East County Observer 1.14.21

E A ST COUNTY

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Peaceful path opens.

PAGE 10A

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•

FREE THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

VOLUME 23, NO. 10

YOUR TOWN

CANOPY CONUNDRUM Some are unhappy with county’s removal of hundreds of trees in Summerfield and Riverwalk. SEE PAGE 3A

Courtesy photo

Liz Ramos

Savanna resident Anna Gonnella says she opposes the commercial development in front of her neighborhood because it would wipe out the community’s green space.

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Savanna entrance won’t be developed Brendan Lavell

Summerfield resident Stephanie Robinson says the county should replace the 177 trees it plans to remove from Summerfield.

Commissioners say they will stop growth intended just ‘to make a dime.’

PAGE 2A

Brendan Lavell

Show time for FFA students

Birthday unlike any other Panther Ridge resident Ken Zidlick (above) expected his 90th birthday to be like any other Jan. 7 when he walked into Publix, where he works as a cashier.

Instead, he was greeted by a photo collage celebrating moments throughout his life, including a banner signed by employees and customers and a birthday cake in the theme of one of his favorite activities — puzzles. Customers repeatedly greeted Zidlick with greetings of “Happy birthday.”

“You get to know a lot of people working here,” Zidlick said.

Courtesy photos

Sophomore Josie Romine will present her Hampshire pig, Chesney, at the Manatee County Fair, which opens Jan. 14.

Lakewood Ranch High’s FFA creates Ranch Buyers Club to promote students’ projects.

SEE PAGE 8A

A+E

Turn up the volume.

SEE PAGE 18A

2A

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

Commissioners reject rezone at Savanna Commissioners decide one more strip mall is not needed.

BRENDAN LAVELL STAFF WRITER

Manatee County commissioners, in voting against a proposal Jan. 7 to commercially develop 5.23 acres at the entrance to Savanna in East County, said they want to stop a trend of developing the front of every new neighborhood without regard to the residents.

Commissioners voted 5-2 against changing those acres from planned development residential to general commercial. Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Misty Servia cast the dissenting votes.

“To sit back right now and think about changing Savanna, which is so beautiful, to put in a strip center — when you’ve got strip centers going in so close to that area as it is — I can’t fathom that,” Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said. “I have to say, I can’t believe it’s for any reason other than to make a dime.

“What scares me on this is that it seems like we’re hearing more and more of this.”

Savanna residents in attendance, such as Anna Gonnella, were thrilled by the commissioners’ decision.

“It was total joy at the thought

of not losing 5 acres that were promised passive recreational,” Gonnella said. “We will not have to look at possibly 120 parking spots [and] box buildings in front of a private residential community. When I see this space, and I see the birds, and I see the peacefulness of the wild grasses, and I see the green, it fills me with tranquility.”

Savanna’s builder, Meritage Homes of Florida, said it wanted to use the land, located near the southeast corner of the intersection of State Road 64 and White Eagle Boulevard, for community-serving businesses, such as a pharmacy. Opposed residents argued they already have access to all the local businesses they need within a convenient distance.

“Systematically going through and adding Starbucks and CVS and Walgreens in front of every single neighborhood because we’re ‘running out of space’ is just a terrible, terrible precedent in my mind,” Commissioner George Kruse said.

About a dozen people, mostly Savanna residents, came to the meeting to voice opposition to the proposal for a number of reasons, including increased traffic. Many were concerned commercial development near the Savanna entrance off S.R. 64 onto Savanna Palms Court would lead to increased stress on roads owned and maintained by the commu-

“We’re talking about 450 cars per hour traveling on State Road 64 that may be using our front entrance all the time. … The residents of Savanna are being robbed of 5.2 acres that were promised to its residents for passive recreational use only.”

– Savanna’s Anna Gonnella

nity’s HOA. Meritage had not yet reached an agreement to build an entrance and exit from S.R. 64 into the proposed commercial development, though attorney Ed Vogler said he was “very confident” it would have been granted. Baugh and fellow Commissioner James Satcher were not completely satisfied with his assurance.

The entrance to Savanna is located on Savanna Palms Court, which intersects S.R. 64 about a quarter-mile east from White Eagle Boulevard. Without an entrance and exit on S.R. 64 into the commercial development,

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Liz Ramos

Savanna’s Anna Gonnella was concerned about the possibility of increased traffic on roads owned and maintained by the community’s HOA. She also had other concerns about the proposed commercial development.

residents argued that traffic would be forced to use Savanna Palms Court or Prairie View Drive, which serves as a link between Savanna Palms Court and White Eagle Boulevard running directly along the 5.23-acre parcel of land.

Another sticking point was the elimination of open, green space at the entrance to Savanna. Residents said they value the land both for aesthetic and recreational purposes. Vogler said Meritage never made a commitment to residents that the land never would be developed.

Resident Michelle Rowe, however, produced an image of what she said was marketing material provided to her during the homebuying process that included an image of the large, open space in a map of the community.

“This may not have been

explicitly labeled an amenity, but it certainly looks to me like it was implicitly labeled an amenity to all the homeowners who bought in Savanna,” Kruse said. “The preliminary site plan says passive recreation-open space. It doesn’t just say open space or unknown; it says passive recreation. When I see that, my first thought — and I’m in real estate — is there’s going to be trails, a place to take my dog walking, maybe go fishing with my kids. It’s passive recreation.

“And we were told [by Vogler], ‘Well, we have to label it something.’ Well, future commercial is a label. You can label it that.

Unknown could be a label. There’s a lot of things you can label it. …

Maybe it wasn’t intentional, but it feels like maybe even an unintentional bait and switch to the homeowners of Savanna.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

3A

Some say tree removal a shady deal Mixed reaction to county’s removal of 252 canopy trees in two Lakewood Ranch neighborhoods.

BRENDAN LAVELL STAFF WRITER

A

n issue rooted in two different Lakewood Ranch communities has produced several branches of thought.

Manatee County is planning the removal of 177 trees along streets in Summerfield and 75 in Riverwalk that it says have caused damage, will cause damage or are too expensive to maintain without posing various safety hazards.

Most of the trees are oak, though a few are crepe myrtles, magnolias and other species that Public Works Department Strategic Affairs Manager Ogden Clark III said include roots that have damaged county infrastructure.

Clark said the county believes there will still be sufficient canopy in most parts of the community because of how large the remaining trees will be.

The county does not require specific types of trees to provide canopy over streets and sidewalks but instead defines a canopy tree as one that “produces one main trunk and normally reaches a height of 30 [feet] or more upon maturity.” The county’s code generally says one canopy tree should be planted within 25 feet of the road or sidewalk for every 50 feet of frontage.

However, Clark said the trees between the road and sidewalk when Summerfield was developed in the late 1990s were improperly located. The development’s site plan was approved with tree locations that didn’t match county code, but Clark said because “street trees” was a relatively new concept in the code, county staff might not have realized the importance of planting them farther from infrastructure.

Although many residents are happy to see the trees go, others have concerns. Cathy Masztalics moved to the neighborhood from New York in March 2019. The canopy trees are one of the main reasons she moved to the neighborhood.

“When you turn down the boulevard, it just took my breath away to see the beautiful landscape,” Masztalics said. “When you drive through Summerfield, the canopy trees line our streets. And they provide not only aesthetic beauty, but they’re a home for our many birds and wildlife that live in Lakewood Ranch.”

Masztalics is also concerned by the process of removing the trees.

Not long ago, she tripped over the

PROS AND CONS OF OAKS TREES PROS n Provides lots of shade n Wildlife-friendly n Aesthetic appearance CONS n Require a lot of room n Sheds lots of leaves and acorns n Wide root system

stump of a recently removed tree while walking her dogs at night.

However, Clark said the county will be grinding the stumps flat with the ground and said a crew will be sent to do the same to the one Masztalics tripped over to prevent any possible incidents.

Masztalics and her neighbor, Stephanie Robinson, understand some of the trees must be removed because they are damaging sidewalks and roads. But they believe 177 is too many to do at once.

They said if the trees must go, they should be replaced with a species that won’t damage the neighborhood’s infrastructure and will continue to provide a home for squirrels and birds.

Clark said the county likely would have no issue if a neighborhood came up with a plan to replace removed trees, as long as the plan complied with county code, but added that the cost would fall on the HOA or homeowners.

“There’s just got to be another way besides taking 177 trees down all in one shot and changing the total look of the neighborhood,” Robinson said. “Maybe one at a time, as they end up as a problem, would be a better idea.”

Clark said imminent damage to sidewalks and roads isn’t the only reason for tree removal.

For example, the roots can damage stormwater and drain pipes underground.

Another issue is providing clearance for emergency vehicles and utility vendors, such as garbage trucks. Clark said the trees are so close to the road that they must be trimmed once every two to three years.

Clark said $325,000 was budgeted for the removal of Summerfield’s trees, but the current contract cost is $211,752. The remainder of the budget will roll over into the Riverwalk project.

The county has spent $560,790 on Summerfield tree maintenance and sidewalk repairs in the

Photos by Brendan Lavell

“When you drive through Summerfield, the canopy trees line our streets. And they provide not only aesthetic beauty, but they’re a home for our many birds and wildlife that live in Lakewood Ranch.”

— Summerfield’s Cathy Masztalics

past 10 years.

Masztalics and Robinson also said not enough residents know about the project. However, Inter-District Authority Executive Director Anne Ross said Lakewood Ranch appreciates that the county began communicating with the IDA and reaching out to Summerfield and Riverwalk residents well ahead of time.

Ross said Lakewood Ranch deals with these issues in some of the communities it manages, such as Country Club and Edgewater.

The IDA removes those trees on a case-by-case basis as each one starts causing issues.

Although oak trees and similar species aren’t supposed to be planted between roads and sidewalks, builders and homeowners still have to plant them somewhere to satisfy the county’s canopy requirement. Often, that means planting them in residents’ yards. Clark said it’s crucial for trees with large root systems, such as oaks, to be planted in the proper location. Otherwise, they can cause damage to water pipes,

driveways and more.

To remove trees, residents must check with their HOA and then call county code enforcement for approval.

Creekwood resident Paul Delger had such an issue shortly after moving into his home in March 2019, when he noticed the roots of an oak tree on his property were growing into his driveway. About a year later, he contacted his HOA, which approved removal of the tree and the planting of three palm trees in its stead.

Delger, however, was responsible for the oak tree’s removal, which he said cost him $1,400.

He said the county should have paid for the removal, saying it required the tree be planted in the first place.

Clark said each neighborhood is usually responsible for overseeing the removal of a tree on a resident’s property if the resident wants it removed, assuming the county is satisfied the tree is not vital to the community’s canopy.

It’s part of the delicate balance between providing the trees that many residents want to make their neighborhood look beautiful but doing so properly in order to prevent the aforementioned issues. Clark encourages homeowners, builders and county staff members to become more knowledgeable about the trees they plant in yards and along roads and sidewalks.

“There’s importance to the code for it to have those trees, to have that canopy,” Clark said.

“From what we’re hearing from the neighborhood, that is an important aspect of this neighborhood and the people that live there. As we continue forward here in Manatee County, that is something that shouldn’t go away from the code and something that is beneficial when done correctly.”

Above: Summerfield resident Cathy Masztalics is concerned about the environmental impact of removing 177 trees because it could cause the loss of habitat for birds and squirrels.

Below: Many trees on Winding Woods Way are scheduled for removal.

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

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CEO says Meals on Wheels Plus will continue to deliver in 2021.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

T

he Daybreak Adult Day Center in Lakewood Ranch is now unusually quiet for a facility that normally would be filled with the conversation and laughter of seniors.

Even though the calendar has moved to 2021, Daybreak’s closure to on-site participants is another sign the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t ready to let up.

It’s also is more proof that Maribeth Phillips, the president and chief executive officer of Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, faces a new year with many of the same challenges her nonprofit faced in 2020.

Meals on Wheels Plus operates Daybreak, which closed last March because it can’t bring together at-risk seniors in close proximity. But that doesn’t mean their well-being isn’t still a priority.

Phillips’ staff delivers masks, puzzle books and “Sunshine” cards to the seniors who normally would attend Daybreak along with calling them to make sure they are all right. The staff continues to offer virtual programming to keep

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them engaged. Home-delivered meals are available to all Daybreak Friendship Dining Participants to ensure proper nutrition.

Almost every service and program offered by Meals on Wheels Plus since the pandemic struck last March has been altered in some significant way. The homedelivered meals program was revamped to go from Monday through Friday deliveries to oncea-week deliveries that included frozen meals for all seven days.

Instead of the usual interaction between clients and those who delivered meals, the meals were placed outside the door. The clients were divided in half with one half getting meals on Tuesdays and the others on Fridays.

“Our plan is to assume we will be facing this for at least six more months,” Phillips said.

It could be even longer, but Phillips has to hope for the best

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Courtesy photo

Jennifer Hoffman, the president of the Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island, and Paula Schwartz, of the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch, package meals for Meals on Wheels Plus in December.

WHAT’S IT COST? File photo

Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee President and CEO Maribeth Phillips says her organization’s greatest need continues to be donations of food or money.

while planning for the worst.

Demand for food in Manatee County’s food pantries has skyrocketed since the beginning of the pandemic, which has putting stress on the Meals on Wheels’ Food Bank, as has the number of home-delivered meals.

Phillips has been juggling all her resources as she tries to do more with less. Her volunteer workforce of about 100 took a huge hit because of the pandemic due to many of the volunteers being in their 70s and 80s. Meals on Wheels is only using volunteers 65 or under at the current time.

Because Meals on Wheels has dealt with a huge demand, deliv-

ering 750,000 Food4Families meals since March 2020, and with fewer volunteers, the 55 staff members have served in roles they never would have imagined, such as packing and delivering meals.

Phillips said she is proud of her staff members for responding to any situation. She also is proud the nonprofit has not had to let go any of its staff members during a difficult time.

She said none of it would have been possible without an amazing response from the community.

