This week in West Orange County history: April 21, 2022

OLD TIMES

80 years ago

Mrs. Hoyle Pounds, chairman of the Red Cross sewing, announced that she had plenty of materials on hand, and persons wishing to sew were asked to contact her and she would deliver same.

70 years ago

The West Orange Little League was in full swing with its division into four teams of 15 boys each. The managers were Bob Kerr, Flip Sterns, Ross Voss and Vernie Daloportis. Season play was at Irrgang Field in Shadowlawn Subdivision.

55 years ago

Miss Lavina Maszy was one of the early entrants in the Miss West Orange County Pageant. A 1965 graduate of Lakeview High School, she was employed by West Orange Savings & Loan. She performed an acrobatic dance as her talent presentation.

Miss Lani Zeigler also submitted her application as Miss West Orange County. She is a 1966 Lakeview graduate and was first runner-up in the West Orange Junior Miss contest.

45 years ago

From Ocoee Outpost: The Trailways Lounge gave its annual Redneck of the Year award to our own Junior Crawford. It was announced on WHOO radio, and well-wishers rang his phone the rest of the day.

Overall winners of the recent Bay Hill Member-Guest tennis tournament were Peg Gaylor and Elise Bradford. First consolation went to Betty Burch and Jo Arnold, and second consolation to Penny Garrison and Carolyn Coleman.

40 years ago

These Lakeview Junior High band students received a Superior rating at the Solo and Ensemble contest: Samantha Cothern, Michelle Fillyaw, Kristi Bird, Nick Nida, Blake Wagster, Kim Gossett, Jackie Petrie, Tara Rustin, Wendi Connor, Kim Fleming, Jenny Johnson, Connie Jones, Jack Jackson, Scott Charron, Johnny Lee, Chris Cooper, Mary Lou McDowell, Carol Tope and Brenda Jacobsen.

West Orange High British Literature teacher Bob Boyte and the Shakespeare Society presented a Medieval Festival in the courtyard, complete with leprosy victims; a hanging (almost); the sale of indulgences by the church; and pigs, goats and chickens roaming freely among the costumed students.

20 years ago

An artist rendering depicted a plan for the new Oakland Town Center. The center included the Little White House, with discussions to relocate it; the administration building, Town Hall, the post office and a meeting hall. A Town Square Committee met for nearly two years and worked with a planning firm to come up with a design that would work. The traffic circle, fountain and landscaping were all part of the plan as well.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

APRIL 30, 1992

THE WEST ORANGE TIMES

Colony Plaza Hotel was once THE place for folks to hang out — they could cool off in the luxurious swimming pool, enjoy a candlelight meal in the dining room or listen to live entertainment in the popular Chit Chat Lounge. Where else could you get two dinners for less than $9 or a seafood buffet for less than $13 and hear all genres of music while nibbling on free hors d’oeuvres during Happy Hour?

The hotel was located at West Colonial Drive and Maguire Road in Ocoee. The establishment stood for 40 years, opening as a fancy, high-end hotel and eventually turning into condos and an unofficial home for the homeless. It was demolished in a spectacular implosion with more than 600 sticks of dynamite in 2009.

FROM THE WINTER GARDEN HERITAGE FOUNDATION ARCHIVES

Winter Garden resident Johnny Ficquette identifies his 1963 Little League teammates in this photograph taken inside the original archive of the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation. The WGHF is in its fourth home since beginning in 1994 with the mission to gather, document and display the history of West Orange County.

Heritage staff constantly are adding to and archiving the collection. If you have something to donate or share, call (407) 656-3244.