignite The Nations and serve more at The Kingdom Church. He also will focus on his recovery and return from his injuries.

West Orange Boys & Girls Club Service Director Shamel Akins was inducted into the West Mecklenburg High Hall of Fame for his basketball career. Akins’ Hall of Fame ceremony was Saturday, Sept. 5, at West Mecklenburg High. Akins was a standout guard for his high school team, averaging 19.6 points per game through 34 games played with 3.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds. One of Akins’ favorite memories was scoring 47 points in a game, but he said the true highlight was the next day when he gave back to the community with the Boys & Girls Club by distributing toys to children.

Photo by Megan Bruinsma

Windermere Preparatory School’s players Colton Berry and Carter Pucci, along with head coach James Hamilton, are ready to adjust after a Week 1 game riddled with injuries.

NEXT MAN UP

After losing both the starting and backup quarterbacks in one game, Windermere Prep is turning to a sophomore to lead under center. MEGAN BRUINSMA STAFF WRITER

indermere Preparatory School’s football team was ecstatic to start its 2026 season. The Lakers weren’t scheduled to play their first game until the last week of August and they wanted to utilize the late start as their first chance to watch more film. However, the team they were supposed to play canceled the game four days before kickoff because of a lack of players. But that’s OK. They put their heads back down at

practice — when they could on days it wasn’t raining — to prepare themselves for their first game Friday, Sept. 4, while other schools already were onto their third. But then tragedy struck. The Lakers had to regroup midgame when their sophomore starting quarterback Ty Tracey, who was expected to be a bright spot for the team, was injured. Backup eighthgrade quarterback Nathan Sliacky was quick to fill Tracey’s shoes. But then he too, was injured. Neither player returned to the game and it’s unclear what their expected recovery timeline will be.

Rather than celebrating a victory in their first game of 2026 — and also their first game back to the field after winning the Sunshine State Athletic Association Class 1A State Championship in 2025 — they’re having to make new game plans and find players to fill the empty slots. They’re regrouping. “We’re still in a situation where we’re trying to find ourselves still — especially right now,” head coach James Hamilton said. “You don’t plan on losing two quarterbacks in the season in the middle of it. But we’ll be

SCHEDULE All games played at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted THURSDAY, SEPT. 10 n Dr. Phillips (0-2) at Timber Creek (2-1) n Horizon (1-2) at Cypress Creek (0-3) n Lake Buena Vista (0-3) at Innovation (3-0)* n West Orange (3-0) vs. Ocoee (2-1) n Olympia (2-1) vs. Apopka (0-3) n Windermere (1-2) vs. Wekiva (2-1) FRIDAY, SEPT. 11 n Windermere Prep (1-1) vs. Faith Christian (0-2), 4 p.m. kickoff n Foundation Academy (1-1) vs. Central Florida Christian Academy (1-1)* n Legacy Charter (0-4) at Cornerstone Charter Academy (1-1) n The First Academy (30) at South Lake (0-2) * District game

SEE LAKERS PAGE 3B

Striker Youth Soccer Academy now is open in Hamlin at Crossline Park. The academy, part of Striker Sports & Social, has expanded its youth soccer after serving Winter Garden for more than 10 years. The soccer program offers Pee Wee, ages 3 to 4, and Youth, ages 5 to 14. They train one at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Kids will be taught by skilled and paid coaches, who are in ongoing training. There’s no uniform required or long-term commitment.

Windermere High boys golf player Sebastian Arce shot a birdie on the last hole of the Mission Resort and Club’s course to help the Wolverines defeat Lake Minneola Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the Mission Resort and Club. Arce finished the round with 34, which also secured him an individual win. Max Appleby came in fourth with 39; Thomas Crevasse came in sixth with 41; Liam Sunshine came in seventh with 42; Tyler Harper came in eighth with 44; and David Blackburn came in tenth with 45.

Family brings indoor golf to Winter Garden Winter Garden’s Keith and Nicole Jones opened Back Nine Golf, an indoor golf venue, to create a unique space for all. MEGAN BRUINSMA STAFF WRITER

Winter Garden resident Nicole Jones has been commuting her three kids to their multitude of sports programs — from Windermere Little League baseball and softball practices to their recreational volleyball practices and flag football games — for years. She always wished to have a sport

she could play with them that didn’t require much physical demand. So she made one. Jones and her husband, Keith Jones, opened Back Nine Golf, an indoor golf simulator, Tuesday, Sept. 1, in Winter Garden. And now, she finally has a sport she can share with her children. It has brought her an immense amount of joy sharing the experience with them and hopes Back Nine Golf will do the same for other families. The Joneses have lived in Winter Garden for 13 years. They love Photo by Megan Bruinsma

SEE BACK PAGE 2B

Nicole and Keith Jones are excited to see the joy indoor golf brings to Winter Garden.

OrangeObserver.com

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

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

Elena White Horizon High’s Elena White has been a starter on varsity since her freshman year. White, now a junior, has dedicated herself to the craft and etched herself in the school’s record books by breaking the alltime kill record in a single match. In just four sets, White recorded 35 kills in the Hawks 3-1 win over its rivals Windermere High Thursday, Aug. 27. Through Horizon’s eight games (7-1), White has recorded 151 kills in 26 sets, averaged 5.8 kills per set and hit .29%.

