Devonte Ousley (pictured above) didn’t have to travel far to attend Run Manatee at Rye Preserve on Nov. 22.
Ousley is the camp director for the Foundation for Dreams and lives on the new campus, which is adjacent to the preserve. Each installment of Run Manatee, which is a series of three 5K runs across Manatee County, benefits a different nonprofit organization.
Molly White, director of Manatee County Sports and Leisure, said the Foundation for Dreams made sense for the 5K at Rye Preserve because the nonprofit will be offering camps on-site. Each of the chosen organizations receives 10% of the registration fees, which totaled $1,152.50 for the Foundation for Dreams.
For Chicago’s Sophie Fanning and Lakewood Ranch’s Julianna O’Connor (pictured above) Thanksgiving break provided a much-needed reunion.
O’Connor and her family moved to Lakewood Ranch in August, and she hasn’t seen her best friend Fanning since then.
“We’ve known each other since we were born, basically,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor said it is important for kids to get outside on their time off. Therefore, they were playing volleyball and soccer at Waterside Place.
O’Connor is usually busy with soccer every day, and she was enjoying the Thanksgiving break to cook and bake, hang out with friends and go to the mall.
Shaelyn Band, which opens
led by singer Shaelyn Mulberry.
Courtesy image
Madison Bierl
Big Top hops up production
An upgraded brewing system will more than triple Big Top’s beer production.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Upon first entering the bar area inside Big Top Brewing Co. at Fruitville Commons, there’s a large window to the right that’s completely blacked out — but not for long.
“When this curtain comes down, people are going to see a wall of stainless steel,” CEO Mike Bisaha said.
The wall of stainless steel will be made of giant beer tanks.
Big Top is getting ready to unveil its new brew house, which will “drasti-
cally ramp up production.”
The brewery doesn’t can all of its beer, but if it did, Bisaha estimates the new four-vessel brewing system could fill 3.5 million cans a year.
The system will be up and running within a few weeks, so Big Top will be producing more than triple the beer it is now by replacing a 13-year-old system.
Bisaha kept the total cost to himself, but just one stainless steel tank costs $50,000.
Once the kinks are worked out, customers can tour the brew house.
Insider tip from Bisaha: Tour on a day the beer’s being canned, and you might get a freebie.
The canning equipment uses automatic sensors, so it’ll kick a beer off the line for a “short fill.” Those cans don’t meet the quality control stan-
IF YOU GO
dards, but there’s nothing wrong with the beer inside.
“Handing a can to people on the tour — they’ve never had a beer this fresh,” Bisaha said.
Large-scale equipment all in one place makes brewing beer more efficient, and it also provides experiences that can’t be canned.
Guests can order a beer, and for the next 15 minutes, see how that beer was made.
Bisaha is also looking forward to bringing back weekly beer releases because the whole staff gets involved. Service staff members pick some of the beers and brew them with the brewers.
When the Fruitville Commons location was purchased in 2021, Big Top moved out of its original Sarasota location on Porter Way into Big Top Live on Cattlemen Road and the Big Top Brewers Collective in Lakewood Ranch.
The Lakewood Ranch location was formerly known as the Naughty Monk Brewery. That location closed at the end of October, but in 2021, it was a place they could instantly start brewing beer.
There was just one problem — 13-foot ceilings.
“We couldn’t fit the tanks,” Bisaha said. “There were tanks laying down over at Cattleman. There were tanks laying down at farmers’ properties out east.”
To get beer to Fruitville Commons, the grain had to be picked up from the silo on Cattlemen and transported to Lakewood Ranch. Once the beer was brewed, it had to be transported from Lakewood Ranch to Fruitville Commons.
Bisaha described it as a juggling act. The plan was always to have it all in one place at Fruitville Commons.
“The pilot system is currently operational, and we’re working on getting the tanks in place,” he said. “We’re just excited to keep people coming through here.”
Big Top will continue to have people coming through its Fruitville Commons location after navigating some financial issues in the past month.
Big Top Brewing sold the Fruitville Commons building in November for $7.2 million, in a deal with an Arizona real estate firm where it leased back the property. Big Top used the proceeds from that sale to pay back
BREW-HA-HA
Big Top Brewing Co. has brewed and named hundreds of beers. Even the one-hitwonders that will never be rereleased get named before the first pour, so the brewers like to play with the names.
In 2021, former head brewer Andrew Thornton named an American wheat ale brewed with orange peels and grains of paradise “Basic White Beaches.” The name still makes the staff laugh.
On the not-so-funny side, beer names can also get litigious. Hazy Highwire, a New England IPA, was renamed Hazy Sky Wire after Hi-Wire Brewing issued a cease and desist order for the name being too similar to its products. History can make for a good name, too, as with Big Top’s brew called Ashley Gang. The pale ale was named after John Ashley, also known as the “Swamp Bandit,” and his gang of outlaws. According to the Historical Society of Martin County, the gang robbed $1 million from 40 banks between 1915 and 1924.
$4 million to two creditors, which had sued Big Top for delinquent payments. Big Top also turned over operations of another location in Sarasota, Big Top Live, last month to the owners of The Parrot Patio Bar & Grill.
Damien Hickel and Sarah Johnson are two of the brewers behind the scenes.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
CEO Mike Bisaha says the new equipment will at least triple Big Top Brewing Co.’s beer production.
Power outage? Commissioners have little say about new schools
The issue came to the forefront when three out of seven Manatee County commissioners voted to deny a Lakewood Ranch school site plan.
LESLEY DWYER
STAFF WRITER
The Manatee County School Board told Manatee County commissioners that Lakewood Ranch High School is overcrowded and a second high school is needed in the area.
In response, commissioners Bob McCann, Jason Bearden and Carol Felts said the roads surrounding the high school on Rangeland Parkway are overcrowded and voted to deny approval of the high school’s site plan during the Nov. 4 commission meeting.
By all accounts, Lakewood Ranch High School is over its capacity and Lorraine Road needs upgrades to handle the volume of traffic. But four of the seven commissioners felt that an over-capacity school should take precedence after well over an hour of debate.
If one member of the commission had changed his or her mind, the outcome would have been — exactly the same. Congestion on Lorraine Road would not be lessened, and the AAA High School would still be built.
Commission Chair George Kruse described the vote as more of a “blessing” than a decision maker.
“There are all kinds of approvals that come before us that we have little to no control over,” Kruse said.
“Because of state statute, (the school board is) required to come before us.”
Kruse called the County Commission the “big fish” that gets to place the final stamp of approval on items that have already been figured out and approved by the entities in charge of such decisions. Such items are regularly placed on the consent agenda. For example, commissioners approved the issuance of three bonds, not to exceed $165.9 million, on behalf of the Housing Finance Authority of Manatee County on the Nov. 18 consent agenda.
Kruse noted that the county is not guaranteeing those bonds, but again, state statute requires the commission’s approval.
In the case of AAA High School, school board member Chad Choate said it’s been included in the fiveyear plan since 2018 and serious planning started during summer 2024. An architect was hired, plans were presented to the public, traffic studies were conducted and county staff performed a review of the application.
“It didn’t creep up on anybody,” Choate said.
SO WHAT’S THE POINT OF A VOTE?
“There’s no sense in bringing something to us that’s already a done deal,” McCann said. “We weren’t told it was a rubber stamp, not in the briefing (from the county attorney), and I had my briefing the day before the meeting.”
While commissioners were briefed the day before, the Manatee County
IT WASN’T US
Manatee County commissioners are not alone in being frustrated by Florida statutes that require them to approve certain requests.
After Polk County commissioners voted in favor of a request to add a referendum to next year’s ballot that proposes the school district’s millage be increased by one mill, the Lakeland Ledger reported that Commissioner Becky Troutman asked Rep. Jennifer Canady to change the statute “because she does not want the residents to blame the commission for a tax increase.”
Following the vote, the Polk County Government’s Facebook post read like a disclaimer, “The Polk County Board of County Commissioners approved a state-required resolution placing the Polk County School Board’s millage referendum on the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot. Commissioners noted this step is mandated by law.”
Development Services staff had been working on the application for over 30 days to ensure it was compatible with the county’s comprehensive plan and land development code.
The state statute requires a 45-day turnaround.
“Just to put this into perspective, other types of applications are with the county development services review team for nine to 12 months before going to a hearing,” Director of Development Services Nicole Knapp said in an email. “This is an extremely expedited review process in order to meet Florida statute.”
While commissioners did not have the authority to deny the site plan for AAA High School, they could have placed stipulations on the plan.
Choate said, as far as he knows, “not one county commissioner ever reached out with any concern over the school,” including congestion on Lorraine Road.
But they could have reached out or made specific requests prior to or during the commission meeting because their power lies in guarding public safety.
In 2018, the application for Bar-
bara A. Harvey Elementary School in Parrish was met with resistance from both parents and commissioners.
County staff and commissioners added several stipulations before the site plan was approved, including the installation of a berm and fence along Moccasin Wallow Road.
“The county commission has authority over things like assuring proportionate share expenses are taken care of and health, safety and welfare issues,” said school board attorney James Dye during the 2018 meeting. “But because of the way the statute is set up, I don’t think the county has as much control over a school site as it does over a generic residential or commercial project that you typically see.”
As with AAA High School, the site plan for Harvey Elementary was narrowly approved in a 4-3 vote.
Again, had the 4-3 vote flipped in favor or denial, the elementary school would have still been built, and the school board would not have had to honor the stipulations made by the commission.
A vote for a school site plan is not a vote to approve or deny the plan itself. The vote for approval is merely an affirmation that the site plan complies with the county’s comprehensive plan and land development code.
“I wouldn’t take a hard stance that we have literally no ability to say ‘no,’” Kruse said. “That would imply that a school board transcends our
“There are all kinds of approvals that come before us that we have little to no control over. Because of state statute, (the school board is) required to come before us.”
George Kruse, Commission Chair
comprehensive plan and land development code.”
He used examples — if the school board wanted to pave over 20 acres of wetlands or didn’t provide engineering studies. In those cases, there would be a legal argument for denial.
But Kruse added that those items would have come up long before the site plan was placed in front of the commission.
He called the site plan a mere “picture” of what was already approved and said that 66 out of 67 counties in Florida would not have had a lengthy discussion over building a high school when the next closest high school is over capacity.
“They’re all begging for their schools to get built,” he said. “If you have a board that understands the difference between what is just administrative and what is actually at their discretion, then these things are not that big of a deal.”
The School District of Manatee County School Board members Richard Tatem, Chad Choate, Cindy Spray, Superintendent Laurie Breslin and school board members Heather Felton and Charlie Kennedy.
Courtesy image
This rendering offers a glimpse of the multibuilding concept for the new high school slated for the corner of Rangeland Parkway and Post Boulevard.
Commissioners George Kruse and Bob McCann are on opposite sides of the AAA High School vote. Kruse voted in favor of approving the site plan, while McCann voted to deny it.
EAST COUNTY
Observer
NEWS BRIEFS
Water restrictions in Manatee now in effect
The Southwest Florida Water Management District has imposed water restrictions on Manatee County that took effect Dec. 1.
SWFWMD began Phase 1 Water Shortage Restrictions which are tentatively scheduled to continue through July 1.
The restrictions do not change watering schedules, but they do prohibit “wasteful and unnecessary” water use.
SWFWMD is reporting a 13-inch rainfall deficit compared to the average over the past 12 months. It reports in a release that it is mostly due to lower than normal rainfall during the summer rainy season. It reports that water levels in aquifers, rivers, and lakes within the district and statewide are declining and are anticipated to decline further as the dry season progresses.
