bserver O EAST COUNTY
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NEWS
Lakewood Ranch cancer center honors teen’s legacy. PAGE 2
Spirit of America
FAMILY AFFAIR Annual Cajun feast adds spice to East County. PAGE 17
The ties that bind us SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE
BACK TO BUSINESS
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by Josh Siegel | Staff Writer
by Pam Eubanks | Managing Editor
Benderson secures additional tenants
OUR TOWN + Snooty retains mascot status The Manatee County Board of County Commissioners continued a longstanding tradition June 18, as it reaffirmed Snooty, the manatee, as Manatee County’s official mascot. Snooty originally was given the designation April 3, 1979. He is the world’s oldest-known manatee and has been a resident of Manatee County since 1949. Snooty lives at the South Florida Museum, where he participates in the Manatee Rehabilitation and Release Partnership by hosting young injured or orphaned manatees in his pool, until they are ready to be released to the wild. Snooty also is recognized internationally as an ambassador for wildlife preservation, having greeted more than 2 million onsite visitors in his lifetime and reached countless people all over the world through the online Snooty cam, which can be seen at SouthFloridaMuseum.org/ TheAquarium/SnootyCam.
Courtesy photo
+ University Park women celebrate girls The University Park Women’s Club hosted an end-of-year beach party recently for Just for Girls Academy. Ninety girls in kindergarten through third grade, plus staff members, attended the event. Children received buckets filled with flip-flop-themed notepads, rulers and bookmarks, engraved pencils and bracelets. Colorful beach towels served as tablecloths for the snacks and drinks the girls enjoyed.
SEE OUR TOWN / PAGE 4
Several new stores, including a Panera Bread, recently signed leases for retail locations Benderson Development owns.
Josh Siegel
Vanessa Baugh and her husband, Don, reflect on how political life has changed the dynamics of their store, Vanessa Fine Jewelry, on Lakewood Ranch Main Street.
PEOPLE
PLEASER LAKEWOOD RANCH — It’s before business hours inside the jewelry store that bears her name, and Vanessa Baugh turns a flash of diamonds and pearls into an attractive display. She steps away from behind the glass countertop to talk about her new life — one in which she serves as the District 5 commissioner for Manatee County. But, before she can say a word, she nods toward her husband, Don, who has taken over arranging the jewels. “You’re doing fine, honey,” she tells him. “You’re doing fine.” For Baugh, whose brow furrows at the politics in politics, her business, Vanessa Fine Jewelry, on Lakewood Ranch Main Street, is never far away. Six months into her first term as commissioner, the roles inside her home and business have changed, but her friend-of-the-people status has remained constant. On the dais inside the Manatee County Commission chambers, Baugh treats her microphone time like her jewels — preciously. In a session that has brought forth a rash of
Six months into her packed first term as District 5 Manatee County commissioner, Vanessa Baugh maintains strength in the face of struggles.
important decisions and the politics of a special referendum, Baugh returns to the same home after work, looks out from her lanai and watches deer stride onto her land. She returns home to a meal cooked for her by Don, who has assumed responsibilities for their home and business. “It’s been tough handing over the reins,” Baugh said. “As a leader, I know you need to delegate, but it’s been very hard to delegate duties at the store. But, it’s been a good thing for us. Don is my rock.” Six months in, Baugh loves her new job of representing the residents of the East County, but the politics tire her. “This has been good for her, but when she comes home emotionally drained, it’s tough,” Don Baugh said. “You don’t like to see your wife get beat up.” Baugh vows to stand tough. “You look at previous commissions and none has had to make the decisions Betsy (Benac, the other new commissioner) and I have had
SEE BAUGH / PAGE 8
EAST COUNTY — Although new tenants for the mega mall, slated for the southwest intersection of University Parkway and Interstate 75, are yet to be named, Benderson Development has announced new tenants in its nearby shopping centers. Panera Bread will occupy a 4,100-square-foot space in the first phase of the Mall at University Town Center project, The District at UTC. The plaza, located on the west side of Cattlemen Road, just south of University Parkway, is home to Super Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and Michaels, among other national retailers. Benderson already has begun vertical construction on the west side of Cattlemen Road, across the parking lot from Bed Bath & Beyond, on Fidelity Investments, an 8,300-square-foot space. Panera’s location will be immediately south of the Fidelity building, said Mark Chait, executive director of leasing for the Southeast region at Benderson. “Vertical construction will start in early fall or late summer,” Chait said of the Panera space. “We’re working on the plans now. (They) will be done before August. Then, we have to get permitting.” Chait said several other tenants have signed leases for spaces along the
SEE BENDERSON / PAGE 8
Josh Siegel
Benderson Development has begun vertical construction on a building for Fidelity Investments at The District at UTC. Plans for a new Panera Bread location, just south of Fidelity, are being completed.
INDEX Briefs......................7 Classifieds ...........25
Cops Corner..........10 Crossword.............24
Neighborhood.......17 Real Estate...........22
Sports...................13 Weather................24
Vol. 14, No. 27 | One section YourObserver.com