What did it mean to you to break your school’s record? It was really exciting. It meant a lot to me. … I came into the season with a lot of people having a lot of high expectations on me, because I was a freshman on varsity, and now (mostly) all the seniors graduated. It was definitely fun, because it was against our rivals so everybody was here, and the stands were so full. I think also the environment got me super excited. So it meant a lot to me, and it also meant that I was able to help my team get a win. Did it mean more achieving it against Windermere High? It meant a lot. … I’m a big team player. I’m very team-oriented in a sense, and it was really exciting (with) everybody here. It was so exciting that I was part of the big win, because it was a very anticipated game with people posting about it. … It also was exciting because it wasn’t five sets; it was only four. What was working for you in that game and throughout this season? Our serve-receive that game was super good, and that starts off the game, and then my setterhitter connection was good. My setter was setting good temps, along with good passes. It wasn’t even just me, the whole team in general, and I

THE BASICS

Age: 16 Grade: Junior School: Horizon High Sport: Volleyball

think everything was flowing for everybody. It was putting me in good situations to be offensively strong. What has been the key to your team’s overall 7-1 season so far? How hard we work. … We have a lot of effort as a team and high communication. We’re always talking on the court about seams and what to run and stuff, and we’re always talking about the other side. We always know what’s happening on the other side. I think what’s been working a lot is that we have high communication energy. We always put full effort, even if the volleyball (skill) side isn’t working. We always encourage (one another) and help (one another) out — more than just (in) volleyball. How has your career progressed over your three years at Horizon? I started every year. As a freshman I started, I was sixth row. If you look at stats, every year, my kills have gone up, my percentages — everything goes up. I think my freshman year, in total, I had 150 something kills. I have that in eight games. By sophomore year, I had 180. Every year, it progressed because I do a lot of work. I work out a lot. I put a lot of time into volleyball; it’s almost like a fulltime (job). It shows hard work is paying off when you look at stats. Does breaking one school record reinforce your confidence about reaching your other goals going forward? It depends. It’s not just about how good I’m playing that game. It depends on the team. I’m not able to do that if my team isn’t also performing, volleyball-wise. But I have a lot of confidence in my team. … It definitely helps a lot, because it shows that I was able to do something like that, and it shows even though it was hard and a lot of people have tried to before, I was the one able to do it. It shows that if I’m able to do this, I can do a lot of great things in my future.

The Lady Titans were a powerful force in the water.

Olympia girls swim team tops Boone, boys take second T

Olympia’s boys came in third and fifth in the 100-meter butterfly.

Back Nine Golf opens in Winter Garden CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B

the area and small-town feel it offers — even with the abundance of new residents that have come. It’s where they have raised their kids, and the new Back Nine Golf franchise is part of the family’s commitment to invest in its community. Back Nine Golf is based in Utah; its founders were looking for an outlet to get out of the elements and play golf. In 2022, they started selling franchises, and the Joneses joined by purchasing the WinWhat is the bigter Garden ZIP code in December gest adjustment 2025. you’ve made in “We specifically bought all your training? of the Winter Garden market, Plyos. My because this is where we live and vertical went up this is where we want to supover 5 inches throughout port,” Nicole Jones said. “We love this season since last season. I do Orange County, we love the west a lot of strength training, but defiOrlando area.” nitely my vertical is what’s helped They decided on the location of the most. Plyos are definitely 12249 Stoneybrook West Parkway, (something) I recommend to any Suite A, Winter Garden, due to its volleyball athlete. Shannon Till, Agent We’re all in this together. close proximity to the subdiviFowler’s Grove 3279 Daniels Rd BRUINSMA State Farm has a long traditionsions and sports complexes such as Winter Garden, FL 34787 — MEGAN George Bailey Park, which is located Toll Free: 855-742-1591 of being there. That’s one reason www.shannontill.com why I’m proud to support Westacross the street. Its location supports parents’ ability to play golf Orange county.. while their children are at practice. Get to a better State .

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he Olympia High swim team met with the Boone High swim team Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the Rosen Aquatic Center. The Titans’ girls team won the meet 92 to 70, while the boys fell to Boone 102-67. In the girls’ win, seven swimmers finished their laps in first place; including the 200-meter medley relay team of Cameron Arkins, Nicole Pham, Luisa Soares and Reese Lasser, who finished in 2:00.13. Olympia’s boys relay team also took first place with a time of 1:48.96. Members included Omar Rivero, Breckan Russo, Jack Meyers and Mason Bourst.

Keith Jones always has wanted to teach his three kids about the business world and have them actively involved in the process so they understood what it took to build a business. “The biggest thing that holds most people back is the risk,” Keith Jones said. “But everything we do every day is a risk. Getting in the car is a risk. … I got to a point where I’ve done this (had a business). I’m going to take the risk.” He hopes the risk will pay off and bring joy to golfers, families for their kids’ birthday parties, first dates and more. Stepping inside the 2,700-square-foot facility, golfers are met with one fully private bay and three semi-private bays with walls dividing the space. Each bay is outfitted with Full Swing technology, which many professional golfers such as Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth use in their homes. Full Swing tracks every swing with precision. Golfers tee-off underneath a camera, which tracks where their club makes contact with the ball, and swings toward the large screen. Once the ball makes contact with the screen, the reaction time is instant. Full Swing offers everything from PGA-level courses from across the world to a fun tic-tactoe game, and the Joneses feel the variety makes it a place for everyone to enjoy the game of golf. It offers Nicole Jones, who had no prior golf experience before opening the indoor golf business, a space to practice without the pressure of others watching.

— MEGAN BRUINSMA

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“There’s no shame in here,” she said. But it also offers golfers, such as Keith Jones, the ability to finetune their own games. The technology tracks every detail and displays it on the screen. It shows the speed, power and distance the ball would have gone on a traditional course. “It runs from beginners to the really hardcore golfer,” Keith Jones said. “If a hardcore golfer wants to work on a particular part of their game, they get the analytics for that. For a beginner, like she mentioned, you come in. There’s no judgement zone.” The unpredictable Florida weather also isn’t a limiting factor. The indoor setting helps to take away weather impacting a golfers’ ability to play and they aren’t dripping sweat. “It feels like the perfect fit for a mesh of what the kids get to fulfill their needs across the street and the parents can come across the street and play golf, day or night, rainy day, sunny day,” Nicole Jones said.

