09.17.26 Southwest Orange Observer by Orange Observer

SO U T H W E ST O RA N G E

Observer Windermere, Horizon West, Dr. Phillips

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. VOLUME 11, NO. 50

Windermere embraces tough tests ahead in 2026 football season. PAGE 9A.

FREE • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

We will never forget West Orange, Southwest Orange holds solemn ceremonies on 9/11 anniversary. 8A.

WHOOP, WHOOP

YOUR TOWN

WOLVERINES!

PARENTS: OCPS WANTS YOUR INPUT Orange County Public Schools is asking for parents to participate in a survey regarding new small-scale learning environments. The district is exploring potential small-scale learning environments that provide specialized programming, integrated learning experiences and opportunities not currently available in traditional schools. The survey will allow the district to know which opportunities are most appealing to families and what features families care about most. The survey should take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Families who have more than one student will have an opportunity to submit another response at the end of the survey. Each survey should be based on one student at a time. To take the survey, visit bit. ly/4ivYgO6.

HORIZON WEST THEATER SEEKS BOARD MEMBERS

Courtesy photo

At least 39 Windermere High teachers and staff members have stayed with the school since it opened in 2017. Left: Since the beginning, members of the Parent-Teacher-Student Organization have been doing all they can to support Windermere High teachers, staff and students.

File photo

OCPS faces familiar challenges School Board approves budget amid declining enrollment and rising health care costs. SEE PAGE 3A.

Windermere High School is celebrating 10 years of achieving the high standards and expectations set from the day the school opened. STORY ON PAGE 4A.

DOGS ON THE DIAMOND 407 Baseball is enjoying success in its first season of fall baseball. 10A.

Town of Windermere to consider increase in fees The Windermere Town Council discussed doubling the fees for boat and tennis passes, which currently are $25. SEE PAGE 5A.

With the continuous growth of Horizon West Theater Company, the Board of Directors is searching for a secretary and facilities manager. The secretary will be in charge of keeping meetings, minutes, records, official documents and behind-the-scenes details running smoothly. The facilities manager will ensure the studio continues to flourish by overseeing its care, organization, safety, maintenance and ongoing needs. To learn more, visit horizonwesttheatercompany.com/ jointheboard.

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

FAST 1

Seasons 52 to open in Winter Garden in September The wait for Seasons 52 to open in Winter Garden almost is over. The restaurant will open Friday, Sept. 25, in the Winter Garden Village. It will offer dishes such as flatbreads, soups and salads, steaks, chicken and fish, as well as an assortment of wines and cocktails. Seasons 52 will be located at 3143 Daniels Road, Winter Garden, the site Romano’s Macaroni Grill previously occupied. The restaurant now is hiring for several positions including servers, hosts, bartenders, line cooks and dishwashers.

Sushi Yama to open new location in Lake Buena Vista Sushi Yama is making its way over to Lake Buena Vista. A new location soon will open at 12353 Winter Garden-Vineland Road, Orlando, where Twin Peaks previously was located. The sushi spot serves a variety of sushi rolls and hand rolls, rice bowls, noodles, hibachi and more, including all-you-can-eat options.

Courtesy photo

Seasons 52 will open Friday, Sept. 25, in the Winter Garden Village.

An opening date has not been set yet. To view Sushi Yama’s menu, visit sushiyamaorlando.com.

Hit-and-run crash causes fatality in Lake Buena Vista A fatal hit-and-run crash led to the death of a 76-yearold pedestrian Monday, Sept. 7. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 57-year-old man, from Orlando driving a 2015 Nissan Altima, and a 47-year-old man, from Orlando driving a 2013 Nissan Cube, both were traveling southbound on South Apopka-Vineland Road south of Palm Parkway in the outside lane. At about 6:04 a.m., a 76-yearold pedestrian, from Orlando, was walking in a westerly direction and

entered the southbound lanes of South Apopka-Vineland Road not in a marked crosswalk. He entered the direct path of the 57-year-old driver and as a result, the front right side of the driver’s Nissan Altima struck the pedestrian. The 76-year-old man was propelled into the outside lane and then struck by the undercarriage of the 2013 Nissan Cube. The Nissan Altima driver advised a third vehicle, which possibly is a white SUV, also struck the pedestrian in the outside lane. After the accident, both the 47-year-old man and the unknown driver of the third vehicle kept traveling southbound on South Apopka-Vineland Road, but the 47-year-old driver returned to the scene and his car had

Registration now open for Ocoee’s MLK parade The city of Ocoee will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and celebrate community and equality with a parade and celebration. The city’s Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Parade will take place at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 18, 2027, starting at Citrus Elementary School, at 87 N. Clarke Road, Ocoee. Registration now is open for those interested in participating in the parade, such as organizations, schools, community groups, businesses and individuals. A post-parade celebration will take place at West Oaks Mall with Simon T. Bailey as the keynote speaker. Visit the city of Ocoee’s website to register. “Let’s come together, celebrate our community, and keep Dr. King’s dream of unity and equality alive,” city officials said. “We hope to see you there.”

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Winter Garden Fire Rescue earns ISO Class 1 rating The Winter Garden Fire Rescue is celebrating being rated ISO Public Protection Classification Class 1. This rating is the highest a fire department can earn, ranging from No. 1 through No. 10. “This recognition is more than a number,” Winter Garden Professional Fire Fighters officials said. “It reflects the countless hours our members invest in training, emergency response, fire prevention,

public education and continuous improvement. … Achieving Class 1 status places Winter Garden among an elite group of fire departments nationwide and is a testament to the professionalism, commitment and teamwork of our members.” Winter Garden Professional Fire Fighters officials also thanked the city of Winter Garden for its investment in public safety through personnel, equipment and facilities. “Congratulations to every member who made this possible,” they said. “This achievement belongs to all of us and to the citizens of Winter Garden we are honored to serve.”

undercarriage damage consistent with the collision, according to a Florida Highway Patrol press release. The driver and 57-year-old female passenger, from Orlando, in the Nissan Altima and the 47-yearold driver were not injured. The pedestrian was transported to Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital and pronounced dead Monday, Sept. 7. A roadblock put in place for the crash was cleared as of 9:21 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate the crash. Anyone with information regarding the crash or the driver of the third vehicle is asked to contact Florida Highway Patrol at *347 or CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS.

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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Declining enrollment forces more OCPS cuts

-7,672

Orange County Public Schools saw enrollment drop by 7,672 students in the district’s 10-day enrollment count, resulting in the reduction of nearly $8.5 million to the district’s central-office level. LETICIA SILVA STAFF WRITER

ore cuts and the need to share resources could be in Orange County Public Schools’ future. Orange County School Board members approved Tuesday, Sept. 8, the 2026-27 budget of $7,907,359,217 amid a district-wide enrollment decline and a related $8.5 million reduction at the central-office level. Despite the enrollment decline, the approved $7.9 billion budget is higher than the 2025-26 approved budget, $7,532,696,409; and the 2024-25 approved budget, $7,301,475,965. OCPS’ Chief Communications Officer Scott Howat said several factors are driving declining enrollment, which affects the district’s budget. Those include immigration policies such as changes to Temporary Protected Status, low birth rates, taxpayer-funded vouchers, growth in private and homeschool education, and housing trends such as agingin-place, which slows neighborhood turnover to families with school-aged children. Because of these factors, OCPS consolidated seven schools, cut more than 200 district-level positions and applied a 5% reduction to districtlevel budgets over the past two years. However, the 2026-27 10-day enrollment count proved OCPS’ efforts to balance the budget weren’t sufficient — enrollment declined by 7,672 students since the 2025-26 school year. “In response to the lower-thananticipated enrollment, OCPS has recalculated school budgets and staffing formulas based on actual enrollment,” OCPS said in a prepared statement. “Schools with lowerthan-projected enrollment will see corresponding budget adjustments. The district will also implement an additional $8.5 million in reductions at the central-office level.” In some schools, Howat said, children might not be impacted by budget reductions. However, others might experience impacts such as staff cuts and shared resources. He said elementary schools might experience classroom consolidations to account for lower enrollment in classrooms. For example, instead of five fifth-grade classrooms, a school might consolidate two low studentcount classrooms into one, lowering the school’s expenditures. In West Orange, while most elementary, middle and high schools are experiencing declining enrollment, Hamlin Elementary, Hamlin Middle and Horizon High schools continue

to grow. In three years, Hamlin Elementary grew by nearly 200 students, while Hamlin Middle and Horizon High already serve at or above capacity with more than 1,000 students each. In three years, Horizon High grew by 868 students, while other high schools, such as Dr. Phillips, Lake Buena Vista and Windermere saw a decline in student enrollment. It is important to note, however, even with a decline in enrollment, these schools are above or near capacity. Clinton McCracken, president of Orange County’s Classroom Teachers Association, said classrooms and program consolidations, along with less funds for resources means more work for teachers. “When school positions disappear, students’ needs do not,” he said during the Tuesday, Sept 8, meeting. “We hear about state funding, vouchers, enrollment, even birth rates. Those challenges are real, but where is the self accountability from the people in this room? Outside forces affect our budget, but local leaders decide our priorities. When health care costs rise, employees pay more. When enrollment drops, schools lose positions. When budgets tighten, students lose resources. Everyone seems to pay for the district’s budget decisions except for the people making those decisions.” While some schools will see impacts to their everyday operations because of enrollment decline, Howat said it will vary per school and each of its offerings. The district sends schools their adjusted budgets with corrected allocations to ensure cuts or additions can be made accordingly. Since working with Caissa K12, a company the district hired to retain and recruit students, OCPS spent $1.7 million to bring back 1,856 students, which in turn generated roughly $15 million in student funding for the district. Beyond working with Caissa K12, OCPS also provided marketing materials for each of its schools to promote their campus and programs to communities they serve. The district is continuing to work with Caissa K12 to determine how many additional students were recovered for the 2026-27 school year and have not yet made any additional recruitment payments. Based on feedback from families across Orange County, Caissa K12 determined the enrollment process was an obstacle for those wanting to re-enroll or enroll their children into the system. Since the discovery, OCPS revamped its process to offer online enrollment, making it easier for families to sign their children up for school.

