East County Observer 11.11.21

EAST COUNTY

Observer

Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

Medieval moments.

PAGE 24

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

FREE • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

VOLUME 23, NO. 52

Premier Park takes shape Commissioners talk about the amenities about to be built by Manatee County at Premier. PAGE 3

YOUR TOWN VETERANS DAY, NOV. 11

Scott Lockwood

A triumphant celebration Mason Gogoel had a reason to be jumping in celebration on Nov. 3 at Greenbrook Adventure Park in Lakewood Ranch.

The 4-year-old had just kicked the final goal for the Peewee Soccer program that’s hosted

by Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. Kirsten Gogoel said the program has been great in allowing her son, Mason, to make new friends.

“I thought this would be great for him to get out, meet other people and be able to socialize,” she said as Mason charged toward the park’s playground after the session. “He has so much energy, and he’d run around and play all day if he could.’

Lakewood Ranch Community Activities Director Chris McComas said the Peewee Soccer program is now off until early in 2022.

Shot down… but never out Pilot Leo Hyatt lived to tell of being shot down and imprisoned in the Vietnam War. SEE PAGE 8

Liz Ramos

Retired Navy Capt. Leo Hyatt of Lakewood Ranch spent five years and seven months as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War.

A+E Liz Ramos

Passion meets history in a car East County’s Dawson Blackmore Jr. always wanted an ambulance.

He spent 50 years as a medic in Connecticut. So when he saw a 1957 DeSoto Memphian ambulance in 1997, he had to have it.

Blackmore showed off his ambulance, which was used in Arizona from 1957 to 1972, at a car show Nov. 3 at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.

The ambulance only had 68,000 miles on it when Blackmore bought it, and it wasn’t running. After an hour working with a mechanic, they were able to have the engine running again.

“I wanted it to teach people the history of (Emergency Medical Services),” Blackmore said.

Jay Heater

The Market at Lakewood Ranch was crowded 10 minutes after it opened at its new site at Waterside Place.

Big opener for market

The Market at Lakewood Ranch’s debut at Waterside Place is a hit.

SEE PAGE 2

Many happy returns.

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Market shoppers pack Waterside Place Farmers market produces excitement on opening day at Waterside Place.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Pat Maidment was starting to get busy Nov. 7 at her Hot or Not vendor’s booth on opening day of The Market at Lakewood Ranch at its new Waterside Place site.

The market was only 5 minutes old, and Lakefront Drive already was packed with those checking out opening day.

Lakewood Ranch’s Maidment wasn’t worried that she might have long lines trying to buy her jams and jellies. She said stress won’t be a factor at this market.

“I will just turn around and look at the water,” she said of Kingfisher Lake being directly behind her. “I have such a great view here.”

That view is good for both vendors and shoppers.

“It’s fantastic,” Maidment said.

“The ambiance is better here (than at the previous site in the parking lot of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center). We just opened, and look at the crowd. It’s fantastic.”

Thousands of shoppers strolled the streets of Waterside Place, the entertainment and shopping hub that is just seeing businesses begin to open.

“It’s beautiful here,” Lakewood Ranch’s Debra Lockhart said, adding that she will be a regular customer. “I wish I could afford to live in this part of Lakewood Ranch.”

Monaca Onstad of Lakewood Ranch Communities said it was a great feeling to get the farmers market situated at the site where it originally was planned to be. The market, which started in 2017, spent two years at the Sarasota Polo Club and two more in the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center parking lot.

Onstad said about 80 vendors were set up as the market opened on Lakefront Drive for the first time.

Jay Heater

She said the alignment of vendors could be a little tighter and to expect more vendors in the future. Several food trucks were on hand for opening day, and she said that will lessen as restaurants begin to open at the hub.

Onstad said the estimate for the opening market was 9,000 shoppers.

She also noted that the first Ranch Nite Wednesdays event will be held Nov. 10 at Waterside Place. The street will be filled with 250 cornhole players, food trucks and live music.

Kirk Boylston, the president of Lakewood Ranch Commercial Realty, said Waterside Place has only two ground-floor spaces remaining at Waterside Place. Those two eventually will be filled with sit-down restaurants. Boylston also said there is only a “little bit” of office space remaining.

Boylston said he expected Good Liquid Brewing Co. to open its restaurant and pub by the end of November. Several other restaurants have targeted the first quarter of 2022 to open.

Sarasota’s Ryan Edwards, who owns Great Heights Creamery, said he can’t wait to see how it all comes together. Edwards’ vendor booth was right in the middle of the farmers market, in front of the pavilion.

“Look at the people,” he said. “We started a minute ago on the first day, and we already have all these people.

It’s a beautiful, sunny day.”

Lakewood Ranch’s Addison Crutchfield, 11, gets a pretzel from Lorene Hill, the owner of German Brezel of North Port.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

Pickleball, pool complexes on the way

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

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Manatee County plans to open a pickleball facility next summer, with a pool complex arriving in 2024.

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KEY 1 Proposed pond 2 Existing pond 3 MSO/EMS fuel station 4 Satellite services 5 Library 6 Playground 7 Racket facility 8 Aquatic facility 9 Gymnasium 10 Parking

11 Baseball/softball complex 12 Dog park 13 BMX track 14 Basketball court 15 Skate park 16 Volleyball courts 17 Event lawn 18 Maintenance building

Pedestrian pathway

A site map of the Premier Park master concept plan in Lakewood Ranch, provided by Manatee County

Existing/proposed pond SCOTT LOCKWOOD STAFF WRITER

P

lans for some of the longawaited amenities for the Premier Park site in Lakewood Ranch are beginning to take shape.

Fresh off the final approval for the new East County library that will be constructed on the north end of the property, Manatee County commissioners are getting a look at some of the first wave of park amenities, which have Commissioner Vanessa Baugh dreaming of future swim meets and pickleball tournaments.

“Every time I think about when it’s going to be finished, I think the same thing: live, work and play in Lakewood Ranch and the surrounding areas,” she said. “This is a live, work and play community. We hope to have these types of facilities all over Manatee County for all the residents to enjoy and give the best quality of life we can possibly give.”

Leading the way is an aquatic complex that will be the first of its kind in Lakewood Ranch. The county plans to build a 25-yard, 10-lane lap pool along with a shallow area for swim lessons and other fitness activities. Starting blocks, lane lines, inpool and deck lighting, water heating, cooling and filtration systems, deck seating, and shade structures will be included.

The aquatic complex is something Baugh said Lakewood Ranch “has needed since yesterday.” Fellow Commissioner George Kruse said Lakewood Ranch needs a facility similar to the Selby Aquatic Complex in Sarasota that is known for hosting major meets.

“A lot of these homes in Lakewood Ranch have pools — and that’s great — but these aren’t large enough for our swim teams to use to practice,” Baugh said. “We’re also looking at it from the standpoint that we would like to be able to have tournaments at Premier for the swim teams as well, instead of having to go elsewhere.

Let’s try to keep it at home and have those at Lakewood Ranch.”

Baugh said the county has submitted the aquatic project to contractors for proposal. The cost of the aquatic center is estimated at $13.6 million and could open by summer 2024.

Even before the aquatic complex will open, a new pickleball facility will open, targeted for summer 2022.

Pickleball players have complained about a shortage of courts available in the Lakewood Ranch area.

Baugh said the project features 24 pickleball courts, a small administration office, restrooms, water fountains, lighting and shade structures. It’s expected to cost an estimated $4.8 million.

Plans call for the pickleball facility to be built in three pods, with eight courts in each pod. The county has requested that one of the pods be constructed with a shade structure that would protect players from the elements, which Baugh said are similar to the courts the county is building at G.T. Bray Park in Bradenton.

Plan documents show that additional parking and a small Manatee County service center that will house broadband and IT services for the

complex are slated to be built by 2023.

Baugh said future projects on the site could include an amphitheater, a gymnasium, a baseball/softball complex, a dog park, a playground, a BMX bike track, basketball courts, volleyball courts, clay tennis courts and a Manatee County Sheriff district office and fleet facility. More green space, 500 additional parking spaces and a skate park could also be in the pipeline.

Kruse said the park has to be spaced out due to funding issues. Manatee County has to spread funds to other park improvements and other expenses. The county is also building the Lincoln Park Pool in Palmetto and expanding pickleball courts at G.T. Bray Park.

“We need to make sure we’re allocating the funds we have for Parks and Rec equitably throughout the county, even if a majority of it go into Premier because it’s kind of a flagship project,” Kruse said. “It can’t be the entirety of it. Otherwise, we’re excluding the entire rest of the county. And that’s not something we can do right now.”

Staffing and cost overruns are

other issues the county would face if they built more amenities at the present time. Baugh said the county can not use proceeds from infrastructure sales tax and impact fees — two of the main sources of funding for parks — for staffing.

“This is not an inexpensive venture to build all of these facilities at Premier,” Baugh said. “Once we build a pool, we need to have lifeguards.

We need to have staff to operate these facilities and help citizens when they use the parks. It takes a little bit of maneuvering, budgeting and scheduling to make sure we can get it all done and then afford it once we have it.”

Kruse said he looks forward to the park being a “premier” destination in Manatee County. He said it might take several years before all of the projects come to fruition but that the wait will be worth it in the end because it will be utilized by everyone in Manatee County.

“All of our current outdoor recreation is focused out west, and that’s where we have G.T. Bray, the Robinson Preserve and Emerson Point,” Kruse said. “All the growth

Courtesy renderings

The exterior of the new East County Library will feature a terrace on the second floor that overlooks the entire Premier Park site in Lakewood Ranch. Officials say they expect to break ground on the project in January.

Development area

and development has been out east — and we just don’t have anything like a G.T. Bray out here. The intention of Premier is to provide an allinclusive outdoor location for Lakewood Ranch and Myakka City and, to a lesser extent, even Parrish.

“It’s not just going to be sports.

It’s not just going to be a Lakewood Ranch amenity. It’s an amenity of the county.”

The county also is continuing to develop the adjacent Premier Sports Campus as well. Manatee County is in the design phase of a new air-conditioned, permanently framed, multipurpose soccer tent. Climate-controlled restrooms, locker rooms and stadium improvements — including new lights and a scoreboard — are also part of the estimated $6.4 million project.

“That’s going to be nice because our summers get so hot, and these teams need an area where they can get there at the end of the tournament and get their awards and their trophies,” Baugh said. “It’ll just work out beautifully for them and gives them a little bit of shade. It’s going to be wonderful.”

Premier Sports Campus already features 25 soccer fields — including eight with lights — across 14 acres, a 3,000-seat stadium, concession stands with seating areas and permanent restroom facilities in the stadium area.

Kruse said the soccer facility is a major driver of tourism in the area.

“Almost every weekend there is a major soccer tournament there, and you get hundreds of teams,” he said. “All those people are staying at hotels, eating in restaurants and seeing our community.”

Kruse said the big tournaments put the spotlight on Manatee County for people throughout Florida and, in some cases, throughout the country.

The 6,500-square-foot soccer structure that could hold as many as 400 people in a banquet-style setting could be completed in late 2023.

An area outside of the of the upcoming 6,500-square-foot, multipurpose structure would give athletes and fans a place to gather and enjoy a break between matches at the Premier Sports Complex in Lakewood Ranch.

PREMIER PARK PROJECTS Manatee County has outlined some of the first projects that will be built at the Premier Park site.

Here is an outline of what’s coming first, estimated costs and estimated completion date.

AQUATIC FACILITY Estimated cost: $13.6 million Estimated completion date: May 2024 EAST COUNTY LIBRARY Estimated cost: $17.7 million Estimated completion date: June 2023 PICKLEBALL/ RACQUETBALL COURTS Estimated cost: $4.8 million Estimated completion date: Summer 2022 REMOTE PARKING Estimated cost: $1.9 million Estimated completion date: June 2023 COUNTY SERVICE CENTER Estimated cost: $560,000 Estimated completion date: August 2022

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

DENTAL IMPLANTS

When it comes to news, we believe bigger is better While everyone else in our industry gets smaller, we decided it was the perfect time to give readers more.

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EXECUTIVE EDITOR AND COO

You might have noticed something a little different with your paper this week. Maybe you couldn’t quite put your finger on it (figuratively, of course), but the careful observer (pun intended) would notice that the paper this week is a bit larger than ever before. It’s a half-inch wider and 3-and-a-half inches taller, to be exact. In newspaper parlance, it’s what we call a broadsheet, though it’s not nearly as broad as the mapsized newspapers of yore.

But whether you noticed our new size or not, the question you are probably asking is: Why? And maybe: So what? Who cares?

All are excellent questions, particularly given that everything in our industry is tending to get smaller these days. A few years ago, it seemed like the attack of the incredible shrinking newspaper. Tabloids were in! Broadsheets were out! Look how innovative we’re being!

The truth is, we always had a little size envy. Although the Observer has always been a nice, convenient, friendly size, it has meant that a lot of content ends up on the cutting room floor each week. Pictures are cropped, text is trimmed. At times, it can be limiting.

So when we were reevaluating our printer options as a normal course of business and learned that The Villages Media Group just installed a brand-new, state-of-the-art Koenig & Bauer press — the only new press installed in the U.S. in the past decade — it had our interest. Then we learned it can print broadsheet more efficiently than our current size, so we decided to, as our president and

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publisher, Emily Walsh, said: “Go big or go home.”

At a time when the industry is in contraction mode — whether it’s the size of newspapers, the number of days a week printed or just the size of newspapers’ newsrooms — we felt it was a no-brainer to make this investment. Because we are not interested in just preserving. We want to grow.