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quarterback option all right. … We’re still trying to figure out who we are.” They can hope for the best in the recovery process for their two QBs, but for now, Hamilton is looking for others to fill the slot. The coaching staff will try out different players to see who would make the best fit. One has caught his eye: sophomore Carter Pucci. “(Pucci) is our jack of all trades,” Hamilton said. “So he’s going to play some quarterback this week, and I have full faith in him that he’ll be able to step up to the plate and lead us the way we need to be led.” Pucci has been with the team since the eighth grade. He’s a quiet threat who slowly has grown into his pads. He’s reminiscent of Windermere Prep all-around player Peyton Hollern, who graduated last year and broke the school’s all-time rushing record. Pucci plays everywhere offensively. He’s on the back end, he’s down the field as a receiver and rushing wall-to-wall against opponents’ defensive line. Hamilton said playing as an eighthgrader only enhanced Pucci and the whole Class of 2029’s ability to grow. “Our best group is probably that ’29 class — that young group,” Hamilton said. “The last couple of years or so, they’ve had to step up at an early age and get thrown into that fire, and we were really looking forward to this year for them to continue to take that next step.” He said with Hollern, who ran most of the offense last year, out of the picture, now is the year to showcase the sophomores’ talents and become the go-to guys. Senior Colton Berry said being thrown into the fire at an early age is phenomenal for a young athletes’ growth. Berry remembers when he was a sophomore, feeling like a young spot on the team filled with older, stronger and faster teammates. “At most bigger high schools and

stuff like that, you don’t really do much as a sophomore or a freshman,” Berry said. “(Pucci) is the same way. He had to step up in a big way and it really does help because you have a lot of younger people grow and become better leaders so I’m grateful for that.” Feeling the pressure led to his accelerated growth. “(Berry) has been here all of the summers, he’s gotten bigger, gotten stronger and he’s an ultimate competitor and ultimate leader,” Hamilton said. “Even more now we’re going to lean on these two guys (Berry and Pucci) to be able to get us through the next few weeks.” Berry will be the Lakers’ older leader of the lines, offensively and defensively, a huge playmaker when it comes to stopping opponents so the offensive weapons can do their job on the field. Pucci will become one of the offensive guys running the field and helping place the Lakers within scoring position. For Pucci the motto is simple: work hard. “I know I have to try to be better than the guy next to me,” he said. “Just always have to do extra and do better.” The belief will carry him and his teammates as they prepare for the next year filled with last-minute adjustments and new plates to carry. It will help him as he looks toward improving upon his freshman year, where he saw 11 games played and rushed for 25 yards on two carries and received 167 yards on 19 receptions. “They’re very excited,” Hamilton said. “They’ve been here all summer, busting their behinds, working to get better, get stronger, get faster. Obviously, the first game outcome didn’t go the way we wanted but it won’t define our season. We’re still 1-1. We still have a lot of things to look forward to. All our goals can be accomplished. We’re still in the right direction, more people (are) just going to have to step up.”

FRIDAY, SEPT. 4 CENTRAL FLORIDA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY EAGLES (1-1), 8 SEFFNER CHRISTIAN CRUSADERS (4-0), 28 The Eagles were handed their first loss in the regular season since 2024 in front of their home crowd. CFCA’s offense, which typically is spot-on, struggled during the night with multiple turnovers and dropped passes. The team looked good as new on its one touchdown drive, but the spark came too late in the game. With only four minutes left, Seffner already had written the script. UP NEXT: CFCA hits the road in search of returning to its winning streak against Foundation. FOUNDATION ACADEMY LIONS (1-1), 21 COCOA BEACH MINUTEMEN (3-0), 28 After a blowout victory, Foundation had a much more competitive game in Cocoa. Unfortunately for the Lions, their defense wasn’t able to limit the team averaging 38 points per game. UP NEXT: The Lions return home to host a fellow West Orange team, CFCA.

OLYMPIA TITANS (2-1), 6 HORIZON HAWKS (1-2), 0 Through two quarters, the Titans and Hawks remained scoreless, until Olympia’s kicker Josh Scherer warmed up his legs. Scherer hit a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter, followed by a 46-yarder in the fourth to lift his team over Horizon. UP NEXT: The Titans hope to tally their third win against Apopka, while the Hawks look to bounce back against Cypress Creek. LAKE BUENA VISTA VIPERS (0-3), 14 NOVA LAKES RATTLERS (2-1), 25 The Vipers have continued to improve throughout each week. Although they lost again, they improved upon last week’s one touchdown to two. Kindly Pierre once again was the Viper to find the end zone on his 25 carries for 107 yards and 16 receiving yards. UP NEXT: Lake Buena Vista heads on the road to Innovation. LEGACY CHARTER EAGLES (0-4), 0 SANTA FE CATHOLIC HAWKS (2-1), 62 Santa Fe’s Hawks piled it up against the Legacy Eagles. Legacy still is trying to find its groove on both sides of the ball. UP NEXT: The Eagles continue their search for a win against Cornerstone Charter Academy. OCOEE KNIGHTS (2-1), 30 APOPKA BLUE DARTERS (0-3), 14 Ocoee made history in its win over Apopka — it was the first time the Knights won on Apopka’s home field. After a close first half, the Knights put their battle armor on and trudged forward as they have begun to find their offensive flow under Nathaniel Watkins.

Photo by Megan Bruinsma

CFCA struggled to get past Seffner’s front.

UP NEXT: The Knights continue their road campaign to take on their familiar foes, the West Orange Warriors.

