Orlando Life January 2014

J a n u a r y 2 0 1 4

T H E B E S T O F C E N T R A L F LO R I D A

JAY BOYAR ON BUGS BUNNY ■ MIKE THOMAS ON BAD-NEWS BEARS

A TEEN DESIGNERMAKES HER MARK.

T H E B E S T O F C E N T R A L F LO R I D A

A TEEN DESIGNERMAKES HER MARK.

EDGYANDEXOTICKESSLER’SKINGDOM

SURGERY ANDVIDEO GAMES

2014 EDUCATION GUIDE

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PHOTO

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2 ORLANDO LIFE january 2014

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ABOUT THE COVER: Jackie, of Miami’s Front Management, photographed by Rafael Tongol; hair and makeup by Elsie Knab.

32

CONTENTS january

Volume 15 Issue 1

26 FIRST RESORTSHotelier Richard Kessler has made attracting guests an art form, and he’s not the only one. by Michael McLeod • photographs by Rafael Tongol

8 JAY BOYAR’S LIMELIGHT

Jay is looney over the upcoming Warner Bros. cartoon exhibit at the Orange County Histori-cal Museum; Old Masters visit the Orlando Museum of Art; the Orange Studio celebrates cardboard creations; the hit movie-turned-in-to-a-play Once comes to the Bob Carr; country star Brad Paisley wheels into the Amway.

15 DESIGN / STYLETeenage designer Julia Chew manages to combine elegance and edginess. by Marianne Ilunga • photographs by Rafael Tongol

22 PROFILELongwood’s Matt Loory made a childhood dream come true by joining the circus — but as a chef, not a performer. by Rona Gindin

36 FLAVORSantiago’s Bodega near Lake Ivanhoe serves up tapas in a warm, welcoming setting. by Rona Gindin • photographs by Rafael Tongol

56 PEOPLE & PLACESPaula is out and about at the Mylan WTT Smash Hits celebrity tennis tourney, the Headdress Ball and ATHENA Internation-al’s award ceremony. by Paula Wyatt

60 WELLNESSA rare and relatively new surgical procedure at Orlando Health offers an alternative to total hip replacement. by Harry Wessel • pho-tographs by Jarred Paluzzi

64 RESTLESS NATIVESo what should Orlando do about its bear problem? Our Restless Native has a few sug-gestions. by Mike ThomasSPECIAL SECTION

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43 EDUCATION GUIDEA guide to some of Central Florida’s finest private and parochial schools — including a primer on how to choose the right one for your child — plus a list of the area’s higher-ed institutions. by Harry Wessel

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4 ORLANDO LIFE JANUARY 2014

I come from Ohio. There’s a clever old witticism about my home state’s name: It’s round on the ends and “hi” in the middle.

It’s just a joke. Still, it puts me in mind of the tick-tock predictability of my Midwestern upbringing, when I was a lot more confi dent about beginnings,

endings and what might transpire in between than I am these days.Lately, though, I’ve been getting a wisp of that rock-steady feeling again from an

unexpected direction: the stage. I am as dead certain about how this year is going to start off for theater in Orlando as I am about how it’s going to wind up.

This month, Orlando Shakespeare Theater will present The Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby, a 6 ½ hour production broken into two segments (You can either see the play on successive nights, or on a single day with a break for dinner in between.)

It’s the most ambitious production in the company’s history — or as Shakes ar-tistic director Jim Helsinger puts it, “This is as all-in as I’ve ever been.” The stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’ third novel is a shrewdly rendered theatrical trea-sure that somehow captures the lively spirit of Dickens’ cleverly interwoven plots, characters and social commentary.

Not to be outdone, Mad Cow Theatre is presenting an inventive festival of sci-ence-themed plays the month, including one entitled A Short History of Nearly Ev-erything. How’s that for a big show?

Now let’s time travel to the end of the year, and another ambitious Shakes pro-duction: As Helsinger recently revealed to a small group of patrons, the company will presenting another treasured theatrical milestone next season: Les Mis.

I’d call it the most ambitious production in the company’s history, but that seat’s taken.

By the time Les Mis goes up, the long-awaited Dr. Phillips Performing Art Cen-ter will have opened, and the Broadway Across America series will be presenting its slate of shows in its spectacular new home. Newsies, an award-winning musical about an 1899 newsboys strike in New York City, is the only show that’s been con-fi rmed on the 2004 slate.

But I’ve got my fi ngers crossed that we’ll also be seeing Kinky Boots, the inspired Cin-dy Lauper/Harvey Feinstein collaboration about a shoe shop rescued by a drag queen.

So, that’s a glimpse of theater in Orlando in 2014. It will start off with a bang. It will end that way, too. Somewhere in between, we’ll be saying goodbye to an infa-mous theatrical aggravation: Stumbling over each other at the Bob Carr Perform-ing Arts Centre, which has no center aisle.

We won’t miss it. Of that I am equally sure.

Michael McLeodEditor in [email protected]

Take NoteWhat’s SOCIALFollow us on twitter: @Orlando-LifeMag and Facebook at: face-book.com/orlandolifemagazine. We’re on Google+ and Pinterest too: pinterest.com/orlandolife/.

What’s ONLINE Check out our expanded listing of arts organizations and their schedules of events for the upcoming season.

What you CAN DO Have a heart. Check out Pook-ie’s Pet Nutrition & Bow Wow Bakery’s 6th Annual Rescuefest, a fundraiser and adoption day to benefi t non-profi t animal rescue groups at Lake Lily Park in Maitland, Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What’s ON DECK Our Annual Wedding Issue, plus Jay Boyar’s profi le the lead player in the Orlando Shake-speare Theater’s production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

CORRECTIONIn the October issue of Orlando Life,

the name of landscape designer Randy

Suggs was spelled incorrectly.

FIRST from the editor

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6 ORLANDO LIFE january 2014

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copyright 2014 by florida home Media, llc. all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without written permission of the copyright holder. ORlaNDO life iSSN: 2326-2478 (USPS 000-140) (Vol. 15/issue No. 1) is published monthly by florida home Media llc, 2700 Westhall lane, Ste 128, Maitland, fl 32751. Periodicals Postage Paid at Maitland, fl and at additional mailing offices. POStMaSteR: Send address changes to Orlando life Magazine, 330 S. Pineapple ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, fl 34236.

The Mennello Museumof American Art

is owned and operated by the

900 E. Princeton StreetOrlando, FL 32803

www.mennellomuseum.com

Exhibitions sponsored by the City of Orlando and the Friends ofThe Mennello Museum of American Art with funding fromOrange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program.

THE ART OF THE AMERICAN WESTA series of exhibitions inspired by the landscape and culture of the Western states.

William Penhallow Henderson (American, 1877–1943), End of the Santa Fe Trail, 1916, oil on canvas, 40 x 32 inches.Ray Harvey Collection

January 17–April 6, 2014

The evolution of Sante Fe as an art center is explored through thispictorial history of artists, the work they produced and the prevailing artistic trendsthat were applied to this Southwestern city’s landscape, customs and lifestyle.Organized by the Boca Museum of Art, Boca Raton, Florida.

thAnniversary Season

Southwestern Allure:THE ARTOF THESANTA FEART COLONY

MMAA OrlLIfe (12-11-13).indd 1 12/13/13 12:52 PM1OL_Jan14_TOC.indd 6 12/16/13 11:23:12 AM

The Mennello Museumof American Art

is owned and operated by the

900 E. Princeton StreetOrlando, FL 32803

www.mennellomuseum.com

Exhibitions sponsored by the City of Orlando and the Friends ofThe Mennello Museum of American Art with funding fromOrange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program.

THE ART OF THE AMERICAN WESTA series of exhibitions inspired by the landscape and culture of the Western states.

William Penhallow Henderson (American, 1877–1943), End of the Santa Fe Trail, 1916, oil on canvas, 40 x 32 inches.Ray Harvey Collection

January 17–April 6, 2014

The evolution of Sante Fe as an art center is explored through thispictorial history of artists, the work they produced and the prevailing artistic trendsthat were applied to this Southwestern city’s landscape, customs and lifestyle.Organized by the Boca Museum of Art, Boca Raton, Florida.

thAnniversary Season

Southwestern Allure:THE ARTOF THESANTA FEART COLONY

MMAA OrlLIfe (12-11-13).indd 1 12/13/13 12:52 PM1OL_Jan14_TOC.indd 7 12/13/13 4:32:08 PM

8 ORLANDO LIFE January 2014

LIMELIGHT jay boyar

As a kid, I liked Mickey Mouse and his Disney pals — but only to a point. Their cartoon shorts were fun, but those characters, let’s face it, were country bumpkins. Except for Donald’s Einstein-like uncle, Ludwig Von Drake, they

seldom said anything smart or witty.Over at Warner Bros., the ‘toons tended to be hipper.

Bugs Bunny, for example, was cool, clever and streetwise. His catch phrase, “What’s up, Doc?” suggested both curi-osity and detachment — especially when punctuated by the sound of carrot crunches.

“Warner Bros. wrote for adults,” says Michael Perkins, curator at the Orange County Regional History Center. “It was sophisticated humor.”

For me, Bugs and much of his gang were friends — kin-dred spirits. (They still are, actually.) So, of course, I’m going a bit “Looney Tunes” while waiting for The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons, an Orange County History Center exhibit from Jan. 25 through March 23.

The show will feature more than 160 objects, including drawings, paintings and cartoon cels (sheets of transparent cellulose acetate on which characters and backgrounds were painted) from 1930 through 1969.

“The art really tells the story of how they created the car-toons,” notes Perkins.

Among the characters featured in the show is that “cwazy wabbit,” as well as Porky Pig (an early Warners star and, like Elmer Fudd, a token bumpkin). Also included are the short-tempered Daffy Duck, the ever-plotting Wile E. Coyote, the explosive Yosemite Sam and the predatory Sylvester the cat — perennial losers all, but each with ample attitude and a measure of ingenuity.

Along with charting how the cartoons were created, Perkins says the exhibit will showcase their “social-cultural aspect and the tremendous influence Warner Bros. cartoons have had on us for decades now.” Those cartoons, he adds, “made a lot of statements just with the raised eyebrow of a character.”

Organized by the Museum of Modern Art from a private collection, the History Center exhibit doesn’t shy away from

Sssufferin’ Succotash! It’S Looney tuneS tIme at orange HIStory Center.

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ORLANDO-LIFE.COM ORLANDO LIFE 9

LIMELIGHT jay boyar

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the politically incorrect side of the Warners animation story, in which the studio caught the prevailing ill winds of the times.

Several drawings in the show depict particularly egregious Asian stereotypes, while a cel reveals how Speedy Gonzales looked back in 1951 — a broad Hispanic caricature with an

overbite and a gold front tooth. Then there are the drawings for 1943’s Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs, Warners’ racially insensitive answer to Disney’s first cartoon feature.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the History Center will be presenting a lecture on the history of animation, showings of Warner Bros. cartoons (on Saturday mornings and at the exhibit) and an assemblage of merchandise from local collec-tors that features Bugs and company. I’m especially intrigued that there also will be a mock trial in which the Coyote will sue the Acme company over the failure of their products.

And that’s all, folks — unless you want to visit thehisto-rycenter.org for further information. n

Jay Boyar, arts editor of Orlando Life, has written about film and travel for the Orlando Sentinel and numerous other newspapers. He’s the author of Films to Go: 100 Memorable Movies for Travelers & Others and a contributor to Reel Romance: The Lovers’ Guide to the 100 Best Date Movies.

Damian Barray, Jeffrey Todd Parrott and Sophie Bell.



B.B. KingJan. 3Bob Carr Performing Arts CentreThe thrill is gone: Blues legend B.B. King, now 88, is not only still with us, he’s still performing and will take center stage at the Bob Carr with his beloved Lucille.orlandovenues.net

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey CircusJan. 9-12Amway CenterThe Greatest Show on Earth will turn the Amway Center into the big top right before your very eyes as the circus — elephants and all — lumbers into town. ringling.com

OtroniconJan. 18-21Orlando Science CenterIf nerding out to costumes and spending hours on the latest Bioshock is your bag, this is a national holiday-level outing as the latest in video-game technology goes on interactive display.osc.org Scottish Highland GamesJan. 18-19Central Florida FairgroundsGames like the boulder boogie (carrying a big rock around, woo hoo!) and the haggis hurl, plus dancing men in kilts — they’re all part of this annual celebra-tion of all things Scottish.fl ascot.com

Unity Heritage FestivalJan. 19-20Hannibal SquareFrom orange groves to brick roads, the west side of Winter Park has come a long way since 1882. The city pays tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. with a street festival celebrating its own African-American heritage.cityofwinterpark.org

Morten LauridsenJan. 26Knowles Memorial ChapelAwarded the National Medal of Arts in 2007 “for his composi-tions of radiant choral works combining musical beauty, power and spiritual depth,” Lauridsen performs as part of the annual Winter Park Bach Festival.bachfestivalfl orida.org

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For Tickets Call 407-426-1739Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre | OrlandoBallet.org

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LIMELIGHT events

A Pulp-Pourri of cardboard Artistry You think cardboard art is kid stuff? Well, maybe you need to start thinking outside the box. “It’s way harder than it looks,” says Christie Miga. “Cardboard doesn’t react well to duct tape. Certain glues don’t hold it together very well. It’s not like you’re sitting down with a canvas in front of you.”

But cardboard artistry is a budding ur-ban phenomenon just the same, and Or-lando has its share of pulp practitioners. Miga herself is best known for co-creat-ing a series of Fringe Festival skits that featured a cadre of cardboard creatures.

She’ll be acting as curator of the sec-ond annual Cardboard Art Fest, which will bring the creations of 16 local art-ists to the Orange Studio on North Mills Avenue Jan. 23-26.

Last year’s event featured puppets, di-

nosaurs, submarines, a working “rocket car” and a creation called “Hootie and the Blowfish,” which consisted of a cardboard owl and a giant blowfish.

However humble the medium, the art has its fans: Several hundred people attended opening night last year, and by the end of the festival nearly all the creations, $100 to $500, had been sold.

The cardboard confab is the brain-child of Mark Baratelli, publisher of TheDailyCity.com and a cardboard craftsman in his own right. Baratelli says this year’s event will include a preview dinner, an opening night party, a sepa-rate “confectionfest” featuring gourmet desserts and expanded gallery hours.

Visit cardboardartfestival.com for more information.— Michael McLeod



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Has a Rembrandt oil painting ever been on display in Orlando? Hansen Mulford, curator at the Orlando Museum of Art, doesn’t know for sure, but he doubts it. Drawings or etchings maybe. But no paintings by the man considered to be among the greatest ever to wield a brush.

That will change Jan. 25, when the mu-seum will host Rembrandt, Rubens, Gains-borough and the Golden Age of Painting in Europe. The Rembrandt, by the way, is called “Portrait of a 40-Year-Old Woman.” (Spoiler alert: She looks much older.)

Drawn from the collection of the Speed Art Museum of Louisville, Ky., the display will feature 71 paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries by the artists mentioned in the show’s title, as well as by some of their Baroque-era contemporaries.

“It’s the first exhibit exclusively of Old Master paintings of this period that has

been presented in Central Florida,” says Mulford. He adds that during this period, “oil painting became the dominant form of visual arts.”

Along with the Golden Age show, which runs through May 25, the mu-seum will be offering a performance by the Bach Festival Choir on March 25. The program will feature music from the same period as the artwork.