The response began in March when an anonymous donor gave more than $100,000 for Meals on Wheels Plus to repair its roof, put

Cost for providing a homedelivered meal (information provided by Meals on Wheels Plus) $49 per week $213 per month $2,548 per year

new floors in the pantry and get its buildings at the 811 23rd Ave. E., Bradenton complex’s exterior painted. The upgrades allowed the nonprofit to move food it had been storing at a leased warehouse back to the main complex.

“The donation was just unbelievable,” Phillips said.

Donations came from individuals, too, and every dime was needed. The School District of Manatee County contacted Meals on Wheels Plus in March and asked if it could provide weekend food for students and their families.

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because its volunteers were all seniors who had to stay home.

The demand went to the other food pantries.

It appears to be more of the same in 2021. Meals on Wheels Plus received $214,000 in donations on Giving Tuesday in December, and Suncoast Credit Union presented the nonprofit with a $50,000 donation in December, but just its Food4Families program has been spending $20,000 a week to purchase food. Meals on Wheels Plus will receive a donation from Mackenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos. Scott, in a Dec. 15 blog post on Medium, announced she had given $4.16 billion to 384 organizations across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. The amount of the Meals on Wheels donation has yet to be announced.

To be part of the Meals on Wheels Plus effort in 2021, Phillips said local citizens can get involved in three major ways.

Donations can be made by going to MealsOnWheelsPlus.org. People can continue to do food drives in their neighborhoods.

And volunteers, under 65 for the time being, are needed to help pack and deliver food. Check the website for information.

“We have had a 100% increase in calls for help,” Phillips said as she heads into 2021. “Last year we started with 600 home-delivered meals clients, and now we have 921.”

That being the case, Phillips vows to get the job done.

“This is going to be a long runway of recovery,” Phillips said.

“We will continue to get food out to people in need.”

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Through the Food4Families program, Meals on Wheels Plus provided breakfast, lunch and dinner for families of five for two days.

Meals on Wheels Plus received a $198,000 grant for its Food4Families program from Manatee County, which was distributing federal coronavirus relief bill funds. It also received $324,000 in relief funding for its Home Delivered Meals program.

“Naturally, we had lines of cars coming to the food bank,” Phillips said. “We are the only food bank based in Manatee County.”

The pandemic had intensified everything.

“Imagine you don’t have food because you lost your job,” Phillips said.

With so many people out of work or with less income, the strain was placed on the county’s food pantries that are stocked

by Meals on Wheels Plus, which serves 85 pantries and agencies.

Some of the pantries had to close

|

GRI, CLHMS, CIRE

TinaCiaccio.com | TinaCiaccio@michaelsaunders.com 8325 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

New protocols at Manatee schools With COVID-19 cases increasing in Florida, the School District of Manatee County is changing protocols.

COVID-19 REPORTS AT EAST COUNTY SCHOOLS

East County schools reported these COVID-19 cases August through December.

School

Confirmed Employees Students People cases positive positive quarantined

Bashaw Elementary

5

0

5

91

Braden River Elementary

5

5

0

49

LIZ RAMOS

Freedom Elementary

5

2

3

57

STAFF WRITER

Gullett Elementary

2

0

2

22

S

McNeal Elementary

6

3

3

48

Myakka City Elementary

1

0

1

0

Tara Elementary

7

1

6

105

Willis Elementary

6

0

6

64

Witt Elementary

8

1

7

106

Braden River Middle

13

2

11

93

haron Scarbrough, the principal at Braden River High School, was thrilled as she welcomed back hundreds of students after the winter break.

“It was good to see some other kids back full time on campus,” Scarbrough said.

Although Braden River High School still has about 30%, or approximately 400, of its students home for e-learning, that number continues to shrink as parents feel it is safe to send their children back to school campuses.

With more students on campus, Braden River High, along with other schools in the School District of Manatee County, are continuing all the COVID-19 mitigations already in place, such as social distancing, wearing face masks and encouraging handwashing.

Now with COVID-19 cases increasing throughout Florida and the country, the school district, following guidelines from the Florida Department of Health Manatee, has put additional protocols in place.

Prior to the district’s two-week winter break, if a student dis-

Haile Middle

5

0

5

35

Mona Jain Middle

5

1

4

87

Nolan Middle

7

1

6

159

Braden River High

21

2

19

123

Lakewood Ranch High

40

8

32

252

TOTAL

136 26

played COVID-19 symptoms at school, the student was isolated until the parents could pick him or her up.

The student was referred for medical evaluation and testing. If the student’s symptoms improved, and the student had no exposure or close contact with a person confirmed with COVID-19, the student was allowed to return to school after being symptom and fever-free for at least 24 hours.

we

because we

Beginning Jan. 6, the first day of school for students in the district, students who display symptoms at school will continue to be isolated, but the procedures for returning have changed.

Students can return to school with evidence of a negative COVID-19 test and when symptoms have improved, including the student being fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication.

The student also must present documentation from a medical

111 1,305

provider stating the student can return to school.

For families who do not seek medical care or testing, students cannot return to school until at least 10 days have passed since the symptoms first appeared.

At that point, the student must be free of a fever for at least 24 hours, and the symptoms must have improved.

In the first week of school since the break ended, the district has reported 10 cases across eight

CARE

schools in the county, including single cases at Lakewood Ranch and Braden River high schools.

Melissa Parker, a school district spokesperson, said that schools will continue to follow mitigation measures, such as asking symptom-related questions of all students, taking temperatures, cleaning and sanitizing schools daily, and limiting access to campuses.

“We’re pretty confident our families are doing a good job listening,” Parker said. “They need to make sure they understand the new guidelines. We hope all these mitigation measures will keep us moving toward having a successful year.”

Parker said Cynthia Saunders, the district superintendent, is developing a partnership with Manatee County Regional Health to obtain vaccines for employees who are 65 years old or older when they become available.

Parker said about 300 employees in the district are at least 65 years old.

As of Jan. 8, Parker said a timeline for when the vaccines would become available was not certain because MCR Health hadn’t received any vaccines.

Although the district can encourage employees to get vaccinated, Parker said employees will not be required to become vaccinated.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

PROGRAM STEERS BUYERS TOWARD STUDENTS

Ranch Buyers Club will educate potential buyers about FFA students.

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944 Publisher / Emily Walsh EWalsh@YourObserver.com Associate Publisher — East County Observer / Lori Ruth LRuth@YourObserver.com Executive Editor / Kat Hughes KHughes@YourObserver.com Managing Editor / Jay Heater JHeater@YourObserver.com Sports Reporter / Ryan Kohn RKohn@YourObserver.com Staff Writer / Liz Ramos, LRamos@YourObserver.com; Brendan Lavell, BLavell@YourObserver.com Copy Editor/ Kaelyn Adix KAdix@YourObserver.com Editorial Designers / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com; Carol Parker, CParker@YourObserver.com Black Tie Editor / Harry Sayer HSayer@YourObserver.com

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

A

s the steer show and sale approaches at the Manatee County Fair, Madeline Fields, a junior at Lakewood Ranch High School, is getting nervous.

It’s her first time showing and marketing a steer.

“The steer show and showmanship is pretty competitive,” Fields said. “There are a lot of people that do exhibit steer, so it’s definitely intimidating. I’ve known people that have been showing since they were 10 years old or younger.”

When Fields takes her steer to market, she might have more people bidding on her steer as a result of the new Ranch Buyers Club.

Lakewood Ranch High School’s Future Farmers of America program created the Ranch Buyers Club to help promote students’ market projects in the school’s FFA program.

The club created a catalog of profiles of the student exhibitors and their animals. Students were asked to write about their project, introduce their animals, explain what they’ve done to prepare for the fair and explain what they would do with the profits.

“People looking into the Ranch Buyers Club are able to look and see what hard work and what they’ve done and also get to see the personality of the exhibitor and their animals,” said Madison Hartwig, a junior and the FFA president.

Hartwig, along with Fields and senior Abigail Lillibridge, who are all chairs of the FFA’s economic development committee, plan to hand out the catalog of profiles at the fair, so people can get to know the exhibitors before the students show their animals.

They are also planning to send a virtual version of the catalog to businesses before the fair.

The Ranch Buyers Club helps promote awareness about the school’s FFA program and educate people on the process of buying animals at market.

“As Lakewood Ranch gets more urban, we want to make sure people know the auction is still available to them,” said McKenzie

EAST COUNTY

IF YOU GO Courtesy photos

Sophomore Ryann Hilyer will be exhibiting the Lakewood Ranch High School’s Future Farmers of America chapter steer, Bill.

Gorski, an FFA adviser at Lakewood Ranch High School. “This year is definitely a pilot, so we’re not expecting a big turnout for buyers necessarily at this sale, but our goal is to bring awareness and hopefully have more buyers from Lakewood Ranch come together.”

Gorski said that if the program can bring more awareness about the auction to people in Lakewood Ranch, it might entice more people to purchase a project or part of a project.

“Our goal is to have a collective of Lakewood Ranch families come together, so our students can expect their animal projects to go to families in our immediate area of the school and Lakewood Ranch as a whole,” Gorski said.

More potential buyers could mean more bids on students’ projects. The price at market depends on the weight of the animal, the cost per pound and how much buyers are willing to bid.

Last year, Hartwig sold her 1,400-pound steer for $3.75 per pound.

What: Manatee County Fair Where: Manatee County Fairgrounds, 1402 14th Ave. W., Palmetto When: 5-10 p.m. Jan. 14, 15, 19, 21 and 22; noon to 10 p.m. Jan. 16-18, 20 and 23; noon to 7 p.m. Jan. 24 Admission: $10 for adults (ages 13 and up); $6 for children (ages 6 to 12); $9 for seniors (ages 55 and up); $6 for military; and free for children ages 5 and younger Special dates: Jan. 16: First Day Special (admission is $6 for adults and $3 for children ages 6 to 12); Jan. 18: Woodruff and Sons Inc. “Kids’ Day at the Fair” (all children and students with school ID get in free from noon to 3 p.m.); Jan. 19: Free for all fairgoers from 5-10 p.m.; Jan. 20: Senior Day (admission is $6 for seniors from noon to 10 p.m.)

Schedule highlights: n Thursday, Jan. 14: Rabbit intermediate showmanship; steer show n Friday, Jan. 15: Rabbit senior showmanship and steer showmanship n Saturday, Jan. 16: Goat show; steer sale; corn dog eating contest n Sunday, Jan. 17: Music by FBC Palmetto and Jordan Feliz n Monday, Jan. 18: Dairy showmanship n Tuesday, Jan. 19: Dairy show; veterans tribute parade and program n Wednesday, Jan. 20: Poultry layers and meat pen silent auction n Thursday, Jan. 21: Swine showmanship n Friday, Jan. 22: Swine show n Saturday, Jan. 23: Whip popping contest; hog-calling contest; swine sale n Sunday, Jan. 24: Cheerleading competition *Daily festivities include Rock-It the Robot, Hollywood Racing Pig Show and Camel Educational Show, Coronas of Hollywood’s Circus Strong, Pork Chop Revue, Cowboy Circus with Danny Grant and the Dennis Lee Show.

Sophomore Josie Romine practices walking her pig, Chesney, in preparation for the Manatee County Fair.

For many students, the profits they receive in the market are put toward their next FFA project or saved for their post-secondary education plans.

Lillibridge, who moved to Florida this school year, and Fields, whose family doesn’t have an agriculture background, said the Ranch Buyers Club will give them an opportunity to connect with businesses or families interested in purchasing animals.

“It’s just nice to know there’s security there that people will know who I am and know my animals,” Lillibridge said.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

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JAY HEATER

Jiggs Landing concession fights to survive pandemic I ’ve always believed in supporting local businesses, to a point.

As a consumer, I want a local business to show it cares about me. For instance, I might be able to get a loaf of bread at the big box store for half the price.

Remember, those big box stores employ local people, too.

However, a small bakery might present a level of service that trumps everything else. I’m a sucker for special treatment.

A smile. Some conversation. A heartfelt “Thank you!”

As we enter 2021, we see lots of signs telling us to support local businesses. Just show me you are worthy.

Denise Kleiner, the owner of Florida Boat Tours, which now operates the Jiggs Landing Outpost, is trying to do just that.

Kleiner’s Florida Boat Tours began booking tours in 2018 from the preserve at Jiggs Landing, which Manatee County opened to the public in 2010.

She took over the Jiggs Landing Outpost concession in 2019.

A member of the Old Braden River Historical Society, Kleiner wanted the county preserve to succeed in order to safeguard its history. The Jiggs Landing Fishing Camp was founded in 1944, but the buildings eventually were left to fall into disrepair. Manatee County bought the property in 2007.

After Kleiner took over Jiggs

Jay Heater

Boat captain Denise Kleiner says the $25 sunset tours at Jiggs Landing offer incredible sights.

Landing Outpost, it appeared the preserve would thrive when it came to visitors. Then the pandemic hit.

Like many new businesses, Kleiner was trying to keep her financial head above water while she built for the future. She took a hit right away because the months of February, March and April are her busiest and carry her through the slower summer months.

“We lost our cushion,” she said.

With business slow, she closed April 1 and remained closed until

Nov. 1. If she hadn’t closed, she said her business would have gone under. Manatee County, her landlord, worked with her.

Things are showing signs of improvement, though her boat tours remain off 90%. When she does have a tour, she is making less money because the tour boats meant to carry 12 people now host only four due to social distancing. She only can put more people in the boat if they are from the same family or household.

Despite the negatives, Kleiner is trying to show she is worthy.

On Jan. 16 and 17, The Players Centre for Performing Arts was holding auditions at the preserve for the play “Spoon River Anthology,” which it is presenting Feb. 27 and 28 and March 6 and 7 at Jiggs Landing. Kleiner is building an outdoor stage in front of her store.

She is working with The Players, which plans to open a $30 million theater complex in Waterside Place in 2024, but now is looking for venues in the meantime.

Her business already has outdoors live music — rock and

country — 3-6 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. The stage will help that offering.

