East County Observer 4.22.21

E A ST COUNTY

Observer Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

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YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

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FREE THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

VOLUME 23, NO. 23

YOUR TOWN

Does development cross the line?

Commissioners will make a final decision within six months whether to grant exception to allow development to move farther east. PAGE 5A

Brendan Lavell

First swing’s the charm The Meadows resident Marina Lagasse hadn’t played mini golf in more than a year when she decided to spend her Friday off work at The Fish Hole at Lakewood Ranch with playing partner Kyle Washburn.

But Washburn, a frequent mini golf player, had a feeling it would be her lucky day.

When Lagasse teed off on the fifth hole, Washburn’s hunch came to fruition.

“It felt great,” Lagasse said. “I was counting on myself to make a hole-in-one today.”

Robotics on rise Five Lakewood Ranch elementary school teams compete at regional VEX robotics competition. SEE PAGE 8A Courtesy photo

Students from Cypress Ridge Elementary School talk with Gilbert W. McNeal Elementary School students at the regional competition.

Liz Ramos

Sharing experience Jeanette Wirz, the president of the Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club, has been fishing for 65 years, and Larry Naddeo, the chair of the club’s board, has been fishing for 70 years.

Wirz and Naddeo want to share their fishing experience with anyone wanting to pick up a rod and learn how to fish during the club’s Learn to Fish event at James L. Patton Park.

“Seeing them take the information we share and exercise it is rewarding,” Wirz said.

All ages are welcome to attend the next Fishing Saturday at 10 a.m. May 15 at James L. Patton Park.

Register at MyLWR.com.

New fire station opens Brendan Lavell

East Manatee Fire Rescue District Chief Lee Whitehurst speaks at the grand opening of the district’s Station 8, which is Lakewood Ranch’s fifth fire station.

Lakewood Ranch now has five fire stations.

SEE PAGE 3A

A+E What’s cooking?

SEE PAGE 12A

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

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Myakka triangle rezone denied Manatee County commissioners say safety was the main concern for the Myakka City property at S.R. 64 and County Road 675.

BRENDAN LAVELL STAFF WRITER

Manatee County commissioners voted 5-2 to deny a rezone request for the “triangle,” a 1.54acre parcel of land near the northeast corner of State Road 70 and County Road 675 in Myakka City, from general agriculture to neighborhood commercial small at an April 15 land use meeting.

Commissioners James Satcher and Misty Servia voted in favor of the motion.

Safety was the main concern raised by commissioners and residents. Myakka City resident Elizabeth Arnold said the area is dangerous because of traffic, and a convenience store or restaurant would cause a safety hazard for children crossing the street after school. A bus stop is located near the northern end of the triangle at 77th Avenue.

“Commercial-level vehicles accessing 70 and 675 in a location where traffic travels 65 mph with no lights, no sidewalks and a history of serious accidents is unwise,” Arnold said. “You don’t have a traffic signal like you do with Wawa right down the street.

You have nothing to protect those kids. And you’ve got trucks, dump trucks, orange trucks, tomato trucks, watermelon trucks racing up and down the road.”

An amendment to rezone 39 acres of property near the southwestern corner of State Road 64 and

com use.

What: Myakka City triangle rezone from general agriculture to neighborhood commercial small Where: 1.54 acres near the northeast corner of State Road 70 and County Road 675 Decision: 5-2 in favor of denial What: Moore property rezone from urban fringe with three dwelling units per acre to residential with four and a half units per acre Where: 39 acres near the southwestern corner of State Road 64 and Uihlein Road Decision: Unanimous approval

Brendan Lavell

which represented Neal Communities, said the limitation of four and a half dwelling units per acre would provide for a natural transition between development to the south and west, where communities are allowed up to nine dwelling units per acre, and the urban fringe to the north and east.

LaBarr said the amendment is warranted now when it might not have been before because there was no development surrounding the site as recently as 2015, whereas now it is contiguous with existing development. Commissioner Misty Servia agreed.

“This area is transitioning quickly,” Servia said. “It’s no longer an area that’s appropriate for agricultural development. That’s not the best use of this land.”

Manatee County Principal Planner Bill O’Shea said one neg-

Uihlein Road to allow higher-density development was approved unanimously by the County Commission on Thursday.

The amendment, which had received unanimous approval from the Planning Commission on Jan. 13, rezoned the land from urban fringe with three dwelling units allowed per acre to residential. Usually, a residential designation would allow for six dwelling units per acre, but a condition was added to limit the land to four and a half units per acre.

Katie LaBarr, a planner for engineering consultant Stantec,

ative aspect is the property borders the east side of Rolling Acres, which has a density of 0.82 dwelling units per acre. However, he added the amendment “appears to meet” the county’s comprehensive plan and land development codes.

“I’m appreciative that the developer has said we’re going to only do four and a half units per acre, to the benefit of the next door neighbors at Rolling Acres,” Servia said. “I’m sure that gives them some comfort. But truthfully, six units per acre would be appropriate here.”

The property is owned by Cecil Moore and his family, though Neal Communities applied for the amendment. Neal Communities Founder and Chair Pat Neal said his intention is to build paired villas on the site.

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LAND USE VERDICTS

Servia said she felt many of the safety concerns would be eliminated when a roundabout is installed in the intersection, which will eliminate the ramp from westbound S.R. 70 to County Road 675. However, Commissioner Carol Whitmore said she would prefer to wait and see if the intersection becomes safer after the roundabout is built and allow Manatee Ranches to apply again at that point. Commissioners George Kruse and Kevin Van Ostenbridge agreed.

The property is owned by Tom Brown of Manatee Ranches.

Whitmore said she wasn’t sure what Manatee Ranches could build that was only 3,000 square feet. Manatee Ranches representative Tony Veldkamp said the development would likely be a locally owned restaurant, a convenience store or a medical or veterinary clinic.

In voting for the motion, Servia said a commercial development is the only suitable land use left considering its small size. However, Kruse said some parcels of land simply aren’t suitable for any type of development.

MOORE PROPERTY NEAR UIHLEIN ROAD REZONED

Myakka City’s triangle is located at State Road 70 and County Road 675. Manatee County commissioners denied a request to rezone the property from general agriculture to neighborhood commercial small.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

East Manatee Fire Rescue District Commissioner Bob Conley looks on as Audrey O’Leary and former East Manatee Fire Rescue District Commissioner Don O’Leary are congratulated by East Manatee Fire Chief Lee Whitehurst.

Station dedicated to former fire commissioner East Manatee’s Station 8 honors ‘mayor of Lakewood Ranch.’

BRENDAN LAVELL STAFF WRITER

W

hen Don O’Leary moved to Lakewood Ranch 23 years ago, he saw the potential for growth in

the area.

As a former firefighter for the New York Fire Department, he knew how crucial it was to have fire stations close by, but two years later, he didn’t see much progress in bringing stations to Lakewood Ranch.

“Where the hell is the fire department?” O’Leary said.

Two decades later, East Manatee Fire Chief Lee Whitehurst said O’Leary was vital in acquiring land for multiple Lakewood Ranch fire stations.

Lakewood Ranch now has five fire stations with the newest, which became operational April 19, bearing the name of O’Leary, the man some call the mayor of Lakewood Ranch who eventually became an East Manatee Fire Rescue district commissioner in 2011 and served in the role until 2019.

The station will serve as a second administration center for the East Manatee fire district. Previously, administration for all seven East Manatee stations spanning about 100 square miles was located at 3220 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.

Seven is the maximum number of stations allowed under the authority of one battalion chief.

Firefighters work in 24-hour shifts, so each day, the on-shift battalion chief would be charged with visiting each of the seven stations. Whitehurst said this posed a problem when the battalion chief was visiting, say, the western edge of the district’s response area and a fire broke out on the eastern edge. Having two battalion chiefs, one for each half of the district, on duty at a time will help alleviate that problem.

From here on, Station 1 and its battalion chief will provide support west of Lorraine Road, and Station 8 and its battalion chief will provide support east of Lorraine Road. If a battalion chief is tied up with a large fire on one side of the district, the other battalion chief temporarily extends responsibility to the entire district.

Whitehurst said Station 8 is in the perfect location to assist the two Myakka City stations if the East Manatee district’s pending merger with the Myakka City Fire

EAST MANATEE FIRE STATION 8 Location: 6975 Bourneside Blvd., Lakewood Ranch Cost: $3.4 million Size: 10,467 square feet Construction start: June 2020 Opened: April 19 Crew members per shift: Four

Control District goes through in October.

Station 8’s fire engine is an engine tanker, which was designed for the station because it holds more water than the average fire engine. This will be important for neighborhoods that don’t have fire hydrants, such as Panther Ridge. The station also has a brush truck and a boat for inland lake emergencies.

In a year, Station 8 will receive a specialty vehicle that can refill air packs, provide on-scene rehabilitation for firefighters and provide lighting and electricity.

Whitehurst said lighting is especially important because there are fewer streetlights the farther east his crews go.

“We’ll be able to run that truck out to downtown Myakka to refill their bottles instead of them having to come all the way into another station to get that done,” Whitehurst said.

In addition to increasing safety, the opening of Station 8 might

Photos by Brendan Lavell

East Manatee Fire Rescue District Station 8 will house a small boat, brush truck and tanker engine. The station opened April 19.

ABOUT DON O’LEARY Residence: Edgewater Age: 89 Nickname: Mayor of Lakewood Ranch

O’Leary received Lakewood Ranch Community Fund’s C. John A. Clarke Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2006 and received the Career Service Award at the 16th Congressional District Fire and Rescue and Emergency Medical Services Awards. He also served as the East Manatee Fire Rescue district commissioner from 2011-2019.

O’Leary became a New York Fire Department firefighter at age 25.

have a positive impact on some East County residents’ wallets.

Some residences in Panther Ridge and The Concession were beyond 5 miles of any East Manatee fire station, which Whitehurst said is a benchmark in the insurance industry.

Whitehurst recommended residents of Panther Ridge and The Concession who might not have lived within 5 miles of a fire station before call their insurance agents to ask if the completion of the station could lower their rates.

With the completion of Station 8, Whitehurst said about 95% of addresses within the East Manatee fire district are within 5 miles of a fire station, though that figure will decrease if the Myakka City fire district merger goes through.

Whitehurst said O’Leary was instrumental in acquiring the land where Station 8 now rests, 6975 Bourneside Blvd.

“He insisted that station be a little bit bigger than our other stations we were building,” Whitehurst said. “He envisioned, with the growth going on out east, that we would need to have more equipment than just an engine and a bus truck. … As it turns out now, he was right.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

BICYCLE RULES

Excerpt from Florida Statute 316.2065 about bicycle regulations n (9) A person propelling a vehicle by human power upon and along a sidewalk or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk has all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances. n (10) A person propelling a bicycle upon and along a sidewalk or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk shall yield the right of way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian.

Brendan Lavell

Gene Savar steps aside and acknowledges Janet Savar as she rides her bicycle through Del Webb. Some cyclists say it’s important for pedestrians to acknowledge they heard a cyclist’s bell or shout, so cyclists knows they can safely pass.

DEBATE RUNS IN CYCLES Cyclists and pedestrians put different spins on sharing sidewalks.

BRENDAN LAVELL STAFF WRITER

A pedestrian walks down the sidewalk while listening to music on AirPods.

A cyclist rides toward the pedestrian from behind, ringing

a bell in an attempt to catch the pedestrian’s attention.

The pedestrian doesn’t hear the bell, so the cyclist speeds past on the open but narrow portion of the sidewalk, startling the pedestrian.

Who is at fault for the close encounter, which could have resulted in injury?

East County residents — some cyclists, some pedestrians and some who fall under both categories — have a variety of opin-

ions about how to share the sidewalk. Although state law requires cyclists to yield the right of way on the sidewalk, The Meadows Community Association encourages pedestrians to remain alert and step off to let cyclists through.

MCA President Jan Lazar said the association has erected signs and included notices in its community newspaper, the Meadows Word, instructing pedestrians to step aside.

“It’s easier, given the fact that

you’ve got dirt and grass next to a sidewalk, if the pedestrian steps off and lets the bicyclist go by,” Lazar said. “With bicyclists, sometimes it’s a little more trouble if they’re going off a sidewalk onto dirt or something.”

Michael Cox is a resident of The Meadows and a cyclist who said 85%-90% of pedestrians he encounters step off the sidewalk and acknowledge him, so he knows it’s safe to pass.

“The Meadows Community Association has been very good and proactive putting out the information that everybody [should think] of the other person,” Cox said.