There’ll also be a series of lectures, the first of which, on Jan. 14, will focus on Dutch painting in the Golden Age. In addition, the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College will present a compan-ion exhibit, Glimpses into the Golden Age, from Jan. 4 through May 11.

And, again, there’s that Rembrandt.Visit omart.org for further informa-

tion.— Jay Boyar

In A Rare Visitation, Masters Meet At OMA

LIMELIGHT art

Antoine-Jean Gros, Portrait of Celeste Coltellini, Madame Meuricoffre



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LIMELIGHT theater

A Twice-Told Love Story With a Lively Irish Flair Once has made it big — and not just once, but twice. The love story about two would-be songwriters, a Dublin street musician and a beautiful Czech pianist, was a phenomenally successful low-bud-get movie in its first incarnation.

Made for $160,000, it grossed $20 mil-lion globally. “Falling Slowly,” the sub-limely romantic song that the two lovers write together, won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Four years later a musical stage adap-tation of the film was a huge Broadway hit. Nominated in 2012 for 11 Tonys, it won eight of them, including best mu-sical, book and actor. A national tour-ing production of the show will visit the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre on

Jan. 28 and will run through Feb. 2.The Irish film resonated with spon-

taneous humor and an engaging, au-thentic sense of both creativity and intimacy, which was understandable enough: The co-stars, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, actually wrote that award-winning song, and were ro-mantically involved — once.

The stage production, crafted by Irish playwright Enda Walsh, is a much broader, more wide-open evocation of the story, which is actually, like most of its songs, about heartbreak.

But there’s a cheerful counterpoint in the setting, a lively Dublin pub, and the 10 colorful characters who swirl around the couple, sometimes literally.

All of them are musicians playing a va-riety of instruments .

Visit orlando.broadway.com for more information.— Michael McLeod

MaryStuart Day and Megan Cross

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Paisley Wheels Into OrlandoWhat do you do when you’ve named your 2013 concert tour Beat This Sum-mer, but you don’t want to end it when the weather turns cool? If you’re Brad Paisley, you simply change the name to Beat This Winter and keep on going.

Paisley swings into Orlando’s Amway Center on Jan. 25, bringing with him two rising country music stars who hit the big time by winning TV singing competitions: Chris Young, 2006 Nash-ville Star winner, and 17-year-old Dan-ielle Bradbery, winner of The Voice.

As for the headliner, he’s a triple-threat singer/songwriter/guitarist extraordi-naire with 14 Country Music Association awards and 21 No. 1 singles, including his latest, “Southern Comfort Zone.”

Paisley nevertheless is an unusual su-perstar. It’s hard to imagine any other country music icon releasing an album featuring rapper LL Cool J on one track and Monty Python’s Eric Idle on anoth-er. The native West Virginian did just that with his latest release, Wheelhouse.

Paisley’s 13-stop tour features songs from Wheelhouse, which not coinciden-tally is the name of the star’s home studio in Franklin, Tenn., where he lives with his movie actress wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and their two young children.

Visit amwaycenter.com for more in-formation.

— Harry Wessel

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DESIGN STYLE fashion

EdgyElegance

by Marianne Ilungaphotographs by Rafael Tongolhair and makeup by Elsie Knab

JULIA CHEW BLENDS A SOFT TOUCH WITH A SLEEK LINE.

Jackie, of Front Management in Miami, wears a long-sleeve lace dress, $229; and a black belt with peacock feather details, $79; both from Xiaolin by Julia Chew, xiaolindesign.com. Her aqua blue-suede pumps, $268, are from Carmen Steffens, The Mall at Millenia.

3OL_Jan_14 Style.indd 15 12/13/13 2:02:32 PM


Dawn of a DesignerA TALENTED TEEN IS ALREADY MAKING HER MARK.

by Marianne Ilunga

At the age of 2, Julia Chew could cut a straight line with scissors. By the time she was 8, she was drawing pictures of elegant ladies dressed in elaborate Victorian dresses. She made her first dress at 11 and at 16 opened an online Etsy shop, Xiaolin. Soon thereafter she was selling garments and accessories — such as those on the following

pages — internationally. Last year, at 17, the Tampa teen won the Emerging Designer Award, an annual accolade that’s part of Harriett’s Park Avenue Fashion Week, held in Winter Park and named for philanthropist and fashionista Harriett Lake. We spoke to Chew about her budding career as a designer.

Q: Why the name Xiaolin? What does it mean to you?A: My Chinese name is Xiao, meaning Dawn, and Lin, meaning Jade. I put the two together to make Xiaolin. My Chinese name holds a special place in my heart.

Q: Were you always this creative?A: I have always enjoyed many forms of art, such as sketching, photography and creating items with my hands. Each year, from ages 9 to 16, I entered dresses, quilts and other items into the Strawberry Festival in Plant City. I regularly won the blue ribbon for first prize and the purple ribbon for Best of Show.

Q: What inspires you as a designer?A: Nature, texture and my studies in gothic romanticism. While growing up, I spent time outdoors, where I was able to connect with nature. With each element of nature, such as waterfalls, butterfly wings and feathers, I discovered a correlation with fabrics. In my mind I put them together. Later, I carried out the ideas by creating garments that give the essence of nature or natural objects. To give an example, the flow of a waterfall reminded me of the graceful movement of chiffon. My style leans toward gothic romantic with a hint of late Victorian. In that era, clothing had a higher importance because it was handmade and not mass-produced. In literature, the author creates characters that tell a story using imagery, mood and other literary techniques. Similarly, with my clothing my desire is to create a captivating story for the audience to enjoy.

Q: The workmanship on your pieces is so meticulous. Were you always this detail-oriented?A: I am a self-confessed perfectionist. When I design a piece, I have an exact idea in my mind and work on it until it is the way I had envisioned it ought to be. It is very time-consuming, but I am pleased with my piece when it is finished.

Q: Are you self-taught, or did you get some training in sewing prior to starting your line?A: My paternal grandmother gave me a sewing machine and serger, the exact tools needed to prepare me to flourish as a designer. A neighbor who was an accomplished seamstress regularly invested time in developing my skills. And my mother keeps me organized.

Q: What should we expect in the future from Xiaolin?A: As a short-term goal, in February I will release my first exclusive Xiaolin couture collection at Christian Fashion Week. I am very excited about this upcoming line, as I will be able to release my artistic ideas without boundaries. As a long-term goal, my vision is to someday own and operate my own fashion house. I want to give back to the community by creating local jobs and supporting passionate artisans. I feel that young people need to accept the social responsibility of working together to strengthen our community.




Jackie, standing, in a long feather gown with mandarin collar, price on request, from Xiaolin by Julia Chew. The designer, seated, wears her own high-low lace dress, $219, xiaolindesign.com.




Jackie wears a black velvet body suit with fringe details, $139; and an Ombre feather skirt, $525; both from Xiaolin by Julia Chew, xiaolindesign.



Jackie’s peacock cocktail dress, $650, is from Xiaolin by Julia Chew, xiaolindesign.com. The ankle-strap suede pointy toe pumps, $274; and black feather purse, $198; are from Carmen Steffens, The Mall at Millenia.




The black jersey tank, $49; Tulip maxi skirt, $98; and feather corset belt, $149; are all from Xiaolin by Julia Chew, xiaolindesign.com. The ankle-strap suede pointy toe pumps, $274; and oversized faux fur clutch with gold-tone buckle, $279; are from Carmen Steffens, The Mall at Millenia. The black leather mask by Bandwell Design is Chew’s own.



The sleeveless black velvet keyhole back dress, $139, is by Xiaolin by Julia Chew, xiaolindesign.com. The ankle boots with gold-tone stud details, $268; the black leather skinny belt with gold-tone closure, $118; and black leather clutch with gold-tone pyramid stud details, $344; are all from Carmen Steffens, The Mall at Millenia.



One evening, as he was driving back to his home-away-from-home through heavy city traffic in Pittsburgh, Pa., Matt Loory realized that he had a dangerous problem: his taillights weren’t working.

Soon enough, he found a novel solution. A long line of elephants was ambling along the highway, accompanied by a police escort. As it happened, they were going his way. So Loory pulled over, rolled down his window and called out to the officers: “I’m going with the elephants. Can I cut in?”

They waved him through, and he took his place, safe and sound, among the lumbering commuters. Like him, they

were headed for a railroad siding, and their temporary home: a parked train that serves as rolling headquarters for The Greatest Show on Earth.

Such is life in the circus for the Longwood native. Lorry travels on that train all over the country, including Pittsburgh and points beyond, as head chef for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ “Blue Unit.” He’ll be home briefly this month when the circus comes to Orlando for perfor-mances at the Amway Center January 9, 10 and 11.

Loory’s official title is Pie Car Manager, “Pie Car” being big-top jargon for the troupe’s cafeteria. His job entails acting

Life’s a CircusBUT NO CLOWNING AROUND WHEN YOU RUN THE PIE CAR.

PROFILE circus chef

By Rona Gindin

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5OHL_Jan14_Profile.indd 22 12/13/13 2:20:47 PM


PROFILE circus chef

Clockwise, from above: The Pie Car’s narrow kitchen serves up as many as 1,500 meals per week; head chef Matt Loory, originally from Longwood, fulfilled his child-hood dream to run away to the cir-cus; the “Pie Car Junior” is a mobile serving station used at arenas at which circus performances are held.



as both food-service director and chef, charged with feeding 300-plus people.

Though he is only 23, Loory knows enough lore to suggest three possible old-time circus explanations for the mobile cafeteria’s quirky name. One: Circus chow houses used to serve pri-marily meat pies. Two: Dining cars on trains everywhere once served noth-

ing but coffee and pie. Three: Only “Privileged Individuals and Employ-ees” could eat at the car. (“Privileged individuals” were private concession-aires who had the “privilege” of selling popcorn, cotton candy and the like to circus attendees.)

These days, Loory and his staff buy, cook and serve seven days a week. Per-formers and other circus staffers ei-ther eat in the Pie Car’s eight booths or grab takeout boxes. During a show, they’ll eat at the Pie Car Junior, a mo-bile serving station set up at arenas. All told, Loory and his crew serve 1,000 to 1,500 meals every week.

He didn’t set out to be a cook. After grad-uating from Lake Brantley High School

in 2008, he enrolled in the New England School of Communications in Maine to study video production. But he was soon “too cold and too far from home.”

Though his mother cooked, vacu-um-sealed, froze and shipped her be-loved brisket and noodle kugel to cheer him up, her chilled and disillusioned son soon came back home to sunny Florida.

He took classes at a community col-lege and worked odd jobs — as a se-curity guard, shooting news footage, making sweets at Goofy’s Candy Com-pany at Downtown Disney.

A friend suggested he try culinary school. He was intrigued, and got him-self a job at a local breakfast stop to

PROFILE circus chef

Loory enjoys an unusual quiet mo-ment before the lunch rush at one of the Pie Car’s eight diner-style booths. The 23-year-old actually planned for a career in communica-tions before the big top beckoned.



test the waters. Soon he was not only working at the First Watch café in Al-tamonte Springs but rushing home and changing into chef whites to take night classes at Le Cordon Bleu Orlando.

Loory had graduated and was two weeks shy of a promised promotion when he learned that the circus was hiring.

“I was 22, and I figured I’d never have the opportunity to travel like this again,” he says. “I thought about the stories I’d have to tell my grandchil-dren one day.”

He joined the circus in Miami, and after only a few weeks as a cook, suc-cessfully applied for the Pie Manager position. “My staff has been 100 per-cent behind me,” he adds. “And, when I make mistakes, I learn from them. That makes you stronger in the end.”

Crisscrossing the country has been an education of another sort. “Travel-ing by rail, we get to see so much of the country that nobody else gets to see,” says Loory, who works to keep his menu as varied as the destinations on the circus itinerary.

He even uses recipes from circus employees, who hail from 17 coun-tries. So while cheeseburgers, salads and any dish featuring grilled chicken breast are certain to remain Pie Car standards, Loory’s show-folk clientele might sup on mojo chicken (Cuba), or miso-braised beef (Japan).

When the circus train pulls into Or-lando, however, Loory will have his own culinary preferences in mind. He’s yearning for meals at Viet Garden, Emeril’s Orlando, Imperial Dynasty and Buca de Beppo, a sentimental fa-vorite where he celebrated every birth-day from the age of 10.

But that was long ago, back when he was just a little boy dreaming, like so many others, of running away to join the circus. One difference, he says:

“I just got lucky enough to do it.” n

5OHL_Jan14_Profile.indd 25 12/16/13 9:13:29 AM


King of His CastleHOTELIER RICHARD KESSLER IS A CINDERELLA STORY IN HIS OWN RIGHT.

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As a boy growing up in the 1950s in the tiny town of Rincon, just outside Savannah, Ga., Richard Kessler often wan-

dered down to the railroad tracks to collect rocks, with his nanny and little red wagon in tow.

He also collected arrowheads and other boys’ marbles — winning the lat-ter one day, then selling them back to their original owners the next.

Later on, he rode his bike around town selling okra to neighbors. He’d take his little sister along, understand-ing the strategic value a cherubic face brought to closing the deal.

Depending on your perspective, those are either nostalgic, Mayberry RFD-type memories or a portent of bigger things to come, a la Citizen Kane.

Kessler, the son of a plumber, would eventually turn his small-town street smarts and his penchant for collecting into an Orlando-based empire of themed luxury hotels. All are stocked with art-work and assorted curiosities foraged from his travels around the world.

The 67-year-old Isleworth multi-millionaire has been playing for all the marbles for some time now.

A devout but unostentatious Luther-an, he acquired hundreds of Martin Luther’s defiant 16th century manu-scripts, eventually donating them to Emory University.

He also favors Winchester rifles from the 1800s and first-generation Colt firearms, as evidenced by a collection that includes two revolvers once owned

by Old West lawman Pat Garrett, one of which was possibly the gun Garrett used to kill Billy the Kid.

He owns, among other things, a can-yon, the centerpiece of a 23,000-acre tract on the western slope of the Colo-rado Rockies. Once a family retreat, the unspoiled wilderness getaway has been transformed into a luxury resort and game-hunting oasis.

What Kessler owns most of all are hotels, 10 of them, with three in Cen-tral Florida: The Castle on Interna-tional Drive, the Bohemian in Cel-ebration, and the Grand Bohemian in downtown Orlando.

And what he collects most of all is art, hundreds of paintings and sculp-

King of His CastleHOTELIER RICHARD KESSLER IS A CINDERELLA STORY IN HIS OWN RIGHT.

by Michael McLeod • photographs by Rafael Tongol

Richard Kessler



tures that are either on exhibit in the hotels or stashed away in storage facili-ties. “My friends tell me I need to keep building more hotels because I’m run-ning out of room in the warehouses,” Kessler says.

He’s only too happy to oblige. Three hotels are on the drawing board for Charleston, Birmingham and Savannah. And he recently oversaw a $6 million upgrade to The Castle, one of his early experiments with themed properties.

Kessler got his start in the hotel busi-ness in the early 1970s when he was hired by a family acquaintance, Cecil Day, as a personal assistant. “My salary was $9,800 a year,” he says. “We operated out of a room in a Travelodge Motel.”

What they were doing there was creating a chain of reasonably priced motels. By 1980, Days Inn of America had more than 300 motels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Though the chain eventually ran into financial difficulties and was sold, Kes-sler emerged with the wherewithal to branch out on his own. He knew right where to start.