She has hired Linger Lodge Manager Rita Lewis to help her develop food offerings at the outpost. Linger Lodge’s restaurant is closed temporarily while upgrades are ongoing at the property, so Lewis had the time.

“The missing key here was food,” Kleiner said. “Rita is a seasoned restaurateur. I’m not. She brought in high quality Angus beef. She added Sabretts, chili and fresh, smoked mullet spread.”

Beer and wine are available as well. For those who want to party and stay on site or to just enjoy and fishing and boating, four cabins are available for rent.

As we navigate our local business scene in 2021, I hope we all give business including Kleiner’s a second look.

“This truly is about community spirit,” she said. “I have people with tears in their eyes who say, ‘I’m so glad you made it.’”

Actions Speak Louder Than Awards

But we won’t argue if U.S. News & World Report ranks Sarasota Memorial Hospital as one of only 37 “standout” hospitals among the nearly 5,000 assessed in this year’s “Best Hospitals” study, scoring a perfect 10 in all surgical procedures and chronic conditions evaluated—including heart and lung care, cancer treatment, vascular repair and orthopedic surgery.

After all, we’re too busy helping patients get back to better, back to their families and back to their lives.

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Jay Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at JHeater@ YourObserver. com.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

FIRST STEP OF SARASOTA IS NOW HIRING FOR SEVERAL POSITIONS Liz Ramos

MANY JOBS OPEN FOR THOSE WITH HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR GED. Flexible hours, shift work, weekend shifts, full time, part time or per diem (work as needed). Full time benefits

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As Jamie Reagan, a member of Peace Presbyterian Church, walked down a nature path beside the wetlands near the church, she kept her eyes open for artistic opportunities.

She bent down and picked up a black and gray feather.

“This could be used in a piece of art,” Reagan said while examining the feather.

Reagan and with fellow church member Toni Muirhead use what they find along the nature path to make natural art that is then

hung or placed in the trees along the path.

Vines, pine cones, palm fronds and broken tree branches become wreaths, stars, a goose, rainbows, a Christmas tree and more.

At a time when many people stay inside due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Reagan and Muirhead hope the nature path can be a place for people to get outside and recognize the beauty of nature.

“Having the path is critical,” Muirhead said. “From a health standpoint — body, mind, spirit — it’s a diversion. It lets you know you can breathe and relax.”

The nature path, which is called Peaceful Path, had been a dream of Elizabeth Deibert’s, the pastor of the church. A year ago, she saw the dream become a reality when about a dozen church members came together to create the path.

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IF YOU GO PEACEFUL PATH Where: Peace Presbyterian Church, 12705 State Road 64, Bradenton Hours: Open dawn until dusk daily About the path: The entrance to Peaceful Path is along the driveway leading to the church. The 0.4-mile path is filled with almost 50 pieces of natural art. New art pieces are constantly being added, which makes every trip down the path different. About 12 church members have been involved in creating and maintaining the path.

“We recognized we had this piece of land that we would never build on, and we were already interested in being an Earth Care Church,” Deibert said. “In our denomination, that means we’re a church that’s made a commitment to taking good care of the Earth and promoting sustainability.”

The Peaceful Path is a 0.4-mile path beside the wetlands located just before the church, which is off State Road 64.

The path is open to anyone in the public from dawn until dusk.

“We thought this path needs to

be a path for the neighborhood,” Deibert said. “Whether you are agnostic or Buddhist or Jewish or Muslim, this is a peaceful path for everybody.”

Muirhead, who enjoys pottery, and Reagan, who likes to paint, decided to explore their artistic sides and use materials they found along the path to create natural art that would then be displayed on the path.

“You look around, and you’ll see things one time, and then the next time, you’ll come, and you’ll see something different,” Reagan said.

Inspiration for the natural art can come from anywhere along the path. Reagan found a broken branch with one side bent. She plans to turn it into a boa constrictor.

“I’m paying attention to the beauty that’s already here,” Reagan said. “We’ve learned to look and just appreciate what we see.”

Three benches are placed throughout the path as a place for people to take a break or meditate.

Kindness rocks are now popping up along the path. Deibert said Peace Presbyterian Church sees rocks as a symbol for people’s gratitude to God.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

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Real estate consulting firm RCLCO has reported that the Villages retirement community has once again claimed the No. 1 spot as the best-selling, masterplanned community in the U.S., but No. 2 Lakewood Ranch closed substantial ground on the perennial leader.

Lakewood Ranch, which finished No. 2 for the third consecutive year, had 2,149 sales in 2020, an increase of 501 homes from the previous year, a 30% increase. Meanwhile, the Villages had only a 1% increase at 2,452 sales.

In the multigenerational, master-planned communities, Lakewood Ranch again was No. 1 in the nation. It was the best sales year ever for Lakewood Ranch.

Laura Cole, senior vice president of Lakewood Ranch Communities, said in a release that although COVID-19 has driven some buyers to act, there are long-term trends at play as well.

“The pandemic caused an acceleration of purchase decisions for some buyers already in the market, especially young families seeking their first home and people nearing retirement,” Cole said in the release.

“Many buyers said that COVID-19 has created a need to reestablish roots in an environment that affords a more connected and active lifestyle while offering ample open space and tranquility. Lakewood Ranch’s vast green space and amenities — including space for walking, hiking and biking — were very attractive to those seeking to escape urban centers and increase their ability

to socialize outside while observing social distancing requirements,” she said.

Lakewood Ranch has been among the top-selling masterplanned communities in the country for 10 of the past 11 years, according to RCLCO. RCLCO has been ranking master-planned communities since 1994.

Summerlin of Las Vegas (1,456), Wellen Park of Sarasota (1,415) and Daybreak of Salt Lake City (1,055) rounded out the top five.

Seniors can register for COVID-19 vaccination pool Manatee County commissioners approved changes to COVID-19 vaccination registration Jan. 6 for those age 65 and up in an effort to make the process easier.

The addition of a preregistration process is available online and over the phone by calling 311. Previously, citizens had to log onto a county website at a specific time to register for an appointment to receive the vaccine.

Many who were online to register failed to make appointments because the demand is larger than the available slots.

Now people age 65 and up can join a standby pool by filling out an online form that can be found at MyManatee.org/vaccine. The county’s 311 call center will also accept preregistration via phone calls each weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Whenever the county receives a new shipment of vaccines, names will be randomly selected from the pool for vaccination.

Of all the exotic places you’ve dreamt of visiting, an out-of-town cancer center probably isn’t one of them.

A diagnosis of cancer is bad enough. Spending hours on a plane to get care makes it worse. No one should have to leave home for cancer treatment— and soon you won’t have to. Comprehensive cancer care is coming to Sarasota. So you can stop fighting your way through strange airports and start fighting your cancer here at home.

You have the power to give hope. Please consider a gift to help support the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute.

Hope comes home. Give today.

941.917.1286 | smhf.org A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-435-7352 WITHIN THE STATE OR BY VISITING www.freshfromflorida.com/divisions-offices /consumer-services. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. (REGISTRATION #CH103) THE HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION WILL USE THE FUNDS FOR THE STATED PURPOSE BUT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO USE THE GIFT IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH ITS CHARITABLE PURPOSE IF THE STATED PURPOSE IS IMPOSSIBLE OR IMPRACTICAL TO ACHIEVE.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

Creatively connected Manatee County libraries shift to a focus on virtual programming.

LIZ RAMOS

INPUT APPRECIATED

Do you have a suggestion on a new program for the libraries?

Contact Jyna Johnson, the system programming librarian, by emailing Jyna.Johnson@MyManatee.org or calling 748-555, ext. 6308.

STAFF WRITER

348253-1

Christine Culp, the youth services librarian at the Braden River Library, took families on a virtual field trip to the butterfly garden in Summerfield Park in November.

In a recorded video published on the Braden River Library website, Culp, along with Lois Panner, taught families about butterflies at the garden before Culp read “Waiting for Wings” by Lois Ehlert.

The trip to the butterfly garden and reading a book related to butterflies were part of a new virtual segment at the library called Reading in Our Town.

“I always loved ‘Reading Rainbow’ when my kids were growing up, so that’s what I wanted to do with the Reading in Our Town story times,” Culp said.

Before the pandemic, Culp was doing story times twice per week in person, but to still connect with families and provide educational entertainment for children, she started recording story times for families to view from home.

The pandemic gave the library system an opportunity to focus on developing virtual programming, and as a result, staff moved some in-person programs to virtual and created others.

Whether it’s book discussions,

craft demonstrations, training programs, or coding or writing workshops, the libraries’ staff members are thinking of new ways they can fill a need in a community while providing services, said Elizabeth Partridge, the library services manager for Manatee County Libraries.

“We have been able to reimagine our programs, so they work in the virtual environment and still provide a great opportunity to learn or explore for the community,” Partridge said. “We have been able to experiment and try new things, many of which are great additions we hope to keep after we are able to begin in-person programming.”

For example, the libraries conducted craft demonstrations in person before the pandemic but easily moved those to virtual. The libraries are able to provide the materials for the demonstrations to participants.

The library system received a $30,400 grant from the Bradenton COVID-19 Response Fund and has decided to use the funds to purchase 30 hot spots for checkout as well as create a space at the downtown Bradenton library to record audio and video

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Christine Culp, the youth services librarian at the Braden River Library, wants to incorporate more of her puppets into her storytime videos much like she would during in-person story times.

content and the technology needed to create the content.

Partridge said the public will be able to use the space and equipment to develop programs, tools and marketing for their local businesses.

Partridge said she’s giddy over the opportunities the library system could have in the future with developing more virtual programming.

Cooking videos, in which chefs around Manatee County provide demonstrations on how to prepare a meal, are in the works.

Once the libraries are able to return to in-person programming, Partridge said that some

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Lakewood Ranch Medical Center recently expanded emergency care in Sarasota County with the opening of a new freestanding emergency department, ER at Fruitville.

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The facility accepts ambulances and offers a full-service laboratory, X-rays, CT and ultrasound. ER at Fruitville is also capable of treating or providing stabilizing treatment for all major conditions that present to an emergency room.

Patients needing further treatment will be transferred to Lakewood Ranch Medical Center or have transportation arranged to another hospital of their choice.

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As we continue to face the uncertainties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s still essential for individuals to address their pressing health issues. The ER at Fruitville and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center are both fully open and monitoring all patients for symptoms of COVID-19, as recommended by the CDC. Isolation protocols are in place as needed.

Don’t delay seeking critical care Individuals experiencing chest pain, numbness, difficulty breathing or mental confusion should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. The emergency department at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center and ER at Fruitville are both staffed 24/7 and prepared to care for individuals experiencing serious injuries or medical symptoms.

For more information on emergency services, visit lwrmc.com/emergency.

*Physicians are on the medical staff of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, but, with limited exceptions, are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the non-discrimination notice, visit our website.

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Liz Ramos

of the virtual programs, such as the craft demonstrations, will be transitioned back to in-person because it’s easier to do, but staff can still record the sessions for online viewers.

“The potential to be able to incorporate both virtual and inperson programming is amazing,” Partridge said. “I don’t want to say the sky’s the limit, but that’s how it feels. We’ll be able to reach the community in the way they need to be reached.”

Library databases, catalogs and tutoring websites were always available online, but the libraries didn’t offer virtual programming. When the pandemic hit, Partridge said the transition to virtual was instant.

“You don’t have a choice,” Partridge said. “You want the community to be connected, and the only way we had to get them connected was virtually. We didn’t even hesitate.”

Culp said the transition to virtual was difficult. She didn’t have the kids’ energy to feed off while reading, but being able to connect with families in a time when everyone is separated was worth it.

She would give her viewers an imagination challenge, such as making a collage, and the families would take photos of the artwork and send them to Culp via email.

Culp would then hang the artwork in the Braden River Library.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

Wauchula.

Mother Maria Gema, who leads family activities at St. Michael, handpicked each coat based on fit and style. She also attached the name of each kid to their coat.

The Our Lady of the Angels council was the only Knights of Columbus council in the Diocese of Venice to continue with the project this year, an annual event held since 2012.

FAM I LY

Palm Aire requests donations Courtesy photos

Tom Rokosz and John Finnegan of the Knights of Columbus of Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church work on a Habitat for Humanity project.

Knights of Columbus members help build home The Knights of Columbus council based out of Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church participated in charitable events in December.

On Dec. 10, seven knights of the council worked in tandem with Habitat for Humanity to help with the construction of a new home at 1015 Sixth St. Court E., Bradenton. The project represented the fourth full year of uninterrupted monthly projects completed under Habitat for Humanity Chairman Mike Mahan, who is also a knight in the council.

On the night of Dec. 12, 10 knights and a handful of their spouses and friends distributed coats to 228 children as part of a Coats for Kids project at St. Michael Catholic Church in

Family Owned.

Family Focused.

In a year full of challenges, the Palm Aire Women’s Club has been forced to find different ways to meet its fundraising goals.

Typically, the club holds celebrations, such as “Holly Jolly” fundraisers and holiday luncheons, which include choirs, holiday contests and more to raise money for scholarships and local charities. In 2019, the club said it funded eight scholarships and seven charities.

This year, the club canceled these events because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Charity Chair Peg Beck is working with charities including Hope Family Services and Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center, both of which provide service to domestic violence survivors, to meet their needs.

Considering how many people are in need because of the hardships 2020 brought, the club is requesting donations to directly fund its scholarships and partnered charities. Its goal is to raise $22,000 total. The club asked interested donors to visit its website at Palm-AireWomensClub.org.

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Club membership is open yearround and is not limited to Palm Aire Country Club members.

For membership, contact Susan Pulver at susan.pulver@verizon. net. Dues are $40 yearly. You can also contact Judi Bouchard at judithbouchard@myfairpoint. net to be included on the PAWC email list.

PAWC Vice President Mary Beth Rempp is working to reschedule major events for the club, including the fashion show, the book sale and the scholarship luncheon. Updates are coming soon.