Del Webb resident Margie Meyer is wary of cyclists when she walks with her two blind dogs, but she prefers to see cyclists on the sidewalk because it’s safer. It’s easy for her to move aside if the

cyclist rings a bell or calls out, “On your left.” To her, the problems start when cyclists make no effort to alert pedestrians.

“When somebody goes spinning by, it’s dangerous for everybody,” Meyer said. “I mean, if my dog gets stuck in their bicycle, they’re going to go over [their handlebars].”

Country Club East resident Larry Appell rides on the sidewalk along the majority of roads because, bike lane or not, he is terrified of getting side-swiped.

When Appell comes across pedestrians, he either rides to the other side of the street or gets off his bike and walks around them.

Del Webb resident Janet Savar is a walker and a cyclist. She always calls out to pedestrians when approaching from behind. If the pedestrian doesn’t move, she said she has no problem slowing down or riding around someone.

When she walks, Savar often wears AirPods. Sometimes, she doesn’t hear cyclists. It doesn’t typically bother her, but she said some give her dirty looks.

“They are indignant,” Savar said. “They think they’re practicing for the Olympics for something.”

Lake Club resident Clark West has almost been hit by a car while cycling on multiple occasions and refuses to ride on busy roads. He said riding on the sidewalk can be difficult, too. West always rings his bell and calls out when approaching pedestrians, but many don’t hear him or ignore him. In those cases, he slows down or rides in the grass.

“It’s like they’re self-centered, like the sidewalk is built just for them,” West said.

EAST COUNTY

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

Development heads east BRENDAN LAVELL STAFF WRITER

M

anatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge told a story at the county’s April 15 land use meeting to add some perspective to a land amendment that would allow development beyond the county’s Future Development Area Boundary line under limited circumstances.

“The camel puts his nose under the tent,” Van Ostenbridge said.

“And then the camel gets his head under the tent if you don’t do anything about it. Next thing you know, the camel is in the tent. … If this property is allowed east of the line, then the camel’s nose is under the tent, right? And then how much farther is it going to continue to go?”

Van Ostenbridge’s tale was not a rebuke of development’s eastern push in Manatee County.

Rather, it was an acknowledgement that the county’s next decision regarding the development boundary line, which will come in the next six months, will have far-reaching consequences for the future of population growth within the county.

The commission voted 4-3 to transmit the amendment April

15, which means it will be submitted to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for review and comments. Commissioners Vanessa Baugh, George Kruse and James Satcher dissented.

Transmitting the amendment, which was submitted by LWR Communities, does not mean it was approved. The commission will hold a final vote on the amendment within 180 days of transmitting it.

“My vote to transmit is not a vote to approve,” Van Ostenbridge said, a sentiment Commissioner Misty Servia echoed.

Commissioners said they will use the next six months to hold at least one workshop about the development boundary line and how it fits within the larger view of Manatee County population growth. Baugh said to attorney Caleb Grimes, who represented LWR Communities, that she wished the development company met with citizens prior to presenting the amendment before commissioners, even though it wasn’t required.

“This is huge for the citizens of Manatee County,” Baugh said. “In essence, we are moving the urban service boundary. Unfortunately, what has come into play — and I totally get it, and I agree — is that you have people that moved east to get away from development.

And it’s just encroaching and getting closer and closer.”

Although the 15 to 25 residents who showed up April 15 hoped commissioners wouldn’t transmit, they’ll get another opportu-

nity to make their voices heard.

“Let’s stop, pause and involve the people,” Myakka City resident Carol Felts said. “I think if you guys talk to us, we’re not unrealistic. We’d like to work even with the developers to have a better plan for Myakka because we’re not giving up Myakka.”

Among the topics of conversation could be the difference between moving the development boundary line and the amendment, which would allow future applications for development on land adjacent and contiguous to the boundary line. In East County, the line is located at Bourneside Boulevard from University Parkway north to State Road 64.

It veers slightly westward north of S.R. 64 until it reaches the county’s northern border.

Baugh and Kruse said the amendment would, in effect, amount to moving the line.

“We’re taking these things in bits and pieces, as opposed to looking at Manatee County as a whole,” Kruse said. “It should be one big picture, not one little piece at a time based on convenience of who shows up first trying to get a text amendment on each individual thing.”

He said one of the negative aspects of the amendment, compared to simply moving the line, is it limits who can develop east of the line to only those who own property that touches the line.

South of S.R. 64, for example, all property that touches the line is owned by Schroeder-Manatee Ranch. Passing the amendment

BOUNDARIES Types of development allowed east and west of the Future Development Area Boundary line:

could pave the way for SMR to build 7,000 homes on a parcel of land bordering the boundary line.

Kruse said he was also concerned a developer could theoretically buy continuous land to the east and lump it in as part of the same development that bordered the boundary line, thus creating a possible loophole for unlimited sprawl. Grimes said he did not believe the amendment would allow for it, but he added LWR Communities would be open to language that restricted such a possibility.

Moving the boundary line would force Manatee County to extend and pay for infrastructure stretching to the line’s new location. Under the proposed amendment, Grimes said developers and new community districts would pay for the infrastructure, which would be connected to roads and utilities already provided by the county. Servia said this is part of the reason she views the amendment as smart growth.

“This is not urban sprawl,” Servia said. “This is the opposite. This is a highly planned community where you’re just allowing it to extend at no risk to Manatee County residents because we don’t have to fund the infrastructure. I would like to see a community plan done for Myakka to preserve that area, to make sure their rural flavor stays in place, that the development doesn’t creep in on them, so that they can have the community that they want to have.”

EAST n Less than 0.2 dwelling units per gross acre n Small commercial development supporting the agricultural community n Limited development associated with mining operations, farm worker housing, residences in Myakka City, cluster development to protect open space or agricultural operation WEST n Residential development ranging from one to six dwelling units per gross acre n Complementary groupings of residential, commercial, office, industrial and other developments n Commercial development located at nodes, which means it must be located on at least one collector road, which is a road that connects local roads to high-capacity roads that carry longerdistance traffic

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Workshop to discuss development boundary line’s expansion targeted near Myakka City.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

In-person summer school returns

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Is it Time to Spring for a New A/C?

School District of Manatee County will offer the programs June 7 to July 15.

4 signs that say it is.

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Not only are they annoying,

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

School District of Manatee County summer programs are returning to in-person classes after being held virtually last year due to the pandemic.

The district will be offering all required summer programs, including a third grade reading camp and creditor recovery for middle and high school students.

Both programs will run from June 7 to July 15. “[The programs] provide the remediation that’s needed,” said Latrina Singleton, the director of federal programs and grants for the school district. “We collect data throughout the years, so the teachers have that data to provide more focused in-class support because the classroom settings are smaller.”

For the summer programs, classes will have about 15 students compared to the number of students in class during the school year. According to the Florida Department of Education, the maximum number of students in each core class for grades four through eight is 22 students and 25 students for high school.

but letting these noises carry on can lead to bigger, costlier repairs.

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Sign 4: Too many service calls Calling a professional for ongoing HVAC issues can become bothersome – and costly. If you keep having problems and your system is out of warranty, replacement is a better investment.

ABOUT THE PROGRAMS The School District of Manatee County is offering a third grade reading camp and credit recovery options for middle and high schoolers.

The third grade reading camp will give students an opportunity to develop their reading schools, so they can advance to the fourth grade.

The credit recovery program will give students a chance to take courses they weren’t able to complete during the school year.

The programs will run from June 7 to July 15. The third grade reading camp will take place at Freedom and William H. Bashaw elementary schools, and the credit recovery programs will be at Lakewood Ranch, Braden River and Parrish Community high schools and R. Dan Nolan Middle School.

Schools will notify families of students who need to participate in the programs in the second week of May.

In East County, the third grade reading camps will take place at Freedom and William H. Bashaw elementary schools.

The reading camp is a requirement for third grade students who do not pass the Florida Statewide Assessments or who are in jeop-

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ardy of not being promoted to fourth grade, Singleton said.

Singleton said the district uses I-Ready and benchmark data to help determine which students might need to attend the reading camp.

The credit recovery program will be at Lakewood Ranch, Braden River and Parrish Community high schools as well as R. Dan Nolan Middle School.

Middle and high school students who need to complete a course they did not finish during the school year can earn those credits over the summer.

Singleton said some of the credit recovery courses available will be in language arts, math, science and social studies as those are core classes students need to pass before they can be promoted to the next grade.

The district and schools will work to identify the students who need to be in these programs.

Once students are identified, the schools will reach out to the families most likely in the second week of May to notify them that their child needs to be in one of the programs.

“The programs are essential because it gives a little bit more time with the curriculum and getting the instruction from the teachers,” Singleton said. “It’s been a hard year for everyone.”

Although some students could have learning loss due to the pandemic and the changes in learning modalities, such as being on campus full time, doing e-learning full time or participating in a hybrid schedule, Singleton said the district doesn’t expect there to be more students needing to participate in the summer programs compared to last year.

Last year, as of May, 407 third

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

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File photo

E’Lyiah Cruz, a third grader at Myakka City Elementary School, and Lilliana Christie, who is 4, take home free books at a literacy night. The School District of Manatee County will host a third grade reading camp this summer.

graders were invited to participate in the reading camp.

“Truthfully, I think the data is showing we’re probably running about at the same level because we have almost 85% of our students back on campus brick and mortar,” Singleton said. “The ones that have been on e-learning or hybrid, I think a lot of the families have supported them throughout, and the ones that were not successful, a lot of the schools made sure they were back in brick and mortar.

“There are a lot of efforts between the schools and the families to make sure we were noticing that the kids were not successful with remote learning.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

VEX success

EAST COUNTY

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

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944

School district sets record by sending six teams to VEX IQ regionals.

BRINGING HOME AWARDS MCNEAL ELEMENTARY 4th place: Ethan Meyer, Maddox Fernandez, Alex Miller and Will Thomas of the Orange Imps 5th place: Alessandra Santiago, Gael Ferrer-Urribarrj and Matthew Vajanyi of the Purple Nebulas 5th place: Keagen Terry, Caleb Gardner, Connor Keenan and Luke Zhang of The Beep Boppers Sportsmanship Award: Alessandra Santiago, Gael Ferrer-Urribarrj and Matthew Vajanyi of the Purple Nebulas WILLIS ELEMENTARY Create Award: Lexi Brielmann and Hannah Roberts of the Gecko Gears Judges Award: Logan Scheuerman, Jack Carlson and Magnus Tilton of the Gray Geckos

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

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

M

agnus Tilton, a fifth grader at Robert E. Willis Elementary School, is the journalist and coder for his VEX IQ robotics team.

He spends time chronicling everything his team has accomplished during their practices and works on the coding for their robot.

“I like seeing our robot, which we put so much effort into, just working, getting all these points and doing super well,” Tilton said.

Tilton was able to see his hard work pay off when he and his team competed at the North and Central Florida VEX IQ Elementary Regional Championship tournament April 11 in Clermont.

Two teams from Willis Elementary, three teams from Gilbert W. McNeal Elementary School and a team from Virgil Mills Elementary School participated in the regional championship, making history for the School District of Manatee County.

Last year only one team of 30 that competed in the district competition qualified for regionals.

This is the highest number of elementary teams the district has ever had competing at regionals.

Two of McNeal’s teams placed fifth at the regional championship, and one placed fourth.

A team from McNeal also received the Sportsmanship Award.

One team from Willis Elementary received the Create Award, which recognizes a team whose robot design incorporates a creative engineering solution to the design challenges. The other Willis team received the Judges Award, which is given to a team that the judges determine is deserving of special recognition.

Lexi Brielmann, a fifth grader at Willis, said she was excited to participate in regionals because before the district competition, she was worried her code and her robot wasn’t going to work well enough. She’s proud of the team’s accomplishments.

“It feels nice when I see it work because I know all the work I put into it has paid off,” Brielmann said.

McNeal Elementary’s VEX

Courtesy photos

Lexi Brielmann and Hannah Roberts, fifth graders at Robert E. Willis Elementary School, work on their robot.

program is in its third year. Dana Townson, the VEX program adviser at McNeal, knew students in middle and high school were involved in the VEX robotics program, so she had the school move from the Lego League to VEX. The team started competing last year.

Willis Elementary started the program with fifth graders last year, and one of the teams won the district competition and advanced to regionals.

Usually, teams would start designing and building their robots at the beginning of the school year, but due to COVID-19, the district didn’t give permission for the schools to participate in the program until January.