A longtime admirer of Walt Disney, he had once endeavored, on a family vacation to Disney World, to spend the night with his wife, Martha, and their

two children, Mark and Laura, in Cin-derella’s Castle.

When he was told that guests couldn’t stay at the castle, Kessler decided that one day he’d build one himself. The 214-room International Drive property, crowned with pointy turrets, opened in 1995.

It’s the Grand Bohemian, though, that best defines Kessler’s approach.

He got the idea for the hotel on a trip to San Francisco, where he en-countered the elegant Bohemian Club, founded in the 1870s as a meeting place for artists, musicians and writers.

The name itself appealed to him, with its connotation of free thinking and unconventional artistry. Nice, sure. Artsy, fine. But an awfully flimsy con-cept as traditional hotel themes go. Yet Kessler carried it off by stocking the property from floor to ceiling with an astonishing array of art, most of it from his personal collection.

Linger long enough in the plush, 15-story, 225-room Grand Bohemian and it begins to feel less like being in a hotel and more like you’ve been left to wander through an eccentric connois-seur’s mansion. Either that, or an art museum whose curator has a free hand and a whimsical flair.

There are spectacular displays that



Clockwise from opposite page, bottom: Some of the art at the Grand Bohe-mian’s first-floor gallery, overseen by director Debbie Roberts, is for sale. The pieces on display in meeting rooms, lounges and lobbies include abstract works by such artists as Elsie Ject-Key; a classic nude by William Russell Walker; a depiction of a bizarre masquerade ball by Susan Contreras; and an engraved metal sculpture of a violin by David Regier.



are hard to miss, such as the fifth-floor lobby collection of full-sized oil paint-ings by Dean Cornwell, a master of dramatic illustrations from an era when magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Harper’s Bazaar were filled with fiction.

But there are also breathtaking dis-coveries to be made in seemingly ran-dom locations.

At the end of a long hall, for example, is a nightmarish cityscape, reminiscent of Hieronymus Bosch’s vision of hell, painted by renowned French mime Marcel Marceau.

A collection of sketches, casually dis-played on a dining room wall, happen to be the work of Gustav Klimt, the 19th century Austrian artist whose el-egantly erotic renderings of the female form remain extremely popular.

Like most collectors, Kessler derives

as much satisfaction in the story of how he found something as he does in hav-ing the object itself.

He was in Nova Scotia when he dis-covered the work of a favorite French landscape painter, Jean Claude Roy.

He acquired a large collection of extremely valuable portraits by the Chinese artist David Wu Ject-Key in an impromptu deal struck as he was returning a misrepresented Frederic Remington sculpture to a dealer.

Though he may be of retirement age, he is still avidly traveling, collect-ing, building and rebuilding hotels. Last month, he made an appearance at a VIP party at The Castle to celebrate both its renovation and its inclusion as part of the Autograph Collection, a group of high-end independent hotels associated with Marriott International.

Then he headed out the door and out of the country, bound for a high-end ho-telier conference in the Cayman Islands.

He already has a head start on the decorating theme of his planned Sa-vannah hotel, which Kessler calls the most challenging project he’s ever tack-led. The 400-room facility will be built on the site of an old power plant on the Savannah River.

The theme, he has already decided, is power itself, to be represented in its most raw and primitive form by a col-lection of fossils, gems and minerals. He amassed a huge cache of them on a recent visit to the three-day Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, the largest such event in the country.

He has come a long way from his lit-tle red wagon days in Rincon, Ga. The purchases he made were, he says, “all museum quality.” He bought so many of them that they had to be shipped to his warehouse in four 8-by-10-by-40-foot containers, all of them filled to the brim. n

Richard Kessler is a collector of artists, not just art: He contracts with favorites such as African wildlife painter Stefano Cecchini to create works for display in the hotel and for sale in the Bohemian’s first-floor gallery.



O rlando is the country’s No. 1 travel destination, attracting 57 million

tourists last year. With that many potential guests up for grabs, the area’s hotels are among the most inventive in the world, turning Central Florida into a high-stakes incubator of novel themes and amenities meant to attract potential guests. Here’s a sampling.

Grand Lakes Orlando, Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott HotelsYou can’t sink any deeper into the lap of luxury than at Grande Lakes Orlando, home of not one but two high-end hotels. So it’s a bit counterintuitive that one of the selling points of the resort complex is as earthy and back-to-basics as it gets: a farm.

Well, not just any farm.It’s in a fairly posh location,

curled up alongside the sixth tee of the golf course. And it has a suitably elegant name: Whisper Creek Farm. But it’s a working farm all right, home to neatly laid-out patches of red mustard, Swiss chard, oregano, parsley, sweet potatoes, upland cress, collard greens, French sorrel and pumpkins, all of which are harvested regularly to be included in dishes, beverages and even spa concoctions at both hotels.

There’s a citrus orchard as well, along with a few papaya and banana trees, and a set of three beehives. And there’s more to come. “We’re hoping to add a chicken coop and a pigpen,” says JW Marriott executive chef Chris Brown. “And as soon as we get the permits, we’ll be brewing some beer out here, too.”

At special events, groups of up to 250 people can dine — either at an outdoor celebration site near the farm or inside the hotel — on farm-to-table fare consisting of scratch-made dishes using ingredients either from the farm or from local producers. A recent feast

The Art of AttractionORLANDO’S TOP RESORTS WORK

HARD FOR THE MONEY.

Hard Rock Hotel



showcased bananas, kale, berries, potatoes, escarole, oregano, plantains, chimichurri, and a variety of herbs and spices.

Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Portofino Bay HotelBoth of these Universal Orlando hotels beckon guests with music, but they couldn’t differ more in what kind of music, and how they go about delivering it.

Every night at sunset at Portofino Bay — a luxury resort patterned after a famous Italian fishing village — the strains of Puccini, Verdi and classic Italian folk songs ring out from a balcony over the Harbor Piazza, as opera singers serenade guests.

The singers also stroll around the tables at Mama Della’s Ristorante most evenings, entertaining diners as they enjoy Old World Italian cuisine.

“This is the real deal. It’s not piped in,” says Millicent Barimo, CEO of Penguin Entertainment, which provides the resort with an array of powerhouse tenors, sopranos and mezzo-sopranos. “Every now and then a guest will request some obscure song their Italian grandmother used to sing. And someone on our team knows it.”

You don’t have to wait until sunset or gather beneath a balcony to be entertained at the Hard Rock. Nobody ever accused rock ‘n’ roll of subtlety, and it comes at you from every direction.

In the swimming pool, underwater speakers pump out rock music. The walls don’t have ears, but nearly every square inch is decorated with rock memorabilia, from Elton John’s rhinestone boots to the outfits that make-believe rockers Derek Smalls and Nigel Tufnel wore in Spinal Tap.

The hotel itself is zoned to play different kinds of rock music in various areas and at different times of day, from the Elvis suite to the Velvet bar. There’s even a “Vibe Manager,”

Music and memorabilia permeate the Hard Rock Hotel, from the lobby to the Elvis Presley suite, opposite page, which features a baby grand piano and images of the King with some of his rocka-billy peers. The hotel is replete with representations of rock icons, including The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and the ever-present Presley.



Molly Ford. Her job includes changing the music, like a radio jockey responding to the request line, to appeal to individual guests.

Her profession, like any other, has its drawbacks. “It’s hard for me to be anywhere that’s silent,” she says. “I just can’t concentrate.”

Waldorf Astoria OrlandoFor sheer hospitality bloodlines, you can’t beat the Waldorf, whose New York City predecessor invented services and dishes that hotel guests and diners take for granted today — from room service to eggs Benedict.

The first hotel outside New York to carry the legendary Waldorf Astoria name, Orlando’s 498-room luxury resort has the twin benefits of being on Disney property as well as in the pristine Bonnet Creek nature preserve.

It features a full-service European spa; an outdoor, zero-entry pool with private cabanas; six rest-aurants and bars, including Bull & Bear, Peacock Alley and Oscar’s; a championship golf course; and complimentary private transportation to all Disney parks.

Rosen Shingle CreekThere are two distinguishing qualities in evidence at the Rosen chain’s premiere hotel. First, there’s the sheer size of the place: With 1,500 rooms and nearly a half-million square feet of meeting space, it’s Central Florida’s biggest convention hotel.

It’s big, but it also occupies a beautiful and historic setting. The 230-acre property sits at the headwaters of the Everglades, where a 19th century trading post and one of the region’s first settlements once stood. In the early 1800s, pioneers would log cypress trees and float them down the creek. The trees were used to make — you guessed it — shingles.

Rosen Shingle Creek features a full-service spa and fitness center, four outdoor swimming pools, more than a dozen restaurants (and a 24-hour deli!), lighted

Every evening, opera singers such as Vittorio Vidal and Anne Smith, top, serenade guests from a balcony overlooking the Harbor Piazza at the Portofino Bay Hotel. Accordionist Pasquale Valerio, left, is as authentic as they come: He was born in Napoli, Italy, birthplace of many of that country’s most cherished folk melodies.



tennis courts, a nature trail and a championship golf course.

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention CenterWith a 4.5-acre, glass-covered atrium encompassing three distinct Florida environments, Gaylord Palms brings the outdoors inside. The 1,400-room hotel ranks second in the state for total meeting space and first in ice sculptures, with its annual holiday ICE! exhibit.

Aside from the world-class atrium, there’s a water park, fitness center, full-service spa and salon, a museum display of a Spanish galleon’s treasure, a video arcade, four restaurants and a sports bar.

Nickelodeon Suites ResortBilled as the world’s first and only “kid resort,” the self-nicknamed Nick Hotel has 777 suites, every one of which includes a family room with a 32-inch flat-screen TV. Where else can you breakfast with SpongeBob SquarePants and get slimed later that same day?

Amenities include two on-site water parks with more than a dozen slides and flumes, a theater with nightly live entertainment, a kid’s spa, a 3,000-square-foot video arcade, a nine-hole miniature golf course and a food court.

Grand Lakes Marriott executive chef Chris Brown escapes the resort’s kitchen on a regular basis to visit Whisper Creek Farm, where fruits and vegetables that make their way into his recipes are grown.



Clockwise from top: Santiago’s assortment of knickknacks and original art gives the restaurant a casual, welcoming ambi-ance. The Ivanhoe Village hangout features patio seating, a variety of beers on tap and even a newspaper rack. Opposite page: Owner Jason Dugan and General Manager Tanya McMillan run the show.

Small Plates, Big Time

8OL_Jan_14_Flavor.indd 36 12/13/13 2:26:37 PM


Ten years ago, Jason Dugan was ready to transition from bartender to restaurant owner. Dugan, who’d saved his starter stash while mixing drinks at busy nightspots in Las Vegas and Kansas City,

began surfing websites that listed eateries for sale in locations he liked.

“I saw a listing for an inexpensive place in Key West,” he recalls. “I called, made an offer and it was accepted.” A decade later, what was once a humble soup-and-sandwich eatery is a thriving tapas restaurant that recently spawned an Orlando offshoot: Santiago’s Bodega in Ivanhoe Village.

Dugan, who still owns the Key West restaurant, moved here with his girlfriend and general manager, Tanya McMillan, to be near her family. But they were also attracted by what Dug-an describes as Orlando’s transformation from “a town of cor-porate and structured places” to an edgier, more sophisticated place with “a lot of independent thinking and doing.”

The couple quickly discovered that Central Florida cus-tomers, unlike their Key West counterparts, didn’t particu-larly care for super-spicy dishes. Otherwise, however, the recipe for success forged down south has traveled well.

Come sundown, the indoor, outdoor and bar seats at San-tiago’s fill up quickly with diners of all ages dipping forks into shared plates, pitchers of sangria at the ready.

For Dugan, camaraderie is even more important than co-mestibles. “I want the place to be fun and energetic, as well as very soft, comfortable and sexy,” he says. And so it is, with an interior dominated by masculine mixed woods and enhanced by candles, fresh flowers and original art.

Some of the art adorning the walls are the surreal/satiri-cal creations of his friend, shareholder and one-time business partner Robert Henry Thompson. Also on display are colorful, quasi-impressionist paintings by local painter Jennifer Payne.

The soft lighting, faux gaslights, friendly service and nur-turing foods are paired with background music that’s mel-low but eclectic. It’s Dugan’s “personal blend,” ranging from Frank Sinatra to Johnny Cash, from Norah Jones to Jack Johnson. “Each song is different, like the beer in our taps,”

FRESH TAKE ON TAPAS AT SANTIAGO’S BODEGA.

FLAVOR rona gindinphotographs by rafael tongol

Small Plates, Big Time

8OL_Jan_14_Flavor.indd 37 12/16/13 11:13:20 AM


Dugan says. “Each creates a different emotion.” But even if Dugan insisted on blaring heavy metal, the food

would be just as appealing. The small plates, priced from $7 to $14, are boldly flavored with ingredients from around the world. Yellowfin tuna ceviche, for example, arrives as large chunks of citrus-marinated fish with pine nuts and red onion.

“We have fresh mangos, avocados, oven-roasted tomatoes and jalapeños in there,” Dugan says. “This is definitely an un-orthodox, country style. I want color in the foods, and flavor. I’m not afraid of spice and I’m not afraid of salt. This isn’t a place for people who are on a diet.”

So it won’t surprise you that patatas bravas — pan-fried diced spuds slathered in spicy mayonnaise — is, indeed, a

tongue-shocker, with chipotle aioli, capers, olives and a top-ping of Parmesan cheese. Long a hit in Key West, this dish took a while to find its audience in Orlando.

“Guests found it too spicy,” Dugan says. “We had to train the staff to say, ‘These are very, very spicy.’ Now they’re a hit, because people who order them know what they’re getting.”

Marinated chicken skewers are popular, Dugan says, because they’re “safe,” while seared beef tenderloin topped with bleu cheese butter is the top seller in both locations. Our advice: Be adventurous. Ask for the dates stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped with crisped prosciutto. The flavors and textures — salty, sweet and creamy — are complex but delightful.

Brussels sprouts feel like a special occasion at Santiago’s. The veggies are oven-roasted with balsamic vinegar, then sautéed in brown butter and served with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan cheese.

“I didn’t want the same vegetable everyone else had,” Du-gan says. “This dish changed so many peoples’ minds about Brussels sprouts because it’s not their mom’s or grandma’s Brussels sprouts.”

FLAVOR rona gindin

Among the many flavor-packed small plates at Santiago’s are patatas bravas, above, and prosciutto-wrapped figs and country-style ceviche, right. The restaurant has its culinary roots in Key West, but has adapted some dishes for local tastes.



The mushrooms in puff pastry are also sublime. The dish is a mix of chopped portobellos with fresh thyme, onion and garlic, deglazed with white wine, mixed with crème fraîche, lemon juice and Parmesan, then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. Béarnaise sauce topping further tantalizes the taste buds.

The spicy lentil soup may be vegan, but carnivores love it, too. The broth, with curry and jalapeño, onions and cilantro, Portobello and button mushrooms and potatoes for starchi-ness, is so deeply fl avored that you’d think it had beef base.

Dessert standouts include a boozy bread pudding and a fruity fl ourless chocolate cake. Indeed, the fl avor punch permeates every element of the menu. Well, almost everything. The avo-cado and pear atop mixed greens with Parmesan dressing is the only item we sampled that seemed surprisingly fl avorless.