Current maximum twice-per-week lawn watering remains in effect. According to the release, lawn watering accounts for more than 50% of household water usage. If local governments issue stricter lawn watering measures, residents must follow those guidelines.
SWFWMD offers a Water 101 information page at SWFWMD. State.FL.US/Residents/Water-101/ Homeowners.
Funds for nonprofits that serve children available through Manatee County
Local not-for-profit organizations that help children are encouraged to apply for competitive investment
funds for Fiscal Year 2027 through the county’s Children’s Services Dedicated Millage program.
According to a county release, the program was established “to fund, develop and provide for the operation of programs that enhance and expand existing services, as well as create new and innovative programs.”
The primary goal is to provide programs for assistance to Manatee County’s neglected, abused, at-risk, and economically disadvantaged children by providing necessary programs.
Applications for these funds can be accessed through Manatee County’s Community and Veteran’s Services Department beginning on Dec. 10.
The county’s Children Service team will host an investment process seminar 10 a.m. Dec. 5 at the Manatee County Administration Building, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, in the Manatee Room on the fifth floor.
Representatives from the Children’s Services Advisory Board will answer questions regarding the review and scoring process. For more information, contact Kristi Hagen, the county’s Children Services’ coordinator, at Kristi. Hagen@MyManatee.org.
The Children’s Services Advisory Board sends recommendations for final approval to the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners.
The application period closes Jan. 30. Applications can be accessed by going to MyManatee.org and accessing the Human Services Funding page.
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Veterans on the move in Manatee
Since the Manatee Moves program began in January, over 300 veterans have utilized 1,935 free rides.
BOOK A RIDE WITH MANATEE MOVES
To register for Manatee Moves, call Manatee County Veterans Services at 745-3795. A brief intake will be done and/or the DD-214 or discharge papers will be examined for eligibility.
for a ride when using Manatee Moves, a transportation service for veterans living in Manatee County.
Veterans can book two one-way trips a day for medical appointments and visits to Manatee County Veterans Services as long as they were honorably discharged and their medical providers are located within the boundaries of Manatee County.
Cole had a cut on his left ankle that got infected nine months ago and has since been referred to infectious disease control, a surgeon and a cardiologist to treat the wound.
He said Manatee Moves has been especially helpful when his wound required six weeks of intravenous antibiotics. Each day, Cole had to travel back and forth from his home in Greenfield Plantation to a medical office on State Road 70 near the interstate.
“They’d be there in minutes to pick me back up, too,” Cole said.
The program works with already established ride-booking companies, such as Uber and Lyft, to provide rides from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Unlike the Manatee County Area Transit Handy Bus that needs to be scheduled in advance, users of Manatee Moves can book a ride on the spot by using the Manatee Moves mobile app.
Rides can also be booked up to three days in advance.
The app is available on all Apple and Android devices, but a smartphone is not required to use the ser-
Once approved, veterans can book a ride through the Manatee Moves app or by calling 747-1739. Booking line hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Rides are offered from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Trips can only be booked to and from designated medical and dental locations or Manatee County Veterans Services. If a medical provider is missing from the system, submit a request by calling the booking line. Riders are limited to two one-way trips per day within the boundaries of Manatee County.
The Manatee Moves app is easy to find on an iPhone. When searching for Manatee County Veterans Services in Apple Maps, the app is included in the listing.
vice. Reservations can be booked by calling the Manatee County Transportation Booking Line, too.
Since the program launched in January, it’s provided 1,935 free rides
“Manatee County is committed to removing barriers and making it easier than ever for our veterans to get the care and services they deserve.”
Michael Strollo, communications coordinator for Manatee
County
Community and Veterans Services
to 338 veterans.
“There are federal Veterans Affairs benefits available, but there are also specific benefits just for living here in Manatee County,” said Michael Strollo, communications coordinator for Manatee County Community and Veterans Services.
Meeting with county staff at Veterans Services also qualifies as a “medical ride” because the veteran is discussing or filing paperwork for a medical benefit.
The only barrier Strollo noted is that because Manatee Moves is a public-private partnership, in which the county is using already established ride-booking companies, veterans must be mobile.
Veterans can bring a cane or collapsible walker, but they have to be able to get to their ride and in and out of the vehicle on their own.
If a veteran uses a wheelchair, the handy bus is a better fit because the driver can offer assistance. The limitation of the handy bus is that it has to be scheduled in advance. But it’s accessible to anyone in the county because every vehicle is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Manatee County is committed to removing barriers and making it easier than ever for our veterans to get the care and services they deserve,” Strollo said.
• Top 1% of agents in Sarasota and Manatee Counties
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MORE SERVICES MOVING IN
This is the concept plan for Valor Commons. Plans for an approximately $40 million veterans memorial park and connections hub in Palmetto are moving forward. Manatee County Commissioners named the future complex Valor Commons at the Nov. 18 commission meeting.
Future services for the campus include basic assistance navigating Veterans Affairs benefits and offering peer and caregiver support, but there are also plans for a business incubator to assist veteran entrepreneurs. The site design and infrastructure build-out is anticipated to take up to 18 months. Construction of the campus will be phased over the following three to five years.
Lesley Dwyer
Marine Corps veteran Dale Cole lives in Greenfield
Plantation and is a regular user of Manatee Moves.
LWR High grad adds pop to former school
Jason Huh, who graduated from Lakewood Ranch in 2003, never thought his own product would be sold at his alma mater.
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
When Jason Huh first walked the halls of Lakewood Ranch High School, it was brand new.
He was a guitar player and a weightlifter, and he said the “isolated” school was exactly what he needed to focus on his goals.
After graduating in 2003, he never would have imagined that he would return as an entrepreneur.
But Huh, a former professional bodybuilding champion, did come back, promoting his healthy soda called Sodi Pop.
Huh is the founder and CEO of Steel Supplements, which produces energy drinks, and now Sodi Pop. The Steel Supplements energy drink, Omni Energy, is a sponsor of the local event Cars and Coffee, where Huh met Lakewood Ranch High math teacher Matt Velázquez.
Velázquez liked what he heard from Huh about Sodi Pop.
Sodi Pop includes vitamin B12, vitamin C, and ginger extract. It has no sugar, so is free of high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavor or dyes, caffeine and fiber additives. It has 5 calories in a 12-ounce can.
Velázquez said the product was a natural fit for the healthy vending machine at Lakewood Ranch High, and he pulled some strings to make it happen.
Now, students can grab a Sodi Pop right where Huh once walked as a teenager.
“There’s a higher power here at work and it’s all coming full circle,”
SODI POP FLAVORS
■ Stoked (Grapefruit)
■ Beach Day (Orange Lemon)
■ Corsa (Blue Raspberry Lemonade)
■ Island Gold (Mango-Lime)
■ Georgia (Peach)
■ Pineapple MK2 (Pineapple)
For more information, visit SodiPop.com.
Huh said of bringing his product to his former high school. “I can’t really explain it, but it’s a special feeling. It just so happened to somehow line up.”
Velázquez said his favorite Sodi Pop flavor is “a toss up” between Georgia, the peach flavored Sodi, and Pineapple MK2.
“No matter what your palate, you’re usually going to find at least one of them that you like. This is my jam,” Velázquez said.
Sofia Gallipoli, a freshman at Lakewood Ranch High School, is one of the many students who have been introduced to Sodi Pop through her teacher Velázquez’s love for the product. Gallipoli described Sodi Pop as “refreshing and flavorful, and not too sugary.”
“Sodi feels lighter and cleaner, without that heavy and artificial aftertaste,” Gallipoli said. “I’ve tried a few flavors, but my favorite is definitely the pineapple one (Pineapple MK2) because it’s tropical, bright and super refreshing. It reminds me of summer and has just the right amount of sweetness.”
Before Sodi Pop launched this year, Omni Energy was created to appeal to the general public, and not just the bodybuilding and fitness industry.
Sodi Pop followed after being inspired by comments from Huh’s children.
“My kids were the first to go, ‘What the heck ... you have all these really pretty drinks, and we can’t have them,’” Huh said.
All of the current flavors of Sodi Pop are also available as energy drinks from Omni Energy. Huh is going to debut three new flavors — cola, lemon-lime, sweet tea — that won’t be shared by his energy drink line.
Huh said in this day, young people are inundated with junk food, so it is important for them to think about healthier options.
“Most times you see healthier alternatives, they are not as engaging or as fun,” Huh said. “How do we make something that changes the way families and kids look at a beverage?”
Corbin Kayan, a junior at Lakewood Ranch High, discovered Sodi
Pop through Cars and Coffee. He said he enjoys that it is a healthier option than traditional soda.
“I’m inspired by the fact (Huh) created healthy sodas for my generation,” Kayan said. “His success influences me to build something that benefits the community.”
A self-described “serial entrepreneur,” Huh said the key of being successful is to fall in love with what you’re doing. He also said it is important to fail fast, so you can work out the issues or simply move on to the next thing.
“Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of optimism,” Huh said. “That’s my life every day.”
Paul Huh, Jason’s younger brother, works as the head of content production for Sodi Pop. He is also a graduate of Lakewood Ranch High, seven years after his brother.
JASON HUH TIMELINE
1999-2003: Student at Lakewood Ranch High School
2002: Competed in first bodybuilding competition at Bayshore High School
2004: Won National Physique Committee Teen Nationals
bodybuilding competition
2005: Worked at Extreme
Nutrition, which inspired him to create his own products
2006: Won NPC Southern States bodybuilding competition
2007: Opened first business, a downtown Sarasota storefront called Elite Nutrition and Smoothie, which is still there as Steel.
2009: Met his wife Jessica, who was also a pro in bodybuilding. They now have four children together.
2010: Won the superheavyweight division at the NPC USA Championships, which earned him his International Federation of BodyBuilders Pro Card
2013: Retired from pro bodybuilding
2016: Launched Steel Supplements
July 2025: Launched Sodi Pop
For more information, visit SteelSupplements.com.
Paul described Jason as a “secondary father figure” due to the age difference, who inspired him to also pursue bodybuilding and follow his passion of content creation. Paul began working with Jason in 2006 with Steel Supplements. Paul said that like any siblings that work together, there have been some disagreements, but with respect for each other and working to collaborate they have been successful. Paul said that when it comes to Sodi Pop, he believes it stands so far alone in terms of taste while also being healthy.
Madison Bierl
Lakewood Ranch High School graduate Jason Huh has created a few different drinks, including Sodi Pop. Sodi Pop is now available in a healthy vending machine at the school for staff and students to enjoy.
The Art of Waterfront Living at Wild Blue
Lakewood Ranch’s premier waterfront community offers exceptional resort-style living with stunning single-family homes by the region’s most sought-after builders. In response to phenomenal demand, Wild Blue at Waterside has released new premium homesites.
The spectacular 30,000-square-foot clubhouse, opening Fall 2026, will feature resort pools, dining, putting course, golf simulator, cinema, and fitness center. Residents are already enjoying Midway Sports Park, now open with tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts.
Secure your place in Sarasota’s most distinctive waterfront address.
Soul searching? Try the Blues Fest
The Lakewood Ranch Blues Fest is back for its second edition, with seven top bands at Waterside Park.
JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR
Drummer Tim Mulberry says different regions of the country have their own sound when it comes to the blues.
When the second Lakewood Ranch Blues Fest opens at 10 a.m. Dec. 6 at Waterside Park, Mulberry and his The Shaelyn Band co-performers will be treating those in attendance to the Florida sound.