WEST ORANGE WARRIORS (3-0), 59 WEKIVA MUSTANGS (2-1), 6 For two straight weeks, the Warriors have piled up the points against their opponents. Through the first half, West Orange tallied 52 points through AJ Chung’s 194 yards for three touchdowns and three touchdowns from running backs. UP NEXT: West Orange remains at home to host Ocoee in search of The Shield. WINDERMERE WOLVERINES (1-2), 28 EDGEWATER EAGLES (2-1), 42 The two halves of Windermere’s game against Edgewater, the No. 8 team in Division 6A, told two different stories. They were tied through the first quarter, but the Wolverines allowed the Eagles to slip through. Windermere’s QB Dean Monroe had a productive night, recording 255 yards on 34 attempts and three touchdowns — but also two interceptions. UP NEXT: The Wolverines look to go .500 at home against Wekiva. WINDERMERE PREP LAKERS (1-1), 3 CORNERSTONE CHARTER ACADEMY (1-1), 33 The Lakers’ first appearance on the field for 2026 didn’t play out how they hoped. Their offensive struggles were a product of both starting QB Ty Tracey and backup Nathan Sliacky falling to injuries. UP NEXT: Windermere Prep hosts Faith Christian for its home opener. THE FIRST ACADEMY ROYALS (3-0), 23 PORT CHARLOTTE (1-2), 20 The Royals trailed by 10 at the end of the third quarter but within minutes they changed the script. Running back Brycsen Robb got the team within three by rushing in a 32yard touchdown, followed by kicker Vance Fones’ 30-yard field goal to tie the game with hardly any time left to send them to overtime. Fones produced again in overtime with his 35-yard field goal to seal the deal. UP NEXT: TFA continues on the road at South Lake, who hasn’t won yet.

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LAST WEEK’S RESULTS Lakers turn to third CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

WATERMARK PARK: ‘A beautiful addition’ A

fter cutting the ribbon for the grand opening of Watermark Park, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson decided it was time to play. Demings went down one of the slides, and Wilson took her turn on the swings to celebrate the opening of the newest park in Horizon West Monday, Aug. 31. Watermark Park, located at 9940 Seidel Road across from Panther Lake Elementary School, is a $1.8 million investment in a 5.69-acre park. Demings said the park is a “beautiful addition” to the county’s parks.

“I know this is a wonderful piece of property, wonderful park,” Demings said. “It’s probably not what it can be in terms of, I know some of you have some concerns about parking and crosswalks and other things, we’ll take care of all of that over time. So don’t fret over that. This is a community park, and I think when we envision this, this is supposed to be a walk-up park, a shared space with our school here.” Wilson said the grand opening was a celebration to “our shared commitment to faces and places that we can create memories and continue to enjoy for generations.”

District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson was the first to use the swings.

— LIZ RAMOS

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings wasted no time going down a slide. Right: Panther Lake Elementary School Principal Christine Szymanski and Assistant Principal Susan “Betsy” Shaw are looking forward to having their students play at the park, which is located across from the school.

WE GO THE EXTRA MILE

Bobby Bruce tried out the exercise equipment at Watermark Park.

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

2026 HURRICANE SEASON

NOAA maintains below-normal prediction 2026 STORM NAMES

However, preparedness remains key throughout the season.

1. Arthur 2. Bertha 3. Cristobal 4. Dolly 5. Edouard 6. Fay 7. Gonzalo 8. Hanna 9. Isaias 10. Josephine 11. Kyle 12. Leah 13. Marco 14. Nana 15. Omar 16. Paulette 17. Rene 18. Sally 19. Teddy 20. Vicky 21. Wilfred

With the climatological peak of hurricane season approaching in early September, NOAA’s prediction for below-normal activity in the Atlantic basin remains. Forecasters from NOAA’s National Weather Service updated in August the number of expected named storms to seven to 13 (with winds of 39 mph or greater), of which two to six could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater), including up to two major hurricanes (winds of 111 mph or greater). These ranges cover the entire season from June 1 through Nov. 30 and are inclusive of the two tropical storms that already have formed. NOAA forecasters predict a 75% chance for below-normal activity, with a 20% chance of a nearnormal season and just a 5% chance of above-normal activity. This updated prediction is similar to the initial outlook issued in May. In the Atlantic basin, a typical hurricane season will yield 14 named storms, of which seven become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

COURTESY OF NOAA

FIVE NAMED STORMS SO FAR

The Atlantic season is expected to be below-normal due to competing factors. El Niño is expected to develop and intensify during the hurricane season, while ocean temperatures in the Atlantic are expected to be slightly warmer than normal, and trade winds are likely weaker than average. El Niño conditions tend to support fewer tropical storms and hurricanes,

while warmer ocean temperatures and low winds support a more active year. To date, the 2026 season has produced five named tropical storms, Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly and Edouard, and no hurricanes. Tropical Storm Arthur formed June 17 off the Texas coast. Arthur brought record rainfall to portions of Louisiana and spawned tornadoes along the Gulf Coast. One month later, Bertha formed in the Gulf, originating south of the Florida Panhandle before making landfall in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. Tropical Storm Cristobal was named Aug. 12 west-northwest of Bermuda but was downgraded to a tropical depression one day later. On Aug. 27, forecasters named Tropical Storm Dolly in the central Atlantic. Dolly did not strengthen and was downgraded to a tropical wave a day later. Finally, the National Hurricane Center named Tropical Storm Edouard Sept. 1. Edouard intensified and made landfall near Johnson Bayou, Louisiana, with peak winds of 60 mph. The system then weakened to a tropical depression over southeastern Texas the next day. INFLUENCING FACTORS

For the remainder of the season, tropical storm activity in the Atlantic basin is expected to be tempered by El Niño conditions, which first emerged in the equatorial Pacific in June. El Niño increases wind shear, which tends to prevent tropical storms from forming or from getting stronger once formed. Other less influential factors include tempera-

tures near average in the Atlantic Ocean and a neutral west African monsoon. “When El Niño emerges, it usually becomes the dominant factor in total hurricane season activity, and this El Niño continues to get stronger every month,” said Matt Rosencrans, lead hurricane season forecaster with NOAA’s National Weather Service. “Compared to a mature El Niño, other mechanisms play a smaller role in determining the number and intensity of tropical storms in the Atlantic basin.” Although El Niño tends to limit tropical activity in the Atlantic, it can enhance storm development in the Pacific. NOAA’s outlook for the Eastern Pacific hurricane season remains unchanged with 15-22 named storms, which is above average. So far, there have been seven named storms, of which two became hurricanes, including one major hurricane. An above-normal season also is expected in the Central Pacific basin, with 5-13 named storms and tropical depressions. ABOUT NOAA’S OUTLOOK

NOAA’s Hurricane Season Outlook is for overall seasonal activity and is not a landfall forecast. Landfalls are largely determined by short-term weather patterns, which only are predictable within about a week of a storm potentially reaching land. NOAA’s NHC provides tropical weather outlooks out to seven days in advance, provides track and intensity forecasts for individual storms, and issues watches and warnings for specific tropical storms, hurricanes and the associated storm surge.