WEST ORANGE/SOUTHWEST ORANGE SCHOOLS Student enrollment change over three-year period ELEMENTARY Atwater Bay Bay Lake Bay Meadows Castleview Citrus Dillard Street Dr. Phillips Eagle’s Nest Frangus Hamlin Independence Keene’s Crossing Lake Whitney Maxey Ocoee Ovation Palm Lake Panther Lake Prairie Lake Sand Lake Spring Lake Summerlake SunRidge Sunset Park Thornebrooke Tildenville Water Spring Westbrooke Whispering Oak Windermere

2023-2024 N/A 772 712 738 492 482 687 604 405 642 879 1,012 576 502 691 N/A 605 675 798 693 434 768 674 762 599 680 1,246 522 801 560

2024-2025 743 682 762 693 505 463 629 619 419 546 886 951 544 525 720 N/A 571 794 775 727 442 729 631 701 559 738 1,006 525 774 620

2025-2026 838 595 761 644 487 436 579 552 342 715 832 906 558 491 721 N/A 554 802 735 619 452 718 561 640 576 695 1,079 493 695 503

2026-2027 768 544 750 560 511 379 543 581 310 828 730 825 573 507 658 578 503 745 678 546 447 702 508 651 610 683 609 473 673 539

MIDDLE SCHOOLS 2023-2024 Chain of Lakes 1,085 Gotha 1,035 Hamlin 841 Horizon West 1,341 Lakeview 809 Ocoee 1,138 Southwest 1,326 SunRidge 1,157 Water Spring 772

2024-2025 949 991 950 1,328 789 1,150 1,281 1,106 1,063

2025-2026 834 1,020 1,028 1,229 730 1,158 1,208 1,116 1,271

2026-2027 664 1,009 1,120 1,190 720 1,200 1,166 1,064 1,345

CHANGE -421 -26 279 -151 -89 62 -160 -93 573

HIGH SCHOOLS Dr. Phillips Horizon Lake Buena Vista Ocoee West Orange Windermere

2024-2025 2,958 2,688 2,124 2,506 2,747 3,213

2025-2026 2,914 3,053 2,059 2,702 2,955 3,191

2026-2027 2,629 3,180 1,808 2,694 2,896 3,044

CHANGE -414 868 -179 110 122 -111

2023-2024 3,043 2,312 1,987 2,584 2,774 3,155

MILLAGE RATE COMPARISON MILLAGE TYPE Required Local Effort Basic Discretionary Additional Voted Capital Improvement TOTAL

2025-26 3.201 .748 1.000 1.500 6.449

2026-27 3.095 .748 1.000 1.500 6.343

CHANGE 25 -178 38 -178 19 -103 -144 -23 -95 186 -149 -187 -3 5 -33 N/A -102 70 -120 -147 13 -66 -166 -111 11 3 -637 -49 -128 -21

OCPS BUDGET COMPARISON FUND General Fund Capital Projects Fund Internal Service Fund Special Revenue Fund Debt Service Fund TOTAL

2025-26 $2,819,641,038 $3,735,929,315 $413,080,418 $340,234,735 $248,358,026 $7,532,696,409

2026-27 $2,948,858,219 $3,966,428,913 $448,293,253 $341,439,221 $202,339,611 $7,907,359,217

Source: Orange County Public Schools

While the district continues to work toward enrollment solutions, Howat said employee health care is impacting the district’s budget. While CTA and OCPS remain at

an impasse because of the increase in health care deductibles and premiums, OCPS must make a payment of $20 million per month to fund the current health care plan.

“As long as that continues to be recurring, that will take away from the amount of money that would be available for teachers, for raises and those types of things,” Howat said.

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

Wolverine Nation celebrates 10 years LIZ RAMOS

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944

A NEW SCHOOL

The journey to opening day was not easy. Parents such as Beth Siegmann wore orange shirts to Orange County Board of County Commissioners meetings to fight for the construction of Windermere High School in 2015. The commission previously rejected Orange County Public Schools’ plans for the new school in 2013, agreeing with nearby residents who were concerned the school would bring too much noise, tariff and lights to the rural community. But in 2015, OCPS earned a victory when the commission reversed its decision to allow the school to be constructed in a “rural settlement” — but only if the stadium was located at a public park 1.6 miles away. Knowing it was a controversial decision to open the school, Guthrie did his best to include the community in the creation of the school and its culture and traditions, which helped to bridge the divide. Although Siegmann’s oldest son was an eighth-grader at Bridgewater Middle School when Windermere High opened, the family still was involved in helping the school open. Teachers and staff were coming from across the district to open Windermere. Brathwaite-LaMotta said she was ready for a new challenge, and she wanted to continue teaching alongside her friend of 25 years, Stacy Bishop. They both applied to be a part of the founding staff at Windermere. Brathwaite-LaMotta was excited but nervous. She had never taught high school before, and all she wanted was to ensure she would be an effective teacher. She wanted to exceed the standards Guthrie set. The two weeks leading into opening day, the teachers and staff spent their time filling their classrooms with furniture and all the supplies they needed for a successful first day and school year. They were learning a new campus, just as the students would be when school started. Kier Ancona, a founding teacher who teaches science, said there is pride knowing she is an original teacher. There is pride knowing at least 36 others like herself have stayed and grown with the school over the past decade. BUILDING A COMMUNITY

From Day One, Windermere High was set on following standards that would “help build this culture of achieving greatness” Brathwaite-LaMotta said. But there wasn’t buy-in from everyone. Several students were coming from West Orange High School, a school

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek

MANAGING EDITOR

chieving greatness with honor. It’s the Windermere High School motto. It’s the standard founding Principal Doug Guthrie set for each of the founding Windermere High teachers and staff when the school opened in August 2017. Erma Brathwaite-LaMotta, a learning strategies and high school high tech teacher, knew from the first year the school was going to be a highachieving school. “The adults all knew what a wonderful school it was going to be,” she said. “As educators and teachers, we already loved it. For us to try to instill in (students) how wonderful it was going to be, how awesome the school was, the great opportunities they were going to have, we had some work to do.” Ten years later, Windermere High School teachers and staff have put in the work. The school now is the 78th best high school out of 1,267 high schools in Florida. The school achieved a 99.5% graduation rate for the 2024-25 school year. More than 100 seniors were named Super Scholars in the 2025-26 school year. The school has received an “A” rating each year — except the first two years it was open and 2020, when Florida Department of Education did not rate schools because of COVID-19. As the school celebrates its 10th anniversary, the Parent-TeacherStudent Organization is taking time to reflect on the school’s academic, athletic and overall growth during its Wolverine Fall Bash and Silent Auction Wednesday, Sept. 23, with the more than 39 founding teachers and staff being the guests of honor.

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Editor and Publisher / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com Design Editor / Jessica Eng, jeng@OrangeObserver.com Managing Editor / Liz Ramos, lramos@OrangeObserver.com Historian / Amy Quesinberry Price, amyqhistory@OrangeObserver.com Staff Writer / Megan Bruinsma, mbruinsma@OrangeObserver.com Staff Writer / Leticia Silva, lsilva@OrangeObserver.com Multimedia Sales Manager / Cyndi Gustafson, advertising@OrangeObserver.com Multimedia Advertising Executive / Iggy Collazo, iggy@OrangeObserver.com Graphic Designer / Sarah Santiago, ssantiago@OrangeObserver.com Advertising Operations Manager / Allison Brunelle, abrunelle@OrangeObserver.com

Orange County School Board Member Pam Gould cut the ribbon to officially open the Windermere High stadium.

The West Orange Times, West Orange Times & Observer and Southwest Orange Observer are published once weekly, on Thursdays. The papers can be found in many commercial locations throughout West Orange and Southwest Orange. If you wish to subscribe, visit our website, OrangeObserver.com, call (407) 656-2121 or visit our office, 210 S. Dillard St., Winter Garden, Florida 34787.

Courtesy photo

After 10 years of asking, science teacher Kier Ancona finally was allowed to have her bearded dragon, Garbo, in her yearbook photo with her in celebration of Windermere High’s 10th anniversary.

that has been around for decades with longstanding pride and history. Teachers and staff were tasked with making students feel welcome at Windermere High so they could embrace all the school had to offer and what it could be someday. Teachers remember the first time they heard Windermere’s “whoop, whoop, Wolverines.” Then-Assistant Principal John Linehan randomly called out the phrase during a staff meeting, causing perplexing looks. Derek Ihnenfeld, an English teacher and founding staff member, thought it simply was a one-off never to be heard again. “Whoop, whoop, Wolverines” since has become a rallying cry for the Windermere community. Brathwaite-LaMotta said when she heard a group of students start with “whoop, whoop” and another group respond with “Wolverines,” she knew the pride of Windermere had been etched in stone. A unifying moment for the Windermere community was its first graduating class in 2019. The graduating class was emotional for Ihnenfeld as he had taught them since they were in middle school, and they transitioned to Windermere High together. He watched them grow up and then watched them go off into the world to pursue a higher education or have their own jobs and careers. He still hears from alumni every so often. Ancona said having the first senior class meant watching students take on leadership roles, especially in organizations such as National Honor Society. They exuded confidence and pride while walking across the stage with their NHS stoles. Another pivotal moment in Windermere history was when the school finally had its own on-campus stadium. At the time, the school was home to more than 3,100 students, and home football games were held offcampus. It was a logistical nightmare to constantly have to be shuffling the football team, band, cheerleaders and others — along with all the corresponding equipment — to and from Deputy Scott Pine Community Park. “The stadium was fine, but it just never felt the same because we had to actually leave campus to play a home game,” Brathwaite-LaMotta said. “To me, it took away a little bit of the pride we could have had from the beginning.” In 2023, the school community’s wish was granted. A home stadium

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Wendy Ellis Green, Leonardo Zimath and Patricia Zimath helped hand out shirts and lanyards to new students when Windermere High School opened in 2017.

