W EST O RA N G E T I M E S &
Observer Winter Garden, Ocoee, Oakland
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
The 2024 high school football season is here! 2B.
FREE • THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2024
VOLUME 91, NO. 32
Clutch performance Windermere Prep senior Sasha Vallabhaneni started learning cricket during the pandemic. Now, she has her eyes on the 2028 Olympics. SEE PAGE 1B.
YOUR TOWN EARLY VOTING BEGINS IN ORANGE Early voting started Monday, Aug. 5, at 22 locations across Orange County. Each of the sites also has a secure ballot intake station where voters can safely drop off their vote-by-mail ballot. Voters must take their photo and signature identification. If the picture I.D. does not contain a signature, they will be asked to show an additional identification with their signature. Early-voting sites in West Orange include: Orange County National Golf Center, 16301 Phil Ritson Way, Winter Garden; the West Oaks Library, 1821 E. Silver Star Road, Ocoee; and the Winter Garden Library, 805 E. Plant St., Winter Garden.
WINDERMERE TO HOST BACK-TOSCHOOL PARTY
The town of Windermere will mark the beginning of the new school year as it hosts the Kids Back to School Celebration this weekend. The town event takes place from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at Town Square Park, 520 Main St., Windermere. The event will feature music by DJ Greg and his DJ Racecar and a plethora of food trucks, including Al’s Gelato Desserts Sundaes, The Pretzel Spot, Bowls for Tu, K&E Catering, Brazilian Passion, Chicken Waffle Grill, Churros & Cream, OVN Pizza, Eat-N-Wash: The Lunchbox, La Palette, Between Breads, El Cubanito Subs, The Ranch Express, Orlando Snow Cone Factory, Pho Wheels Orlando, Schnitz and Giggles, and Smoking Soul BBQ. Tim’s Wine Market and Windermere Brewing Company also will participate. The event sponsor is the Windermere Branch Library.
Photos by Amy Quesinberry
The Candy Man, center, played by Omari Pernell, led the children in song before giving them candy. Right: Charlie Bucket, portrayed by Keon Wallace, was excited to find the fifth golden ticket.
DREAMERS OF DREAMS
CANDIDATE
East Winter Garden youth put on a successful rendition of “Willy Wonka Jr.” as golden ticket winners, Oompa-Loompas, the candy man and more at Maxey Elementary School. STORY ON PAGE 4A.
Barbershop quartet takes gold
Q&A A sneak peek inside Atwater Bay Elementary
Three and a Half Men – Joseph De Rosa, Josh Szolomayer, Chris Keough and Tony De Rosa — were excited to receive their first-place trophies.
Four men, including a father-son duo, placed first in an international competition held this summer in Ohio. SEE PAGE 2A. Courtesy of Read Photography
The new facility in Horizon West is the first elementary school built from the new district prototype. PAGE 8A.
Meet the two Republican candidates for State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit. SEE PAGE 3A.