And we are definitely not going anywhere, instead committed to serving our local readers and advertisers with the best products possible, both in print and digitally.

Looking at the impact a bigger page has on content, we’re excited about the possibilities. It doesn’t sound like much, but in those 54 extra square inches, we can fit in an additional info box, short story, several photos or even that white space designers talk so much about.

All that means better, more beautiful presentations for features, more room for photos and more stories and news for you, our readers.

So to wrap up a long explanation succinctly (though I do have the space to go on, as you now know), the real reason we did this is the reason behind everything we do: you!

We truly believe the shift will help us serve you better with the news, advertising, information and entertainment you have come to expect and enjoy from the Observer.

Now there will just be more of it.

The Villages installed a brand-new Koenig & Bauer press in 2020.

EAST COUNTY

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

5

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

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Teacher salary boost could remain referendum item LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

A

lthough the School District of Manatee County’s 1-mill property tax referendum passed with 69% of the vote Nov. 2, school board members already are looking to the future.

A main reason people opposed the additional millage was because 51%, or nearly $23.3 million, of the funds go toward teacher salaries, which some voters said should be a part of the district’s operating budget and not dependent on a vote.

Mary Foreman, a member of the Manatee County School Board, said she is thrilled so many people in the county supported the referendum and the district’s teachers, staff and students, but she believes there still is work to be done.

“I do still believe that we need to work toward not relying on the referendum for salaries,” Foreman said.

“That can’t be done in one shot.

That’s what I learned in the first year (on the board). I have attempted to convince my colleagues on the board, and I think there’s a desire now to, especially after listening to people during the election, start working toward that.”

School board Chair Charlie Kennedy said the board and district are going to forecast moving $3 million to $4 million of referendum funds for salaries into the general budget for fiscal year 2023, which is Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023.

“When we have to go for the next renewal, we can say to the voters, ‘Hey, look, we have tried to move part of this into the general budget,’” Kennedy said. “We’re trying, but it is just mathematically impos-

BY THE NUMBERS

PAY SUPPLEMENTS Since the 1-mill ad valorem property tax was approved in 2018, the School District of Manatee County has provided a salary supplement to teachers.

The School District of Manatee County’s general fund is $526.5 million. Here is a breakdown of how the money is spent:

Fiscal 2019: $4,008 Fiscal 2020: $4,728 Fiscal 2021: $5,202 Fiscal 2022: $5,410

$347.6 MILLION Salaries and benefits

sible to move the whole thing to the existing operations.”

This year’s general budget is $526.5 million, and 66%, $347.6 million, goes toward salaries and benefits.

Other large expenditures include $67.9 million for charter schools and nearly $15.9 million in utilities.

The district is expected to collect almost $45.7 million in fiscal year 2022 from the referendum. Teachers receive a supplement of $5,410 from the additional millage this year.

Kennedy said the $3 million to $4 million is just for the fiscal 2023 budget, and if and how much the district would move from the referendum to the general budget in the future is dependent on the Florida Legislature.

“Nobody wants to tie employees’ pay to a temporary tax, but since we’re not getting it from the Legislature, we have to go to the voters,” Kennedy said. “Every year we start over. We never know what we’re going to get from the Legislature. We don’t have $45 million to find in the operating budget. Finding $3 million to $4 million is a start, but if the Legislature never increases funding, there’s only so much we can potentially do.”

Board member James Golden said he would like to see all teacher salaries moved to the operating budget, but it’s dependent on state funding.

“We have a public education system in the state, and every county suffers from the lack of sufficient funding in public education,” Golden

$44 MILLION

Purchased services (Any outside services the district uses for students)

Courtesy photo

Maureen Geary, a third grade teacher at Myakka City Elementary School, teaches a vocabulary lesson to Katherine Millan-Pureco and America Carranza-Vazquez.

said. “All of the machinations at the state level as to how we want to avoid fully funding public education have to stop.”

Foreman said the state’s restrictions on how the district can use certain funds makes it harder for the district to be able to pay competitive salaries without using funds from the additional millage.

“The restrictions the state puts on what we can use the money for gives us very little of the whole budget that we’re using for salaries,” Foreman said. “We still have to keep the schools operating. We still have to keep the lights on and the water going, property insurance. There are a lot of expenditures that are necessary to keep the schools operating, and there simply isn’t enough money to pay those and pay competitive wages to our employees.”

Foreman would like to see $5 million of referendum funds moved to the operating budget each year.

“I think that’s pretty optimistic, but we’ll see,” Foreman said. “We don’t know what we’re working with until budget time.”

$67.9 MILLION Charter schools

$15.9 MILLION

SALARY BOOST

Energy

Instructional staff referendum allocations by fiscal year: The School District of Manatee County allocates 51% of the 1-mill property tax to instructional staff.

$13.4 MILLION Supplies

$3.8 MILLION Capital outlay

$9.6 MILLION

2022 PROJECTION Total to be collected: $45.66 million Amount allocated to instructional staff: $23.29 million 2021 Total collected: $42.86 million Amount allocated to instructional staff: $21.86 million 2020 Total collected: $40.56 million Amount allocated to instructional staff: $20.69 million 2019 Total collected: $37.31 million Amount allocated to instructional staff: $19.03 million

Other

$24.4 MILLION

Ending fund balance

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School board members say they want to start moving funds for teacher salaries from the 1-mill property tax into the operating budget.

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

AIR CONDITIONING • APPLIANCES PLUMBING • ELECTRICAL

School district studies possible border changes

BADGER BOB’S WANTS TO HELP YOU FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

School board members drawing up new zones for the five districts.

BOARD MEMBERS

The School Board of Manatee County is nonpartisan. Members serve four-year terms when elected. Starting with the 2022 election, residents only will be able to vote for board members in their districts rather than voting for all board members.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

When James Golden runs for reelection to the School Board of Manatee County in 2022, he will be campaigning to about 75,000 constituents in District 5 rather than residents across the county.

Next year’s school board election will feature a major change. Residents of certain districts will only be allowed to vote for the board member representing that district.

Those districts will be redrawn as the board works through the process in November and early December.

In 2018, Manatee County voters approved a referendum that changed the school board to single-member representation.

Board members Gina Messenger and Mary Foreman have said they don’t agree with the election change because board members should represent all students, not just those that live in their respective districts.

“No matter where somebody lives, our job is to represent everybody,” Messenger said. “While I live in Parrish and represent part of Parrish and part of Palmetto, if somebody contacts me, and they live in northwest Bradenton, I’m going to respond and help them because that’s my job.”

District seats that are up for election in 2022 are the District 2 seat held by Charlie Kennedy, the District 4 seat held by Chad Choate and the District 5 seat held by James Golden, who represents the Lakewood Ranch area and part of East County. Kennedy already has decided he will not be running for reelection; Golden said he plans to run again. Choate, who was appointed to the school board in 2021 after Scott Hopes resigned to become the Manatee County administrator, plans to run in 2022.

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GINA MESSENGER District 1 Elected: November 2016 Term ends: November 2024 CHARLIE KENNEDY District 2 Elected: November 2014 Term ends: November 2022 Kennedy is not running for reelection.

MARY FOREMAN District 3 Elected: November 2020 Term ends: November 2024 CHAD CHOATE District 4 Appointed: August 2021 Term ends: November 2022 Choate was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis after Scott Hopes left the board to become the county administrator.

JAMES GOLDEN District 5 Elected: August 2018 Term ends: November 2022 Golden is running for reelection in 2022.

Voters should know their district by the Dec. 14 school board meeting.

The board had its first discussion regarding redistricting during a workshop Oct. 29. Although members of the school board would like to have district boundaries that match the ones the Manatee County commissioners create so residents aren’t confused, there is no requirement for the maps to match.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

41

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

District 1

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nition are political animals,” Golden said. “They serve up a thorough multiplicity of needs of their constituents, which may or may not be consistent with the school board. I think that needs to be the least of our considerations and concerns. I think we have an opportunity here to draw districts that would allow us to continue at least throughout the next set of terms but also to draw districts that are more consistent with the growth that we know is coming.”

Board members Kennedy, Foreman and Choate created their own maps that were presented.

Each board member wanted to have about 80,000 residents in districts 2, 3, and 4 with districts 1 and 5, which cover the eastern part of Manatee County, having fewer residents due to the tremendous growth developing in that part of the county.

Choate developed his map based on the community of the schools that would be represented in each district. Choate wanted to have a school board member to represent at least one of the School District of Manatee County’s seven high schools.

“My biggest concern has always been to have some kind of representative at those high school levels because the elementary and middle

72

schools feed into those high schools typically,” Choate said. “(I want) to make sure each community of high schools feels like they are represented by one person that they could go to for concerns.”

Messenger said she liked the idea of having the districts separated by communities but worried it could lead to board members pushing to represent the interests of their own districts over the county as a whole.

“I want to point out that we are a district of choice, so no matter where somebody lives, they can choose to go somewhere else,” Messenger said.

Kennedy said another issue with districting by community is some families will be zoned for a particular school but live in a different district.

For example, some families in Greyhawk Landing are zoned for Lakewood Ranch High School, which is in District 5, but live in District 1.

Golden wanted the district boundaries to reflect community interests and ensure District 2 continues to have a majority of people who are minorities.

The board tweaked Kennedy’s map, which was similar to Foreman’s, to allow for more minority representation in District 2 and District 4 while keeping a lower population in districts 1 and 5.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

EAST COUNTY

“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 and President / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com Associate Publisher —East County Observer / Lori Ruth, LRuth@YourObserver.com

A HERO’S FLIGHT Pilot Leo Hyatt lived to tell of being shot down and imprisoned in the Vietnam War. LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

B

efore he left on a Vietnam War mission, Leo Hyatt knew he was going to be shot down.

The Lakewood Ranch resident retold the story as the nation prepares to honor its soldiers on Veterans Day. To show what veterans have endured, Hyatt remembered a reconnaissance mission he flew on Aug. 13, 1967. After 22 airplanes had been sent to bomb a bridge in North Vietnam near the Chinese border, Hyatt piloted his RA-5C Vigilante, along with radar and navigation officer Wayne Goodermote, to assess their success.

Hyatt, who served in the Navy from 1957 to 1986, was ordered to approach the bridge from the south, and it was expected he would fly into heavy enemy fire.

He tried to convince the commanding officer in charge of his mission that it would be foolhardy to approach the bridge from the south, but the commanding officer refused to change his orders.

“I went to my commanding officer and I said, ‘All they have to do is shoot out in front of me, and they’ve got me,’” said Hyatt, who now is 87 years old and lives at Cypress Springs Gracious Retirement Living with his wife, Barbara.

SHOT DOWN

Hyatt, who dreamed of being a fighter pilot since he was 8 years old, flew over the bridge and saw that it had been destroyed. He called his strike-team leader and reported the bridge down.

That’s when he felt a hit on his plane by 37-mm anti-aircraft guns.

“I don’t remember anything else,” Hyatt said. “I blacked out. I don’t remember ejecting (at almost 850 mph) or even thinking about ejecting. I woke up in the parachute just before my butt hit the ground. I could see all these North Vietnamese coming across the area, coming toward the bridge. They were all shooting at me.”

Hyatt grabbing his pistol, survival radio and a jug of water and started to run. A bone in his left shoulder Leo and Barbara Hyatt have been married for 46 years.

They met at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, where Leo was stationed and Barbara was working as a civil servant.

had shattered when he was ejected from the plane, and bullets were zipping past him as he ran. He took one bullet in his right arm, and he decided to hide in some brush. It didn’t help.

He was captured, tied up and brought back to an enemy camp as a prisoner of war. He eventually learned that Goodermote also survived the ejection and was imprisoned as well.

THE HANOI HILTON

Left outside on the ground, the many bugs native to that area feasted on Hyatt and Goodermote before they were sent to Hanoi and taken to Hoa Lo Prison, which was converted from a hotel to a prison. It was known around the world as “the Hanoi Hilton.”

“That’s where I met my captors, and from there, the fun started,” Hyatt said. “They didn’t like us, and we didn’t like them.”

For five years and seven months, Hyatt and Goodermote were held prisoner and tortured.

Hyatt was kept in a room with a concrete floor wearing only a pair of shorts while his hands were tied behind his back.

“They would try to get you to do things like write a letter against the war to various politicians back in the states,” Hyatt said. “If you didn’t, they wanted you to go through another torture session. It went on week after week, month after month and year after year.”

Hyatt said he was fed cabbage soup, which he described as mostly green water. He was given a cup of cooked rice, but he wouldn’t chew it because there were pebbles in the rice that could break his teeth.

He also would get pumpkin soup with some fatback and a spoonful of mashed sardines.

“If you were lucky, you got a piece of fatback in the soup along with four or five pieces of pumpkin,” Hyatt said. “You were hungry all the time.”

One day, Hyatt was put in a room to clean the bowls used during meals.

There was a 55-gallon drum filled with leftover soup and rice. He could see pieces of half-rotted fatback floating on top, so he grabbed two pieces and ate them. He was caught and tortured as a punishment.

In 1973, help finally came.

On Jan. 27, 1973, Nixon signed the Paris Peace Accords, ending direct U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Photos by Jay Heater

Courtesy photo

ABOUT THE CAPTAIN LEO HYATT Lives: Lakewood Ranch Age: 87 Hometown: Salem, New Hampshire Branch: Navy Rank: Captain Naval Academy: 1953 to 1957 Years served: 1957 to 1986 Honors: Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars

GOING HOME

Between February and April 1973, prisoners of war were returned to the U.S., including Hyatt.

Hyatt recalled being brought outside Hoa Lo Prison with the other American prisoners March 14, 1973, and the camp commander announced the war was over and that they would be returning home.

