Four-year-old Timothy Beckham plays baseball and does martial arts, but his hobbies don’t stop him from tidying up his neighborhood.
Beckham (above) has lived at Waterside for two years and for the last few weeks he has gone on morning walks (or scooter rides) with his mother Ashley Young to pick up any litter he sees on the ground.
“I want to help the earth,” he said. Young said her son rides ahead of her and searches for anything out of place. He usually knows which things go in recycling and which are to be thrown away.
Beckham said if he saw someone littering he would tell them not to and to take care of the planet.
Because
Garafola is one of about 150 members of the Artists Guild of Anna Maria Island. Garafola and fellow members Judy Vazques and Stephanie Leaver delivered three boxes of supplies to the foundation’s campus May 15. The supplies included canvases, art pencils and both watercolor and acrylic paints. The perfect pick-me-up in Waterside
Bradenton’s Dwayne Bowen says his fellow Florida West Coast Avian Society members call him “Bird Man.”
Madison Bierl
Daytona Clifton blows kisses and dances as she heads to receive her diploma during Lakewood Ranch High’s May 13
LECOM Park.
image
Jay Heater
Tara’s red wave
Community group keeps commissioners aware it opposes residential growth in its neighborhood.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Residents living in the Tara community have been battling developers for so long, they’ve developed a routine that includes putting on red shirts and taking a tour bus to the Manatee County Administration Building.
That bus pulled up May 8 to a land-use meeting as the Tara residents let commissioners know that they opposed a proposed apartment complex on Stone River Road.
“We got there as early as we could to make sure our block (of red shirts) was in place,” said 22-year Tara resident John Woolley. “We were pleased with the number of red shirts we were able to turn out. I think that had an impact on commissioners.”
Commissioners voted 5-2 to deny the request by Micron Investments LLC for a three-story, 72-unit apart-
ment building.
Commissioners Mike Rahn and Tal Siddique casted the dissenting votes because both felt that an apartment building was a less intense use than the currently zoned commercial uses, which include a drive-thru restaurant and a gas station.
The rest of the board deferred to the wishes of the Tara community.
“Your voices have been clear, strong, and they’ve been consistent,”
Commissioner Jason Bearden said.
“For me, your advocacy has made a difference, and I commend you for continuing to fight for the character
and the quality of your neighborhood.”
Bearden also noted that property owners take risks on properties that require zoning changes, and they take the risk with “the full knowledge of the existing zoning regulations.”
Residents said they would prefer commercial over residential for that parcel, but even that is risky.
Rahn warned the group that a Big Ed’s Car Wash would bring in 150 to 200 cars a day, but Woolley doesn’t think commercial access for that location is realistic because he said the traffic pattern is so bad on Tara Boulevard. The site is set back from State Road 70.
Siddique said if the market supported a commercial use in that location, then a commercial use would already have been built on the site.
This same residential project went before the board in 2023 and 2024. Wooley said Robert Lincoln, the attorney who represents the Tara Master Association, will stay vigilant because the project could come back for a fourth hearing.
TOGETHER AGAIN
The Tara Master Association keeps residents informed and involved.
The association has a community activities group and several committees underneath it, one of which provides the coordination and funding of loading residents onto a tour bus when they need to be downtown for
a commission meeting.
That wasn’t the first time the group traveled together. Woolley said it’s easier to rent a bus than to find so many parking spaces.
He drives himself because his wife Cathy Woolley “brings so much stuff with her.”
For the most recent meeting, she brought printouts of approximately 500 emails that were sent to commissioners opposing the apartments. She stacked the papers on the podium before addressing the commission.
More than 20 residents took the bus May 8, and that was despite the fact that a lot of Tara homeowners have left for the summer. Woolley said the tour bus would have been more crowded in February.
Over 100 homeowners attended the virtual neighborhood meeting in June 2023 when the proposal was initially made for 156 apartments on 7.5 acres, instead of 72 on 5.99 acres.
This battle began in 2023, but two years is a blip in time when considering the prior battle lasted 11 years.
Lake Lincoln, Tara’s developer, wanted to create a 3.3-acre sub-parcel on the northwest corner of State Road 70 and Tara Boulevard in 2010. Commissioners denied the request, and Lake Lincoln filed a lawsuit against Manatee County claiming its property rights were being denied.
TIMELINE OF OPPOSITION
2010: Tara homeowners oppose Lake Lincoln’s request to rezone 10.33 acres on the corner of Tara Boulevard and State Road 70 to planned commercial development. Commissioners deny the request.
2011: The property is restricted to open space and conservation use only.
2012: Lake Lincoln sues Manatee County.
2016: Commissioners reject a settlement offer from Lake Lincoln of $2.6 million.
2017: Commissioners approve a settlement to allow up to 19,500 square feet of commercial development. Residents argue the settlement violated the Land Development Code.
2018: Tara representatives are granted the right to intervene.
2019: The previously approved settlement is rejected by the commission.
2023: The county settles with Lake Lincoln for $3,634,868 and buys the parcel and additional wetlands. Residents quickly mobilize to oppose Micron Investment’s proposal for 156 apartments on the other side of State Road 70. Commissioners deny the request.
2024: The proposal is scaled down from 156 to 72 apartments. Residents fill the commission chambers, and the request to rezone the site is denied again.
2025: Micron Investments makes further adjustments to its proposal, but homeowners remain opposed. Commissioners deny the third request.
Residents never backed down. They wrote emails to commissioners. They bought red shirts. They attended every public hearing. In the end, the county bought a total of 55.33 acres, which includes 45 acres of wetlands, for $3.6 million to settle the case with Lake Lincoln. “We’re used to this kind of thing, and the community hangs in on it,” Woolley said. “But our community activities committee is taking a breath right now.”
Courtesy image
A group of Tara residents donned red shirts and rode a tour bus to Manatee County’s Administration Building on May 8 to oppose a development project.
Courtesy image Tara’s boundary is in yellow.
TRASH TALK
County moves toward ‘Big Bin Advantage,’ but some residents say the coming change just stinks.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Manatee County is pushing its new, streamlined plan for trash collection.
It’s been coined the “Big Bin Advantage” because residents will be given 96-gallon trash bins on wheels. However, some residents remain skeptical of the notion that bigger is better.
Posts on the Nextdoor app regarding the new bins are receiving hundreds of comments, and a Change. org petition has 473 signatures asking the county to reverse its decision.
So many residents are calling the county with questions that Utilities Deputy Director Chris Collins said temporary workers have been hired to answer calls strictly pertaining to trash collection.
The bins will start being delivered in mid-August, and the new, more automated trucks will start picking up Oct. 6. Collins met with the East County Observer to address the most frequently asked questions.
CAN I GET A SMALLER BIN?
Yes, but not until Jan. 2.
Linda Clark, a 5-foot-tall senior living in Lakewood Ranch, is concerned that a 96-gallon bin is too big to handle. If it is, the county will replace it with a smaller bin that is the same size as the blue recycling bin currently issued to residents.
A graphic that can be found on Nextdoor shows the new bins weighing 45 pounds empty, but that information is incorrect, Collins said. The smaller bins weigh 27 pounds, and the big bins weigh 33 pounds.
The big bins are 4 inches taller and 1 inch wider. Because the bins are on wheels, most people will be able to tilt and roll them to the curb fairly easily.
“They’re definitely lighter than the cans you buy at Home Depot and Lowe’s,” Collins said.
However, for those residents who either can’t or don’t want to bring their bins to the curb, the hauler offers a door-to-truck service, where a worker will be assigned to get out of the truck to retrieve the bin for a fee.
If a resident is medically unable to bring the bin to the curb, they can ask their doctor to fill out a medical waiver, which waives the fee.
Delivering the big bins first was simply an operational decision.
The county has to deliver 189,000 of them between August and October, a feat Collins described as a “logistical nightmare” all on its own without having to determine which size bin is delivered where.
Logistics aside, larger bins will likely make sense for homes that produce a lot of trash because, as
FEES
Outside of the established rates at the Lena Road Landfill, these figures provided by the Utilities Department are part of the current recommendation, which needs the commission’s approval before being finalized.
affected by the transition.
WHY WILL I GET HALF THE SERVICE FOR THE SAME MONTHLY RATE?
Esplanade’s Debbie Johnson doesn’t have a problem with once-a-week collection, but she does question why the price isn’t being reduced to coincide with a service cut.
Collins said the haulers’ costs have continued to increase since the original contracts were signed in 2008. Customers saw a rate increase in 2015 and again in 2023.
In 2023, rates were increased by 65% to keep from going into the negative. Had the county maintained twice a week service, the monthly rates would have shot up even more.
Instead of signing new contracts, the county used its final 10-year extension. New contracts will have to be negotiated and signed in 2033.
Collins said the increased costs of vehicles and fuel on the haulers’ end are being passed down to the county, especially as the county sprawls and they have more terrain to cover.
