Locals march in holiday parades … and more neighborhood news!

compiled by Lauren Salinero


MetroWest

MetroWest Master Association, managed by FirstService Residen­tial, welcomed more than 2,500 attendees to the sixth annual WinterFest. The event, held at MetroWest Golf Club, benefited Edgewood Children’s Ranch, a nonprofit residential program that helps boys and girls ages 6-17 address and overcome behavioral issues in a positive, safe environment. MetroWest communities and businesses competed in the MetroWest WinterFest Charity Challenge by collecting dry goods, sporting equipment, gift cards and more for the ranch. The Alvista MetroWest community won the Charity Challenge and will receive a community party hosted by MWMA. Edgewood Children’s Ranch also received a $500 food donation from the Chick-fil-A located at the corner of Kirkman and Conroy roads. As the spirit of giving continued, MWMA presented $5,000 to MetroWest Elementary School. The donation was accepted by MWES Principal Christine Szymanski.

Ocoee

Girl Scout Troop 18 members decorate a golf cart for the Ocoee Christmas Parade.

Girl Scout Troop 18 participated in the Ocoee Christmas Parade. The girls decorated a golf cart with holiday decorations that some rode in while others walked. They threw out candy to children watching the event from the sidelines. They also won third place in the parade under the Scouting category.


The city of Ocoee passed an ordinance allowing for the sale and service of alcohol on Sundays to begin at 7 a.m. for restaurants and lodging properties. Previously, sales before 11 a.m. were prohibited. The ordinance that passed was spearheaded by West Orange Chamber of Commerce, which led efforts to bring the city’s ordinances in line with surrounding communities. WOCC has been in regular communication with city leaders and owners of affected businesses, leading the way for passage of these changes. The amendment to the ordinance mirrors changes made by Orange County and surrounding communities, and prevents current and future Ocoee businesses from being placed in an economically disadvantageous position. With large-scale development on the horizon for downtown Ocoee and along State Road 50, the new ordinance allows the city to maintain a competitive position to attract new businesses.

Turtle Creek

Michael Kulich of Turtle Creek is elected to the Central Florida chapter of the Community Association Institute board of directors.

Michael Kulich, a Turtle Creek resident and president of the Turtle Creek Homeowners Association, was elected to the board of directors of the Central Florida chapter of the Community Association Institute. The chapter is one of the largest in the U.S., encompassing more than 7,500 HOAs and condominium associations in the region. As part of the board, Michael works to help promote the community association model in the region while inspiring professionalism, effective leadership and responsible citizenship among homeowner leaders. This honor is the latest in a long line of accolades Michael has earned in his position. He was also named the 2016 National CAI Board Member of the Year and has won the Orange County Monica Harris Spires Excellence in Leadership Award for the past two years.

Windermere

Michael Attardi of Windermere will launch his autobiography Jan. 20 at Bella Tuscany Restaurant. Michael is a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Silver Award, presented to him by President Obama in 2016, and the President’s Gold Award for logging more than 1,200 charity hours, presented to him by President Trump in 2017.

“I went into philanthropy to help raise up my local community,” Michael said. “When I started my charity work, I never looked at it as a personal recognition. It was never supposed to be about me. It was about doing the right and decent things in life for others. It was about teaching my children that another life does matter, no matter what race, creed, color or religion. My wife, Colleen, and I have taught our children that life is not easy. With that said, we have donated our time and resources to make our community a little bit better.”

Winter Garden

As a way to give back to the Orlando community, Winter Garden resident Frank Campbell, co-principal of Campbell + Van Dusen Design Studio, agreed to partner with Choices Women’s Clinic to design its new facility. Frank, along with his partner Gloria Van Dusen, was inspired by a visit to Choices and seeing the images of mothers with their unexpected blessings. They went all out to help the clinic renovate its new facility, overcome many building obstacles, and value-engineer the budget to include quality finishes and furnishings that create a warm, welcoming environment for all who enter.

Et Al

Southwest resident and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs (third from left) joins members of Family & Friends United Inc. at the 65th annual Ye Olde Hometown Christmas Parade in Winter Park.

Southwest resident and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and members of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners joined residents at several holiday parades, including those hosted by the cities of Winter Park, Ocoee and Winter Garden. The Ocoee parade, presented by the Ocoee Lions Club in conjunction with the city of Ocoee, featured floats and walkers spreading holiday cheer along Maguire Road and ending at Municipal Lakefront Park at Ocoee City Hall. The festive day culminated with Mayor Jacobs joining the City of Winter Garden Christmas Parade in the afternoon. Hundreds of citizens came out to enjoy the annual parade, which ran from South Dillard Street to Winter Garden’s city hall on West Plant Street. The event included holiday floats; vintage cars and performances by children’s groups, bands and church groups.


The Rotary Club of Dr. Phillips celebrates the holidays with holiday songs and a visit from Santa.


Photo courtesy of WOCC
West Orange Chamber of Commerce members celebrate the first anniversary of Inspired Living at Windermere.

West Orange Chamber of Commerce representatives held an anniversary celebration for Inspired Living at Windermere. WOCC builds partnerships, strong businesses and commitment to the community by serving as the leading business advocate in Central Florida, facilitating opportunity to nearly 1,000 member businesses. For more information about WOCC, call 407-656-1304 or visit wochamber.com.

Although we try to ensure that all information presented above is the most current, correct and dependable available, we do rely on others for the source of our news. Therefore, the Southwest Orlando Bulletin and Cornerstone Publishing & Multi-Media LLC cannot be held responsible for the validity of the information presented here, nor does mentioning it constitute an endorsement. In Your Neighborhood news is welcome and may be mailed to P.O. Box 851, Windermere, FL 34786; or emailed to Lauren@kearneypublishing.com. ♥