“Nobody made a sound,” Hyatt said. “It was dead silent. We had been lied to for so long about so much that nothing registered.”

The newly freed prisoners were loaded onto buses and sent to an airport for a flight to the Philippines. On the ride, Hyatt saw all the destruction the bombings caused.

Hyatt and the others, including Goodermote, were on a plane on their way to the Philippines when the pilot announced they were “feet wet,” meaning they were out of North Vietnam and over the Pacific Ocean.

Hyatt realized he was going home.

“The cheering, yelling, hollering and clapping of hands started,” Hyatt said. “It stayed that way until we got on the ground in the Philippines. When we landed, there were thousands of people at the airport cheering us on.”

Although Hyatt was told his grandmother and three aunts had died while he was gone and that his wife wanted a divorce, he was just happy to be alive and home.

“There’s just no way to describe to you the ecstatic feeling that was,” Hyatt said. “It was suddenly like I’m alive again.”

While doctors were checking on Hyatt when he returned, they were amazed when they looked at his X-rays.

“They said, ‘You should be dead,’” Hyatt said.

There was a fracture in his vertebrae in his neck similar to what would happen if someone was hung.

He sustained the injury while being tortured. He remembered he couldn’t move afterward and couldn’t feed himself for at least five days.

Another prisoner fed him and gave him water, saving his life.

“I’m on borrowed time,” Hyatt said. “I know I’m supposed to be dead, but I’m not.”

Above: Retired Navy Capt. Leo Hyatt’s photo hangs on a wall honoring veterans at Cypress Springs Gracious Retirement Living.

Hyatt spent five years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. Left: Hyatt served in the Navy from 1957 to 1986 after graduating from the Naval Academy.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

9

JAY HEATER

Local influencer rules social media K arissa Leist looked across my desk and tried to size up the best way to explain the unexplainable — at least in terms of dealing with a computerchallenged dinosaur.

She had just been hired in August to lead the social media campaigns for KnaQ — a Sarasota tech startup that brings together those who provide services and those seeking them. KnaQ went to Lakewood Ranch’s Leist after seeing she has exploded as a content developer for TikTok and other social media sites.

She’s young, she’s talented, but her wheelhouse isn’t exactly dealing with 60-something-aged editors. Her content usually is gobbled up by 18- to 24-year-olds.

Even so, she proved she could bob and weave when necessary.

“So you just caught a big fish,” she said, hoping she had brought the subject down to my level of understanding. “You need to clean it properly. You could go to KnaQ to find someone who was offering a video on how to do that. We connect people with certain skills to those who are seeking them. We have 24 categories (of services).”

Well, as my grandfather always said, “I’ll be the dirty end of a mop.”

It’s not that hard to understand when the right person explains it.

Whether the 21-year-old Leist continues her path as a social media giant to the young — she is an “influencer” who has more than 1 million followers on TikTok — remains to be seen. With her youthful exuberance and wisdom beyond her years, she admits she might feel right at home as a TV personality.

For now, she dominates the social media world.

Want an example of her wisdom beyond her years? Try this Instagram post of hers: “Literally every single person you come into contact with knows something that you don’t. They have experienced something that

Jay Heater

“Once you live here, you can’t live anywhere else,” Karissa Leist says of Lakewood Ranch.

you have not, and they can teach you something if you are willing to listen and keep an open mind.

It’s so easy to focus on the toxicity that’s all around us, especially when we are dealing with people.

It’s important to remember, despite the challenges we have with people, that everyone has some sort of knowledge and value to offer.”

Wow. Even me?

Leist sends such bits and pieces into the universe and waits for reactions. She has stirred up so much reaction that companies now pay her to wear or use their merchandise during the videos she loads up.

So you will see posts such as “PSA The blue-light glasses are from @ nourablueyewear!!! Everyone has

we

because we

been asking me. 10/10 recommend.

If you know me, you know I wear them 24/7.”

Now I don’t know exactly what all that means, but I guess people really like the way those glasses look, at least on her.

It’s hard to believe that at her tender age, she commands so much attention when you do a Google search of her.

I called up information listed on FamousBirthdays.com.

“About: TikTok star who has gained popularity for the life advice videos she posts to her k.wamp account. Her content has earned her over 1 million followers on the social media platform. Before Fame: She launched her TikTok account

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in November 2019. Trivia: Some of her most popular TikTok videos are a part of her life-changing advice series. Family Life: Her fiance has appeared on her karissa.leist Instagram account. Associated With: She posted a TikTok video set to the Cardi B song ‘Up’ in March 2021.”

I should mention that her husband is race car driver Matheus Leist, who from 2017-2019 drove in the IndyCar Series for A.J. Foyt Enterprises. The Brazilian-born racer now concentrates on coaching other drivers, which makes Karissa happy because she doesn’t have to worry about him going into a wall.

Eventually, though, she expects him to return to racing.

If that happens, they are going

to have a hard time walking down Main Street at Lakewood Ranch without being asked for autographs.

For those who haven’t seen beyond Leist’s social media personality, I can tell you she spent her young life in the Briarwood neighborhood, just outside of Lakewood Ranch.

At 9 years old, she moved to Indiana, where she lived until 2018 when she graduated from Martinsville High and then moved to Lakewood Ranch.

“Once you live here, you can’t live anywhere else,” she said of Lakewood Ranch.

Another thing you probably won’t read on social media: “I was into 4-H,” she said. “I had a goat and a sheep. But I definitely am a city girl.”

She has studied psychology in college and will graduate in May 2022 from Southeastern University of Lakeland.

“I studied psychology because of social media,” she said. “It’s the psychology of how people interact. I study how pieces of content go viral, how to get the word out there.”

She’s smart enough to know to study the business aspect of social media, as well. You can bet she will dig her own gold mine.

“Social media is the future of marketing,” she said on a KnaQ news release to announce her hiring. “With the right strategy, anything is possible.”

Even cleaning a fish.

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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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

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The sound of victory Pride of Parrish Marching Band sees success in its first year of high school competition.

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2195603-593764 10/21

eritage Harbour’s Jarrett Moore stood in line as the Pride of Parrish Marching Band was preparing to take the field.

Moore, a sophomore bass drum player, tried to remain calm as his nerves threatened otherwise.

He could see his fellow bandmates breathing heavily in anticipation of their first halftime performance Sept. 10 at Anclote High School.

“There were jitters going for the whole bus ride there,” Moore said.

“When we were done, we were just glad it was over. We were just overwhelmed. The cheers and stuff afterward felt really good.”

“It was our goal just to survive,” Band Director Kendall Carrier said.

“Don’t run into each other, don’t get hurt, and just do your first marching band show. It was well received by the opposing audience. The students felt like, ‘Oh, OK, we’re going to be OK.” Growing up in North Carolina, Moore went to high school football games and always wanted to become a member of a marching band.

When Moore was in eighth grade at Carlos E. Haile Middle School, Carrier visited the school to introduce himself and promote Parrish Community High School’s new band programs. The school had just opened, and Carrier was recruiting eighth graders. Moore took advantage of the opportunity and has been playing percussion in the school’s bands programs since then.

Moore and Carrier have had to wait three years to finally have a marching season.

When the school opened in fall 2019, it didn’t have all the equipment needed for a marching band program, so it was pushed to the fol-

MARCH WITH PRIDE

THE PRIDE OF PARRISH MARCHING BAND Band director: Kendall Carrier Year started: 2021 Members: 53 Name of show: Flourish Honors: Placed first in the 2A division at the Durant West Coast Invitational Oct. 9; placed first in the 2A division at the Braden River Invitational Oct. 23; received an “excellent” rating at the Florida Band Association Music Performance Assessments

lowing year.

Then the pandemic hit, and starting a marching band program was not an option.

Finally, this year, the wait was over.

“When we actually started band camp this year, we knew that it was for real,” Carrier said. “It was a relief and joyous because it’s like, OK, we’re actually doing this for real.”

The band started its season with two weeks of band camp. None of the students had previous marching experience, and that led to the band learning music and drilling a step at a time.

“We couldn’t march a single spot,” Moore said. “No one knew how to read the drill book.”

Carrier said that although the band has sophomores, juniors and seniors, it was starting with a clean slate because few students had previous marching band experience.

“We essentially had all freshmen,” Carrier said. “We were able to teach them our style, our technique and all that from the start. There were silver linings because there we no bad habits to fix.”

On top of learning how to march, Esteban Moret-Ramirez, a junior who lives in Heritage Harbour, still was learning how to play the clarinet, which he started last year.

“I feel like marching with a new instrument has made me play so much better than I thought I would,” Moret-Ramirez said.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

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Courtesy photo

ing. They had their phones blasting with music.”

Besides trying to achieve success on the field, Carrier is focused on developing the culture of the band and emphasizing hard work, commitment and accountability.

Carrier developed an acronym for Parrish: pride, accountability, responsibility, respect, integrity, service and honesty.

“We feel that if all of those things drive the culture, the band’s going to be successful,” Carrier said. “We talked about results, not excuses.

We’re trying to have the kids have some grit where they can push through things.”

Trinh said the band can find a balance between hard work and finding times to relax.

When it started raining during rehearsal Oct. 29, the front ensemble was directed to go inside to ensure the instruments wouldn’t get wet.

Trinh said that in between taking care of the instruments and practicing, students would joke around.

Moore, Moret-Ramirez and Trinh all said the band has given them an opportunity to make new friends and that the band feels like a family.

“You make the connection instantly,” Moret-Ramirez said. “People say, ‘Oh, that’s a band kid,’ but with band kids, the bond is strong. It means a lot to me to be in this band and to be with everyone.”

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Carrier and the band members are amazed at the progress they’ve made since August. The band received an overall “excellent” rating at the Florida Band Association Music Performance Assessments, held Oct. 30 at Manatee High School. An “excellent” rating is the second highest rating a band can receive.

The band also placed first in the 2A division of two regional competitions and has qualified to perform in the semifinals at the Florida Marching Band Championships on Nov. 20.

“Seeing videos from the beginning, it blows my mind that was us,” Moore said. “Now to see where we are now, the progression is amazing.”

With the state competition upcoming, the Pride of Parrish Marching Band is working toward its goal of making the finals.

“I’m looking forward to how much we can push ourselves to improve by then,” said William Trinh, a junior.

“I’m looking forward to making sure that we’re the best we could be.”

Every week the band has added more to its performance. The band performed its show in its entirety Oct. 30, and Trinh said it was epic.

“We worked hard to put the whole show piece by piece together,” Trinh said. “And just to have the final product, although it wasn’t perfect, was great. Everyone was happy. We were celebrating on the bus. Everyone was going crazy. They were sing-

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N E W PRI C E

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

FAM I LY Liz Ramos

Michael Koczersut and Ronald Alvarez, who are students in the Manatee Technical College EMT program, have been able to sharpen their skills using the new ambulance simulator.

MTC gets ambulance simulator EMT students at MTC can practice emergency scenarios using the new ambulance simulator.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

D

uring Michael Koczersut’s first Emergency Medical Technician Program clinical, he was faced with a real emergency involving a pregnant woman.

The woman wasn’t aware of her pregnancy, and Koczersut, a student in Manatee Technical College’s EMT

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program, was responsible for getting the woman on the stretcher and into the ambulance so they could rush her to Blake Medical Center.

Koczersut had just learned about safe loading practices using MTC’s new ambulance simulator. He found those lessons to be important in the real world.

He said if he didn’t have access to the simulator, he would have been a detriment to the first responders who were working with him.

“About an hour later, lo and behold, I see a baby being delivered,” Koczersut said.

Students in MTC’s EMT program,

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12

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

ABOUT THE EMT PROGRAM The Emergency Medical Technician program equips students with the knowledge, skills and attitude to be a member of an emergency medical services team. The course is 300 hours, which will be completed within three months.

While participating in classes on Manatee Technical College’s east campus, students also participate in clinicals that provide real-life experience with emergency services within Manatee County. Completion of the EMT program is required before enrolling in other programs, such as the firefighter program.

which is a 300-hour program that involves going to class as well as participating in clinicals, have been using the ambulance simulator to run through different emergency scenarios, such as someone being pinned under a car, someone being dragged by a car and taking care of multiple patients at once.

“The one thing about this program is we try to push them, we over-stress them,” said Jay Bush, the director of the EMT program. “These guys have probably gone through more scenarios than most people have in 30 years of being a medic.”

The ambulance simulator has the same structure and layout of a regular ambulance, but it’s built inside a classroom without wheels. One wall of the ambulance has space for students to be able to see inside the ambulance while some students are inside the back of the ambulance practicing.

Christopher Mundell, an EMT student, said that only about three people can fit in the back of an ambulance, including the patient, so there is limited space for an instructor to guide students through each lesson and scenario.

Bush said the simulator allows students to get comfortable with being in the cramped back of an ambulance and to know where the equipment is before transitioning to practicing in

the ambulance outside, where students also will have to adjust to a moving ambulance.

MTC purchased the ambulance simulator using the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century grant, which is a federal grant. The simulator was constructed three months ago, just in time for the new group of EMT students.

Jennifer Gilray, the assistant director of MTC’s east campus, said the EMT program is one of the most popular programs at MTC and draws a large number of students. Completion of the program is required before students can move onto other first responder courses, such as the firefighter program.

“In order to be able to get our students that experience without purchasing a full ambulance, this was something we could have using the grant funds that were available and the room we have,” Gilray said.

Bush said the simulator also is cost effective. The maintenance on the donated ambulance can be around $5,000 per year while the simulator only would need minor maintenance.