IF YOU GO WINDERMERE HIGH SCHOOL FALL BASH WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23 WHERE: Home State Brewing Co., 16016 New Independence Parkway, No. 100, Winter Garden DETAILS: Take a walk throughout the past decade as the ParentTeacher-Student Organization displays photos and memorabilia celebrating the school’s 10th anniversary. TICKETS: $15 to $30 INFORMATION: windermere-two. square.site/events

that seats about 1,850 people was constructed on an existing practice field on campus. “It was home,” Brathwaite-LaMotta said. “When that stadium opened, the pride we had, it was overwhelming to see.” The stadium was packed, shoulderto-shoulder for the first game. Even if the team lost, it didn’t matter. The Windermere High community had won the war to get its stadium, and everyone wanted to celebrate. CULTURE OF ACHIEVEMENT

In sports, in the classroom, in clubs and extracurriculars, Wolverines achieve success. It’s been stitched into the fabric of the school since the beginning, and it’s been a pleasure for teachers to see the potential they saw opening year come to fruition 10 years later. The teachers and staff knew their students would achieve greatness, but it wasn’t until test scores started rolling in that the hope turned into a reality. “We knew we had a community of kids coming in who were workers and were smart and were able to be held accountable for their work,” Ihnenfeld said. “We were able to tell them, ‘You’re good but not good enough, we need to get better.’ And we were always allowed to push the kids. That allowing to push them and tell them, listen, we expect more of you in a caring way has really driven the school.” School counselor Keyonata Granberry said witnessing the students “strive and thrive and meet the high expectation” in four years is what has kept her at Windermere High for 10 years. She has treasured seeing students accomplish their goals and set off to excellent universities, jobs and other opportunities after graduation. She recalled a student who came

from another country and was “so broken” having to leave his home country. They worked closely together so he could obtain his high school diploma. Despite the language barrier and his initial lack of desire to be at the school, he earned his diploma and was so thrilled he came back to the school to take a photo with Granberry because “he was so grateful we didn’t give up on him.” Ihnenfeld said the administration always has trusted the teachers to do what they thought was best to push their students while still following school rules, standards and expectations. Anonca has been known as the dissection teacher for nearly a decade now. As the marine science teacher, she does shark dissections in class. She said there are students who will run down hallways to switch shoes with their friends so they are dressed appropriately to participate in the dissections. “One of my favorite times are dissections when I’m in the room and the kids are dissection a shark they never would get the chance to, and it goes past just textbooks and computers,” she said. “That’s where I see true learning, hands-on learning, and I get the benefit of being able to do that thanks to my school supporting my crazy ideas to see student-enhanced learning.” Brathwaite-LaMotta has seen her students become state champions three times in high school technical competitions. Her students, as part of a Project Venture competition, invented the Belt Buddy seatbelt accessory that relays messages in emergencies or shares a fun or inspiring message. The group went on to sell their invention after winning $1,000 in the competition. As a volleyball coach, Ihnenfeld has seen his teams have success on the court. He was on the coaching staff of the girls volleyball team when it came in second in state. He’s seen boys and girls go on to play at the next level at universities in Georgia, Tennessee and Indiana. With a bright future ahead, founding teachers and staff are hopeful the students will maintain the standard of achievement that now has been steadily growing over the past decade. But more than success, they hope alumni will be proud of their alma mater, always carrying that Windermere High spirit with them and hopefully answering “Wolverines” when they hear “whoop, whoop.”

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

Windermere Town Council considers raising fees for boat, tennis passes

File photo

The pavilion project only made it to the 45% design phase before it was canceled. LIZ RAMOS MANAGING EDITOR

Windermere Town Council is considering raising its boat pass and tennis pass fees. The fees currently are $25 for each. Last year, the town issued 232 tennis court passes and 158 boat passes. Public Works Director Tonya Elliott-Moore said the fees have stayed “very similar over a long time” and are low in comparison to other municipalities within Central Florida. The discussion, which took place during the Town Council’s meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8, came after Council Member Mandy David asked the council to consider raising the fees. Parks and Recreation Committee members believe raising the fees would be helpful in offsetting costs to the town to maintain and repair the boat launch and tennis courts. Elliott-Moore said the committee is suggesting the Town Council

bring the rates up to a comparable rate of other municipalities, which are in the $50 range. Mayor Andy Williams asked town staff to look into the operating expenses for maintenance on the tennis courts and boat launch in comparison to what revenue the rates generate. “I want to make sure that if we’re going to move forward and raise costs and raise these fees, that we can look and go, ‘This is what it’s going to, and this is how much it covers,’” Williams said. “Right now, it just goes into the parks budget, which is well and good, because that’s where it needs to go. But what are we spending across the board on each of these and the same with the boat ramp? If we’re not going to raise them enough to make a difference, then why raise them?” Council Member Tony Davit agreed and said the fees either need to serve as a cost-recovery model or the town needs to keep the rates the same.

“Why bother raising the rates arbitrarily?” he said. Town Council members unanimously approved tabling the resolutions to raise the fees until more information is provided. COUNCIL DENIES ROTARY REIMBURSEMENT

Town Council unanimously denied a request to reimburse the Rotary Club of Windermere $49,573.77 for expenses paid during the planning and design for the pavilion project that was canceled in 2024. In June 2024, Smith, Molly Rose and John Fitzgibbon reviewed the invoices the Rotary paid for services rendered prior to the cancellation of the project. Staff also worked with legal counsel to review the existing contracts and applicable cancellation provisions. The town reimbursed Rotary a total of $95,621.58 for expenses, including ZHA, project management, $23,850; Professional Services

Ind., $1,950 (asbestos survey); Construction-Peace of Mind, $9,900 (demolition); Hunter Brady, architect, $38,100; McCree Construction, $8,531.28; survey by Chastain Skillman, $12,960; and $330.30 in miscellaneous fees. Since then, Smith and Davit continued discussions with the Foundation for a Healthier West Orange, which awarded a $1 million grant for the project, regarding additional costs associated with the project. The Rotary has since asserted there are outstanding invoices for additional services rendered, including McCree Construction’s claim for lost profits, with the total amount for the additional claims totaling $148,993.96. Rotary officials said the club paid McCree Construction $49,573.77 for the additional costs and requested reimbursement from the town. The pavilion project was canceled at the 45% design phase. Davit said the town paid the pre-

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construction services throughout the billing process as the project went along, and those invoices already were approved. The additional work wasn’t validated as part of a particular phase of work, and there is a line item on a $148,000 invoice that has unrealized profit from work not completed, which Davit said was not in the town’s contract but was in the Rotary Club of Windermere’s contract. He said as a result, the town declined the final invoice. “We never did get clarification as to what those team members from McCree did, whether it was billed in previous invoices, whether it was work that was beyond the approved scope that town council agreed to, none of that was rectified,” he said. “We never went any further than that because no further proof was provided.” Davit said all the design work and pre-construction services only were approved up to the 45% design, and he believes the amounts billed were going past that. “They were doing services to prep for construction,” he said. “That was at their risk, in my opinion, because town council hadn’t approved the project. Therefore, that’s another reason why we said we disapproved of that final invoice.” Byron Sutton with the rotary club said McCree “did the job they were supposed to,” and on the initial invoice submitted to the town, “almost none of that was to McCree.” Addressing Sutton, Williams said town staff and the council would look into the matter when Sutton brought the question of reimbursement to town council in February. “We looked into it; council’s position, I think, is we paid everything we were supposed to pay,” he said.

IN OTHER NEWS n The Windermere Town Council unanimously approved appointing Maggie Dimino to the Parks and Recreation Committee. n The council also unanimously approved the Wade Trim service agreement extension. n The Town Council unanimously approved renaming the new pedestrian bridge to the Centennial Bridge.

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Church DIRECTORY BAPTIST

METHODIST Courtesy image

First Baptist Church

First United Methodist

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

New renderings have made commissioners and residents happier with the Oakland Village development.

Oakland OKs tentative budget, Oakland Village

Starke Lake Baptist Church

Pastor Jeff Pritchard PO Box 520 611 W Ave., Ocoee (407) 656-2351 www.StarkeLakeBaptist.org