The Shaelyn Band, named for lead singer Shaelyn Mulberry — Tim’s wife — was selected by event co-producers Paul Benjamin and Morgan Bettes Angell to set the tone for the rest of the festival, which includes six more nationally renowned bands.
Based out of Lake City, The Shaelyn Band hangs its musical hat on Shaelyn Mulberry’s powerful voice and extraordinary range, alongside seven talented bandmates whose booming sound will set the bar high for the bands to follow.
But those who arrive for the opener might find the sound is only part of the show. The Shaelyn Band has become known for its moves on stage, as well.
Tim Mulberry said it all comes together because the band takes its job seriously.
“You don’t get tight without some sort of structure,” he said. “Yes, we make sure it’s tight.”
The Florida sound, and moves, are meant to get the crowd on its feet dancing, along with providing moments to “reflect on the joys of love and life.”
The band was formed in 2020 and released The Shaelyn Band album in 2022. In 2023, the band won the Villages Blues Society Challenge, which sent it to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.
Did that moment prove that the band had made it?
“Man, this is a never-ending journey,” said Tim Mulberry, who once toured as the Black Eyed Peas’ drummer. “If you are a full-time musician, and your goal is to ‘make it,’ then don’t do this. If you feel you’ve made it, you lose that drive. The thing about good music is that it’s never about trying to win over anyone.
“You need to be happy just serving the people and keeping your calendar full. We just do us, and our music evolves, and grows. Everything we do, we do 100%. You can feel the layers of our band, which is made up of true performers. You can feel everyone’s sound.”
That starts with Shaelyn Mulberry.
“You can tell when the sound is natural born and raised in a church,” Tim Mulberry said of his wife. “She grew up with a certain soul. She was taught to attach emotion to the lyrics. She had that soul-stirring, revival experience. You can see it and hear it in every note, like you did with Aretha Franklin and Joyce Kennedy.
“This is Florida-grown blues.”
IF YOU GO
What: The second Lakewood Ranch Blues Fest
Where: Waterside Park, Lakewood Ranch
When: Dec. 6. Gates open at 9 a.m. with the last band taking the stage at 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $75 in advance; $95 at the door; 12 and younger free; VIP tickets $150; tickets available at LakewoodRanchBluesFestival.com. Benefits: A percentage of the proceeds from the event will benefit The Food Bank of Manatee; nonperishable items will be collected, as well.
Tim and Shaelyn met when she was attending the University of Florida. They both were in the same gospel group. Eventually, he had to convince her that she could front a band and sing the blues. When she attended the University of Florida,
5 p.m. Chambers DesLauriers
6:30 p.m. Desoto Tiger
she was a fan of country music, as well as gospel.
That history all has built the band’s stage presence. Benjamin and Bettes Angell are hoping Lakewood Ranch blues fans will want to check it out.
Last year’s blues festival on Kingfisher Lake attracted about 750 fans, and they are hoping for over a thousand this time around.
Tim Mulberry played the drums for Kat Riggins when she played in last year’s Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival.
“The festival was great,” he said. “The location is ridiculous. It is perfect, and it is going to get crazy here. It will explode.”
The festival continues to have major sponsors in Bank of America and Schroeder-Manatee Ranch.
“By investing in the arts and local talent, we are inspiring individuals to connect with each other and across cultures, amplifying the voices of our vibrant cultural community,” said Stephenie Whitfield, the president of Bank of America Sarasota/ Manatee in a release.
Bettes Angell said having Bank of America as a presenting sponsor helps the festival compile some of the nation’s top blues talent.
“Their support not only enhances the quality of our festival but also strengthens our mission to bring people together through music and local culture,” she said in a release. “Their support amplifies everything we do — from the music to the community impact.”
That impact starts with The Shaelyn Band.
Tim Mulberry said it is an honor whether his band is opening the festival, or closing it as the final band of the day. He said he hopes the crowd connects with his band that he said doesn’t follow industry standards.
The band will slide from blues into funk at times, and even rock.
He expects more people will attend the Lakewood Ranch Blues Fest each year.
“It is going to grow,” he said of the festival. “It just takes time.”
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The Shaelyn Band consists of (back row) Moses Maldonado, Erik Guess, Tim Mulberry, and Curtis Harris and (front row) Isaiah Gaytan, Shaelyn Mulberry and Win Carlson. Gerard Guida is not pictured.
Courtesy photos
Tim Mulberry will be handling the drums for his group, The Shaelyn Band, which opens the Lakewood Ranch Blues Fest on Dec. 6 at Waterside Park.
The Shaelyn Band, which opens the Lakewood Ranch Blues Fest on Dec. 6 at Waterside Place, is led by singer Shaelyn Mulberry.
Hey Santa, how about a finished Premier park?
The wish is for the long-overdue park project to be finished in the next couple of years.
Ihave to address this column to Santa, because most of our local politicians have ignored this particular Christmas wish in the past.
So before I start, I want you to know that our readers might run into one of our reporters in the next week or so, as they pull local residents aside to ask what they would desire to better our Lakewood Ranch area community — if they would be granted one holiday wish. That story will run on Christmas Day.
If you don’t get asked, and you would want to play along, please email your Christmas wish to JHeater@YourObserver.com, and I will share it with our readers.
For example: “I would wish for an In-N-Out burger joint on State Road 70” or “I would love for another Fort Hamer Bridge span in the next five years.”
Please, no nasty wishes, such as “Could you please take Commissioner So-and-So back to the North Pole with you.” Let’s keep it constructive.
So here goes:
Dear Santa, I know you probably have noticed when you fly over our area, that much of that land Manatee County purchased from Schroeder-Manatee Ranch in 2017 and 2018 (about $10 million worth) remains relatively unchanged from that time.
The residents were promised park facilities along with some county
offices and a library.
The library has come to fruition (praise be to former Commissioner Vanessa Baugh), but the rest — with the exception of a new aquatics and racket sports facility that is scheduled to open in 2026 — has been either one big fib or just a sign of Manatee being governmentally inept.
Now, I am sure fibbing has landed Manatee County on your naughty list, but even that doesn’t do the residents much good as time passes and incoming commissioners can’t even remember why the county bought the land in the first place.
In the Nov. 27 edition of the East County Observer, we ran a story, “Progress at Premier,” that noted “Commissioners approved the site’s general development tax plan and tourist development tax plan during two separate meetings in November.”
Supposedly, those moves clear the way to attain some of the amenities that were promised a decade ago.
Those include softball and baseball fields, playgrounds, shade pavilions and a dog park.
Weren’t all these things talked about during Donald Trump’s first term as president?
OK, Santa, I’m not an architect, but am I way off base in thinking that Manatee County’s considerable staff could have designed and built a dog park by now? Hmmmm. Let me see. Fence. Grass. Some doggy obstacles. Poop bags.”
Done.
In 1950, do you think it would have taken a county 10 years to build a few ballfields?
I would mention the amphitheater that was mentioned way back when, but this whole Larry, Moe
December 6 2025
and Curly project has taken so long, the area around the county-owned land has developed with houses, and now any decibels higher than the sound created by a push mower (the kind without the motor) would lead to lawsuits. An amphitheater, which would be a great addition, is now dust in the wind.
That leads us to a dream of an events center on Premier land, which could make up for all past sins if it is constructed and open in the next two or three years. Vegas has posted 1,000-1 odds against that happening.
The little hope I hold for anything getting done in terms of baseball and softball fields, a dog park or an events center hinges on a comment made by Commissioner George Kruse in the Nov. 27 East County Observer article.
“Our job is to build a park,” Kruse said. Here’s a tip. Build the easy stuff while you are pursuing the pie-inthe-sky $75 million events center.
The refrain we have heard from commissioners from Day One is that they don’t have the money. In reality, they don’t have the vision.
In the time since the land was purchased from SMR, the county came up with $32.5 million to purchase 161 acres at Lena Road and State Road 64 that still is unused; the county spent $23.5 million on a new administration building in Lakewood Ranch; and commissioners went forward with a new veterans park in Palmetto that will cost $40 million and seems like a commission pet project that is unwanted by most.
I could go on and on, Santa, but you get the point. If commissioners have any desire to finish this park, they could.
And, please, understand that despite the area’s affluent population, that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a park. This is something, Santa, that we do need. In those terms, I think back to the famous Kris Kringle quote in “Miracle on 34th Street.”
It goes, “No, but don’t you see, dear? Some children wish for things they couldn’t possibly use, like real locomotives or B-29s.”
This isn’t a locomotive or a B-29. It’s a park the residents of this part of the county deserve. Finish this
park, and commissioners will see a stream of residents using the amenities every day.
Just the softball and baseball fields could take some stress off the commissioners. Manatee County plans to build a youth baseball complex at Country Club East Park that many of the local residents don’t want there. Wouldn’t baseball fields at Premier be a nice compromise and fill the need?
So please, Santa, slide the plans for the park amenities under my tree, all stamped and approved by the Manatee County commissioners. I promise to be a good boy next year, or at least until my next column comes out.
Jay Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.
Jack Nelson
The Athletics and Aquatics Center at Premier Sports Campus North is pictured Oct. 17 under construction. Soon to offer the only long-course pool in Lakewood Ranch, it figures to be the main destination for the area’s top swimming talents.
LET YOUR KINDNESS SHINE BRIGHT
Donate
DOGE methods should be transparent
I continue to follow your feature articles and Side of Ranch column each week. It’s some of the best journalism available in the Tampa Bay area.
Thank you for having the guts to stand up for logic while having a balanced approach on key issues. In particular, I support your comments on the DOGE methods used to announce their findings.
Maybe it would be helpful to our county to have them share the methods they used to evaluate costs. I’m all for benchmarking with the state or from county to county on best practices for county administration.
Maybe it’s too much to ask, but why not run the county government like a business? Assessing whether a hiring freeze should take effect should include an evaluation of just what areas would need an increase in personnel with, say a 10% increase in population. Surely not a 10% increase in government employees.
Your request for the state to look at their own expenses is more than reasonable. This should be done by an independent auditor. As you say, set the example.
That goes for the Florida State Lottery, too. Is the lottery awarding at the levels they have committed to? Where exactly is that money going anyway? It’s clear that schools and teachers aren’t seeing much of it. Our state deserves a better ranking than No. 22 in PreK-12 nationally (U.S. News & World Report).
Is there any way to challenge a legislature or governor that proposes a doubling of his salary? What kind of benchmark was used to come up with that number? Is this a case of tweaking statistics?
I also firmly believe that the state is on a mission to take control of education and arts entities in Sarasota and Bradenton. The actions taken and proposed at the New College and at the Asolo Repertory Theatre/Ringling Museum are prime examples. It’s a clear way to control what types of things are taught or what’s on stage. The state shouldn’t be controlling that.
Performance arts are a major reason people choose to live in this area. It’s not strategic thinking for the state to be pulling its financial support for the arts. I’m all for keeping costs under control and I think you’ve represented that side of things in your article. Your call for the public staying involved is a great one. But when the state nullifies the wishes of the voting public, as in the wetlands issue, you have to wonder if we’re headed toward authoritarianism.
I also really liked your note of opposition on the proposed veterans park topic. Good common sense. And I think we can find a more meaningful and useful way of helping vets with services (and at a lower cost, to boot). After all, needy vets won’t be using their new park if they can’t even get by on the basics. In closing, thanks again for being a voice of reason. Keep up the great writing.
MICHAEL CHIANESE LAKEWOOD RANCH
Rex Jensen’s award was well-deserved
I really enjoyed your article about Rex Jensen receiving the C. John Clarke Humanitarian award for 2025. Well deserved.
