Windermere town buries a time capsule … and more neighborhood news!

Bay Hill

Bay Hill resident and author Bob Thwaites, under the pen name Robert James, will have his book, Next! The Search for My Last First Date, brought to life on the big screen, as it is in production for a movie. The screenplay has been written, and casting will start later this year. The book is a hilarious, light-hearted romance about one divorced, middle-aged man’s quest for the next love of his life, based on Robert’s own experiences.

Bob Thwaites, a resident of Bay Hill, signs copies of his book, Next! The Search for My Last First Date, written under the pen name Robert James and soon to be made into a movie.

“I used to tell my old assistant, Jenny, some of my dating stories, and she told me to write them down, and I had enough material to write a book, which led me to publish Next!” Robert said.
The book goes through the highs and lows, odd and bizarre, funny and heartbreaking, and timing and chemistry of modern dating.


After 34 years, Bay Hill resident Charles Bell retired from directing the First Baptist Church of Orlando Counseling Center. He is now on the staff of Chris Couch Golf, providing instruction on the mental aspects of the game.

Ocoee

The Ocoee Fire Department and Citizens Advisory Council for the Ocoee Fire Department co-hosted the annual Open House. Fire Station 25 on Bluford Avenue was open to the public, giving residents an opportunity to meet their firefighters and tour the facility. With storm season beginning, the open house also offered hurricane-preparedness information, as well as a full day of fun activities and complimentary hot dogs, sodas and popcorn.


Ocoee City Commission meetings will take place one hour earlier beginning June 6. A start time of 6:15 p.m. was unanimously approved at one of the commission’s meetings last month. City commission meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at Ocoee City Hall, located at 150 N. Lakeshore Drive in Ocoee, and are broadcast live on Ocoee TV on Spectrum Channel 493. To watch the commission and other city governmental meetings online, visit Ocoee TV at www.ocoee.org or Ocoee TV’s YouTube channel at ww.youtube.com/user/ocoeetv. For more information, call the city clerk’s office at 407-905-3105.

Windermere

(L. to r.) Windermere Mayor Gary Bruhn, Council Liaison John Armstrong, and Chairman Andrew McGhee of the town’s Historical Preservation Board bury a time capsule.

Town of Windermere representatives buried a time capsule to be opened in 2050. The capsule contains items that represent the mood and issues currently affecting the town. Each paper item was preserved in acid-free packets, metal and electronic items were in noncorrosive metallic bags, and moisture-absorbing packets were added. The lid was sealed with a special archival silicone sealant that cured for 24 hours and was further protected with wax. Included were items ranging from a FitBit, smartphone and standard landline phone to Windermere-specific items, such as a letter from Mayor Gary Bruhn to the future mayor of 2050, copies of newspapers, a Windermere Elementary School yearbook, and more. It also contains items for the sake of wondering if they will still exist at the time the capsule is opened, such as pennies and a cable TV movie guide.


Windermere Mayor Gary Bruhn is elected president of the Florida League of Mayors.

Board members of the Florida League of Mayors elected Windermere Mayor Gary Bruhn to serve as president for the 2017-18 term. Mayor Bruhn will be sworn in at the Florida League of Cities’ annual conference in August. He has served for five consecutive years on Florida League of Mayors’ board of directors. Mayor Bruhn was also a recipient of this year’s Florida League of Cities’ Home Rule Hero Award, an honor he has received for three consecutive years and a total of four years.

Et Al

Jackie Kennedy (second from left), AAA field director, and Vanessa Jones, AAA field manager, co-present a AAA Five Diamond Award to Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort representatives Wingrove resident Shadi Saman (far left), sales manager, and Keene’s Pointe resident Charles Fisher, resort manager.

Keene’s Pointe resident Charles Fisher, resort manager of Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, and Wingrove resident Shadi Saman, Four Seasons Resort Orlando’s sales manager, accepted a AAA Five Diamond Award on behalf of the property. The resort has consistently received this honor since its opening in 2014 and is the first and only Central Florida property to achieve the coveted award.


Southwest resident Jennie Joseph, a British-trained midwife and the founder and CEO of Commonsense Childbirth Inc, spoke at the March for Moms in Washington, D.C., on Mother’s Day. The event, which took place at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, included peaceful demonstrations, highlighting the critical need to address the maternal health of families in the U.S.


Lt. Patrick Flynn, a 2005 West Orange High School graduate and Florida native, is serving with a naval squadron that flies one of the U.S. Navy’s most advanced aircraft, one with an important mission: keeping watch over the skies and oceans of the world. Lt. Flynn works as a naval pilot qualified for duty involving flying heavier-than-air, or heavier and lighter-than-air types of aircraft. He serves with Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 121, also known as the “Bluetails.”

West Orange High School alumni Lt. Patrick Flynn serves as a naval pilot with Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 121.

“I was inspired when I was younger to be a pilot,” Lt. Flynn said. “I am honored to be able to serve in the Navy and be a pilot for my country.”

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.♥