E A ST COUNTY
Observer Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
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VOLUME 18, NO. 5
YOUR TOWN
FREE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015
With these questions ... It must be Santa
Slime time Ryelenn Brunner waited for the go-ahead signal, with her hands gripping the string in front of her. She was one of many Braden River Elementary students to dump a slime concoction — flour, Jell-O, green food coloring and baby food — on Assistant Principal Samantha Webb or Principal Hayley Rio. Students won that right if they raised $75 or more during the school’s annual walkathon, held in October. The school collectively raised $20,000, which will fund classroom supplies.
PAM EUBANKS SENIOR EDITOR
Just peachy
A+E
CDD makes plans for memorial CDD 1 supervisors hope to alleviate safety concerns by finding new site for reflection.
Braden River Elementary Assistant Principal Samantha Webb gets slimed.
Three Lakewood Ranch High bands are showcasing their skills to the nation. The wind ensemble, jazz band and marching band are participating in five competitions leading up to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Dec. 31 in Atlanta. Nearly 120 students will participate in the pre-game Peach Bowl Parade and will receive entry to the game, which features Florida State against Houston. Band Director Ron Lambert submitted YouTube links, which won the school the spots among 14 other high schools that are participating.
Nine-year journey leads to scholarships. PAGE 11A
Amanda Sebastiano
Area children explore Jolly St. Nick’s most guarded secrets. PAGE 8A
LAKEWOOD RANCH — Three months after a fatal auto accident on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, the crash site remains a memorial with flowers and photographs as friends and family reflect on the lives of Lakewood Ranch teenagers Brendan Shreve and Jared Duran, who died there Oct. 10. Supervisors in Lakewood Ranch Community Development District 1 want people to grieve and reflect as needed, but they hope to find an alternative site for reflection. The accident site is located in the median of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, just north of Clubhouse Drive. On Dec. 17, the supervisors agreed to install a memorial bench near the accident site, most likely in a nearby grassy patch by the sidewalk on the western side of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. “We want to remain sensitive to the overall picture, but there is
SEE PAGE 5A
A million ways to keep pace in schools Manatee County School District uses a $1 million state grant to upgrade the technology available to middle school students. AMANDA SEBASTIANO STAFF WRITER
D Sailor Circus teaches lessons for life. INSIDE
uring her sixth-period Microsoft computer class, seventh-grader Kayla Morris splits her time between her iPhone and her laptop. Armed with technology, the student at R. Dan Nolan Middle School uses her cell phone as backup when the school’s Internet isn’t working fast enough and she has to do research for a project. SEE PAGE 3A
Pam Eubanks
Amanda Sebastiano
Imran Sandhu sets up the 3-D printer to create a New York Yankees logo.
Three months after the accident, friends and family of Brendan Shreve and Jared Duran continue to place flowers and other memorabilia at the site where they died.