2026 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON OUTLOOK AUG. 6 UPDATE

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

2026 HURRICANE SEASON Florida Division of Emergency Management announces new leaders AMY GODSEY Acting Bureau Chief of Response

Kay K. Arnold Jr., Dr. Frank E. Lumm and Amy Godsey all assume new roles within the division. COURTESY OF DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Jared W. Perdue on Wednesday, Sept. 2 announced key appointments to the Division’s leadership team, including chief of staff and deputy executive director of finance and administration; State Emergency Response Team chief, and acting bureau chief of response. The appointments ensure continuity across FDEM’s operations and strengthen the Division’s leadership team as Florida enters the historical peak of hurricane season. “Just like disaster response, FDEM does not wait,” Perdue said. “Emergency management requires experienced leaders who can make decisions quickly, work across agencies and remain focused on serving Floridians “We are proud to welcome Jay K. Arnold Jr. to FDEM, and elevate Dr. Frank E. Lumm and Amy Godsey into these critical leadership roles,” he said. “Each brings significant experience, proven leadership and a commitment to public service that will strengthen our ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters.”

Courtesy photo

The 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season has been relatively quiet. Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall July 22 in Louisiana.

JAY K. ARNOLD JR. Chief of Staff Deputy Executive Director of Finance and Administration

Arnold brings extensive leadership experience across state government, emergency operations and military service to FDEM. He served as a United States Marine Corps infantry officer before joining the governor’s Office of Policy and Budget as environmental policy chief. In 2023, Arnold served as chief of staff for the Florida State Guard, overseeing numerous activations and operations. Currently, Arnold also serves as the governor’s deputy chief of staff. In that role, he oversees agencies such as the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Florida Department of Cor-

rections; Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs; Department of Military Affairs; Volunteer Florida; and Immigration Enforcement Operations. His experience coordinating across state agencies and managing complex operations positions him to help lead FDEM’s administrative and operational priorities. Arnold holds a master’s degree in applied American politics from Florida State University and an MBA from Syracuse University. DR. FRANK E. LUMM State Emergency Response Team Chief

Dr. Lumm brings nearly 25 years of emergency management and public safety experience to his new role leading the State Emergency Response Team. His career began in 1999 with

the Grinnell Fire Department and includes service with the United States Army, American Red Cross and Osceola County Office of Emergency Management. He later served as an Emergency Management Project Manager with Fort Logistics before spending six years with Bay County Emergency Services, advancing from emergency management specialist to division chief. Most recently, Lumm served for nearly two years as FDEM’s Field Team Incident Commander, providing direct operational leadership and extensive knowledge of Florida’s emergency management system. Lumm holds a master’s degree in emergency management and a doctoral degree in psychology from Grand Canyon University.

Godsey brings nearly 20 years of experience at FDEM and extensive expertise in emergency response, operations and meteorology to her new role. Most recently serving as deputy bureau chief of response, operations section chief and chief state meteorologist, Godsey provides critical weather intelligence and risk information to the governor and senior state leadership to support preparedness, evacuation, response and recovery decisions. Godsey coordinates weather information across local, state and federal partners and maintains key relationships with the National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, academic institutions and emergency management agencies. She also oversees programmatic activities within the Operations and Technological Hazards sections of the Response Bureau. Since joining FDEM in 2006, Godsey has supported more than 60 emergency activations and 25 federally declared disasters. In 2024, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her to serve on the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Advisory Council. As Florida enters the historical peak of hurricane season, FDEM continues to monitor conditions statewide and coordinate with local, state and federal emergency management partners. Floridians are encouraged to review their disaster plans, know their evacuation zones and ensure their households are prepared for potential impacts. For preparedness information and resources, visit FloridaMakeAPlan. com.

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

2026 HURRICANE SEASON DeSantis proclaims September as Florida Preparedness Month Florida Division of Emergency Management urges residents to stay prepared and alert during Florida Preparedness Month. COURTESY OF DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

HOW DO HURRICANES FORM?

Warm tropical waters provide heat and moisture that thunderstorms need to grow and organize. When ocean temperatures are warm, winds in the atmosphere are favorable, and there is plenty of moisture, clusters of thunderstorms can become better organized and develop into a tropical system. If the system develops a defined center of circulation and continues to strengthen, it can

KNOW YOUR HOME, KNOW HALFWAY FULL IS HALF1evacuation 4 YOUR ZONE. Know your WAY THERE. Keep your zone and understand vehicle’s gas tank at least halfway your home’s ability to withstand potential storm conditions. Based on these factors, determine whether you may be able to shelter in place or will need to evacuate if instructed by local officials. Identify where you would go ahead of time, such as the home of family or friends or a local shelter. To identify your evacuation zone, visit FloridaDisaster.org/Know.

full or your electric vehicle at least halfway charged throughout hurricane season. Storm preparation and evacuation orders can lead to increased demand at gas stations and charging locations. Maintaining at least half a tank or charge can help ensure you are ready to evacuate quickly if necessary. Visit FloridaDisaster.org/HalfwayFull to learn more.