Jennifer Hubley, an adviser for Willis Elementary’s program, and Townson said because both their programs are so new, they were pleasantly surprised to see their teams advance to regionals.

“However, when I look at the amount of effort the students put in, I would expect that then because, particularly this year, they seem very much involved in the build and seeing things all the way through and looking at things from different perspectives, so they can try to problem solve even before they know they’re going to run into a barrier,” Hubley said.

Townson had students in kindergarten through fifth grade watch the teams while they were

Gael Ferrer-Urribarri and Matthew Vajanyi, fifth graders at Gilbert W. McNeal Elementary School, interact with students from other schools during the regional championship.

ABOUT THE VEX PROGRAM The VEX program gives students an opportunity to design and build their own robots that are coded to complete challenges. The coding, journaling and teamwork involved in the program helps develop students’ STEM skills, writing skills and ability to collaborate with others.

Six School District of Manatee County elementary school teams made it to the North and Central Florida VEX IQ Elementary Regional Championship tournament this year, making history for the district as the most teams to advance to regionals.

practicing, so the teams could practice presenting, and other students could see what happens in the VEX program.

“As soon as [the teams] get the points, [students] are jumping up and down screaming for them because they’re so excited,” Townson said. “That produces a school atmosphere of knowing what this program does. It makes kids want to do robotics next year.”

Townson included a team of fourth graders this year, so she has an experienced group next year, and she plans to expand the program to include third graders.

Hanna Cuervo, one of the advisers at Willis, plans to expand the school’s program to fourth graders next year with hopes of adding other grades in the future.

Townson said the district is building up the robotics programs at the elementary school level, so it can become a districtwide program rather than a program that starts in middle school. “[Elementary schools] were definitely the missing link, so I’m proud that the whole district is on board now,” Townson said.

“My hope is that Manatee County robotics will be a name everyone will know in the robotics community.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

SIDE OF RANCH

|

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

9A

JAY HEATER

Today’s restaurant order: Patience

I

sat down with Starla in a restaurant a few weeks ago about the same time another couple had arrived.

The other couple was only a table away, and they watched as the server brought us a bottle of wine, bread and a salad.

Now I should say that we often go to this restaurant, so the fact was our server knew how to start the meal before even talking to us. That probably was unknown to the other couple, who became more agitated as the server passed their table three times.

Our server went to their table, probably about 10 minutes after they had sat down, apologized for the wait and offered to get them a drink or anything else they needed to start the meal.

Both the man and woman tore into the server, basically saying they would never return, cursed the restaurant and walked out.

Ten minutes.

We’re busy people in a busy world, but it’s hard to fathom that 10 minutes can cause us to never return to a particular restaurant, or any business, for that matter.

It’s a fact known well to Karen Ronney, who with her husband, Malcolm, own The Granary in Lakewood Ranch.

Like all our local restaurants, The Granary has navigated its way through the pandemic, trying to remain afloat when people simply didn’t want to eat

on board who can serve straightaway,” she said. “You see in a lot of restaurants people have a pretty long wait right now. They don’t have enough staff.”

Or experienced staff.

The situation came to a head April 11 at The Granary. Karen Ronney had one waitress call in sick and another had just left to move to Chicago. Sundays are The Granary’s busiest time, and she knew her customers were likely to have long waits. Plus, her depleted staff members had been working six or seven days a week and long hours.

“We knew we were going to have them working their butts off,” Ronney said. “We would have been putting them through the mill.”

Instead, Ronney put a sign on her front door, telling customers the restaurant was closed for the day.

“I think it was a smart move,” she said. “Our employees recharged their batteries, and nobody had a one-and-a-halfhour wait.”

Ronney admits that she worries about the damage just a couple bad reviews can do online, and she certainly doesn’t want to have any customers cursing the restaurant and leaving. Overall, she doesn’t get too worked up about it because the majority of her customers are “understanding, genuine” people.

But the restaurant, and oth-

Jay Heater

Karen Ronney, who with her husband, Malcolm, own The Granary in Lakewood Ranch, are hoping patrons can have patience with them as they try to add servers to their staff.

in the same room as anyone else.

Fortunately, the restaurant has loyal customers, and it made it through.

Little did the Ronneys know that they would face another problem when the pandemic began to lose its grip.

As the number of The Granary’s customers swelled as people began to feel more comfortable eating out, the Ronneys wanted to rebuild their staff. No problem, right? There should be lots

of people looking for work.

Wrong.

Karen Ronney said restaurants all over East County and beyond are having the same problem.

The servers who perhaps lost their jobs during the pandemic had either found other ways to earn money or were on unemployment and were in no hurry to leave it. Those who were applying for work had no experience at all.

“We need somebody to come

ers, are facing unusual circumstances.

“It’s amazing how people are coming back out,” she said. “And it seems [former workers in the industry] have decided they would be better off not working.”

So what can the public do to help a local restaurant that always gives back to the community?

“Just be patient with us,” she said. “We’re trying our best.”

Ronney said they have managed to hire one more server who comes on board next week. They have to be careful how many more servers they add because season is quickly coming to a close, so business slows a bit.

So whether you are headed for The Granary or another East County restaurant, try to remember they all probably are operating with an undersized staff.

Don’t let 10 minutes ruin your day — and theirs.

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

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

Take It On...

Together!

Explore Team Building Excitement at TreeUmph! Adventure Course

File photo

Registered nurse Debbie Bottiger prepares a vaccine for a School District of Manatee County employee. Although people ages 16 and older are eligible, some high schoolers have mixed feelings about getting vaccinated.

Some students not in rush to be vaccinated School district hasn’t scheduled any vaccination opportunities for students.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Ashley Zeitz, a senior at Braden River High School, is planning to study abroad in Valencia, Spain,

TreeUmph! Adventure Course offers the perfect blend of outdoor fun and problem-solving activities spearheaded by trained facilitators. Put your friends and co-workers to the test with our new team building games and the TreeUmph! Scavenger Hunt!

as part of an international program when she starts at Florida State University in the fall.

So when she heard she was eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine at the age of 17, she jumped at the opportunity.

Zeitz was able to get her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine April 14 from a Walgreens on Manatee Avenue.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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a huge step into ending this pandemic,” Zeitz said. “I know there’s some suspicion with this vaccine because both vaccines only had nine months on trial, and people are unsure about long-term effects. … But it was a risk I was willing to take in order to end the pandemic quicker, have a little change in my life and go out and see the world.”

Starting April 5, anyone 18 years old and older became eligible to receive any COVID-19 vaccine, and people who are at least 16 years old could receive the Pfizer vaccine.

Although the lowered age requirement means more sophomores, juniors and seniors at local high schools could get vaccinated, some have mixed opinions on the matter.

Melissa Parker, a spokesperson for the School District of Manatee County, said discussions with MCR Health and other community organizations of possibly providing vaccination opportunities for students are ongoing, but no plans have been made as of April 13.

Alexis McClintock, a senior at Braden River High School, said she gets updates on the number of deaths due to COVID-19 from the Florida Department of Health on a daily basis.

The number of deaths and knowing vaccines were developed on a rushed timeline are causing her to be hesitant about getting vaccinated.

“I’m waiting until they have more information and more testing on them to get vaccinated,” McClintock said. “You don’t really know what’s in it and how that’s going to affect somebody 10 years down the road or even five years down the road.”

Liam Tvenstrup, a junior at Braden River High School, doesn’t feel an urgent need to get vaccinated because has already had COVID-19 and doesn’t know anyone who is at high risk or immunocompromised.

Lilly Lynch, a sophomore at Lakewood Ranch High School, said she wouldn’t mind getting vaccinated, but she’s not in a rush.

“I haven’t gotten COVID-19 yet, and I’m not too worried about being sick if I do get it,” Lynch said.

Liam Tvenstrup, a junior at Braden River High School, said he would like to get the vaccine at some point, but he isn’t in a situation where he urgently needs to get vaccinated.

“I’ve already had COVID-19, so I feel I’ve built up some immunity to the virus or at least certain strains of the virus, so I don’t feel as threatened in that way,” Tvenstrup said.

Tvenstrup said COVID-19 not having as big of an impact on teenagers and not having anyone at home who is immunocompromised or at a high risk of contracting COVID-19 have also played a role in his decision to hold off on getting vaccinated.

Ashley Zeitz, a senior at Braden River High School, has started to be vaccinated, so she can study abroad in the fall for college.

WHERE TO GET VACCINATED Registration for the Manatee County COVID-19 standby pool has closed, but there are other ways for those 16 and older to get vaccinated.

People deemed extremely vulnerable by a physician can schedule vaccination appointments at the Department of Health in Manatee County.

Vaccinations are also available at local pharmacies: n Publix n CVS n Walgreens n Walmart n Winn-Dixie

Ethan Spasciani, a senior at Lakewood Ranch High School, has already received his first dose

|

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

Courtesy photos

Ethan Spasciani, a senior at Lakewood Ranch High School, has received his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, so he can get back to some sense of normalcy, such as volunteering at South West Florida Therapy Animals.

of a vaccine. He wanted to get vaccinated to get a step closer to “normal.”

“I’ve been hanging out with my friends and stuff like that more recently, and I don’t have any issues with the vaccine,” Spasciani said. “I’ve been waiting to get the vaccine, so I thought it was just a better situation for my friend group and myself and my family around me as well.”

Although Zeitz and Spasciani are getting vaccinated, both seniors said they are going to continue to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines by wearing masks, practicing social distancing and following any other health and safety recommendations.

“It feels like I have a little more freedom,” Spasciani said. “I’m still going to take precautions and wear my mask and social distance and everything, but it does feel relieving to know I’m taking a step toward what our old normal-

ity was.”

Some seniors are hoping that as more people get vaccinated, the School District of Manatee County will work with LECOM Park, where graduation will take place this year, to lessen the restrictions on how many people can attend the ceremonies.

As of April 13, Parker said, graduation tickets are still limited to two per graduate, but district officials will revisit circumstances as graduation approaches.

Going into next year, Lynch said she doesn’t think a COVID-19 vaccination should be required to return to school, and she hopes school is back to normal, so high schools can have homecoming, prom and other activities while not wearing masks.

“The majority of students who have had COVID-19 have gotten over it easily and without major problems,” Lynch said. “Teenagers aren’t at a lot of risk, so I hope things get back to normal.”

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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. THE HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION WILL USE THE FUNDS FOR THE STATED PURPOSE BUT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO USE THE GIFT IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH ITS CHARITABLE PURPOSE IF THE STATED PURPOSE IS IMPOSSIBLE OR IMPRACTICAL TO ACHIEVE.

12A

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

|

OPERA

IF YOU GO

2021 SPRING OPERA FESTIVAL When: “Dido and Aeneas” through April 25; “Il Signor Bruschino” through April 24 Where: Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota Info: Call 328-1300, or visit SarasotaOpera.org.

A LA CARTE Sarasota Opera’s talents are cooking up something to sing about.

her learning was hands on. “I’d always help my grandma make tortillas or whatever she was cooking,” she said. “Dad would also let me help cook breakfast on the weekends, usually pancakes. I really enjoyed it, and I guess it stuck with me.”

make my own meals, and I didn’t have a clue,” he said. “I thought about my childhood memories of my mom and grandmother cooking in Naples. So I called them up and asked: ‘How did you do that?

What were the ingredients? How hot did you cook it? How long?’

I’d take all these notes then try to repeat what they did in my tiny Paris kitchen. I wasn’t as good — not even close. But all my French friends loved my pizza and pasta, I guess because it was so different. They said, ‘Marco, your cooking is the best in the world!’

I knew better, but I didn’t talk them out of it.

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

O

pera is a feast for the senses. Many operas revolve around actual feasts. Say what you will about their morals, but Falstaff and Don Giovanni knew how to eat well. The same can be said for Sarasota Opera’s multitalented singers. They fill their free time with a long list of creative activities — and the culinary arts are at the top.

So what’s cooking? To find out, we explore the moveable feasts of mezzo-soprano Lisa Chavez, baritone Marco Nistico and mezzo-soprano Laurel Semerdjian.

Laurel’s epicurean epiphany is similar to Lisa’s. “My love affair with food definitely started when I was young. My mom always encouraged me to cook with her, and so did my grandmother. Whatever they cook, it’s always amazing, whether it’s Armenian food or a new invention. After I moved away, I did exactly what Marco did. I’d pick up the phone. ‘Hey, Mom! I really like this recipe you made.

How did you do it? Tell me the secret!’ And just like Lisa, I’d write it down and try to repeat the magic. After that, I just kept going.”