While residents have to give up that extra day of pickup with no short-term savings, he noted that there are long-term savings to consider, such as less required maintenance of county roads.
“They are heavy, massive trucks,” Collins said. “They put a lot of wear and tear on the roads.”
not properly disposed of will be left behind.
The alternative to finding a new use for old bins is to set the old ones on the curb with a note that reads, “Remove garbage container,” and they’ll be collected as trash during the transition.
WHAT ABOUT GARBAGE THAT DOESN’T FIT IN THE BIN?
Because of the automated arm with just one driver, only the countyissued bins will be picked up each week. Garbage cans, plastic bags and big items will no longer be collected weekly.
Residents will have to prearrange a pickup by calling 792-8811 or using the county’s 311 system.
of Oct. 6, trash collection is being reduced from twice a week to once a week.
The trucks are automated, so they only require a single driver who from the driver’s seat also operates a mechanical lift-and-dump system.
While some residents have expressed concern that the automation will force county employees to lose their jobs, the county contracts with two franchise haulers.
County employees will not be
Not only will the roads hold up better, the trucks won’t slow down as much traffic either.
Instead of solid waste, yard waste and recycling being picked up on three different days, the new system will consolidate those pickups into one day.
Each bin will continue to be picked up by a different truck, just on the same day. The bins need to be placed 3 feet apart and 3 feet from mailboxes, cars or any other obstructions, so the truck’s arm can safely reach the bin.
“This automated collection once a week isn’t something new,” Collins said. “It’s something that’s going on nationwide.”
Another long-term savings can be found in the welfare of workers. It’s not only unsafe to ride on the back of a truck in traffic, but the workers that have to pick up those heavy cans are prone to back injuries.
WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY OLD GARBAGE BIN?
Collins suggests using the old bin for yard waste because, as of Oct. 1, yard waste in plastic bags will no longer be collected. Yard waste will have to be in bins, bundles or paper lawn and leaf bags. Yard waste that is
Extra pickups will also require a fee. The rates will be calculated by item or by cubic yard, which is 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet or about the size of a dishwasher.
Another option is that residents can drop off their bulk items to the Lena Road Landfill. That, too, will cost additional fees.
“Change takes getting used to,” Collins said. “(The haulers) are going to continue to pick stuff up and give people some time to get used to it, but that’s going to fade out.”
He also noted that the haulers are not changing, so they already know the neighborhoods and people along their routes.
While the transition will take place in the height of hurricane season, Collins said the transition date in October was a “strategic decision.”
Contract haulers remove hurricane debris, too, so that doesn’t affect day-to-day operations much, but holidays do.
According to the collection numbers, the highest trash months are November and December.
“We wanted to make sure people had their big bins prior to that,” Collins said. “They can get used to it and see that it can be valuable to have that size bin.”
Visit MyManatee.org/bigbin for additional information.
Courtesy images
The big bins are in production now.
The big bins are 4 inches taller than the recycling bins and 1 inch wider.
Lesley Dwyer
Twisted idea comes to Main Street
DINING INSTRUCTIONS
Sheriff’s new helicopter adds safety, rescue ability
The Twisted Pit is Zach Zeller and Chef Evan Percoco’s third establishment to open on Lakewood Main Street.
ERIC
pproved by county commissioners in 2023 and now on duty, the newest helicopter serving the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is first and foremost a “police car that flies.”
But beyond its un-car-like 170 mph top speed and its ability to reach across the county in under 10 minutes, the 2024 Bell 429 has one capability its predecessors didn’t, says Sheriff’s Office Chief Pilot Dave Bouffard.
Co-owner
off it seemed too difficult a task.
IF YOU GO Twisted
The aircraft is designed to make rooftop rescues possible with greater hoisting power.
a trick Disney uses all the time.
The partners spent a year remodeling the space, tweaking recipes and thinking of all the details that could make a restaurant feel like home.
Zeller said dining at the Twisted Pit will affect all your senses, just like eating.
NOT FOR EVERYBODY
But Zeller is the first one to say that the Twisted Pit isn’t for everybody.
Serving the food cafeteriastyle is also a staple of Texas barbecue. Zeller said if you’ve had the cuisine before, you’ll get it. So if you haven’t, here are a few instructions to guide you through your first visit to the Twisted Pit BBQ:
■ No tipping. Your bill won’t be 20% higher, but Zeller said tipping has been worked into the food costs. Staff members are paid higher wages, as to not require tips.
■ Take a number. Upon walking in the door, the bartender starts a tab for food and drinks and assigns it a number. Because there’s no tipping, guests don’t have to wait for a check before leaving.
The metallic green helicopter that arrived in March has two turbine engines instead of just one. While adding a wider margin of flight safety for the crew, the more powerful aircraft also has improved lifting abilities to, say, rescue victims from rooftops or carry water buckets for firefighting when lives or property are in danger.
to commissioners, saying the department’s older two helicopters would need costly upgrades and more frequent maintenance in years to come. The new helicopter arrives with a three-year, 1,000-hour factory warranty. That would “avoid an estimated $1.4 million in overhauls that would be required over the next two years if the 2005 aircraft was continued to be utilized,” Hoffman wrote then, seeking funding to be added to his office’s five-year capital improvement budget. The 2005 model had about 9,500 flight hours logged. The previous two aircraft cost the county just over $5 million total to purchase — one in 2005 and one in 2018.
If you want glassware, try Percoco’s Pizza & Pasta or the Peculiar Pub, two other Main Street establishments owned by Zeller and Percoco. Jay Saucier is the third partner at the pub.
The walls and windows are lined with fence slats. Picnic tables provide family seating.
The Texas tea and lemonade are self served from big, orange Igloo coolers. Drinks from the bar are poured into red Solo cups, and walking to the restroom mimics walking through a garage to get inside the house.
“It was purchased specifically for the capability of doing hoisting operations, in case we get another mass flooding event,” said Bouffard, who has been flying with Sarasota County for 15 years and has experience as a
Zeller is looking for a freshly mowed grass scent to pair with the floors. He said pumping in aromas is
At the same time, about $859,000 was sought to upgrade the 2012 helicopter’s equipment to the standards of the new one. About $4 million in hangar upgrades at centrally located Venice Airport were approved separately in 2024.
Percoco and Zeller’s first foray into barbecue was a yearlong popup in the Crowder Plaza, Atypical Kitchen, which opened at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It was delivery-only and closed a year later.
Only 1,200 square feet felt like the perfect opportunity to “dip their toes back in.” But once they did that, a goal to open three restaurants in five years quickly formed.
observation platform, so we can see everything. We can get there first a lot of times, and once we get there, we’ve got a great view of what’s going on.”
Two more spaces on Main Street became available, and the goal was accomplished much quicker than either of the men anticipated. The Twisted Pit is their third restaurant in two years.
stays moist because it’s brined for 24 hours before being smoked over oak and cherry wood.
A few other staples of Texas barbecue are on each tray — white bread, pickles and pickled red onions.
Percoco noted that if there is one clear American cuisine, it’s barbecue. But there’s no set formula.
■ Order barbecue. Get in line to pick your sides and meat. Sauces are on the table.
■ Pick a picnic table. Sit anywhere; the seating is familystyle.
The aviation unit operates as part of the Special Operations Bureau, also home to SWAT, the mountedpatrol unit, marine unit, police-dog unit and more. But the role of the helicopters and the crews who fly
Percoco went back to cooking in kitchens owned by other people, while Zeller did consulting work.
Neither had much interest in opening another restaurant until the pub went up for sale.
They describe themselves as barbecue connoisseurs. Anytime they travel together, they seek it out.
Finding missing people, helping spot suspects who might be hiding or fleeing, and directing deputies during vehicle pursuits are all typical missions.
“We are a police car that flies ... We can get there first a lot of times, and once we get there, we’ve got a great view of what’s going on.”
In Texas, the meat is served plain, and then sauce is added. The sauces gave the connoisseurs an opportunity to bring in flavors from other regions.
— Dave Bouffard, Sheriff’s Office Chief Pilot
Crews also connect to the communications networks of surrounding agencies; therefore, they can assist Manatee County, Sarasota Police, or
“Everybody’s got their own style,” Zeller said. “We’ve always gravitated toward Texas-style barbecue. They keep it simple — salt, pepper.”
While simple, the rubs and sauces were tweaked for a year. The turkey
Likewise, if adjoining countiessota County, they will. Manatee and Charlotte counties operate in the air. DeSoto County does not. Often, it’s a matter of who is flying, when and “We’re not like a fire department
gar waiting for a call to come out,” Bouffard said. “Sometimes, that does happen, when the guys on thecific, something we can specifically
Bouffard said the Bell 429’s twin engines make overwater flying more reassuring, because typical helicop-
The Florida sauce incorporates spices and citrus, while the white sauce is a nod to Alabama. The sweet vinegar sauce has its roots in North Carolina, and the mustard sauce is a staple of South Carolina.
ters can land safely after an engine failure, but with limited options. With twin engines, “I have an engine failure over a populated area, like downtown Sarasota? I just fly back to the airport. It’s a non event.”