In the past, EMT students would share the donated ambulance with the paramedic program, meaning around 40 students would be using the ambulance to learn essential skills in their programs.

With the simulator, students have an easier time accessing an ambulance and more time to practice what they’re learning in class and experiencing in clinicals.

“It helps us be a little more prepared for the environment when we actually go on ride-alongs,” Mundell said. “It’s a different work environment than when we’re in an open classroom with a mannequin on the ground. You can get in (the simulator) with somebody and work, so once you go on your ride-alongs, you’re not clueless.”

Ronald Alvarez, an EMT student, said the simulator has helped orient him to the layout of an ambulance and work on different skills so he’s better prepared for his clinicals.

“Our concern is not wanting to be a burden while we’re at clinicals,” Alvarez said. “You don’t want to slow anyone down.”

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

13

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YourObserver.com

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

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Did you know? An infrared sauna uses different colors of lights to heat the body from the inside, triggering a pure sweat from the core.

G

avin and Franciska Bray have one slight worry about bringing their new sauna operation to University Town Center.

They have to convince people who sweat in Florida’s humidity on a regular basis to pay to sweat more.

Still, the Brays, who spent most of their lives working in the health and wellness field, are moving full speed ahead with their plans to open a Perspire Sauna Studio franchise.

The studio, which will feature 10 infrared saunas and a retail shop, is scheduled to open in March 2022.

Curiosity about infrared saunas helped Gavin Bray, who worked in the health pharmaceutical field, look into joining a Perspire Sauna Studio in California that featured an infrared sauna, which heats the body from the inside, instead of a traditional sauna.

That experience for the Brays turned out to be a life-changer.

“When I experienced it for the first time, it was amazing,” Gavin Bray said. “When I exercise, I have a hard time sweating, and I really don’t sweat that much. When you go into an infrared sauna studio, you get this pure sweat from your core, so it’s not your normal, stinky, walking sweat you get around Florida.”

Bray continued seeing results from going to the Perspire Sauna Studio.

He said he used it as a post-exercise

routine and that it gave him a new outlook in feeling healthy.

“You get all these benefits and health benefits that you wouldn’t get from a normal sauna,” he said.

“It’s great for your joints, it’s great for your skin, and it’s great for weight loss. You can burn 500 to 600 calories just sitting in there and sweating, so it’s a great experience that way.”

With the Perspire Studio experience on their minds, Gavin and Franciska Bray set off on a cross-country move to the Sarasota area.

They saw what they felt was “an explosion of growth” in the Lakewood Ranch area and felt like the timing was right to commit to opening their own Perspire Studio franchise at University Town Center.

“Lakewood Ranch is this whole community that’s obviously booming, but it’s also booming around young families that have a lot of health and wellness in mind,” Gavin Bray said. “We just felt Lakewood Ranch would be the perfect place for this particular business.”

Perspire Sauna Studio, which will be membership-based, will be located around other health-centric busi-

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14

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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15

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

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Gavin and Franciska Bray take a look around inside what will become their Perspire Sauna Studio franchise at University Town Center.

“It’s great for your joints, it’s great for your skin, and it’s great for weight loss.

You can burn 500 to 600 calories just sitting in there and sweating, so it’s a great experience that way.”

— Gavin Bray

nesses in the southwest corner of UTC near Benderson Park. Franciska Bray said it will feature light therapy that allows users to choose different healing lights varying from purple, red and orange, which all have different benefits.

Other health benefits include psoriasis improvement, promotion of hair growth, rejuvenation of joints and treatment of inflammation.

“It’s a godsend when you go in

there because you can just feel the difference in your joints,” Gavin Bray said. “It’s making you sweat from your core out, so it’s detoxifying everything and decreasing inflammation in your body. It’s excellent for sleep deprivation. You sleep like a baby after these things.”

Franciska Bray, who is also a hot yoga instructor, said hot yoga won’t be offered but that one of the studios will have extra room for stretching.

All of the studios will have entertainment, such as Netflix or streaming music. The retail shop will offer juices, waters, clothing, creams and candles.

“When you walk in, you’ll feel the really calming energy in the whole studio,” she said. “You’ll come here to reset yourself and just feel better about yourself, and that’s one of the things that we’re super excited about. We really love it here, and we are super excited to bring this experience to this community.”

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16

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

ABOVE EXPECTATIONS. BEYOND SHOES. Quality footwear in a wide range of hard-to-find widths and sizes.

One-on-one consultations and fittings with the experts.

All adding up to a more comfortable fit.

Not just a string of luck Lakewood Ranch woman masters the craft of beading jewelry.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

G

941.921.3696 newbalancesarasota.com Sarasota: 1872 Stickney Point Road East of the Siesta Key South Bridge

University: 315 N. Cattleman Road, Suite #1 West District University Town Center West of I-75 on the South side of University Pkwy

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ranny’s bed couldn’t survive Elaine Vaughn’s love of crafting jewelry.

Lakewood Ranch’s Vaughn was convinced 10 years ago that her crafting hobbies were set. She loved quilting and making baskets, so when her friend Sonia Lacson asked her to attend her jewelry-making class, she said she wasn’t interested.

Lacson, who now lives in Lakewood Ranch but then owned a home in Sarasota, pushed a little more until Vaughn finally decided to make her happy by going.

The demonstration that day was stringing beads to make a Russian spiral. Vaughn started the project at Lacson’s home but had to take it with her to finish.

“It was too loose,” Vaughn said of the beads in her first project. “I didn’t pull it tight enough.”

She might not have created a work of art in that first effort, but Vaughn was hooked. And she has been creating beaded jewelry works of art ever since.

Her enthusiasm caused her to take her grandmother’s bed, which had been handed down through the generations, and get rid of it to clear up a spare room to become a craft studio. Vaughn had a place to work and a new hobby, and Jessie Mae Lawrence’s bed was gone.

“This is where it all happens,” Vaughn said with a laugh as she entered the craft room at her home.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, Vaughn will be showing her cre-

Photos by Jay Heater

IF YOU GO

What: Fall Art Show and Sale hosted by the Creative Arts Association of Lakewood Ranch When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 20 Where: Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.

Admission: Free More info: Visit CAALR.com.

Elaine Vaughn of Lakewood Ranch shows off one of her necklaces that will be on display at the Fall Art Show and Sale.

ations at the 19th Fall Art Show and Sale, hosted by the Creative Arts Association of Lakewood Ranch. The show features works by local artists in mediums that include painting, stained glass, fiber art, ceramics and jewelry. Admission is free, and face masks are required.

Although she only does two or three shows a year, Vaughn said that selling her jewelry was one of the most satisfying aspects of her hobby.

It doesn’t have anything to do with the modest prices she charges.

“When I see someone wearing a necklace that I had made, it brings joy to me,” she said.

A lot of care goes into her jewelry.

“I use top-quality materials,” she

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After meeting with Dr. Askins, she began a weightloss program he suggested to help her get as healthy as possible in preparation for her surgery.

She also attended a preoperative class, so she’d know what to expect both during and after surgery “By the time I had my first surgery in January [2020] on my left hip, I had lost about 65 pounds,” she says. “The surgery was amazing. I no longer have pain in my left hip.” The next challenge was her right hip, which had deteriorated to where she could barely walk on it. Before that surgery, she lost another 15 pounds. With help from her medical team and physical therapy, she was walking unassisted within a few weeks of her procedure while continuing her recovery. Today, she is grateful to be pain-free.

“I can walk longer distances, I’ve been swimming, and I can play with my grandkids as long as it’s nothing rambunctious,” she laughs. “Now, I’m going to appreciate every step I take.”

COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES FROM HEAD TO TOE The Orthopedic Spine and Joint Center at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center brings together experienced surgeons, skilled orthopedic nurses and specialty-trained physical and occupational therapists. Surgeons specialize in cervical spine, lumbar spine, total shoulder replacement, total hip replacement, total and partial knee replacement, and total ankle replacement.

The preoperative education program is key to helping patients achieve the best possible outcome from surgery. Knowing what to expect can help patients reduce their anxiety and equips them with information that is important to a smooth recovery.

To learn more about orthopedic services, visit lakewoodranchmedicalcenter.com/ortho.

For a physician referral, call 941-708-8100.

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.

349419-1

Rebecca Fulton, 66, loves taking walks and spending time with her nine grandchildren, but for several years she was immobilized by pain. Everyday activities like getting dressed, or getting in and out of the car, became difficult.

“I started using a cane because I felt wobbly,” she says. For a long time, she thought the pain was because of trouble with her back. She visited several chiropractors, but never found relief. She was surprised when imaging tests suggested the problems were with her hips. That’s when she reached out to orthopedic surgeon Roland Askins, MD, to discuss hip replacement surgery at the Orthopedic Spine and Joint Center at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

YourObserver.com

said of the beads and the clasps.

“That is so important. In Florida, you have to watch what you use because of the humidity.”

She shops only local bead stores, such as Knot Awl Beads at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. The former owner of a gift baskets and floral shop in Roanoke, Virginia, Vaughn said she loves to support local business people.

She had operated her own shop for 10 years in Roanoke when her husband, Joe, made the declaration: “I want to move to Florida.”

That was in 2004.

They have lived in the same Lakewood Ranch home since.

Once Vaughn started making jewelry, she said her husband does “get after her” about not wearing the nice jewelry that he gave her. It’s all in fun, though, because Joe Vaughn always has been supportive of her hobbies, and even now he drills the holes in the sea shells she finds to make necklaces or bracelets.

Besides loving wearing the jewelry she makes, Vaughn has other reasons to wear it. For one, before she sells anything, she wears it to make sure “nothing is sticking out, and nothing scratches you.”

Next, she does a lot of business just walking down the street when someone notices her jewelry. The lion’s share of her sales comes in that manner.

She doesn’t do any sales online

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

because she has heard horror stories and worries that one nasty customer is all it could take to damage her jewelry-making reputation.

Some works of art she creates simply aren’t for sale. She made one necklace she simply loved, working on it for three weeks, almost all day each of those days. A woman begged her to sell it, and she finally did.

But Vaughn felt so bad about the sale that she made herself another one, and she has no intention of parting ways with it.

Vaughn said she has a good eye to thread the very small beads.

“I thank God every day I can do it,” she said.

Asked what makes her jewelry special, she said, “I am a designer.”

And when she does made a sale, she donates 40% of the price to the Child Evangelism Fellowship.

“It is something I enjoy doing,” she said.

Vaughn said she is looking forward to the Fall Art Show and Sale because she loves meeting people and chatting with them. She also enjoys looking at the creations of her fellow artists.

Her grandma’s bed might be gone, but Vaughn still passes along some of her wisdom to shoppers.

“She told me one time, ‘Don’t ever match your earrings, you necklace and your bracelet,’” Vaughn said. “‘She said, ‘It makes you look like you got them on sale.’”

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17

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

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a holiday,” she said. “Then they brought me into the Elks.”

As Carruthers moved up the line of leadership at the Elks, Unger gave her tips along the way.

“He was a great mentor,” Carruthers said. “He taught me a lot, and I am extremely grateful for his friendship. He showed me that the art of leadership is being an honorable servant. He was special to me.”

Elks member Tom Sweeney called Unger a “phenomenal” person who always was present at the Elks Lodge.

“He was kind of a fixture here,” Sweeney said, noting he was one of the founding members of the Lakewood Ranch Elks with Unger in 2009.

Elks Secretary Brett Davis led the ceremony.

“We are here to pay a tribute of affection and honor to Jack,” he said.

“He did a lot for this community. If he had one fault, it was that he was so quiet. Those of us lucky enough to know him learned you never could have talked to a nicer person.”

Past Exalted Ruler Darrin Simone and current Exalted Ruler Jerry Ditty both said they loved Unger’s many stories about his former police work with the Patterson, New Jersey, Police Department. They both said he had a great sense of humor, though he was so quiet that you had to get to know him to discover it.

“He was a good man” Ditty said.

Joanne DiCarlo says her longtime companion, Jack Unger, loved to help disadvantaged children in his role with the Lakewood Ranch-Sarasota Elks.

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It was 2014 and the Lakewood Ranch-Sarasota Elks Lodge No. 2855 had a problem.

The person who was expected to serve as the 2015 exalted ruler — the fraternal organization’s top position — couldn’t fill the commitment.

Rosedale’s Jack Unger was willing to help, as he always had been through 50-something years with the Elks. The leadership at the Elks asked if he could fill the top role.

“He came home and whispered in my ear, ‘I’ll do it next year if you help me,’” said Joanne DiCarlo, Unger’s longtime companion.

Hand in hand, the two worked to keep the Elks effective in raising money for charity.

On Nov. 6, the Lakewood Ranch Elks held a special ceremony to honor Unger, who died Aug. 23 at the age of 82.

Countless times during the ceremony, Unger was remembered as an honorable, caring man.

“He loved doing anything for Harry-Anna (the trust that funds the Florida Elks Children’s Therapy Services and Youth Camp),” DiCarlo said. “I remember he and I donating the food and cooking an Italian dinner for 130 people with all the proceeds going to the children. He was a wonderful cook.”

DiCarlo paused several times to wipe tears from her eyes as she told the stories. She looked around at more than 100 fellow Elks who had come to honor Unger.

“They have been so wonderful, … all the Elks.”

Past Exalted Ruler Christine Carruthers said Unger and DiCarlo embraced her when her husband died in 2007.

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NOVEMBER 11, 2021

HIGH

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5

1

The Lakewood Ranch High girls cross-country team finished second (20:32 average time) at the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 4A Region 2 meet, held Nov. 4 at Lakeland’s Holloway Park. Mustangs senior Gracie Marston led the team with a second-place individual finish (19:40.10) out of 118 runners.