Lisa got in touch with her inner chef in childhood. Her parents encouraged Lisa to cook — and to learn. “My aunt always said: ‘If someone in the family cooks a meal you love, don’t just eat it.

Ask them how they made it, and write it down. You can get the recipe now. The day may come when you can’t.’” Lisa followed her aunt’s advice. But most of

When did your love of cooking start?

Marco’s foodie fascination began in his student days in Paris. He was living alone for the very first time. He couldn’t afford to eat out and had to cook for himself. “I was forced to

Courtesy photos

Lisa Chavez (left) enjoys creating such culinary dishes as fried green tomatoes (above).

What are your best-loved meals?

Lisa’s culinary choices change with the seasons. “My wintertime favorite is a cider-braised

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Laurel: “My favorite food to eat is my mom’s Armenian rice pilaf.

Browning the vermicelli in butter gives it this rich nutty flavor.

It’s every Armenian child’s first solid food.”

Marco: “My mom’s Italian meatballs — they’re my all-time favorite. And they’re not spicy!

People have this cliche in their heads: ‘Italian-a spicy meata-balls.’ So people think Italian

meatballs are always spicy. No, they’re not.”

What’s your top culinary guilty pleasure?

Lisa: “The chocolate-covered almonds from Trader Joe’s.

They’re my ultimate temptation, but I approach them with selfdiscipline.”

Laurel: “My current guilty pleasure is Nilla Wafer banana pie.”

Marco: “Mine is Ben & Jerry’s Half-baked Ice Cream. It’s these textured, chewy chunks of chocolate, vanilla, chocolate chips, cookie dough bits and brownie bits. I love the taste.”

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The Caesar Problem Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ lives (and dies) in the FSU/Asolo Conservatory’s latest streaming video. It’s clever. But does the medium fit the message?

MARTY FUGATE THEATER CRITIC

T

he FSU/Asolo Conservatory’s digital video of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” is now streaming on the Asolo’s website. But it’s not your granddad’s toga party. Director/ playwright Jonathan Epstein adapted the script and clipped the title to “Caesar.” (Spoiler alert: Caesar dies.)

Log in and turn on. What you’ll see is a movie, basically.

They shot some scenes under clear blue skies at the Ringling Museum. In other scenes, they filmed the second-year student actors against a green screen. (Thanks to this technology, you can build digital Rome in a day.)

It’s a clever use of 21st century media. But does it serve Shakespeare’s message or distort it? That is the question.

It’s a big one. And it can wait.

For now, the play.

The play opens with mob

scene. Roman plebes press into a courtyard shouting out for “Caesar!” (Merri Rashoyan).

When their living idol fails to appear, they shout louder and clap and stomp like angry Metallica fans. Cinna (Bryan Lewis) and Messala (Emily Bohn) try to reason with them.

The two senators don’t get very far. When Caesar shows, the crowd goes wild. It’s a snapshot of mob psychology and the threat it poses.

Caesar’s fans are a boiling cauldron of raw feeling.

That emotional nitroglycerine could blow Roman order to hell. Cinna and Messala see the danger of their blind loyalty and share the bad news with a closed circle of the Roman elite. Julia Brutus (Charlotte Foster) and her cohorts discuss the “Caesar problem” in private and consider ways to solve it. Caesar’s cult of personality is not the Roman way. But assassination sometimes is.

The conspirators do the bloody deed — and it seems to solve

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Courtesy photo

Charlotte Foster plays Julia Brutus in Asolo Conservatory’s “Julius Caesar.”

the Caesar problem. But Rome goes to hell after all.

Epstein’s adaptation splits and merges characters and plays three-card Monte with gender identity. These changes in outward appearance don’t alter the play’s substance. He stays true to Shakespeare’s story.

In Epstein’s hands, that story

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is a psychological drama. The ending comes as no surprise.

But external action (including political murder) isn’t the point. The real story unfolds in Roman hearts and minds.

Epstein’s adaptation deftly conveys each character’s stream of consciousness. You see how Brutus and her cohorts weigh the decision to assassinate Caesar.

Epstein’s sharp script serves an inventive production. Pandemic necessity left no other choice than streaming video.

Clever solution. But does it work for this play? Does the medium serve the message?

With Shakespeare, the word is always the thing.

And “Caesar” is no exception.

Shakespeare’s imaginative language is the play’s power.

It takes a special alchemy to translate that power from page to stage. Here, even a great director is merely a midwife.

The magic is born from an ensemble rehearsing and performing together. Subtle feedback slowly shapes their individual performances and fuses them into dramatic unity.

If the stars are right, the transmutation happens. Shake-

‘JULIUS CAESAR’ When: Through April 26 Tickets: $10-$25 Info: Tickets.AsoloRep.org

speare’s language suddenly beats with the pulse of earthly thought and speech. And the actors sound like earthbound people talking.

This streaming production of socially distanced actors fights that linguistic alchemy by its very nature. It’s a mosaic of static scenes edited together.

The effect is like watching a series of poetry readings.

The actors are excellent. Most of their readings are too. But they don’t feel like natural language. The separate scenes are smartly directed. But they never make a beautiful whole.

Don’t get me wrong. I come to praise “Caesar,” not to bury it.

I enjoyed this production. It comes off as a Shakespearean poetry reading? So be it. For me, a heady cocktail of Shakespeare’s language is intoxicating enough. But there’s more than lofty language in the mix.

Epstein’s adaptation captures the living flow of thought in Shakespeare’s characters.

And that’s more than enough.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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REVIEWS

14A

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

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15A

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

Splendid opportunity Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams brings James Beard award-winning flavors and ingredients to East County area.

BRENDAN LAVELL STAFF WRITER

Brendan Lavell

Courtesy photo

always have so much room to work with, but we took full advantage and loaded the shop with as much color and seating for gathering — when we can all do so again safely — as possible.”

The gathering aspect is especially important to note. Bauer views her stores as more than places people go to grab dessert.

She views them as places where people can come together and feel like part of the community.

“Our shops are designed to be gathering spaces,” Bauer said. “We have a mix of builtin seating nooks, bistro tables and community tables. We also have a large chalkboard wall for kids to enjoy.”

Above: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Ambassador Gaby Tovar holds a waffle cone filled with brambleberry crisp ice cream, one of Jeni’s signature flavors. Others include gooey butter cake and brown butter almond brittle.

Left: Chief Creative Officer Jeni Britton Bauer won a James Beard Foundation Award in 2012 for her first cookbook, “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home.”

The store also has a wall dedicated to artwork and a waffle station that can be seen from the storefront window to display for passersby. The cones are made fresh in store. It took Bauer five years to hone her recipe for waffle mix, but it will take only a few minutes for customers to watch that mix become a cone before their eyes.

There’s one other aspect of owning a business Bauer takes seriously: environmental impact. Jeni’s uses compostable bowls, spoons and napkins, and 95% of the store’s products are reusable, recyclable or compostable.

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W

hat do gooey butter cake, brambleberry crisp and brown butter almond brittle have in common?

They are all flavors available at one of the East County area’s newest ice cream shops, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream.

Jeni’s latest location opened in February at 190 N. Cattlemen Road in University Town Center. The store is named for Chief Creative Officer Jeni Britton Bauer, who founded the company in 2002 and won a James Beard Foundation Award in 2012 for her first cookbook, “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home.”

Bauer said what separates her ice cream from the rest is her focus on using whole ingredients and dairy from grass-pastured cows. That means no synthetic flavors, dyes or additives.

The process of making the ice cream is longer without them, but it also gives the ice cream a smooth texture and more depth

of flavor.

In addition to the selections listed, Jeni’s signature flavors include darkest chocolate, salted peanut butter with chocolate flecks and salty caramel. The store will also offer dairy-free options, such as dark chocolate truffle; new flavors, such as skillet cinnamon roll; and seasonal options.

For those who live within 5 miles of the store, pints of ice cream are available for delivery via third-party delivery services.

As with many businesses that make their way to the Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota area, Bauer said she was attracted to University Town Center because it is part of a busy and quickly developing area. She said that despite the area’s size, UTC and the surrounding area have a strong community feel, and Jeni’s can become a part of it.

She was also impressed by the size of her newest store, which was designed in tandem with architecture firm Gensler.

“I love the design of this shop so much,” Bauer said. “We don’t

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

NEWS BRIEFS

SCHOOL ENDS. HUNGER BEGINS. Due to COVID-19, even more children in our community are at risk of summer hunger.

You can help us keep them full until fall.

Two East County schools have new principals Braden River High School and William H. Bashaw Elementary School will have a new leader next school year.

Carl Auckerman, the current principal at Palmetto High School, will take the helm of Braden River High School, replacing Sharon Scarbrough.

Auckerman has been the principal of Palmetto High since 2016 and has previously served as the principal at Louise R. Johnson K-8 School of International Studies from 2013 to 2016.

Auckerman has been with the School District of Manatee County since 1998 and has also served as the principal at the former Central High School from 2010 to 2013. Between 2002 and 2010, he was the assistant principal of Southeast, Palmetto and Bayshore high schools.

Scarbrough will become the principal at Manatee High School.

Bashaw Elementary School will be welcoming a new principal, James Dougherty, pending approval from the School Board of Manatee County.

Dougherty has been the assistant principal at Palm View K-8 School since 2017 and has also served as a student support specialist at Rogers Garden-Bullock Elementary School from 2014 to 2017. He has been with the district since 2008.

Dougherty will replace Mario Mendoza, who has been the principal of Bashaw since 2019.

Mendoza has been named the district’s new migrant education coordinator.

PGA Tour announces charitable impact of Workday Championship Officials from the World Golf Championships-Workday Championship at The Concession, which was held at The Concession Golf Club in February, announced April 15 that the tournament raised more than $400,000 for organizations in the Bradenton-Sarasota area.

Those organizations include the First Tee of Sarasota/Manatee and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Student Scholarship Fund.

“It was an honor to host a World Golf Championships event and be granted the opportunity to showcase the Bradenton-Sarasota area and The Concession Golf Club to the world,” Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Elliott Falcione said in a release. “But learning just how significantly the tournament also impacted our local community through charitable donation is truly icing on the cake.”

PGA Tour Executive Vice President-International Ty Votaw said it was the organization’s goal from the outset to ensure the tournament left a charitable impact on the area.

“We are beyond grateful to Workday for stepping in to sponsor this tournament under very unique circumstances and, as a result, help us give back to a community that was so welcoming of the PGA Tour,” Votaw said.

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16A

APRIL 22, 2021

HIGH

SPORTS

5

“ I like the intensity of being at the plate in a pressure-filled situation and having to do my best.”

— Bradenton Christian School’s Alissa Kessler SEE PAGE 19A

Mustangs chase high team finish MUSTANG MUSCLE

Depth has the Lakewood Ranch High girls track team in good position to finish high at the state meet.

Lakewood Ranch High girls in the Class 4A top 20: n Junior sprinter Maya Bridgeford: 10th in the 400-meter dash (57.40 seconds)

RYAN KOHN SPORTS REPORTER

I

n the past, when Lakewood Ranch High track and field teams have done well at state meets, the teams have been led by singular stars.

In 2017, Sophia Falco won four medals, two golds, for the girls team at the state meet while John Rivera won three medals, two golds, for the boys team. Both the girls and boys finished fourth in the overall standings.

This year’s Mustangs girls team might not have that singular star taking home multiple gold medals. They might be a threat to finish high as a team anyway, thanks to their depth.

The Mustangs cleaned up at the Manatee County Championships on April 8 at Manatee High. Lakewood Ranch junior Maya Bridgeford won the 400-meter dash (57.40), junior Hailey Marston won the 800-meter run (2:27.32), junior Grace Marston won the 1,600-meter run (5:02.83) and the 3,200-meter run (11:12.47), and sophomore Makena Murack

1

Lakewood Ranch High sophomore softball player Cassidy McLellan went 4-5 with two doubles, a home run and two RBIs April 13 in the Mustangs’ 11-2 road win against Sarasota High.

2

Braden River High senior baseball player Trent Hedgepeth went 2-4 with a double, a home run and four RBIs April 13 in the Pirates’ 22-5 road win against Manatee High.

3

Braden River High senior boys track and field runner Miles Stephens won the 400-meter dash (50.26 seconds) at the Manatee County Championships, held April 12 at Manatee High.

4

Muriel Gross (96) won University Park Country Club’s 2021 Nine Hole Ladies Golf Association Club Championship (two rounds) on April 15.

5

Heidi Phillips and Lauren Hirsch (60) won the Women’s 18 Hole Golf Association Partner Scramble on April 15 at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s King’s Dunes course.