At both of Dugan’s restaurants, every cook and chef are equal, and all are invited to make suggestions and to create their own daily specials. “Chefs are kind of prima donnas who like to create new things,” Dugan says. “We’re working our way toward 10 specials a night.”

So if you stop by to see Jason and Tanya, order from the

written menu for sure bets, try the specials for inspired extras — and save the surprises for the soundtrack. ■

Rona Gindin, dining editor of Orlando Life, has written about Orlando’s restaurants for Fodor’s and Zagat, among many other publications. She’s the author of The Little Black Book of Walt Disney World.

WHERE: 802 Virginia Dr., OrlandoHOW MUCH: $$WHERE TO CALL: 407-412-6979santiagosbodega.com

No matter how much you think you hate Brussels sprouts, you’re sure to change your mind after trying Santiago’s oven-roasted version, which is served with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan cheese.



AFRICANNile Ethiopian 7048 International Drive, Orlando, 407-354-0026 / nile07.com. Locals willingly navigate International Drive to dine at nile, a family-owned restaurant specializing in the exotic cuisine of Ethiopia. Order a few dishes to share and scoop up the intriguing concoctions with the eatery’s signature spongy bread. End with a strong cup of aromatic, brewed-to-order coffee. $$

• Sanaa 3701 Osceola Parkway, Lake Buena Vista, 407-938-7400 / disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/sanaa. Sanaa, one of Disney’s most interesting restaurants, offers dishes based on cuisine from the Spice Islands, a coastal african area rich with Indian influences. Flavors are intense, but spicy only upon request. (Curry, the chefs insist, is a melding of flavors, not one particular spice.) The marketplace-style dining room boasts picture windows overlooking the animal Kingdom Lodge’s savannah, so you might spot zebra or wildebeest while lunching on tandoori chicken or a vegetarian platter with stewed lentils and a vegetable sambar (stew). $$

AMERICAN• Cask & Larder 565 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, 321-280-4200 / caskandlarder.com. Billing itself as a “South-ern Public House,” this casual Winter Park eatery serves up modern twists on traditional favorites. Look for a three-ham platter with pepper jelly; pimento cheese; and seasonal favorites such as grilled pork belly and chicken-and-biscuits. Many beers are made on the premises. $$

• Chatham’s Place 7575 Dr. Phillips Blvd., Orlando, 407- 345-2992 / chathamsplace.com. For an old-fashioned dining experience — a subdued dining room and doting personalized service by a longtime staff — dine at this hidden restaurant row establishment. Locals return regularly for Chef Tony Lopez’s classic dishes such as black grouper with pecan butter, rack of lamb and filet mignon. $$$

Citrus 821 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, 407-373-0622 / citrusorlando.com. a clubby yet stylish restaurant in a conve-nient downtown Orlando location, Citrus features modern american cuisine with a nod toward regionally grown and produced ingredients. International influences also highlight the menu, from smoked chili aioli complementing herb-marinated chicken to balsamic rum glaze topping juicy pork chops. $$$

Dexter’s 808 E. Washington St., Orlando, 407-648-2777; 558 W. New England Ave., Winter Park, 407-629-1150; 950 Market Promenade Ave., Lake Mary, 407-805-3090 / dexwine.com. Central Florida has three Dexter’s locations, and each has become a neighborhood magnet, drawing diners of all ages for hearty portions of creative american fare (at fair prices), good wine and, in some cases, live music. Casual dress is the rule. The brunches, and the pressed duck sand-wiches, are especially popular. $$-$$$

Emeril’s Orlando 6000 Universal Blvd., Orlando, 407-224-2424 / emerils.com. Get a taste of new Orleans at Emeril’s, a fine-dining restaurant at always-bustling universal CityWalk. you’ll find classics from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, including the signature barbecue shrimp, andouille-stuffed redfish, double-cut pork chops and ba-nana cream pie. The service, of course, is superb. Consider sharing appetizers at the bar area. $$$$

• Hillstone 215 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-740-4005 / hillstone.com/hillstone. Formerly known as Houston’s, this Winter Park mainstay is part of a high-end chain. Still, it grows its own herbs, bakes its own bread, grinds its own meat, cuts its own fish and whips its own cream. In nice weather, guests relax with a cocktail in adirondack chairs overlooking Lake Killarney. Many proposals have been popped during dinners for two on the boat dock. $$$

• Rusty Spoon 55 W. Church St., Orlando, 407-401-8811 / therustyspoon.com. Foodies flock to this Church Street gastropub, a warm and welcoming space in which meals are described as “american food. European roots. Lo-cally sourced.” your salad will consist of über-fresh greens, your sandwich will be filled with slow-braised lamb, your pasta will be hand-rolled and your meat will be robustly seasoned. $$-$$$

• Seasons 52 7700 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-354-5212; 463 E. Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs, 407-767-1252 / seasons52.com. Business dinners, ladies’ luncheons and date nights abound at these ever-popular restaurants, big bustling spaces with satisfying food and comprehensive wine lists. It seems incidental that the food happens to be healthful and low in fat, with no menu item topping 475 calories. So if you want that clam chowder, go for it. It will be cleverly produced without cream, butter or roux. $$-$$$

• The Table Orlando 8060 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando, 407-900-3463 / thetableorlando.com. For special occasions, book a place at The Table, a tiny restaurant that serves a five-course gourmet meal with wine pairings. up to 22 guests at a time share the repast around an oversized table. The new american menu changes regularly and is comprised in large part of locally sourced foods. The price is a set $100 including tax and tip. Groups can host private events here. $$$$

TooJay’s Various locations / toojays.com. When it’s time for a taste of Jewish Brooklyn — pastrami on rye, latkes, blintzes, knishes — the six local outlets of this South Florida-based chain have it all. you’ll also find diner foods such as omelets, sandwiches and pot-roast dinners. Take home some black-and-white cookies. $

ASIAN• Hawkers Street Fare 1103 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, 407-237-0606 / facebook.com/hawkersstreetfare. This Mills 50 mainstay, named for street vendors of asian fare, serves up generous tapas-size portions of curry laksa (an aromatic Singaporean soup), roti canai (Malaysian flatbread with a hearty curry sauce), five-spice tofu, chilled sesame noodles, smoky mussels and sensational beef skewers with peanuty satay dip. $$

• Seoul Garden 511 E. Horatio Ave., Maitland, 407-599-5199 / orlandokorearestaurant.com. Seoul Garden is so asian-focused that the “about us” section of its website is written in Korean. That authenticity extends to the food. Barbecued meats are grilled to order in the dining room. Be sure to try the marinated beef short ribs and the soft tofu stew. $

• Sushi Pop 310 W. Mitchell Hammock Road, Oviedo, 407-542-5975 / sushipoprestaurant.com. Oviedo is an unlikely location for this cutting-edge restaurant, a popular spot for sushi. The food is serious and often experimental, as chef-owner Chau uses molecular gastronomy to create some of the fusion fare. The aura is fun: asian anime on the walls, playful colors, and servers who dress in outrageous themed outfits. $$

BARBECUE4 Rivers Smokehouse 1600 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park; 1869 W. S.R. 434, Longwood; 1047 S. Dillard St., Winter Garden / 407-474-8377, 4rsmokehouse.com. a diverse array of barbecue specialties — from Texas-style brisket to pulled pork, smoked turkey and bacon-wrapped jalapeños — has gained this rapidly growing homegrown concept a large following. The newer outposts even include a bakery and an old-fashioned malt shop featuring homemade ice cream. $

CONTINENTAL• Venetian Room 8101 World Center Drive, Orlando, 407-238-8060 / thevenetianroom.com. Walk though a run-of-the-mill convention hotel to reach the aaa Four-Diamond Venetian room, an elegant, domed-service, continental restaurant that hearkens to the heyday of unapologetic, butter-and-cream-enhanced fine dining. The

lobster bisque is an absolute must. after that, try the filet mignon, duck a l’orange or Dover sole. $$$$

CREATIVE/ PROGRESSIVE• Chef’s Table at the Edgewater Hotel 99 W. Plant St., Winter Garden, 407-230-4837 / chefstableat-theedgewater.com. Husband-and-wife team Kevin and Laurie Tarter are your personal servers at this intimate Winter Garden hideaway, where Kevin prepares the eve-ning’s three-course, prix-fixe meal and Laurie helps choose the wine. Both stop by every table to chat with guests. adjacent, the Tasting room offers tapas-size portions of international dishes and a full bar. $$$

• K Restaurant 1710 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, 407-872-2332 / krestaurant.net. Kevin Fonzo, the go-to chef in College Park since 2001, owns this homey eatery, which is, in fact, located in an erstwhile residence. The menu is most-ly creative-american, along with Italian favorites celebrating Fonzo’s heritage. Casual wine tastings and themed special dinners, along with a constantly changing menu, bring back regulars for singular experiences. $$-$$$

• Luma on Park 290 S. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-599-4111 / lumaonpark.com. If there’s pancetta in your salad, the salumi was made in the kitchen, by hand, starting with a whole pig. Most herbs are from local farms, fish from sustainable sources, pickled vegetables jarred in house and desserts built around seasonal ingredients. Luma’s progressive menu, which changes daily, is served in a sleek and stylish dining room in the heart of Winter Park, under the passionate direction of Executive Chef Brandon McGlamery, Chef de Cuisine Derek Perez and Pastry Chef Brian Cernell. $$$

• Norman’s 4012 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando, 407-393-4333 / normans.com. Celebrity Chef norman Van aken’s restaurant at the ritz-Carlton, Grande Lakes, turns out artistic new World cuisine combining the flavors of Latin america, the Caribbean, the Far East and the united States. The dining room is dramatic, the food astounding and the service polished. Be sure to begin with a norman’s classic: foie gras “French toast.” and you’ll be delighted with the Mongolian veal chop. $$$$

• Ravenous Pig 1234 N. Orange Ave., Winter Park, 407-628-2333 / theravenouspig.com. after leaving their hometown for serious culinary training, Winter Park natives James and Julie Petrakis returned to open the region’s first genuine gastropub. Dinner reservations have been tough to snag ever since. The ambitious menu changes daily based on the fish, meat and produce that’s available, and it’s executed by a dedicated team that abhors shortcuts. Besides daily specials, The Pig always serves up an excellent burger, soft pretzels, shrimp and grits, and a donut dessert called Pig Tails. $$$

• Victoria & Albert’s 4401 Floridian Way, Lake Buena Vista, 407-939-3862 / victoria-alberts.com. Indulgent, multicourse prix-fixe feasts are served in the serenely elegant main dining room, accompanied by live harp music, while yet more courses are offered in the more intimate Queen Victoria’s room and the private Chef’s Table. Chef Scott Hunnel, Maitre d’ Israel Pérez and Master Pastry Chef Erich Herbitschek travel the world to seek out impressive food and service trends, then adapt the golden ones locally. That’s why V&a, at Disney’s Grand Floridian resort & Spa, is Orlando’s only aaa Five Diamond restaurant. $$$$

INDIAN Aashirwad 5748 International Dr., Orlando, 407-370-9830 / aashirwadrestaurant.com. Begin with kashmiri naan, a slightly sweet bread stuffed with nuts, coconut and raisins, and continue with chicken biryani, cauliflower in exotic Manchurian gravy and a mixed tandoori grill. Whole spices are roasted and ground daily on site, further enhancing the cuisine’s authenticity. $$

Memories of India 7625 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando, 407-370-3277; 3895 Lake Emma Road, Lake Mary, 407-804-0920 / memoriesofindiacuisine.com. Exceptionally good Indian fare draws diners in Dr. Phillips and Lake Mary to these twin restaurants, where dishes such as palek paneer (creamed spinach) and lamb masala in rich ginger-garlic gravy always satisfy. $$

FLAVOR LISTINGS rona gindin

THE KEY$ Inexpensive, most entrées under $10$$ Moderate, most entrées $10-20$$$ Pricey, most entrées over $20$$$$ Very expensive, most entrées over $30

• indicates the restaurant is a Silver Spoon winner (Judges’ Choice).



Raga 7559 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-985-2900 / ragarestaurant.com. From its stylish décor to its inspired, somewhat global menu, Raga is a step above most local Indian restaurants. $$-$$$

ITALIANAntonio’s 611 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland, 407-645-5523; 691 Front St., Celebration, 407-566-2233 / antoniosonline.com. Fine Italian fare comes in three price ranges at Antonio’s, proprietor Greg Gentile’s trio of culinary hom-ages to his ancestors. In Maitland, the upstairs Ristorante is somewhat formal, although the open kitchen provides peeks of the chefs in action. Its downstairs counterpart, Antonio’s Market & Café, is a more casual spot that doubles as a market and wine shop. And in Celebration, the casual, lake-view Cafe d’Antonio hits that center sweet spot. $$-$$$

Enzo’s on the Lake 1130 U.S. 17-92, Longwood, 407-834-9872 / enzos.com. Long before Orlando became a seri-ous foodie town, Enzo’s was serving up lovingly prepared Italian specialties inside a converted Longwood home. Little has changed. Split a bunch of antipasto to begin your meal. After that, you pretty much can’t go wrong, but standout dishes include homemade ravioli stuffed with chicken and spinach, veal with artichoke-caper-white wine sauce and possibly the best spaghetti carbonara in town. $$$

• Peperoncino 7988 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando, 407-440-2856 / peperoncinocucina.com. The menu changes every night at this cozy Dr. Phillips Italian, where chef-owner Barbara Alfano puts out plates of fried pecorino drizzled with honey, pear and four-cheese pasta, and fish steamed in parchment paper. $$$

• Prato 124 N. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-262-0050 / prato-wp.com. This is one of Orlando’s very best Italian restaurants, but don’t expect a classic lasagna or chicken parmigiana. Executive Chef Brandon McGlamery and Chef di Cucina Matthew Cargo oversee an open kitchen in which pastas are made from scratch, pizzas are rolled to order, sausages are stuffed by hand and the olive oil is a luscious organic pour from Italy. Try the chicken liver Toscana, a satis-fying salad Campagna with cubes of sizzling pancetta tesa, shrimp tortellini and citrusy rabbit cacciatore. Begin with a Negroni cocktail; it’s possibly the best around. $$-$$$

Rocco’s Grille & Bar 400 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-644-7770 / roccositaliangrille.com. Calabria native Rocco Potami oversees this romantic Italian eatery, where fine authentic fare is presented in an intimate dining room and on a secluded brick patio. Classics include carpaccio (raw, thinly sliced beef with white truffle oil and arugula), ricotta gnocchi and a breaded veal chop topped with a lightly dressed salad. It’s easy to miss, tucked away in a Winter Park strip center, but once you find it, you’ll be back. $$$

LATINMi Tomatina 433 W. New England Ave., Winter Park, 321-972-4881 / mitomatina.com. This eatery bills itself as a paella bar, and indeed guests share a half-dozen varieties of the signature Spanish rice dish. Yet others come for a mellow meal over tapas (garlic shrimp, potato omelet, croquettes) and sangria, enjoyed while seated within a small contemporary dining room or outdoors overlooking Han-nibal Square. $$-$$$

MEDITERRANEAN• Bosphorous 108 S. Park Ave., Winter Park, 407-644-8609; 7600 Dr. Phillips Blvd., 407-352-6766 / bosphorous-restaurant.com. This is the place for flavorful Turkish fare in either a white-tablecloth setting or alfresco along Park Avenue or Dr. Phillips Boulevard. Many couples fill up on the appetizer sampler with oversized lavash bread. For a heartier meal, try the ground lamb “Turkish pastry,” a shish kebab or a tender lamb shank. Outdoor diners can end their meals by smoking from a hookah. Or not. $$