2

Lakewood Ranch High senior boys swimmer Dimiter Zafirov finished third in the 100-yard butterfly (51.86) at the FHSAA Class 4A Region 2 meet, held Nov. 5 at Sarasota’s Selby Aquatic Center.

3

The Out-of-Door Academy senior boys swimmer Felipe Baffico Balharry finished seventh in the 100-yard butterfly (49.11 seconds) and eighth in the 200-yard freestyle (1:40.20) at the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1A meet, held Nov. 6 at Sailfish Splash Waterpark and Aquatics Center in Stuart.

4

Ellen Hawley, Bernie Duggan, Sandra Zackin and Jerry Zackin (four under par) won the nine-hole “Halloween Mixer” event (best ball scoring), held Nov. 4 at Palm Aire Country Club’s Lakes course.

5

Dan Hannon and David Friedmann (97) won the Bay Hill flight of the Gold Tee division of the 27hole Men’s Golf Association “The Tradition” event (best ball scoring), held Nov. 5-6 at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club.

VETS FLY HIGH ON WATER PAGE 20

“Running is a mentally intensive sport. Having a good team around you and supporting you keeps you going.”

— ODA cross-country runner Tristan McWilliam SEE PAGE 21

Injuries can’t derail Pirates Despite a number of players lining up out of position, Braden River’s football team has thrived in 2021.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS REPORTER

L

ooking at the Braden River High football team’s 8-1 record, it appears that the 2021 season was business as usual for the perennial power Pirates.

In reality, the season was anything but usual.

Thanks to a rash of injuries, the Pirates had to play many players out of their strongest positions, some even playing their new positions for the first time. It caused adjustments from the coaching staff and a willingness for the players to make sacrifices for the betterment of the team.

Even so, the Pirates stayed afloat.

In fact, Braden River might be all the better for its tribulations. The Pirates’ 8-1 mark is the program’s best regular-season record since going 8-1 in 2016.

That season, Braden River won its first-round playoff game against Gulf Coast High, 37-21, before losing to Venice High 64-42 in the next round. The Pirates won’t have to deal with Venice this season as the Indians have been bumped to Class 8A while Braden River is Class 6A. As Pirates Head Coach Curt Bradley said after the team’s 21-6 road win against Sarasota High (6-4) on Nov. 5, the team’s postseason journey is still filled with challenging opponents, including Sumner High (8-2) — the only team to beat the Pirates this season — and undefeated Tampa Jesuit (10-0).

First, the Pirates will play Countryside High (5-5) on the road at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 for the right to advance to the regional semifinals.

Sophomore Trayvon Pinder and senior Nehemiah Jenkins have split the rushing load this season for the Pirates after an injury to projected senior starter Justice McDaniel in the first week against Lakewood Ranch High. Thanks to a strong offensive line and smart usage of the running back duo — Pinder is the thunder to Jenkins’ lightning — Braden River has been able to control the clock offensively and force opponents to conform to the Pirates’ preferred pace.

Lost in the running game’s dominance is the senior under center.

Bryan Kearse has been a wide receiver his entire Pirates career. Kearse, who is 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, caught 12 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown in the Pirates’ first two games of 2021.

The injury to starting sophomore quarterback Nick Trier changed everything for Braden River and for Kearse, who was asked by Bradley and offensive coordinator Eric Sanders to step into the quarterback role.

Kearse said the coaches knew he had some experience playing quarterback in middle school, part of the reason they turned to him. The other part, as Bradley said, was the coaches’ trust in him not to make mistakes.

“Bryan has worked so stinking hard at that craft to be able to execute,” Bradley said. “Not just from a quarterback standpoint but from a leadership standpoint. A lot of kids would be all: ‘Man, I want the football. I want to catch balls.’ He gave up a lot to play quarterback. He deserves a lot of credit.”

With Kearse under center, the team has shifted its style to plays that suit Kearse’s game, such as option plays and roll-out passes.

Bradley credited Sanders with the seamless transition and play calling.

As a result, the normally pass-heavy Pirates offense has been different to watch in 2021, but no less effective: Braden River is averaging 32.7 points per game. Despite his inexperience at quarterback, Kearse has been no small part of that success. In seven games under center, Kearse, who throws left-handed, has completed 35 of 62 passes for 551 yards and nine

Braden River senior Bryan Kearse stiff arms Sarasota High Sailors freshman cornerback Joe Durn. Kearse moved to quarterback from wide receiver this season.

IF YOU GO What: Braden River High (8-1) vs. Countryside High (5-5) When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 Where: Countryside High (3000 S.R. 580, Clearwater) At stake: A trip to the Class 6A Region 3 semifinals, where the winner between Tampa Jesuit (10-0) and Boca Ciega High (6-4) awaits Tale of the tape: Braden River is ranked 15th in Class 6A and 75th in Florida by MaxPreps; Countryside is ranked 59th in Class 6A and 341st in the state.

Pirates player to watch: Junior linebacker Aidan Dangler, who leads the team with 102 tackles and 10 tackles for loss Cougars player to watch: Senior running back Jaden Griffin, who has run for 1,408 yards and 18 touchdowns on 155 carries (9.1 yards per carry)

touchdowns. He has thrown just one interception. Kearse has contributed in the running game as well, rushing for 152 yards and four touchdowns on 30 carries.

For Kearse’s part, he’s just happy to be helping the team at all. Kearse said he “understood the assignment” when asked to quarterback the team and feels like he’s improved each week. Kearse thanked his coaches for working with him and doing things he is comfortable doing. He also thanked the running backs behind him for forcing defenses to play the run, opening up passing lanes — and for breaking big plays.

“Oh, my God, it helps so much,” Kearse said of his running back duo.

“Knowing I can hand the ball to either of them and they can take it 40 or 50 yards is huge. On third and 15, I can hand it to one of them, and we’ll get the first down. I love those boys.”

Pinder received a lot of attention early in the season for the way he broke out. He ran for 199 yards on 18 carries in week one against Lakewood Ranch and has continued his strong season since then. Bradley is just as proud of Jenkins, who primarily plays defensive back, for the way he’s embraced the offensive side of the ball when the team needed him to step up — and while still playing defense. “(Jenkins) will tell you he thought early in his career he should have

Photos by Ryan Kohn

been playing more,” Bradley said.

“We asked him to wait and get better.

It all clicked for him this year when Justice (McDaniel) went down. He grew up and matured and took the reins. He’s been a warrior for us. He’s only about 170 pounds, but he runs the football hard. We are incredibly proud of him.”

Jenkins had 16 carries for 106 yards in the Pirates’ win over Sarasota.

Playing Pirates out of their normal positions remained a theme for the 2021 team throughout the season.

Against the Sailors, one of Kearse’s touchdown passes went to sophomore Cody Kawcak. In the team’s first seven games, Kawcak was a defensive end. He moved to tight end because of injuries and found a way to contribute.

As much as these out-of-position players have contributed on offense, the Braden River defense has been as stout as ever. Against Sarasota, the Pirates held the Sailors to one touchdown, which came with five seconds left in the game. Braden River stonewalled Sarasota on a goal line stand in the third quarter, forcing a turnover on downs, and junior linebacker Tanner Wolfe and senior linebacker Andrew Nordland had sacks of Sailors senior quarterback Lance Trippel.

Pirates sophomore tight end Cody Kawcak celebrates after catching a touchdown pass from Bryan Kearse. Kawcak moved to the position from defensive end.

20

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

Veterans try ‘flying on glass’ D

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Above: Benderson Park dragon boat Coach Angela Long and veteran paddler Rick Jensen helped form the NBP Veterans team.

Left: Angela Long stands to coach the NBP Dragons paddlers at practice. Long gave Rick Jensen the go-ahead to recruit a team of veterans for the program.

“It’s a lot of responsibility,” he said about serving in the military.

“We risk our lives, and we are away from our families, possibly in a different country. Being out here has helped me with that, and I think other soldiers can benefit from it too, whether they are dealing with PTSD or something else. Here, we

work as a team. We work to accomplish the mission of winning a race.”

Jensen had plans to start a veterans team at the park since September 2019 when he talked with NBP Dragons Coach Angela Long about the idea. She gave the go-ahead, until the plans were brought to a halt by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jensen had to shelve the team idea for a year.

Now it is full steam ahead, though. The freshly minted NBP Veterans, like the Survivors in Sync team for paddlers with breast cancer, will practice in tandem with the NBP Dragons under Long’s guidance. Jensen said he put out a number of social media posts advertising the opportunity, with solid results. As of Nov. 3, Jensen said, the team has had 17 paddlers show up to practice because of the posts and approximately 20 more who have expressed interest in attending in the future.

One such attendee is Kama Beasley, a Lakewood Ranch resident who served as a U.S. Navy IC3 Surface Warfare Specialist from 2010-2014.

Beasley, 37, said finding out about the program was a work of divine intervention. She saw a post about Benderson Park’s Veterans New Paddlers Day, held Sept. 18, on the morning of the event via Facebook’s community page. It was meant to be a type of kick-off event for the group. Beasley shuffled her life around to be able to attend despite not knowing anything about dragon boat — or any other water sport, for that matter. Beasley simply felt like it was where she needed to be.

“I had no expectations,” she said.

“I showed up, and they handed me a life vest and said, ‘Get in the boat.’

That first day … the only thing I can compare it to is flying on glass.

That’s what it feels like.”

Beasley said being in a group of veterans, all learning the sport together, made for a special experience. She took a photo of herself in her life vest to commemorate the occasion. Like Jensen suspected, the thrill of working as a team again appealed to Beasley and others.

Beasley said seeing all the veterans digging as deep within themselves as they could to accomplish a common goal was inspiring. So inspir-

ing that she now practices with the Dragons as often as she can, sometimes three days a week.

“I think it’s amazing,” Beasley said of the program. “It is a great opportunity for the community. It’s going to be fantastic as it grows. As a vet, to find something like this to do is huge for my personal journey. It settles my mind. It eases my anxiety, being on the water.”

That first day, Beasley said, the veterans were able to go from “hitting each other’s paddles” to “not hitting each other’s paddles,” which I can attest is more progress than it sounds, as someone who once tried and failed at the sport. Through practicing with the Dragons, Beasley and other vets from that beginner’s day have continued to get better. Now, they’re ready for races.

The veteran team’s members will race with the Dragons on certain occasions. On other occasions, though, the veterans will have the dragon boat to themselves, like they did Nov. 6 in Citrus County, when the team raced against an experienced team of former U.S. Marines.

It was the team’s first official race.

There is not a designated veteran’s division of dragon boat racing at championship events yet, like there are breast cancer team divisions, but that’s the hope for the future.

Special division or not, the veterans will continue to race, continue to work on their craft — and themselves.

Veterans interested in joining the program can visit NathanBendersonPark.org.

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

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ragon boat is for everyone.

It’s a phrase often spoken when programs are recruiting new members. It’s true, too — there’s not a person alive who couldn’t learn something from trying it at least once and probably have some fun, too.

For some people, though, like military veterans, the sport can mean a little bit more.

Rick Jensen, a retired U.S. Army first sergeant who served in Vietnam, heard of the sport five years ago when a group of women were talking about it on Anna Maria Island. Jensen asked them about it, and the women, paddlers from AMI Dragon Boat, invited him to try it.

He did and instantly fell for it.

Jensen loves the sport not because it is a challenge but because of what he feels when he’s on the water: nothing.

“You’re not thinking about anything else,” Jensen said. “You have no problems and no worries.

All you’re doing is concentrating on paddling. Is my form correct? Am I keeping in time with everyone else?

It’s synchronization. It’s teamwork.

That’s what you think about.”

Eventually, Jensen moved on from AMI Dragon Boat and joined the NBP Dragons, which are based at Nathan Benderson Park. He has enjoyed every second of it.

A thought kept coming to him, though, itching his brain until he felt compelled to act: There should be a designated Benderson Park dragon boat team for veterans.

“The synchronization is just like military marching,” Jensen said.

“Everybody is in step. I just thought, how cool would it be to form a (veterans) team? Men or women, able or disabled, doesn’t make a difference to me. Military life and civilian life are quite different.”

Jensen said the things soldiers do affects not only their lives but other people’s as well.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

When did you start running?

I started taking running seriously my freshman year here. I had run cross-country a bit in middle school, and I had some good times, but I dropped three minutes from my personal record time in my first high school race.

What is the appeal to you?

The main reason I keep running is the team. Running is a mentally intensive sport. Having a good team around you and supporting you keeps you going.

What are your goals for the state meet?

My goal is to finish second overall, maybe first overall. The one in front of me (Indian Rocks Christian senior Mateo Luna) is approximately 15-20 seconds ahead.

welcomed me with open arms, and we automatically became friends.

My sophomore year, we were close as a team, and we knew we had a chance to do it.

What is your favorite subject?

I’m majoring in aerospace engineering in college next year, so I’ll say that. I have always been interested in engineering. My family drove to Kennedy Space Center to watch the last shuttle launch in 2011, so that got me interested in space as well.

21

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Tristan McWilliam is a senior on The Out-of-Door Academy boys crosscountry team. McWilliam finished second overall (16:10.01) out of 116 runners at the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 1A Region 3 meet, held Nov. 4 at Lakeland’s Holloway Park.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

ADOPT

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Tristan McWilliam

If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Ryan Kohn at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.

|

What is the best advice you have received?

As a runner, you have to put in a lot of work early in the season. You can’t expect to just show up to practice day one and get good times. You have to keep building in order to get a good outcome in the end.

Finish this sentence: “Tristan McWilliam is …”

A leader. I try to do my best because others look to me for encouragement. I’m not much of a rule-breaker. I try to be a good example for everyone.