Courtesy photo

Grace Marston (right) is in the top 10 of Class 4A in the 1,600-meter (seventh, 5:02.83) and 3,200-meter runs (10th, 11:09.86). Here, Marston runs alongside teammate Aurora Melzer (left).

Ryan Kohn

Aurora Melzer, Hailey Marston, Riley Simmons, Fallon Gehrke, Grace Marston and Maya Bridgeford are six of the Mustangs’ top performers this season. All have a shot to finish high at the state meet held May 7 and 8 in Jacksonville.

won the 100-meter (17.42) and 300-meter hurdles (49.30).

In field events, the team did just as well. Senior Fallon Gehrke won the high jump (1.51 meters), junior Sofia Palonen won the pole vault (2.59 meters), senior Riley Simmons won the discus (37.95 meters) and the shot put (12.53 meters), and senior Gianna Hagopian won the javelin (31.41 meters).

The Lakewood Ranch girls finished with 254 points as a team.

In second place was Braden River High with 79 points. It is that margin of victory that has Coach Kristin Wikstrom saying her team has a chance to perform well at the state track and field championships, which will be held May 7 and 8 in Jacksonville.

“The thing that helps us is we have multiple athletes who can compete in events,” Wikstrom said. “That makes a difference, especially at states, when you don’t have your whole team.”

As of April 16, the Mustangs are in the top 10 finishes of five different events in Class 4A: Bridgeford in the 400-meter dash (10th, 57.40), Grace Marston in the 1,600-meter (seventh, 5:02.83) and 3,200-meter runs (10th, 11:09.86), Simmons in the shot put (second, 12.75 meters) and the discus (seventh,

GREAT Succulent

37.95 meters), and Hagopian in the javelin (eighth, 31.45 meters).

The Mustangs have four other finishes in the top 20. If everyone matches or exceeds their top performances, a top-10 finish as a team is within reach.

Wikstrom said the program has been more spread out this year out of COVID-19 precautions, with less overlap between sprinters, distance runners, jumpers and throwers. That has slowed the team’s ability to build chemistry, Wikstrom said, but the county championships were a turning point. Everyone watched one another’s events, Wikstrom said, and used others’ success to motivate themselves.

Simmons said the support she has received from the runners on the team has been welcome. She said that most people forget that throwers are even part of the team because their practices are so separated. This year, she said, runners have made it a point to congratulate her whenever she sets a new personal record or wins an event at a meet. It’s a small thing, but one that makes Simmons want to reciprocate the gesture, boosting the spirits of the entire team.

It’s the Mustangs’ eagerness to share the spotlight that might prove beneficial in the end.

n Junior distance runner Grace Marston: seventh in the 1,600-meter run (5:02.83), 10th in the 3,200-meter run (11:09.86) and 12th in the 800-meter run (2:18.88) n Junior distance runner Aurora Melzer: 11th in the 3,200-meter run (11:10.50) and 16th in the 1,600-meter run (5:14.70) n Senior thrower Riley Simmons: second in the shot put (12.75 meters) and seventh in the discus (37.95 meters) n Senior thrower Gianna Hagopian: eighth in the javelin (31.41 meters) n Junior Maya Bridgeford, freshman Sophie Lemus, freshman Chloe Wetherington and junior Ariana Majano: 17th in the 4x400 relay (2:18.88)

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

Pirate lifts performance to new levels B

raden River High senior Isaiah Cress is honest about his favorite aspect of weightlifting.

“I like the way it makes me look,” Cress said with a laugh.

Adding muscle might be a plus, but Cress has also become enamored with the sport itself.

Cress initially tried weightlifting as a freshman, to prepare himself for his sophomore football season. But Cress, now a senior, stuck with the sport even though his high school football days are now done.

He takes pleasure in the work, getting his clean-and-jerk technique right and making sure he always finishes his reps with authority in case he runs into some stingy judges. In other words, it’s the little things that carry Cress along, and it’s the little things that have him competing at the state weightlifting meet April 23-24 in St. Cloud.

Cress won the 183-pound division of Braden River’s regional meet April 12, lifting a total of 570 pounds (280 on the bench press, 290 on the clean-and-jerk). He was the only Pirate to win his division, though one other came close — senior Shane Moran tied with Palmetto’s Myles Ormsby with 580 pounds in the 2019-pound division, losing by body weight.

This year was Cress’ first time even reaching the regional stage, but his 570 score is tied for the

best in his weight class in Class 3A with Boone High’s Jordan McKinley. He credits Pirates Coach Richard Lansky with helping him refine his technique and change his diet.

“I’m eating a lot more fish,” Cress said. “I try to cut out pizza and things like that. I eat fruits, vegetables and fish. It’s a lean diet. It has lowered my body fat for sure.”

Cress said Lansky taught him to breathe when he feels he is struggling during the bench press, then push back. Lansky said Cress and the rest of the Pirates have been putting in extra hours to get the results they want, arriving early to practice, leaving late and even doing entire extra sessions on Saturdays. Lansky said he has always known Cress was strong, but this year he’s put everything together.

“The clean-and-jerk is a test of speed, strength, flexibility, coordination, balance and timing,” Lansky said. “It’s a synergistic movement involving every muscle in the body. They’re all working together. And as you get that base strength that they have been developing, you apply that strength with the technique.

And that’s when things can really take off.

“The more you do it, the better you get, and [Cress] has made great strides this year.”

At a training session April 15,

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Senior Isaiah Cress won the 183-pound division of Braden River High’s regional weightlifting meet, lifting a total of 570 pounds.

Cress took things at a gradual pace. He lifted dumbbells while chatting with teammates Matt Manning and Jojo Carter. He stared at himself in a mirror, focused, while doing resistance band workouts. At one point, he noted how his forearms were getting sore — then pushed through the soreness to do some pectoral workouts. Cress never stopped until his whole routine was done.

Even though his results so far have been strong, Cress is not setting any expectations for the state meet.

“I don’t have a specific goal in mind,” Cress said. “I just want

Braden River High senior Isaiah Cress lifts weights in preparation for the state weightlifting meet, to be held April 23 and 24 in St. Cloud.

to lift as much as I can lift. You don’t know how much that is until you’re in the moment.”

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

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

19A

We are open for private & group lessons at home & community pools!

Alissa Kessler is a junior shortstop/third baseman on the Bradenton Christian School softball team and lives in Lakewood Ranch. Kessler is hitting .518 with six home runs and 27 RBIs. She went 4-4 with a home run, a double and six RBIs April 5 in the Panthers’ 21-8 road win against Southeast High.

When did you start playing softball?

I started playing softball when I was 4. Then when I was 8, I added Little League Baseball, and I played that until I could not move up anymore. But I stuck with softball. My entire family played one of the two. I never enjoyed any other sport. Softball was the one for me.

What is the appeal to you?

I like the competition. I like being able to better myself as a player each time I’m up. I like the intensity of being at the plate in a pressure-filled situation and having to do my best.

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Complex in Orlando. That was a great time.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Right now it is improving my speed. I’m average on the bases. I run a 3.0 [seconds] from home to first base. I’d like to improve that if I can.

What are your softball goals?

A personal goal is to put myself in a position to decide where I want to go to college in the next few months. To be able to go farther with softball would be a dream.

There’s an NCAA recruiting dead period right now, so I can’t talk to any schools, but I’m hopeful that I will once that’s over [on June 1].

What is your best skill?

My best skill is my power, in general. My arm speed from shortstop is 70 mph, and my exit velocity (how hard a batter hits a ball) is about 76 mph. I have always been a power hitter.

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What is your favorite memory?

When I was a freshman, I won the Pro Swings Power50 Home Run Derby at the Boombah Sports

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EDGEWATER VILLAGE 8408 Misty Morning Court $495,000 Christine Mazur 941.374.4015

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL

19439 Beacon Park Place $449,000 Jim Soda & Laura Stavola 941.961.5857

MUIRFIELD

GREENBROOK VILLAGE

SARASOTA 68th Avenue East $445,000 Moriah Taliaferro 941.504.9910

EASTLAKE

6515 Oakland Hills Drive $397,000 Leigh Simons 941.224.4515

6217 Aventura Drive $395,000 Fernando Viteri 941.400.7676

SARASOTA

3915 Hidden Glen Drive $340,000 Jason Skowronski 941.812.6090

149 Luxury Condominiums within Quay Sarasota

Residences from the $800,000s to more than $3,000,000 Gregg Center | 941.220.0828 Lisa Otte | 941.281.5472

SAGE 16 Boutique Beachfront Residences from $4,290,000 Lisa Rooks Morris | 941.544.3332 Moriah Taliaferro | 941.504.9910

Visit or call us for a private consultation

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ENGLEWOOD

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4092 Hearthstone Drive $439,000 Ken Ipox 941.993.7279

COLONIAL OAKS

3463 Hadfield Greene $375,000 Amy DiSalvo 941.780.8080

VILLAGEWALK 5760 Ivrea Drive $339,000 Tamara & Todd Currey 941.587.1776

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449 West Wentworth Street $439,000 Jennifer Roach 941.882.2134

223 Hidden Bay Drive #203 $379,000 Sandy Gillette 941.504.0170

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4515 Streamside Court #1904 $345,000 Carmen Baskind & Marty Warren 941.724.1854

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6381 Royal Tern Circle $525,000 Rebecca Zimmerman 941.224.4824

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519 Richardson Way $475,000 Rebecca Zimmerman 941.224.4824

VILLAGEWALK 7533 Renato Court $350,000 Jenn Flanders 941.232.0788

1285 Bayshore Drive $2,145,000 Victoria Stultz 941.387.5676

17506 Hickok Belt Loop $639,900 Leslie Dufresne 941.374.5010

SARASOTA

HERITAGE OAKS GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

4427 Legacy Court $427,000 Jerry Zaback 941.350.6885

ENGLEWOOD GARDENS

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

LAKEWOOD RANCH 14613 Secret Harbor Place $799,000 Jim Soda & Laura Stavola 941.961.5857

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

2521 Wye Oak Lane $375,000 Jacody Swor 941.356.4545

THE TRAILS

LAKEWOOD RANCH

3809 71st Terrace East $335,000 Dawn Merrill & Katina Shanahan 941.915.7126

7042 Four Seasons Circle $330,000 Shannon Rogers & Mike Griffin 941.920.5454

LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE DEVELOPMENTS BY VIEWING EACH VIDEO

Z AHR ADA 1 Residence remaining at $1.899M Anita Lambert | 941.920.1501 Frank Lambert | 941.920.1500 View video at PSIR3.com

GR ANADA PARK

MAGNOLIA PARK

West of Trail New Custom Homes from $1,020,000 Peter Laughlin | 941.356.8428 View video at PSIR11.com

Condominiums from $279,000 Cynthia Wickson | 941.441.8060

LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541 SARASOTA - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000 LONGBOAT KEY | 941.383.1526 VENICE TO PUNTA GORDA | 941.412.3323 RENTALS | 941.364.4032

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

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Classifieds 13B Games 12B Real Estate 9B Weather 12B

APRIL 22, 2021

YOUR NEIGHBORS

FINE RIDE

From 1930s Fords to young sports cars, the Elks Lodge Car Show & Vendor Fair had them all.

AT ELKS LODGE T

Parrish residents Bonnie and Bill Schnatter stand by their 1939 Chevy Business Coup, which Bill Schnatter says was a working man’s car. It doesn’t have a backseat, which provided more room for business supplies.

Parrish resident Michael Polito says the 1964 Buick Riviera was known as the “gentleman’s muscle car,” adding that it was designed to compete with the Ford Thunderbird as a car of both elegance and performance.

Lakewood Ranch resident John Calkins has owned this 1932 Ford Woody for two-and-a-half years. He said it is a one-of-a-kind vehicle that was built “from the ground up.”

— BRENDAN LAVELL

Above: Sarasota resident Andy Carrano says this 1968 Dodge Dart would have held records at the drag racing strip when it was first released.

Left: Gary Lebrun and Louise Laporte stand by a 1937 Ford Cabriolet owned by one of their friends. Lebrun cleaned the car the day before, which he says took him about five to six hours.

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Photos by Brendan Lavell

ara resident Gene Fadely, who was showing off a 2015 Porsche Boxster at the Lakewood Ranch Elks Lodge Car Show and Vendor Fair on April 10, said he often tells his friends that because he is 77 and only has one or two more years of driving left, he might as well make the most of it.

Fadely said the car is awesome.

“You can feel the road,” Fadely said.