MEXICAN/ SOUTHWESTERNCantina Laredo 8000 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando, 407-345-0186 / cantinalaredo.com. Modern Mexican cuisine in a spiffy setting draws lovers of cilantro, jalapeño and pico de gallo to this Restaurant Row eatery, where the margaritas flow, the guacamole is made tableside and the portions are generous. The spinach enchilada is a vegetarian-friendly treat. $$

• Cocina 214 151 E. Welbourne Ave., Winter Park, 407-790-7997 / cocina214.com. Tex-Mex food is top quality here (214 is the Dallas area code), with salsa, savories and even margarita flavorings made from scratch. The spinach-mush-room quesadilla and tacos are especially noteworthy. $$

SEAFOODFlying Fish Café 2101 Epcot Resorts Blvd., Lake Buena Vista, 407-939-2359 / disneyworld.com. Creative seafood — and some great steak — are on the menu at this upbeat restaurant in the Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. It is themed after Eastern Seaboard summer spots of yore. For a special

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experience, enjoy a fi ve-course Chef’s Tasting Wine Dinner while seated at the food bar. $$$$

Ocean Prime 7339 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-781-4880 / ocean-prime.com. Designed to evoke the ambience of an old-time supper club, Ocean Prime’s white-jacketed servers offer sensational steaks and fi sh dishes along with creative options such as sautéed shrimp in a spectacular Tabasco-cream sauce, crab cakes with sweet corn cream and ginger salmon. End with the chocolate peanut butter pie. $$$$

Todd English’s bluezoo 1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd., Lake Buena Vista, 407-934-1111 / thebluezoo.com. Creatively prepared seafood is served in an over-the-top undersea setting at this fi ne-dining restaurant, located in Disney’s Swan and Dolphin hotel. The fashion-forward choices might be a miso-glazed Hawaiian sea bass or fried lobster in a soy glaze. The desserts are among the best in town. $$$$

STEAK• Bull & Bear 14200 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane, Orlan-do, 407-597-5500 / bullandbearorlando.com. Orlando’s Bull & Bear looks similar to New York’s legendary steakhouse (except for the pool and golf course views), but ours has its own ambitious menu. Guests of the Waldorf Astoria’s fi ne-dining spot can feast on traditional items such as veal Oscar and prime steak that’s dry aged for 21 days, and intriguing ones like appetizers of gnocchi and escargot with crescents of black garlic, and shrimp and grits presented under a dome that, when removed, introduces a waft of aromatic smoke. The chocolate and lemon desserts are superb. $$$$

Christner’s Prime Steak & Lobster 729 Lee Road, Orlando, 407-645-4443 / christnersprimesteakand-lobster.com. Locals have been choosing this prototypically

masculine, dark-wood-and-red-leather enclave for business dinners and family celebrations for more than a decade. Family-owned since 1993 yet under the Del Frisco’s banner until mid-2013, Christner’s features USDA Prime, corn-fed Midwestern beef or Australian cold-water lobster tails with a slice of the restaurant’s legendary mandarin orange cake. And there’s a loooong wine list (6,500 bottles). On select nights, Kostya Kimlat hosts magic shows along with a prix-fi xe menu in a private dining room. $$$$

Fleming’s 8030 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando, 407-352-5706; 933 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-699-9463 / fl em-ingssteakhouse.com. Fleming’s puts a younger spin on the stately steakhouse concept, featuring sleek décor and 100 wines by the glass along with its prime steaks and chops. The tempura lobster “small plate” with soy-ginger dipping sauce is a worthy pre-entrée splurge. For a taste of the old-fashioned, visit on Sunday, when prime rib is served. $$$$

Linda’s La Cantina 4721 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, 407-894-4491 / lindaslacantina.com. An Orlando icon, this style-free, windowless restaurant is always packed, and that’s because it serves top-quality steak dinners at wallet-friendly prices. Namesake Linda’s daughters Karen Hart, Debra Tas-soni and Lori Coley run the establishment today. $$-$$$

Nelore Churrascaria 115 E. Lyman Ave., Winter Park, 407-645-1112 / neloresteakhouse.com. This is one of two Nelore Brazilian all-you-can-eat steakhouses — the other one is in Houston — where the servers, or “gauchos,” come to your table as often as you’d like bearing skewers of premier beef, chicken or pork. There’s a world-class salad bar and Brazilian cheese bread to keep you happy between meat courses. $$$$

Ruth’s Chris 7501 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, 407-226-3900; 610 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-622-2444; 80 Colonial Center Parkway, Lake Mary, 407-804-

8220 / ruthschris.com. With three stately steakhouses and corporate headquarters by Winter Park Village, Ruth’s Chris, a native of New Orleans, has become an Orlando special-occasion mainstay. Its service-oriented restaurants specialize in massive corn-fed Midwestern steaks served sizzling and topped with butter. $$$$

Shula’s 1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd., Orlando, 407-934-1362; 2974 International Parkway, Lake Mary, 407-531-3567 / donshula.com. Coach Don Shula, who led the Miami Dolphins through a perfect season in 1972, is now in the restaurant business. One of his Orlando outposts, located in Disney World’s Swan and Dolphin resort, is a dark, tastefully sports-themed steakhouse where the menu is painted on a football. Offerings include Premium Black Angus beef as well as barbecue shrimp, wedge salad and crab cakes. Up in Lake Mary, Shula’s 347 Grill is more of a sports bar with ambitious food. $$-$$$$

VEGETARIANCafé 118 153 E. Morse Blvd., Winter Park, 407-389-2233 / cafe118.com. Raw foods — none cooked past 118 degrees — are the focus of this crisp Winter Park café, attracting raw foodists, vegans and vegetarians. The spinach and beet ravioli stuffed with cashew ricotta is an impressive imitation of the Italian staple. Thirsty Park Avenue shoppers might stop by for a healthful smoothie. $$

Ethos Vegan Kitchen 601 S. New York Ave., Winter Park, 407-228-3898 / ethosvegankitchen.com. Ethos is a vegan restaurant with a menu that also satisfi es open-minded carnivores. Fuel up on pecan-crusted eggplant with red wine sauce and mashed potatoes or a meat-free shepherd’s pie, if salads, sandwiches and coconut-curry tofu wraps won’t do the trick. $-$$

FLAVOR LISTINGS rona gindin

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Nearly nine out of 10 parents send their children to public schools, with their school choice all but made for them based on where they live. Their kids go to the school for which they are

zoned. Pretty simple.But it’s not so simple for parents who want their children in

a private school. While proximity is a consideration, it’s only one of many factors to consider. How big is the school? How religious (or not) is the school? How much emphasis does the school place on academics, athletics, the arts, community involvement?

And, perhaps most important of all: Does the school pro-vide a quality education in a nurturing environment?

“The goal of choosing a [private] school,” says Janet Stroup, head of school at Sweetwater Episcopal Academy, “is to match your children’s ability, interests and needs with the most appropriate educational setting.”

That’s easier said than done, acknowledges Stroup, whose independent private school in Longwood serves pre-kinder-garteners through fifth graders. “First, start with a tour of the campus,” she advises. “Talk to students and teachers, not just the head of admissions. Ask them, ‘What do you like about your school?’”

High on parents’ list of concerns, says Stroup, is their chil-

dren’s safety, “both physical and emotional.” School visits can give a sense of how students relate to each other, she says, while giving prospective parents the chance to ask about school policies on bullying.

Cory Ostrowski, director of admissions at Lake Mary Pre-paratory School, agrees school visits are critical. She recom-mends that prospective parents make at least two separate school visits before making a final decision, starting with a weekend open house and following up with another visit when school is in session.

Then again, even multiple school visits won’t tell the whole story. As Stroup puts it, “It’s like trying on a pair of shoes. They feel good in the store, but maybe not when you’re dancing all night.”

For example, it’s important to check on a school’s accredi-tation, which assures it has been vetted by independent pro-fessionals. Accreditation is particularly important in Florida — a state that neither regulates nor licenses private schools — and most colleges will accept students only from accred-ited schools.

If a regional accreditation is not specified, the school must be approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and

EDUCATION private schools

LearningExperience

Parents need to do their homework when seLeCting

a sChooL for their kids.

By Harry Wessel

WWW.ORLANDO-LIFE.COM ORLANDO LIFE 43

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ALPHABET SOUPFollowing are the listed accrediting organizations used by private schools in Florida and elsewhere. For more information about each organization and its criteria, visit their websites:

AdvancEd: (advanc-ed.org)

ACSI: Association of Christian Schools International (acsi.org)

ACTS: Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (actsschools.org)

AI: Accreditation International (aiaccredits.org)

AISF: Association of Independent Schools of Florida (aisfl .org)

AMS: American Montessori Society (amshq.org)

CAPE: Council for American Private Education (capenet.org)

CASI: Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (ncacasi.org)

CITA: Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (citaschools.org)

CSF: Christian Schools of Florida (christianschoolsfl .org)

ECFA: Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability

FAANS: Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools (faans.org)

FACCS: Florida Association of Christian Colleges & Schools (faccs.org)

FCCAP: Florida Catholic Conference Accreditation Program (eas-ed.org)

FCCPSA: Florida Coalition of Christian Private Schools Association (fccpsa.org)

FCIS: Florida Council of Independent Schools (fcis.org)

FCSDA: Florida Conference of Seventh Day Adventists (fl oridaconference.com)

FISA: Florida Independent School Association (no website)

FKC: Florida Kindergarten Council (fkconline.org)

FLAGS: Florida League of Assembly of God Schools (fl ags.org)

FLOCS: Florida League of Christian Schools (fl ocs.org)

GOLD SEAL: Gold Seal Quality Care Program (dcf.state.fl .us/programs/childcare)

IBO: International Baccalaureate Organization (ibo.org)

ICAA: International Christian Accrediting Association (icaa.us)

MSA-CES: Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (msa-ces.org)

NAD/SDA: Seventh-day Adventist North American Division Commission on Accreditation (nadadventist.org)

NAIS: National Association of Independent Schools (nais.org)

NCPSA: National Council for Private School Accreditation (ncpsa.org)

NCSA: National Christian School Association (nationalchristian.org)

NIPSA: National Independent Private Schools Association (nipsa.org)

NLSA: National Lutheran Schools Accreditation (lcms.org)

NPSAA: National Private Schools Association Accreditation (npsag.org)

SACS: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (sacs.org)

SAIS: Southern Association of Independent Schools (sais.org)

SBACS: Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools (sbacs.org)

SUC: Southern Union Conference (southernunion.com)


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Schools (SACS), which is the accredit-ing body for all schools and universities in 11 southeastern states.

SACS, one of six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Depart-ment of Education, evaluates academic programs, extracurricular activities, staff qualifications and financial stabil-ity, among other factors.

Including SACS, there are just 13 accrediting organizations officially recognized by the Florida Association of Academic and Nonpublic Schools (FAANS), including the Florida Coun-cil of Independent Schools (FCIS), which represents more than 70,000 students in 158 member schools.

FCIS, which evaluates both secular and faith-based private schools, uses criteria similar to SACS. Meanwhile, faith-based schools have a number of accrediting organizations recognized by FAANS, including the Florida Asso-ciation of Christian Colleges & Schools (FACCS) and the Florida Catholic Conference (FCCAP).

Beyond certifications, school size is of-ten a major determining factor. At Pine Castle Christian Academy in Orlando, a Pre-K through 12th grade school with just 200 students, “there’s a sense of community, where everybody knows ev-erybody,” says Principal Brenda Oliver. She views her school’s small size as a big plus, where students can participate in activities such as drama, band, choir and athletics — opportunities they might not get in a larger school.

But whether it’s a big or small school, academics should be uppermost, says Oliver noting that parents of prospec-tive students often ask what percentage of the school’s graduates attend college, and more specifically, in which colleges they have been accepted.


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Another academic yardstick parents can use to judge a private school, Oliver adds, is how its students fare on stan-dardized tests. While private schools don’t use the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test, better known as the FCAT, most rely on some kind of stan-dardized measure, such as the Stanford Achievement Test or the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills.

Class size is also a critical measure, says Craig Maughan, headmaster of Trin-ity Preparatory School in Winter Park. Even the larger private high schools of-ten keep their class sizes under 20 stu-dents, he notes. That means students get more individual attention, particularly when it comes to writing skills.

Having smaller class sizes is as much a benefit at Park Maitland School, which has students from pre-kindergarten to sixth grade, as it is at Trinity Prep, which covers grades 6-12. “Everybody has a strong suit, and small classes are important,” says Mary Margaret Bo-wen, Park Maitland’s vice president. “Children can feel good about them-selves if they’re great in math, or in music or in phys ed. Teachers teach to their strengths.”

The overall size of a school matters, too, and Maughan points out that by this measure private schools offer much more choice than public schools. While most public high schools in Central Florida have at least 2,000 students, the region’s private and parochial high school student bodies range in size from as large as 1,100 to as small as 50.

For more in-depth information and advice, go to the website of the Nation-al Association of Independent Schools, nais.org, and click on “Parents” at the top of the page. n

WWW.ORLANDO-LIFE.COM ORLANDO LIFE 47

11OL_Jan14_Private Schools.indd 47 12/16/13 9:17:59 AM

private-school directory

*Annual tuition for grades K-12; does not include pre-K.