IN OTHER NEWS

LETICIA SILVA

CHURCH DIRECTORY STAFF WRITER

n Mayor Shane Taylor proclaimed

Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 as HisThe Oakland Town Commission panic Heritage Month. unanimously approved Wednesday, Sept. 9, the tentative budget for Fisn Taylor proclaimed Friday, Sept. cal Year 2026-2027, totaling about $11 11, as Patriot Day and the 25th million in the General Fund. Anniversary of Sept. 11 RememFinance Director Gaby Leon said brance Day. the General Fund’s operating budVictory Baptist Church get totals $11,417,319, including &STARKE Christian Academy n The Oakland Block Party will $300,000 from town reserves to balLAKE BAPTIST METHODIST NON-DENOMINATIONAL take place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friance the budget. It is based on the 1601 A.D. Mims Rd, CHURCH FIRST UNITED METHODIST PURPOSE CHURCHtown’s OLANDO day, Sept. 18, at the Healthy West 6.7 millage rate. PO Box 520, 611 W Ave, Ocoee CHURCH 13640 W. Colonial Dr., SteThese 110, funds come from ad-valorOcoee FL 34761 Orange Arts & Heritage Center. Pastor Jeff Pritchard 125 N. Lakeview Ave Winter Garden Winter Garden em taxes, which make up 57% of the (407) 656-3097 (407) 656-2351 n Nature Fest will take place fromin the total budget or $6.5 million; sales and Service Times 9:00 AM and 11:15 AM 407-654-9661 • Prayer 9:30AM, This page appears weekly www.starkelakebaptist.org www.VBCOCOEE.com 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, use taxes, Phone – 407-656-1135 Fellowship 9:45AM, Service 10:05which AM accounts for 21% of West Times & Observer and at Oakland Nature Preserve. the total budget or $2.3 million; as Orange Web: fumcwg.org Sunday: 11AM & 6 PM well as charges for services, interCHURCH OF GOD onlinenat OrangeObserver.com. An Amendment 3 Town Hall will governmental revenues, licenses and Wednesday: 7 PMOF GOD OCOEE CHURCH UNITED CHURCH OF take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, permits, fines and forfeitures, franPastor Thomas Odom Sept. 30, at Ocoee Lakeshore chise fees, Oakland Avenue Charter CHRIST To advertise the Church 1105 N. Lakewood Avenue, Ocoee Centerin with Ocoee, Oakland, Directory School’s rent and interest earned. WINDERMERE UNION CHURCH 407-656-8011 Winter Garden, Apopka With $300,000 from reserves being call 407-656-2121 and or Winemail 10710 Park Ridge-Gotha Rd. dermere as participating municipulled to balance the General Fund, a Windermere, FL 34786 AdvertiseNow@OrangeObserver.com palities. contingency of $136,815 is left over. EPISCOPAL 407-876-2112 Worship times: Without the added reserves, the CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH 9:00am Adult Sunday School budget would be in a $163,185 deficit, water, transportation, recreation, 241 N. Main, Winter Garden Leon said. 10:00am Worship administration and wastewater Services: 8, 9:30, & 11am, 7pm General Fund expenditures include impact fees, totaling $2,435,000. This www.windermereunion.org www.churchofthemessiah.com more than $2.4 million for fire and leaves the Impact Fee budget with a emergency rescue services; $3.1 mil- contingency of $129,880. lion for the police department; $1.3 The final budget public hearing will million for Public Works; $2.4 mil- take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, lion for municipal services; $1.6 mil- at the Oakland Meeting Hall. lion for general government; $1.1 million for finance and administration; OAKLAND VILLAGE $1 million for planning; $105,737 for Commissioners unanimously human resources; $112,285 for the approved the second ordinance readMIKE YOAKUM town clerk’s office; $17,000 for leg- ing of the Oakland Village developPASTOR islation; and $269,706 for Oakland ment, formerly known as Oakland Town Center. Nature Preserve. P: 407.656.1520 The approval will result in the Expenditures also reflect $220,000 C: 407.758.3570 for road resurfacing and paving for rezoning of five parcels in the 14.8the Southern Oaks neighborhood, acre lot at the northwest corner of MYOAKUM407@AOL.COM as well as $100,000 for the Compre- the intersection of State Road 50 and hensive Plan update; $100,000 for a Catherine Ross Road from commerdebris-site land purchase; $115,000 cial general to planned unit developfor fire fee and stormwater fee stud- ment. Also included in the ordinance ies; $40,000 for the septic abandonment at Oakland Avenue Charter approval is the development’s preSchool;$30,000 for a new HVAC sys- liminary subdivision plan, and the tem in the town’s meeting hall; and a development agreement between 1333 EAST CROWN POINT RD. 3% cost-of-living adjustment for all the town and the five-parcel propOCOEE, FL 34761 erty owner. employees. During Oakland’s Aug. 25 meeting, Leon said expenditures also reflect a 10% decrease from original requests. commissioners approved the ordi“I’m not thrilled that we’re having nance with conditions. Project developers brought in a to balance our budget with reserves Matthew’s Hope is looking on the General Fund side,” Commis- revised plan that would eliminate for volunteers to provide sioner Kris Keller said. “I’m still a lit- educational facilities from being tle concerned about the (debris site) permitted to establish in the plaza, prepared lunch meals and land purchase still being in there. I though Florida Statute states private understand that it’s an opportunity schools still can be developed there. side dishes to be Automotive parts sales were for us and it may or may not happen, delivered on but that’s a big chunk of money con- reduced to a maximum of 30% within sidering we’re, again, pulling from a retail establishment, which would Tuesday and in turn, not allow an AutoZone or an our reserves.” Mayor Shane Taylor said if the Advance Auto Parts to be established Thursday Follow us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/MatthewsHopeChest/ Amendment 3 property tax ballot there, per Taylor’s request. mornings Developers also incorporated street measure passes, not all of these projlighting along the property’s Cathects will come to fruition. from Nonetheless, the budget was unan- erine Ross Road frontage, golf cart parking, additional bike racks, three imously approved. 7AM to Commissioners also approved the active rooftops and a Florida vernac10:30AM. town’s Enterprise Fund, which totals ular architecture. During the Aug. 25 meeting, Keller $10.9 million, with $7.5 million coming from grants and loans and $3.4 and Vice Mayor Mike Satterfield million coming from services such as expressed concerns over the development’s appearance, stating renderwater, wastewater and solid waste. 611 Business Park Blvd. #101, Winter Garden, FL 34787 ings seemed too modern; industrial. After expenditures, such as a 3% (407) 905-9500 | MatthewsHopeMinistries.org “From the pictures, I will say you COLA for all utility staff, an $80,000 bypass pump for lift stations, $42,000 have done a little more of what I asked for Utility Repair Experts to operate about making it look a little more like the town’s water plant, $30,000 for what we would want for it,” Sattera water rate study and others, there’s field told developers. Lastly, the project’s name was $88,933 left in the reserves. The town’s Impact Fee budget, changed from Oakland Town Center totaling $2,564,880, which funds to Oakland Village to comply with required infrastructure such as roads, commissioners’ requests to differwastewater projects and public facili- entiate this development from the ties associated with capital projects, town’s downtown. “We will not let you down,” Project also was approved. Expenditures include police, fire, Developer Alex Reece said.

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OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

Ocoee maintains millage rate for FY 26-27 The Ocoee City Commission approved the tentative budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27, which is balanced at 4.95 mills. MEGAN BRUINSMA STAFF WRITER

The Ocoee City Commission unanimously approved, Wednesday, Sept. 9, a tentative 4.95 millage rate for Fiscal Year 2026-27, keeping the city’s millage rate unchanged for 10 years. The tentative millage rate of 4.95 is 2.89% above the city’s 4.811 millage rollback rate. The budget year begins Thursday, Oct. 1, and runs through Sept. 30, 2027. With the millage rate, the city expects to collect about $27.5 million in ad valorem property tax revenue, an increase of about $2 million from the previous year. Finance Director Steve Weber said the city reduced its operating expenses through a department-by-department, zerobased budgeting process. The total city budget increased about $3.3 million, or 2.5%, to $140.6 million. The General Fund accounts for $74.2 million, a 3.83% decrease from the previous year. Part of the reduction comes from the creation of two new Enterprise Funds for emergency medical services and building services. About $5.9 million in costs will shift from the General Fund to the new Enterprise Funds. The EMS fund includes funding for 12 fulltime and six part-time paramedics. Public safety remains the largest expense of the city’s General Fund, accounting for 54% of spending. The police department’s budget is $25.5 million, including $20.4 million for salaries and benefits, and $676,000 for vehicle replacement and radio equipment. The fire department’s budget is about $14.6 million, with $12.6 million dedicated to personnel costs. Infrastructure also remains a priority in the new budget. The city has allocated $2.2 million for road-

IN OTHER NEWS n District 3 Commissioner Richard Firstner donated $3,800 from his discretionary funds to a memorial bench for Camren Salhab, who died by suicide. His family is building the bench to provide a space for those who are struggling to have a place to sit and remember to keep going. n Healthy West Orange is interested in supporting the city’s West Orange senior program as its current board prepares to step down in December. n Residents are encouraged to complete the city’s parks, trails and recreation survey to share their input so the city knows how to shape the facilities in the future. The survey can be found on the city’s website.

way resurfacing and $600,000 for sidewalk replacement and repairs. Utility and street infrastructure projects account for $6 million in capital requests, while $3.5 million is for Community Redevelopment Agency street projects and $1.35 million for park infrastructure. Ocoee resident John Michael Fernandez questioned many budget items, including spending for commission travel, community promotion, neighborhood grants, lobbying, holiday lighting, red-light cameras and city events. He said some of them should be reduced or reconsidered. Resident Doug Gomber spoke in favor of the budget, thanking the city staff for balancing cost-cutting with maintaining the public safety and quality-of-life services. He said they can’t control the rising costs of everything; it’s an issue everyone is

facing and the city will continue to have to pay the costs to maintain its core. “We could cut this thing to the bare bones and be a skeleton, but nobody’s going to want to live here, and your property values are going to drop,” he said. “That’s not going to be good for anybody here. The budget does the best job with competing with salaries … of other employees, police departments, all with the Central Florida area. … We have held our millage rate the same for almost nine years. Most of the cities in this town, in this area, cannot say that. Central Florida is not a cheap place to live.” He also brought up the “elephant” in the room: Amendment 3. “(It’s) going to cripple cities, counties and municipalities to the point where they’re going to have to go to Tallahassee with their hat in their hand in order to get money to do things that you and I take for granted,” he said. The commission will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, for a final hearing of FY 27 budget. FINAL SEPTIC-TO-SEWER ASSESSMENT

The commission unanimously approved the final assessment resolution for the city’s downtown septic-to-sewer project. City staff said 41 parcels had not connected to the sewer after it became available. Those property owners were offered three payment options: pay in full, twoyear financing with no interest or a 10-year non-ad valorem assessment. Nineteen property owners selected the 10-year assessment option. Ocoee’s Utilities Department staff said the cost is about $8,000, and the city already has begun making progress on connections.

Ocoee City Commission denies special exemption for Halloween event The Ocoee City Commission voted 3-1 Tuesday, Sept. 1, to uphold staff’s denial of a special events permit for a proposed immersive Halloween attraction at West Oaks Mall. District 4 Commissioner George Oliver III dissented. District 2 Commissioner Rosemary Wilsen was absent. The event’s organizers, George Cruz and Greg Dodds, spoke during public comments at the City Commission meeting to request the commission grant “quick approval” because of the timeline of the event. They began developing the temporary attraction in May and expected to draw 500 people per day. They planned to operate from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Sept. 12, to Friday, Nov. 5. District 1 Commissioner Scott Kennedy expressed concern about noise levels of a midnight event — especially after the commission chambers were filled not long ago with residents vocalizing displeasure with loud activities. “I’m very concerned about the noise and the traffic over an extended period of time since we just had a very sensitive discussion about the county and the city and special events,” he said. “I think we’re not allowing that person, or the county, isn’t allowing that person to have special events for that reason, and part of that is because they’re in the wrong zoning.” Most of the Halloween attrac-

tion would have been contained inside of the West Oaks Mall, but Dodds said they also planned to have a tent outside with food trucks and alcohol. Approving the Halloween attraction also would have created a hybrid among two city codes, C3 and C2, which was another issue the commission had with the application. “If we do this, we are changing what our laws are,” Mayor Rusty Johnson said. Oliver said the applicants were missing some components. They never went to the planning and zoning development board and now are at the commission in rushed time. He said there also were questions about what the motion would look like, the conditions of it and how the city could have control over the “different situation” and something it hadn’t seen before. Although there were questions, he found the hybrid code interesting and saw how willing the applicants were to work with the commission’s adjustments to the events. He thought the event would have been “great” for the city, which is why he voted against the motion. Kennedy motioned to deny the request, opting, he said, to continue with his “standard operating procedure, which is not to vote for special exemptions and variances.”