MAKE A PLAN. Don’t wait 2 until a disaster threatens to make a plan. Develop a disas-

EVACUATE 10S OF MILES, 5 NOT HUNDREDS. If you are ordered to evacuate, you might

ter plan with everyone in your household, including how you will communicate during an emergency and where you will meet if you become separated. Business owners also should have a business continuity plan and procedures for communicating with employees before, during and after a disaster. To create a customized preparedness plan for your household or business, visit FloridaMakeAPlan.com.

not need to travel hundreds of miles to reach safety. In many cases, moving 10s of miles inland, to higher ground or outside an evacuation zone mught be enough to get out of harm’s way. Always follow evacuation orders and guidance from local officials. Sign up for local emergency alerts through AlertFlorida, and visit your county’s local emergency management site at FloridaDisaster.org/counties for information about shelters.

BUILD A KIT. Build a disaster 3 supply kit with enough food, Preparedness looks different water, medications and other for every household, but every Courtesy photo

Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a proclamation declaring September as Florida Preparedness Month.

become a tropical depression, then a tropical storm, and potentially a hurricane. The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30 each year, with historical activity typically peaking in September. In the past 60 years, the Atlantic Basin has recorded at least one named storm during the month of September each year, underscoring the importance of remaining prepared even when the earlier months have been relatively quiet.

NEW

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS SALES TAX EXEMPTION

As of July 1, 2025, many disaster preparedness supplies, including batteries, fire extinguishers and portable generators, are permanently exempt from Florida sales tax. Floridians can take advantage of this year-round exemption when building or restocking their disaster supply kits. Visit FloridaDisaster. org/TaxFree for a comprehensive list of eligible items.

essential supplies for your household for up to seven days. Consider the needs of everyone in your household, including children, older adults, individuals with disabilities and pets. Visit FloridaDisaster.org/Kit for a comprehensive disaster supply checklist. If you or someone in your household requires 24-hour care or relies on electricity for medical needs, register with Florida’s Special Needs Registry. Registering in advance helps local emergency management officials better understand and plan for community needs before, during and after a disaster.

Floridian can take steps now to become more resilient. Whether it is signing up for local alerts, packing essential supplies for your children, checking your evacuation zone or identifying a safe place to go, preparing before a storm is on the horizon is always better than waiting until it arrives. Follow FDEM on Instagram, Facebook and X for more preparedness tips, resources and emergency information throughout hurricane season. Visit FloridaDisaster.org for the latest information and resources from the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday, Sept. 1 issued a proclamation declaring September as Florida Preparedness Month, encouraging Floridians to take steps now to protect themselves, their families and their homes from disasters that might impact the state. While preparedness is important year-round, September serves as a critical reminder to review disaster plans, restock emergency supplies and know where to go if an evacuation is ordered as Florida enters the historical peak of hurricane season. “Floridians should take this opportunity to ensure they are prepared for the remainder of hurricane season,” FDEM Executive Director Jared W. Perdue said. “FDEM encourages residents to know their evacuation zone, make a family disaster plan and build an emergency kit to save time, money and stress now — before a storm threatens the state.”

FIVE WAYS TO PREPARE

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Are you Ready for Hurricane Season? With Natural Gas We Keep The Lights On Call 407-656-2734 or email: EnergyChoice@langd.org to get Natural Gas to your home or business…when the storm is here it’s too late!

Be Ready, Not Reactive: Prepare for Hurricane Season Now

lorida earned its nickname as the Sunshine State with beautiful, sun-soaked days filling out most of the year, but as hurricane season approaches, it also becomes one of the most storm-vulnerable states in the country. June 1 marks the official start of hurricane season, meaning that now – not later – is the perfect time to make sure you and your family are prepared. At Lake Apopka Natural Gas District (LANGD), we’re proud to support our Central Florida neighbors by offering the most reliable energy solution. We know firsthand that one of the smartest ways to prepare for hurricane season is by choosing safe, reliable natural gas. Unlike electricity, which is vulnerable to downed power lines and service disruptions, natural gas is delivered through underground pipelines, meaning you can depend on it even during the harshest storms. That’s part of the reason why critical service providers like hospitals, fire stations, and emergency management centers depend on natural gas to stay up and running during critical times. Natural gas customers can also rely on essential appliances like water heaters and oven ranges to remain operational during power outages. When the lights go out, you’ll still be able to cook, clean, and take hot showers. For families, that type of reliability can bring much-needed peace of mind during uncertain times.

It’s not just about dependability either. Natural gas is also the smarter economic choice. Thanks to high-efficiency appliances and its lower cost, natural gas homes enjoy annual utility bills that are approximately 49% lower than those of comparable all-electric homes, according to the American Gas Association. That said, making the switch requires some planning to fulfill your natural gas service installation. That’s why we encourage homeowners to act now, before a storm is on the horizon. In addition to exploring reliable energy options, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends creating a full preparedness plan that includes keeping an emergency preparedness kit stocked and at the ready, knowing your evacuation routes ahead of time, creating a communication plan with family members and other important steps that you should take to help you and your family stay safe during hurricane season. Learn more at https://www.fema.gov/. Don’t wait until a storm is in the forecast. Now is the time to prepare and equip your home with natural gas to make sure you’re storm ready before hurricane season arrives.

For more information about natural gas services, safety tips, and how LANGD can support your energy needs, visit www.langd.org or contact our team at (407) 656-2734 or EnergyChoice@langd.org.

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celebrity cipher

crossword

By Luis Campos

61 Droops 63 Some Mazdas 65 Police alerts, for short 69 Leaves from Hawaii? 72 Toy truck brand 75 Spinner in a history classroom 76 They raise kids? 79 Sty sound 81 Led 82 Scummy pool buildup 83 Wise one 84 Citrusy cocktail garnish (NHL) 87 Sprouted anew 89 Finally gets lucky (NHL) 91 Girl who terrifies the fish in “Finding Nemo” 92 Goals 93 Title for some mujeres (Abbr.)