The club has been able to hold Mix & Mingles on social media with Allyson Cooney working with Debi Frock to schedule Zoom calls. December’s Holly Jolly Zoom Mix and Mingle on Zoom included surprise guest CeeCee Massey, a former member who moved to Manchester, England.

She didn’t allow the five-hour time difference to prevent her from joining in the fun.

Many guests also brought their special friends to the event. They came dressed in their Christmas finery. Susan Romine showed off her poodles, while CeeCee displayed her cat, as did Carolann Garafola. Hostess Allyson Cooney presented her dog.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

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nated $50 gift cards to Manatee Children’s Services to support 50 children for the MCS Holiday Project. MCS is a nonprofit that serves as an emergency shelter and group home for victims of child abuse and neglect.

“We wanted to do something to support children in our community especially during this difficult pandemic, and MCS provided the perfect opportunity to reach children in need,” Community Outreach Chairman of Rosedale Golf and Country Club Susie Melum said.

The two associations also donated more than 1,000 pounds of food to The Food Bank of Manatee and Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee.

Nancy Troxell, the women’s nine-hole golf association chair, led the food drive. Troxell used her garage as storage space for the collected food until the items could be donated to Meals on Wheels Plus.

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Nancy Troxell uses her garage as storage space for food collected by Rosedale Golf and Country Club’s 18- and nine-hole women’s golf associations until the items could be donated to Meals on Wheels Plus.

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Rosedale Golf and Country Club’s 18- and nine-hole women’s golf associations targeted two Manatee County groups in need of charity during the holiday season — victims of child abuse and the hungry.

The two associations do-

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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Let the music play!

Despite the pandemic, area music groups won’t be silenced.

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

T

he pandemic was a sucker punch to the arts community. It was a particularly vicious blow to music groups. Audiences and ensembles were both at risk when they gathered. Singing itself was a danger because vocalists project aerosolized particles. Performance aside, the national infrastructure of flights, hotels and auditoriums that connected musicians to audiences was compromised. There was no magic solution. But our area’s music community improvised, adapted and adjusted with countless little solutions. Here are some of the ways they’re keeping the music alive this season.

SARASOTA ORCHESTRA

Joseph McKenna is the orchestra’s president and CEO. He says that the talents of Sarasota Orchestra thrive on imagination. In the time of COVID-19, they had to reimagine everything. “We built our reimagined season around health and safety,” he says. “By being smart, disciplined and adaptable, we’ve kept the music alive on different platforms. Last November, we launched a series of small, indoor concerts limited to 15 musicians, with strict social distancing both on stage and off. We record each concert weekend, then edit it to a final version available on our first-ever streaming platform. That File photos allows us to make our music available to people who are more comfortable at home until the virus passes.” Obviously, you can’t wear a mask and play a wind instrument. The wind players and brass players will get to play at a limited number of outdoor performances at Nathan Benderson Park, Selby Gardens, the Ringling Museum and other venues.

For information, visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

LIVING local

SARASOTA CONCERT ASSOCIATION Sarasota Concert Association’s 2020-21 Great Performers series originally featured a range of international artists, including the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra. After the scope of the pandemic was clear, all six concerts were canceled. Linda Moxley, SCA’s newly appointed executive director, worked to create a free virtual series.

“Canceling the season was a hard choice,” Moxley says. “But many of our artists come from overseas, and it was particularly difficult for them to do concerts here. ‘Musically Speaking’ is our creative alternative to live performance. It’s a free virtual concert and conversations series with performances by great musicians, each followed by a conversation moderated by Charles Turon, a musician and music educator.” Moxley says upcoming guests include pianists Garrick Ohlsson and Kirill Gerstein, Samantha Bennett and percussionist George Nickson, and Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. “We’re already planning our 2022 Great Performers series season and hope to announce that in March,” she adds.

For information and links to free streaming content, visit SCASarasota.org.

File photo

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THE HERMITAGE ARTIST RETREAT

The Hermitage Artist Retreat offers residencies to accomplished artists across a range of disciplines. In normal times, people get to glimpse their work in progress.

After the pandemic pulled the plug on the residencies, Andy Sandberg, the artistic director, worked hard to get the creativity flowing again. When the artists returned in June, the Hermitage offered virtual presentations.

Live performances resumed last October — accompanied by rigorous safety protocols. How rigorous? “As rigorous as possible,” Sandberg says. “That includes socially distanced, limited audiences, both at the Hermitage, Selby Gardens and throughout the area.

For performances on our campus, we lay out a grid on the beach, with individual sign markers showing people where to go. We also send out advance communications about social distancing and mask-wearing and provide everyone with hand sanitizers. It’s a lot of work. But the result has been an emotional and cathartic experience for artists and audiences alike.”

For information, visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

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CHORAL ARTISTS OF SARASOTA

Joseph Holt likes to plan ahead. He is the artistic director of this choral group and had worked out its 2020-21 season way in advance. Then the pandemic hit.

And all his planning went out the window.

“It usually takes me from six to eight months to figure out the season,” he says. “After the pandemic, I had about three months to completely rethink it. For our live concerts, we went outside with strict social distancing. We pared down the size of both audience and performers. Typically, we have ensembles of 40 choral artists. We downsized that to individual vocalists and smaller combinations. For the first two performances, we only did quartets. We also outfitted our vocalists with state-of-the-art masks designed for singers. We combined these performances with free streaming concerts in high-quality audio and video. In the end, almost everything changed, except the season’s title — ‘Rise Up,’ that stayed the same — and we never dreamed how apropos it would be.”

For tickets to live concerts and free streaming content, visit ChoralArtistsSarasota.org.

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Richard Russell is Sarasota Opera’s executive director. Opera literally means “the works.” This art form is packed with moving parts, and in a pandemic, it’s tough to keep it going. Somehow, he did. “Obviously, doing a full opera production with a full audience is impossible,” he says. “Under pandemic conditions, it would be financially ruinous, and there’d be no way to keep the artists safe. To offer some winter opera productions, we found four shorter, small-cast, one-act pieces that we could do with reasonable health precautions. We housed all of the artists in our complex to keep them safe in the same bubble. We also split our season in two, so lots of people wouldn’t be rehearsing or performing at the same time.

Our theater is socially distanced, seating only 273 people, which is 20% of capacity.

We also offer streaming content for people who don’t feel comfortable coming to the opera house. That’s our way of maintaining a connection with our audience — and providing content to as many people as we could. We couldn’t be silent.”

For tickets and streaming content, visit SarasotaOpera.org.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

Dan Lobeck and Xin Akawi Wedding Announcement

Art for the Moment Artist John Sims will present a timely multimedia presentation with ‘2020: (Di)Visions of America.’

HARRY SAYER STAFF WRITER

Dan Lobeck and Xin Akawi of Sarasota became husband and wife December 19, 2020, in a lovely garden ceremony at Suncoast Community Church. Pastor Larry Baucom officiated.

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The couple will continue to reside in Sarasota and will honeymoon in Italy once the pandemic has passed. They are pleased to launch a life of happiness together to conclude an otherwise unusual and challenging year.

ER

It’s an unprecedented moment in American history, coming off a year of plague, social unrest and conversations about race and oppression.

For some, it’s the first time they’ve faced these issues.

Not so for writer and multimedia artist John Sims.

“I’ve been working on this consistently,” Sims said. “I appreciate the privilege to be able to have the space to be as focused and critical and talk about things that everyday people don’t have time for. …

I embrace that challenge.”

Sims, a Ringling artist in residence and the former coordinator of mathematics at the Ringling College of Art and Design, has been engaged in artistic expression and political activism since his time at Antioch College in Ohio. He established the Cross Cultural Field Program, which taught students about Black culture in the South, and the African American Cultural Week, which had 26 programs focusing on the Black experience at the school.

He hasn’t limited himself to one medium. Sims works in a number of artistic outlets, most notably his yearslong “Recoloration Proclamation” multimedia project that looks at identity in the context of Confederate iconography and Black culture. He

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Physicians are on the medical staff of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, but, with limited exceptions, are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.

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IF YOU GO

What: “(Di)Visions of America” by John Sims When: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18, 23 and 30; 6:30 p.m. Feb. 1 Tickets: $15; members $13.50 Website: Ringling.org/ events/2020-divisionsamerica-john-sims

has written op-eds for CNN, Al Jazeera and HuffPost. Beyond that, he has constructed a KoronaKilla video game that takes a look at the ongoing pandemic and a “Dear Police” audio piece.

His body of work will be available to audiences in a new way during the “2020: (Di)Visions of America” art performance, a livestreamed presentation that will take place Jan. 18 at the Historic Asolo Theater.

Although not wanting to give too much away about the presentation, Sims said the piece is something of a video essay that looks at the many issues in American culture today, tackling white supremacy, Confederate iconography, policing and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is shaped by real contemporary events and things we’re thinking about on a daily level,” Sims said. “This is a very intentional response. It just so hap-

Courtesy photo

Ringling artist in residence John Sims will have his work from across mediums collected into a visual essay.

pened that some of these issues I’ve been working on before 2020.

So it provides me to be prepared to engage this on a deeper level.”

Sims will be present in the theater, putting on a livestreamed presentation for a Ringling audience. Following the Jan. 18 debut, a recorded broadcast will be available for people to watch Jan. 23 and 30 and Feb. 1.

Sims worked on the performance throughout the fall and has found that taking his multimedia work and collecting it into a visual essay has been interesting. He is approaching the project as a writer, where individual parts mix and interact with other segments.

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HIGH

SPORTS

5 File photos

Above: Lavontae Youmans, Braden River football Left: Kelsey Vogel, Lakewood Ranch High softball

O’Mariah Gordon, Braden River High girls basketball, is the No. 1 player to watch.

2

Braden River High girls soccer senior Kaylee Cooper scored four goals Jan. 7 in the team’s 8-0 home win against Palmetto High.

3

Parrish Community High girls soccer junior Madelyn Portwood, an East County resident, had two goals Jan. 8 in the Bulls’ 4-1 road win against Sarasota Military Academy.

4

Peter Heraty sank a hole-in-one Jan. 4 on the No. 24 hole at University Park Country Club. Heraty used a 3-wood on the 175-yard hole.

5

Glenis Roberge sank a hole-in-one Jan. 10 on the No. 7 hole of Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s King’s Dunes course. Roberge used a 7-iron on the 89-yard hole.

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TOP 10 WATCH LIST RYAN KOHN SPORTS REPORTER

Uncertainty surrounds East County high school athletics as we enter 2021 with the COVID-19 pandemic still a part of our lives.

However, the level of athletic talent in the area is a sure thing. Here are East County’s top 10 high school athletes to watch in 2021.

1

The back-to-back Gatorade Florida Girls Basketball Player of the Year is the choice for this year’s top spot.

Gordon, a 5-foot-4 senior point guard, is off to another great start in the 2020-21 season, averaging 22.3 points, 5.1 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. In November, Gordon signed to play basketball at Florida State University.

Gordon and the Pirates are off to a 7-2 start against a tough opponents and are ranked fifth in the state (all classifications) by MaxPreps.

2

ANDRES JUNGE LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH BOYS BASKETBALL

Junge, a junior shooting guard, has earned an NCAA Division I offer from Eastern Washington for his development as a shooter and all-around player. His progress started during the offseason and has continued into the 202021 season. Junge, who is 6-foot4, is averaging 22.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game.

Even though he and his inexperienced Mustangs teammates have started the season 3-5, Junge’s has been outstanding.

3

LAVONTAE YOUMANS BRADEN RIVER HIGH FOOTBALL

Youmans earns a spot on the list after a junior season in which he ran for 1,073 yards (5.7 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns. Youmans had seven games of 100 rushing yards or more. At 5-foot8, Youmans uses his vision to find holes in the defense and his strength to knock away potential tacklers.

4

KELSEY VOGEL LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SOFTBALL

The Mustangs saw the majority of their starters from last year’s team graduate in May, so it will be up to Vogel to lead the way. She should be up to the task. Even though the team only played eight games in 2020 before the season was shut down, Vogel, then a sophomore, made every at-bat count.

The second baseman hit for a .533 average (second-best on the team among players with 10 or more at-bats) with four doubles and 14 RBIs. The Mustangs will need her leadership.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 23A

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Braden River High girls basketball senior Cheyenne Stubbs scored 21 points Jan. 5 in the Pirates’ 71-42 home win against Southeast High.

O’MARIAH GORDON BRADEN RIVER HIGH GIRLS BASKETBALL

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

Mustangs in midst of major turnaround

I

t could have been an emotionally debilitating moment for the Lakewood Ranch girls basketball team.

The Mustangs were celebrating Dec. 3 after senior Taylor Young sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat host Palmetto.

Eventually, though, the officials ruled that Young’s shot came after the buzzer, so the score remained 43-43 and headed to overtime.

For the Mustangs, the calledoff shot presented them with what they said could be a pivotal moment in their season. It was about proving something to themselves. Instead of feeling bad about their luck, they credited Young with having the confidence to take such a shot and the skill to make it. They might need it again down the road.

It also was about the group of players becoming a team. There was more work to do.

Overtime wasn’t close. Lakewood Ranch outscored Palmetto 12-3 in the period to win 55-46.

“We showed our heart,” Young said. “They were playing rough, and we were playing rough. We had to keep it together mentally and physically and play as a team. I think that experience taught us how to win close games.”

Both teams entered the game undefeated. This wasn’t unusual for Palmetto, a typically strong

program, but Lakewood Ranch was coming off a 6-20 season, a disappointing year filled with injuries and the growing pains of adjusting to Coach Frank Bell’s system.

The Mustangs no longer are adjusting. They are 10-2 this season, with one loss coming against still-undefeated Riverview High. They have coalesced better than even Bell expected this year, he said.

Some of the success is because of health. Young missed all but a handful of games last season because of injuries suffered in a car accident, including multiple herniated discs in her back. She said it took her a while to get reacquainted with the speed of the game, and she still has bad days, but she feels closer to 100% than she has in a long time. Fellow senior Jordan Higgins, one of the team’s key post presences, also missed time last season with a leg injury.