Although Fadely’s car was of a current era, many of the vehicles shown at the show were from as many as 80 to 90 years ago.

Lakewood Ranch resident John Calkins showed a 1932 Ford Woodie that he has owned for two-and-a-half years. Calkins said the car is a one-of-a-kind edition that was built “from the ground up.” Its wooden frame was built by a sailboat builder.

2B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

Just another Nite

A

Photos by Brendan Lavell

Ted Camphouse, Kelly Pleasant, Alyce Camphouse, Polly Cason, Carrie Almond and Eric Olson are part of a social group at Grace Community Church. The group has also done sunsets at Lido Beach and bike rides at Robinson Preserve.

Arbor Grande resident Ashley McCall and her son, Max, who is nearly 1 year old, hosted Ashley’s cousin Stephanie Burket, from South Carolina.

week after moving into the Palisades at Lakewood Ranch, Jordan and Christine Meissner needed to find a way to socialize with some of their neighbors.

Enter Ranch Nite at the Sarasota Polo Club.

The Meissners said the weather, scenery and food provided the perfect opportunity to have a good time and meet other people.

From tenured residents to Lakewood Ranch newbies, Ranch Nite attendees April 14 enjoyed food, games, drinks and more.

For Arbor Grande resident Ashley McCall, the highlight is always the food trucks. McCall and her cousin Stephanie Burket had a hard time deciding which food truck to visit.

McCall said her favorites in the past were a Hawaiian barbecue truck and a brick oven pizza truck.

— BRENDAN LAVELL

Lakewood Ranch resident Ivana Zelnick heard about Ranch Nite through Instagram and decided to come for the food trucks. She settled on loaded mac and cheese from Mouthole BBQ.

Country Club residents Mollie and Marty Saia first became interested in cornhole after watching the Ranch Nite cornhole league. Now they play regularly.

Christine; Pierce, 2; and Jordan Meissner moved into the Palisades a week before Ranch Nite. They figured the event would give them an opportunity to socialize for the first time in their new community.

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SALES CENTER AT 32 S PALM AVE

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THEDEMARCAY.COM

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©2021 Wolf Development Strategies and Wolf Residential. All Rights Reserved. Wolf Residential and Coldwell Banker operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. fully supports the principles of the fair housing act and the equal opportunity act. Oral representations cannot be relied upon as correctly stating representations of the developer.

For correct representations, make reference to the documents required by section 718.503, Florida Statues, to be furnished by a developer to a buyer or lessee

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

|

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

3B

OPEN

HOUSE

Photos by Liz Ramos

Playground party

H

Harmony’s Josie McComas, 2, goes to James L. Patton Park every week with her mother, Jessi.

armony’s Josie McComas, 2, grabbed her dump truck and filled it with wood chips by the handful during a Mommy and Me Play Date on April 9 at James L. Patton Park.

Once the truck was full, she carried it up the stairs of the playground equipment to the slide and let it zip down.

“Wow, did you see that?” said Jessi McComas, Josie’s mother.

Josie McComas laughed.

While the children played with toys or played on the playground, their mothers talked about their children’s sharing habits, potty training and preschools.

— LIZ RAMOS

Sunday, April 25th

11am until 3pm Rain or shine!

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Parrish’s Sadie Woods, 1, throws a ball while playing with her mother, Jessica.

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QUALITY OUTDOOR FURNITURE

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

COMMUNITY

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22

SUNSET POLO Begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane, Lakewood Ranch. Evening polo is now open to the public at the Sarasota Polo Club. The Thursday Sunset Polo Happy Hour runs through April 22. The event includes polo, an opening parade, half-time entertainment and divotstomping. Food and drinks are available. For more information, go to SarasotaPolo.com.

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

Voted One of Sarasota’s Best 28 Years in a Row!

FRIDAY, APRIL 23

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DIVERSITY DISCUSSION Begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Ballroom at Grove, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch. The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance and the Sarasota-Manatee Human Resources Association present “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: The Art of Building Bridges in Business.” Diversity experts Denise Davis-Cotton, the director of the Florida Center for Partnerships in Arts-Integrated Teaching at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, and Shannon Rohrer-Phillips, a social entrepreneur with three decades of experience, will be the guest speakers.

Subjects including building a culture of inclusion in the workplace will be discussed. The event is $39 for LWRBA members and

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$49 for nonmembers. To sign-up or for more information, go to LWRBA.org.

MOMMY AND ME Begins at 10 a.m. at the picnic pavilion at James Patton Park, 5725 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The Mommy and Me play date is free to Lakewood Ranch residents and $10 for nonresidents. The event is for moms and their 3- to 5-year-olds. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 24

KIDS VOLLEYBALL Begins at 11 a.m. at Greenbrook Adventure Park, 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch.

Lakewood Ranch Community Activities holds kids volleyball for ages 7-12. The event is free for Lakewood Ranch residents and $10 for nonresidents. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

PARADE OF HOPE Begins at 9:45 a.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. The Sarasota Walk to Defeat ALS — Parade of Hope hopes to support those living with ALS and their families by raising funds.

Participants will ride in their own vehicle, driving a couple laps around the scenic route along the south end of Nathan Benderson Park. Participants are asked to decorate their vehicles in red and white to raise ALS awareness, and a best-decorated vehicle will be chosen. To participate, contact Samantha Schneider at SSchneider@alsafl.org, or call 888-2571717, ext. 115. There is no participation fee, but participants are encouraged to donate or to find other pledges toward the event.

TH E STARS OF EVITA ARE BACK!

Ana Isabelle & Friends

asolorep

4B

OUTDOORS ON THE TERRACE STAGE

IN CONCERT

Now - April 25

Featuring Justin Gregory Lopez, and Tango Dancers Junior Cervila and Guadalupe Garcia, from the cast of Evita.

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Headline Sponsors: Drs. Joel and Gail Morganroth

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

asolorep.org • 941.351.8000

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Lakewood Ranch. The public is invited to participate in a free barre workout at Bob Gardner Park.

The event is hosted by Barre3.

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

BEST BET SUNDAY, APRIL 25

POLO Begins at 1 p.m. at the Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane, Lakewood Ranch. The 30th season at the Sarasota Polo Club runs every Sunday through April 25. Besides world-class polo, the event includes food and beverages, tailgating and divot-stomping.

General admission is $15 per adult; children 12 and under are free. Advance tickets are strongly encouraged. For ticket packages and information, go to SarasotaPolo.com. Gates open at 10 a.m.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28

Jay Heater

DISC GOLF Begins at noon at Bob Gardner Community Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch.

MVP Sports and Social begins its Frisbee Disc Golf League that is free for residents and $10 for nonresidents. Ages 8 and up are eligible. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

Ranch Blvd. The Market at Lakewood Ranch runs every Sunday through July. Vendors will be offering seafood, eggs, meats, diary products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles among other items. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

BARRE IN THE PARK Begins at 9 a.m. at Bob Gardner Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd.,

MIXED-ABILITY DANCE Begins at 10 a.m. at Greenbrook Adventure Park, 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosts Mixed-Ability Dance and Movement for those 17 and under of all abilities. The event is free for Lakewood Ranch residents and $10 for nonresidents.

Go to MyLWR.com for more information.

RANCH NITE Runs from 4-8 p.m. at the Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane, Lakewood Ranch.

Ranch Night features a food truck rally with more than 10 trucks, live music, family-friendly yard games, an outdoor bar and cornhole (preregister at MVPSportsAndSocial.com). For more information about the free event, go to MyLWR.com.

BINGO Begins at 10 a.m. at the Greenbrook Adventure Park, 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosts Community Bingo every Wednesday. Bingo is for those 18 and up. Bingo will be held under the pavilion. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

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5B

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

THURSDAY, APRIL 29

BUSINESS TRADE SHOW Runs from 4-7 p.m. at the Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota. The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance is hosting its Open Air Showcase trade show in the east parking lot of the mall.

The event allows regional businesses to connect. A Budweiser beer truck will be on location along with a wine booth. Admission is free. More than 30 businesses already have signed up to participate. For more information, go to LWRBA.org.

SATURDAY, MAY 1

SUP AND RUN 5K FUNDRAISER Begins at 8 a.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. The sixth annual Sup and Run 5K will be held to benefit Operation Second Chance, which supports veterans.

The event allows participants to run or walk a 5K only, compete in a stand up 5K paddle event only or vie in a mixed 5K run and 5K stand up paddle event. The event costs $40. For more information, go to OperationSecondChance. org or NathanBendersonPark.org.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25

MARKET AT LAKEWOOD RANCH Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, 8330 Lakewood

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“If what you have is better, we will tell you, not sell you.”

6B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

PEL HAS DONATED OVER $280,400 TO COMMUNITY YOUTH IN NEED.

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akewood Ranch’s Allison Konick and D.J. McSherry are big fans of polo, so when they were invited to the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund’s Polo with a Purpose on April 18 at the Sarasota Polo Club, they were excited to attend.

Polo with a Purpose was an opportunity for Konick and McSherry to support Lakewood Ranch Community Fund while introducing Konick’s new dental practice, Kind Smiles Dental Health, to people.

“It’s great to socialize with other business professionals in the community and enjoy another day of polo,” Konick said.

Polo with a Purpose gave members of the board of advisers an opportunity to share the organization’s mission of enhancing quality of life within Lakewood Ranch by promoting philanthropy, responding to community needs and granting funds.

— LIZ RAMOS Lakewood Ranch’s Deb Rossi and Nichole Stetson are excited to see their friends during Lakewood Ranch Community Fund’s Polo with a Purpose.

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Country Club East’s Pat Collins and Country Club’s Sherlie Bente say they had fun watching polo.

Lakewood Ranch’s Allison Konick and D.J. McSherry say they look forward to socializing with other business professionals while supporting the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund.

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PASS MEMBERS GET 20% OFF ON ALL DETAIL SERVICES (10% OFF DIAMOND PLATE CERAMIC COATING).

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

7B

Advance ticket purchase required

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Above: As past members of the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund board, Lakewood Ranch’s Bob and Julie Smith continue to support the organization by attending Polo with a Purpose.

Left: Hillcroft and Ten Oaks players sprint down the field.

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Ashley McIntyre and Monaca Onstad with the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund enjoy Polo with a Purpose with Lake Club’s Marybeth Traverso and her husband, Jay Traverso.

Make Room For Life Micah Makes Room for Her Students At age 26, Micah knew she was too young to give up on the life she wanted. And with help from the Sarasota Memorial Bariatric and Metabolic Health Center, she didn’t have to. Now Micah has more enthusiasm for the hobbies she loves and looks forward to walking and playing with her dog, Luna, each day. All the newfound energy also gives this Booker High Teacher of the Year the boost she needs to be the best teacher she can be for her students.

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Are you ready to make a change?

8B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

LOCALLY KNOWN. GLOBALLY CONNECTED. SINCE 1976.

