SO U T H W E ST O RA N G E
Observer Windermere, Horizon West, Dr. Phillips
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FREE • THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2024
VOLUME 9, NO. 28
WINNER WINNER! After nearly 1,500 votes were cast, one school emerged as the winner of the $2,500 top prize in our 2024 Show Us Your Strength in Service contest. 7B.
Jones unseats Mueller Iliana Ramos Jones defeated Ron Mueller by 57 votes in the runoff election Tuesday, April 16. 8A.
Paving the way
Courtesy photo
Myriad stakeholders scooped the dirt to commemorate the groundbreaking of the new expressway.
CFX has broken ground on the 4.4-mile State Road 516 Lake/Orange Expressway, which county officials believe will provide much-needed connectivity between Lake and Orange counties. SEE PAGE 4A.
LOUD AND PROUD Thousands enjoy 2024 Ocoee Music Festival . SEE PAGE 3A.
Courtesy photo
The project is divided into three seperate segments between the two counties.
Tax won’t appear on ballot The Orange County Commission decided against placing Mayor Jerry Demings’ transportation tax referendum on the ballot. SEE PAGE 6A.
YOUR TOWN
served basis. To reserve a spot, visit bit.ly/pollinator-garden-tour.
GARDEN CLUB GIVING TOUR OF POLLINATOR GARDEN
CELEBRATE EARTH WEEK AT TIBETBUTLER PRESERVE
The Bloom & Grow Garden Society will celebrate Earth Week from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, April 20, at the pollinator garden at 1061 Tildenville School Road, Winter Garden. The club is teaming up with Orange County Utilities to conduct the tour. Attendees can discover the secrets to attracting bees and butterflies, and they will receive two brochures on pollinator plants and butterflies, a seed packet and a rain gauge. The event is free, but space and giveaways are limited and will be available on a first-come, first-
Tibet-Butler Preserve is hosting a number of family-friendly events to celebrate Earth Week. Ambassador Animal Interactions will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, April 22, and are free and open to the public. Guided hikes will be offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day, as well. From April 22 through 27, the preserve offers an eco-scavenger hunt all day. The preserve is located at 8777 Winter Garden-Vineland Road, Orlando. For more information, call (407) 254-1940.