W EST O RA N G E T I M E S &
Observer Winter Garden, Ocoee, Oakland
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
Castleview Elementary stages “Nemo Jr.” 7B.
FREE • THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024
VOLUME 91, NO. 12
ELECTION RESULTS SEE 2A. Shane Taylor
George Oliver III
YOUR TOWN OAKLAND PLANS CELEBRATION AMONG THE OAKS The town of Oakland is hosting its annual springtime festival, Celebration Among the Oaks, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at VanderLey Park, 117 E. Gulley Ave. During the event, guests can shop at more than 40 vendor booths, and children can participate in activities and crafts, pose for free photos with the Easter Bunny and hunt for eggs. The Lakeside Church will host a helicopter egg drop, and families can play in a stream of bubbles at The Bubble Bus. There also will be a chance to win a tree, dine at several food trucks and visit the Healthy West Orange Arts & Heritage Center at the Town of Oakland to see the Central Florida Watercolor Society’s 2024 Annual Juried Membership Art Show.
Chloe Johnson
Ron Mueller
Iliana Ramos Jones
MINISTER MILESTONE
ROTARY HOSTING EVENING AT THE POPS SATURDAY
The Rotary Club of Winter Garden is presenting its annual Evening at the Pops concert under the stars at Newton Park, 31 W. Garden Ave., in Winter Garden. The musical event begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 23, and will feature the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, with special guest John Stevens of “American Idol.” Tickets are $10 for general admission and $75 for VIP, which includes dinner, drinks and live entertainment. They are available online at bit. ly/2024Pops or at Winter Garden City Hall, 300 W. Plant St., or the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation – Healthy West Orange Heritage and Cultural Center, 21 E. Plant St.
Pastor Bryan Stamper has been leading Quest Church (formerly St. Pauls Presbyterian Church) since 1974. He moved the church from Pine Hills to Gotha in the early 1990s. The church’s name was changed in 2016.
STORY ON PAGE 4A. Amy Quesinberry
Quest Church Pastor Bryan Stamper has a routine for writing his weekly sermons and already has them prepared for many Sundays in 2025.
Portable traffic signals coming to Avalon intersection Following various accidents at the intersection in recent months, Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson announced at a community meeting that temporary traffic lights are on the way.
SEE PAGE 4A.
Luck of the Irish Plant Street Market was packed for a weekend of fun at Crooked Can Brewing Company’s annual Celtic Fest SEE PAGE 5B.