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

BRADENTON 2708 Bay Drive Cheryl Roberts 941-266-1450 A4494263 $2,750,000

SARASOTA 7727 Donald Ross Road W Stacy Hanan 941-266-0529 A4493537 $2,100,000

BRADENTON 4015 Hawk Island Drive Jenifer Schwell 941-780-0968 A4495224 $1,950,000

BRADENTON 541 Fore Drive Debbie Vogler 941-705-3328 A4496407 $1,750,000

BRADENTON 20504 65th Avenue E Aaron Corr & Leslie Emery 941-840-2346 A4489635 $1,699,000

BRADENTON 2200 51st Street W Sharon Ingram 941-224-6447 A4495410 $1,200,000

BRADENTON 73 Tidy Island Boulevard Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies, LLC 941-685-6767 A4477926 $650,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7739 US Open Loop Christopher Van Vliet & Jamie Van Vliet, PA 941-993-7087 A4494156 $649,000

PARRISH 4012 Twin Rivers Trail Gregory Zies & Kathy Valente 941-779-3081 A4494524 $590,000

BRADENTON 10 Tidy Island Boulevard Kathy Marshall 941-900-9777 A4491987 $575,000

SARASOTA 4642 Meadowview Circle Sonya Kis 941-228-1831 A4493185 $530,000

SARASOTA 5400 Eagles Point Circle 306 Tara Lamb & Judy Greene 941-266-4873 A4494431 $485,000

SARASOTA 151 Tall Trees Court Nancie Kalin 941-928-8833 A4495916 $459,900

SARASOTA 7773 Fairway Woods Drive 1101 Gladys Carrasco 941-400-1520 A4494960 $459,000

PALMETTO 615 Riviera Dunes Way 205 Cheryl Roberts 941-266-1450 A4497161 $429,000

BRADENTON 12375 Lavender Loop Emmy Lou Gilbert 941-807-1764 A4496427 $425,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 15110 Searobbin Drive Toma Milbank & Rebecca Milbank PLLC 941-720-5174 A4496858 $369,900

LAKEWOOD RANCH 11418 Water Willow Avenue Laura Navratil & Mary Pat Pihl 941-806-7436 A4496762 $365,000

SARASOTA 4634 Mirada Way 29 Barbara May 941-312-1302 A4486383 $350,000

OSPREY 44 Bishops Court Road 112 Victoria Beckham & Deborah Beacham 941-544-6734 A4487740 $325,000

SARASOTA 7610 Fairway Woods Drive 205 Mackenzie Longueuil & Pat Mudgett 941-961-4023 A4492740 $325,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7702 Lake Vista Court 302 Noelle Reynolds 941-320-4855 A4496708 $310,000

BRADENTON 4814 26th Street W Barbara Dumbaugh & Victoria Lear 941-951-6660 A4457795 $300,000

BRADENTON 910 Sandpiper Circle Laura Rulon & Betsy Hagen 941-896-2757 A4492505 $269,000

BRADENTON 840 Audubon Drive 840 Maruta Miluns 941-374-9702 A4496622 $269,000

NORTH FORT MYERS 3460 N Key Drive 218 Ray Rausa 941-228-7614 A4493260 $249,000

BRADENTON 3730 Pinebrook Circle 606 Megg Faillace & Ralph Faillace 941-713-9144 A4495917 $183,000

SARASOTA 1520 Glen Oaks Drive E 244 Elisa Gersman 941-735-0595 A4484780 $92,000

355147-1

SARASOTA 8263 Archers Court Kathy Callahan 941-900-8088 A4483993 $3,999,999

OSPREY 144 Osprey Point Drive Rachel Benderson 941-376-0218 A4492940 $3,450,000

MSC MORTGAGE | MSC TITLE | MS&C COMMERCIAL NEW HOMES & CONDOMINIUMS

HOLMES BEACH 216 68th Street Rudy Dudon 941-234-3991 A4496801 $3,295,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home in The Lake Club tops all transactions in this week’s real estate.

James and Arloa Torok sold their home at 16307 Foremast Place to Todd and Kristen Murray, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2 million. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,929 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.38 million in 2012.

CONCESSION

Mary Isaacson sold the home at 19436 Beacon Park Place to John and Beth Bialy, of Carleton, Michigan, for $1.68 million. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,649 square feet of living area.

David and Mary Eslick, of Bradenton, sold their home at 19432 Ganton Ave. to William Christopher Adair and Nanette Adair, of Wellesley, Massachusetts, for $1.35 million. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, three-andtwo-half baths, a pool and 4,452 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.04 million in 2011.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Randall Bono, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 15212 Linn Park Terrace to Scott and Caroline Hansen, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.46 million.

Built in 2009, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,551 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.37 million in 2017.

Elsie and Jerome Martin sold their home at 16707 Berwick Terrace to Judy and Eric Fox, of Lakewood Ranch, for $850,000.

Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,738 square feet of living area.

Joshua and Shoshana Hecht, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 16316 Castle Park Terrace to Jeffrey and Vickie Quade, trustees, of Henderson, Nevada, for $850,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, four-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,786 square feet of living area. It sold for $645,000 in 2017.

Jack and Karen Jimmink, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 14725 Secret Harbor Place to Richard Welker Adams and Suzanne Smith Adams, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, for $800,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,731 square feet of living area.

AMH Roman Two FL LLC sold the home at 15623 Leven Links Place to Nicholas and Megan Zabikow, of Bradenton, for $515,000. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,573 square feet of living area. It sold for $387,000 in 2014.

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

9B

REAL ESTATE

Lake Club home tops sales at $2 million

|

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

APRIL 5-9

Matthew Jefferys, of Lakewood Ranch, sold his home at 7298 Belleisle Glen to Donald Kiger, of Lakewood Ranch, for $409,000.

Built in 2012, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,608 square feet of living area.

COUNTRY CLUB

Michael and Melissa Frazzini, of Sarasota, sold their home at 13311 Matanzas Place to William Himango, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1 million. Built in 2012, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,375 square feet of living area.

Stephanie Martin, of Russellville, Alabama, sold her home at 6614 The Masters Ave. to Patrick and Meredith Cummings, of Hoover, Alabama, for $635,000.

Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,729 square feet of living area. It sold for $575,000 in 2018.

Lewis Guthrie, of Lakewood Ranch, sold his home at 7334 Edenmore St. to Steven and Carrie Shaw, of Bradenton, for $580,000. Built in 2009, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,101 square feet of living area. It sold for $530,000 in 2019.

ESPLANADE

Sean and Rebecca Kelly, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 4843 Cabreo Court to Neil and Marilyn Newsham, of Bradenton, for $890,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,073 square feet of living area. It sold for $661,100 in 2017.

Spencer Maurer Jr. and Jean Ann Maurer, of Olathe, Kansas, sold their home at 12732 Fontana Loop to Bonny Reiff-Smith and Robert Smith, of Bradenton, for $640,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,326 square feet of living area. It sold for $433,700 in 2014.

Roberta Shirley Richlin, of Sarasota, sold the home at 12810 Del Corso Loop to Philip and Maria Rasulo, of Bradenton, for $560,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,256 square feet of living area. It sold for $359,700 in 2012.

Peter Rolf Anderson and Kwang Sun Anderson, of Daytona Beach, sold their home at 5255 Napoli Run to Bernard and Mary Yurko, of Bradenton, for $525,500. Built in 2015, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,098 square feet of living area. It sold for $470,000 in 2016.

MALLORY PARK

Daniel Rodriguez and Carmen Soto-Rodriguez, of Bradenton, sold their home at 11514 Golden Bay Place to Adam Oberman, of Frankfort, Illinois, for $849,100.

Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,046 square feet of living area. It sold for $658,200 in 2017.

Felix Rodriguez and Doreen Reis, of Bradenton, sold their home at 11509 Golden Bay Place to Benedict John Vital and Cath-

Courtesy photo

This Lake Club home at 16307 Foremast Place sold for $2 million. It has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,929 square feet of living area.

erine Marie Vitale, of Bradenton, for $647,500. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,983 square feet of living area. It sold for $434,300 in 2017.

John Anderson and Susan Gentile Anderson, of Bradenton, for $740,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,469 square feet of living area. It sold for $614,700 in 2003.

ISLES AT LAKEWOOD RANCH

GROSVENOR GARDENS

Shaun and Jennifer Gelsomine, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 17626 Azule Drive to William Camp, of Bradenton, for $780,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,521 square feet of living area. It sold for $700,000 in 2020.

WATERLEFE

John Douglas Reiff and Joyce Cary Reiff sold their home at 10112 Day Lily Court to Roger

James Robert Spencer, of Sarasota, sold this home at 8309 Grosvenor Court to Erik Stephen Hansen and Lynn Marie Hansen, of Schererville, Indiana, for $725,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,370 square feet of living area. It sold for $785,000 in 2009.

SEE REAL ESTATE, PAGE 10B

In with the new SALES GALLERY OPEN

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

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FROM PAGE 9B

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Peter and Lisa Livingston, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5404 Tidewater Preserve Blvd. to James and Jill Gualtieri, of Bradenton, for $725,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,456 square feet of living area. It sold for $537,700 in 2017.

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Brian and Barbara McKeon, of Bluffton, South Carolina, sold their home at 5005 Lake Overlook Ave. to Angela Flack, of Bradenton, for $439,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,249 square feet of living area. It sold for $301,800 in 2015.

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Jason Carl Liles and Elizabeth Liles, of Bradenton, sold their home at 11914 Petunia Terrace to Robert and Melissa Stanoch, of Bradenton, for $700,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,786 square feet of living area. It sold for $630,300 in 2019.

James Haynie and Andrea Walborn-Haynie, of Bradenton, sold their home at 715 Dogwood Run to Christopher Connolly, of Bradenton, for $690,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,279 square feet of living area. It sold for $535,000 in 2016.

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John William Eagan and Newana Sheryl Egan, trustees, of Granville, Illinois, sold the home at 417

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Stan Writesel & Baylee

GREYHAWK LANDING

Chantilly Trail to Gregory Eugene Ostberg and Brenda Holder-Ostberg, of Bradenton, for $615,000.

Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,776 square feet of living area. It sold for $492,300 in 2017.

RIVERDALE REVISED

M. Arnold and Sharon Graham, of Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, sold their home at 4727 Clipper Drive to Joseph Carroccio, of Antioch, Illinois, for $700,000.

Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,419 square feet of living area. It sold for $762,500 in 2005.

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL

Jonathan David Stewart and Jennifer Stewart, of Bradenton, sold their home at 17525 Hickok Belt Loop to Scott Erickson and Susan Micklow, of Marquette, Michigan, for $669,000. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,196 square feet of living area. It sold for $539,400 in 2020.

PRESERVE AT PANTHER RIDGE

James Lewis Jr., trustee, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, sold the home at 22415 Panther Loop to Rafael and Mayra Garcia, Raphael Garcia, Nicholas Garcia and Brianna Marrero, of Bradenton, for $650,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, three-anda-half baths, a pool and 3,076 square feet of living area. It sold for $585,000 in 2017.

ONLINE See more transactions at YourObserver.com

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

Market results in solid return

Left: Donna Makovec of the St. Clare Women’s Guild shows off her sausage and pepper sandwich.

Below: Summerfield residents Carl; Linda; Elise, 5; and Ava, 6, Perhac smile after a visit to Carousel’s Soft Serve Icery truck.

D

onna Makovec of the St. Clare Women’s Guild wasn’t sure what to expect when the organization held its first Arts and Crafts Market at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in November 2020.

It was an uncertain time during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the guild only had three weeks to put the event together. Ultimately, 50 vendors came, and the event was a success, according to the patrons who attended.

“Everyone asked if there would be another one,” Makovec said.

So the guild held its second Arts and Crafts Market on April 10 in the church’s parking lot. This time, there were 66 vendors that came mostly by word of mouth, in addition to an ice cream truck and a grill serving burgers, sausage sandwiches and more.

The event was so successful, Makovec said, that the guild is planning another market for December.

— BRENDAN LAVELL

11B

Photos by Brendan Lavell

Above: Lakewood Ranch residents and Our Lady of the Angels parishioners Carol Lafortune, Joan Jones and Mary Balazic Right: Sarasota resident Marcia Fayette makes towels, pouches and purses for Grace Creations, a business she started to help combat child and sex trafficking.

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12B

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

FORECAST

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

THURSDAY, APRIL 22 High: 81 Low: 62 Chance of rain: 2%

FRIDAY, APRIL 23 High: 84 Low: 69 Chance of rain: 6%

SATURDAY, APRIL 24 High: 85 Low: 73 Chance of rain: 6%

Scott Veix captured this pair of bald eagles fixing up their nest for their young eaglet on White Eagle Boulevard in Lakewood Ranch.

SUNRISE / SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, April 22

6:58a 7:59p

Friday, April 23

6:57a

7:59p

Saturday, April 24

6:56a

8:00p

Sunday, April 25

6:55a

8:00p

Monday, April 26

6:54a

8:01p

Tuesday, April 27

6:54a

8:01p

Wednesday, April 28

6:53a

8:02p

MOON PHASES

May 11 New

May 19 First

May 26 Full

June 2 Last

RAINFALL Monday, April 12

1.92

Tuesday, April 13

0

SUNDAY, APRIL 25

Wednesday, April 14

0

Thursday, April 15

0

High: 82 Low: 65 Chance of rain: 65%

Friday, April 16

0

Saturday, April 17

0

Sunday, April 18

0

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

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

YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2021 8.04 in.

2021

2020 4.83 in.

2020 0.85 in.

3.31 in.

MANASOTA FLOORING INC 349215-1

CROSSWORD

©2021 Universal Uclick

ACROSS 1 That sow 4 Surfer’s bud 8 Slamming, as a door 15 Yukon SUV maker 18 Unlikely story 20 1987 cyberpunk film 21 Regatta stick 22 “Feel like enjoying the beach hut together?” / “Up for splitting the fare, Ms. Gasteyer?”

24 Fight finisher, briefly 25 Break up 26 “The ___ Squad” 27 Bark sound 28 Chop

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your vacation, Mr. Luthor!”