— MEGAN BRUINSMA

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OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

One of the squadron commanders stood focused at the Dr. Phillips High ceremony.

Members of Winter Garden Fire Rescue gathered to honor those who died, survived and served on 9/11.

Helen Azif and Jim Tornabene, who served in the New York City Fire Department for 21 years, attended the Winter Garden ceremony. “This was absolutely beautiful,” Azif said.

We remember. Dozens of carnations were placed on the Windermere 9/11 memorial. The memorial consists of a piece of the Twin Towers.

South Tower, Orpilla’s view of the New York City skyline changed drastically as he headed into the city as a police officer with the New York City Police Department on Sept. 11, 2001. Orpilla shared his story of being at Ground Zero on 9/11 with dozens of community members, members of the Winter Garden police and fire departments and city officials during Winter Garden’s 9/11 ceremony. “The greatest way to honor those we lost on 9/11 is to remember who we were on 9/12 and to never stop trying to be those people,” Orpilla said. Retired New York City firefighter Jimmy Brown, who was in the North Tower on 9/11 also shared his story of survival. “As the years go by, and my generation fades into the sunset, having monuments such as this helps keep those events, personal stories and facts alive,” he said. “It becomes

a witness to the day in which we saw the absolute worst of humanity, while, at the same time, seeing the absolute best in humanity.” Finally, just a few miles away, residents of the town of Windermere gathered next to the town’s 9/11 memorial to honor those who died on and since Sept. 11, 2001. The goal: to continue to fulfill a promise to never forget. “We remember where we were,” Mayor Andy Williams said. “We remember who we called. We remember watching the towers fall. And we remember the uncertainty, the grief and the fear. But we also remember something else. We remember the extraordinary courage, compassion and unity that followed.” Williams said the gathering on the 25th anniversary of the attacks Friday, Sept. 11, brought a new perspective that past anniversaries couldn’t provide. He said besides the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives that day, there are hundreds of thousands who were exposed to the toxic environment surrounding the World Trade Center that day, and as a result, even 25 years later, people still are being treated for respiratory illnesses and cancers relating to 9/11. “When we speak about sacrifice in Sept. 11, we should remember, for many people, sacrifice did not last for a day,” Williams said. “It has lasted a lifetime.” They keynote speaker was retired Brown, who was in the North Tower on 9/11. The remembrance ended with residents putting carnations on the town of Windermere’s 9/11 memorial. — LIZ RAMOS AND LETICIA SILVA

Tonya Parnell performed “Amazing Grace” on bagpipes at the Windermere ceremony.

Sgt. Maj. Theodore Ingram gave an inspiring speech to students, teachers, staff and parents at the Dr. Phillips ceremony.

Retired New York City firefighter Jimmy Brown and former New York City police officer Mike Orpilla were honored to share their stories at the Winter Garden ceremony. Both were at Ground Zero on 9/11 in honor of those who died on that day and since.

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ll throughout West Orange and Southwest Orange, residents gathered to acknowledge and remember the events of 9/11. At Dr. Phillips High School, the Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps held its 12th annual 9/11 memorial tribute Friday, Sept. 11. Cadet Wing Commander Zoe Hiraldo Gracesqui, a student at Dr. Phillips High, coordinated efforts to host the annual tribute. Lt. Col. Rick Proctor and U.S. Marines Sgt. Maj. Theodore Ingram were speakers for the memorial, remembering and honoring victims, survivors, first responders and veterans. Proctor and Ingram also highlighted the unity that followed the terrorist attacks and acknowledged the continuous sacrifice and service Americans made to the country following the tragic event. Members of the Orlando Police Department, Orlando Fire Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Orange County Fire Rescue were honored guests at the memorial. A flag-raising ceremony took place, followed by performances of the national anthem, “God Bless America” and taps. In Winter Garden, members of the Winter Garden police and fire departments, community and city officials gathered to remember those who died on and since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Winter Garden Police Officer Mike Orpilla grew up in Queens, New York. The “Twin Towers were the tallest, grandest and most awesome of buildings” that stood as a symbol of strength, ambition and possibility, Orpilla said. But after two planes were hijacked and one each hit the North Tower and

SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

SPORTS

GAME OF THE WEEK

HIGH

Ocoee High’s Jaylah Brown is teeing-off with success to start her junior golf season. She recorded her lowest round of 39 against Innovation. Page 10A.

WINDERMERE HIGH (2-2) VS. OLYMPIA HIGH (2-2)

After one year away from the high school landscape, Mike McDaniels has made his return to lead the Dr. Phillips High baseball team. McDaniels, the fourth baseball coach in Olympia High’s history, stepped away from the school after the 2025 season to become the first head coach of John Melvin Christian College — Central Florida. McDaniels has years of high school coaching experience, including at Olympia, Oak Ridge and Apopka. He also has experience as a head coach in the Florida Collegiate Summer League for the Winter Garden Squeeze and most recently the Sanford River Rats in 2026.

The First Academy senior setter Paeton Wheeler surpassed her 1,000th career assist in the team’s 3-0 win over Bishop Moore Tuesday, Sept. 8. In doing so, Wheeler broke the program’s all-time assist record. Wheeler has played for TFA since her freshman year and displayed steady growth. She lacked playing time as a ninthgrader but quickly grew in the rankings, recording 656 assists as a junior by averaging 8.7 per game. She is the No. 1 ranked player in Class 2A District 4 for her assists and No. 93 in Florida.

The Windermere High baseball team stayed inhouse for its search for a new head coach. Ray Evans, who previously served as Windermere’s assistant since 2022, now will take over as the head coach of the baseball program. He celebrated his induction into the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame in May as part of the 36th induction class. Evans has been in the coaching scene for more than 30 years, including a 559-251-2 record as a head coach at Miami Beach Senior, Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior, Charles Flanagan and Dr. Phillips high schools.

Dustin Strickland, a senior West Orange High boys lacrosse player, announced Thursday, Sept. 10, his commitment to play collegiate lacrosse at Mars Hill University, a Division II school in the South Atlantic Conference. “I am blessed and excited to announce my commitment to the University of Mars Hill to continue my academic and athletic career,” he wrote on social media . “I want to thank my family for making it possible and supporting me no matter what. I also want to thank the coaches at West Orange, ICO and Face Off Academy for being a part of the journey and for always pushing me and making me better.” In Strickland’s junior year as a Warrior, he led the team with 2.1 goals per game with his 97 shots on goal. He also tallied 10 assists to his fellow Warriors. He’s played on West Orange’s team since he was freshman and now prepares for his final run.

Windermere Preparatory School announced its first Student-Athlete Spotlight for the 2026-27 school year, recognizing volleyball player Aarna Verma. Verma, a junior setter, earned the captain role in her fourth season with the Lakers.

Windermere High’s football team is embracing its new era of lessons in preparation for success later down the road.

SWIMMING

WITH THE SHARKS

After two undefeated seasons, Windermere High’s football team is facing a more challenging schedule. But the Wolverines are embracing the excitement and lessons to be learned. MEGAN BRUINSMA STAFF WRITER

one are the days of the Windermere High football team’s 20-game winning streak. The Wolverines no longer are going into each game expecting to walk all over their opponents,. Rather, they’re heading into each week feeling ready for a fight. The bus rides to away games no longer are

full of conversation. Instead, quarterback Dean Monroe described them as “eerily silent.” “We’ve gone undefeated the last two years, and now, we’re finally back in what coach (Riki Smith) calls the ocean,” he said. “We’ve eaten all the fish, and now we’re with the sharks. That’s our mantra for the year.” Monroe said it’s exciting going onto the field, fighting until the end to see who is the “top dog.”

“Not winning every game is a good thing,” he said. “If you win every game, your mentality is just going to be the same. ...But if you lose, you can learn something from it, and you can excel even better.” Head coach Riki Smith never views a loss as a negative. To him, a loss is a lesson, so Windermere has two wins and two lessons.

Photo by Megan Bruinsma

SCHEDULE All games played at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted FRIDAY, SEPT. 18 n The First Academy (4-0) vs. IMG Academy (3-0) n Central Florida Christian Academy (1-2) vs. Nextgen Prep (4-0) n Foundation Academy (2-1) vs. Cambridge Christian (1-4) n Horizon (2-2) at Apopka (1-3) n Legacy Charter (0-5) at Halifax Academy (0-4) n Olympia (2-2) at Windermere (2-2) n West Orange (4-0) at Lake Mary (1-2) n Windermere Prep (21) at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic (0-4) n Lake Buena Vista (0-4) at Cypress Creek (0-4) n Dr. Phillips (1-2) at Winter Park (2-2)

SEE WINDERMERE PAGE 11A

West Orange senior completes scout project After nine months of planning, West Orange High senior Logan Loerwald completed an Eagle Scout project to protect the lacrosse program’s equipment. MEGAN BRUINSMA STAFF WRITER

Logan Loerwald, a West Orange High School senior, has been involved in Boy Scouts since second grade. He joined the organization as a Cub Scout and stayed dedicated ever since. Many of his family members had achieved the highest rank — Eagle Scout — and he felt a call to follow in their footsteps. When it came time to choose an

Eagle Scout service project, the community service assignment scouts must organize and lead to earn their rank, he wanted to do something that would have a lasting impact. West Orange’s lacrosse program came to mind. Loerwald has played lacrosse since seventh grade and joined West Orange’s varsity team as a freshman. SEE SCOUT PAGE 10A

Photo by Megan Bruinsma

West Orange High senior Logan Loerwald built a shed to complete his Eagle Scout ranking and help support the longevity of the school’s boys lacrosse program.

10A

OrangeObserver.com

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

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

Jaylah Brown Jaylah Brown, a golfer for Ocoee High, is off to a remarkable start for her junior year. She first assisted the team in its sweep over University and Colonial high schools at Winter Park Pines Golf Club Tuesday, Sept. 1, with her round of 40 through nine holes. She followed up later that week with a round of 39, a personal best, on Ocoee’s home course, Forest Lake Golf Club. Brown has been golfing for five years. She is focused on putting her head down in her upperclass seasons as she looks toward her future aspiration of playing collegiate golf.