What is your plan of attack on the state course (Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee)?

I lean into the downhill sections there. I use them as much as possible to build up speed for the next hill.

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My favorite memory is probably making the state meet as a team my sophomore year. The year before, my freshman year, the team

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YOUR NEIGHBORS It’s Fort Hamer time M

ore than 700 area runners took part in the annual Fort Hamer Bridge Run on an unusually cool and damp Saturday morning in Parrish.

The festivities began before dawn as runners were greeted with some music, refreshments and several area vendors handing out goodies to take home. Among the runners were Susannah Philipp and Courtney Hartmann, both of Parrish, who were set to take on the 5K event with their dogs, Delilah and Wesley.

The run has become a tradition for Philipp, who has participated every year since its inception.

Saturday marked Delilah’s first event after Jasper, Philipp’s former running buddy, died.

Priscilla Dorian gathered with some friends to take a selfie near the starting line as the sun began to rise over Fort Hamer Park. They were getting set to run over the 4,544-foot-long Fort Hamer Bridge into the Waterlefe subdivision and then back over the bridge.

“This is a great time to have some physical activity with some great friends, and it’s for a good cause,” Dorian said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a chance to run on this bridge.”

Parrish resident Collin Butzow ran out to a big lead and went on to cover the 3.1-mile distance in 16 minutes, 20 seconds to win the race. Anna Neal of Parrish was the overall women’s winner, finishing ninth overall with a time of 20:19.

Saturday’s event benefited The Parrish Foundation, Manatee County Youth Rowing and Parrish Community High School Athletic Boosters.

Collin Butzow of Parrish was the overall winner of Saturday’s Fort Hamer Bridge Run. Anna Neal of Parrish was the overall women’s winner and finished ninth overall.

Julia Fellin, 6, of Bradenton took home some Frisbees and a first-place trophy in the female 1-9 age group from Saturday’s Fort Hamer Bridge Run. Photos by Scott Lockwood

The Cash family from Parrish gets fired up to run Saturday morning’s Fort Hamer Bridge Run. Pictured are Cody, Deb, Colson, Quincy and Cary Cash.

— SCOTT LOCKWOOD

Right: Priscilla Doiron, Sandra Arango and Astryd Ghysbrecht, all of Lakewood Ranch, grab a selfie prior to the start of Saturday’s Fort Hamer Bridge Run. Below: Runners make their way up and over the Fort Hamer Bridge just after the start of Saturday morning’s event.

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Glen Murrhead, Julie Metcalf, Steve Morse, Dennis Gallo, Alvin Ducre, Lilliann Reyes, Holly Parton and William Parton relax after finishing Saturday’s Fort Hamer Bridge Run.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

— LIZ RAMOS

23

Your NEW Outdoor Kitchen is HERE!

Empty Bowls, full hearts S

abal Harbour’s Joe Angers wasn’t able to volunteer at last year’s Empty Bowls at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, Angers is back serving soup, and he couldn’t be happier.

“Last year was a total washout for all my volunteering,” Angers said. “I’m happy to be getting back into it. It’s great.”

Dozens of cars flowed through Main Street at Lakewood Ranch on Nov. 5 as Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee had to change Empty Bowls from being an inperson event to a drive-thru due to rain.

Country Club East’s Gary Corson volunteered at Empty Bowls for the first time.

“I’m looking forward to getting rid of this whole pot of chicken noodle soup,” Corson said. “And if I do that, I have a spare to serve too.”

Country Club East’s Susan and Len Tabicman were overwhelmed with the choices of soup. It was the first time they went to Empty Bowls.

“I have no idea what to get,” Susan Tabicman said. “They all sound super good.

I’m having a difficult time deciding.”

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

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Maribeth Phillips, the president and CEO of Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, and Country Club East’s Gary Corson serve soup to people who drive through the Empty Bowls fundraiser at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

D R O A R AT

The human chess match, which pitted England against Scotland, is always a popular attraction at the Sarasota Medieval Fair.

Medieval history begins in Myakka

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ringling.org Photos by Scott Lockwood 363287-1

eople from all over the region donned their best medieval costumes and ventured into the Woods of Mallaranny for the 17th annual Sarasota Medieval Fair on Nov. 6 in Myakka City.

Heavy rains from Friday turned the grounds muddy, but that didn’t dampen the atmosphere. Live shows, such as the human chess match and jousting, along with ax and knife throwing, archery, and the chance to eat the traditional turkey leg, made it a day to remember.

Lakewood Ranch resident Eric Barnhart brought his sons, Parker and Mason, to their first Sarasota Medieval Fair. He said they enjoyed the Wheel of Death show and the jousting. They showed off their new toy swords as he talked.

“This was just a great day of family fun,” Barnhart said. “We definitely will be back next year.”

The Sarasota Medieval Fair will run from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays throughout the month of November.

Anthony Lenzi of Sarasota dresses as a god of war to the fair.

— SCOTT LOCKWOOD

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

25

King Edward I “Longshanks” (David Gadewoltz) leads his English chess team across the Woods of Mallaranny to their battle with Scotland.

Port Charlotte’s Adalynn Singh and John Taylor make their way through the Woods of Mallaranny.

Sarasota’s Sylvie Howard and Taylor Callander take a break from looking around the vendor tents.

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Parker and Mason Barnhart of Lakewood Ranch show off their new swords to a knight.

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

BRADENTON 8499 Lindrick Lane 6 Beds 8/4 Baths 15,223 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4475594 $10,850,000

CORTEZ 12925 42nd Terrace W 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 5,138 Sq. Ft. Ann Martin & Joanna Benante 941-356-7717 A4502107 $4,750,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 102 Cedar Avenue 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,290 Sq. Ft. Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4507978 $3,995,000

LONGBOAT KEY 2377 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 2D4 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,915 Sq. Ft. Ian Addy, PA & Gail Wittig, LLC 941-961-8850 A4515831 $3,450,000

UNIVERSITY PARK 7420 Mayfair Court 5 Beds 4/1 Baths 6,815 Sq. Ft. Bernadette Caswell 941-320-8265 A4515947 $3,200,000

SARASOTA 3501 Founders Club Drive 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,836 Sq. Ft. Richard Hearn 941-313-1591 A4497661 $1,700,000

BRADENTON 20504 65th Avenue E 4 Beds 2/1 Baths 3,738 Sq. Ft. Aaron Corr & Leslie Emery 941-840-2346 A4509727 $1,599,000

ANNA MARIA ISLAND 2719 Gulf Drive 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,119 Sq. Ft. Melinda Alvarez 941-704-0633 A4506596 $1,549,900

SARASOTA 1520 Ridgewood Lane 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,437 Sq. Ft. Stacy Liljeberg & John Garmong 941-544-6103 A4514956 $1,499,000

BRADENTON 6810 190th Street E 5 Beds 4 Baths 3,637 Sq. Ft. Leslie Emery & Aaron Corr 941-400-9710 A4508469 $1,299,000

BRADENTON 1523 1st Avenue W 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,500 Sq. Ft. Fran DeDona & Pam Goodwin 941-812-5023 A4505327 $999,750

LAKEWOOD RANCH 16535 Berwick Terrace 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,882 Sq. Ft. Kristen Srur 941-350-0612 A4516312 $925,000

PALMETTO 610 16th Avenue E 2 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,957 Sq. Ft. Rachelle Golden 941-538-8998 A4514336 $899,000

SARASOTA 17151 Deer Prairie Drive 5 Beds 3 Baths 3,621 Sq. Ft. Lee Byron & Sue Keal 941-350-5542 A4516078 $869,000

PARRISH 3911 Twin Rivers Trail 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,557 Sq. Ft. Cheryl Roberts 941-266-1450 A4510445 $865,000

SARASOTA 1518 Bel Air Star Parkway 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,475 Sq. Ft. Cheryl Roberts 941-266-1450 A4506654 $835,000

SARASOTA 850 Hudson Avenue 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,556 Sq. Ft. Barbara May & Fred Sassen 404-822-9264 A4515689 $799,000

BRADENTON 1612 Point Pleasant Avenue W 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,192 Sq. Ft. Robert Krasow 617-840-1181 A4515473 $795,000

BRADENTON 5449 46th Court W 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,039 Sq. Ft. Adam Cuffaro 941-812-0791 A4511158 $630,000

PALMETTO 8907 Amen Corner Place 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,864 Sq. Ft. Diane Fogo Harter 941-445-2431 A4515781 $595,000

BRADENTON 1311 Water Oak Way N 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,978 Sq. Ft. Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies, LLC 941-685-6767 A4514981 $550,000

BRADENTON 7712 10th Avenue NW 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,858 Sq. Ft. Victoria Sperounes 941-960-3773 A4514151 $545,000

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BRADENTON 5155 San Palermo Drive 4 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,997 Sq. Ft. Rachelle Golden 941-538-8998 A4515613 $489,000

BRADENTON 1510 Scarlet Oak Lane 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,825 Sq. Ft. Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies, LLC 941-685-6767 A4511677 $475,000

SARASOTA 345 S Polk Drive 5 Beds 5/2 Baths 4,991 Sq. Ft. Barbara May & Fred Sassen 404-822-9264 A4515494 $6,250,000

MYAKKA CITY 3005 233rd Street E 4 Beds 3/2 Baths 4,164 Sq. Ft. Chris Baylis 941-735-4713 A4510152 $5,800,000

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home in Riverdale topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Dennis and Deborah Petrisak, of Land O’Lakes, sold their home at 4607 Fifth Ave. NE to Rex and Anne Wetherill, of Bradenton, for $1.9 million.

Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,123 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.45 million in 2020.

GREENBROOK

Mark and Rhonda Thacker, of Sarasota, sold their home at 6441 Indigo Bunting Place to James and Kerry Murphy, of Lakewood Ranch, for $759,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,030 square feet of living area. It sold for $532,000 in 2018.

COUNTRY CLUB

Oscar and Jacquelyn Acosta, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 6122 Blue Runner Court to Michael Richmond, of Lakewood Ranch, for $506,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,217 square feet of living area. It sold for $295,000 in 2015.

Celeste-Michelle Hummel, of Sparta, Michigan, sold her home at 8004 Royal Birkdale Circle to Joseph Price Hickey and Ellen Mouser Hickey, of Lakewood Ranch, for $986,000. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, three-anda-half baths, a pool and 3,726 square feet of living area. It sold for $850,000 in 2007.

Zachary Urow, of Tampa, and Lois Eng, of Hamburg, New Jersey, trustees, sold the home at 7621 Silverwood Court to Jorge and Gabriela Ferrero, of Lakewood Ranch, for $825,000. Built in 2010, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,631 square feet of living area. It sold for $575,000 in 2012.

Michael and Dottie Canellas, of Osage Beach, Missouri, sold their home at 7614 Silverwood Court to Soudabeh Hirmanpour, of Lakewood Ranch, for $756,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,310 square feet of living area. It sold for $525,000 in 2019.

Lidia Boyer, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, sold her home at 6601 Pebble Beach Way to Frank and Aida Ricci, of Lakewood Ranch, for $650,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,289 square feet of living area.

It sold for $430,000 in 2015.

MALLORY PARK

Joshua Thomas McIntosh and Staci Lynn McIntosh, of Bradenton, sold their home at 12418 Blue Hill Trail to Keith and Allison Jones, of Bradenton, for $1.05 million. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,520 square feet of living area. It sold for $648,800 in 2018.

MARINELAND ADDITION

James Donarski and Kim Herrera, of Palmetto, sold their home at 6422 Lincoln Road to Kara and Aaron Thompson, of Bradenton, for $835,000. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 3,618 square feet of living area. It sold for $600,000 in 2020.

SAVANNA

Christine and Paul Crank, of Bradenton, sold their home at 3605 Scrub Creek Run to Michael and Wendy Gonzales, trustees, of Bradenton, for $778,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,287 square feet of living area. It sold for $340,000 in 2018.

OCT. 25-29

Aaron and Emily Fingerhut, of Ponte Vedra, sold their home at 2914 Starwood Court to David and Allison Pulcini, of Bradenton, for $775,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths and 3,634 square feet of living area.

It sold for $622,500 in March.

RIVER REVISED

Thomas and Jennifer Bowles, of Sarasota, sold their home at 7019 Brier Creek Court to Augusto Guillermo and Claudia Olave Guillermo, of Bradenton, for $1.17 million. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,598 square feet of living area.

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

ARBOR GRANDE

Marcos and Teresa Ruiz, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6647 Coopers Hawk Court to Brian and Silvia Hartman, of Lakewood Ranch, for $735,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,480 square feet of living area. It sold for $362,500 in 2012.

Andrew and Haley Christman, of Palmetto, sold their home at 3624 Fifth Ave. NE to Meredith Sheppard, of Bradenton, for $1.18 million. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,919 square feet of living area. It sold for $462,500 in 2017.

27

ROSEDALE GOLF AND TENNIS CLUB

William Hirsch Jr. and Dale Pennington, trustees, of Sun City Center, sold the home at 5204 88th St. E. to James and Tammy Sego, of Bradenton, for $750,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,601 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2019.

BRIDGEWATER

Norman Louis Mulgrew and Lynda Wolf Mulgrew, of Lewes, Delaware, sold their home at 5617 Nectar Cove to Blake Edward Griffin, of Bradenton, for $705,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,381 square feet of living area. It sold for $528,900 in 2016.

WATERCREST

Kathleen Grant, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the Unit 302 condominium at 6340 Watercrest Way to Carolyn Turk Minik, of Lakewood Ranch, for $705,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,376 square feet of living area.