Even so, there are limits. In the case of missing boaters or other such maritime search and rescue flights, the Sheriff’s Office now has a little more leeway to venture offshore, but mostly to help find a stricken boat. Bouffard said they’d be fine searching and sticking with victims below while a marine unit boat responded or some other agency more suited to sea rescues.
Over the course of a week’s soft opening, the guys were asked a few times where they got the sauce because so many places buy it. Not Percoco, he bought a 100-quart stainless steel pot instead.
“We’re a scratch kitchen,” Zeller said. “There’s going to be days that we run out of mac and cheese or meat. We have no freezer.”
“We make no pretense,” he said. “We are not the Coast Guard.”
Lesley Dwyer
Zach Zeller and Chef Evan Percoco are co-owners of the Twisted Pit, which opens on Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.
Florida West Coast Avian Society takes flight
Those who attend can learn about the responsibilities of owning a pet bird.
JAY HEATER | MANAGING EDITOR
Cindy Gordon, the board chair of the Florida West Coast Avian Society, walks a bit of a tightrope when she tries to find people to adopt or foster pet birds that have been abandoned, abused or have outlived their owner.
“Birds are not easy,” Gordon said. “They are very intelligent, and you have to provide them with lots of activities. They are flock creatures, so they feel stable when they are with you. They will get upset when you leave. And they take a special diet.”
Then there is the unexpected, especially from parrots, who can imitate human speech.
“We had this family two years ago that adopted an umbrella cockatoo,” Gordon said. “They loved the bird, but they brought it back to the rescue after two weeks. They said, ‘This is a wonderful bird, but it cusses.’”
On June 6, the Florida West Coast Avian Society is the benefiting nonprofit at Music on Main in Lakewood Ranch. Besides operating the beer and wine stations, representatives of the organization will have two information tables set up to explain the benefits and responsibilities that go along with owning a pet bird.
Gordon, and fellow Florida West Coast Avian Society members Dwayne Bowen and Fran Meyerson gathered in the Country Club of Lakewood Ranch, where both Gordon and Meyerson live, to talk about their special opportunity at Music on Main.
While living in Maryland, Gordon’s husband bought her a cockatiel in 1995.
“I had been watching birds outside my home,” he said. “But I was more into parrots than wild birds. My mother (the late Marge Wellante) loved birds. She would go to (the pet store) and take the sickest parakeets. Then she would nurse them back to health.”
She named her first bird Omen, which was her dog’s name spelled backward. She had the bird for 15 years. Although Omen didn’t imitate any of her words, she could do something else that drew attention.
“She would whistle the Andy Griffith tune,” Gordon said. “There are all kinds of birds. There are birds that talk, and birds that are quiet, and birds that cuddle 24/7.”
Gordon’s love for her birds is immense.
Six years ago, she had a cockatiel named Rico who was perched on her shoulder as she was walking around the house. She had water running outdoors and she went outside “for 30 seconds” to shut off the faucet. In that time, a red-shouldered hawk swooped down and grabbed Rico, then flew down the fairway of the adjacent Legacy golf course.
IF YOU GO
“It was flying straight down the golf course, and I was running and throwing anything I could grab at it.
He just dropped Rico.”
Gordon took Rico to the veterinarian, but he only had some minor injuries and lost some feathers.
Bowen, who is called Bird Man by his fellow members because he has 11 birds in the aviary attached to his house, had a story as well.
He bought his first bird almost 30 years ago, a quaker parrot that became totally attached to him. Eventually, he started going out with a woman who loved the way he was around his bird. When Bowen no longer had his bird, he ended up splitting up with his girlfriend, who thought he had changed.
As time passed, Bowen bought a
“I wasn’t a bird person, but I volunteered at Save Our Seabirds on City Island. I learned a lot.”
Fran Meyerson
He began rescuing other birds, “because the need was there.”
Meyerson has four birds, but they are smaller than the macaws Bowen loves. She has two budgerigar (parakeets) and two love birds.
“I wasn’t a bird person, but I volunteered at Save Our Seabirds on City Island,” Meyerson said. “I learned a lot.”
She met her first bird, Peaky, a peach-faced lovebird.
“She was this little girl who needed a home,” she said.
Peaky had splayed legs, a condition sometimes seen in parakeet chicks. She can’t walk, but she can fly.
Meyerson and Peaky were perfect
“She is feisty, and sweet, and affectionate,” Meyerson said.
Meyerson is hoping that those who visit Music on Main June 6 might want to find their perfect bird. But she said it does take work to own a bird.
“They need to have toys for their enrichment,” Meyerson said. “They get bored just like we do. And they destroy their toys. This is a serious commitment.”
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Bradenton’s Dwayne Bowen shows off Chester, an umbrella cockatoo.
Cindy Gordon, board chair of the Florida West Coast Avian Society, says pet birds such as parrots have special needs, but the upside of ownership is well worth it. Chewy and Chester obviously think so.
Photos by Jay Heater
Pet birds, such as Pepper and Peaky, love to bond, whether with another bird or with their owner.
Memorial Day service on the Ranch would warrant a gold star
It was the Memorial Day weekend parade that wasn’t.
For more than a decade, Lakewood Ranch hosted the Tribute to Heroes Parade that was enjoyed by thousands in the community.
While residents packed both sides of Lakewood Main Street, some people complained that the parade on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend should have been a more somber event. They contended it really wasn’t a Memorial Day parade.
But the very name of the parade — Tribute to Heroes — suggested the parade was an inclusive event that honored those who died in military service, veterans, current military and first responders.
That problem has been solved with the parade being moved to November by Schroeder-Manatee Ranch to be closer to Veterans Day. What that means, though, is that East County is somewhat devoid of a public remembrance on Memorial Day weekend.
Sure, there are events nearby.
Bradenton’s annual Memorial Day Service runs at the Riverwalk on Memorial Day and the Memorial Day Patriotic Symphony Salute is being held on Anna Maria Island, among others. Sarasota holds its annual Memorial Day Parade starting from Osprey Avenue at 10 a.m.
There also are fun events, such as the Freedom Crawl, which begins at noon May 24 at Peculiar Pub, 8141 Lakewood Main St. The event is great because it raises money for SRQ Vets, but isn’t really an observance of the holiday.
Lakewood Ranch remains quiet in terms of an observance.
We have a strong presence here in terms of veterans groups, led by the VFW Braden River Post 12055 and the Del Webb Lakewood Ranch American Veterans and Military Supporters Group that both supported the Tribute to Heroes Parade. Perhaps those groups could
come up with a Memorial Day service plan right here in Lakewood Ranch.
The overall support is there. Consider that Gardeners Out East in cooperation with Manatee Library Services and Veterans Services dedicated a Gold Star Memorial Marker at the Lakewood Ranch Library on May 4, 2024. The Gold Star Memorial pays tribute to those who died in service to our country.
The service that day honored
Patrick Lay, II, a 2008 graduate of Braden River High School who was serving with the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division on Aug. 11, 2011 when he and four other soldiers were killed by an improvised explosive device.
The Gold Star Memorial Marker at the library was the ninth in Florida and the 47th in the nation.
The mission of the Gold Star Memorial Marker is to “offer honor, hope and healing by remembering fallen heroes and coming together for various events.”
A Memorial Day service at the library certainly would make sense.
Lay’s mother, East County’s Stefenie Hernandez, said this week that such services bring awareness to the sacrifices made by American soldiers along with prompting young people to ask questions.
“People can’t be educated if they don’t know (about the sacrifices),” Hernandez said. “I think the Gold Star Memorial does help.”
Although Hernandez said Memorial Day brings more positive and loving memories of her son now that more than a decade has passed since his death, she said the holiday does bring “ache” as well. During the month of May, she often is asked to speak at various events that honor fallen soldiers.
“People reach out, and ask about our loved ones,” she said. “It is time to honor them.
“In general, throughout our country as a whole, people go about
their business. But we (as Gold Star families) go through it all the time.”
Hernandez said as the years go by, she can deal with the services and speaking engagements without being as devastated.
“At the beginning, it was very hurtful,” she said. “Now, the memories are more about joy than pain. I think of the things that we would do, just he and I.”
Her memories include small, joyful times, such as during Christmas.
“We would be making sure there were cookies,” she said. “We would make them together.”
She said her son loved fishing and hunting, and he loved Ohio State because his dad, Patrick Lay, was from Columbus, Ohio.
She will participate in two memorial events this week. On Friday, May 23, she is speaking during Manatee County’s dedication of an interactive Gold Star Kiosk at the Administration Building, 1112 Manatee Ave., W., Bradenton. You can get information about that
event, which begins at 9:30 a.m., by going to MyManatee.org.