What has been contributing to your early-season success? My parents and my coach. My coach (has) done so much for me. When I first started out, it was really bad. Obviously when you start out, you don’t really know much about golf. But he was so helpful with me, and he was really patient with me. … (My first coach) wasn’t really patient with me, and he would yell at me, and I would go home crying. I was like, ‘If this is what golf is like, I don’t want to play.’ Also being a minority, I was really embarrassed about telling people that I played golf, because people just laugh at me. So I feel like my coach really made me so much better at the game. I work a lot harder now, and (I am) an influence to other people. There’s this little girl that’s out here, and sometimes we’re at the same tournaments. She’s younger than me, but she looks up to me.

THE BASICS

Age: 16 Grade: Junior School: Ocoee High Sport: Golf

Did you ever expect being a high school athlete to have little kids look up to you? No. Golf was not my first sport. I wanted to play soccer, because I just loved soccer. I loved running around and doing all that, but I only have one kidney. … So the doctors said it’s best (I don’t) play contact sports and all that. It was kind of sad at first, but then I started golf, and I was like, ‘This isn’t too bad,’ and got deeper into it. When did you first pick up a club? I was 11. I went to it because of Topgolf. I like to do a lot of art and painting and stuff like that, but my parents wanted me to have a hobby to do like playing music or something, but I didn’t like that. Then we went to Topgolf for our birthday — I’m a triplet — I was like, ‘I think I like this. I want to play this more.’ I was begging my dad, “Can you find a coach?” That’s what got me here.

Pitching was a strong force for 407 Baseball 10U.

407 Baseball 10U continues first fall season

How have you seen the team’s progression over your three years? Well the team when it started out was a little rocky. Freshman year, I was the only girl, and it was really difficult, because I wanted to know what it felt like to be on a team — an actual team with a bunch of girls. Then my sophomore year, we had more of a team, and I think we did pretty (well). What is the most challenging part of golf? My mental game. I have so much confidence when I’m hitting by myself and putting and chipping, but once I get out there and I see those other girls, I’m like, ‘Wow, they’re really, really good,’ and I get super nervous. … My mental (game) has definitely improved, but it’s definitely one of my weakest things. What are your top three courses you’ve played? The favorite I’ve played at so far is Disney’s Magnolia. I love that course. Probably St. Cloud and Panther Lake at Orange County National, and then there’s also Bay Hill. It was only nine holes but it was still cool to play. What is your spirit animal? I feel like an owl. I’m very observant. That’s one thing about me is I’ll always be looking at where I’m at, the room around me, who’s around me … but I’m also very quiet. I don’t like to be loud. I don’t like to be noticed. If you could have dinner with a famous person — dead or alive — who would you pick? The first (person) that (came) to mind was the Weeknd because I love his music. I don’t know why but something about his music I love. … Or Zendaya. I would love to see how her day usually is. ... I think that’d be so fun.

Maverick Sanchez was quick to slide across bases as he ran toward third.

Coach Mike Kubo worked on guiding the players before they stepped up to bat.

Scout project benefits West Orange lacrosse CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9A

With Loerwald in goal, the Warriors have earned three district championships. However, behind that success, Loerwald has seen the weather beat down the program’s goals, which are stored outdoors, and wanted to find a solution. So he built a shed. Loerwald hopes the shed will keep the program from having to purchase new goals. A NINE-MONTH ENDEAVOR

The project began nine months ago, when Loerwald asked Michael Piatek, a mentor through the scouts, to be his Eagle Scout coach. “I’m the first person (Piatek) has tried to help get Eagle Scout, and I’ve been with him through everything — it’s great,” Loerwald said. “I went ATVing with him. I went hiking with him. I’ve done a lot of stuff — MEGAN BRUINSMA with him.” Following Piatek’s agreement to take Loerwald under his wing, Shannon Till, Agent We’re all in this together. Loerwald went to his lacrosse head Fowler’s Grove 3279 Daniels Rd State Farm has a long traditioncoach at the time, Brandon Boss, Winter Garden, FL 34787 Toll Free: 855-742-1591 of being there. That’s one reason and West Orange Athletic Director www.shannontill.com why I’m proud to support WestTodd LaNeave. They brainstormed Orange county.. ideas, including a wall ball setup, Get to a better State . which Loerwald rejected because

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07 Baseball’s 10U team went 1-2 over its tournament Saturday, Sept. 12, and Sunday, Sept. 13, in Apopka. The highlight of the weekend was the team’s 11-9 win over JSM Elite. Throughout the tournament, the teamed showcased its aggressive base running, strong pitching and effort-free defense through

407-656-4000 I www.shannontill.com Hablamos Español

they can practice that skill at home. He wanted his project to have a bigger impact. Loerwald landed on the shed and strategically placed it at the north end of the football field — between the two fields on which the team practices. He filled more than 10 pages of paperwork for the Eagle Scout project and raised $3,000 through GoFundMe until the physical part began — building. “After I came up with the idea of doing the shed, I’m like, ‘Yeah, I have to build this somehow because there’s no shed that you can just go out and buy at Costco or anything,’” Loerwald said. It felt like building a giant Lego structure. Loerwald said the most challenging part was trying to determine where the pieces fit into the puzzle. They all looked nearly identical but had their own spots. With the help of his lacrosse teammates, Loerwald turned the vision into a reality over the summer. Building took 24 hours of digging up dirt, and placing the framework and panels. Anthony’s Custom Concrete came out to pour the slab of concrete on which to place it. Loerwald learned how to become a leader outside of being a captain on the lacrosse team. He had

its final two games. 407 Baseball 10U now sits at 3-4, with many tournaments still left in its inaugural fall season, along with other local youth travel baseball programs. — MEGAN BRUINSMA

to facilitate the project’s completion — a requirement to earn the Eagle Scout ranking. He utilized the EDGE method he learned as a scout: educate, demonstrate, guide and enable. “I’d do that, and I’d show them how to do something, and then I’d tell them what to keep doing because all the parts are the same,” Loerwald said. “There’s only one type of screw and one type of bolt, so after they figured out how to do that, it went up pretty fast.” Seeing everyone come together to support him on the first build day was surreal. It was the moment Loerwald realized, “Wow, it’s actually happening.” He couldn’t believe it took nine months to plan, but now it’s done and he can turn his focus back toward enjoying his senior year — and especially his last year with the lacrosse team. “I hope the team’s really great this year,” he said. “I’m happy all those seniors with me, all my friends, are going to graduate together. I’m excited to see who else joins the team their senior year because we have a lot of people that just join their senior year. … I’m excited to see who I’ve tried to convince to come out, actually come out.” The Warriors will be searching for their fourth district championship in four years. Loerwald hopes his contribution will remain long after he graduates from the school that’s more than 50 years old. “In another 50 years, my shed will still be here,” he said.

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026 FRIDAY, SEPT. 11 FOUNDATION ACADEMY LIONS (2-1), 20 CENTRAL FLORIDA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY EAGLES (1-2), 14 The Lions claimed victory in its home district contest over the Eagles. CFCA’s QB Gavin Pritzkau found his groove following a Week 3 stoppage, with 226 yards for two touchdowns but also two interceptions.

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS Windermere welcomes

Olympia Friday night

Last week, the Wolverines were reminiscent of last year’s team. They blew out Wekiva 28-0 — bringing their record back to .500 at 2-2 and giving Anderson his first moment to shine. Onix Vazquez, senior wide receiver, was out for the game with a finger injury, so Smith used it to test Anderson’s game. Vazquez said Anderson stepped up to get the team the win. Of the four touchdowns scored, he had three. “Dean and Jabari are what you want in football players as far as their hard work and their sacrifice,” Smith said. “It’s exciting to see, because you don’t see that nowadays — you don’t see as many kids dedicated like they are.” Their dedication stems from their lack of ability to play in previous years. Especially Anderson, who also is a baseball player for Windermere — he hadn’t touched a football since middle school. But he fit in perfectly. “(Anderson) has been really churning as of late,” Smith said. Anderson always has loved the physicality football brought that he can’t find in baseball; he enjoys hitting people and being hit. He played

HORIZON HAWKS (2-2), 38 CYPRESS CREEK BEARS (0-4), 6 After back-to-back losses, Horizon rose to the challenge to crush the host Cypress Creek. Quarterback Jackson O’Rourke tallied two touchdowns and 162 yards, while running back Rodrigo Tolentino Pereira Filho was another top performer with two TDs of his own and 85 yards. UP NEXT: Horizon readies to continue its momentum against Apopka. LAKE BUENA VISTA VIPERS (0-4), 0 INNOVATION BULLS (4-0), 63 The undefeated Innovation Bulls were too tough for the Vipers, who only have reached double-figures once. Lake Buena Vista was handed its second blow-out loss, although its offense did tally 78 total yards.

UP NEXT: The Titans hit the road to play another Southwest Orange team, Windermere.

UP NEXT: The Eagles travel to winless Halifax Academy. SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 THE FIRST ACADEMY (4-0), 42 SOUTH LAKE (0-3), 0 The Royals’ undefeated campaign continued under QB Deuce Woods Jr.’s 122 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Hyquez Russell’s 89 yards and one TD. TFA now is ranked No. 14 in Florida.

WEST ORANGE WARRIORS (4-0), 13 OCOEE KNIGHTS (2-2), 12 The Battle for the Shield once again lived up to the hype. West Orange, the host, scraped by Ocoee by one — its closest win this season — to reclaim The Shield. Ocoee running back Kelvin Bridges Jr. rushed for 128 yards on 25 carries, while West Orange’s Jayden Ammons rushed for 46 yards and one touchdown on nine carries. Both teams’ scores came on the ground.

UP NEXT: The Royals prepare for its biggest challenge yet against IMG Academy, the No. 1 team in Florida and No. 3 in the nation. Photo by Megan Bruinsma

Akai Tonge rushed in a score for the Lakers.

celebrity cipher By Luis Campos

DOWN

62 Luau greeting 64 “That’s strange to brag about”

1 TV star Banks

67 Medical images

2 Egg on

71 Mass location

3 “Just jokin’!”