Their success is also about newcomers including freshman point guard Elainna Villegas.

Bell lauds her effort on defense and predicts she will be an elite player by the time her high school career is finished. Villegas is humble when asked about her role on the team, saying she simply tries to give some of the veteran players a break from having to score. That’s selling herself short. She had 13 points

Photos by Ryan Kohn

in Lakewood Ranch’s 61-28 win against Sarasota High on Nov. 23 that helped break the game open.

Combine healthy players and newcomers with the team’s returnees like junior point guard Hannah Pruszinske, who scored 26 points in the team’s 55-32 win over Venice High on Dec. 7, and senior forward Jordan Brown, whom Bell called the team’s emotional leader, and you have a contender. Bell, who learned under former Mustangs Coach Tina Hadley, knows what to do with a team this veteran and talented — turn them loose.

“They almost coach themselves a lot of the time,” Bell said.

“It’s a blessing to have so many seniors (five) who know the system and can run it without me saying much to them. This has

been easy (laughs).”

But there’s still more that Bell wants to see. Communication on defense, for example, needs to be more consistent. He would like them to shoot for a better percentage from the floor. Poor shooting cost them in the Riverview loss, when they lost 37-26.

Overall, though, he’s happy with the team’s development. He and his players hope that even bigger accomplishments are on the horizon.

Above: Lakewood Ranch senior Taylor Young missed most of last season because of injuries suffered in a car crash.

Left: Frank Bell is in his second year as the Lakewood Ranch varsity girls basketball coach.

He was previously the junior varsity coach.

Ryan Kohn is the sports writer for the East County Observer. Contact him at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.

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YourObserver.com

|

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

PLAY WHERE THE PROS PLAY!

FROM PAGE 21A

Host to the 2021 US Open Qualifier!

5

DIMITER ZAFIROV LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH BOYS SWIMMING

Average Rating: Overall Condition: Value: Staff Friendliness: Course Conditions:

Zafirov followed up his strong sophomore season by finishing fifth in the 100-yard butterfly (50.32 seconds) at the 2020 state meet in November in Stuart. He also qualified for the state meet in the 200-yard freestyle but was disqualified on a technicality because his head did not break the surface of the water by the 15-meter mark.

7

AURORA MELZER LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH GIRLS CROSS-COUNTRY

The Lakewood Ranch girls crosscountry team finished third at the Class 4A state meet, and Melzer was the team’s top runner, finishing ninth (19:16.6).

She also competes in track and field and had a strong start to her season before it was canceled, winning the 3,200-meter race (12:04.08) at the Larry Richardson Memorial Invite.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

View all of our listings at PremierSothebysRealty.com

WATERBURY TRACTS

SARASOTA

4800 County Road 675 $19,000,000 Andrew Tanner & Peter Laughlin 941.539.0998

SHOREVIEW

CONCESSION 19407 Newlane Place $1,398,000 Jim Soda & Laura Stavola 941.961.5857

PRESTANCIA 3988 Losillias Drive $949,000 Joel Schemmel & Sharon Chiodi 941.587.4894

PRESTANCIA VILLA 7381 Regina Royale $545,000 Traute Winsor 941.504.1949

MAGNOLIA POINT 6940 White Willow Court $425,000 Mike Warm 941.525.2740

15111 Gaddy Up Ranch Road $5,895,000 Peter Laughlin 941.356.8428

LAUREL OAK ESTATES

7864 Grande Shores Drive $1,250,000 Jim Soda & Laura Stavola 941.961.5857

2727 Dick Wilson Drive $2,300,000 Mike Warm 941.525.2740

ASHLEY 6779 Ashley Court $1,374,900 Mike Warm 941.525.2740

7243 Villa D’Este Drive $530,000 Joel Schemmel & Sharon Chiodi 941.587.4894

MOTE RANCH 6935 Stetson Street Circle $389,000 Sheldon Paley 941.356.1857

6808 Pinehurst Place $1,150,000 Shannon Rogers & Mike Griffin 941.920.5454

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1515 Vereda Verde $730,000 Tamara & Todd Currey 941.587.1776

898 Molly Circle $520,000 Stacy Rumbaugh 941.592.6002

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1531 Raphis Royale Boulevard $1,099,900 Bob Linthicum 941.228.9206

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7425 Haddington Cove $975,000 Jim Soda & Laura Stavola 941.961.5857

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4410 Warren Avenue #504 $449,000 Peggy Olson 941.223.0686

Westwood Court $549,000 Holly Switow & Devon Davis 941.735.3186

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8921 Olde Hickory Avenue $429,000 Ken Ipox 941.993.7279

CONCESSION

19405 Ganton Avenue $345,000 Jim Soda & Laura Stavola 941.961.5857

UNIVERSITY PARK 8350 Carolina Street $1,600,000 Peter Laughlin 941.356.8428

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13916 Messina Loop $489,000 Katina Shanahan 941.702.0437

VILLA D’ESTE IN PRESTANCIA 4593 Las Brisas Lane $354,000 Nancy Endara 941.323.1700

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12073 Longview Lake Circle $590,000 Jim Soda & Laura Stavola 941.961.5857

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5013 Fielding Lane $1,350,000 Mike Warm 941.525.2740

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19417 Ganton Avenue $345,000 Jim Soda & Laura Stavola 941.961.5857

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Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.

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JANUARY 14, 2021

YOUR NEIGHBORS STRIDESTOCONNECT New Fit4Moms Stroller Strides class in Lakewood Ranch gives moms an opportunity to socialize while exercising.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

E

Esplanade’s RaeAnna Kalkert pushes her children, Hudson and Dakota, in a stroller while doing lunges alongside Arbor Grande’s Victoria Korotkova and her son, Ian.

Esplanade’s RaeAnna Kalkert does butt kicks while pushing her stroller. Kalkert joined the class to be able to socialize with other mothers while exercising.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Arbor Grande’s Victoria Korotkova lifts her 3-month-old son, Ian, into position, so she can do an exercise with fitness instructor Marie TabuenaUrriola.

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to find friends they can communicate with regarding all the daily things they go through with their kids, especially new moms,” Tabuena-Urriola said. “They need that support and outlet to just talk to somebody that relates to them.”

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT GIVES SO MUCH TO US!

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splanade’s RaeAnna Kalkert does a workout each day while her 18-month-old children, Dakota and Hudson, nap.

But Jan. 11 was different.

Kalkert went to Bob Gardner Community Park for Lakewood Ranch Community Activities’ first Fit4Moms Stroller Strides, an hour workout class on Mondays in which mothers exercise while engaging with their children in their strollers. Kalkert followed along as fitness instructor Marie Tabuena-Urriola guided Kalkert and Arbor Grande’s Victoria Korotkova through several different exercises including lunges, dips, squats and pushups as they made their way around a path at the park.

“I workout at home, but for me, it is more about getting out with other moms,” Kalkert said. “It’s the camaraderie. I usually go outside with the kids at least once a day with them, so it’s also making sure we’re outside and having interaction and socialization with other people as much as you can these days.”

Lakewood Ranch Community Activities started the Stroller Strides to help mothers become active outside while having fun with their children.

“It’s hard nowadays for moms to get out and exercise without having a babysitter,” TabuenaUrriola said. “This is a good activity to get moms out, enjoy the air and the weather, and have their kids with them, too.”

The classes are also an opportunity for mothers to connect with one another.

“It’s important for other moms

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COMMUNITY SATURDAY, JAN. 16

INTRO TO HORSES Begins at 10 a.m. at the Sarasota Polo Club. The Sarasota Polo Club is sponsoring the Intro to Horses program that will include four one-hour sessions Saturdays through Feb. 6. The program is designed for children ages 8-12.

The $20 fee includes all four sessions. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

LEARN TO FISH Begins at 10 a.m. at James Patton Park, 5725 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The informational program on fishing is open to all ages. It is free to Lakewood Ranch residents and $10 for nonresidents. The program is presented in partnership with the Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club.

Those who attend will learn the art of casting, how to be a good angler and knot-tying. After the program, anglers are invited to fish in Lake Patton.

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

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LEMUR YOGA FUNDRAISER Runs from 10:45 a.m. until noon at Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary, 7101 Palmer Blvd., Sarasota. Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary will hold its first Lemur Yoga Fundraiser with instructor Erika Cain. The session will be held outdoors and includes gentle yoga and interactive encounters with two ruffed lemurs, Marley and Ziggy. Admission is $125 and includes complementary refreshments and a one-day pass for a future visit to Big Cat Habitat during regular business hours from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at FB.com/BigCatHabitat or by call-

ing 371-6377. Participants need to bring yoga mats.

SATURDAY, JAN. 16 TO SUNDAY, JAN. 17

THE PLAYERS CENTRE AUDITIONS Runs from 10 a.m. to noon each day at Jiggs Landing Outpost, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The Players Centre for Performing Arts will hold auditions for six roles in its “Spoon River Anthology,” a play that will be held Feb. 27-28 and March 6-7 at Jiggs Landing Outpost’s outdoor stage.

Those who want to audition will do a monologue from the play that may be read or memorized.

To get the script or for more information, contact Donna DeFant, the play’s director, at 720-5955.

SUNDAY, JAN. 17

MARKET AT LAKEWOOD RANCH Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, 8330 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. The Market at Lakewood Ranch runs every Sunday through April 25. Vendors will be offering seafood, eggs, meats, diary products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles among other items. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

POLO Begins at 1 p.m. at the Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane, Lakewood Ranch. The 30th season at the Sarasota Polo Club runs every Sunday through April 25. Besides world class polo, the event includes food and beverages, tailgating and divot stomping. General admission is $15 per adult with children 12 and under free. Advance tickets are strongly

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

3B

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encouraged. For ticket packages and information, go to SarasotaPolo.com. Gates open at 10 a.m.

BARRE IN THE PARK Begins at 9 a.m. at Bob Gardner Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The public is invited to participate in a free barre workout at Bob Gardner Park.

The event is hosted by Barre3.

Bring your own mat and water bottle. Mats must be placed 6 feet apart. All participants are asked to follow social distancing guidelines. For more information or to register for the event, go to LakewoodRanch.com.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20

NBP REC DAY Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. Families are invited to experience Nathan Benderson Park during Rec Day. Participants

FEBRUARY 9 • 1-2P

Join us in supporting our libraries as we recognize and celebrate all the ways our library system has helped our community navigate the challenges of this past year.

File photo

Mac is a 750-pound pig that does tricks for the Pork Chop Revue.

GET YOUR FREE TICKETS SarasotaLibraryFoundation.org or call 941.404.3139

will have the opportunity to try stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, canoes, fishing and more.

Fees are $10 per person for ages 7-18 and free for their parents and siblings ages 1-6. The fee is $10 for adults without children.

Freshwater fishing licenses are required for any participants age 16 and older. For more information, go to NathanBendersonPark.org.

THURSDAY, JAN. 21

CASUAL CORNHOLE Begins at 9 a.m. at Bob Gardner Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities is hosting an eight-session casual cornhole league that runs through March 11 for those 18 and up. The fee of $25 covers all eight sessions. For more information or to register, go to MyLWR. com or call 727-1505.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

MEDIA SPONSOR

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MANATEE COUNTY FAIR Runs 5-10 p.m. Jan. 14-15, 19, 21 and 22; noon to 10 p.m. Jan. 16-18, 20 and 23; and noon to 7 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Manatee County Fairgrounds, 1402 14th Ave. W., Palmetto. The Manatee County Fair returns to offer rides, games, livestock shows, musical entertainment and more. Admission is $10 for adults (ages 13 and up), $6 for children (ages 6 to 12), $9 for seniors (ages 55 and up), $6 for military and free for children ages 5 and younger.

For more information, go to ManateeCountyFair.com.

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TAYLOR EMMONS

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

Pizzeria owner hopes to spread cheer Origin Craft Beer & Pizza is opening a location at University Town Center.

NEW BUSINESS ORIGIN CRAFT BEER & PIZZA Where: 8193 Tourist Center Drive, Bradenton When: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday; Possible breakfast hours pending Scheduled opening: January

BRENDAN LAVELL STAFF WRITER

R

ami Nehme admits when he first started hearing customers say his restaurant reminded them of “Cheers,” he had never seen the show before.

His interest was piqued. So he watched, and he saw the show’s bar did provide the feel that he was aiming for in his restaurant, especially on one particular aspect — a sense of community.

Nehme, 43, said Origin Craft Beer & Pizza serves local beer from employees who will get to know their customers and treat them “like they treat their friends.”

The Sarasota-based company will soon bring that environment

Brendan Lavell

Rami Nehme is opening the third location of Origin Craft Beer & Pizza at UTC in January. His first location, pictured, opened in 2016 on Sarasota’s Hillview Street.

to a new location this month at University Town Center.

The restaurant, located at 8193 Tourist Center Drive in Braden-

ton, will be Nehme’s first foray into Manatee County. His restaurants serve hand-tossed, New York-style pizzas, wings,

enchiladas and more. Popular dishes include the Siesta Sands white pizza, Super Sami gyro pizza (named for his 3-year-old son) and Charlie’s cheese pizza (named for his 5-year-old son) as well as the wings.

Origin offers local craft beers, such as Calusa, Big Top, JDub’s and Darwin. Nehme said Origin is known for giving its customers samples of beer.

“Sometimes you just want to try a beer — you don’t want a

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whole glass of it,” Nehme said.

“The majority of my customers that drink, they come here because they want to know what’s new, what came out this week.”

Nehme might open mornings to offer coffee and breakfast foods.

He is in the process of reaching out to local roasters including Java Dawg.

“We are as strong as our local businesses are,” Nehme said.

“It’s the fabric of the community.

You’re not shipping your money [somewhere else].”

He’s also planning to introduce a play area at the new location, which he thinks might appeal to young families. The play area will likely be a sandbox or mulch-box with trucks and other toys.

Nehme prides himself on keeping his business open until 2 a.m.