I have lived here over 40 years, so I am very familiar with the SMR history and the development of Lakewood Ranch.
Rex stepped into a big pair of shoes (John Clarke) when he became CEO and president. Now Lakewood Ranch is the most successful community of its class in the U.S. I recall in 1994 the real estate community said no one is going to live way out there in the boondocks.
I read somewhere that all the residential land is sold and the projected population is over 100,000. That plus a huge number of private and public structures and scores of small businesses, with more to come.
I enjoy reading your publications.
SAM LEONARD
LAKEWOOD RANCH
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Educating with excellence
Braden River Middle’s Kathleen Brown, Braden River High’s Clifford Dawson and Lakewood Ranch High’s Kristen Martin earn nominations for Manatee County awards.
For Kathleen Brown, a Braden River Middle School math teacher, Nov. 20 was an ordinary day, except she was running late to her first period class due to a training session.
When she opened the door to her classroom, she was greeted not only by her students, but a crowd of people in green shirts.
It was the Excellence in Education Prize Patrol, which had come to let her know she has been named a finalist for the Manatee County Educator of the Year award.
Brown was handed an award, a bouquet of flowers and balloons. She said she is not one to be speechless, but she was struggling to find the words.
“I was just in complete shock,” Brown said. “It was an amazing gesture. I don’t even know if I remembered to smile, because it was very unexpected.”
Brown did in fact smile as she absorbed the moment. Kimberlain
Zenon, principal at Braden River Middle, said Brown deserved the recognition and that she was proud to have her represent the school.
Zenon described Brown as solution-driven, tenacious, knowledgeable, collaborative and creative.
She said she has a mindset based on growth for both her students and herself as a lifelong learner.
“I could go on and on about Mrs. Kathleen Brown and the tremendous work she does for the students, staff, parents and community of Braden River Middle School. But I will let everyone see for themselves,” Zenon said.
There are four finalists each for Manatee County Educator of the Year and Manatee County Educational Support Employee of the Year.
Three finalists represent East County — Brown, Braden River High band teacher Clifford Dawson and Lakewood Ranch High registrar Kristen Martin.
Dawson was the first stop on the Education Prize Patrol tour. He emphasized the importance of creating a community through band,
EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARDS FINALISTS
Manatee County Educator of the Year
■ Kathleen Brown (Braden River Middle School)
■ Clifford Dawson (Braden River High School)
■ Nicole O’Neill (Anna Maria Elementary School)
■ John Walker (Bayshore High School)
Manatee County Educational Support Employee of the Year
■ Kristen Martin (Lakewood Ranch High School)
■ Mara Gonzalez (Bayshore Elementary School)
■ Shannon Lueders (Sara Scott Harllee Center)
■ Sylvia Wilson (Oneco Elementary School)
not only with his students but with the families and volunteers.
“Regardless of what happens after this, the validation that what I’ve been doing has merit and value is definitely rewarding enough,” Dawson said. “Knowing that what I’ve said and done at this point matters enough for those people to come together to do all this means everything to me.”
“Pirate Nation is thrilled for Clifford to be recognized as a finalist,” said Wendell Butler, the principal at Braden River High. “He’s extremely dedicated and creates an environment where our musicians can grow and succeed.”
There is a process each school’s staff goes through when someone is nominated. That includes answering questions, providing documentation, references and more. The nominees are judged by past teachers of the year in Manatee County, “The A Team.”
“I made the decision to do it not for myself, but for the kids,” Dawson said. “I feel like they have done
Over the past 25 years at Braden River Middle School, Kathleen Brown has taught sixth and seventh grade math, U.S. history and civics. Her principal, Kimberlain Zenon, described her as a lifelong learner who is solution-driven, tenacious, knowledgeable and collaborative.
enough work since I’ve been here to earn the right to know that the teacher they have in front of them is doing the right thing.”
Stacy Freeman of McNeal Elementary won Manatee County Educator of the Year last year and is currently involved in the decision making process.
“It’s OK to be proud of yourself,” Freeman said. “There are a lot of teachers and it’s hard for us to think highly of ourselves, it’s just not really
in our nature. We’re pulling for our kids and our students and don’t want to take credit for ourselves.”
Martin is the only East County finalist for Manatee County Educational Support Employee of the Year and has been working at Lakewood Ranch for four years.
“I work hard to build a relationship with the families as they come in and my goal is to make it as easy and as stress free as possible for the families and the students,” Martin said.
She said she isn’t usually one who enjoys the spotlight, but said it’s important for those who work behind the scenes to get recognition. Dustin Dalquist, the principal at Lakewood Ranch High, said Martin is the best registrar in the business and is deserving of such an award.
“Kristen’s role is critical in managing the complex and high-volume demands of our student population,” Dalquist said. “Her meticulous attention to detail, organizational expertise, and unwavering commitment to accuracy ensures that every student’s academic journey is supported with care and precision.”
There will be one Manatee County winner for the educator and one for the support employee. Both awards will be announced at the Excellence in Education Awards on Feb. 4 at Manatee Technical College.
Photos by Madison Bierl
Clifford Dawson (left), the band teacher at Braden River High, said he decided to pursue the Educator of the Year title for his students.
Lakewood Ranch High School Principal Dustin Dalquist said registrar Kristen Martin deserves recognition due to her attention to detail, organizational expertise and unwavering commitment to accuracy.
DON’T MISS THE 25th SILVER ANNIVERSARY OF THE DOWNTOWN SARASOTA HOLIDAY PARADE!
Saturday, Dec. 4 | 7pm
Don’t Miss the 29th Anniversary of the DOWNTOWN SARASOTA
Come Start Your Holiday Season With Us!
Lighted floats, carolers, dancers, local high school marching bands, area churches, nonprofits, local businesses, and last, but certainly not least, Santa and Mrs. Claus!
Holiday Parade
Come Start Your Holiday Season With Us!
Saturday, Dec. 4 | 7pm
Saturday, December 6th, 2025 at 7 PM
Bring the whole family to this treasured community tradition.
Lighted floats, carolers, dancers, local high school marching bands, area churches, nonprofits, local businesses, and last, but certainly not least, Santa and Mrs. Claus!
Enjoy lighted floats, carolers, dancers, local school marching bands, nonprofits, area churches, local businesses, and of course-Santa! Bring the whole family to this beloved community tradition. Arrive early, set up your lawn chairs, and get ready for a festive evening.
Arrive early, bring your lawn chairs and get ready for a festive evening.
Start: Main St. & Washington Blvd. | End: Gulfstream Ave.
Bring the whole family to this treasured community tradition. Arrive early, bring your lawn chairs and get ready for a festive evening.
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Start: Main St. & Washington Blvd. End: Gulfstream Ave.
Start: Main St. & Washington Blvd. End: Gulfstream Ave.
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Comedy is a tough business, but 24-year-old Harris Pierce is ready to laugh at his disappointments.
LESLEY DWYER
As a local comedian and musician, Lakewood Ranch’s Harris Pierce can sometimes feel like a piece of furniture.
“The feeling of playing to silence is heartbreaking,” he said. “I’m a coat rack sitting in the corner of the bar, and nobody’s paying attention.” Pierce has learned to turn those somewhat painful live performance moments into opportunities to push his voice to a higher octave or try out a new joke — because on the other side of that horrible feeling lies the “bullseye” when the crowd is danc-
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ing or the joke lands just right. It’s in those moments Pierce knows musical comedy is his calling, even though he also knows it can hurt.
“I’ve come to terms with the fact that it’s going to be a lot of disappointment,” the 24-year-old said.
“It’s a tough industry, and I don’t know how it works. So I’m working on how to make figuring it out fun instead of becoming downtrodden.”
Not only does Pierce have a good attitude, he gets laughs.
On Oct. 7, when The Peculiar Pub was still offering a weekly open mic night, there were a couple comedians who bombed so thoroughly the silence spread until you could hear beer pouring from the beer taps. The thought of having to walk on stage after that kind of silence might be terrifying, but not for Pierce. He noted that comedy often builds up tension just to break it with a punch-
The Sarasota Holiday Parade is organized by the Sarasota Holiday Celebration, Inc., a small nonprofit 501c3. 100% funded by community sponsorships and support. www.sarasotaholidayparade.org
STAFF WRITER
Lesley Dwyer
Lakewood Ranch’s Harris Pierce performs at The Peculiar Pub on Oct. 7.
TUESDAY NIGHT OUT
The Peculiar Pub in Lakewood Ranch switched up its weekly lineup and replaced Open Mic Night on Tuesdays with Music Bingo, which starts at 5 p.m.
And comedian emcees Carson Potts and Tony Gee found a new home for Open Mic Night at The Rock N Barrel Bar in Bradenton. Sign up for comedians starts at 7 p.m. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.
“I’ve come to terms with the fact that it’s going to be a lot of disappointment. It’s a tough industry, and I don’t know how it works. So I’m working on how to make figuring it out fun instead of becoming downtrodden.”
line. And if all else fails, he said he just laughs at himself.
“If you laugh at yourself, the audience is emboldened to laugh with you,” he said.
The owners of The Peculiar Pub stopped hosting the open mic night because they felt some of the comedians were a bit too raunchy for their family friendly pub, but Pierce won the crowd over with sheer silliness.
He performed a series of improvised songs about dating fictional monsters.
The first verse in his ode to a vampire began, “I love the way you look at me from across the room. I love the way you can’t have garlic in your food. And now my friends say that they don’t know if you want to drink my blood because I’m dating a vampire.”
He went on to sing about fictional dalliances with a ghost, Bigfoot and an indomitable snowman.
While Pierce might be silly, he also has a serious side. Improvised songs are his least favorite bit because they’re just him “acting goofy.” He prefers to perform material that he’s written and prepared for the stage.
The songs about fictional characters came about as a gag about bears he likes, and for whatever reason, it was a hit that people continued to request. But coming up with lyrics solely about bears is limiting, so the idea has expanded since.
He also kept blanking when someone would shout out “Care Bears” from the audience.
Pierce earned a communication degree from Richmond American University London and hones his craft daily, whether that’s by playing guitar or writing comedy.
He grew up performing with his family. A home video still exists of him and his dad, Mark Pierce, singing “Knights of the Round Table” from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
It’s only natural Pierce’s dream is to become a successful musical comedian.
He’s been writing comedy for more than half his life. The first time he took that daring walk to center stage with a spotlight shining down on him, Pierce was performing in a talent show at his middle school in Dallas.
“They weren’t very good songs,” he said. “I like to think I’ve gotten better, but this feels not just like something I want to do, but something I have to do. There’s not any other job that feels appropriate at this point.”
That being said, Pierce also has to pay rent. So for now, he works at the Goodwill Bookstore on State Road 70.
When the store is quiet, the routine of stocking shelves with books allows his mind to wander, which is pretty much Pierce’s process for writing comedy. An idea pops into his head, he writes it down and goes from there trying to hit another bullseye.
“The audience is laughing,” Pierce said, “And it’s like being in the center of a massive movement in energy and I’m responsible for the wave of joy.”
Harris Pierce
Local musical artist continues to search for her audience
Lakewood Ranch High graduate Ilana Armida is considering a concert tour and is currently performing in ‘Rent’ at the Sarasota Players theater.
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
When Mill Creek’s Tommie Simone pictures his now 33-yearold daughter, Ilana Simone, he flashes back to when she was 3 years old.