Patrick’s sister, Nikki Lay, will attend the dedication of the kiosk. Hernandez said it is the first time she has been able to attend such a ceremony.
“They were 15 months apart and they were two peas in a pod,” Hernandez said. “She has tended to stay secluded, but this time she is coming with me. It is just where she is with her journey and her grief.”
She also will participate in a service at the Sarasota National Cemetery, where Patrick is buried, on 10 a.m. May 24. Gold Star family members typically share stories of their loved ones.
“It’s kind of a somber day, quiet,” Hernandez said. Hernandez said she appreciates living in an area where people appreciate her son’s sacrifice. She said she has a Gold Star license plate on her car, and a man must have seen it upon entering Publix the other day. She was walking
through the store with her mom, Connie Eason, when the man approached them and handed them two gift cards to a steakhouse.
“People are appreciative, and thoughtful,” she said.
“They recognize the sacrifice, and that makes you proud. Patrick loved life. He loved to bring happiness to those around him. His laugh was infectious.”
She said his fellow soldiers told her that no matter how tough things got, Patrick always tried to keep it light.
“He always wanted to bring some life, some hope,” she said.
Jay Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.
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Jay Heater Gardeners Out East members Carolyn Lowry-Nation, Nancy Schneider and Melodie Friedebach stand by the Gold Star Memorial installed by the club at the Lakewood Ranch Library.
Over the past 30 years, SchroederManatee Ranch, the developer of Lakewood Ranch, has demonstrated the power of public-private partnerships to accelerate timelines, deliver vital infrastructure, and support Manatee County projects in cost-effective ways. These collaborations have included everything from road improvements on State Road 64 and State Road 70, to environmental restoration efforts, a water treatment plant, and the development of the Premier Sports Campus.
Each has benefited residents, saved taxpayer dollars, and built the infrastructure needed for our local businesses to succeed.
Across Florida, PPPs are widely encouraged. Florida Statute 255.065 explicitly states the Legislature’s intent to foster private investment in public projects, expand financing options, and promote flexibility in meeting public needs through collaboration between public and private entities. This legislative backing underscores the proven value of these partnerships.
That’s why we are surprised and concerned to hear that the proposed roundabout at Legacy Boulevard and Deer Drive, a joint project between Lakewood Ranch and Manatee County, is not supported by our District 5 Commissioner, Bob McCann. The commissioner has cited opposition from his constituents, yet despite multiple requests, he has not met with the business community or sought input from the 2,500 businesses operating in Lakewood Ranch.
This is a missed opportunity. Roundabouts are proven to enhance safety and reduce traffic fatalities.
A comprehensive meta-analysis of 44 studies found that converting intersections to roundabouts is associated with a reduction of fatal accidents by approximately 65% and a reduction of injury accidents by about 40%. In fact, roundabouts have been shown to reduce serious injury and fatal crashes by up to 90% in some cases. In a time when mobility and transportation remain major challenges, public-private partnerships
are an expedited solution to these issues. We urge Manatee County to honor its commitment to safety and saving taxpayer money through this public-private cooperation. We encourage leadership that listens to all stakeholders and embraces the tools we know can drive progress. Public-private partnerships are not just a strategy, they are a proven solution.
BRITTANY LAMONT
PRESIDENT/CEO
LAKEWOOD RANCH BUSINESS
ALLIANCE
Roundabout would not be worth hassle
Last week’s opinion piece by Schroeder-Manatee Ranch CEO Rex Jensen failed to address some important concerns of local residents.
He simply extolled what he believes would be all the wonderful benefits of the roundabout, but there was no mention of the construction process.
A major construction project at this location would create a horrendous traffic mess for the large population living east of this project. There are no easily accessible alternative routes. Are we supposed to make a long detour to State Road 70 and join the traffic mess there?
Remember the traffic back-up last year caused by the small paving project in this same area? Drivers from Lorraine Road were detouring through the Country Club. The traffic mess caused by this roundabout project would be exponentially worse. Roundabouts take time to complete. This project could easily take 12 to 18 months. The new roundabout downtown near the Ringling Bridge took nearly three years to become fully operational.
This section of University Parkway has heavy traffic volume, not just at commute times. Residents living to the east would have difficulty reaching destinations like UTC or, the ER at Lakewood Ranch
SEE LETTERS, PAGE 14B
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COMING SOON TO LAKEWOOD RANCH:
Senior Living!
Emerson Lakes Is Now Accepting Reservations.
Our first phase of construction is now underway. It includes the beautiful Coral Ridge Clubhouse and three residence buildings: Sandhill Point, anticipated to open in the fall of 2026, followed by Laguna Springs and Mangrove Run, opening in the first half of 2027.
At Emerson Lakes, Every Day Is a Holiday
Here are just a few resort-style amenities you can expect:
• Multiple dining venues
• Outdoor pool with a walk-up bar
• State-of-the-art fitness center
• Pickleball and bocce ball courts
• Outdoor fitness center with meditation garden
• Fire pits
A Financial Structure You Can Count On
Our community’s smart financial structure will provide peace of mind and security by streamlining most bills into an easy monthly payment. Your Monthly Service Package covers:
• Utilities, maintenance, and property taxes
• Cable TV, internet, and landline phone
• Use of fitness center, pool, and dozens of other amenities
A New Community With Decades of History
When you start a life at Emerson Lakes, you’ll be part of a community you can trust. The Erickson Senior Living network of managed communities has provided quality care for seniors like you across the nation for more than 40 years. Our track record is one you can count on.
Don’t wait! Scan the QR code or call 1-888-515-6435 to learn more about this exciting new community!
A program of note
The award from the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation recognizes schools that demonstrate exceptional achievement.
TLakewood Ranch
School music
has received the “Support Music Merit Award” from the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Eighty-seven schools in the nation receive the distinction, and Lake -
ABOUT THE NAMM FOUNDATION
The NAMM Foundation is the charitable arm of the National Association of Music Merchants, the global trade association for the music products industry.
The foundation works to remove systemic barriers that limit access to music-making and career pathways in the music industry. The foundation’s site says, “By investing in bold ideas and innovative solutions, we strive to build inclusive and thriving musical communities.” For information about The NAMM Foundation, visit NAMMFoundation.org.
Madison Bierl
The Lakewood Ranch High School Music Department has received the “Support Music Merit Award” from The NAMM Foundation in honor of its commitment to music education. The music department staff includes orchestra director Thomas Durante, band director John Wilkerson and choir director Rebekah Lester.
wood Ranch is one of two Florida schools so honored.
John Wilkerson, the director of bands at Lakewood Ranch High School, answered 30 pages of questions for the application to qualify. The music department includes the band, choir and orchestra. Rebekah Lester is the choir director and Thomas Durante is the orchestra director.
Durante said the staff and students “work so hard, so it’s good to be recognized.”
Lester said she is proud of her students and the music team, which goes above and beyond to give students memorable and valuable music and educational experiences.
“The NAMM Foundation does this to (identify) viable music programs from across the United States that have great resources in the way of funding, administration, student support, parent support and community support,” Wilkerson said.
Questions that Wilkerson answered ranged from information about funding and graduation requirements to the level of support and community outreach the program has.
“In the 26 years I’ve been a music educator, this is the best administration I’ve ever worked for,” Wilkerson said. “They back you 100%.”
Lakewood Ranch High Principal Dustin Dahlquist said the music program has always been an integral part of the school.
“It enhances skills like discipline, creativity and teamwork. Music boosts a student’s memory, language, and mathematics abilities,” Dahlquist said. “Our music programs increase student engagement, build student confidence and foster a sense of appreciation for cultural differences.”
Sophomore Ishaal Sorathia is involved in both band and choir and has found a sense of belonging in both.
She sees Wilkerson as a father figure and appreciates that he treats his students like his own kids. Sorathia said Lester has provided her a lot of encouragement as well.
“She’s never mad or upset. She always just lets you know that she’s grateful for you even being there and that she’s happy that you’re trying
your best,” Sorathia said. Wilkerson and his program have received various awards this year, including the Florida Music Education Association’s “Music Education Service Award” and the Florida’s 16th District Congressional Education Awards’ “Teacher and Instructional Staff Award.”
He wants his students to receive recognition for the program’s achievements.
“He sticks his neck out for us so much, with things in the band program and color guard, winter guard and indoor percussion,” said Aly Harmon, a sophomore who plays various forms of clarinet and alto saxophone in the band.
She will also be a drum major next year who will help conduct the band.
“It’s just overall amazing people and an amazing program,” she said.
The band has achieved a lot in the 2024-2025 school year, including breaking a school record for the highest score when the Indoor Percussion won the silver medal, placing second overall, in the Percussion Scholastic A TAMA-Bergerault Division at the FFCC Championships in Daytona Beach in March.
On April 5, the jazz band performed at the Jacksonville University Jazz Festival and earned straight superiors, which is the highest designation possible, according to the Florida Bandmasters Association.