Friday and Saturday and 1 a.m. all other nights. The decision was inspired by his previous inability to find food when he closed his restaurant for the night.

“This is a spot where service industry people, after work, can come together.”

Nehme said UTC is the best location for him to start reaching new customers in Manatee County and northern Sarasota County.

“We are as strong as our local businesses are. It’s the fabric of the community. You’re not shipping your money [somewhere else].”

|

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

5B

Make 2021 Your Year of Adventure And SAVE!

— Rami Nehme

Origin’s first location opened in 2016 on Sarasota’s Hillview Street. The UTC location will be his third. He feels fortunate that he is in position to expand his business during the COVID-19 pandemic “I count my stars every day [for] how lucky I am,” Nehme said.

The restaurant owner was born in Kuwait, raised in Jordan and immigrated to the U.S. in 2003.

Nehme felt he needed to see other parts of the world and broaden his mind, adding that humans are meant to be travelers.

“Once you come to America, it’s hard to leave it,” Nehme said.

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Sarasota Observer

Turner Pest Control

Lena Shore, lena@lenashore.com

DATE: January 8, 2021 2:42 PM

AD SIZE: 5”W x 8”H COLOR: Full Color - no bleed

FILE NAME: TurnerAd-SarasotaObserverNewspaper-Vertical-quarter-page

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

Turner Pest Control welcomes Hobson’s Termite and Pest Solutions to the Family!

Fitness enthusiasts check out health event Those who want to get fit in 2021 attend CryoXL open house event.

BRENDAN LAVELL STAFF WRITER

Turner Pest Control, an Anticimex company, has been providing comprehensive pest control services to residential and commercial clients in Florida and South Georgia for 50 years.

“

Hobson’s Termite and Pest Solutions is a first-class addition to the Turner team. They’ve made it a priority to provide exceptional customer service from a highly trained staff and customized programs for their customers. We are committed to making sure Hobson’s customers continue to receive the same high level of service and attention.”

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Echo Lake resident and Crunch Fitness General Manager Kory Balog echoed the thoughts of many: 2020 was a weird year.

Living in Miami at the start of the pandemic, Balog said he lost access to the indoor studio bikes that he used for triathlon training.

He said that cost many cyclists problems.

“You don’t want to ride outside all the time because of crazy drivers,” Balog said.

Similar to other participants at the Jan. 9 health and fitness open house hosted by CryoXL, a Lakewood Ranch company that offers cryotherapy, Balog said he sees 2021 as a year to get back on track. For him, that means getting back into triathlon shape by taking cycling classes at the Off the Handle cycling studio in Sarasota and working with a trainer at Crunch.

“I’m trying to get back to where I was pre-COVID, before they shut down the world,” Balog said.

F45 Training Owner Lamar Miller also got off track during the shutdown. He owns two gyms, including a Lakewood Ranch branch located near University

Brendan Lavell

Parkway and Honore Avenue.

Miller said he gained about 15 pounds while his gyms were closed for nine weeks during the COVID-19 shutdown. Since then, however, he has lost it all and then some. His 2021 goal is to keep the momentum going by regaining a six-pack for the first time in 18 years, when he was 25 years old.

The key to achieving his goals, Miller said, is consistency. He said it’s OK to have one or two bad days as long as he gets right back to his healthy habits, such as staying away from processed foods and working out at the gym.

“We do 45-minute HIIT workouts, which is a great full-body [workout],” Miller said. “But to get a six-pack, I’m probably going to have to add some core work on top of that.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Agriculture program grows Lakewood Ranch High begins a student community garden.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

BEGINNER’S TIPS

vested radishes, turnips, collard greens, mustard greens, beans and squash. Students planted strawberries in the first week of November that should be ready soon. In the greenhouse, students germinated leeks, mini broccoli, sugar peas, Swiss chard and spinach.

“I love seeing them go from just seeds to actually something you can eat,” Freitag said. “Harvesting is one of my favorite parts because you see what you’ve done, and you know what you’ve grown. It’s just rewarding.”

The students have given produce to teachers and hope for

Courtesy photo

Horticulture students Samuel Jones, Evan England, Saige Freitag and Savannah Cannon admire their harvest from the community garden.

donations to the Future Farmers of America program.

Some students have found that the garden relieves stress.

“It’s just relaxing to go, work in the garden, get your hands dirty and engage with nature,” Taylor said.

Saige Freitag, a senior who has been a member of Future Farmers of America for seven years and a part of Lakewood Ranch High School’s agriculture program for four years, has tips for anyone who is considering a garden at home: n Don’t overwater the plants because it kills them. n Whenever plants are maturing, be sure to stay on top of checking them every day for damages, pests and holes in the leaves. n Check the leaves for discoloration because it could be a sign the plants aren’t getting enough nutrients. n Don’t overfertilize.

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year ago, an empty lot on Lakewood Ranch High School’s campus by the barn was a space for the cows to roam.

It also was a spot for weeds.

Now, agriculture students harvest vegetables grow plants in the school’s new community garden.

“It’s been a dream of mine to do something with that land because as we know, land is valuable,” agriculture teacher Janyel Taylor said. “It’s been vacant for a while.

To see that [community garden] grow gives me goose bumps.”

The agriculture department started working on the garden in the 2020 spring semester. Working with the school’s engineering classes, students were able to build the boxes to hold the plants.

Agriculture students began planting seeds, but the garden was put on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the pandemic caused several adjustments, the students are back at work in the garden this semester.

Saige Freitag, a senior, said the field is different than a year ago, when it was just weeds, and that has caused excitement among the students.

“It’s a lot of fun to me,” she said. “I’ve always liked planting. … I know a little bit [about planting], but Ms. Taylor has taught me a lot.”

Students say they have learned a lot by working in the garden including lessons on trial and error, the science of agriculture, integrated pest management, what is a good harvest size and when to harvest certain crops.

Freitag learned how to care for plants when there’s a cold snap along with keeping pests away.

Taylor said learning about agriculture is important because the industry is “still alive and well in Manatee County.”

“Lakewood Ranch is centered in development, so [the students] don’t necessarily drive by the farms anymore,” she said.

“They can learn the process and learn how to appreciate production and become more educated consumers.”

About 200 students have participated in making the garden a reality whether that meant building, planting, harvesting or maintaining the garden. About 75 students are consistently in the garden each week.

Students already have har-

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

LOCALLY KNOWN. GLOBALLY CONNECTED. SINCE 1976.

BRADENTON 8499 Lindrick Lane Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4475594 $10,850,000

PARRISH 11720 Rive Isle Run Paul Oakes 941-312-1455 A4486302 $1,325,000

UNIVERSITY PARK 7047 Stanhope Place Daniela Soiman 941-779-4797 A4483380 $999,000

SARASOTA 8985 Rocky Lake Court Jackie Griese 941-718-0045 N6112451 $843,795

SARASOTA 6613 Taeda Drive Monica Verinder 941-704-4040 A4482270 $835,000

BRADENTON 5404 Tidewater Preserve Boulevard Mark Boehmig & Noel Morton 941-807-6936 A4485714 $775,000

ELLENTON 2704 72nd Avenue E Christopher Van Vliet & Jamie Van Vliet, PA 941-993-7087 A4440184 $695,000

SARASOTA 1253 Quail Run Trail Richard Hearn 941-313-1591 A4487476 $695,000

BRADENTON 73 Tidy Island Boulevard Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies, LLC 941-685-6767 A4477926 $670,000

BRADENTON 5129 88th Street E Chris Baylis & Sue Cosgrove-Lee 941-735-4713 A4481186 $645,000

BRADENTON 2914 Starwood Court Heidi Cox 941-685-1529 A4485958 $634,900

LAKEWOOD RANCH 4653 Royal Dornoch Cir Sue Cosgrove-Lee & Chris Baylis 941-400-9068 A4468380 $500,000

UNIVERSITY PARK 6668 Saint James Crossing Beth Ann Boyer 941-780-6606 A4481768 $500,000

BRADENTON 904 65th Street NW Ralph & Megg Faillace 941-713-9142 A4484340 $489,200

UNIVERSITY PARK 7936 Hampton Court Lori Bollinger & Beth Ann Boyer 941-524-7034 A4476286 $483,500

PALMETTO 1317 50th Avenue Drive W Erica Thomas 941-799-9365 A4484149 $479,900

BRADENTON 7730 34th Avenue W 102 Cheryl Roberts 941-266-1450 A4486333 $435,000

BRADENTON 11410 Belvedere Terrace Jonnie Dwyer 941-812-6283 A4485617 $385,000

BRADENTON 6885 Willowshire Way Jim McElhinney 941-773-1199 A4482705 $369,000

PARRISH 4048 Kingsfield Drive Diane Fogo Harter 941-445-2431 A4487242 $330,000

SARASOTA 4812 Lakescene Place Cheryl Roberts 941-266-1450 A4486070 $325,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7065 Woodmore Terrace Heather Sniffen 941-720-1526 A4486776 $317,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 10163 Glenmore Avenue Nicole Ryskamp 941-807-1766 A4484174 $310,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 8133 Miramar Way 201 Mary Pat Pihl & Laura Navratil 941-932-3065 A4485322 $293,000

PARRISH 12308 30th Street E Kristy Sommers 941-504-4247 A4487292 $279,000

BRADENTON 13711 Messina Loop 204 Erica Thomas 941-799-9365 A4479434 $265,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7710 Lake Vista Court 403 Stephen Strong 941-201-9662 A4482189 $254,900

BRADENTON 6611 Grand Estuary Trail 201 Laura Tracy-Clekis 941-915-4167 A4458519 $240,000

UNIVERSITY PARK 8235 72nd Street E Debbie Judge 941-544-6054 A4472042 $210,000

SARASOTA 10862 Leafwing Drive Brian Wood 941-928-8408 A4471346 $3,250,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 16272 Daysailor Trail Judy Wright 941-232-8041 A4474674 $1,595,000

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8B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home in Lake View Estates at Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Anchor Builders Lake Club 113 LLC sold the home at 14771 Como Circle to Terrance and Joyce Clune, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.14 million.

Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three-anda-half baths, a pool and 4,001 square feet of living area.

UNIVERSITY PARK

Joyce Parker Evans sold the home at 6702 Chancery Place to Clifford and Margaret Sears, of University Park, for $1.7 million.

Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a pool and 6,836 square feet of living area.

LAKE CLUB

Kent and Jean Williams, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 16009 Clearlake Ave. to Craig and Stacey Brown, of Bradenton, for $1.49 million. Built in 2012, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,053 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.23 million in 2019.

Mark and Kathryn Lowry, of Ontario, sold their home at 8134 Pavia Way to Vincent and Charlene Cubbage, of Essex Fells, N.J., for $897,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,730 square feet of living area.

SD TLC Holdings LLC sold the home at 8134 Pavia Way to Mark and Kathryn Lowry, of Ontario, for $875,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,730 square feet of living area.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Donald Berg, trustee, and Fran Berg sold the home at 7425 Seacroft Cove to David and Pamela Bechtol, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,359,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, four-anda-half baths, a pool and 3,778 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,341,100 in 2018.

Barbara Ann Norris, trustee, of Kannapolis, N.C., sold the home at 15327 Castle Park Terrace to Bonnie Brooks and Peter Herrera, trustees, of Bradenton, for $740,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,363 square feet of living area. It sold for $704,100 in 2018.

Stephen and Vivian Owen, of Glen Allen, Va., sold their home at 14640 Newtonmore Lane to Jason Lee Williams and Deanna Lynn Williams, of Lakewood

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

DEC. 21-JAN. 1

Ranch, for $568,000. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,350 square feet of living area.

Moorings at Heritage Harbor Benrealis LLC sold the home at 8707 Rum Runner Place to Dennis James Weinberger, of Bradenton, for $1.18 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,815 square feet of living area. It sold for $851,100 in 2017.

COUNTRY CLUB VILLAGE

Brian and Tiffany Briggs, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7011 Dominion Lane to Georgia Lee Dirksing, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.15 million. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,520 square feet of living area. It sold for $920,000 in 2017.

Ivan and Kelly Cochrane, of Sarasota, sold their home at 6907 Brier Creek Court to Jonathan and Barbara Alexander, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.03 million. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, five baths, a pool and 3,784 square feet of living area. It sold for $885,000 in 2007.

Ruthanne Koffman, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 7009 Kingsmill Court to Richard and Philippa Cacciato, of Scarsdale, N.Y., for $799,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,525 square feet of living area.

Photo courtesy of Mark Borosch

This Lake Club home at 14771 Como Circle sold for $2.14 million. It has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,001 square feet of living area.

RIVERDALE REVISED

Terrance Lake, of Sarasota, sold his home at 4742 Mainsail Drive to William Koza, of Carpentersville, Ill., for $1.04 million. Built in 2006, it has five bedrooms, five baths, a pool and 4,639 square feet of living area.

FOM Corp., trustee, sold the home at 4746 Pinnacle Drive to Rubena Smith, of Bradenton, for $538,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,313

square feet of living area. It sold for $490,000 in 2018.

David Robert Dansbury, of Bradenton, sold his home at 189 Americas Cup Blvd. to Arnold Navarro and Davide Wiesli, of Bradenton, for $450,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,384 square feet of living area. It sold for $355,000 in 2016.

SEE REAL ESTATE, PAGE 10B

Suzanne Crandall, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 13876 Siena Loop to Donald Andrew Buck and Anna Lourdes Socorro Buck, of Lakewood Ranch, for $578,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, three-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,610 square feet of living area. It sold for $480,000 in 2010.

Carol Cama sold her home at 12253 Thornhill Court to Judith Lomax, of Lakewood Ranch, for $570,000. Built in 2008, it has three bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths and 2,564 square feet of living area.

Meredith Patton DePersia, trustee, of Dublin, Calif., sold the home at 7653 Portstewart Drive to Mark and Jennifer Eubanks, of Bradenton, for $500,000. Built in 2006, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,367 square feet of living area. It sold for $934,100 in 2006.