In her dance costume and tap shoes, she would shuffle around in their kitchen in Massachusetts, singing the song “You Are So Beautiful” that was made famous by Joe Cocker.
“She would almost fall over, because her head was so big,” Tommie Simone said. “Even back then, she loved being on stage.”
Tommie Simone remembered her singing on top of his desk at a real estate office when she was 6 years old, and she had no fear of performing in front of all of his co-workers.
Tommie and Kim Simone put their daughter in the Manatee Players when she was 7 because, as Ilana puts it, “I wouldn’t stop singing and dancing.”
Ilana Simone was just getting started.
Tommie Simone said his daughter both “inspires and intimidates” him with how she goes after what she wants.
Ilana Simone has followed her dream of becoming a songwriter, artist and producer, under the stage name of Ilana Armida. As an independent artist, she has written songs for other artists as well as for herself. She co-wrote the song “Ride” with three other artists that appeared on Doja Cat’s album “Planet Her,” which was nominated for a Grammy in 2022.
Music has been a key part of her
life, from performing in musicals to writing poetry that would eventually turn into songs in her journal. It wasn’t until college that she realized she could combine the two.
“I come up with the melodies first and I kind of mumble some words here and there,” Simone said. “Usually, something comes to me and gives me a feeling of some sort. The words just kind of appear.”
Simone said it is not uncommon for her to wake up with major parts of a song just waiting to be put down on paper and recorded. She does most of her writing solo, but loves a good “meeting of the minds” when she collaborates with other writers and producers. Simone said she will often record little voice memos with a song idea and return to it later.
She described her music using the terms “genre bending” and “pop experimentalist.” A lot of her music is focused on women’s empowerment, especially because of what she
has faced in the music industry.
She is often the only girl in the room when collaborating with music industry executives.
“(My music) focuses on the duality — you can be masculine and you can be feminine; you can be light and dark. You can be sexy but also be taken seriously,” Ilana Simone said. “You can be powerful and soft. I think it’s been very healing for me in this process, and I hope that it can be healing for the people who hear the music and watch the visuals, too.”
Ilana Simone said she loves being an independent artist, owning all of her masters and having creative control. She also said that although she appreciates the freedom, there is only so much she can do on her own. She said if the right deal comes along from a record label, she would take it, but her goal is to build a fanbase and connect with people.
Ilana Simone’s first bar gig in 2015 was at Ed’s Tavern in Lakewood
Dr. Amir Boubekri brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Lakewood Ranch I office a wealth of knowledge and experience in Orthopedic Medicine.
Undergraduate: University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
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Certification: Board Eligible, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Hospital Affiliations: Sarasota Memorial Hospital; Sarasota Doctors Hospital; Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Ranch
ILANA ARMIDA CAREER
2010: Graduated Lakewood Ranch High School 2014: Earned degree in Commercial Music Business from Florida Atlantic University
2014: Became vice president of the university’s record label, Hoot/Wisdom Recordings 2015: Built a home studio and began performing locally; competed on Season 10 of NBC’s “The Voice”
2017: Moved to Los Angeles to pursue a full-time career in song writing and artistry
2022: Co-wrote the song “Ride” on Doja Cat’s Grammynominated album “Planet Her” 2022: Released her EP “Cali Kinda Love”
2024: Performed on a European tour; moved back to East County
2025: Released the “Armida” EP and “Armida (Deluxe)” with accompanying cinematic visuals
Ranch and she finds herself continually returning to play there due to the nostalgia and atmosphere. She moved back to Mill Creek from Los Angeles in 2024.
“I don’t always find my audience locally, but Ed’s is always so supportive of whatever I play. I play everything from ’70s to today’s covers, pop rock, R&B stuff, and then I actually get to sing some of my original stuff. My original stuff always gets the reaction from people here.”
Right now, she is playing gigs for three hours at restaurants, clubs and hotels but is preparing to build a production to go on tour, which would include theatrics, a band and dancers.
“I want people to come to see Ilana Armida live and hear my songs and see my band, and get the full picture,” she said. “That’s what next year’s focus will be.”
She currently is performing in the role of Mimi in “Rent” which is pre-
sented by the The Sarasota Players from Dec. 3-14 (shows daily except for Dec. 8).
“It’s kind of a full-circle moment, because I’m doing a musical again after all of this time,” Simone said. “I’m back to my roots.”
Mill Creek’s Ilana Simone, who performs as Ilana Armida, has returned to her roots after living in Los Angeles to pursue her musical career.
Madison Bierl
Courtesy image
Ilana Simone goes by Ilana Armida for her music career. Her EP “Armida” features a song of the same name, which was the first song she made that felt like a new era of dark femme fatale and empowerment.
Familiar face, unfamiliar pro
The Sarasota Paradise team signs Roberto Burlew, a returning player from its semi-pro team.
JACK NELSON SPORTS REPORTER
Northern Kentucky University’s soccer coaches were quick to mold Roberto Burlew into the player they envisioned.
Very quick.
On his first day with the program, he was summoned to the coaches’ office. Then-coach Stu Riddle and then-assistant Blair Stevenson wanted to share their thoughts.
They saw great potential in Burlew as a right back. Entering college, he was recruited as a midfielder. Defense was not his forte.
“At first, I was like, ‘What?’” Burlew said. “But with their guidance, I ended up falling in love with the position and was hungry to learn more.”
He didn’t resist change or respond with frustration. Rather, he took it in stride.
The Norse were, after all, one of the few Division I programs to offer him a spot out of high school. Without a scholarship as a freshman, he carried gratitude for the opportunity in front of him.
He has made the most of it.
The Sarasota Paradise announced Burlew, 23, as the third signing in club history Nov. 26. The team is preparing for its first professional season in League One of the United Soccer League. He joins the roster as the first returning player from last season’s semi-professional squad — which competed in USL League Two — and in the wake of Garrett McLaughlin, who was the first player to sign, and Maximus Tainio, who was the first international player to sign with the team.
“This move is a perfect fit, because it gives me the chance to grow as a player while helping build something special from the very beginning,” Burlew said. “Going into my first season, I always wanted to be somewhere that believes in developing players, and the Paradise has shown
that trust in me from day one.”
Following the fifth and final season of his collegiate career at Wisconsin, Burlew joined Sarasota’s back line. His efforts helped the Paradise to a second consecutive South Florida Division crown in USL League Two.
In offering Burlew a pro contract, the club believes he’s ready to leave his semi-pro days behind.
Paradise coach Mika Elovaara said Burlew’s humility, work rate and team-oriented disposition were keys to his earning the contact.
“Those are assets and attributes that don’t get mentioned often enough when it comes to mak ing it as a pro,” Elovaara said.
It was over five years ago when Burlew stepped into that office at Northern Kentucky and realized his development was headed in an entirely different direction.
It was many years prior when it became possible for him to walk through that door.
His beginnings trace back to Cincinnati — the very place his father, Rob Burlew, left his own mark in the sport. Rob Burlew compet ed collegiately for Cincinnati men’s soccer and later played profession ally for the now-defunct Cincinnati Riverhawks.
Under the watchful eye of his father-coach, Roberto Burlew played all four years on varsity for Finneytown High of Cincinnati. He accumulated just one goal and three assists as a freshman, but took a big leap as a sophomore, tallying 14 goals and five assists.
“From a young age, I told (my father) my dreams and aspira tions as a soccer player,” Burlew said. “And from there, my par ents sacrificed a lot for me to be where I’m at today.”
To complement his high school season, he was also heav ily involved with Kings Hammer, a Cincinnati youth soccer club. The coaches on that team pushed him to be multipositional — to go
“You’re going to have pain through life — it’s part of life. But you’ve always got to have something to push through it.”
NEW FACES FOR THE PARADISE
Before announcing the signing of Roberto Burlew, the Sarasota Paradise officially added Garrett McLaughlin and Maximus Tainio to the roster on Nov. 12 and Nov. 19, respectively.
McLaughlin, a 28-year-old striker, has scored 34 goals in USL League One across stints with Toronto FC II, North Carolina FC and Forward Madison FC. He won the 2023 League One title as part of North Carolina FC. Before his professional career, he was a threetime All-AAC selection as a forward for SMU men’s soccer.
Tainio, a 24-year-old midfielder, hails from Finland — becoming the Paradise’s first international signing. He previously spent time at the Tottenham Hotspur academy and was involved with Finnish youth national teams at a young age. Additionally, he’s the son of former Finland Men’s National Team midfielder, Teemu Tainio.
beyond his strengths as a midfielder. They also helped him get on Northern Kentucky’s radar.
A mere 13.7 miles southeast of Finneytown High, Northern Kentucky wasn’t exactly a hike from home.
There, he became a true defensive stalwart. Starting 58 of 59 games in his four seasons with the program, he was named to the 2023 Second Team All-Horizon League. His 1,463 minutes played as a senior were secondmost on the squad.
Wisconsin represented his shot at Power Four soccer. He didn’t need to take many shots on the field, though, to make an impact in Madison.
Offering his durable, disciplined presence on defense, he registered a team-high 1,283 minutes and four assists in 2024.
“Finishing my college career was a big moment, but the transition to trying to get on a professional team definitely came with some challenges,” Burlew said. “You’re going to have a lot of teams that are going to tell you, ‘No. You’re not good enough. You’re not the right fit for us.’ So it’s a lot to take in.”
Elovaara is confident he will be a good fit with the Paradise.
What Burlew brings to the table is more than just his standout defense — it’s continuity. He’s already competed at Premier Sports Campus, well aware of what the club is all about.
Unlike in college, though, the season ahead will be almost year-round, running from March to November. The level of play will be higher than any he’s seen before.
Roberto Burlew prepares to throw the ball back into play during a game with Northern Kentucky. He spent four seasons with the Norse and earned Second Team All-Horizon League as a senior.
FAST BREAK
Gabriella Rawles, a senior at the online ICL Academy, announced her commitment to Notre Dame women’s tennis Nov. 26. The five-star recruit and Lakewood Ranch resident is ranked No. 22 overall in the Class of 2026, per Tennis Recruiting Network, and is No. 5 in the state. She trains yearround at Mouratoglou Academy Zephyrhills. Coached by Alison Silverio, the Fighting Irish went 21-6 overall and 9-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference last season, which ended with a 4-1 loss to No. 4 seed Ohio State in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Rawles will graduate early and enroll at Notre Dame for the upcoming spring semester.
... Former Olympian Mike Rostampour is the new head coach of Lakewood Ranch Prep boys’ basketball. He was a forward for Iran in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and along that run, even played against the eventual gold-medalist USA Basketball Men’s National Team. Lakewood Ranch Prep stood at 2-2 entering a Dec. 2 game at Keswick Christian. After falling to Sarasota Christian, 71-58, on Nov. 20, the team turned around with a 79-46 victory over Gulf Coast Heat a day later.
... Braden River High girls’ soccer continues to cruise. The Pirates were 6-0-1 going into a Dec. 2 game at Parrish Community and boast five shutouts in their last six matches. In the team’s final outing before the Thanksgiving holiday, Braden River defeated Cardinal Mooney 2-0 on Nov. 21 with goals from junior midfielder Camryn Kolbe and senior striker Genavieve Agustin. Junior striker/midfielder Victoria Caiazzo leads the Pirates in goals and assists with seven and four, respectively.
Braden River High’s Anquan Polynice
Image courtesy of Gabriella Rawles Gabriella Rawles poses for a photo at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, for a post shared on Instagram. The Lakewood Ranch resident committed to the school’s women’s tennis program last week.
Image courtesy of Hunter Butler/Sarasota Paradise
Roberto Burlew dribbles down the turf at Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch.