94 Heroic tale 95 Slant 96 Hype (up) 98 “___, ___ ... GOOSE!” 102 Battlefield doc 103 Make less squeaky, maybe 104 Heeds 106 Golden ratio letter 107 Klutz 108 Prepare to overtake a slower car, maybe (MLB) 112 Narnia lion 114 Irish sandwich eaten in the morning (MLB) 116 Giving a hand 118 Gave the nod 119 Cookie with a limitedtime Turkey & Stuffing flavor 120 ___ cool for school

PYSQS MQS KA QSRSQFSX RSMPR ... MKX BAG WMK’P PMHS MKBPYEKI UEPYAGP AQIMKEDMPEAK.” M. NYEZEN QMKXAZNY

“FX’N GSYYB DJK EJRMN UJOM XJ BJS TX T XFOM FY RFGM KDMY BJS TEM EMTLB XJ RJJZ TX XDFYQN FY T LFGGMEMYX KTB.”

TYYT QSYY

“X UCSSLK XIUZ QVHB YLLHXIVD UACU X UAXIW LGLFBZIL ICUQFCHHB ACD ... X RCIULK UZ AQPCIXJL UALP XI UAXD ABSLFEZHXO DUCUL.”

XIKL ICGCFFLUUL

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

09-10-26

Join bike riders of all levels on October 1, 2026 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Home State Brewing Co. in Horizon West Registration is required. Visit wochamber.com, call Heather Parker at 407.656.1304 ext. 102 or email hparker@wochamber.com. Winter Garden Wheel Works Bike Rentals Available Complimentary drop-off and pick-up. Individual Rider: $ 25

Children Rider (12 and under): FREE Team Rate: $ 100 for 5 riders

All riders tickets include the After Party AFTER PARTY TICKET - 6:00PM-7:30PM Individual Ticket: $15

After Party tickets include a complimentary drink from Home State Brewing Co., vendor booths, giveaways, and food from Home State Brewing Co., and Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream.

$1 From every ticket sold will be contributed to the West Orange Foundation.

501182-1

32 “I love you,” in Ibiza 33 “Before” of yore 1 ___ de Mayo 34 ___ of war (video game 6 Picket line crosser 10 The ___ (“Baby” singer, mechanic that obscures the map) familiarly) 37 Kolkata’s country 14 Campsite sight 39 Hone 18 Agitates 19 Black-and-white preda- 40 Cosa ___ 44 Tiny bits of matter tor 46 Unlocks? 20 Against 48 Trapezist’s protection 21 Creepy-sounding lake 50 Barber’s tool hidden in 22 Highest house floor “astrophysicist” 23 Sounded like a cow 24 Competition initiated by 51 Toxic secretion from a hooded reptile (NFL) the Sputnik crisis (NBA) 53 Befuddled 26 Rice type in Indian 55 Broccoli ___ cuisine 28 First place’s cash prize 56 “We’re not done here!” (NFL) (NBA) 58 La Brea fossil sites 30 Come with 60 Fish-and-chips fish

1 Horseshoe ___ (animal) 2 Bit 3 Little annoyances 4 Get really high? 5 Portrayer of Dr. Frankenstein in “Frankenstein” (2025) 6 Phillipa of Broadway 7 Bird that caws 8 Do brilliantly on a test 9 “You’ll want to sit down for this” 10 Lowest house floor 11 Conscientious way to resign 12 GPS predictions 13 Writing implement whose Cristal model is in MoMA’s collection 14 Of Earth 15 Notable periods 16 “Cool” 17 Golf bag item 23 Diabolical puzzles 25 Italian cheese? 27 Element in bronze 29 “Ain’t gonna happen, man” 31 Big “Jack and the Beanstalk” role 34 It’s true! 35 “Then again,” to texters 36 Vast Asian desert 38 Hindi for “potato” 41 It’s more casual than a ristorante 42 Takes notes badly? 43 Go ___ (flip out) 45 93-Across, in English 47 ID-issuing spots 49 Goss

“MP PYS VMKTGSP PMVZS AC KMPGQS,

Puzzle Three Clue: H equals L

DOWN

52 Midrange string instrument 53 Jason’s ship, in myth 54 Spot for a sleeve tattoo 57 Kills it, in slang 59 Animal in a house made of straw, sticks or bricks 62 Goes “zzz” or “mimimi” 64 Transmit 65 Vegan gelatin alternative 66 Propelled a gondola 67 Checked luggage charges 68 Headlined 70 Apple debut of 1998 71 Sonic the Hedgehog company 73 Souls and Sorentos, e.g. 74 “___ Karenina” 77 Ail 78 Business that sells to consumers 80 Soviet mole 84 Units of resistance 85 Miscalculate 86 Interpret, like body language 88 Be alert to 90 MI6’s U.S. equivalent 95 Often-stubbed digit 96 Prez on a $5 bill 97 Gets along (with) 99 Satellite data connection 100 “Just give me a ___!” 101 Promoted, in checkers 102 Grades 103 Beginning 10 Barely simmering, say 105 Taqueria bowlful 107 Double-reed instrument 109 WNBA guard McDonald 110 Parking areas 111 Sunburn-soothing plant 113 Design detail, briefly 115 Big ruckus 117 Superlative suffix

Puzzle Two Clue: G equals F

121 Core 122 Gas brand that sounds like its last two letters 123 Sacred ceremony 124 Stitch (up) 125 Like all-star sports teams and the players in this puzzle?

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

Puzzle Two Clue: E equals I

ONE-ON-ONES by Kareem Ayas, edited by Aidan Deshong

ACROSS

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

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OPEN HOUSE AT WINDERMERE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

OCTOBER 3, 2026 AT 10:00 AM Join us to tour the campus, hear from current students, and meet our faculty!

DILLARD STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Michelle Hartley is the Exceptional Student Education and Varying Exceptionalities teacher at Dillard Street Elementary School. She is responsible for teaching third through fifth grade and inspiring students to achieve their highest potential. “Working in an ESE self-contained classroom, Ms. Hartley is truly the kindest teacher to students with disabilities, fostering a warm, caring and thoughtful environment,” Principal Elaine Lundberg said. “She is incredibly caring and supportive of students, fellow teachers and families alike. She has served as an educator for (more than) 15 years. Ms. Hartley is deeply passionate about ensuring each of her students succeeds, believing that all students can reach their fullest potential when given the right supports and their individual needs are met. Dillard Street Elementary is remarkably lucky to have Ms. Hartley join our team.” What brought you to your school? Dillard Street Elementary School offered me an opportunity to return to the self-contained classroom to serve students with disabilities. What do you love most about your school? I love my students, families and our community of learners. What is the most rewarding part of your job? The most rewarding part of my job is witnessing the progress my students achieve as we learn and grow together.

