- April 25, 2024
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+ Senior of the Month: Helen Esposito
The West Orange Seniors recently announced Helen Esposito as its Senior of the Month.
It was May 25, 1935, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — the city of brotherly love and the second largest city on the East Coast — when along came Helen Jablonski. Her father, Steve, a printer, and mother, Anna, divorced when she was very young. She then went to live with her grandparents, Frances and Stanley Jablonski.
The Espositos later moved to Florida and built a home in Melbourne Beach. After seven years, they moved back to New Jersey. When her husband died in 1989, Esposito moved back to Melbourne and lived with her daughter for three years.
Sadly, her oldest daughter, Frances, died last November, and her son, John, died this November. Celeste currently resides in Georgia, and Steve is in the Air Force, where he has become a lieutenant colonel.
Esposito became a member of the West Orange Seniors in 2004. She was also president of the group in 2007. Now living in Melbourne, Esposito continues to join the seniors for luncheons, Hard Rock gambling trips and once-a-year long trips.
WINTER GARDEN
+ Winter Garden Fire Department
There is stiff competition at the Winter Garden Fire Department each December, and it has nothing to do with heavy equipment or rescues. It has everything to do with who responds the quickest to the email request for Santa Run volunteers.
Since 2002, firefighters and other city employees have participated in the yearly Christmas event that takes Santa Claus through many of the city’s neighborhoods, spreading moments of happiness, festive music and thousands of pieces of peppermint candy.
“An annual Calling of the Elves email invitation is sent to all city employees a few weeks before the event to fill the volunteer vacancies,” Fire Chief Matt McGrew said. “These slots are usually filled within the first five to 10 minutes.”
The Santa Run is a five-vehicle parade, and Santa’s float is the same one used in the city’s Christmas parade. The Winter Garden Police Department supplies a vehicle and an officer to lead Santa around town.
Every year, the department tries to make improvements to make the experience better, the chief said, and the latest Santa Run featured nine illuminated flying reindeer that extended 15 feet into the air to lead Santa. They replaced the float’s three standing reindeer.
To pull off the Santa Run, a handful of people work on the project throughout the year, planning the evenings, ordering Santa’s supplies and candy, making repairs or upgrades to the float and updating the route maps. During the actual event, 12 people are required each night to fill all the positions.
Volunteers receive a pin for their Santa hats, and after the second year, repeat participants receive a fire department patch to sew on their hats “to designate their elf seniority,” McGrew said.
The role of Santa Claus rotates, and many people have worn his red suit, including police and fire department members, city employees, city commissioners and, at least once, an Orange County commissioner.
McGrew said he’s grateful to all the people who volunteered their time or made a donation to this holiday event.
“While the city covers the majority of the costs for the run, we also count on help from our local business community and local restaurants to bring it all together,” he said.
The Bond Foundation is the primary donor, but others making contributions for 2014 event were Candela Controls Inc., Windsor Realty Group Inc., Larry Cappleman, Jim Carter, Denny Gillard, Matt Hadley, Tim Hukill, John Kirby and Eric Roukey. Santa’s helpers were fed each night by one of the following: Beef O’Brady’s, Bella Room, Firehouse Subs, Uno’s Pizzeria & Grill and Winter Garden Pizza Company.
“With the holidays behind us and another Winter Garden Santa Run in the books, all of Santa’s local helpers wish to extend a heartfelt thanks to the community for a successful Santa Run 2014,” McGrew said.
— Amy Quesinberry Rhode
+ American Legion, Hugh T. Gregory Post 63
The American Legion, Hugh T. Gregory Post 63, in conjunction with Florida Blood Centers, will conduct a blood drive from 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at the post, 271 W. Plant St., Winter Garden.
Each pint of blood donated is equivalent to three lives saved. All successful donors will receive free movie ticket vouchers. The post will be open with sodas, coffee, tea, water, fruits and pastries available for participants.
To benefit local and national charities, dry chemical fire extinguishers and 3-by-5-foot American flags are being sold for $15 each.
The legion is also looking for historical articles, pictures or memorabilia about the post. Anyone with items to donate or lend can call (407) 656-6361.
The post building is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays. Veterans are welcome to stop by for coffee, conversation and lunch. Meetings are held at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month. For more information, email [email protected].