The Sarasota Paradise signed the defender to their roster ahead of the team’s first professional season in USL League One.
Image courtesy of Northern Kentucky Athletics
Polo club gallops forward with new women’s league
Introduced for the 2026 season, the 6-8 goal league will run Fridays from Jan. 9 through Feb. 20.
Little girls love horses. That truth was cemented long ago. It doesn’t apply to every preschooler or elementary schooler, but it does to many. They admire the beauty of the manes flowing in the wind. They gravitate to the majesty of a gentle canter against a scenic backdrop. Coming of age, though, can mean setting such interests aside. Only a select few convert their love for horses into competition.
The Sarasota Polo Club, based in Lakewood Ranch, has welcomed more of those female athletes onto
its grounds.
A new 6-8 goal women’s league has been added to the club’s 2026 schedule. The league will run on Fridays from Jan. 9 through Feb. 20, broken into two month-long tournaments. Four-person teams will consist of one professional and three amateurs.
Well before a female-only league was realized, the idea of it had circulated among the club’s management.
“We’ve always internally discussed whether we should do something or not,” said Mason Wroe, the club’s director of polo.
“The past several years, women’s polo has taken off, and it’s one of the fastest-growing parts of the United States Polo Association.”
The Sarasota Polo Club’s only precedent for such a league is the Sarasota Women’s Challenge.
Structured as a week-long tournament with four flights of play, it’s become an annual staple of the yearly calendar.
The A Flight of the 2025 edition — playing 14-16 goals, the highest difficulty — was won by G3 Polo’s Kris Gali, Kylie Sheehan, Mica Saracco and Summer Kneece.
Even with the new women’s league, that challenge will remain, scheduled for Feb. 26 through March 1.
“Some years, it was throughthe-roof, tons of teams,” Wroe said.
“Some years, a little slower. But our idea was always that we had to have it. Good or bad. Large demand, small demand. It’s important that we always do it.”
It wasn’t the only avenue for female involvement at the Sarasota Polo Club.
There’s an interscholastic high school program and polo school offered as well. According to Wroe, both feature large contingents of female participants.
But doubts still lingered about
whether the numbers were there to create and maintain a quality, competitive women’s league.
“One of the concerns I had in the past is, ‘Do we have enough people to make it work?’” Wroe said.
“We’re more isolated over here. We kind of have our own membership ... a lot of people go to Wellington.”
Home to the United States Polo Association National Polo Center, Wellington is Lakewood Ranch’s biggest competitor for polo talent, despite sitting a considerable 143 miles to the southeast. The area is also home to the Women of Wellington Polo Series — one of the state’s few tried-and-true women’s leagues.
There was something to be learned from the standard they set.
Leanne Moll, a Sarasota Polo Club member and -1 goal player from Bradenton, understood that. She spent the last year traveling to women’s tournaments across the country and consulted several competitors and organizers of the Women of Wellington league.
Approaching club management, Moll brought up the idea of the women’s league. They ran with it from there.
“It kind of became a ‘Why not me? Why not us?’ scenario,” Wroe said.
Times are still in the works for league matches, but as of Nov. 28, Wroe said early afternoons are most likely.
The Sarasota Polo Club is actively coordinating with the Women of Wellington, as well as other nearby clubs, to determine when professionals will be available. Amateurs can be local to Sarasota/Bradenton or come from around the state.
The relationships between pros and the club’s female sponsors like Moll — as well as Margaux Buchanan, a 0 goal player from Bradenton — will be crucial to recruiting the sort of talents who can uplift the
league. But the Sarasota Polo Club also believes the chance to earn a salary will be attractive enough to bring in the professional players necessary to field teams.
“Just like the men — their counterparts — they’re trying to make hay when the sun shines,” Wroe said. “This is their time to play as much polo and make as much money as they can ... this is a business opportunity to come and play polo and develop relationships, like in any career.”
In a perfect world, the endgame of adding a women’s league has the Sarasota Polo Club as an even more attractive polo destination.
The Sarasota Polo Club is dreaming of a future where numbers are never a concern, whether that means men or women.
“We want (the women) to participate in a pro-am tournament Thursday/Saturday or play
Ranch or Sunshine (two leagues for club members),” said Paige Lautzenheiser, the vice president of operations. “The goal is for them to come, fall in love with this club, stick around.”
A women’s league is an exciting proposition for the club. Strides have been made before, but for Wroe and company, the new league should spark interest.
More of those little girls might one day find themselves at the Sarasota Polo Club.
Jack Nelson is the sports reporter for the East County and Sarasota/Siesta Key Observers. Contact him at JNelson@ YourObserver.com.
Photos courtesy of Julio Aguilar / Sarasota Polo Club
Mica Saraco (white) battles with Olivia Uchiritz (blue) during a February polo match at Sarasota Polo Club.
Maddie Grant brings back her mallet before striking the ball during a match at Sarasota Polo Club.
Anquan Polynice
Anquan Polynice, a 5-foot-10 junior guard, led his Braden River High boys’ basketball team to a fast start in its Nov. 18 season opener, a 71-26 victory over Southeast. Polynice had 13 points, three rebounds, six assists and two steals. Polynice is the East County Athlete of the Week.
When and why did you start playing basketball?
It was my second grade year. I was just put into it. My dad (James Polynice) — everybody on his side of the family — uncles and aunts, they all played basketball. Growing up, it was like an expectation to play basketball.
What do you love most about the sport?
It just keeps peace throughout pain and troubles. You’re going to have pain through life — it’s part of life. But you’ve always got to have something to push through it. So basketball was a way for me to cope through pain, sadness and even if I’m just happy.
What are your goals for your junior season with Braden River?
For us to become a family. That’s the No. 1 goal, because we have people come in from different schools.
The season is young, but what are your early impressions about this team?
Everybody loves each other. Love is a strong word, too, but we all truly have love for each other to the point where we want each other to become better.
When you’re not playing basketball, how do you spend your free time?
I play NBA 2K with my homeboys, and also, I like being with my family. My
If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to JNelson@YourObserver.com.
father ... everything I do with him since I’ve been growing up. If he’s going to the gas station, I’m right behind him. He could literally just be going down the road — I’m right behind him. And my mom (Natalie Polynice), I’m her food tester. Whenever she wants me to taste something, I just go taste it.
What’s one quote or piece of advice that you’ve never forgotten? It came from my uncle (Winder Polynice). “If you want it, it’s more than you just want to go get it. You’ve got to have people around you that want to get it with you.”
If you could meet any professional athlete, who would it be and why?
It’s between three people — Rob Dillingham, Kyrie Irving and DeMar DeRozan. I know DeMar is a big difference between Rob and Kyrie, but DeMar ... growing up, he had it rougher than half the people I know. He was in the streets growing up, didn’t know what he wanted to do. And now he’s in the NBA. I’ve been watching Kyrie since I was little. With Rob ... when I was in middle school, he was in high school. He plays just like Kyrie, too, so I like to find people that play that way. I want to play like them or touch up on certain stuff to play
Finish this sentence.
Anquan Polynice is ...
NOT TOO HOT TO TROT
The Nathan Benderson Park Florida Turkey Trot raises funds for the park conservancy and the Big Bill Foundation.
Runners pack the starting area for the 2025 Florida Turkey Trot on Nov. 27 at foggy Nathan
4,558 participants.
Jake Grewal bought the turkey suit more than a month ago.
After the Sarasota resident ran in the London Marathon in April, he began thinking about what he would do special for the 2025 Florida Turkey Trot at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota on Thanksgiving Day.
So why not dress as a turkey?
He didn’t expect the temperature to be in the high 60s at race time.
“I got dressed this morning,” he said of putting on his costume. “Oh my God!”
He knew it was going to be a lot hotter than he expected.
“I told everyone I was going to run in it,” he said. “So I had to do it.”
He did it well. Grewal finished 42nd overall in 19:37.13 and was the first fully dressed turkey to cross the finish line.
Derek Robinson, a 2025 Lakewood Ranch High graduate who now attends Southeastern University, won the overall race in 16:37.45. Eleven-yearold Sterling Howard of Fishers, Indiana, was the overall women’s winner in 18:13.82.
This year’s event attracted a record 4,558 participants between the main 5K race and the kids races that were held before the main event. It took 11 minutes from the time the first runners left the finish line until the last participate began his race.
The race benefits the Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy and the Big Bill Foundation, which has a mission of providing academic scholarships to survivors of childhood cancer.
— JAY HEATER
Benderson Park. The race had a record
Lakewood Ranch’s Claire Weaver, Greyhawk Landing’s Stephanie Oake and Sarasota’s Joni Citron dress the part for the Florida Turkey Trot.
Many of the runners at the 2025 Florida Turkey Trot at Nathan Benderson Park were happy to bring some fun to the event.
Sarasota’s Chris Necev says he doesn’t have any trouble running in the Florida Turkey Trot with a turkey on his head.
Photos by Jay Heater
Sarasota’s Brielle, 7, Barrett, 9 months, mom Katie, Adelaide, 9, and Hannah, 10, get ready to run in the Florida Turkey Trot. Katie Tennyson ran in last year’s race even though she was pregnant.
Bozeman, Montana’s Tripp Porter shows off the medal he won for participating in the 4-5 kids run during the Florida Turkey Trot at Nathan Benderson Park.
Training pups rewarding and emotional
Volunteers say they get a lot from the program, even if it ends in them shedding some tears when they send the puppies to Dogs Inc.
ewton, now a 9-month-old, yellow Labrador retriever, has been described as a “love bucket,” who is eager to play at any chance he gets.
But that energy has been misguided at times.
In the bathroom of Lakewood Ranch’s Nick and Brenda Paradiso in June, Newton made a “humongous, hot puppy jump” and landed wrong, resulting in a broken leg.
That presented a problem for the Paradisos, who were training Newton to transition to Dogs Inc so he could become a service dog.
For approximately the first year of training, the dogs are raised by volunteers in their homes.
Newton was the Paradisos’ second try at helping a service dog along the way. They had a nice experience raising “Ruth” for service but were planning to take a year off before puppy sitting another dog.
Those plans changed when Dogs Inc was searching for a temporary home for Newton, whose original puppy sitters needed to take a month off to remodel their home.
The Paradisos volunteered to fill the gap by watching Newton.
After Newton’s injury, the Paradisos asked Dogs Inc if they could keep Newton longer.
“My husband and I just looked at each other going, ‘We can’t turn him back in. We’ve got to see this through,’” Brenda Paradiso said.
Dogs Inc agreed, and Newton was allowed to stay.
After visits to a specialist and hydrotherapy, Newton is back on track.
The Paradisos have loved their volunteer work, which was partially set up by the Lakewood Ranch Puppy Raisers Club, which they joined in 2023.
The club is co-lead by Sandy Wilkey and Alex Jeanroy and represents a community effort to train the next generation of service dogs.
The dogs leave the Dogs Inc campus between 8 and 10 weeks old to begin their training. They stay with their puppy raisers for about a year before returning to campus for advanced training.
Wilkey began as a raiser in 2019 and said it is important for the puppy raisers to take the dogs everywhere they go, including dinner, the mall, public transportation and anywhere else.
“Our job is to bring them into our homes and make sure they’re safe,” Wilkey said. “We bond with them. They’re loved, and we teach them good house manners. We teach them how to control impulses —
DOGS INC
Dogs Inc was previously called Southeastern Guide Dogs. For more information on the puppy raising program, visit DogsInc.org/GetInvolved/Puppy-VolunteerProgram/.