The jazz band was named as one of the top 12 jazz bands in Florida.
“One of his core principles, which is my absolute favorite, is the idea that we can approach him with any idea or even a disagreement, as long as we have a ‘why,’” said Color Guard Director Zoe Pugliesi of Wilkerson.
“While some may overlook the significance of this, it’s an invaluable lesson — one that teaches the importance of reason and purpose behind all we do.”
The Lakewood Ranch Bands website states, “We are incredibly proud of our Musical Mustangs each and every time they step out onto a football field, at a competition, or at a concert, knowing the dedication and hard work it has taken to get to that point.”
Bringing Old-School Care to Modern Vein Treatments:
Bringing Old-School Care to Modern Vein Treatments: Dr. Lackey’s Approach to Patient-Centered Care
Dr. Lackey’s Approach to Patient-Centered Care
The personal approach
The personal approach
Growing up in eastern Kentucky, Dr. Lackey recalls a time when your family doctor wasn’t just a name on a chart; they were a trusted part of your life, someone who genuinely knew and cared about your family. Inspired by that personal approach, Dr. Lackey set out to bring that same old-school philosophy of medicine into his own practice. His mission is simple: to help his patients feel better and return to what truly matters in their lives. While Dr. Lackey understands the difficulties presented by the modern insurance landscape, he does his best to focus on his patients’ needs amid those challenges.
Growing up in eastern Kentucky, Dr. Lackey recalls a time when your family doctor wasn’t just a name on a chart; they were a trusted part of your life, someone who genuinely knew and cared about your family. Inspired by that personal approach, Dr. Lackey set out to bring that same old-school philosophy of medicine into his own practice. His mission is simple: to help his patients feel better and return to what truly matters in their lives. While Dr. Lackey understands the difficulties presented by the modern insurance landscape, he does his best to focus on his patients’ needs amid those challenges.
Thrombosis, Edema, and Phlebitis are just a few of the reasons individuals turn to Florida Lakes Vein Center for help. The center’s goal is to detect these problems early, before they lead to painful ulcers and infections that may require long-term wound care. That’s why they specialize in early intervention, offering minimally invasive treatments like VenaSeal™ and Varithena ™ to restore healthy blood flow and prevent complications.
Thrombosis, Edema, and Phlebitis are just a few of the reasons individuals turn to Florida Lakes Vein Center for help. The center’s goal is to detect these problems early, before they lead to painful ulcers and infections that may require long-term wound care. That’s why they specialize in early intervention, offering minimally invasive treatments like VenaSeal™ and Varithena ™ to restore healthy blood flow and prevent complications.
LETTERS
Hospital. Local businesses, like at Centerpoint and Main Street, would be impacted.
Some Out-of-Door Academy students would be hard pressed to make it to class on time. Truck traffic from the large construction projects east of Lorraine Road would add to the congestion. Why should local motorists endure this hassle for a year or more? Would it be worth it? I say no. The existing traffic lights at this intersection work just fine. Jensen needs to pack some patience while waiting for the green. Traffic there is often slow but still moves OK. What about the old adage, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
ROGER BONKE
LAKEWOOD RANCH
LWRCA should be self-sustaining
It is beneficial for a builder to create an active social community to increase the prices of its homes in the area.
As Keith Pandeloglou told the CEVA HOA Board a few months ago, it was Schroeder-Manatee Ranch that set up the Lakewood Ranch Community Activities nonprofit. I believe it was sly of SMR to shift some of its development costs to area residents for payment in perpetuity.
A quick review of their online financial statements shows that most of LWRCA’s costs are for salaries. There are more equitable ways to fund this nonprofit organization. LWRCA could fundraise as other non-profits do. Making LWRCA an all-volunteer nonprofit should enable it to cover its costs with event participation fees that are close to their existing levels.
SUE MAILER LAKEWOOD RANCH
Ranch should go pesticide-free
As residents of Lakewood Ranch, we pride ourselves on living in a forward-thinking, environmentally conscious community.
Yet, a contradiction exists right in our backyard — the continued use of toxic pesticides and herbicides. Despite evidence of their dangers, these chemicals remain a staple in our landscaping, threatening our health, our environment, and the very future of our food supply.
The facts are no longer up for debate. Pesticides and herbicides like glyphosate have been linked to cancer, the contamination of drinking water, and the destruction of ecosystems. They contribute to red tide outbreaks, poisoning marine life and harming Florida’s treasured coastline. Most alarming of all, these chemicals are decimating our bee populations.
And let’s not forget our pets. Dogs and cats are especially vulnerable to the toxic residues. They absorb these poisons through their paws and mouths, often leading to vomiting, seizures, long-term illness or worse.
Why, then, do we still allow these toxins to be sprayed in our neighborhoods, parks and schools?
Some argue that chemical treatments are necessary for pest and weed control, but that is simply no longer true. There are effective, natural alternatives available. Solutions that don’t come with a side effect of cancer, environmental collapse, or harm to our pets. Communities across the country, from California to Maine, have taken action to ban or restrict pesticide use in favor of safer practices. If they can do it, so can we. Lakewood Ranch has the opportunity to lead by example.
Let’s not wait for more people or animals to get sick before we act. We can choose a healthier path,. It’s time for Lakewood Ranch to say no to poison and yes to a safer, greener future.
STACY PATRICK LAKEWOOD RANCH
Dr. Lackey recalls one patient, an older gentleman and Army veteran. He came to Florida Lakes Vein Center with advanced chronic venous insufficiency that had caused terribly ulcerated wounds on his legs. Dr. Lackey said, “My priority is to resolve the medical issue, but what really pushed me was the desire to ensure that a man who put his life on hold to serve our nation wouldn’t have any more of his time to enjoy life taken from him.”
Dr. Lackey recalls one patient, an older gentleman and Army veteran. He came to Florida Lakes Vein Center with advanced chronic venous insufficiency that had caused terribly ulcerated wounds on his legs. Dr. Lackey said, “My priority is to resolve the medical issue, but what really pushed me was the desire to ensure that a man who put his life on hold to serve our nation wouldn’t have any more of his time to enjoy life taken from him.”
Why early treatment matters
Why early treatment matters
With more than 10,000 vein treatments performed last year, Florida Lakes Vein Center, with locations in Lakewood Ranch, Venice, Wellen Park, and Sebring, stands as one of the leading vein care providers in the state. The center is also proudly led by Thomas C. Lackey II, D.O., the only certified VenaSeal ™ and Varithena ™ trainer in Central Florida.
With more than 10,000 vein treatments performed last year, Florida Lakes Vein Center, with locations in Lakewood Ranch, Venice, Wellen Park, and Sebring, stands as one of the leading vein care providers in the state. The center is also proudly led by Thomas C. Lackey II, D.O., the only certified VenaSeal ™ and Varithena ™ trainer in Central Florida.
Timing is everything
Timing is everything
Many people hear the term ‘Vein Center’ and immediately think of cosmetic treatments for veins. However, varicose veins can be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to deeper circulation issues. Conditions like Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI), Deep Vein
Many people hear the term ‘Vein Center’ and immediately think of cosmetic treatments for veins. However, varicose veins can be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to deeper circulation issues. Conditions like Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI), Deep Vein
“Many people suspect they have a vein issue but put off seeking help. However, with vein-related conditions, early intervention can make a significant difference,” explains Dr Lackey. Florida Lakes Vein Center offers free screenings to help individuals assess their symptoms. If you’re experiencing visible spider or varicose veins, leg fatigue, numbness, or restlessness, it’s worth considering a screening. The office accepts most insurance plans, including Humana and Tricare. For more information, visit our website or call our office.
“Many people suspect they have a vein issue but put off seeking help. However, with vein-related conditions, early intervention can make a significant difference,” explains Dr Lackey. Florida Lakes Vein Center offers free screenings to help individuals assess their symptoms. If you’re experiencing visible spider or varicose veins, leg fatigue, numbness, or restlessness, it’s worth considering a screening. The office accepts most insurance plans, including Humana and Tricare. For more information, visit our website or call our office.
MOVIN’ ON UP? MAYBE
Urbanite Theatre’s ‘From 145th to 98th Street’ follows a family’s struggle for upward
MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR
“From 145th to 98th Street” is a play about a Harlem family. And every family.
Nia Akilah Robinson’s play is making its world premiere at Urbanite Theatre on May 30. The play unfolds in 2014. Sadly, its issues are still in the news.
Robinson’s play revolves around the Curtlys, an upwardly mobile Black family. They recently left Harlem for New York City’s Upper West Side. That seems like a big step up for the family. But life brings them down. One day, their son, Jamal, comes home covered in bruises. Jamal was beaten because a local news team falsely identified him as a robbery suspect. They put his larger-than-life photo right next to the culprit’s name. But he’s the wrong Jamal Curtly. That idiotic mistake plunges the family down a rabbit hole of generational, racial and socioeconomic conflicts. It’s heavy subject matter. But Robinson’s play keeps a lighthearted tone. It’s a heartfelt, hilarious celebration of one resilient family’s unbreakable bonds.