WINDERMERE
+ Rotary Club of Windermere
The Rotary Club of Windermere welcomed Greg Ohe as the guest speaker at its recent meeting. Ohe is the president of Health Central Hospital in Ocoee and was invited to discuss the numerous upgrades that have taken place at the hospital within the past few years.
The discussion centered on the various achievements of the hospital, including its most recent success in becoming one of the 44 top-rated hospitals in the United States.
The facility is home to more than 1,800 team members, with 600 professional medical personnel spanning 46 different specialties. Health Central also has expanded its cancer, stroke and heart attack centers to meet the growing needs of West Orange County.
+ Windermere Garden Club
The Windermere Garden Club will welcome Katy Moss Warner to its monthly meeting, which will take place at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at Windermere Town Hall, 520 Main St., Windermere. Warner is president emeritus of the American Horticulture Society and a former director of Disney Horticulture and Environmental Initiatives.
Warner will talk with the club about America in Bloom, a nationwide beautification program through community involvement.
Coffee and treats will be served at 9:30 a.m. The program begins at 10 a.m. The public is invited to attend.
For more information, call (407) 909-1461.
WEST ORANGE
+ Rotary Club of Lake Buena Vista
The Rotary Club of Lake Buena Vista recently attended an elegant reception at the Wyndham Resort Hotel at Downtown Disney. Guests enjoyed the first world-wide presentation of Matsusaka kobe beef being made available in the United States.
Rotary Club members, along with food and beverage experts, press members and guests, were given a brief introduction to Japan’s most exclusive of kobe beef, and after a light libation, attendees were given the opportunity to taste the various cuts of this special meat. This event marked the first time this product has been offered for sale anywhere in the world.
+ W.O. Women
The West Orange Women will hold their monthly meeting and luncheon Thursday, Feb. 19, at Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant, Pointe Orlando, 9101 International Drive, No. 2400, Orlando. The meeting will take place at 11:30 a.m., followed by the luncheon at noon.
The main program, featuring Robert Bowden from Leu Gardens, will begin at 1 p.m. The cost is $25 per person.
For more information and to make reservations, contact Dot Ansel at [email protected] or call (407) 258-8155.
CLERMONT
+ Pastfinders Genealogical Society of South Lake
The Pastfinders Genealogical Society of South Lake welcomes all residents and visitors of Lake County and nearby neighborhoods and campgrounds who are interested in pursuing genealogical information about their family and ancestors.
The Pastfinders Genealogical Society offers meetings, a Computer Users Group, free classes and help sessions for beginners or more experienced researchers who may have hit a brick wall. The group also welcomes interested visitors to its monthly meetings and presentations, which cover a variety of topics.
The next general meeting will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, in Room 102 at Cooper Memorial Library, 2525 Oakley Seaver Drive, Clermont. Michael Corradino, veteran broadcasting and print journalist and founder of the South Lake Tablet, will present the program “The Adventure of the Star-Spangled Banner.”
The next Computer Users Group meeting will take place at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, in Room 221 at the library. Bob Dill, webmaster of Pastfinders, will present a program on the latest trial release of Windows 10.
Free classes are held in the Genealogy room, as scheduled per month. Upcoming General Help classes are from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17; 9:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, Feb. 19; 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24; and 9:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, Feb. 24.
For more information, call (352) 242-9805.
+ Clermont Toastmasters
The Clermont Toastmasters recently congratulated members Greg Antill (Best Evaluator), Corey Lewis (Best Speaker and Most Improved) and Tom Stone (Best Table Topics) at its meeting last week.
The group meets at 6:30 p.m. every Monday at the Seventh Day Adventist Church, 100 Minnehaha Ave., Clermont.
For more information, call (352) 234-6495.
West Orange Duplicate Bridge Club
Results from Jan. 29
N-S: 1. H. Parker – M. Lesnik 2/3 tied B. Ballenger – B. Cox, J. and R. Jett 4. S. Kmiec – M. Ryan 5. L. and T. Saulino; E-W: 1/2 tied J. Thompson – L. Madison, L. and J. Pylman 3. M. and F. Schwartz 4. B. and R. Blair 5. V. Oberaitis – J. Muzeni.