The LWR Puppy Raisers Club meets three times a month and consists of approximately 20 active members. For more information on the club, reach out to co-leader Sandy Wilkey at SandyWilkeylWRPups@gmail. com.
not to run after a bunny or a squirrel or this piece of food on the floor. We help them learn the basic commands or cues.”
Jeanroy started the current Lakewood Ranch chapter in 2019 after the Sarasota club continued to grow.
Regular meetings are held three times a week and provide club members with an opportunity to practice skills, receive feedback and guidance and share their experiences.
When the dogs return to Dogs Inc, each puppy’s strengths and weaknesses are measured to determine whether they can serve as a guide dog, a service dog, a skilled companion dog or a therapy dog.
“The biggest question that you get asked is, ‘How do you turn the dog back in? How can you do that?’”
Brenda Paradiso said. “Once you visit the (Dogs Inc) campus, you see the people who have received these dogs. It’s life changing for them.”
Despite that fact, Brenda Paradiso said that turning in a dog is an experience “definitely filled with a lot of tears and emotion.”
Marty Saia, along with his wife, Mollie, are currently raising a 14-month-old black Labrador retriever named Emmy. Marty said Emmy is extremely intelligent, which occasionally causes some issues.
“She gets it the first time,” Saia said of any lesson Mollie is taught.
“In fact, the challenge with her is in a training routine because you have to vary it. She’ll know what’s coming next and she’ll beat you to do it.”
For Bob Kasperski, raising dogs is something he has always wanted to do. He has been part of the club since 2021 and joined the Lakewood Ranch branch in 2023.
Kasperski has raised four dogs and is now on his fifth. His first dog, Georgie, didn’t fit into the Dogs Inc programs, so Kasperski adopted him. Kasperski’s second dog, Leia, was used for breeding, the third dog, Morgan, became a guide dog and the fourth dog, Kylo, is a service dog.
Kasperski described his current dog, Coach, a 10-month-old Labrador, as the most affectionate dog he has raised. He loves to lick people.
Kasperski said he enjoys seeing dogs develop from “little puppies to potential superheroes ready for university training.”
“It is amazing seeing how the little puppy we raised is changing and improving the life of someone else,” Kasperski said. “The final week with the puppy is emotional, but a lot of raisers do it again.”
Kasperski said the people who receive the working dogs need them more than he does and said it is a fun way to give back.
Wilkey recognizes that not everyone can commit a full year to raise a puppy, but encourages anyone interested to inquire about other options. There is potential for shorter raising periods as well as other ways to contribute that include puppy sitting, walking dogs, and working in fitness centers with the dogs.
Brenda Paradiso encourages anyone interested to take a tour of the Dogs Inc campus.
“The people at the campus are so knowledgeable about the ins and outs of everything,” Paradiso said. “That way, they get to talk to the people who do this day in and day out.”
Photos by Madison Bierl
Nick and Brenda Paradiso are currently raising 9-month-old Lab Newton through the LWR Puppy Raisers club. What started as a 30-day puppy sitting job is now a 14- to 16-month commitment after Newton broke his leg and captured their hearts.
Emmy, a 14-month-old black Labrador retriever, needs Marty and Mollie Saia to switch her routine regularly because she already has the commands memorized. Marty said she can open doors and gets every command the first time.
Park adds spice with market
Selling everything from spices and honey to knitted products, 55 vendors filled the parking lot of Nathan Benderson Park on Nov. 25 and will continue to every Tuesday through March.
The new Market at Nathan Benderson Park takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Jessica Gill of My Promotions, the market organizer, said there was a need in the community for a market during the week.
She noted that many people who are self-employed, work from home or simply work a different schedule than most, look for something to do.
Gill said she hopes people will “support art and culture, small business and artisans, alike.”
“They are the heartbeat of America,” Gill said.
Sarasota’s Lynn Harrison was eager to purchase a lemon, white, balsamic vinegar from Guseppe Testini, owner of Olive Branch & More. She wants to use it on salads.
“I thought the market had some beautiful homemade things,” Harrison said. “I had not seen most of the items anywhere else, which was a plus.”
— MADISON BIERL
Photos by Madison Bierl Olivia Whitman, 9, and her father, Brandon Whitman, of Moo-Jitsu, a spice company, hand out free samples of food with their spices.
Ruskin’s Pat Eddy takes a break from running her booth, Shorty’s and Gifts, to check out plants at the Julia’s Natural Shop booth. Eddy purchased succulents and carnivorous plants.
Norway’s Annika Stokke is visiting her grandmother, Barbara O’Brien, and couldn’t resist taking a photo of the colorful pumpkins at the Come Under the Yum Yum Tree booth.
Juli Ranschaert, of Juli’s Coastal Creations, makes a variety of products that stemmed from her love of shelling and resin.
Sarasota’s Lynn Harrison looks forward to using the lemon white balsamic vinegar she purchased from Guseppe Testini, owner of Olive Branch and More, on her salads.
Bob Lees and Diego Whitman enjoy an espresso latte and a strawberry lemonade from Sip n Brew.
Gatherings
Discover
SHELLSTONE AT WATERSIDE
Sarasota, FL
Approx. 1,692-3,733 sf
From High $500's 2 Amenity Centers Quick Move-Ins Available
MODEL CENTER
792 Blue Shell Loop Sarasota, FL 34240 941-361-2536
Home
AT WELLEN PARK
Venice, FL
Approx. 2,375-3426 sf
From High $700's Gated with Amenity Center Quick Move-Ins Available
MODEL CENTER 18188 Foxtail Loop Venice, FL 34293 941-361-2537
THE WRITE STUFF
Lakewood Ranch’s Peter Moscovita has published seven books and earned a positive Hollywood Book Review for his first novel, ‘The Following Storm.’
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
When 81-year-old Peter Moscovita sits down to write at his Country Club home, he said he completely loses himself.
Of course, nobody else is really looking for him at 5 a.m.
That is his time to write, when the sun has yet to rise and there is a peaceful silence at his Lakewood Ranch home. He puts on some soft music in the background and then turns his imagination loose.
He said it is like he enters a completely different dimension.
With a passion for history and research, as well as fiction, he has written and published seven books in the past seven years, including his most recent book, “My Journey to You,” which was released Sept. 24.
“My Journey to You” is a story, according to Moscovita “of two high-powered people, an ocean apart, who find unexpected romance in the deceptive world of online chat sites, where a hidden agenda will keep you guessing.”
Moscovita began writing six years ago after he was diagnosed with Mantle cell lymphoma, a blood cancer, that required more than a year of treatment.
He took a negative and turned it into a positive by exploring his passion for writing.
Moscovita’s wife, Martine, was the first one to encourage him to write novels after hearing him talk about the adventures his father, Amilcari, had as a maritime officer in Austria.
“Writing about (his father) took me away from what was killing me
PETER MOSCOVITA
“The Following Storm,” “Beyond All Doubt,” “All That Ends Well” and “The Last Train Home” are all part of a series.
“The Ultimate Sacrifice,” “The Unexpected Encounter” and “My Journey To You” are standalones.
For more information, visit PeterMoscovita.net.
inside,” said Moscovita, who grew up in England and moved to the U.S. in 1966.
Now Moscovita, a former design engineer in the aerospace industry who later formed a medical instrumentation company, will spend eight to 10 hours a day sitting at his laptop.
“Writing a book is something very personal,” he said. “It’s you; it’s your imagination. It could be a litany of different things, but the main thing is, when you finish that book, you
PALMERA
Lakewood Ranch writer Peter Moscovita found his passion for writing through a cancer diagnosis and encouragement from his wife.
Photos by Madison Bierl
HOLLYWOOD BOOK REVIEW
The last two paragraphs of a 2018 review on “The Following Storm” in Hollywood Book Review read:
“It’s a wonderfully written book that’s been paced very well. At no point do you feel exhausted or bored, despite the fact that it’s a read of over 300 pages. The language is simple and easy to understand — and some parts of the book have the classic Hollywood vibe to them. The character development you witness is convincing, and the stories and emotions involved seem quite relatable.
“Everything put together, ‘The Following Storm’ by Peter A. Moscovita is an entertaining read offering much more than just reading joy. Yes, life lessons. From resilience in the face of adversity to the need for calm in the moment of storm, all the events mentioned in the book offer some real value to the reader. If you haven’t decided on your next book yet, we’d highly recommend you make this one your next one.”
REYAN BORIS MISHRA, HOLLYWOOD BOOK REVIEW
look at it and say, ‘I achieved this. I wrote a book.’ It doesn’t matter if anybody ever sees it.”
When Moscovita started writing his first book, “The Following Storm,” in 2018, he thought he might be a “one-book wonder.” But that book earned him accolades and a positive article in the Hollywood Book Review, which serves self-published authors, and prompted him to write more novels.
“It appeals to your ego, it has to,” Moscovita said of the positive review. “There’s a lot of people trying to get that and not many get it. It appeals to those that are scouts for movie companies, traditional publishing companies, literary agents and also gives credibility to your ability.”
He never thought he would fall in love with writing, but he did. His books are fiction, but with historically accurate information included.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the human stories behind global events,” Moscovita said in a release. “The characters in ‘The Following Story’ live at a time (World War II) when survival demanded both bravery and love. Their struggles mirror the moral choices that define us in any era.”
In his early days as a writer, Martine Moscovita said she had some advice for him. “I said, ‘Peter, if you want this to be good, you’ve got to put some sex and romance in it’ — and he did,” Martine said.
Moscovita said his novel “The Ultimate Sacrifice,” which revolves around an English fighter pilot who falls in love with a French nurse, is being considered by a film company.
Martine Moscovita said she hopes that at least one of her husband’s books does become a movie. Her first choice would be his first book “The Following Storm,” but she said “The Ultimate Sacrifice” and “The Unexpected Encounter” would make beautiful movies, as well.
Moscovita hopes other aspiring authors take the jump like he did, sitting down, and just beginning to write.
“I’ve had good things happen all because of books, and there’s a lot of people who have suppressed feelings that they would like to write a book, but they are scared of what people are going to say,” Moscovita said. “It doesn’t matter what people say.”
On top of writing books, Moscovita also has a passion for writing poetry and song lyrics.
“I just let rhythm and rhyme go through my head, and then I put it down and I start changing words so they either rhyme or flow better,” Moscovita said.
Moscovita writes as if he was part of the story. He is experiencing whatever his characters are experiencing.
Other than racing a car or sailing a boat, he said there isn’t anything he would rather be doing than writing.
“He loves it and he’s 81 years old,” Martine Moscovita said. “If he wants to do this, I let him do it and enjoy it.”
TRAIN RIDES
YOUR CALENDAR
THURSDAY, DEC. 4 THROUGH SUNDAY, DEC. 7
LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING
Runs from 3-6 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Steve Arvey (Thursday), Al Fuller’s Midnight Movers (Friday), Victoria Ginty Band (Saturday), and Rock’n Randy Talbott (Sunday). The Friday and Saturday shows are $5; the others are free. For information, go to JiggsLanding.com.
FRIDAY, DEC. 5
MUSIC ON MAIN
Runs 6-9 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. Noted blues performer R.J. Howson will fill the air with rock and blues during the monthly free concert series and block party. Proceeds from the event benefit the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance. The event includes food and beer vendors, sponsor booths and games and activities for the kids presented by Grace Community Church. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.
MUSIC AT THE PLAZA
Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones will entertain those strolling the streets of Waterside Place with rock and blues. For more information about the free music series, go to WatersidePlace.com.