Jennifer and Mark Eubanks, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 7115 Presidio Glen to Troy Coleman Swenson and Danielle Patricia Swenson, of Lakewood Ranch, for $375,000.

Built in 2004, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,911 square feet of living area. It sold for $340,000 in 2014.

57TH STREET EAST

John and Amy Lewis, of Tampa, sold their home at 2710 57th St. E. to Cliff Anderson and Nina Gheewala-Anderson, of Bradenton, for $1.1 million. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,522 square feet of living area.

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REAL ESTATE

Lake Club home tops sales at $2.14 million

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S D E I F I S

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ppr he a as t o ct t uch ubje e ad s s e h 10B EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021 YourObserver.com s ar th t ll ad ion wi A * t . y c l nne n on rtio ts in co e s n in me first GREENBROOK rs ter require f a swe ns legal n Otto and Mary Jack sold their o i a t c her orre licable home at 13227 Brown Thrasher p C i . e p ty C 9B tim all ap i FROM PAGE Pike to Patrick Murphy and y r e n e b . t e l t a mee perty hr art Patricia Grady, of Lakewood t a d e r t n C a i n o it C me l pro rs t ek’s lution: ed up s the he rylls Ranch, for $695,000. Built in red e rtise serve l renta C w e r m ’ v o o b m d at tia Vivian 2005, it has five bedrooms, four ar G his hMilitello, e SRayeand eof sum T r.co Check T n an a Key O siden B e . l v O e r b p ” , a e . c e e u Lakewood Ranch, sold their baths, a pool and 3,875 square r t l h n n s g r re D ArN sE x p l o a b asow ! ve tryin uzz ival ca home giat u o CTE: CN or c nd Sie ation, o P o t r 4612 Fourth Ave. E. to feet of living area. It sold for y c . e p N v a s p E eje ee es kFarnsworth Sur s -- nevRobert c ified PAYM Jr. and Ste$550,500 in 2010. t to r rasota e occu i “ s s r v s o r e la • a Ju Mark Shank, of Bradenton, d y, m e c r . b S p o : m y . o phen S o h e l h .

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Real estate

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Carlotta Miller, of Bradenton, for $762,500. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,166 square feet of living area. It sold for $700,000 in 2013.

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BED A E CAS e com s. 941 in 3 B B , t 2 l .

4 rses r a W car re ll es n e : l o a h s c i p o e C s h uy ns V anywotes. Ca on Acr barn, h r ve a : oB u r e 5 . o H s , T 2 u U ry Ho hen 0 Hou d fo -3421. to you by Observer uto ck or eSs, fast q iBrought o kitc 5,0Media 0 ch k/Lift. a A d Group a p OR n e 3 F 4 B co $$ 1-92 e oc tru t rat . / 6 E l y a $ p D C l , a e l o , r i .

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ING les LC riva 000 2BA , i 544A N u s C Relia 0 4B a P A I n P 1 E N D S L o 0 x i L , 2 9 lo C s.

0 BE T S ocat te 41RSOyears e a $39 E ilt in 335,00 N M e t i c u timate S3 t u P R A p s BOAellent l . Call: 9 I B : ds Es /E ZIL ial.

10+ es are STO e g ota Lanai $ A E e fi s V n e i Exc o 23/ft R t i r c i a l i n N s B ide F I s t Sar view ov a serv unctua 1 : l s nces. . s Up e M e C / n R k p h de E La (94 y 342 ere e, age Gar Wit 88 alle SAL Ref -400-3 th iabl l.

M l y E 9 ’ i e T Gar r a y O p 1 A , lli cia 94 ke uar EST Tod 55-48 eticulousm Phi 9,000 roo , and mer Jan p B y y e o 9 U 0 h a r t K C M $2 urd alto . l wi sta am 941 ian Ladys.idential. e Sat ut Sel ur Re ALTY rance Sie T o r m o d . p l E o l u e . zi -2 Ave Buy as y LUB R tle ins 77 e, fo air set, Bra ialist. R 0-2866 9am son tabl BY ti C 6 h 0 c 340679-1

ONLINE

We are Painting the Town Red! COMING THURSDAY, JAN. 21

349438-1

RED PAGES

R

L D E I SSIF

DP A E IN

0p 5 .

7 ..... 1 .......... . .

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Thank You

|

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

11B

2021

SPONSORS

PREMIER SPONSOR

HELICOPTER SPONSORS Jonathan & Michelle Mitchell, Mitchell Family Foundation

Ariane Dart

AMBULANCE SPONSORS The Boscia Family Foundation Donna and Jon Boscia

Arthur S. Karp Family Foundation

Eric and Doreen Spiegel

The Schleicher Family Foundation

Barbara and Gary Rodkin

Judith Zuckerberg Family Foundation

FIREFIGHTER SPONSORS Ravi and Virginia Akhoury

Gresham Smith

Sandi Stuart and Mike Murray

Bonnie and William Chapman

Katherine M. Keeley, M.D.

Sarasota Anesthesiologists, P.A.

M. Beverly and Robert G. Bartner Cardiovascular Center of Sarasota and El Shahawy Family Foundation CPPI / APG Engineering Phil and Julie Delaney

First Physicians Group – Administration Grain Management

IBERIA Wealth Advisors

Kerkering, Barberio & Co. Leesar and Cooperative Services of Florida Meisner Electric

Keith Monda and Veronica Brady Drs. Joel and Gail Morganroth

Tiffany and Tommy Taylor Family Sarasota Emergency Associates Jim and Charlie Ann Syprett

Michael and Karen Valentino

Susan Wilson / Morgan Stanley

Williams Parker Attorneys at Law

POLICEMAN SPONSORS Elita Krums-Kane

Hautamaki & Horiuchi – Personal Physicians of Sarasota

Radiology Associates of Florida, P.A.

DeAngelis Diamond

Doug and Carolyn Ann Holder

Lung Associates of Sarasota

Dr. Alissa Shulman – Sovereign Plastic Surgery

SaraPath Diagnostics

Strategic Interests, LLC

smhf.org

Sharon and Tom Taylor Tidewell Foundation/ Tidewell Hospice

344033-1

Boar's Head Brand

12B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

FORECAST

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

SUNRISE / SUNSET

THURSDAY, JAN. 14

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Jan. 14

7:21a 5:57p

7:21a 5:58p High: 66 Don’t worry, Friday, Jan. 15 Low: 52 I T ’ S S M A RTST R A N D. Saturday, Jan. 16 7:21a 5:59p Chance ® 7:20a 5:59p Only SmartStrand handle the 747 lbs of ice cream Sunday, a family willJan. eat in17 a carpet’s lifetime. of rain:can 5% 6:00p Monday, Jan. 18 Other carpets use stain protection that has to be reapplied. But only SmartStrand’s stain resistance is built right into7:20a the fibers. So it never wears or washes out. Even after multiple cleanings. Even better, It’s on sale now!

To learn more about what makes SmartStrand® with DuPont™ Sorona® #1 in customer satisfaction, visit MohawkFlooring.com/SmartStrand.

FRIDAY, JAN. 15

High: 71 Low: 55 Chance of rain: 40%

7:20a

6:01p

Wednesday, Jan. 20

7:20a

6:02p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, JAN. 16

Jan. 28 Full

High: 62 Low: 47 Chance of rain: 10%

Darlene Edelman captured this bobcat playing in her backyard in University Park.

Tuesday, Jan. 19

Feb. 4 Last

Feb. 11 New

Feb. 19 First

RAINFALL Monday, Jan. 4

0.05

Tuesday, Jan. 5

0

SUNDAY, JAN. 17

Wednesday, Jan. 6

0

High: 64 Low: 51 Chance of rain: 5%

Friday, Jan. 8

Thursday, Jan. 7

0 0.29

Saturday, Jan. 9

0

Sunday, Jan. 10

0

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

Submit your photos at YourObserver.com/Weather. All submissions will be entered for the 2020-21 Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2021, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2021 0.34 in.

2021 0.34 in.

2020 0.76 in.

2020 0.76 in.

A REFLECTION OF NATURE’S BEAUTY 349201-1

941.355.8437 | Bradenton

CROSSWORD

941.748.4679 | Venice

*DuPont™ Sorona® contains 37% renewably sourced ingredients by weight. The DuPont Oval logo, DuPont,™ Renewably sourced™ and Sorona® are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates and are licensed to Mohawk.

941.493.7441 | www.manasotaonline.com

FALSE NEGATIVE by Zhouqin Burnikel; Edited by David Steinberg

104 Cool, in the ‘80s 106 Question to a relocated Alaskan?

108 Buffet unit 111 Criticize harshly 112 Fresh coconut insert 114 Slants 116 Pollen collector 117 Tablet with a passcode 121 Photo event for Amazon’s tablet?

123 Polite request to read “The Highwayman”?

127 Hand sanitizer additive 128 Steamed dim sum items 129 Really bugged 130 Place for an eagle cam 131 Frequently emailed docs 132 “... man ___ mouse?”

133 Either of a kid’s parents?

134 Eyeliner mishap

©2021 Universal Uclick

ACROSS 1 Warm and cozy 6 Thunderstruck 10 Bleachers regular 13 Zoomed 17 “Hello” singer 18 Goop at the Kids’ Choice Awards 19 Societal woes 20 Drink within “hot chocolate” 21 Body of rules regarding beefsteaks?

23 Influx of vagabonds?

25 Clean Air Act target 26 Treat that helps you focus

short-term 27 Prohibited practice 29 Out in farm country 30 Cook incompletely 34 “Tsk, tsk!”

36 Inexperienced four-star naval officer?

40 Male turkey 41 “Don’t Start Now” singer Lipa 44 ___-garde 45 Penguins and puffins 47 Figure skating legend Dorothy 49 Chikara knife maker 50 “Ithaca” director Ryan

51 “Skip to My ___” 53 Encouraging lead-in to “boy” or “girl” 54 ___ Arbor 55 Pol supporters 59 Biography of a feudal butler?

63 Bluish green 65 Tibetan priest 67 Fruits often pitted and stuffed 68 Civil rights activist Simone 69 “It doesn’t hurt me much” 72 Enchanting

74 Makes an inquiry 76 “All right, that wasn’t true” 78 Jedi foe 79 Per person 83 Famous House leader?

86 ___ Patrick Harris 88 Org. seeking clean air 89 Winged Greek god 90 “How come?”

91 Director Anderson 93 Gobi refuge 95 Took big steps 97 Made a clutch putt, say 102 Ballet skirts 103 Friend of Frodo

DOWN 1 Tigers, e.g.

2 Tony winner Leslie ___ Jr. 3 Office message 4 Politicians’ lapel adornments 5 Thus far 6 Pie preference 7 Finish first 8 Taking Back Sunday genre 9 Fender flaw 10 Rug’s place 11 Just about 12 Hawaii Cryptologic Center org.

13 Rugby play 14 Went all out 15 Queen with ice powers 16 Nonagenarian celebrity Arlene 18 Dives with a tank 19 Emphasized, as some text 22 Folklore menace 24 Reality show action 28 In the distance 31 Behave badly 32 Muslim cleric 33 Defamation in print 35 Blah 36 Bother greatly 37 Sheep-related 38 White of “Wheel of

KITCHEN | CABINETRY OUTDOOR PAVERS

Fortune” 39 Not flexible 42 Extremely 43 “Such a pity!”

46 Liqueur in an Alabama Slammer 48 National Museum of the Philippines locale 52 At the scene 56 The whole enchilada 57 Spiritual leader of Islam 58 Happy face symbols 60 Relatives, slangily 61 Incoming flight figs.

62 De Armas of “No Time to Die” 64 In your way?

66 Sportswear company 70 Psychedelic drug 71 “Yikes, a spider!”

73 X, in a sorority name 74 Major artery 75 Impervious to severe weather 77 Truman upset him in 1948 80 Green sauce for linguine 81 Poppy-derived drug 82 Out of fashion 83 Suffix that makes an adjective a noun 84 React to the heat 85 Mulligans 87 “___ luck!”

92 Like cotton candy 94 Dorothy’s caretaker 96 Some chess outcomes 98 Grown-ups 99 2010s Chevy hybrid 100 “Whew, what a long day!”

101 Best for picking 105 Roundabout route 107 Leak slowly 109 Places to go fishing 110 Shrek’s love 112 Break suddenly 113 Revealed, as secrets 115 Surprise setback 118 Whittle (down) 119 Macau’s continent 120 Doe or fawn 122 “Chernobyl” network 124 Lead-in to laryngology 125 Affirmative vote 126 ___ Vegas Raiders

CELEBRITY CIPHER

By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“17 HOJZP JRW, M JZZMXOK JI LGG CMIY J PAMILJPO, CMIY EH NMLHLTO JGK CMIY JNWAI 100 KWTTJZP.” – LYZMPIMJGO JEJGBWAZ “JC XTPNX ... BN’U XJFUNE VMT EJOIBVNXU JGE J UTG. JGE F CTLN BFK. ... BN’U J UVXJFIBV UBTTVNX.”

– VJKXTG BJCC Puzzle Two Clue:O equals U

Sarasota

OFFERING ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES FOR EVERY STYLE

Puzzle One Clue R equals G

TILE

© 2021 NEA, Inc.

SUDOKU

Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

©2021 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

01-14-21

CLASSIFIEDS

Thursday, January 14, 2021

The East County Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in The East County Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with town codes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

Items Under $200 For Sale ADVERTISE YOUR MERCHANDISE with the total value of all items $200 or less in this section for FREE! Limit 1 ad per month,15 words or less. Price must be included next to each item. No commercial advertising.

Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer.

Call 941-955-4888 Or Email ad to: classified@yourobserver.com (Please provide your name and address) Or Online at: www.yourobserver.com Or mail to: The Observer Group 1970 Main St. - 3rd Floor Sarasota, Fl 34236 AREA RUG – Beautiful 7.7 x 5.3 area rug from Rugs As Art! Brown and Beige. Brand new! Only $199. 516-528-5876.

Items Under $200 For Sale

COMPLETE SET of Spalding Molitor Plus Golf Clubs and Bag, 17 pieces like New!! Asking $195.00. Please call: 941-907-7774.