LAKE COUNTY

ChrisTiAN hOmE & BiBLE sChOOL 301 W. 13th Ave., Mount Dora, FL 32757

352-383-2155 chbs.org No Pre-K-12 551 17::1 NCSA, SACS $8,082-$8,958

FAiTh LUThErAN sChOOL 2727 S. Grove St., Eustis, FL 32726

352-589-5683 faitheustis.org

Yes Pre-K-8 204 18::1 NLSA $3,990-$4,080

FirsT ACAdEmY LEEsBUrg 219 N. 13th St., Leesburg, FL 34748

352-787-7762 firstacad-emyonline.com

Yes K-12 340 18::1 ACSI, SACS $6,000-$6,400

gATEwAY ChrisTiAN sChOOL 2705 Robie Ave., Mount Dora, FL 32757

352-383-9920 antbmu.adventistschoolconnect.org

Yes Pre-K-8 45 11::1 FAANS, FCSDA, SUC $2,000-$4,400

LAKE mONTEssOri & LEArNiNg iNsTiTUTE 415 N. Lee St., Leesburg, FL 34748

352-787-5333 lakemontes-sori.com

No Pre-K-5 50 17::1 AMS $3,350-$6,500

LiBErTY ChrisTiAN ACAdEmY 2451 Dora Ave., Tavares, FL 32778

352-343-0061 libertychris-tianprep.com

Yes K3-12 230 25::1 max

FACCS $4,750-$5,000

mONTvErdE ACAdEmY 17325 Seventh St., Montverde, FL 34756

407-469-2561 montverde.org

Yes Pre-K-12 960 13::1 FCIS, FKC, SACS, SAIS

$9,527-$11,812

rEAL LiFE ChrisTiAN ACAdEmY 1501 Steve’s Road, Clermont, FL 34711

352-394-5575 rlcacademy.com

Yes Pre-K-12 400 13::1 ACSI $4,109-$7,057

sT. PAUL’s CAThOLiC sChOOL 1320 Sunshine Ave., Leesburg, FL 34748

352-787-4657 saint-paulschool.com

Yes Pre-K-8 180 17::1 FCCAP $5,500-$6,300

OrANgE COUNTY

AzALEA PArK BAPTisT5725 Dahlia Drive, Orlando, FL 32807

407-277-4056 azaleapark-baptist.org

Yes Pre-K-8 100 16::1 / 20::1

SBACS $3,000-$4,155

BishOP mOOrE CAThOLiC high sChOOL3901 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL 32804

407-293-7561 bishop-moore.org

Yes 9-12 1,134 25::1 SACS $9,660-$13,380

CENTrAL FLOridA ChrisTiAN ACAdEmY700 Good Homes Road, Orlando, FL 32818

407-850-2322 cfcaeagles.org

Yes Pre-K-12 235 18::1 ACSI, SACS $9,200

CENTrAL FLOridA PrEPArATOrY sChOOL1450 Citrus Oaks Ave., Gotha, FL 34734

407-290-8073 cfprep.org Yes Pre-K-12 290 ASIF, GOLD SEAL, NCPSA, SACS

$6,850-$8,950

ChrisTiAN viCTOrY ACAdEmY4606 Lake Margaret Drive, Orlando, FL 32812

407-281-6244 christianvic-toryacademy.org

Yes K-12 105 12::1 FCCPSA $3,500-$4,600

FAiTh ChrisTiAN ACAdEmY9307 Curry Ford Road, Orlando, FL 32825

407-275-8031 fcalions.org Yes Pre-K-12 588 25::1 FLOCS, SACS $5,763-$6,477

FAmiLY ChrisTiAN sChOOL671 Beulah Road, Winter Garden, FL 34787

407-656-7904 fcs-fl.org Yes K-8 127 16::1 / 18::1

ACSI $3,820-$5,370

FOrEsT LAKE ACAdEmY500 Education Loop, Apopka, FL 32703

407-862-8411 forest-lakeacademy.org

Yes 9-12 338 18::1 AISF, FAANS, NCPSA $9,460

FOUNdATiON ACAdEmY, sOUTh CAmPUs: 15304 Tilden Road, Winter Garden, FL 34787

South Campus: 407-877-2744 North Campus:

Yes Pre-K-12 585 15::1 CASI, SACS $9,078-$10,571

Good Shepherd CatholiC5902 Oleander Drive, Orlando, FL 32807

407-277-3973 goodshep-herd.org

Yes Pre-K-8 520 18::1 FCCAP $5,784-$7,200

hampden duboSe aCademy3700 Dohnavur Drive, Zellwood, FL 32798

407-880-4321 hda-lhs.com Yes K-12 125 15::1 FACCS $5,550-$5,900

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Holy Family CatHoliC SCHool5129 S. Apopka-Vineland Road, Orlando, FL 32819

407-876-9344 hfcschool.com

Yes Pre-K-8 665 12::1 / 35::1

FCCAP $5,080-$7,520

JewiSH aCademy oF orlando851 N. Maitland Ave., Maitland, FL 32751

407-647-0713 jewishacad-emyorlando.org

Yes K-8 155 7::1 FCIS $11,350-$14,550

KingSway CHriStian aCademy4161 N. Powers Drive, Orlando, FL 32818

407-295-8901 kingsway-christianacademy.com

Yes Pre-K-8 478 20::1 / 22::1

FACCS $4,350-$4,680

laKe HigHland PreParatory SCHool901 N. Highland Ave., Orlando, FL 32803

407-206-1900 lhps.org Yes Pre-K-12 1,615 13::1 FCIS, FKC, NAIS, SACS

$9,000-$17,750

new SCHool PreParatory130 E. Marks St., Orlando, FL 32803

407-246-0556 newschool-prep.org

Yes K-8 140 15::1 FCIS, FKC $9,700

orangewood CHriStian SCHool1300 W. Maitland Blvd., Maitland, FL 32751

407-339-0223 orange-woodchristian.org

Yes K-12 694 13::1 CSF, NCPSA, SACS $9,480-$11,640

orlando CHriStian PreP500 S. Semoran Blvd., Orlando, FL 32807

407-823-9744 orlandochris-tianprep.org

Yes Pre-K-12 500 20::1 / 25::1

FACCS $6,500-$9,295

orlando Junior aCademy30 E. Evans St., Orlando, FL 32804

407-894-6213 discoveroja.com

Yes Pre-K-8 263 17::1 FAANS, NAD-SDA $4,000-$4,600

ParK maitland SCHool1450 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland, FL 32751

407-647-3038 parkmait-land.org

Yes Pre-K-6 620 10::1 / 15::1

FCIS, FKC $9,750-$13,000

PatHwayS SCHool1877 W. Oak Ridge Road, Orlando, FL 32809

407-816-2040 pathwayspri-vateschool.com

Yes Pre-K-9 260 20::1 FISA $6,500-$7,500

Pine CaStle CHriStian aCademy7101 Lake Ellenor Drive, Orlando, FL 32809

407-313-7222 pccaeagles.org

Yes Pre-K-12 200 12::1 / 20::1

ACSI, SACS $6,430-$9,731

Providence AcAdemy, East Campus: 1561 S. Alafaya Trail, Orlando, FL 32828West Campus: 7605 Conroy Windermere Road, Orlando, FL 32835

407-298-8995 theprovi-denceacademy.com

No K-12 50 4::1 / 8::1

AISF $18,000

St. andrew CatHoliC SCHool877 N. Hastings St., Orlando, FL 32808

407-295-4230 standrew-catholicschool.org

Yes Pre-K-8 344 20::1 FCCAP $4,700- $6,500

St. CHarleS Borromeo SCHool4005 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, FL 32804

407-293-7691 x249 stcharles-orlando.org

Yes Pre-K-8 285 20::1 FCCAP $6,103-$8,992

St. JameS CatHedral SCHool505 E. Ridgewood St., Orlando, FL 32803

407-841-4432 stjcs.com Yes Pre-K-8 480 16::1 FCCAP $6,094

St. JoHn Vianney CatHoliC SCHool6200 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32809

407-855-4660 sjvs.org Yes Pre-K-8 600 17::1 FCCAP $4,975-$7,025

tHe CHriSt SCHool106 E. Church St., Orlando, FL 32801

407-849-1665 thechrist-school.org

Yes K-8 334 17::1 CSF $9,145-$9,698

tHe CrenSHaw SCHool2342 Hempel Ave., Gotha, FL 34734

407-877-7412 cren-shawschool.com

No Pre-K-12 50 12::1 AISF, CASI, NCPSA, SACS

$5,700-$11,200

tHe FirSt aCademy2667 Bruton Blvd., Orlando, FL 32805

407-206-8602 thefirstacad-emy.org

Yes Pre-K-12 1,150 18::1 / 22::1

ACSI, FCIS, FKC, SACS

$6,200-$15,130

tHe ParKe HouSe aCademy1776 Minnesota Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789

407-647-3624 theparke-houseacademy.com

Yes Pre-K-6 200 10::1 FCIS, FKC $5,500-$11,400

trinity CHriStian SCHool1022 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32703

407-886-0212 tcsapopka.org

Yes Pre-K-8 350 18::1 ACSI, SACS, SBACS $6,075-$6,600

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TriniTy LuTheran SchooL123 E. Livingston St., Orlando, FL 32801

407-488-1919 trinitydown-town.com

Yes Pre-K-8 307 12::1 NLSA $7,725-$7,928

TriniTy PreParaTory SchooL5700 Trinity Prep Lane, Winter Park, FL 32792

407-671-4140 trinityprep.org

No 6-12 850 12::1 FCIS $17,950

WeST orange MonTeSSori227 S. Main St., Winter Garden, FL 34787

407-654-0700 westorange-montessori.com

No Pre-K & K 40 10::1 AMS $3,250-$7,750

WinderMere PreParaTory SchooL6189 Winter Garden-Vineland Road, Windermere, FL 34786

407-905-7737 windermer-eprep.com

Yes Pre-K-12 1,150 16::1 FCIS, FKC,IBO,SACS,SAIS

$12,800-$16,975

oSceoLa counTy

ciTy of Life chriSTian acadeMy2874 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy., Kissimmee, FL 34744

407-847-5184 colca.tv Yes Pre-K-12 360 12::1 / 25::1

CASI, ICAA, SACS $5,335-$5,670

firST uniTed MeThodiST SchooL122 W. Sproule Ave., Kissimmee, FL 34741

407-847-8805 fums.org Yes Pre-K-5 224 15::1 FACCS $4,500

heriTage chriSTian SchooL1500 E. Vine St., Kissimmee, FL 34744

407-847-4087 heritageea-gles.org

Yes Pre-K-12 550 24::1 / 26::1

FCCPSA $3,150-$3,350

hoLy redeeMer caThoLic SchooL1800 W. Columbia Ave., Kissimmee, FL 34741

407-870-9055 hrcschool.com

Yes Pre-K-8 360 25::1 FCCAP $5,300-$6,600

Life chriSTian acadeMy2269 Partin Settlement Road, Kissimmee, FL 34744

407-847-2336 lifechristi-anacademy.us

Yes Pre-K-12 320 22::1 AdvancEd, FLOCS, SACS

$4,078-$4,347

norTh KiSSiMMee chriSTian SchooL425 W. Donegan Ave., Kissimmee, FL 34741

407-847-2877 nkcs.weebly.com

Yes Pre-K-12 140 15::1 SBACS $3,350

SainT ThoMaS aquinaS caThoLic SchooL800 Brown Chapel Road, St. Cloud, FL 34769

407-957-1772 stacschool.com

Yes Pre-K-8 280 22::1 FCCAP $4,995-$6,245

SouThLand chriSTian SchooL2440 Fortune Road, Kissimmee, FL 34744

407-201-7999 scs2440.com Yes Pre-K-12 470 27::1 FACCS $3,400-$4,000

TriniTy LuTheran SchooL3016 W. Vine St., Kissimmee, FL 34741

407-847-5377 trinitychur-chandschool.com

Yes Pre-K-8 130 16::1 NLSA $4,975-$5,225

SeMinoLe counTy

aLL SouLS caThoLic SchooL810 S. Oak Ave., Sanford FL 32771

407-322-7090 allsouls-catholicschool.org

Yes Pre-K-8 250 13::1 FCCAP $7,584

aLTaMonTe chriSTian SchooL601 Palm Springs Drive, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701

407-831-0950 altamon-techristian.org

Yes K-12 252 20::1 FACCS, NPSAA $4,200-$4,700

annunciaTion caThoLic acadeMy593 Jamestown Blvd., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714

407-774-2801 annuncia-tionacademy.org

Yes K-8 507 14::1 FCCAP $6,150-$7,400

cenTer acadeMy341 N. Orlando Ave., Maitland, FL 32751

407-772-8727 centeracad-emy.com

No 5-12 47 10::1 NIPSA, SACS $11,000-$13,000

chaMPion PreParaTory SchooL1935 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Apopka, FL 32703

407-788-0018 champi-onprep.org

Yes K-12 304 9::1 NPSAA N.A.

foreST ciTy advenTiST SchooL1238 Bunnell Road, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714

407-299-0703 fcsdaschool.com

Yes K-8 100 13::1 NAD/SDA $4,100-$5,300

hoLy croSS LuTheran acadeMy5450 Holy Cross Court, Sanford, FL 32771

407-936-3636 thehcla.org Yes Pre-K-8 259 15::1 AISF, NCPSA, SACS $6,400

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Lake Forrest PreParatory schooL866 Lake Howell Road, Maitland, FL 32751

407-331-5144 lakeforrest-prep.com

Yes Pre-K-8 200 18::1 AISF, MSA-CES, NCPSA

$9,245-$9,460

Lake Mary Montessori acadeMy3551 W. Lake Mary Blvd., Lake Mary, FL 32746

407-324-2304 lmma.net Yes Pre-K-6 120 11::1 AMS, CITA, SACS $9,245-$11,425

Lake Mary PreParatory schooL650 Rantoul Lane, Lake Mary, FL 32746

407-805-0095 lakemary-prep.com

Yes Pre-K-12 680 18::1 FCIS, FKC $9,900-$13,075

Liberty christian schooL2626 S. Palmetto Ave., Sanford, FL 32773

407-323-1583 liberty-patriots.org

Yes K-12 120 14::1 ACSI $3,400

MarkhaM Woods christian acadeMy1675 Dixon Road, Longwood, FL 32779

407-774-0777 markham-woodschristianacademy.com

Yes Pre-K-8 100 10::1 ACTS, FLOCS, NCPSA, SACS

$5,148-$5,980

Pace brantLey haLL schooL3221 Sand Lake Road, Longwood, FL 32779

407-869-8882 mypbhs.org Yes 2-12 149 10::1 FCIS $14,477-$14,985

Page Private schooL100 Aero Lane, Sanford, FL 32771

407-324-1144 pageschool.com

Yes Pre-K-8 125 12::1 AI, AISF, GOLD SEAL, MSCES, NCPSA, SACS

$10,160

st. Lukes Lutheran schooL2025 W. S.R. 426, Oviedo, FL 32765

407-365-3228 stlukes-oviedo.org

Yes Pre-K-8 720 18::1 AdvancEd, NLSA, SACS

N.A.

st. Mary MagdeLen cathoLic schooL869 Maitland Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32701

407-830-6245 smmschool.org

Yes Pre-K-8 454 17::1 FCCAP $6,215-$7,370

sWeetWater ePiscoPaL acadeMy251 E. Lake Brantley Drive, Longwood, FL 32779

407-862-1882 sweetwa-terepiscopal.org

Yes Pre-K-5 160 8::1 FCIS, FKC $11,400

the geneva schooL2025 S.R. 436, Winter Park, FL 32792

407-332-6363 genev-aschool.org

Yes Pre-K-12 500 10::1 FCIS, FKC $9,095-$11,660

the Master’s acadeMy1500 Lukas Lane, Oviedo, FL 32765

407-971-2221 mastersa-cademy.org

Yes K-12 906 19::1 ACSI, ECFA, SACS N.A.

tuskaWiLLa Montessori acadeMy1625 Montessori Point, Oviedo, FL 32765

407-678-3879 tuskmont.org

No Pre-K-8 146 10::1 AISF, AMS, NCPSA, SACS

$8,391-$8,967

voLusia county

Lighthouse christian PreParatory acadeMy126 S. Ridgewood Ave., DeLand, FL 32720

386-734-4631 lighthousechris-tianacademy.fl.vca.schoolinsites.com

Yes Pre-K-8 200 15::1 FCCPSA $3,810-$3,920

st. barbabas ePiscoPaL schooL322 W. Michigan Ave., DeLand, FL 32720

386-734-3005 sbesyes.org Yes Pre-K-8 391 10::1 FCIS, FKC $6,171-$7,008

st. Peter cathoLic schooL421 W. New York Ave., DeLand, FL 32720

386-822-6010 stpeter-deland.org

Yes Pre-K-8 265 25::1 FCCAP $4,972-$6,443

trinity christian acadeMy875 Elkcam Blvd., Deltona, FL 32725

386-789-4515 trinitychristi-anacademy.com

Yes Pre-K-12 625 25::1 FAANS, FLOCS, NCPSA, SACS

N.A.

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*PCH: Cost per credit hour, PS: Cost per semester, PY: Cost per year, PP: Cost per total program, PC: Cost per course. Note: Costs are for in-state residents.

