SO U T H W E ST O RA N G E
LOCAL
Observer Windermere, Horizon West, Dr. Phillips
MOTION AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO LIFE IN WEST ORANGE COUNTY
2024-2025
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 9, NO. 42
FREE • THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2024
Your guide to everything
Observer
1
LOCAL MOTION 2024
Local Motion, our annual guide to life and living in West Orange, is here! INSIDE.
Hometown heroes
CANDIDATE
Q&A
Meet Geraldine Thompson and Randolph Bracy, candidates for Florida Senate District 15. SEE 3A.
YOUR TOWN WINTER GARDEN NATIVE SERVING ON NAVY WARSHIP
Officers Ryan Miller, left, and Jonathan Cassin are making a difference at the Windermere Police Department.
Annabelle Sikes
Windermere Police Department officers Jonathan Cassin and Ryan Miller’s quick thinking and dedicated service have helped to save multiple lives in the past few months. STORY ON PAGE 4A.
UNDEFEATED! Windermere Little League’s 8- to 10-yearold AllStar softball team is headed to Tennessee. PAGE 1B.
Proposed RV park sparks concerns in rural area A developer is requesting a special exception for an RV park with up to 277 camping sites in the Citrus Rural District. 5A.
Windermere Town Hall plans take shape Bathroom and kitchen upgrades took top priority during the Town Council workshop. PAGE 6A.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Ray, a native of Winter Garden, is serving aboard USS Ramage, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of Mayport. Ray graduated from West Orange High School in 2008. “I came from a tight-knit community where everyone looked out for (one another),” Ray said. “That mindset has helped me in the Navy, because at the end of the day, we are all a team. We cannot accomplish the mission alone, and we have to lean on other sailors in one way or another.” Ray joined the Navy six years ago.
CHAMBER TO HOST HOB NOB & STRAW POLL
The West Orange Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 2024 Political Hob Nob & Straw Poll, and this evening of civic engagement is a great opportunity to meet local candidates. The event is from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1, at the Ocoee Lakeshore Center, 125 N. Lakeshore Drive. For tickets, visit wochamber.com/event/ hob-nob-straw-poll-2.