72 Toy brand that owns Risk

4 Guy

73 Casual way to say

5 Kung ___ chicken

$1,000,000

6 “Woe is me!”

74 Approximate length of a

7 Drink you shouldn’t shake

moon cycle

8 “Neon” fish

75 “The Mandalorian” actor

9 “Complicated” singer

Pascal

Lavigne

76 Singer Amos

10 “Maude” actress Arthur

77 Q: What did Dracula say

11 Curved paths

when he lost the game?

12 Do fall yard work

A: ___

13 Ewe’s bleat

78 Hair clip, e.g.

14 Cooling units (Abbr.)

83 Savanna scavengers’

15 Heightened language

young

expert?

85 A surfer catches one

16 Rational

86 Quench

17 Entertainment award

88 Used a turntable

quartet

89 Gawk

18 Does some quilting

90 Some first responders

21 Birthstone in an oyster

92 Notices

23 Seized Subaru, for short

94 Key ring item

28 Cold tomato soup related 96 Made a meal for 98 Genetic stuff to ajoblanco

13 Low guitars 19 Oxen connector

37 Cash dispenser

69 Tint

Rae Jepsen, e.g.?

35 Make puppy dog eyes

105 Actress Leakes

40 Bumbling sorts

70 Note after fa

104 Biblical paradise that

at, say

109 “An ___ a day keeps the

43 “Crosswords” by Olivia

71 “Lithium” by Nirvana, e.g.? was lost

36 Persuasive column

doctor away!”

Dean, e.g.?

78 “___-ching!”

106 ___ Moines

37 Coat of ___

110 Coat similar to an anorak

49 Bird hidden in “copper-

79 Tic-___-toe

107 “Me too”

38 Biblical “you”

112 Accomplished a task

108 Genre with flows

39 Gendered department

113 Unsuccessful pitch?

111 Crossed (out)

store section

114 High woodwind

82 Thick with greenery

113 Pear variety

41 In favor of

115 Japanese noodle

barhopping

84 ___-cone

116 Stick to the ___

42 German word that ana-

117 Dramatic opening

55 “Vampire” by Olivia

85 Magic show sticks

119 Lacking color

grams to “nosh”

118 Lunch time

Rodrigo, e.g.?

87 Lowly worker

122 Stealthy figure in Japan

44 Eurasian river

120 Hula garlands

57 Barely

91 Sandwich chain with a

126 Bio page heading

45 Pimple

121 This, in Spanish

59 Scuba diving measure

cowboy hat in its logo

129 “Squeeze” by Fifth

60 Title woman in a Dale

93 Place to lounge in a living Harmony, e.g.?

46 Khalid’s Texas hometown 123 Zippo 124 Abruptly break up with 47 Lemonlike fruit

Hawkins song

room

head”

20 What might soothe some- 51 Travel 54 Enjoy a wild night of one who got roasted? 21 UPS delivery 22 “Locomotive Breath” by Jethro Tull, e.g.? 24 “Whoa, chill!” 25 Confuse 26 Wrapped dress 27 Dreamcast console creator 29 Moisturizes? 30 Tax Day mo. 32 ___ carte 34 ___ Day (tree-planting time)

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

“FNMDHGN J’Z SWW PEJLOSNTNU, J’Z JTMDKDFXN WP KOWTJTL DTRSOJTL JT ... J SDVN YODS J UW PWE D XJQJTL GNEJWHGXR.”

ZJMODNX VNDSWTY

“VLSMS’G GYTSEYOA YJV VLSMS VLPV’G IYQDI VY VMA VY VPXS AYJM BYE. AYJ DSSO VY TPXS GJMS AYJ’MS IMSPV PV QV, SKSMA GQDIHS OPA.” P’BP CQHGYD

“WTHIF BHM GIC BHM YIPXJXTH BHM STPXDXQG. DLBD’G NLBD SITSPI GLTEPM RI DBPOXHJ BRTED. BHM FID ... DLIF HIUIY MT.” WXYXBW WBYJTPFIG

31 Gives up out of frustration 100 Make a mistake 103 Made calls at home plate 33 Fitting

5 Carb-heavy buffet station

LEGACY CHARTER (0-5), 0 CORNERSTONE CHARTER ACADEMY (2-1), 55 The Legacy Eagles still are struggling to find momentum suffered its fifth shutout loss of the season.

UP NEXT: Lake Buena Vista looks for its first win against another winless team in Cypress Creek.

137 British send-off

over!”

UP NEXT: Windermere Prep prepares for a tilt against Bishop McLaughlin Catholic.

UP NEXT: Windermere readies to defend its field against Olympia.

SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT by Evan Park & Jeffrey Martinovic, edited by Jared Goudsmit

1 “Whew, the long week is

WINDERMERE PREP LAKERS (2-1), 19 FAITH CHRISTIAN (0-3), 15 After a cloud of injuries in Windermere Prep’s Week 1 game, the team proved its resiliency and strength. Trailing by nine, WPS’s sophomore Carter Pucci connected with senior Colton Berry for a long first down. The next play, Pucci rushed in the Lakers’ first TD and they continued to maintain the game.

WINDERMERE WOLVERINES (2-2), 28 WEKIVA MUSTANGS (2-2), 0 The Wolverines were reminiscent of its last two year’s teams in its first blowout victory of 2026. Running back Jabari Anderson turned in his best performance of the season — 140 yards and three TDs on just 15 carries. Senior quarterback Dean Monroe tallied the team’s fourth touchdown with his connected pass to Davy Murphy, who had 50 yards on the night.

crossword

ACROSS

UP NEXT: Foundation prepares to defend its territory against Cambridge Christian. CFCA returns home in search of breaking its twogame losing streak against Nextgen Prep.

Puzzle Three Clue: G equals S

STEPPING UP

UP NEXT: The Panthers will travel to Winter Park for another road game.

OLYMPIA TITANS (2-2), 7 APOPKA BLUE DARTERS (1-3), 21 Olympia’s record is even after falling to Apopka on the road. The Blue Darters stymied the Titans offense, limiting Olympia to just seven points.

Puzzle Two Clue: G equals S

The Wolverines opened the season with a statement comeback win against Winter Park, rallying from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter and showcasing its resilience. Against Edgewater, the No. 51 team in Florida, Windermere scored 28 points — the most Edgewater has allowed its opponent to reach all season. “We all got something to prove, because every school thinks they’re playing Windermere, they were Independent, playing the bad teams, and now they want to play the good teams,” senior running back Jabari Anderson said. “We have to show everybody that we’re not the old Windermere team — we’re new and improved.”

in Windermere’s spring game, where his physicality already was on display. Smith said he worked over the spring and in the summer to dust off his rust from not playing for three years. “Having a breakout game like that felt great,” Anderson said of the Wekiva game. “(It’s) from putting in the work in the spring, the summer and then now, and they all translate. My O-linemen — always got to give them credit. They’re always working hard and even receivers, too, they’re working hard blocking. Receiving is more than just catching the ball.” While Monroe didn’t take a threeyear hiatus from football, he has been watching from the varsity bench. Even this season, Monroe was expected to be QB2, but sophomore Gianni Rodriguez went down in the exhibition game. Monroe already had been working on and off the field, he knew all of the plays and what everybody should do on each of them. “(I was) waiting for my time,” Monroe said. “I could have transferred, but I stayed loyal. Did it for the team the past three years, and now, it’s my opportunity, and I’m taking advantage.” For Monroe, Vazquez and Anderson, putting on their jerseys is more than just representing themselves — it’s representing their teammates and their fans. “Our culture is the same, and so I think you know our culture is just work hard, discipline and hold (one another) accountable and play physical, so that’s never going to change year in and year out,” Smith said. “It’s just about putting the new pieces together and that’s what we’ve been working on these first few weeks of the season. We’re trying to essentially put it together over the course of these next couple of weeks to get ready for the postseason.” After all, these new Wolverines finally will have the opportunity to play for postseason glory, which is what everything truly is about.

UP NEXT: Ocoee hangs up its pads for a week for a bye. West Orange prepares for its first road game at Lake Mary.

Puzzle Two Clue: O equals H

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9A

THURSDAY, SEPT. 10 DR. PHILLIPS PANTHERS (1-2), 25 TIMBER CREEK WOLVES (2-2), 7 Dr. Phillips traveled to Alafaya to collect its first win against Timber Creek. The Panthers far exceeded their previous offensive production levels from other games — their 25 points against the Wolves more than doubled the points in the first two games combined.

11A

61 Birth-related 63 Mammal that chews cud

80 Spadelike tool 81 Greek love god

95 “Life Is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane, e.g.?

132 Tried to influence politi-

48 Blues singer Waters

125 Word before “code” or

cally

50 Stage whisper

“map”

133 Sets with screwdrivers

52 “Slow Hands” singer

127 Reason for overtime 128 “Chicago ___” (hospital

65 Steak specification

97 Complainer’s long essay

and socket wrenches

Horan

66 ___ ex machina

99 Lodging for couples

134 Sitting around

53 House’s top story

drama)

68 Adjective in many rap-

101 Held on to

135 Rented out

56 Be rife (with)

130 ___ Def (rap name)

pers’ names

102 “Call Me Maybe” by Carly 136 Like ripe fruit

58 Put out, like a bonfire

131 Tax Day ID

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

09-17-26

OrangeObserver.com

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PATRICIA GENCARELLI LAKE WHITNEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Patricia Gencarelli is the behavior specialist at Lake Whitney Elementary School. She is responsible for conducting functional behavior assessments and collecting data, as well as creating, coordinating and monitoring behavior intervention plans. She supports and coaches the staff to help support Exception Student Education students. She also supports the school’s car line and tries to “share smiles and good mornings” with students and their families. Judith Guimaraes, who nominated Gencarelli for Influencer of the Week, said Gencarelli goes above and beyond every day to support students and staff. “She has such a special way of understanding students and seeing beyond their behaviors to figure out what they truly need,” Guimaraes said. “Ms. Patty is especially dedicated to our students with special needs. She is always there to advocate for them, help them through difficult moments, and make sure they feel supported and valued. She never gives up on a student and always finds a way to help them succeed.” What brought you to your school? After graduating with my master’s degree and teaching middle schoolage students with special needs in New York, I moved to Florida, where I began teaching VPK in Hunter’s Creek. After my daughter was born, I wanted to move closer to home, and was lucky enough to find Lake Whitney and become a part of our amazing ESE team!