HIGHER-EDUCATION DIRECTORY

SCHOOL NAMEUNDER-

GRADUATE DEGREES

GRADUATE DEGREES

*COST NOTES

ANA G. MÉNDEZ UNIVERSITY SYSTEM Orlando 407-207-3363 / suagm.edu

BS, BBA, BSN, BA

MBA, MPS, MS,MEd, MA, MPA

Undergraduate PCH: $358 Graduate PCH: $420

The 62-year-old private university, based in Puerto Rico, opened its Orlando campus in 2003; offers accelerated, dual-language undergraduate and graduate programs.

BARRY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW Orlando321-206-5600 / barry.edu

N/A JD PS Part Time: $17,150PS Full Time: $12,950

Opened in 1999 and fully accredited since 2006; recently opened a new Legal Advocacy Center on its 20-acre east Orlando campus.

BEACON COLLEGE Leesburg352-787-7660 / beaconcollege.edu

AA, BA N/A PY Full Time: $30,396 The fi rst accredited U.S. college offering associ-ate and bachelor degrees exclusively for students with learning disabilities.

BELHAVEN UNIVERSITY Orlando407-804-1424 / orlando.belhaven.edu

BA, AA, BBA, BS

MA, MBA, MEd, MS

Undergraduate PCH: $460 Graduate PCH: $480-$590

A private Christian liberal arts university designed for busy professionals, with classes held one night per week.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVER-SITY Daytona Beach 1-386-281-2950 / cookman.edu

BA, BS MS PY Full Time: $14,410 Founded in 1904 by civil-rights legend Mary McLeod Bethune, and one of just three histori-cally black colleges in Florida, B-CU has been a full-fl edged university since 2007.

COLUMBIA COLLEGE Orlando, FL 407-293-9911 / ccis.edu

AA, AS, BA, BS, AGS, BGS

MBA Undergraduate PCH: $185; Un-dergraduate (online) PCH: $245; Graduate PCH-$325; Graduate (online) PCH: $325-$345

The Orlando campus, one of 34 nationwide, was established in 1975; the main campus in Mis-souri was founded in 1851.

THE DAVE SCHOOLOrlando407-224-3283 / daveschool.com

Certifi cate of Comple-tion

N/A PP: $33,500 The Digital Animation and Visual Effects school at Universal Studios Orlando offers training in comput-er graphics; one of only two educational institutions granted membership in the Visual Effects Society.

DEVRY UNIVERSITY Orlando (two campuses)407-345-2800 / 407-659-0900 / devry.edu

AA, BBA, BA

MBA, MPA, CERT

Undergraduate PCH: $365-$609 Graduate PCH: $766

The 81-year-old university has 90-plus locations nationwide; offers associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees at its fi ve colleges, including the Keller Graduate School of Management.

EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY Daytona Beach 386-226-6000 / erau.edu

BAS, BS, BAE, BBA,AS

PhD, MS, MAEMBA, MSE, MSA

Undergraduate PY: $31,344 Graduate PY: $16,284

The world’s oldest and largest university devoted to aviation and aerospace; boasts a fl eet of 92 instructional aircraft and 41 fl ight simulators.

EVEREST UNIVERSITY Orlando (2 campuses) 407-628-5870 / 407-851-2525 / everest.edu

BA, BS, AA MBA Varies by program More than 100 campuses nationwide, including two in Orlando; offers degrees and certifi cation programs in fi elds ranging from accounting and nursing to massage therapy.

EVERGLADES UNIVERSITY Altamonte Springs 407-277-0311 / evergladesuniversity.edu

BS MA, MBA Undergraduate PP: $65,190Graduate PP: $19,656

Offers bachelor’s degrees in such fi elds as con-struction management and alternative medicine, and graduate degrees in business administration and aviation science.

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW Orlando 407-254-3286 / law.famu.edu

N/A JD PY Part Time: $10,029PY Full Time: $14,132

Celebrating its 12th anniversary in Orlando; has 700 students at its four-story, downtown Orlando campus.

FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE Lakeland863-680-4111 / fl southern.edu

BA MA PY: Full-Time Undergraduate: $27,930

Founded in 1883, the school features several Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and was ranked as one of the Top 10 colleges in the South by U.S. News & World Report.

3300 University Boulevard Winter Park, FL800.226.7625

ART & DESIGN

FILM & WRITING

GAME

MUSIC

BUSINESS

WEB

Take the Campus Tour fullsail.edu

FUTUREYOUR

IS WORTH

EXPLORING

SCHOOL OF

Hollywood-style sets, live venues, game, animation, and recording studios, acres of creative spaces – it’s all inside the Full Sail campus in Winter Park. If you’ve got a dream in entertainment and media that’s worth following, book your tour today.

800.226.7625fullsail.edu

© 2

013

Full

Sail,

LLC

3300 University Boulevard • Winter Park, FLFinancial aid available for those who qualify • Career development assistance • Accredited University, ACCSCTo view detailed information regarding tuition, student outcomes, and related statistics, please visit fullsail.edu/outcomes-and-statistics.

Campus & Online Degree Programs


10OL_Jan14_Higher Education.indd 52 12/13/13 3:21:23 PM

3300 University Boulevard Winter Park, FL800.226.7625

ART & DESIGN

FILM & WRITING

GAME

MUSIC

BUSINESS

WEB

Take the Campus Tour fullsail.edu

FUTUREYOUR

IS WORTH

EXPLORING

SCHOOL OF

Hollywood-style sets, live venues, game, animation, and recording studios, acres of creative spaces – it’s all inside the Full Sail campus in Winter Park. If you’ve got a dream in entertainment and media that’s worth following, book your tour today.

800.226.7625fullsail.edu

© 2

013

Full

Sail,

LLC

3300 University Boulevard • Winter Park, FLFinancial aid available for those who qualify • Career development assistance • Accredited University, ACCSCTo view detailed information regarding tuition, student outcomes, and related statistics, please visit fullsail.edu/outcomes-and-statistics.

Campus & Online Degree Programs


HIGHER-EDUCATION DIRECTORy


SCHOOL NameUNder-

gradUate degreeS

gradUate degreeS

*COSt NOteS

FULL SaiL UNiverSity Winter Park 407-679-6333 / fullsail.edu

AS, BS MS Undergraduate PCH: $453-$622 Graduate PCH: $534-$850

Offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs for careers in film, music, gaming, animation and other forms of interactive enter-tainment.

HerziNg UNiverSity Winter Park 407-478-0500 / herzing.edu

AS, BS MBA, MN PCH: $520-$715 One of the first post-secondary institutions founded to prepare students for careers in the computer industry

iNterNatiONaL aCademy OF deSigN aNd teCHNOLOgy Orlando 407-278-7988 / iadt.edu/Orlando

AS, BS, BFA N/A PCH: $300-$500 Founded in 1977 in Chicago as an academy of merchandising and design, IADT now has 10 campuses nationwide and offers degrees in cutting-edge technologies.

itt teCHNiCaL iNStitUte Orlando & Lake Mary 407-371-6000 / 407-660-2900 / itt-tech.edu

AA, BA MBA (online) PCH: $493 Focusing on technology-oriented programs at its 140-plus U.S. locations, including two in metro Orlando, ITT offers associate and bachelor’s degrees.

KeiSer UNiverSity Orlando 407-273-5800 keiseruniversity.edu/orlando.php

AA, BA, AS, BS

MBA, MA, MS, PhD

N/A Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale; has 14 cam-puses in Florida, including Orlando; classes are small and are taken one at a time.

NOva SOUtHeaSterN UNiver-Sity Orlando 407-264-5601 / nova.edu

AA, BA, BSN, RN, BS

MA, MS, MBA, MEd

Undergraduate PCH: $675-$825

The Fort Lauderdale-based school, founded in 1964, has grown into the nation’s eighth largest, not-for-profit independent university.

reFOrmed tHeOLOgiCaL SemiNar Oviedo 407-366-9493 / rts.edu/orlando

CERT M.Div, MA, D.Min

PCH: $435 The virtual campus started in Orlando in the 1990s and became the first online seminary of-fering accredited degrees.

rOLLiNS COLLege Winter Park 407-646-2000 / rollins.edu

BA MA PY: $41,460 For five years running ranked No. 1 among Southern master’s level universities by U.S. News & World Report.

rOLLiNS COLLege CrUmmer gradUate SCHOOL OF BUSi-NeSS Winter Park 407-646-2405 / rollins.edu/mba

N/A MBA PP varies from $50,670-$69,000

Offers three different MBA degrees, one tailored for recent graduates, another for working professionals, and a third for mid- to senior-level executives. Ranked No. 1 by Forbes.

rOLLiNS COLLege HamiLtON HOLt SCHOOL Winter Park 407-646-2000 rollins.edu/holt

BA MEd, MA Undergraduate PCH: $411-$423 Graduate PCH: $430-$568

Named for Rollins’ eighth president; offers evening classes for working adults pursuing bachelor’s or master’s degrees.

SemiNOLe State COLLege Sanford 407-708-2050 / seminolestate.edu

AA, AS, BA, BS

N/A PCH: $85-$120 Four campus locations; offers five bachelor’s de-grees in addition to scores of associate degrees, certification programs and continuing adult education.

StetSON UNiverSity DeLand 386-822-7100 / stetson.edu

BA, BS, BBA MEd, MBA, MS, MA, MAcc, JD/MBA

Undergraduate PY: $37,980 Graduate PCH: $789-$1,205 Law School PY:

Founded in 1883; boasts Florida’s first School of Business Administration, first School of Music and the first college newspaper, now 125 years old.

Strayer UNiverSity Orlando & Maitland 407-926-2000 / 407-618-5900 / strayer.edu

AA, BS, BBA, CERT

MBA, MS, MPA, MEd, MHSA

Undergraduate PC: $1,420 Graduate PC: $2,325

Founded in 1892; has more than 90 campuses in the U.S.; offers undergraduate and gradu-ate degrees, as well as certification programs, in subjects ranging from accounting to public



HIGHER-EDUCATION DIRECTORy


SCHOOL NameUNder-

gradUate degreeS

gradUate degreeS

*COSt NOteS

DEGREE KEy AA: Associate of Arts

AAS: Associate of Applied Science

AGS: Associate of General Studies

AS: Associate of Science

ASB: Associate of Science in Business

ASBA: Associate of Science in Business Administration

ASGE: Associate of Science in General Education

BA: Bachelor of Arts

BBA: Bachelor of Business Administration

BFA: Bachelor of Fine Arts

BGS: Bachelor of General Studies

BS: Bachelor of Science

BSBA: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

BSE: Bachelor of Science in Engineering

BSN: Bachelor of Science in Nursing

BT: Bachelor of Theology

CERT: Certificate program

D.Min: Doctors of Ministry

JD: Juris Doctor

JD/MBA: Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration

MA: Master of Arts

MAcc: Master of Accountancy

MAE: Master of Aerospace Engineering

MBA: Master of Business Administration

MD: Doctor of Medicine

M.Div: Master of Divinity

MEd: Master of Education

MFA: Master of Fine Arts

MHA: Master of Health Administration

MHSA: Master of Health Services Administration

MHSc: Master of Health Science

MIS: Master of Information Systems

MPA: Master of Public Administration

MPS: Master of Professional Studies

MS: Master of Science

MSA: Master of Science in Aeronautics

MSBA: Master of Science in Business Administration

MSE: Master of Science in Engineering

MSEd: Master of Science in Education

MSN: Master of Science in Nursing

PhD: Doctor of Philosophy

RN: Registered Nurse

trOy UNiverSity Orlando 407-219-5980 / trojan.troy.edu/globalcampus

BS, BAS, ASB

MS, MPA, MBA


Main campus in Troy, Ala.; the 127-year-old school has branch campuses in several South-eastern states, including seven in Florida.

UNiverSity Of CeNtraL fLOrida Orlando 407-823-2000 / ucf.edu

AA, BA, CERT, BFA

MA, MFA, MSA, MBA, MS, MEd, MPA, PhD

Undergraduate PCH: $105 / Graduate PCH: $288

Opened in 1968 as Florida Technological Uni-versity in the outskirts east of Orlando; now the second largest university in the U.S., offering more than 200 majors.

UCf CeNter fOr emergiNg media Orlando 407-235-3616 / cem.ucf.edu

BFA, BA, BS MFA, MA Undergraduate PCH: $105 Graduate PCH: $288 Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy

The downtown center houses a host of un-dergraduate and graduate programs in digital media, plus an art studio, a printing press and the University of Florida’s graduate architectural

UCf COLLege Of mediCiNe Orlando 407-266-1000 / med.ucf.edu

BS MS, PhD, MD

PY: $27,629

Opened in 2009, with its first class of medical students all receiving full four-year scholarships; a main anchor for Orlando’s burgeoning Medical City in Lake Nona.

UCf rOSeN COLLege Of HOSpitaLity maNagemeNt Orlando 407-903-8000 / hospitality.ucf.edu

BS MS, PhD Undergraduate PCH: $105 / Graduate PCH: $288

Offers bachelor’s and graduate degrees in hotel, event, restaurant and food-service management and a PhD in hospitality education.

UNiverSity Of pHOeNix 3 Orlando-area campuses 866-766-0766 / phoenix.edu

AA, BS, RN-to-BSN

MBA, MPA, MS, MEd, MHA, MIS

Undergraduate PY: $10,894 Graduate PY: $13,557

More than 200 locations nationwide; now the largest private university in the U.S.

vaLeNCia COLLege Orlando 407-299-5000 / valenciacollege.edu

AA, BA, BS, AS

N/A PCH: $99 Named in 2011 as the top community college in the U.S. by the prestigious Aspen Institute; guarantees its graduates admission to UCF.

WebSter UNiverSity Orlando 407-869-8111 / webster.edu/orlando

BA, BS MA, MBA, MHA, MS, CERT


The St. Louis-based university has more than 100 campuses worldwide, including two in Orlando, with classes starting five times per year.




PEOPLE & PLACES with paula

Correct me if I’m wrong on this, but when it comes right down to it, aren’t we all on Team Elton? It sure seemed so when Sir Elton John took the yellow brick road to Walt Disney World for the

Mylan WTT Smash Hits at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

The celebrity tennis tourney and auction raised $700,000 for AIDS-related charities. Sir Elton and Billie Jean King were here to co-host the event, teaming up with local hosts Robert and Tricia Earl and the sponsoring charity, The Hope and Help Center.

The international celebs brought with them a brilliant (and very entertaining) corps of professional players: John Isner, Venus Williams, Marion Bartoli and Andy Roddick.

Just before the match, in which Team Elton defeated Team Jean 24-18, the duo and their tennis-pro buddies bantered from the stage during a live auction that attracted an enthusi-astic crowd of Hope and Help supporters, tennis junkies and celebrity chasers.

Sir Elton was jovial and looked fit in his tennis togs during the auction, though for flashy looks he couldn’t compete with fashion plate Venus, whose dyed magenta locks matched her tennies.

And as for personality, it was a consummately smart-alecky Roddick who stole the show when he took the microphone to auction off a private lesson, selling two sessions for $36,000 apiece, one of them to a man he kept calling Robert Redford.

Well, there was a striking resemblance, but the handsome bidder was actually Esurance CEO Gary Tolman. He was one of several out-of-towners who came to Orlando for the event hoping to snag auction gems such as Billie Jean’s Wim-bledon package, featuring her own Centre Court seats to the 2014 ladies’ and gentlemen’s championship matches. That particular package went for $25,000.

To Sir Elton, With LoveA RACkET-TOTING ROCkER ROLLEd INTO TOWN.