Life gets tough for that family. But the Curtlys are too proud to quit. And too loving to quit on each other. They’re also too stubborn to stop arguing — even when they know they’re wrong. For such a smart family, the Curtlys can be surprisingly stupid at times. Real families are nuanced and full of maddening contradictions. The Curtly family is, too. That’s why they feel so real. That sense of authenticity was the playwright’s goal.
“I want Sarasota audiences to feel like they’re looking into the living room of a real Black
SEE HARLEM PAGE 16A
IF YOU GO
‘FROM 145TH TO 98TH STREET’
When: May 30 through June 29
Where: Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. Tickets: $30-$44. Info: Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.
Urbanite Theatre’s “From 145th to 98th Street” follows a family in search of a better life.
courtesy of Sorcha Augustine
family living in New York City,” Robinson says. “Whatever their background, Urbanite theatergoers will recognize their own family dynamics — the arguments, the love and the tough decisions.”
Robinson’s characters are universal. But their story is deeply rooted in a specific sense of place. Harlem’s the place. Not Dublin, Los Angeles or Yoknapatawpha County.
The playwright paints a vividly accurate picture of that Manhattan neighborhood. It’s not always flattering. But it captures a real community. Despite the insulting clichés, Harlem is actually a nice place to live.
“The Harlem community has its own resources,” Robinson says. “I make that very clear in my play. The Curtlys moved to a different community as a path to a better life. But it wasn’t their only path forward. The family could’ve stayed in Harlem and flourished.”
Robinson adds that the move wasn’t a selfish choice for the parents.
“Jackie and Cedric were striving for a better life — not for themselves, but for their children,” she says.
“The Upper West Side expanded their opportunities. Their daughter, Fatima, would get free counseling and college prep in her new school district. Their son, Jamal, would get a much wider range of promising career choices. Their parents never had those options.”
The logic behind the move was sound. The parents’ motives were pure. The real-life consequences turned out to be messy. Fact or fiction, that’s the way it goes in many family stories.
“From 145th to 98th Street” is a family affair at its core. That’s true for the play — and also for its development. Preparing the play for its world premiere has been a family affair for the playwright and her Urbanite creative collaborators for the last five years. During those years, Robinson and her creative team became as close as any family.
Before that, the emerging playwright was often on her own. That changed in spring 2020. It was the time of COVID. But Urbanite Theatre held its first Charles Rowan
Beye New Play Commission contest anyway. After sending a few writing samples, the playwright submitted an early draft of “From 145th to 98th Street” for consideration.
Her script was far from perfect, but it was strong. Urbanite awarded Robinson the commission. The play’s development process soon began. The playwright wasn’t just typing on a lonely screen anymore. What was that like?
A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE
“The last five years have been incredible for me,” Robinson says. “Urbanite’s constant support has transformed me in so many ways. Creatively, I’ve grown as a playwright — and I’ve made my script so much better. I’ve also grown as a person. This commission has made a profound difference in my life and work.”
“From 145th to 98th Street” has also made an impact on the life of its director, Jerrica D. White. Urbanite Producing Artistic Director Summer Wallace tapped White to direct the play’s premiere in late 2024. But White got her first taste at a play reading in Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City earlier that year.
“The play instantly jumped into my spirit,” she says. “It’s been living with me ever since.”
The play reading was a powerful experience for White. But fleeting. It doesn’t come close to her experience directing this play.
“Even the best play reading is like a drive-by,” White explains. “You go to a theater for one or two hours. After the reading’s over, you move on to something else. It’s a shortterm thing. But directing a play is a long-term commitment. You live with these characters throughout rehearsals and the run of the play.”
White’s done exactly that for the last six months. Needless to say, she’s gotten to know the Curtly family pretty well. How would she introduce them?
“I’d describe them as a family of love, laughter and sacrifice,” White says. “They’re messy, but real. The parents don’t lecture their kids. They hold honest conversations — the kind I wish I’d had with my own parents. The Curtlys feel like a real family to me. I think that’s why their
story resonates so powerfully.”
The Curtly family is fictional. But their story mirrors the struggles of many real-world families today. The playwright and director are both keenly aware of that.
According to White, “From 145th to 98th Street” gets “painfully close” to the shifting fault lines of contemporary values, ambition and generational attitudes. It’s a play about now — and that’s always a moving target. The director thinks the playwright hit it.
How did the playwright work her magic? “I think it’s her command of language,” White says. “The Curtly family’s speech is very authentic. The children are millennials; their parents are Gen X. Their jokes have different references. The kids don’t always get the parents’ jokes and vice versa. But they laugh with each other anyway.”
Urbanite’s Wallace agrees. She’s been hooked on Robinson’s writing since Urbanite’s 2020 script contest. “The selection from Nia’s play was one of the best things I read that year,” Wallace says. “I instantly fell in love with her writing.”
Five years later, Wallace is still full of joy. “Nia’s a rising talent as a playwright,” she says. “She balances lyrical language with gritty storytelling. And she centers her stories on Black joy and everyday experience, not just trauma. Nia challenges stereotypes and broaden perspectives. That beautifully aligns with Urbanite’s mission.”
“The last five years have been incredible for me. Urbanite’s constant support has transformed me in so many ways. Creatively, I’ve grown as a playwright — and I’ve made my script so much better. I’ve also grown as a person. This commission has made a profound difference in my life and work.”
— Playwright Nia Akilah Robinson
Courtesy images
Playwright Nia Akilah Robinson
OUR PICK
‘UNITED WE STAND’
THIS WEEK
Studio Theatre Improv Troupe.
SATURDAY
A team of four experienced form, long form and musical
A team of four experienced improvisers deliver a mix of short form, long form and musical improv in a mashup of styles and techniques. Weekends through May
MONDAY
COMEDY ROULETTE
8:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St. $15-$18 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
‘CONJURING THE SPIRIT WORLD:
‘CONJURING THE SPIRIT WORLD: ART, MAGIC AND MEDIUMS’
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
in France.
JAZZ THURSDAY AT SAM
THURSDAY
5:30 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail
$25 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
‘SYNCOPATED AVENUE’
‘SYNCOPATED AVENUE’
Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave.
$22-$52
7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $22-$52 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatre.org.
‘JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’
‘VICE & VIRTUE’ OPENING RECEPTION
With “Syncopated Avenue,” created,
5 p.m. at Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail Free Visit ArtSarasota.org.
Darcie Allen and the Five Points Quintet perform on the Marcy & Michael Klein Plaza at Sarasota Art Museum in a program sponsored by Jazz Club of Sarasota. The evening features extended hours in the galleries, bistro and museum shop.
BERMUDA MAVERICKS
7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd.
$26 Visit McCurdysComedyTheatre.com.
It’s not so often that McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre co-founder Les McCurdy takes the stage. This time, he’s half of the Bermuda Mavericks.
7:30 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $35-$95. Visit AsoloRep.org.
With “Syncopated Avenue,” created, adapted and directed by WBTT founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs, the company is producing its first tap musical, which explores the history of the art form. Runs through May 25.
Art Center Sarasota opens its annual juried regional show, “Vice & Virtue,” which spans four galleries. Juried by curator, writer and artist Jessica Todd, the exhibition invites artists from across the Southeast to explore the dualities of the human condition. Exhibit runs through Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.
‘JERSEY BOYS’
8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St.
8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $49-$69 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
DON’T MISS
‘DIVAS: TIME AFTER TIME’
They’ve enjoyed the talents of Rick Kerby as their producing artistic director for more than two decades. For their last production of the season, the community theater presents the musical “Evita,” about the former first lady of Argentina. Runs through May 11.
‘BAD JEWS’
7:30 p.m. at The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130 $30-$42 Visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.com.
IF YOU GO
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, May 22
for this clubhouse concert from Katherine Michelle Tanner’s Tree Fort Productions. In this program, members of Tree Fort’s Advanced Acting Class will demonstrate their stage chops with monologues, a play reading and Broadway songs.
stage chops with monologues, a play
Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bay Free with $25 admission; Mondays
10 a.m. at the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bay Free with $25 admission; Mondays Visit Ringling.org.
Choral Artists of Sarasota and the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble join forces to honor the service men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom. The concert of patriotic music will be led by Joseph Holt, conductor of Choral Artists, and Joe Martine, conductor of the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble. It will feature soprano Adelaide Boedecker as a soloist and Kate Alexander as a narrator.
13TH ANNUAL STUDENT TENMINUTE PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL
13TH ANNUAL STUDENT TENMINUTE PLAYWRITING FESTIVAL
This is it — the one we’ve been waiting for all season! Broadway director Josh Rhodes (“Spamalot”) returns to Sarasota to direct and choreograph Asolo Rep’s production of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” the granddaddy of rock musicals. The show promises to be Biblical in more ways than one. Look for Sarasota’s own Ann Morrison, Mary in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along,” as King Herod. Runs through June 28.