SATURDAY, DEC. 6 AND SUNDAY, DEC. 7
HOLIDAY MARKET
Runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. The Lakewood Ranch Holiday Festival of the Arts returns to Lakewood Main Street with fine art, handmade crafts, photography and other works of art. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.
MUSIC AT THE LODGE
Runs 6-9 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday at Linger Lodge, 7205 85th St. Court E., Bradenton. Linger Lodge’s live music schedule includes Sheree Cade on Saturday and Tom Selletti on Sunday.
BEST BET
SATURDAY, DEC. 6
LAKEWOOD RANCH BLUES FEST
Runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch. The second Lakewood Ranch Blues Fest, presented by Bank of America, features a day of live music, food and drinks and an array of vendors. The Shaelyn Band begins the day at 10 a.m. followed by Eden Brent at 11:20 a.m.; Jonny Rawls at 12:40 p.m., Toronzo Cannon at 2:05 p.m.; Chamber Deslauriers at 3:30 p.m.; Desoto Tiger at 5 p.m., and Albert Castiglia at 6:30 p.m. Go to LakewoodRanchBluesFest.com for tickets and more information.
SUNDAY, DEC. 7
FARMERS MARKET
Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch, which was just voted as the top farmers market in the nation, will run year-round every Sunday. 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 information, visit MyLWR.com.
TUESDAY, DEC. 9
MARKET AT THE PARK
Runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. The Market at Nathan Benderson Park runs on Tuesdays and features local artists, small businesses and crafters from all walks of life. In addition, there will be a kids zone, food trucks, live music and themed events. Go to NathanBendersonPark.org for more information.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 10
RANCH NITE WEDNESDAYS Runs from 6-9 p.m. at 1560 Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place. Join the crowd at Waterside Place enjoying the food trucks and live music or playing in the cornhole league during Ranch Nite Wednesdays. For more information, go to MyLWR. com.
Sights
Must-see at UTC
Whether Christmas shopping or just hanging out, visiting University Town Center during the holidays has become a local tradition.
Families visit to see the light show, go ice skating, take horse-drawn carriage rides and watch fireworks, circus performances and Christmas movies.
While the Rice family travels to UTC annually from Wimauma, the Williams family visits pretty much every weekend because they live down the street in Lakewood Ranch.
Frances Rice started their family tradition by bringing just her daughters, 8-year-old Isabella Rice and 18-year-old Syriana Noake, to UTC to see the lights. Now, her extended family takes the trip, too. This year, they watched the lights from the back of a horse-drawn carriage.
Tilly Williams said she appreciates the kidfriendly atmosphere inside and outside the mall.
— LESLEY DWYER
IF YOU GO
From now until Jan. 4, UTC will be lit up and bustling with holiday activities for the whole family.
■ Light shows along North Cattlemen Road run every half-hour from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
■ Ice rink hours in the West District are from 4-10 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday through Sunday and on school holidays.
■ Horse-drawn carriage rides are available at the Stable on North Cattlemen Road from 6-10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
■ Holiday movies start at 7 p.m. in the West District near Ford’s Garage on Fridays and Saturdays.
■ Fireworks start at 10 p.m. on Saturdays.
■ Visit WonderlandCircus.com for show times and tickets for Nik Wallenda’s Wonderland circus spectacular.
Vibrant Senior Living Coming Soon
Emerson Lakes℠ is now accepting reservations! Our first phase of construction is now underway. This includes the beautiful Coral Ridge Clubhouse opening in late 2026, followed by three residential buildings opening throughout 2027: Sandhill Point, Laguna Springs, and Mangrove Run.
Here are just a few resort-style amenities you can expect when you live at Emerson Lakes:
• Multiple dining venues
• Outdoor pool with a walk-up bar
• State-of-the-art fitness center
• Pickleball and bocce ball courts
• Outdoor fitness center with meditation garden
• Firepits
Take the first step today! Call 1-888-515-6435 to learn more about this exciting new community!
The Williams family lives nearby in Lakewood Ranch, so they spend a lot of time at UTC throughout the holiday season.
Bradenton’s Laiza Cortez and Ava Chavez have been to UTC before, but this is their first time seeing the lights. Visitors can step inside the mug of hot cocoa for a photo op.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Sarasota’s David Farr picks up
Wild Blue home tops sales at $3.1 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in Wild Blue at Waterside on Blue Shell Loop topped the week’s sales. SDWB Waterside LLC sold the home at 564 Blue Shell Loop to Shaun Rooney and Lora Bowers, of Sarasota, for $3.1 million. Built in 2025, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,452 square feet of living area.
WILD BLUE AT WATERSIDE
SDWB Waterside LLC sold the home at 1030 Blue Shell Loop to Harold and Tracy Munter, of Sarasota, for $2.6 million. Built in 2025, it has four bedrooms, four-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 3,126 square feet of living area.
COUNTRY CLUB
Franklin Bracken and Lilian Suzanne Bracken, of Bradenton, sold their home at 13214 Lost Key Place to Kevin Coscia, of Winter Park, for $2.2 million. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,195 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.35 million in 2021.
Francis and Joni Lolli, trustees, sold the home at 7412 Greystone St. to Harmanna Ward, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.75 million. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,984 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.2 million in 2021.
COUNTRY CLUB EAST
Jolie and Richard Nowicki, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, sold their home at 7454 Seacroft Cove to Michael and Harriet Gill, of Baltimore, for $1.81 million. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths and 2,932 square feet of living area. It sold for $2 million in 2023.
Bassam Samano, trustee, sold the home at 7007 Whittlebury Trial to The Land Trust Co., trustee, for $890,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,224 square feet of living area. It sold for $845,000 in 2021.
LAKEWOOD NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
Peter and Lisa Harvey, of Dade City, sold their home at 5629 Arnie Loop to Lisa and Robert Riegle, of Bradenton, for $1.16 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,390 square feet of living area. It sold for $650,000 in 2020.
TIDEWATER PRESERVE
Karen Schroeder sold the home at 1103 Kestrel Court to Pamela June Liberatore and Thomas Jay Liberatore, of Bradenton, for $1.15 million. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,913 square feet of living area. It sold for $725,000 in 2020.
Russell Warren, trustee, sold the home at 5203 Lake Overlook Ave. to Jun Zhu and Liting Wang, of Bradenton, for $660,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,916 square feet of living area. It sold for $406,100 in 2015.
PRESERVE AT PANTHER RIDGE
Michael Ray Nelson and Stephanie Renee Nelson, of Parrish, sold their home at 22602 Night Heron Way to Kristyn Echterling Savage and Sean Martin Savage, of Bradenton, for $1.1 million. Built in 2002, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,668 square feet of living area. It sold for $605,000 in 2020.
ESPLANADE
Susan Buchmann sold her home at 5104 Benito Court to Yan Dong and Chuan Yu, of Bradenton, for $1.05 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 3,240 square feet of living area. It sold for $727,800 in 2017.
SHELLSTONE AT WATERSIDE
HBT at Waterside East LLC sold the home at 9192 Florida Rock Trail to Robert and Wendy Przybylski, of Wheatfield, Indiana, for $967,900. Built in 2025, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,073 square feet of living area.
ST. JAMES PARK
Rigmor Soderstrom, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 6620 Saint James Crossing to Dog & Goat Properties LLC for $899,900. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,860 square feet of living area. It sold for $413,000 in 2013.
GREYHAWK LANDING
Richard Hinch Jr. and Karen DeSimone, of Punta Gorda, sold their home at 356 Blackbird Court to Richard Michael Schimek and Anna Lynn Schimek, of Bradenton, for $895,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,535 square feet of living area. It sold for $338,000 in 2010.
Emerald Landing at Waterside
Weekley Homes LLC sold the home at 1606 Running Tide Place to Philip Louis Woods and Rebecca Hatheway Woods, of Sarasota, for $830,000. Built in 2025, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 3,155 square feet of living area.
Weekley Homes LLC sold the home at 7304 Donnybrook Lane to Paul Edward Bolduc, of Sarasota, for $800,000. Built in 2025, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 3,117 square feet of living area.
Weekley Homes LLC sold the home at 1700 Gem Lane to Helene Susan Duvin, of Sarasota, for $545,000. Built in 2025, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,774 square feet of living area.
SAVANNA
John Bailey, of Bradenton, and Krista Bailey, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 13706 American Prairie Place to Kristy and David Mashburn, of Bradenton, for $815,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 3,101 square feet of living area. It sold for $509,800 in 2018.
CRESSWIND
Elaine Chambers, of Lakewood Ranch, sold her home at 5074 Surfside Circle to Jonathan Len Boehning and Stephanie Darlene Boehning, of Lakewood Ranch, for $778,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,560 square feet of living area. It sold for $540,800 in 2021.
WOODBORNE TERRACE
Opendoor Property Trust I sold the home at 10216 Woodborne Place to Ekaterina Vasilenko, of Bradenton, for $770,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,970 square feet of living area. It sold for $648,300 in May.
WOODLEAF HAMMOCK
Hillary and John Bello, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 2033
Woodleaf Hammock Court to Chad Joseph Rhodes and Samantha Lyn Rhodes, trustees, of Bradenton, for $750,000. Built in 2021, it has five bedrooms, four baths and 3,639 square feet of living area. It sold for $591,200 in 2021.
CENTRAL PARK
Analou Brooks, of Bradenton, sold the home at 12071 Forest Park Circle to Ronald and Julia Quinn, of Bradenton, for $717,500. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,895 square feet of living area. It sold for $470,000 in 2019.
AZARIO ESPLANADE
Janelle Kara Mertins and Enrique Mertins, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 3255 Alba Circle to Jerry and Julie Wesley, of Lakewood Ranch, for $715,000. Built in 2025, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,920 square feet of living area. It sold for $671,800 in September.
MISTY OAKS
Michael and Angela Santoro, of Sarasota, sold their home at 8173 Misty Oaks Blvd. to Mark Andrew Gissibl and Michele Lafronza-Gis-
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
NOV. 17-21
sibl, of Sarasota, for $712,500. Built in 1992, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,223 square feet of living area. It sold for $682,000 in 2023.
MILL CREEK
Sandra Griscom, of Pickerington, Ohio, and Suzanne Paldino, of Bonita Springs, sold their home at 15409 17th Ave. E. to Jeffrey Carl Kahlmeyer and Julia Ann Kahlmeyer, trustees, of Bradenton, for $680,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,664 square feet of living area. It sold for $550,000 in 2006.
HPA Borrower 2016 ML LLC sold the home at 14106 18th Place E. to William and Stephanie Mottram, of Bradenton, for $615,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,262 square feet of living area. It sold for $435,000 in 2016.
GREENBROOK
Donald and Marsha Champion, of Maryville, Tennessee, sold their home at 14312 Silver Trout Drive to Yvonne McManus, of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, for $640,000. Built in 2010, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,366 square feet of living area. It sold for $692,000 in 2006.
Madison Bierl
A Wild Blue at Waterside home at 564 Blue Shell Loop sold for $3.1 million. Built in 2025, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,452 square feet of living area.
IT’S READ EVERYWHERE
Headed on a trip? Snap a photo of you on vacation holding your Observer, then submit your photo at YourObserver.com/ ItsReadEverywhere for a chance to win.
NEW HEIGHTS WITH THE OBSERVER: Sophia and Melanie Tabb admire the Waimea Canyon in Kauai, Hawaii, with a copy of the East County Observer
BUNDLES OF JOY by CJ Tan, edited by Jared Goudsmit
By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