110 Travel permit 113 Suffix for “lime” 114 Money exec 115 Word before “heat” or “humor” 116 Judge’s perch 117 Diarist Anais 118 “You call this a mushroom?!” / “This seems dull, Mr. Grissom!”

124 Trawling need 125 Assumption 126 Coppertop battery brand 127 “Heehaw!” source 128 Fiery insects 129 Boatloads 130 Ctrl-Alt-___

49 New York City’s ___ River 50 Risque 51 Kindle purchase 52 South Korea’s capital 53 It may be home-cooked 57 Stir-fry vessels 60 ___ Mahal 61 Tractor-trailer 62 Numero after due 63 ___ crust (elite) 64 Falafel holders 66 Jack’s value in blackjack 69 Pesto vegetable, at times 70 “Downton Abbey” countess Crawley 71 Bad, as a loser 72 Cabo’s peninsula 73 Some cosmetics bellringers 74 Marquee boxing matches DOWN 78 Leave home but not go 1 Was atrocious too far?

2 “Gimme that!”

79 Newspaper essay 3 Pacific climate woe 80 Ties the knot 4 “Dynamite” K-pop band 83 Explosive letters 5 Shout from the stands 87 Number of spaces in 6 Los ___, New Mexico tic-tac-toe 7 Everglades wader 88 Flat-topped hill 8 Garment with cups 90 Canal to the Hudson 9 Member of “The Squad” 91 Immense from NYC 10 Hawks’ and Hornets’ org. 92 Qatari leader 93 Times past 11 Survivalist’s kit 94 Muscular “Guardians of 12 He flew too close to the the Galaxy” character sun 95 Watson’s co.

13 Like some yogurt 101 “More!” at a concert 14 College app stat 102 Combed (through) 15 Tied the knot 104 Ocean motion 16 Flip out in public 29 Tattoo canvas 55 Lincoln, familiarly 82 Glowing 105 Take off on a plane trip 17 Royal symbol 30 “Sit atop a caretaker’s 56 Amazement 84 Sound receiver 106 Made level 19 Long. ’ s counterpart shoulders!” / “Stay alert, Mr. 58 180 degrees from WSW 85 Ready for harvest 107 ___-Barbera 22 Director Anderson Fleming!”

59 Primary 86 “Come along!”

108 What breaks up $1,000?

23 Ice cream brand 37 Apt things to put in the 61 Move closer to a screen, 89 “Don’t reveal how you dryer? say lost weight!” / “Persevere, 30 Taekwondo level indicator 109 Italian fashion house 111 Regatta boat 31 Fitzgerald of jazz 39 Clearance event 65 Horse’s morsel Mr. Danson!”

32 Kiln hidden in “roasting” 112 Sounds of understanding 40 Strong ales 67 Thieves’ hangout 116 2021 Super Bowl champ 33 Forearm bone 97 Most popular ride at 41 What it takes to tango 68 “Don’t forget the deli 118 “Ask Me Another” 34 Tush Disneyland?

43 “OK, ___ bite!” spears!” / “Any is fine, Mr. network 35 Lounging wear 98 Crystal ball, for one 44 Suddenly bite Paul!”

119 Yang’s complement 36 Pairs 99 Google revenue sources 46 Lawn game 72 Punch sound 120 Real ending?

100 They fit into 105-Across 38 Nintendo console 48 “Switch the machine 75 Mess around musically 121 “Moines” lead-in 41 Weary worker’s cry off and on!” / “Enough, Mr. 76 Regular lifters, informally? 103 “Really, though?”

122 To’s partner 42 Crowdsourced site 77 “Fuhgeddaboudit!”

105 Glasses choices Garfunkel!”

123 Admirer 45 School grp.

81 “Queen Sugar” creator 107 “This fine three-story 53 Interlocked 47 Idyllic garden 54 KALLAX shelf unit seller DuVernay place is on me!” / “Enjoy

CONVERSATION PARTNERS by Freddie Cheng; Edited by David Steinberg

CELEBRITY CIPHER

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“G MN WIY ZSMPVLEP EA GNNGZSMPWL ASEN BMFMP DIE DYPW WE MNYSGXM, JECVCU ZEGPZ WE M LWSMPZY PYD DESCV.” – ZYESZY WMRYG

“PTJEDKJCRCFCZI VCZODHZ EDVTP, ZOT GSZT DG ZOT JTXPTZSPI ZOPDHBO ZOT SBTJ.”

– SPCTF NDPGASK Puzzle Two Clue: N equals D

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SUDOKU

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

©2021 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

04-22-21

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

Autos Wanted

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon

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This week’s Crossword answers

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This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers

Puzzle One Solution: “I am the grandson of immigrants from Japan who went to America, boldly going to a strange new world.”

George Takei Puzzle Two Solution: “Responsibility without power, the fate of the secretary through the ages.”

– Ariel Dorfman

This week’s Sudoku answers

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

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355520

CALL BEFORE YOU FALL

941.966.0333

DrGrabBars.com

INCLUDES 2 MOEN STAINLESS STEEL ANTI SLIP CONCEALED SCREW GRAB BARS (16” & 24”)

355522

LIFETIME GUARANTEE Licensed • Bonded • Insured COVERAGE AREA: LAKEWOOD RANCH ƭƨ S. VENICE

THE GRAB BAR GUY

Doors

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

GLENN KROECKER

954-1878

(cell) 780-3346 Licensed & Insured

• Window Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS

Call us today!

www.showerandbathsarasota.com

941.628.8579 www.ezslider.com

355513

Home Services

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

Call to reserve your ad space: 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

941-735-3362

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

Residential

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

Pegatronics.com

FREE CONSULTATION

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

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

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

Call 941.358.2224 today to schedule a

Are You Having Dryer Difficulties?

Advertise as low as $85 per week.

Computer

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com

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

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

YOUR BUSINESS

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

355504

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DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

356301

355958

“Medical Breakthrough Technology for bulging, herniated and degenerative disc ...

No Pain, No Drugs, No Injections, No Surgery”

355524

941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com

Owner / Operator Insured

355959

Dustin Yoder

Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

Call John 941.377.2940

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

FREE IN-HOM ESTIMATEE S

BUZZ! CREATE Advertise your business or services in the Red Pages.

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CALL 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

354940

“Specializing in 6” Seamless Gutters”

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Landscaping & Lawn

Power Washing Pressure Washing

GARDENS BY ALLISON

Roofing Pressure Washing

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc. Building & Roofing Contractor

No Job is too Small!

BEFORE

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

| scaperotta@aol.com

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

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AFTER

Serving Sarasota/Manatee Area Since 2004

Personal Gardening Services | Designer

356138

355526

941.400.0431

941-544-1066

941-626-3194

Italian American Owned

356303

Screening

SAFE ROOF CLEANING

Lawn Care

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

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

BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCTS Pressure Cleaning & Soft Washing Residential and Commercial

941-737-4483

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

10 SAVINGS

355961

SMALL ENGINE REPAIRS

%

941-739-5102

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

351320

Driveways Deck Staining Roof Cleaning

Free Estimate 941-922-3996

UNIQUE PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING SERVICES Complete Interior & Exterior Painting

Licensed

“No Job Too Small”

Insured

941-270-1561 356305

354941

Roofing

Bisson Roofing Inc. Made for where you live. Here!

Specializing in Reroofs and Repairs FREE Estimates • 30 Years Experience

RED PAGES

941 - 748 - 7400 355527

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RC0067420 • Lic. & Ins.

Owner Supervises Every Job

www.bissonroofing.com

TREASURES

found here.

Looking for something? Your lucky discovery is closer than you think.

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Manufacture and workmanship Warranties

Lic./Ins.

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

10% OFF FOR MENTIONING THIS AD

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

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Res./Com.

With this ad

Eldridge Re-Screen

Painting & Pressure Cleaning

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specialty screens / screw replacement / paint

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Painting

Faulkner’s

www.PantherHydroCleaning.com

941-345-5264 355960

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355510

Allison J. Abizaid, M.A.

Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

25

UP TO

STANDARD WINDOWS

ows

120

$

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

SPECIAL 00 5

$

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

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355512

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

gbyallison@yahoo.com gardensbyallison.com

15B

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

|

16B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021

Quite Simply The Best Gulf Front Community in Sarasota The Orchid Beach Club

Stunning Luxury Residence in a Gated Community

At the Quiet Tip of Lido Key Overlooking The Conservation Area Walk Your Kayak to the Bay

Glimpses of the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay This is the only suite available at Orchid Beach 3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths, 3,242 sf

Fireplace, Neff Kitchen with glass counter top

Family room, 727 sf balcony with built-in barbecue Garage Parking for 2 vehicles side-by-side

Fabulous Amenities: 24/7 security, concierge, fitness center, massage room, steam room & sauna, library, game room, social room and dining room Fenced beautifully landscaped dog walk, 2 pets allowed Gulf front heated pool & spa $2,195,000

Sylvia Babineau 941/504.0551

sylviababineau@gmail.com My Realty Company

Sushi Snufes 356367-1

. . . t i a W But

S ’ E R THE !

E R MO

XNLV19038

Flip the page for more sales and specials!

STOP

SHAVING BUY

1

AREA

NE

GET O

FREE

*

HAIR LASER VAL REMO

941.351.5700 *Package Purchase required.

352537-1

FOR THEIR SAFETY

and your confidence.

We create a safe, enriching community where seniors can live well, know they’re safe, and maintain their dignity and sense of purpose. In today’s changed world, you can rest assured: •

• •

•

•

Everyone entering our community wears a face mask and is screened according to CDC guidelines Staff are screened at the beginning, middle and end of their shifts Every assisted living and memory care resident is monitored for temperature, oxygen saturation level and condition changes We work with national-level laboratories for staff and resident testing We welcome PCPs (primary care physicians) and medical specialists, as residents require, and transport residents to medical appointments

Senior Lifestyle communities are designated as high-priority recipients of the COVID-19 vaccines. Our residents and staff are among the first to receive them, bringing us soon to the day when family and friends can freely visit again.

Assisted Living | Memory Care | AL 12858 WWW.SENIORLIFESTYLE.COM

for masks, handwashing social masks, handwashing and and social distancing distancing because we’re determined because we’re determined to keep youto or keep you or your loved ones safe.

Call your loved ones safe.

941-315-9503 to schedule a tour or to Call 262-888-7717 to schedule tour or get a copy of A Smoother WayaForward, to get a copy of The Complete Guide to a guide to community living.

Senior Health and Wellness.

355120-1

Diligence. We Diligence.

Wefollow followCDC CDCguidelines guidelines for

Thrive in a community of friends Surrounded by the tranquil parks, lakes and nature reserves of Lakewood Ranch, every day at The Sheridan rewards residents with energy, activity, friendship and kindness. Upscale and comfortable, with a reputation second to none, our assisted living helps residents just enough to ensure they feel confident and independent. And our vibrant memory care setting is a tour-de-force in personalized, uplifting, attentive programming for those who have Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. The Sheridan has a vibe – and it’s irresistible!

Call 941-315-9503 to schedule a tour or to get a copy of A Smoother Way Forward, a guide to community living.

11705 Evening Walk Drive Lakewood Ranch, FL 34211 WWW.SENIORLIFESTYLE.COM

SENIOR LIFESTYLE IS HIGHEST RANKED IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION with Assisted Living/ Memory Care Communities Tied in 2020. For J.D. Power 2020 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards

BRIDGE April 2021 Issue

Quarterly Member Magazine

From the CEO Page 2

New Team Members Page 6

New in Membership

100 YEARS

Pages 12-13

Leadership Sarasota Pages 14-15

THE CENTENNIAL MURALS Pages 8-9

Click here to Read the April 2021 BRIDGE Magazine: https://issuu.com/greatersarasotachamber/docs/2021_april_bridge_magazine

longer other no

the

newspaper

More people read The Observers during the week than the region’s daily newspapers.

THURSDAY PRINT DISTRIBUTION 60,000

The Observers* 50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

59,286

Sarasota Observer Longboat Observer East County Observer Siesta Key Observer

Sarasota Herald-Tribune** 31,712 Bradenton Herald*** 18,632

10,000

*Source: Verified Audit Circulation Annual Audit ending March 31, 2020. **Source: Alliance for Audited Media Annual Audit ending Dec. 31, 2019, does not include Venice and North Port in Sarasota or Charlotte counties. ***Source: Alliance for Audited Media, 24 months ending Dec. 31, 2019.

Pick up your FREE copy of The Observer every Thursday.

For the nearest location: YourObserver.com/rack-locations 355730-1