It sold for $630,000 in 2006.

Courtesy photo

This Riverdale home at 4607 Fifth Ave. NE sold for $1.9 million. It has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,123 square feet of living area.

DESOTO LAKES

Elizabeth Wallace, of Sarasota, sold the home at 5513 Inverness Drive to Jose Rodriguez, of Sarasota, for $665,000. Built in 1983, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,348 square feet of living area. It sold for $235,000 in 1994.

RIVER WIND

Neal Signature Homes LLC sold the home at 964 River Wind Circle to James BoisD’Enghien and Shirley Ethyl BoisD’Enghien, of Bradenton, $656,000. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool, a pool and 3,520 square feet of living area.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Kevin and Kathleen Horner, of Court Alma, Michigan, sold their home at 16543 Hillside Circle to Edward Farr and Karen Wolf, of Bradenton, for $650,000. Built in 2016, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 1,937 square feet of living area. It sold for $442,500 in 2016.

POLO RUN

Nicholas and Blaire Flood, of Bradenton, sold their home at 17931 Polo Trail to Sarvesh Saundankar SEE REAL ESTATE, PAGE 28

In with the new SALES GALLERY OPEN

Longboat Key

ESPLANADE

Howard and Marlene Jacoby sold their home at 13038 Prima Drive to Anita Shalit, of Bradenton, for $703,000. Built in 2015, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,811 square feet of living area. It sold for $379,000 in 2015.

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KENWOOD PARK

Gerald Schell and Victoria Margeotes Schell, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 8319 Abingdon Court to Mervyn Hamburg and Eileen Diane Hamburg, trustees, of Bradenton, for $699,900. Built in 2005, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,200 square feet of living area. It sold for $490,000 in 2016.

GREYHAWK LANDING

Jonathan Scott Best and Regina Dawn Best, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 336 Snapdragon Loop to Allan and Kathy Young, of Bradenton, for $680,500. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,522 square feet of living area. It sold for $381,400 in 2017.

Sunee Kim Watts, of Denver, sold her home at 12823 Daisy Place to Joyce and Dennis Valenza, of Bradenton, for $531,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,305 square feet of living area. It sold for $250,000 in 2011.

BRADEN WOODS

Richard Stephen Taylor, trustee, sold the home at 6802 93rd St. E. to Victor and Jennifer Froemel, of Bradenton, for $667,500. Built in 1991, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,251 square feet of living area.

It sold for $454,900 in 2006.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

REAL ESTATE

Riverdale home tops sales at $1.9 million

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

WEST FLORIDA’S PREMIER POOL BUILDER

Real estate

bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,488 square feet of living area. It sold for $436,000 in 2018.

FROM PAGE 27

TARA

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SUMMERFIELD

William and Lori Sikorski, of Bradenton, sold their home at 11304 Rivers Bluff Circle to David and Gayle Thurston, of Bradenton, for $630,000. Built in 1999, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,422 square feet of living area. It sold for $305,000 in 2012.

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George Hardman III, of Venice, sold his home at 6450 Willowshire Way to Eric and LeNora Tincher, of Bradenton, for $535,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,288 square feet of living area.

It sold for $348,300 in 2015.

Alan and Linda Sausner, of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, sold their home at 6724 Wild Lake Terrace to John Presta Jr. and Thomas George, of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, for $530,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,829 square feet of living area. It sold for $395,000 in 2018.

COUNTRY CREEK

SARACINA AT ESPLANADE

Melissa and William Asher, of Franklin, Tennessee, sold their home at 14022 First Ave. E. to Christopher Ryan and Christina Gross, of Kapolei, Hawaii, for $575,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,374 square feet of living area. It sold for $340,000 in 2016.

Brian and Brenda McHale, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 4312 condominium at 18007 Gawthrop Drive to Timothy and Cami Smith, of Bradenton, for $548,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,786 square feet of living area. It sold for $321,500 in 2020.

OPEN BY APPOINTMENT

HERITAGE HARBOUR

Herbert and Rita Salzman, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 1-505 condominium at 10530 Boardwalk Loop to Henrietta Tackett and David Joe Tackett, of St. Petersburg, for $606,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,467 square feet of living area. It sold for $481,800 in 2017.

COACH HOMES AT LAKEWOOD NATIONAL

Serving Manatee County since 1998

Sharon Marie Valavicius, trustee, and Joseph Mazza, of Owens Cross Road, Alabama, sold the home at 6723 Pleasant Hill Road to Mark and Theresa Johnson, of Edgerton, Wisconsin, for $545,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,167 square feet of living area. It sold for $196,200 in 1993.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

Bruce Seplowe, of Wimauma, sold his home at 10506 Cypress Point Drive to Patricia Maidment and James Myers, of Bradenton, for $548,000. Built in 1998, it has four

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Katherine Slazak, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the Unit 103 condominium at 13506 Messina Loop to Anthony David Barak, of Bradenton, for $525,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,146 square feet of living area. It sold for $340,000 in 2017.

DEL TIERRA

Theo Investments LLC sold the home at 15522 Trinity Fall Way to Robert and Lisa Rankin and Dennis and Susan Rankin, of Bradenton, for $505,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,787 square feet of living area.

It sold for $315,000 in 2020.

ONLINE See more transactions at YourObserver.com

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SATURDAY, NOV. 13

REC DAY Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota.

Nathan Benderson Park hosts Rec Day, which offers participants to try stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, canoes, fishing and more. Meet at the base of the finish tower. The fee is $10 per person or $5 for an adult who brings a child. The event is free for children 6 and younger. Fishing licenses are required for all participants who choose to fish. For more information, go to NathanBendersonPark.org.

BEST BET SATURDAY, NOV. 13 TO SUNDAY, NOV. 14

MEDIEVAL FAIR Runs each day from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Woods of Mallaranny, State Road 70 E., Myakka City. Visitors enjoy the medieval era through a wide range of family-friendly activities at the Sarasota Medieval Fair. The event also runs Nov. 20-21 and 27-28. Features include local artisans and craft demonstrations, live performances, food vendors and a Children’s Realm. For more information, go to SarasotaMedievalFair.com.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

29

YOUR CALENDAR

COMMUNITY

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

SUNDAY, NOV. 14

THE MARKET AT LAKEWOOD RANCH Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place at Lakewood Ranch. The event runs every Sunday year-round. Vendors offer seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles, among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 17

RANCH NITE WEDNESDAYS Runs from 6-9 p.m. at 1561 Lakefront Drive, Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch. Ranch Nite Wednesdays makes its debut at Waterside Place after moving from its former home at the Sarasota Polo Club.

* See server for full details.

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*Restrictions apply.

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The free event, which includes food trucks, live music, a market, an outdoor bar and a cornhole league, runs every week through May. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

LIP SYNC BATTLE Begins at 6:30 p.m. at Braden River High School, 6545 State Road 70 E., Bradenton. Braden River High School is hosting a lip sync battle in which 12 groups of students will battle against one another for the title. The audience will vote for the top five groups, which will perform a second time. The audience then will vote for the top two groups, which will pick a song from a set list and perform. The audience will select a champion. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online at OnTheStage.

Tickets/braden-river-high-school or at the door.

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GIRLS SOCCER SHOWCASE Begins at 8 a.m. at Premier Sports Campus, 5895 Post Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The College Coaches Showcase Camp is designed for girls elite players to display their skills in front of college coaches.

Players are encouraged to ask questions and get to know the coaches, who will provide feedback. Coaches from Southern Mississippi, Gardner Webb University and Embry-Riddle University, among other schools, will be in attendance. There are two sessions, one at 8 a.m. and one at noon. Registration fees are $185 per session or $285 for both sessions. Registration is online only. To register, visit Women.CollegeSoccerProspects.com.

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WEATHER

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST THURSDAY, NOV. 11 High: 80 Low: 67 Chance of rain: 22%

FRIDAY, NOV. 12 High: 78 Low: 65 Chance of rain: 22%

SUNRISE / SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Nov. 11 6:48a 5:39p Friday, Nov. 12

6:49a

5:39p

Saturday, Nov. 13

6:49a

5:39p

Sunday, Nov. 14

6:50a

5:38p

Monday, Nov. 15

6:51a

5:38p

Tuesday, Nov. 16

6:52a

5:37p

Wednesday, Nov. 17 6:52a

5:37p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, NOV. 13 High: 75 Low: 57 Chance of rain: 18%

SUNDAY, NOV. 14 High: 67 Low: 54 Chance of rain: 2% Kim Muenter took this photo of flowers in bloom by Town Hall in Lakewood Ranch.

Dec. 4 New

Dec. 10 First

Dec. 18 Full

Dec. 26 Last

RAINFALL Monday, Nov. 1

0

Tuesday, Nov. 2

0

Wednesday, Nov. 3

0

Thursday, Nov. 4

0 0.27

Friday, Nov. 5 Saturday, Nov. 6

0

Sunday, Nov. 7

0

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

Submit your photos at YourObserver.com/Weather. All submissions will be entered for the 2021-22 Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2022, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

YEAR TO DATE: 2021 45.74 in.

2020 48.36 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2021 1.39 in.

2020 0.49 in.

MANASOTA FLOORING INC 941.493.7441 | www.manasotaonline.com

crossword

celebrity cipher

STAGE PLAY by Drew Schmenner. Edited by David Steinberg 55 Watts of “Birdman” 60 Former advice columnist Landers 62 In a sassy way DOWN 64 Game with many Wild 1 Stealthily emails cards 2 Pirate’s booty 65 Semester-ending test 3 Foam darts, for a Nerf 66 That doe toy 68 “On the Basis of Sex” 4 Relative of an autobimonogram ography 70 Closes in on 5 Guy 71 “___ whiz!”

6 Type of display, for short 72 “SNL” alum Morgan 7 Reads quickly 73 Fruit with a wrinkly rind 8 Move, in Realtor-speak 74 Mauve or baby blue 9 Top squad of athletes 78 Captains lead them 10 Coastal state in India 79 Despise 11 Onetime fountain 80 Personnel operators 82 In fashion again 12 State that John Denver 83 Org. fighting the fur aptly sang about industry 13 They’re counted in 84 Piles up darkness 85 Admit defeat 14 That stag’s 88 Enthusiastic response 15 Long-eared beast to “How’s your meal?”

16 ___ Speedwagon 90 Refuse to share 17 BIC product 91 San Antonio NBA 19 Accountants often player write them off 92 ___ Britain (art mu20 “Grand” letters in seum) Vegas 94 Rope-a-dope boxer 23 Never 96 Lube 28 Developer’s purchase 101 “___ was saying ...”

30 Rachel’s sister 104 Bring on board again 31 Raison d’___ 106 “Super-duper!”

33 “Honest” prez 107 Butcher’s discards 34 Spinning speed, for 109 Give moral guidance short to 35 Time for seaside 112 Depend (on) shucking 113 Useful connections 36 Fusses over oneself 115 Still competing 37 Tennis great Monica 116 Loch ___ monster 38 Cutting room?

117 Pale 39 With melodramatic 118 Dream sleep acronym flair 119 The Roaring Twenties, 41 Woodwind essential e.g.

42 Toasted barbecue 120 (I’m so angry!) staple 121 Running joke 45 Questlove’s hairstyle 123 Part of TGIF (Abbr.)

48 On pins and needles 124 Peace sign shape 50 Residence 125 Actress Mendes 52 “Stop it!”

53 Any day now 130 Easter flower 131 Vote for?

132 Online crafts store

©2021 Universal Uclick

ACROSS

40 Celestial sphere 43 App’s early phase 1 Explosion sound in a 44 Funeral blaze comic book 45 Contented sigh 5 L.A. Galaxy’s org.

46 Forbid 8 Tatters 47 Spay or geld 12 D-flat’s equivalent 49 Old term for a young 18 Entertainer’s resurwoman gence 51 Exit part of a show 20 Silence breakers’ rapidly? hashtag 54 Door handle 21 “Now it’s clear!”

22 Authoritative theater 56 Short-sleeved shirt 57 Horses with speckled star? coats 24 Moral of the story 58 Ref. for word lovers 25 Got up 26 “Aquaman” actor Jason 59 Shuttle-launching org.

61 Unwraps 27 Sunburn soother 63 Not fooled by 29 Most lazy 64 One returned for E.T. 32 Stage items for a 66 ID assigned at birth military character?

67 Requests at a restau38 Place to dance, per Martha and the Vandellas rant

349245-1

941.748.4679 | Venice

69 Rehearsing every song?

74 Messenger bird 75 Before, to a bard 76 Band’s booking 77 Silicon Valley industry, briefly 80 Actor Baron Cohen 81 81, for a square of side length 9 83 Comrade 85 American Red Cross founder Barton 86 Grp. with prohibited items 87 Annoy 89 Scenery for a Broadway adaptation of “Breaking Bad”?

93 After a long wait 95 Honda rival 97 Salary

98 Be in the red 99 Toppled 100 South Asian garment 102 Petrol, across the pond 103 Illegal driving maneuvers, often 105 Showstopper such as “Defying Gravity”?

108 Peaceful 110 Actor Bana 111 Like many state fair treats 114 Home to the giant panda 118 Genre for Bob Marley 122 Insulting dialogue?

126 Mistakes in a book 127 Paperless exams 128 Frenetic 129 “Bombshell” actress Robbie

By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“TFBMEMVP MA KVT CFVCBF ZNV HTF AIHTFS UV EV UV NFBB. ACMTMUGHBMUX MA KVT CFVCBF ZNV NHYF HBTFHSX DFFP UNFTF.” – DVPPMF THMUU “LOZRLIZXLGI FLBB GMXCI DZWWK EA XG FGWBPA XTZX ICHCW FCWC. VEX FLXTGEX LX FC RG IGFTCWC.” – DZWB AZRZI “RUL YUVM RULV YCR, RUL VWCTX NXDZ JWCM, CGI RUL MGUY NXW NDBW’Z KUDGK NU TUBW YXWG RUL KU ACTM IUYG.”