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(407) 905-7737 windermereprep.com

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RSVP TODAY TO JOIN US!

MICHELLE HARTLEY

What would you be if you weren’t in this profession? If I were not a teacher, I would be working with children in some capacity. I always knew I wanted to help children and as a teacher I not only help individuals, I (also) transform lives! Who influences you? My family influences me — especially the memory of my grandmother. She was a brilliant woman who didn’t have the opportunity to attend college and pursue her own career. Instead, she poured her knowledge into her children and grandchildren so that we could excel. Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? Why? My favorite teacher was my kindergarten teacher. This was my first school experience, and Mrs. Van Steen always encouraged me, made learning fun and helped me forget about missing home. What is your favorite children’s book and why? My favorite children’s book is “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper. This book reminds

REPORT CARD YEARS AT SCHOOL: One YEARS WITH OCPS: Five

me that you don’t have to be big or strong to make a difference. Individuals who believe in themselves, work hard and never give up can make the greatest impact. What do you like to do in your spare time? In my spare time, I enjoy going to the beach and reading. If you could dine with any famous person, past or present, who would it be and why? If I could dine with any famous person, I’d dine with Maya Angelou. Her writing always inspired me, and I’d love to hear about her life and how she overcame adversity in person. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why? If I could have any superpower, it would be the ability to transform hate into kindness making this world one filled with love. If you could only listen to three bands or artists, who would they be and why? I love all music from blues to opera, and it’s very difficult for me to choose only three bands or artists. What was your go-to lunch and favorite snack as an elementary student? As an elementary student, my go-to lunch was a peanut butter sandwich, and my favorite snack was pretzels. What is your favorite holiday and why? Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, because it’s a time to be with family and reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. Who was your best friend when you were in school and why? Are you still in touch? My best friend in school was Ellen. We’re not in touch as much as I’d like, since we live in different states, but when we do have a chance to catch up it’s as though no time has passed at all. What were your extracurricular activities as a student? Did you win any accolades or honors? I played the piano as a child and sang in my church choir. What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? I love to throw pottery and fire it in a wood kiln. — LIZ RAMOS

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INFLUENCER OF THE WEEK

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10B

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

11B

OBSERVER SCHOOL ZONE

Local nonprofits partner for new career showcase STAFF WRITER

For two years, Legacy Events for Education and 8 Waves officials have been hard at work to develop a career showcase to help teens who feel hopeless about the future. “Over the last 10 years, the attitudes and mental health of our teens have gotten worse and worse,” said David Terry, executive director and president of Legacy Events for Education. “There’s a lot of reasons for that — a lot of fear of the future, the uncertainty of what the future is.” Students often feel they cannot be successful unless they pursue higher education. This event, Terry said, hopefully will disprove that. Together with 8 Waves, Legacy Events will host What’s Next? Life After High School Monday, Sept. 14, specifically for Ocoee High School juniors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 39.7% of high school students experienced feelings of sadness and hopelessness, 28.5% experienced poor mental health, 20.4% considered attempting suicide and 9.5% attempted suicide in 2024. “There’s things we can do to help restore hope and help some of these students understand there is a possible future for them and they can achieve their goals,” Terry said. “We want to provide some hope to these kids before that hopelessness catches them and something bad happens.” The showcase, he said, will provide students access to career education and possible careers that

“We’ve done such a negative job on trades and other alternatives to employment that don’t include college … Parents have to open their minds and listen to their children more, because some of those kids may not want to go to college, but there is a life out there for them if they choose not to. They just have to choose a life.” — David Terry

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LETICIA SILVA

can provide a good and successful financial living that do not require a four-year college education. More than 40 employers will participate in the showcase, including Fifth Third Bank, National Association of Women in Construction, Orlando Health, South College, Second Harvest Food Bank and Per Scholas. “We want students to hear about all of these different potential fields and then have choices, because it’s not just trades; it’s not just working as a teller at a bank,” Terry said. “There’s just so many possibilities, and that’s what this is about. It’s about opening their minds to the possibilities.” Guest speakers also will make an appearance to encourage students. Samantha Trumbo, teen coach and former Miss Hawaii USA, will be the keynote speaker, sharing her journey as she navigated life after high school. Employers aren’t there to recruit or hire students. The goal for all of them is to instill hope in teens who might feel they don’t have life after high school figured out. “Everybody has realized how important it is to provide opportunities and options for our students,” Terry said. “So many people — even teenagers — in their 20s, 30s, 40s, don’t feel really good about where their job is going, and the faith that their job is going to be with them long-term because of all the changes we’re going through as a society with AI and social media. … I don’t think anybody feels really good about their job, so everybody really could use something like this.” Students will rotate between three stations in groups of about 200; each station will feature new opportunities. In addition, the event also will offer students a high-level overview of writing a résumé, soft skills and interview skills to ensure they’re able to get their careers started. “There’s a lot of kids today that are saying, ‘I don’t want to go to college,’” Terry said. “We’ve done such a negative job on trades and other alternatives to employment that don’t include college that most parents are just so busy pushing their kids because they don’t think their kids can be successful if they don’t. Parents have to open their minds and listen to their children more, because some of those kids may not want to go to college, but there is a life out there for them if they choose not to. They just have to choose a life.” Terry hopes Legacy Events for Education and 8 Waves can continue to offer this career showcase across the county in the years to come. “There’s nothing more important than our young people,” he said.

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This week’s Sudoku answers

You’re only cheating yourself.

peekers’ place

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