bserver O
EAST COUNTY
You. Your neighbors. Your neighborhood.
Thursday, OCTOBER 4, 2012
SEASON XX
SCHOOLS
Look inside for your guide to fall arts and social events. INSIDE
Braden River celebrates homecoming. PAGE 1B
OUR TOWN
Courtesy photos
+ Hyden earns congressional award East Manatee Fire Rescue Training Officer Tim Hyden, a Braden Woods resident, was honored with the Congressional Career Service Award Sept. 17, during the inaugural 13th Congressional District Fire & Rescue and EMS Awards. Congressman Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, established the awards to give special recognition to fire-and-rescue and EMS officers, departments or units for exceptional achievement. “To be a first responder is a demanding profession that requires sacrifice, courage and a dedication to serve others,” Buchanan said. “Every day, brave men and women put themselves in harm’s way to protect our citizens, property and society. They deserve our gratitude and respect. I believe these awards are a fitting tribute to our first responders and a reminder of the important role they play in our communities.” An independent panel chose the award winners.
+ Oasis Church celebrates milestone Members of Oasis Church, which meets at Braden River Elementary School, celebrated the church’s first anniversary with a special Sunday morning service and family fun post-service event Sept. 23. Attendees enjoyed lunch together, as well as inflatables and other activities.
SEE OUR TOWN / PAGE 4A
SPORTS
SEASON T h e O b s e r v e r ’ s G u i d e T O T h e A r T s A n d s O c i e T y | FA L L 2 0 1 2
East County swimmers win big at tri-meet. PAGE 15A
Aquatic ‘ed-venture’
UPDATE
beauty and the feet
Fifth-grade students from McNeal Elementary learned about marine life during field trips Sept. 27 and Sept. 28, at Coquina Beach. hands-on By Pam Eubanks | Managing Editor
by Pam Eubanks | Managing Editor
Dawson Stockton, 10, gets a good look at a pipefish, a relative of the seahorse.
Photos by Pam Eubanks
Parent volunteers Amy Goodman and Denise Radenmacher help student Micah Radenmacher, center, get all the sea creatures from his net. EAST COUNTY — Carson Fischer waded back to shore, checking his net momentarily as he sloshed through water and back onto dry land. He and the rest of the fifthgrade class at McNeal Elementary School were elated as they captured shrimp, small fish and other sea life in shallow waters off Leffis Key Friday, Sept. 28. Students then circled around their finds while instructor Sara McCutcheon, of Nature’s Academy, shared with them about each creature, its environment and other environmental lessons. “It’s been really fun,” Carson said, noting he enjoyed picking up trash along the beach as part of the day’s festivities. “We’ve been help-
ing the environment. It was great. I learned there are all kinds of shrimp called lobster shrimp. I found out there’s such thing as a pipefish; it’s a cousin of the seahorse.” Fifth-grader Colin Apgar agreed. “It was fun,” he said. “I got to see things I’ve never seen before. (We caught) blue crabs and shrimp. You get to see it in pictures, but it’s fun to see it in real life. It was awesome.” Through a field trip with Nature’s Academy, a nonprofit environmental education company that provides custom “edventure” programs to area schools
SEE ED-VENTURE / PAGE 2A
Kayla Ryan, 10, collects trash on her way to lunch.
Gayler’s start date, public hearings scheduled David Gayler will start as interim superintendent Oct. 15; public hearings about a permanent superintendent replacement are set. MANATEE COUNTY — MidOctober should prove to be a pivotal time for the Manatee County School Board. Not only will the district have critical information for moving forward with its superintendent search, but it also expects to have a new interim superintendent, David Gayler Gayler, taking the district’s helm. Board members are expected to finalize Gayler’s appointment Oct. 8, at its next regularly scheduled meeting. He is slated to start work Oct. 15, at which time he also will be sworn in for duty. “His intention, he’s told me, is to have a presence in the (district) before then,” School Board Chairman Harry Kinnan said. “We’re not aware of any hang-ups on this (schedule), and he’s already agreed. I think the community and the board are pleased we’re going to be moving forward in this way.” “(Mr. Gayler) has an understanding of our culture and our district; he has proven leadership, and he’s a great communicator,” Kinnan said of why Gayler was selected. “He has the ability to go out and speak to the community about some of his goals and get input from them. The board is really looking for someone to step in and direct the district. He’s going to
SEE SCHOOLS / PAGE 2A
INDEX Briefs....................7A Classifieds ........ 13B
Cops Corner....... 12A Crossword.......... 12B
Opinion.................8A Real Estate........ 10B
Sports................ 15A Weather............. 12B
Vol. 13, No. 38 | Two sections YourObserver.com