Month: February 2016

Windermere Art Affair

  The town of Windermere hosted its inaugural Windermere Art Affair last month. With 66 booths, 43 artists and more than 3,000 attendees, the event was a huge success. The weather was beautiful for the outdoor affair, providing the perfect ambiance for residents and visitors to stroll through, and view and buy unique pieces created…

School News

compiled by Lauren Salinero –  Bay Meadows Elementary Miss Beverly, a Bay Meadows Elementary volunteer and coach for Girls on the Run Orlando, celebrates her 90th birthday.   Bay Meadows Elementary volunteer Miss Beverly was honored by Girls on the Run Orlando on her 90th birthday. She was shown as an inspiring example of someone…

Neighborhood News

compiled by Lauren Salinero Phillips Landing (L. to r.) Scott Barnhard, YMCA director; Phillips Landing residents Varkey Chacko and Ann Varkey; and Ryan Smith, YMCA director, attend the Varkeys’ annual holiday dinner at the Dr. P. Phillips YMCA Family Center to benefit disabled and less-fortunate individuals. Phillips Landing resident and Realtor Ann Varkey and her…

Managing Diabetic Pets at Home

Diabetic Pets Chances are good that most people know someone who has diabetes. However, they may not realize this disease that commonly affects humans is on the rise among dogs and cats. Like humans, a diagnosis of diabetes requires lifestyle changes and heightened health monitoring. Yet with proper care, a pet can live a full…

SW News & Business Briefs – February 2016

compiled by Lauren Salinero –  With tax season underway, Heart of Florida United Way is helping to get the word out about how qualified tax payers can claim their Earned Income Tax Credit, which is recognized for lifting more people out of poverty than any other federal program. The IRS estimates that one in four…

Winter Garden Family Reinvents Historic Farm

U-Pick Hydroponic Farming Paves Way to Their Future by Kirsten Harrington –  “I vividly remember last January,” said John Bekemeyer, strolling through his family’s 20-acre farm on East Story Road in Winter Garden. “This was all dead orange trees. This was all mud in September. We didn’t even plant strawberries until October.” The nearly century-old…

Pet Photo Contest 2016

Picture My Pet!  For 15 years, Southwest Orlando residents have showed off the modeling talents of their beloved pets in the annual Picture My Pet photo issue. And for 15 years, the staff of the Southwest Orlando Bulletin has had the privilege of reviewing hundreds of creative — and often funny — shots, showcasing everything from dogs…

Mama Louise Opens in The Marketplace!

 Shut Up and Eat! Mama Louise Restaurant — a new Italian eatery located in the spot of the former Cariera’s Cucina Italiana in The Marketplace at Dr. Phillips — was designed for the neighborhood locals to come, eat, spend time with their families, have fun and feel at home. Forty-year restaurateur and chef Joe Esposito…

Neighborhood News

compiled by Lauren Salinero – Sterling Pointe News: Resident and Winter Garden Commissioner Robert “Bobby” Olszewski (second from left) becomes the past chairman of the Orange County Community Action Board as Orange County Judge Tanya Wilson (third from right) swears in new executive board members, (l. to r.) Thomas Alston, treasurer; Orange County Commissioner Pete…

Making Miracles Happen

Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies Celebrates 10 Years In only 10 years, Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies has established itself as one of the country’s premier health care providers for women. The hospital provides state-of-the-art obstetric, gynecologic, and neonatal services, and with a direct connection to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, is the largest medical…

Valentine Messages

Valentine’s Day is that special time of year when we celebrate the cherished bonds we share with family, friends and loved ones. In honor of the romantic holiday, we asked you to send us your sweet nothings, and the responses touched our hearts. Read below for outpourings of love from residents across Southwest. To Danny: “I…

Happily Ever After

An inside look at how four local couples keep their marriage strong by Lauren Salinero – Love can seem like something straight out of a fairy tale. The prince and princess instantly fall in love, get married and live happily ever after. Reality takes a little bit more work. As the one day of the…