– BDVCGIC HCBAWVN

Puzzle Two Clue: J equals P

941.355.8437 | Bradenton

Puzzle One Clue M equals F

Sarasota

KITCHENS, BATHROOMS, BEDROOMS & MORE

Puzzle One Clue K equals F

HARDWOOD

© 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

11-11-21

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

RED PAGES real estate

home services

Condos/Apts. for Rent

Adult Care Services

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card 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 towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

THE OBSERVER OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED THANKSGIVING DAY NOVEMBER 25.

EARLY DEADLINE FOR CLASSIFIED ADS IN THE LONGBOAT KEY, EAST COUNTY AND SARASOTA/SIESTA KEY OBSERVERS WILL BE ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19 @ NOON

ANNUAL CREEKWOOD Community Wide Yard Sale. Five neighborhoods to participate.

Saturday, November 13th, 8a.m.-2p.m.

SR70 & Creekwood Blvd.

Furniture, small appliances, clothing & toys.

SELL YOUR STUFF HERE!

1BR/1BA 1350 Main St, in heart of Downtown Sarasota. Beautiful 3rd floor, turn key, furnished condo in upscale building overlooking main street.

Amenities include: concierge, reserved in-building parking, pool, fitness center, and more. Available for seasonal rental starting December 1 through month of April for $4000/mo. Includes all. Call George: 516-9933324.

Autos Wanted

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 CEDAR CHEST – Handmade from early 1900’s - $100 Nancy Drew Books (6) from 1930’s - $10 each 941-720-3899

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! GE WHITE Microwave, like new $99. Electric stove, white - 4 burner, bottom drawer; great cond. - $100.

798-205-4625 Palm Aire HEALTH RIDER total body fitness with monitor, book and weight bar. $200 (941)371-3513 HUSQVARNA WEED whacker new used once model 129 straightnshaft $135 (941) 776-3417 RED SKELTON signed & framed 1972 lithograph print on canvas the “RODEO CLOWN.” 15”x18”. $150. 419-776-0034 SNOW GLOBE large sarasota plays “ Here Comes the Sun”, $20. Train HO 1950’s complete, $45. 941-741-9727

HOUSE FULL of furniture, bedrooms, dining room, dinette, odds and ends, clothes, patio furniture and oil paintings. Saturday/Sunday, November 13 & 14, 10am-4pm.

24720 State Road E, 34251

Merchandise Wanted

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

941809-3660, 941-809-3662.

SELL YOUR STUFF FAST!

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.

GARAGE SALE

Use the RED PAGES to clean out your garage

Advertise as low as $17.50 per week!

CALL 941-955-4888

Sporting Goods

CALL

941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages WE BUY cars. top $$ paid for your vehicles.

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

Beach’ N Rides Electric Bike Shop eBike Sales and Rentals Ride easy on an eBike with as much exercise or assistance as you want. Leave traffic and parking problems behind!

13 models available.

Daily and weekly rentals available We also repair other Brands Open 10 to 5 daily except Sundays and holidays 12208 Cortez Road, Cortez, FL

941-251-7916, Ext 1

SELL IT FAST! Place Your Ad Online YourObserver.com/RedPages

RED PAGES

RED PAGES AD RATES

CALL TODAY 941-955-4888

First 15 words .................. $ 17.50 per week Each Add’l word ....... 50¢

15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN Color background: $ 5 per week Ad border: as low as $3 per week

PLACE YOUR AD: Call: 941-955-4888 Fax: 941-362-4808

You’re only cheating yourself.

Items Under $200

PLACE YOUR AD ONLINE: YourObserver.com/RedPages

CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

peekers’ place

stuff

941-955-4888

Advertise your business or service in the Observer

Email: RedPages@YourObserver.com Online: YourObserver.com/Red Pages

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

Real Estate Wanted WM wants to buy home for sale by owner. Deposit and terms negotiable and according to the owner.

Contact Tom 678-755-3804 tomlarsen559@gmail.com

Cleaning

Perfect Solutions For Seniors *Caregivers/Companions *Personal Care * CNA’s/HHA’s

BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service

by Maria. Residential. Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References.

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

tivities * Hourly 24/7 Care -Affordable Rates * Licensed/ Bonded/ Insured

Advertise your business Cleaning Services. or service in the Observer

* Assistance with Daily Living Ac-

Phone (941) 809-1438 HHA# 299994819

PERSONAL CARE GIVER- Private care: Meal preparation, errands, shopping, and more.

Affordable hourly rates, available weekdays, weekends, and holidays.

Minimal shift 5 hours can also provide overnight care.

Temporary or long term care.

Over 10+ years experience.

References available. No new faces, one consistent caregiver.

COVID Negative.

Call Kati: 941-536-7706.

Auto Transport SHIP YOUR car, truck or SUV anywhere in the United States.

Great rates, fast quotes. Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

This week’s Crossword answers

www.braziliancleaningbymk.com

CLAUDIA C.

Experienced, dependable, and ready to begin!

Residential.

Excellent references.

941-773-6895.

RED PAGES CALL TODAY

CLEANING

BY Brazilian Lady.

941-955-4888 Meticulous, reliable, deep cleaning specialist. Residential.

Commercial. New Construction.

941-400-2866.

Painting CARLO DATTILO Painting Licensed & insured. Interior/ Exterior painting including drywall repair and retexturing.

Wallpaper installation & removal, pressure washing. Residential & commercial, condos. Honest & reliable.

Free estimates. 941-744-1020.

35+ years experience.

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “Religion is for people who are scared to go to hell. Spirituality is for people who have already been there.”

Bonnie Raitt Puzzle Two Solution: “Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.”

Carl Sagan Puzzle Three Solution: “You work your way, you reach that peak, and you know the time’s going to come when you go back down.”

Miranda Lambert

This week’s Sudoku answers

©2021 NEA, Inc.

For the issue of November 25, 2021

Garage/ Moving/ Estate Sales

auto

EARLY DEADLINE NOTICE

the competition!

MOW OVERMOW theOVER competition!

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages

©2021 Universal Uclick

CALL 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

32

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

Aluminum

Cleaning

Furniture Repair

Patio Furniture Repairs.com Furniture Sales & Repairs Cushions • Slings • Re-powdercoating

367560

941-504-0903 Gun Shop

“Specializing inin6” Gutters” “Specializing 6” Seamless Seamless Gutters”

Dustin Yoder

Dustin Owner Yoder/ Operator

367616

941.650.9790 941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com

Owner /Insured Operator Insured

YoderAluminum.com

Auto Service

Computer Pegatronics Computer Instruction and Repair It’s Easier Than You Think!

SELL YOUR CAR!

Hardware Repair Virus / Malware Cleanup Software & Printer Install New Computer Setups New Purchase Consults Seniors & Beginners

FAST • EASY • SAFE

WE COME TO YOU

941.270.4400

5-Star Rated

941-735-3362

Beauty

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

Doors

Sliding Glass Door Repair

SERVING YOU IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME

Health

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

Pegatronics.com 367627

367534

HoHoBuysCars.com

Learn Computer Basics Phones/Tablet Help Apple & Microsoft Problems Solved On-Site and Off Much More! Call Today!

367715

367614

FREE PICKUP / DELIVERY • FREE ONSITE QUOTES

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224 Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression provides safe, gentle & effective relief for upwards of 90% of patients that qualify for care.

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE”

Doors Doors Doors

Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC 367554

University Health Park 2415 University Parkway Bldg. 3, Suite 216 Sarasota, FL 34243

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

DON’T let your PATIO DOORS be a DRAG or your WINDOWS be a PANE!!

367563

424-333-0713 | rockstarmobilehair@gmail.com www.rockstarmobilehairsalon.com

367536

AMANDA

New Deluxe Rollers Will Make Your Doors Roll Better Than Ever Call Mark 928-2263 proslidingglassdoorrepair.com

The Only Thing You Have To Lose ... Is The Pain!!

Home Services

Are You Having Dryer Difficulties?

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

• 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.

Call us today! 941.628.8579 www.ezslider.com

367628

FREE IN-HOM ESTIMATEE S

TREASURES

FOUND HERE!

TO ADVERTISE CALL 941-955-4888 OR VISIT YOUROBSERVER.COM/REDPAGES

HEROES found here.

Relax. You’ve got better things to do.

Find a professional here in the Red Pages.

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

Call 941-955-4888 or visit YourObserver.com/redpages

Residential

941-705-5468

Commercial

367631

Insurance

Individual and Family Health Insurance • Aetna, Cigna or United Health Care plans • Nationwide PPO networks • Wide range of deductibles • 1 year, 2 years or 3 years terms (fixed rate) • Effective any day of the year • AFFORDABLE and comprehensive Also, Medicare and Company Group plans

367632

Window Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Repairs Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts

Email (SSETO@MYHST.COM) Call/Text 941-993-4137 www.setohealthgroup.com

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

Irrigation

Lawn Care

Bisson Roofing Inc. Specializing in Reroofs and Repairs FREE Estimates • 30 Years Experience

941 - 748 - 7400

SMALL ENGINE REPAIRS 941-739-5102

5002 LENA RD, UNIT 107, BRADENTON, 34211 WWW.SMALLENGINEREPAIRS.US

Painting

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Building & Roofing Contractor

Complete Interior & Exterior Painting

• Aluminum, Vinyl, & Wood Soffit & Fascia Repair & Installation • Roofing Repair & Installation • Metal Roofing & Tile Roof Repair Specialists

Homes - Driveways - Sidewalks - Tile & Shingle Roofs - Pool Cages & Decks

FREE ESTIMATES - Call Joel, Owner 30 Years Exp. Cell 619-405-7650 Home/Office 941-758-4840

Power Washing

Custom Granite Services, llc 941-400-4912

Screening

Honesty, Integrity and Pride

• Roofs • Pool Cages • Decks • Driveways Deck/Paver Sealing• •Decks Gutter• Driveways Cleaning ••Roofs • Pool Cages AndSealing Much•More!

• Deck/Paver And Much More

Serving Sarasota/Manatee Area Since 2004

CustomGraniteServicesLLC@gmail.com

CJ COOLEY OWNER/OPERATOR

941-626-3194

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

Pressure Washing

941-544-1066

AFTER

BEFORE

367585

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

Pressure Washing

367591

RED PAGES

www.bissonroofing.com

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

UNIQUE PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING SERVICES 367641

Made for where you live. Here!

Owner Supervises Every Job

367649

RC0067420 • Lic. & Ins. 367711

367633

SALES & REPAIRS - MOWERS, GENERATORS, TRIMMERS, PRESSURE WASHERS, CHAIN SAWS, BLOWERS, ENGINES

Servicing LWR, Parrish and NE Bradenton

367636

33

Roofing

ED’S RAIN MAKER IRRIGATION IRRIGATION (941) 725-8100 REPAIR edsrainmakerirrigation@gmail.com MAINTENANCE Insured

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

|

| scaperotta@aol.com

Italian American Owned

367651

Rescreening & Repairs

THE GRAB BAR GUY

941-345-5264

Licensed & Insured

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

www.showerandbathsarasota.com Landscaping & Lawn

GARDENS BY ALLISON No Job is too Small!

Manufacture and workmanship Warranties

Licensed

“No Job Too Small”

Allison J. Abizaid, M.A.

Advertise your business or services in the Red Pages.

gbyallison@yahoo.com gardensbyallison.com

Call 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

STUFF

found here.

The Red Pages is the perfect store to buy and sell locally! You’ll find a wide selection from antiques to furniture to condos!

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

Call 941-955-4888 or visit YourObserver.com/redpages

25

UP TO

STANDARD WINDOWS

ows

140

$

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

CREATE BUZZ!

Personal Gardening Services | Designer

941.400.0431

Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

Insured

941-270-1561

Lic./Ins.

w & Pressure Cl indo345-5264 eani et W(941) s n ng wn as Sunrise Win o n k Su y l r e d

Eldridge Re-Screen

Design • Garden Beds Landscape • Courtyards Clean-Up • Makeovers Weeds • Trimming

367638

Windows

SPECIAL 00 5

$

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

Purified water window cleaning available!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

367599

367637

Call John 941.377.2940

Doors and more!

Res./Com.

367644

367634

954-1878 (cell) 780-3346

Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

specialty screens / screw replacement / paint

367646

GLENN KROECKER

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS

367598

• Pool Cage Restoration • Rescreening Specialists • Specialty Screens • Paint • Doors and more!

Satisfaction guarantee Satisfaction Guarantee Pool cage Restoration/ Rescreening specialists Manufacture and Workmanship Warranties

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

find your

happy place farmers’ market

ranch nites

holiday tree lighting Waterside Place is Open for Our Signature Events!

Experience the social side of Waterside Place—Lakewood Ranch’s newest town center. Enjoy live music every Wednesday night on The Plaza, detox with yoga at Waterside Park and take in Sunday Funday at The Farmers’ Market.

We’ve created a space for everyone to discover their happy place, to share laughs, and to make fond memories.

HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE TO LET LOOSE, WE’RE ALREADY BUSY PLANNING IT. 1561 LAKEFRONT DRIVE, LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL 34240

Waters id eP l ace .com Mark Your Calendars – Browse Our Events!

Find Out Who’s Coming – Explore the Directory!

367328-1

34