E A ST COUNTY
Observer Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998
SEASON
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SER THE OB
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Season magazine
INSIDE TODAY ANCE MUSIC D TER ART THEA E BLACK TI
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
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FREE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2016
VOLUME 19, NO. 6
YOUR TOWN
Courtesy photo
Season to Share Annie, an English springer, has two favorite things in life, according to her owners — being outside and reading her copy of the East County Observer. Lucy and Rick Pruitt, residents of the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, say Annie sits down regularly to gaze at their Observer. They didn’t say if she is good at the crossword puzzle.
2016 SNAPSHOTS F
un festivals, captivating personalities, heart-wrenching stories. Another year slipped past in East County with plenty of moments to remember. Here is a look at 2016 in photos.
Courtesy photo
Teacher honors
Tara Elementary kindergarten teacher Josephine Johnson, shown above, is among three local teachers who are East County finalists in the Manatee County School District’s Excellence in Education Awards for Educator of the Year. Other East County finalists are Bashaw Elementary’s Courtney Walker and Braden River Elementary’s Nicholas Leduc. The fourth finalist is Buffalo Creek Middle School’s Joseph Baker. The winner will be announced March 8.
A+E
A+E YEAR IN REVIEW INSIDE
Top: Lemurs are loving life at the Myakkabased Lemur Conservation Foundation, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in January with a fundraising campaign to expand its facilities. Above: The Flores family of Myakka City has defeated death for years riding motorcycles around the Globe of Death. In the photo, Volorian Flores zooms around the metal sphere.
File photos
Left: The Diverging Diamond project was a huge story in 2016. In the photo, a Prince Contracting crew member works on the construction of a temporary bridge on Interstate 75 at University Parkway. The project should be complete by August. Above: Manatee County voters elected Vanessa Baugh to another term as District 5 County commissioner in the August primary. “This is a responsibility I take very seriously,” Baugh said.