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What do you love most about your school? I love our students and their families, our staff and especially my ESE team! When you work together for so long, you start to truly become a family. What is the most rewarding part of your job? Getting to celebrate growth and progress, no matter how big or small. Watching a student who struggles with self-regulation request a break appropriately; seeing a student initiate play for the first time with a peer; observing a student ask for help using a visual aide; or watching students share a toy — it is all something we get to celebrate! Who influences you? The women in my life. From my teenage daughter to my mom and sister and to the family of friends I’ve made in my 16 years in Florida, I am constantly learning, growing and inspired by these amazing and stronger-than-they’ll-ever-know women! Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? Why? My favorite teacher when I was in school had to have been my thirdgrade teacher, Mrs. Minkoff! She was incredibly kind, warm, welcoming and supportive of all of her students!

REPORT CARD YEARS WITH SCHOOL: 14 YEARS WITH OCPS: 14

What is your favorite children’s book and why? “The Kissing Hand.” I remember reading this to my daughter the night before she started kindergarten, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. What do you like to do in your spare time? I love singing along to Broadway musical soundtracks in the car with my daughter while drinking something delicious from whichever coffee shop we’ve stopped at that day! I love road trips and traveling with my love, going to the beach, laughing and spending Sundays watching NFL football with the best crew ever! If you could dine with any famous person, past or present, who would it be and why? Catherine O’Hara! What a comedic genius! What stories she could share! She starred in some of my favorite and some of the most classic films and television including: “Beetlejuice,” “Home Alone,” “Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Best in Show” and, of course, was the irreplaceable, Moira Rose from “Schitt’s Creek.” If you could only listen to three bands or artists, who would they be and why? Fleet Foxes, The Beach Boys, and it’s a tie between blink-182 and Weezer. Both Fleet Foxes and The Beach Boys have these incredible vocal harmonies, layered instrumentation and lush arrangements all paired with exceptional song writing that I can listen to at any time of day. On the days I’m feeling nostalgic, singing in the car with my family or during a workout, blink and Weezer are always my go-tos! What is your favorite holiday and why? My favorite holiday is Christmas, and really more so, the season leading up to Christmas! It’s a time of year when, thankfully, the weather is finally cooling off here, decorations and lights brighten up neighborhoods and things seem just a bit more whimsical! Getting to spend time with family and friends only makes it that much more special! What would people be surprised to learn about you? Most people would be surprised to learn I’ve traveled to multiple places just to ride roller coasters! From Glenwood Caverns, Colorado, where I rode a coaster off the side of a mountain, to Charlotte, North Carolina, where I was lucky enough to ride a 325-foot, 95-mph recordbreaking steel coaster, we’re always looking for our next destination!

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— LIZ RAMOS

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12A

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

13A

OBSERVER SCHOOL ZONE

Harper Phillips, Dr. Lori Dickerson, Isaiah Phillips and Ronald Hymon enjoyed one another’s presence at Grandparents Night.

… and Bingo was the game-o

Colleen Serna, Jeanette Hagen and Audrey Graham were excited to spend the afternoon together.

Mabel and Valentina Velez indulged in some delicious food while playing Bingo.

Madrina Minerva traveled from Tampa to spend a fun-filled evening with her grandson, Isaiah Whittington.

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astleview Elementary students welcomed their grandparents to the school for a memorable evening Friday, Sept. 11. Grandparents Night, hosted by the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization, consisted of quality time between grandparents and students through Bingo and Southern-style dinner options. Several grandparents traveled from out-of-state to be there for the special night, including Dr. Lori Dickerson and Ronald Hymon, from Delaware. They said they simply could not miss out on the opportunity to spend meaningful time with their grandchildren, Harper and Isaiah Phillips. — LETICIA SILVA

Gregory and Diana Morrow matched in green shirts for Grandparents Night. Mary, Louie and Tom Smith played Bingo together.

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!

500785-1

(407) 905-7737 windermereprep.com

500808-1

RSVP TODAY TO JOIN US!

OrangeObserver.com

OBSERVER | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

A note-worthy afternoon Healthy West Orange is partnering with Vibrant West Orange, Orlando Choral Society and Central Florida Community Arts to bring a choir showcase to the West Orange community Sunday, Sept. 20. LETICIA SILVA STAFF WRITER

IF YOU GO CREATIVE CONNECTIONS CHOIR SHOWCASE WHEN: 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20 WHERE: Ocoee Lakeshore Center, 125 N. Lakeshore Drive, Ocoee COST: Free RESERVE A SPOT: bit. ly/4h5pTei

to be able to follow your instruction and know what’s expected,’” she said. “Many of them read music, but not everyone does.” She was met with nothing but encouragement. “My heart is really to serve those who may not have the experience,” Redding said. “Let’s get you that high-level experience. You may not have all the experience to get there, but we will get you there if you believe and work hard.” Redding considers it a privilege to direct the choir. “(Helping) ordinary people to do extraordinary things is absolutely incredible,” he said. Rehearsals take place every Wednesday morning, with 41 members singing songs from The Beatles and The Beach Boys. Redding leads choir members through vocal warm-ups, lessons on vowel and consonant sounds,

Shirley Sue Ragan passed away on Sept. 2, 2026, from complications following a fall. She also had endured a tough fight with cancer, which contributed to her death. A lifelong resident of Winter Garden, Shirley was an avid reader and a wonderful dancer. She was preceded in death by her parents, Aubrey and Leslie Aplin; her son, Jerry Ragan; and her sisters, June Fleming, Sylvia Gann and Vicky Anderson. She is survived by the love of her life, her husband of 69 years, Jimmy; her daughter, Renee Provini (Michael); her sister, Melba Ard; her grandchildren, Matthew InkleChoir members attentively listened to Dr. Jeffery Redding’s instructions. barger, Jamie Gadoury (Gene), Nicholas Provini (Vanessa), breathing exercises and music readJacob Ragan (Lyndsay), and ing. Jared Ragan; and her great“It’s so much fun, while we’re also grandchildren, Gavin, Nicholearning so much,” Miller said. “The las, Cameron, Steven, Logan music is fun, and it is light, and I and Lucas Willow. think we really need that right now Affectionately called Mimi in our world. I think we need some by all of her grandchildren, unity, and that’s something The great-grandchildren and their Beach Boys and The Beatles songs friends, she never forgot a really speak to — a lot of love and a birthday or anniversary and lot of coming together and a lot of tried to be at every event they having fun. … It was perfect planwere involved in. She kept up ning on their part.” with everyone in the family, Beyond the multitude of lessons always knew what was going choir members have learned duron, and everyone looked foring the six-week program, they also Courtesy photo ward to her calls. She will be were able to benefit mentality, emo- Deb Cwynar Miller practiced her vogreatly missed. tionally and socially. cals during the Creative Connections Visitation was held from 10 “It’s all about building commu- Choir rehearsals. to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, nity,” Redding said. 2026, at Collison Carey Hand The choir allows adults ages 18 the outcome the hard work and Funeral Home, 1148 E. Plant and older to create connections, dedicationComprehensive they put into the showFinancialSt., Winter Garden. Services Planning build friendships and be a part of brings. followed immediately 11 a.m., something meaningful. “I’ve seen the beauty inManagement their also at the funeral home. Investment “The connection and the creativi- growth in the process,” Redding said. Burial was held at Winter ty are ways that really help us to pro- “It’s going to be something special.” Garden Cemetery. Retirement Income Strategies cess the grief and the sadness that is While the six-week program is For more information, visit so prevalent right now for so many,” coming to an end, Miller is hopecollisoncareyhand.com. Medicare & will Long Miller said. “It’s an excellent way to ful more choir opportunities be Term Healthcare process our emotions. … It helps us offered through Vibrant. Planning get out of that (anxious and depresNot only has she begun to underSecurity Strategies sive) space.” stand howSocial to read music but she While she is nervous to perform also is walking away with a sense of at the Creative Connections Choir accomplishment, determination, showcase, she also is excited to see fulfillment and new friends.

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Let us do what we do best, so you can do what you love. Visit our website to learn more about LaPorte Financial and how we can help you prepare for your financial future. 407-395-9720 www.laportefinancial.com

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Winter Garden resident Deb Cwynar Miller remembers listening to “Hey Jude” by The Beatles with her aunt and uncle during her childhood. It was one of her favorite songs at the time and carries significant memories with it. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the end of 2025 and discovered Vibrant West Orange, an organization offering maturing adults several activities throughout the day. After undergoing major surgery, Miller knew she couldn’t remain as active as she would like and joined Vibrant for its arts programs. “It truly has been a life-saver for me,” she said. “It was great that Vibrant had so many offerings and things that I could do through recovery.” While scrolling through Vibrant’s calendar, she came across Creative Connections Choir, a six-week music program involving The Beatles and The Beach Boys’ music. Miller will sing some of the songs from her childhood with the Creative Connections Choir during its performance Sunday, Sept. 20. At first, Miller was hesitant to join. “I was hesitant because my grandmother sang, my mom sings, and I love to sing, but in school, I dropped out of choir because I can’t read music,” Miller said. “I tried it, and I just found that it felt like I was holding back or just not really comfortable, so I wasn’t enjoying it as a result.” She also tried to join a few community choirs after high school but ended up dropping out of those for the same reasons. However, despite the hesitation, she chose to give Creative Connections Choir a try, because there was the willingness from the organizations to modify the level and intensity of lessons and rehearsals to meet members of all experience levels. On top of that, the fond memories with her uncle and aunt made giving it a shot worth it. After the first rehearsal, Miller spoke with Dr. Jeffery Redding, the director for the choir, with doubts. “I said, ‘I’m feeling very insecure, because it’s clear there are very talented singers in the room who seem

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You’re only cheating yourself.

peekers’ place

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Jasmine, Sadie’s Mom

Winter Garden’s Newest Arrival Now Delivering OB Care Close to Home

Welcoming your new baby is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The Baby Place® at AdventHealth Winter Garden is the perfect beginning to your exciting new chapter. From private mother-baby rooms to world-class physicians, midwives and nurses, we are your new home for trusted labor and delivery care in West Orange County.

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