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EAST COUNTY FREE • Thursday, JANUARY 24, 2013
You. Your neighbors. Your neighborhood.
NEIGHBORHOOD
NEWS
97th annual Manatee County Fair goes ‘Hollywood.’ PAGE 1B
Racing legend Andretti attends grand opening. PAGE 11A
OUR TOWN
East County children took on star-performer status Jan. 11, as they represented the Manatee County School District at the Florida Music Education Association Annual Conference, in Tampa. Five students from Bashaw Elementary and three from Braden River Elementary were selected for the All State Elementary Chorus. They included: Hannah Badenhorst, Jada Emery, Hannah DeGenaro, Gabe Fleming, Andrew den Boggende, Natalie Hood, Taylor Snyder and Gabriel McDerment. Dr. David Katz, music teacher at Braden River, was the chorus accompanist, while Barbar Sullivan, music teacher at Bashaw, assisted Katz during the concert.
+ Friends, family gather for show East County resident and circus performer Tino Wallenda and The Flying Wallendas brought the sights of the circus to The Tabernacle Church Jan. 13, as the Tabernacle hosted its Friends and Family event. The Wallenda troupe wowed attendees with their tightrope walking skills. Tino Wallenda also shared his testimony of faith from the high wire.
SEE OUR TOWN / PAGE 4A
Lexi Brown shared life of joy. PAGE 5A
governance By Pam Eubanks | News Editor
IDA selects facility contractor The Lakewood Ranch IDA will hire Magnum Builders of Sarasota to construct its new maintenance facility.
+ Bashaw, Braden River chorus excel
MEMORIAL
LAKEWOOD RANCH — Supervisors on the Lakewood Ranch Inter-District Authority Board have selected a contractor to build the agency’s new maintenance facility. Supervisors voted Jan. 17 to hire Magnum Builders of Sarasota for a bid amount of $1.99 million. Magnum came out as
the third-lowest bidder, but Atkins North America Inc., who oversaw the bidding process, deemed Magnum its top choice, after finding Magnum’s bid to be complete and responsive. Apparent low bidder Halfacre Construction and second-lowest bidder Power Contracting were considered non-responsive, be-
PRIME TIME
cause their bid forms were not filled out as required in bidding instructions. The IDA’s meeting was continued to Jan. 31, so the contract with Magnum could be approved prior to the board’s next regularly scheduled meeting. Atkins representative Norman Robertson said a discrepancy
regarding a heater on maintenance facility design documents — a cost differential of about $100,000 — caused some confusion for bidders. Contractors were instructed to bid the highest amount possible, should such a discrepancy occur. Some bidders did not follow that directive; others left out information, such as financial statements, which bid documents requested.
SEE IDA / PAGE 8A
by Josh Siegel | Staff Writer
MARCH LIFETIME
OF A
Greta Curry, Sammy Hyatt and Matt Vaadi marched in the 57th Inaugural Day Parade with the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps. LAKEWOOD RANCH — President Obama saluted the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps’ drum major. Security, lining both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue, encouraged the marchers to keep moving forward, even though some felt their fingers go numb from the cold. A television camera zoomed in on Matt Vaadi, Lakewood Ranch High School band captain. He smiled at the lens, though he couldn’t feel his face. Vaadi, Greta Curry and Sammy Hyatt performed Jan. 21, in the 57th Inaugural Day Parade with the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, marching 1.5 miles along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. The day began at 8 a.m. and started with a lot of waiting. Some would stand at attention, instruments held high, as the Crusaders waited their turn in the parade.
The Boston Crusaders color guard poses at the Inaugural Parade. Lakewood Ranch sophomore Sammy Hyatt is second from right in the back row.
Courtesy photo
SEE D.C. / PAGE 8A Lakewood Ranch High School band members Matt Vaadi, Greta Curry and Sammy Hyatt represented the Boston Crusaders. Josh Siegel
INDEX Business.............. 8B Calendar............ 16A
Classifieds ........ 17B Cops Corner....... 15A
Crossword.......... 16B Real Estate........ 10B
Sports................ 18A Weather............. 16B
Vol. 14, No. 4 | Two sections YourObserver.com