2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Jane B. Cook Theatre, FSU Center for the Performing Arts $30 Visit TheatreOdyssey.org.
Cook Theatre, FSU Center for the Performing Arts Visit TheatreOdyssey.org.
Looking to have fun on a Saturday night in Sarasota without breaking the bank? Look no further than Florida Studio Theatre Improv Troupe. A team of four experienced improvisers delivers a mix of short form, long form and musical improv in a mashup of styles and techniques. Weekends through May 30.
SUNDAY
Joseph Caulkins
Led by Artistic
go bump in the night with this which follows the growth of magicians and mediums.
Go on the trail of things that go bump in the night with this fascinating interactive exhibition, which follows the growth of Spiritualism in the mid-19th century from its roots in dining room seances to traveling shows featuring magicians and mediums.
‘GEORGE HARRISON: A GARDENER’S LIFE’
10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens,1534 Mound St. $28 Visit Selby.org.
‘JAGDEN UND FORMEN’
7:30 p.m. May 12 at the Sarasota
7:30 p.m. May 12 at the Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $30 Visit ENSRQ.org.
DON’T MISS ‘ODE TO JOY’ Led by Artistic Director Joseph Caulkins, Key Chorale closes its ruby 40th anniversary season with a gift to young people who love music.
ruby 40th anniversary
Walking around the 15-acre sanctuary on the Sarasota bayfront where gardens and botanical displays have been erected to mirror those in George Harrison’s estate Friar Park, you can’t help feeling the late Beatle would approve of this living tribute. Runs through June 29.
Bennett’s contemporary classical
‘ALICE IN WONDERLAND THE MUSICAL’
Formen,” an ambitious work for 25 musicians. At a post-concert courtyard, concertgoers can meet the musicians and learn about the
IF YOU GO When: 4 p.m. Saturday, May 24
George Nickson and Samantha Bennett’s contemporary classical music group ensembleNew SRQ closes its ninth season with Wolfgang Rihm’s “Jagden und Formen,” an ambitious work for 25 musicians. At a post-concert reception in the Opera House courtyard, concertgoers can meet the musicians and learn about the 10th anniversary lineup.
2:30 p.m. at Tree Fort Productions, The Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail $25 Visit TreeFortProductionsProjects. com.
AN EVENING WITH JAMES T. LANE
This all-Beethoven symphonic chorus is free for students under
finale to Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and the will be followed by a Joyful Jubilee party to are $125.
This all-Beethoven performance by the symphonic chorus is free for students under 18 and only $10 for college students. The program features the finale to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, his Choral Fantasy and the rarely performed “Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage.” The concert will be followed by a Joyful Jubilee party to mark its anniversary. Tickets for that event are $125.
When: May 10
IF YOU GO When: 4 p.m. Saturday May 10
Winner of both the Tony and Olivier true story of Frankie Valli and the Roll Hall of Fame. This isn’t a musical directed by Ben Liebert. Runs
FRIDAY
‘THE GROWN-UPS’
Winner of both the Tony and Olivier awards, “Jersey Boys” tells the true story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, from their humble beginnings in the Garden State to their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This isn’t a musical revue; it’s a full-fledged musical directed by Ben Liebert. Runs through May 25.
7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s Pinkerton Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice $23 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.
PINKY’S PLAYERS
7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s
7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s Raymond Center, 140 Tampa Ave. W. Visit VeniceTheatre.org.
New to Sarasota? We’ve got two words for you: Jannie Jones. When Jones is performing at Florida Studio Theatre, run — don’t walk — to the Court Cabaret. She is one-third of the trio performing in FST’s new cabaret show, “Divas: Time After Time.” The other talented singers are Aja Goes and Dakota Mackey-McGee. Firsttimers to FST’s cabaret shows leave the show amazed that there is such talent here in our laid-back beach town. Runs through June 22.
Where: FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St.
Tickets: $37-$39
Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Written by Joshua Harmon, this often-humorous drama follows three adult cousins as they compete to own an heirloom hidden by their grandfather during the Holocaust. Runs through May 11.
In its 75th season, Venice Theatre once again demonstrates its commitment to keeping community theater accessible. This year’s production by Pinky’s Players, the theater’s program featuring adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is “(Welcome to) Hotel Pink Flamingo.” Runs through May 11.
Playwriting Festival presents the eight plays selected by professional school students from grades nine
once again demonstrates its with intellectual and developmental Pink Flamingo.” Runs through May 11.
Theatre Odyssey’s Thirteenth Annual Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festival presents the eight plays selected by professional readers and written by area high school students from grades nine through 12 (or homeschooled equivalent). The winner of the best play award will receive the Verna Safran Prize — a $1,000 cash scholarship. Author of the runnerup play will receive a $500 cash scholarship, and the remaining authors will receive $100 cash scholarships. Continues May 11.
VIC & CARO
VIC & CARO
A production of Venice Theatre’s Youth Production Company, “The Grown-Ups” is a dark comedy by Skylar Fox and Simon Henriques that follows a group of camp counselors trying to mold the leaders of the next generation while the future looks uncertain. Runs through May 25.
7:30 p.m. at Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. $37 Visit WestcoastBlackTheatreTroupe. org.
Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave. org.
leave the show walking on air and doing a little dance of their own. (We kid you not!) Runs through May 25.
Under the direction of Katherine Michelle Tanner, Tree Fort Productions’ Youth Acting Company brings to the stage Lewis Carroll’s timeless classic about a girl who falls down a rabbit hole and meets all kinds of strange characters, including the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare.
Where: Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. for students under 18;
MONDAY
‘JERSEY BOYS’
Safran Prize — a $1,000 cash scholarship, and the remaining
2 p.m. at Tree Fort Productions, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail $25 Visit TreeFortProductionsProjects. com.
The gang’s sure to all be here
With “Syncopated Avenue,” Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is producing its first tap dance revue. Direct from Broadway, James T. Lane stars as Duke, whose 25-yearold dance studio is threatened by gentrification. Romance blooms between Percy (Lamont Brown), a newly arrived choreographer, and Duke’s granddaughter (Kaylee Olson) as they work together to produce a rollicking anniversary show for the studio that tells the history of tap. Audience members
Hear what the voice of young country sounds like when Nashville twentysomethings Victor Futardo and Carolina Schott return to Sarasota and take the stage at Fogartyville, the funky listening room in the Rosemary District. Their duo, Vic & Caro, brings together Furtado’s prize-winning clawhammer banjo with Schott’s singer/songwriter talents.
FRIDAY
room in the Rosemary District. Their duo, Vic & Caro, brings clawhammer banjo with Schott’s
James T. Lane, who has just come from Broadway to star in Westcoast Black TheatreTroupe’s world premiere tap musical, “Syncopated Avenue,” will discuss his creative journey. Known as a “triple threat” because of his talents as a singer, dancer and actor, Lane will talk about his roots in Philadelphia, where he began studying tap at the age of 6, and the twists and turns of a career path that took him to the Great White Way.
from Broadway to star in Westcoast
There are countless imitations, but there is only one “Jersey Boys.” Winner of both the Tony and Olivier awards, the musical tells the true story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, from their humble beginnings in the Garden State to their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Runs through May 25.
PERSONAL TO POLITICAL: CELEBRATING THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS OF PAULSON FONTAINE PRESS
COMEDY ROULETTE
8:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St.
8:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First $15-$18
$15-$18 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Saturday night in Sarasota
Looking to have fun on a Saturday night in Sarasota without breaking the bank? Look no further than Florida
journey. Known as a “triple threat” because of his talents as a singer, about his roots in Philadelphia, OUR PICK
10 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Included with $20 admission Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Drawing from the Paulson Fontaine Press collection, the exhibition includes renowned figures like Martin Puryear, self-taught artists like Lonnie Holley and artists of the Gee’s Bend Quilt Collective in Alabama. Runs through Aug. 10.
MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT THE CABARET: PAUL GAVIN AND FRIENDS
7:30 p.m. at FST’s John C. Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $39-$44 Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.
TUESDAY
Tickets: $20-$55; free for students under 18; $10 for college students Info: Visit KeyChorale. org.
Visit KeyChorale.
Monday can be the best night of the week, thanks to this weekly series by Jazz Club of Sarasota at Florida Studio Theatre’s Court Cabaret. This week features Paul Gavin and Friends, led by the Tampa-based drummer, teacher, composer and arranger. Doors open at 6:30 for food and beverage service.
OUR PICK SONGS FROM THE SAND: AN EVENING OF HERMITAGE MUSIC
AN EVENING OF HERMITAGE MUSIC
‘HOW SWEET IT IS’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.. $18-$42 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Fellows who have gone on to become
Hermitage Artist Retreat Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg will host an evening of songs featuring music from Hermitage Fellows who have gone on to become Tony Award-winning Broadway musical writers like Jeanine Tesori, Michael R. Jackson and Doug Wright, as well artists and composers evolving the form, such as Adam Gwon, Zoe Sarnak, Rona Siddiqui and more.