LIKE NEW stainless steel above stove microwave $100. Like new GE stainless steel oven. $100.

941-536-5739.

Need to make some room?

Use Observer Classifieds to sell your items quickly

941-955-4888

MEN’S SIZE large Murano black leather jacket.

Nearly new; excellent condition. Orig. 500; $175.

(941) 224-1253.

Autos Wanted

ARGOSY MAGAZINES August 69’ and August 70’ $5. 941-741-9727.

CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars. 941-270-4400.

Place Your Ad Online 24/7 classifieds.yourobserver.com

BIKES: 29” 21 speed men’s Mongoose excursion $80. Walt 3 wheeler $80. Men’s 26” Huffy: $40. 26” Men’s Schwinn 21 speed. 941-350-9431.

General Merchandise EAT CLEAN Foodz- a Way of Life 100% Organic farming, Vegan, Gluten free, Low Glycemic Index products. (941) 567-8090 www.eatcleanfoodz.com

QUEEN BED Stearns & Foster with frame, boxspring, and cover: $300. Tempurpedic king bed with boxspring and frame- new for $200, selling for $800. 74” dresser, wood, 6 drawer w/mirror. $400. Queen bifold microfiber couch for van, must see $400. Call: 941-752-9658.

LV9431

INFO & RATES: 941-955-4888 • Fax: 941-362-4808 • EMAIL: classified@yourobserver.com • ONLINE: classifieds.yourobserver.com HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 8:30am-4pm • DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon • Service Directory - Friday at 3pm • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “17 years ago, I arrived at CNN with a suitcase, with my bicycle and with about 100 dollars.”

Christiane Amanpour Puzzle Two Solution: “Al Roker ... He’s raised two daughters and a son. And I love him. ... He’s a straight shooter.”

– Tamron Hall

This week’s Sudoku answers

Merchandise Wanted

SENIOR LOOKING to purchase precious metals, diamonds, time pieces, coins, jewelry, antique and estate jewelry, and collectors plates. Personal and confidential. Please call Marc: 941-321-0707.

Sporting Goods

WE BUY cars. top $$ paid for your vehicles.

Call Hawley Motors, 941-923-3421.

©2021 NEA, Inc.

This week’s Crossword answers

BEACH'N RIDES eBike Sales and Service- We sell and repair Electric Bicycles from our Shop at 12208 Cortez Road, W., in Cortez, Florida.

(941) 251-7916. www.beachnrides.com

ANYTIME. ANYWHERE. ANY PLACE.

2021

Classified Ads Bring Results • 941-955-4888

SIGN UP TODAY FOR FREE!

Visit the online classified marketplace at

classifieds.yourobserver.com

www.yourobserver.com/e-edition-subscribe We made it even more convenient to enjoy reading The Observer. You can now receive the Observer’s eNewspaper delivered direct to your inbox every Thursday.

The Observer’s eNewspaper is an exact replica of the printed edition to be enjoyed on any electronic device desktop, tablet or mobile.

Beach Front Home: 4BED-5BATH, 2CARGAR $3,999,000 University Pool/Spa 4BED-3BATH $425,000 55+ Beach and Boating: One story villa 2BED2BATH $424,000

Storage

2.5 Acres: 4BED/3BATH, 3CAR GAR. Luxury kitchen, barn, horses. $645,000

STORAGE FACILITY Boat/ RV/ Trailer. Secure facility, low monthly rentals, Clark Rd area.

941-809-3660, 941-809-3662.

Longboat Key Beach House: on Canal, 3BED3BATH, 2/CARGAR, Dock/Lift. $530,000.

Help Wanted

Private Boat Lift: beach access villa/condo $399,000

WORK FROM HOME: WORK FROM HOME: Busy sales man seeks appt setter ASAP. Busy sales manonlyseeks appt setter ASAP. Commission unlimited earnings.

Commission only- unlimited earnings.

Call Paul Now: Call Paul Now: 917-751-6506.

917-751-6506.

349457-1

Homes For Sale

Items Up to $200 Sell for Free! classifieds.yourobserver.com

ADVERTISE YOUR

As low as $17.50 for 1 week!

Get a discount when you run your ad in more than one Observer.

CALL 941-955-4888

Sarasota: Built in 2010 4BED-2.5BATH Lakeview Lanai $335,000 Phillipi Gardens: $209,000

INVESTORS 3BED-2BATH

Buy or Sell with Brooke O’Malley as your Realtor, and CLUB REALTY will Pay your title insurance.

Call 941-726-2677

14B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

Homes HomesFor ForSale Sale

Mobile MobileHomes Homes

Hauling Hauling

MOBILE MOBILEHOME HOMEininN.N.Sarasota Sarasotafor forsale. sale.New NewA/C A/C and andcarport. carport.$14,900 $14,900OBO. OBO.Palmterracefl.com Palmterracefl.comCall: Call: 941-355-3411 or 941-355-5332.

941-355-3411 or 941-355-5332.

Local LocalAds Ads at Your Fingertips at Your Fingertips Auto AutoTransport Transport

Rosemarie RosemarieLunardelli Lunardelli Broker/Owner Broker/Owner Rosemarie.ashorerealtyllc@gmail.com Rosemarie.ashorerealtyllc@gmail.com 732-489-3676 732-489-3676

CARLO PAINTING.Licensed CARLODATTILO DATTILOPAINTING. Licensed&&insured. insured.

Interior/ Interior/Exterior Exteriorpainting paintingincluding includingdrywall drywallrepair repair and retexturing.

Wallpaper installation & removal, SHIP YOUR car, truck or SUV anywhere in SHIP YOUR car, truck or SUV anywhere in and retexturing. Wallpaper installation & removal, the pressure washing. washing. Residential Residential && commercial, commercial, theUnited UnitedStates.

States.Great Greatrates, rates,fast fastquotes. quotes.Call Call pressure condos.

Hawley condos. Honest Honest && reliable. reliable. Free Free estimates. estimates.

HawleyMotors, Motors,941-923-3421.

941-923-3421.

941-744-1020.

35+ years experience.

941-744-1020. 35+ years experience.

Cleaning Cleaning

BRAZILIAN BRAZILIAN CLEANING CLEANING Service Service byby Maria.

Maria.

Residential.

Residential. Meticulous Meticulous Cleaning.

Cleaning. Excellent Excellent References.

Free Estimates.

Reliable.

Lic./Ins. References. Free Estimates. Reliable. Lic./Ins. 941-400-3342.

941-400-3342.

OFFICE OFFICENOW NOWOPEN OPENAT: AT: 7915 7915US US301 301NNSTE STE201 201Ellenton, Ellenton,FL FL Ashorerealtyllc.com Ashorerealtyllc.com 941-417-7777 941-417-7777 Call Calltoday todayfor fora afree freemarket marketanalysis. analysis.

$$ First First1515words words......... .........17.50 17.50per perweek week ¢ Each Add’l word ...........................

Each Add’l word ...........................50 50¢

Painting/Wallpapering Painting/Wallpapering

classifieds.yourobserver.com classifieds.yourobserver.com

Wishing Wishingyou youa aHappy HappyHealthy HealthyHoliday HolidaySeason Season and andProsperous ProsperousNew NewYear!

Year!

CLASSIFIED CLASSIFIEDLINE LINEAD ADPRICE PRICE

NO NOCONTACT CONTACTJunk JunkRemoval Removal Just point for junk Just point for junktotodisappear. disappear.

1-800-GOT-JUNK? 1-800-GOT-JUNK? (800) (800)465-5865 465-5865oror1800gotjunk.com 1800gotjunk.com

Local Ads Local Adsat atYour YourFingertips Fingertips classifieds.yourobserver.com classifieds.yourobserver.com

15% 15%DISCOUNT DISCOUNT$for for44week weekRun Run $ per Week Yellow color 5 Yellow color 5 per Week $ Border Borderasaslow lowasas 3$3per perWeek Week Call: Call:955-4888 955-4888 Email: Email:classified@yourobserver.com classified@yourobserver.com Online: www.yourobserver.com Online: www.yourobserver.com

Pools Pools

POOL POOLSERVICE SERVICE Now taking new Now taking newcustomers customersready readyfor for2021 2021 BLISSFUL BLISSFULPOOLS POOLS BEST VALUE SERVICE IN LAKEWOOD RANCH BEST VALUE SERVICE IN LAKEWOOD RANCH CLEANING CLEANINGBY BYBrazilian BrazilianLady.

Lady.Meticulous, Meticulous,reliable, reliable, SPECIAL SPECIALRATES RATESFOR FORFIRST FIRST3030CUSTOMERS CUSTOMERS– – deep cleaning specialist.

Residential.

Commercial. service from owner– 12 years deep cleaning specialist. Residential. Commercial. personal personal service from owner– 12 yearsininLWR. LWR. New 941-705-0400.

NewConstruction.

Construction.941-400-2866.

941-400-2866.

941-705-0400.

CLAUDIA CLAUDIAC.C.Cleaning CleaningServices.

Services.Experienced, Experienced, Dependable Dependableand andready readytotobegin! begin!Residential.

Residential.

Excellent references.

941-773-6895.

Excellent references. 941-773-6895.

YOUR YOURSOURCE SOURCEFOR FOR LOCAL LOCALCLASSIFIED CLASSIFIEDADS ADS

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

“Specializing in 6” Seamless Gutters” “Specializing in 6” Seamless Gutters”

Kitchen and KitchenRenovations Renovations andUpgrades Upgrades Visit our showroom

HEALTH HEALTH

THE THE BEST BEST This ThisDoctor DoctorisisAmong Among

SPINAL SPINALDECOMPRESSION DECOMPRESSION PHYSICIANS PHYSICIANSIN INAMERICA AMERICA

Visit our showroom

7262 726255th 55thAve AveEast, East,Bradenton, Bradenton,34203 34203

941.650.9790 941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com YoderAluminum.com

(941) (941)650-7758 650-7758

348229 348229

Owner Owner/ Operator / Operator Insured Insured

bschule88@gmail.com bschule88@gmail.com

348223 348223

COMPUTER COMPUTER

Pegatronics PegatronicsComputer ComputerInstruction Instructionand andRepair Repair It’s It’sEasier EasierThan ThanYou YouThink!

Think!

349058 349058

Hardware HardwareRepair Repair Virus Virus/ Malware / MalwareCleanup Cleanup Software Software&&Printer PrinterInstall Install New NewComputer ComputerSetups Setups New NewPurchase PurchaseConsults Consults Seniors Seniors&&Beginners Beginners

Learn LearnComputer ComputerBasics Basics Phones/Tablet Phones/TabletHelp Help Apple Apple&&Microsoft Microsoft Problems ProblemsSolved Solved On-Site On-Siteand andOff Off Much MuchMore!

More!Call CallToday!

Today!

Pegatronics.com Pegatronics.com

941-735-3362 941-735-3362

DOORS DOORS

Sliding SlidingGlass GlassDoor DoorRepair Repair “FIX “FIX IT IT -- DON’T DON’T REPLACE” REPLACE” New NewDeluxe DeluxeRollers RollersWill WillMake Make Your YourDoors DoorsRoll RollBetter BetterThan ThanEver Ever 928-2263 Call Mark Call Mark 928-2263 proslidingglassdoorrepair.com proslidingglassdoorrepair.com

DOORS DOORS

Board BoardCertified Certifiedininthe thespecialty specialtyofof non-surgical spinal decompression non-surgical spinal decompression

DR. DR.DAVID DAVIDCIFRA, CIFRA,DC DC University UniversityHealth HealthPark Park 2415 2415University UniversityParkway Parkway Bldg.

3, Suite 216 Bldg. 3, Suite 216 Sarasota, Sarasota,FLFL34243 34243

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com

Call Call941.358.2224 941.358.2224today todaytotoschedule schedulea a

FREE FREECONSULTATION CONSULTATION

The TheOnly OnlyThing ThingYou YouHave HaveToToLose Lose... ...IsIsThe ThePain!!

Pain!!

HOME HOMESERVICES SERVICES

DOORS DOORS

DON’T DON’Tlet letyour your PATIO PATIODOORS DOORS be beaaDRAG DRAGor oryour your WINDOWS WINDOWSbe beaaPANE!!

PANE!!

••Window WindowRepairs Repairs ••Sliding Glass Door Sliding Glass DoorRepairs Repairs ••Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts

941.628.8579 941.628.8579 www.ezslider.com www.ezslider.com

Are AreYou YouHaving HavingDryer DryerDifficulties?

Difficulties?

• Dryer hot but clothes still wet after (1) drying cycle?

• Dryergets hothot butto clothes stillor wet after (1) drying • Dryer the touch doesn’t heat up atcycle? all?

• Dryer gets hot to the touch or doesn’t heat up at all?

Take a simple test to see if your vent is clogged. Unhook your dryer vent & compare drying time.

Take a simple test to see if your vent is clogged. Unhook your dryer vent & compare drying time.

Residential Residential

941-705-5468 941-705-5468

GRAB GRABBARS BARS

235

COMPLETE COMPLETEINSTALLATION INSTALLATIONPACKAGE PACKAGE

INCLUDES INCLUDES2 2MOEN MOENSTAINLESS STAINLESS STEEL STEELANTI ANTISLIP SLIPCONCEALED CONCEALED SCREW SCREWGRAB GRABBARS BARS(16” (16”&&24”) 24”)

FREEE ININ--HFHROOEM MEE EESSTTIM IMAATTEESS

Commercial Commercial

349305 349305

KITCHEN/BATH KITCHEN/BATHREMODELING REMODELING

$$

Call Callus ustoday! today!

349300 349300

“Medical “MedicalBreakthrough BreakthroughTechnology Technologyforfor bulging, herniated and degenerative bulging, herniated and degenerativedisc disc......

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

KITCHEN/BATH REMODELING

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(cell) 780-3346 Licensed & Insured

LV9459

SERVICE DIRECTORY

16B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021

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