1. Andy Roddick high-fives Sir Elton John

2. Mickey Mouse flanked by Andy Roddick, Elton John, Billie Jean King and Venus Williams

3. John Isner powers a backhand

4. Robert Kendrick awaits a serve

1.

2.

3. 4.

9OL_Jan_14 Paula.indd 56 12/16/13 3:01:06 PM


PEOPLE & PLACES with paula

1. John Best, Pamela Bolling, Michelle and Johnny Damon

2. Parliament House’s winning headdress

3. Harriet Lake, Eva Krzewinski

4. Karen and Lawrence Blunk, Pamela Bolling

5. Robert Adams

6. Lauren Rowe

7. Laura Diaz

8. Mark and Josie NeJame

9. Sam Ewing, Steve Adona

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9.

Bartoli, the reigning Wimbledon ladies’ champion, also offered up her personal tickets and, cha-ching, the $25,000 was matched. Other auction items included an Elton John-signed piano bench, a hitting session with Bartoli, a Daytona 500 Experience, tournament packages for the U.S. Open and BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, and a Forevermark pendant and earrings.

Too bad that Hope and Help’s share in the money raised was only roughly 10 percent, but John’s international AIDS charity is a herculean effort, and at least the event brought publicity to an equally worthy local cause. Hope and Help



PEOPLE AND PLACES with paula

offers compassionate support and a broad range of services for Central Floridians dealing with AIDS.

HEADDRESS BALLAnd speaking of Hope and Help, we are waaaay late in catching up to this year’s Headdress Ball. But there’s a time-less quality, don’t you think, to the winning entry, created by the ever-imaginative souls at the Parliament House.

The traditional highlight of the event is a competition to see who can come up with the most outrageous decorative headgear and the familiar nightclub’s creative team didn’t disappoint.

The theme was a masquerade ball, so there were all man-ner of elaborate masks in evidence as event co-founder Sam Ewing welcomed the celebrants. Harriett Lake arrived all

suited up in a white-feather ensemble that could have quali-fied her for the competition on stage. Michelle Damon, wife of Cleveland Indians outfielder Johnny Damon, was there as chair of the event.

And drag queens Darcel Stevens, Sassy Devine, Roxy Andrews and Tasha Long were as colorful as the laser-light show in the Hilton Orlando ballroom, as a variety of per-formers took the stage in a Vegas-style extravaganza, courtesy of Hardrive Productions and JM Best Entertainment.

But the big prize went to the Parliament House. The gravi-ty-defying contraption was the unanimous winner in the eyes of the celebrity judges, who included Harriett, XL 106.7 ra-dio host Laura Diaz, Real Radio 104.1 host Jana Banana, Mix 105.1 morning host Dana Taylor and Orlando Life editor Michael McLeod.

ATHENA AWARDSI’m always game for some midday inspiration, and I knew I was in for a big dose of it as I pulled into the Church Street Ballroom to join 500 of the smartest women in town for the Orlando ATHENA Women’s Leadership Luncheon and Award Ceremony.

1.

2.

4.3.

1. Ellen Titen-Wojcik, Karen Dee, Ann McGee, Helen Done-gan

2. Jennifer Johnson, Kelly Dowling, Stephanie Bolyard

3. Jennifer Johnson, Karen Keene, Traci Smith

4. Teresa Jacobs



ATHENA International’s goal is to support and develop leadership in women, and as part of that goal the local chap-ter raises money to benefit the University of Central Flori-da’s scholarship fund for female students. At the luncheon, a $20,000 check for the fund was presented to Kelly Dowling, senior director of development for the UCF Foundation, by ATHENA founding co-chair Jennifer Johnson.

I was extra excited because a woman I admire very much was receiving the Orlando ATHENA Leadership Award. The award, which celebrates women who actively assist others in realizing their full potential, went to Sandra Hostetter, president of CNL Bank. To know Sandy is to know that she has an “all in” attitude about life.

Karen Dee, Florida regional president of Fifth Third Bank, and Diana Bolivar, president of the Hispanic Cham-ber of Commerce of Metro Orlando, were both finalists for the award.

But the room was filled with like-minded leaders, including Ann McGee, president of Seminole State College; Helen Donegan; vice president of communications at UCF; and a

leader-to-be in Stephanie Bolyard. She’s completing a doc-torate in environmental engineering and is the first recipient of the ATHENA International Emerging Women Leader Fellowship Award, a scholarship established through the UCF College of Graduate Studies to recognize an out-standing female graduate student.

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs was honorary chair of the event. n

Native Floridian Paula Wyatt is an Orlando event planner, social-media expert and entrepreneur whose companies include Posh Able Events, Posh Able Image Builders and the nonprofit Posh Abilities. You can reach her at [email protected].

THERE’S MORE ONLINEUsing your mobile device, scan the QR code or go to orlando-life.com and see more pic-tures and stories from these and other events held throughout Central Florida.



It had to be growing pains. That’s what Jennifer Coley figured when her oldest child started complaining last spring that her legs and hip were hurting. After all, 13-year-old Cassandra had shot up several inches in the

preceding months and was otherwise perfectly healthy.But as weeks went by and Cassie’s complaints persisted, a

still-skeptical mom finally brought her to the family pediatri-cian. It took an X-ray and a visit to an orthopedic specialist to finally convince Coley that her rail-thin, fashion-loving daughter had a serious hip problem.

And lucky for the Coleys, they live in Central Florida, home to Orlando Health’s Wyatt Whitney Hip & Orthopedic In-stitute and the workplace of one of a handful of surgeons in the country who could repair Cassie’s defective hip without having to replace it: Dr. Jose Herrera.

n n n

If Wyatt Whitney’s name doesn’t ring a bell, you’ve surely heard of his father, Dan Whitney, the comedian known pro-fessionally as Larry the Cable Guy. But there was nothing funny about the desperate straits Dan and his wife, Cara, found themselves in seven years ago when their first child was born with misaligned hips.

Living in Sanford at the time, they had trouble finding in-formation about hip dysplasia before visiting the Department of Pediatric Orthopedics at Orlando Health’s Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.

Thanks to months of treatment involving a medical device called a Pavlik harness, Wyatt’s hip problem was taken care of. The Whitneys were so grateful — and by then attuned to a medical problem many parents know nothing about — that

a Hip alternativeAT ORLANDO HEALTH, A NEW CENTER; A NEW APPROACH.

WELLNESS frontiers of surgery

by Harry Wessel • photographs by Jarred Paluzzi

4OHL_Jan14_Wellness.indd 60 12/16/13 11:58:49 AM



in 2010 they pledged $5 million to Orlando Health for its orthopedic center and the establishment of an International Hip Dysplasia Institute.

“We thought it would be really cool to make Orlando the hip dysplasia center of the world,” Dan said when the Insti-tute opened in 2012.

In addition to the pledge, Whitney — who now lives in his home state of Nebraska with Cara, Wyatt and 6-year-old daughter Reagan — has continued to support the Institute with an annual celebrity golf tournament in Orlando.

n n n

Hip dysplasia, a catchall term for misaligned hip joints, is either rare or common, depending on your viewpoint.

Herrera, head of the Children Center for Orthopedics at Ar-nold Palmer and a founding member of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute, notes that while 5 percent of full-term ba-bies have some degree of hip instability, fewer than four out of 1,000 have hip problems serious enough to require treatment. And that treatment, he adds, usually doesn’t require surgery.

Then again, with 13,000 births each year at Orlando Health’s Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, even a tiny percentage with serious hip problems adds up to a sig-nificant number of cases for a pediatric orthopedic surgeon.

Hip dysplasia is often not detectable until adolescence or

even young adulthood, when it starts to cause pain. When the pain gets bad enough the medical answer is often total hip replacement.

A relatively new surgical procedure called PAO, short for periacetabular osteotomy, is a less-drastic alternative. It in-volves cutting the bone around the hip socket and reposi-tioning it so that the leg and hip are properly aligned. First performed in Europe in 1984, it was another decade or so before PAO was available in the U.S.

Herrera, who has been doing PAO surgeries for the past eight years, is one of the few surgeons in the Southeast — and the only one in Central Florida — who does them. Most of his patients are in their early teens, although the age range extends up into the 30s. His busiest time is in the summer, when school is out, during which he’ll perform four or five PAOs per month.

After having her hips X-rayed during a follow-up visit to the Whitney Hip & Orthopedic Institute, opposite page, 13-year-old Cassie gets a detailed briefing from her surgeon, Dr. Jose Herrera, above. Cassie was born with hip dysplasia, which is often not detected until adolescence or young adulthood.

4OHL_Jan14_Wellness.indd 61 12/13/13 4:14:20 PM


“I’m getting patients from Daytona, Melbourne, even peo-ple from Tallahassee and Pensacola,” Herrera says. “We’re getting people driving seven or eight hours to see me, which is humbling. Doctors know I have the knowledge and experi-

ence with that procedure, so they send me patients from all over the place.”

As to who is more likely to have hip dysplasia, Herrera ticks off the four most common risk factors: family history, breech babies, females and firstborns. Those who have close blood relatives with hip dysplasia are roughly 30 times more likely, and breech babies 17 times more likely, to have hip problems than those who don’t.

Girl babies are at five to seven times higher risk than males. And while there are no hard numbers on increased risk for firstborns, Herrera says their rates of hip dysplasia are signifi-cantly higher than babies with older siblings.

n n n


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Ou

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Dan Whitney, aka Larry the Cable Guy, pledged $5 million to help make Orlando “the hip dysplasia center of the world.” The former Sanford resident, who now lives in his native Nebraska, appeared at the Institute’s May 2012 opening with his wife, Cara, and their children, Reagan and Wyatt, for whom the facility is named.



Cassie, a firstborn female, had no hip problems until last spring. Even when the problem was diagnosed, her parents were hesitant about the PAO option.

“We had a perfectly healthy child who was going to have to go through major surgery,” recalls Cassie’s mom, a successful Brevard County real estate agent in business with her husband, Charles. “But if we hadn’t had anything done, or if we opted not to do surgery, the top of her femur was rubbing on her bone. It would have rubbed all the cartilage off. She would have had early arthritis and needed a full hip replacement.”

They considered taking Cassie to Boston Children’s Hos-pital but changed their minds after meeting with Herrera, who not only specializes in PAO surgery but happens to have twin daughters the same age as Cassie. “He told me before surgery, ‘She’s my kid when she’s on the table,’” recalls Coley. “I’m 100 percent positive we did the right thing.”

The right thing isn’t always the easy thing. After the gruel-ing five-hour surgery in late August, Cassie spent four days in the hospital and another six weeks at home before she was allowed to put any weight on her left leg.

Nevertheless, Cassie, whose left hip now includes five per-manent screws, has no regrets. “I was happy to go into sur-gery because I was in so much pain.”

She spent her recuperation watching TV, reading books and crafting jewelry, much of which was sent to an African orphanage sponsored by her church. She was able to go back to school in early October, without crutches, although still a bit wobbly.

In early December Cassie had a crucial follow-up session that included a brief X-ray session and a “runway walk” to check her gait. Herrera — who she prefers to call “Uncle Jose” — pronounced her hip bones fully healed. The good news meant she could start physical therapy to build up mus-cles weakened by three months of inactivity.

It typically takes at least six months after PAO surgery to be fully back to normal, says Herrera, who adds that youngsters like Cassie make the best patients because of their positive attitude.

“It will be a tough six months, but they’ll feel better for years and years,” he says. “They understand that it’s worth it.” n



Iwas standing still as a pine tree in the middle of the Ocala National Forest, my laughably inadequate human senses trying to hear or see the bear that was there.

He was about 100 feet in front of me, but for purposes of observation he might as well have been in Alaska.

I only knew he was there because I was tracking him with a wildlife biologist, who was listening to the beep of his radio collar through headphones to a 350-pound bruiser bear walk-ing on little mice feet.

Black bears are the ghosts of the woods — quiet, unseen, scary in theory but harmless in reality. I would much rather encounter a bear in the woods than an ill-tempered pit bull on the sidewalk.

Of all the millions of people who have walked trails like this one — from little children to bumbling Yankees to boozing yokels — not one has been accosted by a black bear. Of all the campers who have slept in the woods, their tents emitting smells of Krispy Kremes, Ho-Hos and Baby Ruths, not one has been the victim of a bear home invasion. And it’s not as if the bears don’t know. They smell sugar like sharks smell blood.

A Florida black bear has never attacked a human while on its own turf.

And so what about that bear attacking a woman in Long-wood? Well, it wasn’t really a bear. It was a human-created mu-tant, like the wolf mutts at the end of the first Hunger Games movie. Call them burb bears, beggar bears, Yogi Bears.

Bears are the new raccoons, the latest in a string of once-wild life that decided if you can’t live without humans, then live with them. Eat their food, sleep in their trees, stroll on their St. Augustine, fight their dogs. That’s when they be-come mutt bears — lumbering, snoozing and sometimes snarling replicas of the real things.

And so now we have breathless media reports about bears, entire neighborhoods living in fear of bears, the Orlando Sen-tinel publishing a bear survival guide headlined: “What To Do In A Face-Off With A Bear.’’

If you haven’t read it, do the following: “Stand your ground. Speak to it in a firm voice.” Try: “Do you feel lucky, punk?’’

Whatever you do, don’t run unless you can do so at 36 mph for approximately two minutes. Most bears can’t do that, not even mutt bears.

If he or she attacks, there are two theories on what to do next. One is to fight back, with the risk he’ll continue seeing you as a threat and keep mauling you. And the other is to play dead, with the risk he’ll start eating you, which is what our backcountry tour guide in Alaska told us before a rafting trip.

So if you’re in Longwood and get jumped, you have to make a quick assessment on whether the bear looks hungry or just is in a bad mood.

A Canadian named Gilles Cyr tried yet another strategy when he was attacked by a black bear in August. He grabbed its tongue, so when the bear tried to bite him, it bit its tongue instead — a form of Jujitsu in which you use the attacker’s energy against him.

This worked, but still was not recommended in: “What To Do In A Face-Off With A Bear.’’

Now, let’s deal with the bigger picture, and that’s the pro-liferation of mutant bears in Longwood. The problem is that when bears were put on the endangered list, we did a great job of bringing them back. We went from 300 bears to 3,000 bears while we went from 3 million people to 19 million people.

Now throw in that bears have a roaming radius of about 40 miles, and you begin to understand the situation.

There is a cure for the problem, which I once suggested to a ranger in a Smoky Mountains campground, who conced-ed it might be effective. When a bear comes in foraging for food, capture him, gather everybody around that day who left garbage or food out where the bear could get it, and shoot him. Relocation is a feel-good publicity scam to shield people from the consequences of their actions.

Mandate bear-proof garbage containers and issue $500 fines for violations. A few executed bears and a few fines, and the problem ends.

And lastly, the state needs to purchase wildlife corridors linking bear populations and open up a closely regulated bear hunting season to keep their numbers in check and instill a healthy fear of humans once again.

Get the bears back where they belong — out of our sight. n

Native Floridian and longtime Orlando columnist Mike Thomas is a freelance writer. You can reach him at [email protected].

The Bear NecessitiesLET’S KEEP THEM WHERE THEY BELONG: OUT OF SIGHT.

RESTLESS NATIVE mike thomas

12OL_Jan_14_Restless Native.indd 64 12/13/13 4:19:10 PM

RESTLESS NATIVE mike thomas

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Orlando Life January 2014

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