IF YOU GO
Florida Studio Theatre’s Summer Cabaret series kicks off with a Motown tribute called “How Sweet It is.” Led by vocalist and songwriter Luke McMaster, an energetic trio demonstrates the enduring appeal of hits such as “Tracks of My Tears,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.” Runs through Aug. 3.
When: 6 p.m. Monday, May 12
Where: Waterside Place Pavilion, 7500 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch
Tickets: Free with $5 registration fee
Info: Visit HermitageArtistRetreat. org.
6 p.m. Monday, May 12 Where: Tickets: org.
Director Joseph Caulkins, Key
Courtesy images
Sarasota’s Choral Artists march in a parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day
Jannie Jones, Dakota Mackey-McGee and Aja Goes
Image courtesy of Sorcha Augustine
Benny Sato Ambush steps down as artistic director of Venice Theatre
Ambush helped the community theater rebound from COVID and Hurricane Ian.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
When Benny Sato Ambush got the call from Venice Theatre in January 2021, he only expected to spend a year as artistic director at the nation’s second largest community theater.
More than four years later, as steel beams rise from the bowels of the Venice Theatre’s mainstage Jervey Theatre and a videographer prepares to shoot the last installment of a documentary about the history of the 76-year-old company, Ambush says it’s time to go.
“I was asked to elevate the acting and education at Venice Theatre, and I fulfilled that mission,” Ambush says. “With the steel rising, it’s a good time to move on.”
He plans to return to the Boston area, where he worked as a director and theater educator before coming to Venice at the request of Murray Chase. Now restoration supervisor of the Venice Theatre, Chase was executive director from 1995 to June 2023, when he was succeeded by Kristofer Geddie.
In a theater world, where minority representation can sometimes be in short supply, Venice Theatre is unusual to have two Black leaders — Ambush and Geddie — on its management team.
Chase will act as artistic director on an interim basis until he, Geddie
and the theater’s board of directors find Ambush’s replacement.
“Benny’s departure is bittersweet,” said Geddie in a statement. “Over time, he has become both a brother and a mentor to me. We know Benny has exciting projects ahead and will no doubt continue to do incredible work. We look forward to welcoming him back as a guest director in future seasons.”
Mum’s the word about Ambush’s next act. “I don’t want to jinx anything,” he said during a telephone interview where he reflected on a tumultuous tenure marked by the aftermath of COVID-19 and Hurricane Ian, which destroyed the 432seat Jervey Theatre in September 2022.
The storm left the 90-seat Pinkerton Theatre intact and the Venice Theatre was able to transform its Raymond Center, previously earmarked for education and storage, into a 130-seat theater until the Jervey is restored.
More than once during the interview, Ambush remarked on the sense of hope that seeing “beams of steel rising” has given both the theater and the Gulf Coast town it serves.
Another $5 million in funding is needed to complete the $25 million restoration of the Jervey Theatre, which Ambush expects will open during the 2026-27 season.
Ambush first came to Venice in 2010 as an adjudicator for WorldFest, an event featuring theater companies from around the globe sponsored by the American Association of Community Theatre and hosted by the Venice Theatre. He served as WorldFest adjudicator again in 2014.
After taking the artistic reins of
Venice Theatre, the nation’s second largest of 6,000 community theaters as measured by its $4 million budget, Ambush helped produce the 2022 edition of WorldFest.
MARKING THE 75TH
ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE
Asked to name some artistic highlights of his tenure, Ambush pointed to his 2022 production of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” where he incorporated the voices of the Black community into the stage version of Harper Lee’s classic novel. Other standouts for him were two productions from this season — “Syncopation,” about a man looking for a dance partner, and the revival of Molière’s 353-year-old comedy, “The Learned Ladies.”
The 2024-25 season marked Venice Theatre’s 75th anniversary and the theater celebrated the occasion with great fanfare. It revived several productions from its history and continued annual traditions such as staging “A Christmas Carol” and producing Pinky’s Players, a show that allows adults with disabilities to participate in community theater.
The diamond anniversary season opened with a revival of Venice Theatre’s first production, “The Torch Bearers,” a play within a play about the dangers posed by community theater to family life, and ended with the surprise hit, “The Learned Ladies.”
But whether it was getting the theater up and running after COVID or working with Chase and Geddie to launch the 2022-23 season after Hurricane Ian, Ambush says none of it would have been possible without the Venice Theatre’s 1,600 volunteers.
“We have a professional staff, but community theater is made possible with the help of volunteers,” Ambush says. “With the recent proposed cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts, some professional theaters may have to adopt our model.”
In a farewell note to students, volunteers and patrons, Ambush wrote, “Part of me wishes to stay forever. At the end of this 75th season, I know that Venice Theatre will forge ahead for another 75 years with new wind in its sails. It is an extraordinary, professionally run, volunteer-reliant, hybrid model, distinct among any theater I know.”
Ambush holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and Dramatic Literature from Brown University and an MFA in Directing from the University of California, San Diego. In 2020, he was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Theatre.
During his long career, he has been artistic director of TheatreVirginia in Richmond, Virginia, Oakland Ensemble Theatre in California and Rites and Reason Theatre Company in Providence, Rhode Island, to name just a few of his many posts.
“I was asked to elevate the acting and education at Venice Theatre, and I fulfilled that mission. With the steel rising, it’s a good time to move on.”
— Benny Sato Ambush
Venice Theatre launched its diamond anniversary season in September with “The Torch Bearers,” the first play it ever produced.
Courtesy images
Benny Sato Ambush is leaving as artistic director of the Venice Theatre.
WBTT hosts third annual Juneteenth Arts Festival
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe
will present its third annual Juneteenth Arts Festival from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, at WBTT’s campus at 1012 N. Orange Ave.
This year’s festival will feature live performances by local artists, art from local creators and short films by local filmmakers and students from Ringling College of Art & Design.
“As the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the U.S., Juneteenth holds great significance for the Black community as well as all those who believe in social justice and equal rights for all,” said WBTT Founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs in a statement. “Our organization’s mission is to promote and celebrate African American history and experience; our hope is to bring the community together to enjoy a diverse offering of arts experiences while recognizing this important historical milestone.”
The festival will wrap with a free jazz concert by saxophonist Dee Lucas presented in collaboration with Smooth Jazz Harbor online radio.
An indie jazz artist, Lucas has been broadening his fan base through album releases and tours. He formed his own label, Mo Better Recordings, in the early aughts, releasing his debut solo CD, “Remembrance,” in 2004. Numerous releases have followed, including four No. 1 hits on various smooth jazz charts. Lucas is currently on the road with his “Twenty Tour,” celebrating 20 years as a solo recording artist.
Other highlights of WBTT’s Juneteenth Arts Festival include Marquis Dawsey’s “Soul Crooners — The Documentary,” which showcases the group and the period leading up to the 2024 International Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C.
There will be performances by WBTT professionals and rising stars in the company’s Stage of Discovery program. Black-owned vendors will have food trucks and there will be workshops on health
and wellness with local community organizations and partners.
All members of the community are welcome.
Azara Ballet adds artistic director position
Azara Ballet has hired Joshua Stayton as artistic director. A native of Cincinnati, Stayton is a dancer, choreographer and teacher. He will join the company formed by Kate and Martin Flowers for its third season in December.
Founded in 2023, Azara Ballet is a professional contemporary ballet company dedicated to the mental and emotional well-being of its dancers, their audiences and the community.
In addition to its mission of embracing body positivity, Azara reaches out to neurodivergent and underprivileged communities through curated dance classes.
Stayton began his training at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati before joining the Orlando Ballet School and Houston Ballet II. During his career, he has also performed with the Cincinnati Ballet, Sarasota Ballet and Tulsa Ballet.
Stayton’s international performances have taken him to Hungary, Italy, Finland, Spain and Switzerland.
As a choreographer, Stayton has had world premieres for Ballet 22,
Tulsa Ballet’s second company, DeLa Dance Company, Azara Ballet and Cincinnati Ballet’s second company and academy.
“I am looking forward to helping the dancers continue to find the light within them as artists,” Stayton said in a statement. “In most of my experience in company environments, dancers often forget why they started dancing in the first place. They get lost in achieving ‘perfection’ and should always remember that dance is an expression of the heart.”
Kate Flowers, Azara’s co-founder and CEO, grew up dancing with Stayton and counts him as a lifelong friend. She said that Azara has decided to hire an artistic director to allow her and her husband, Martin Roosaare Flowers, to focus on running the nonprofit.
“Incorporating Joshua’s experience and commitment to the company is a huge step for our young company,” she said in a statement.
“We will be able to concentrate on the continued effort in securing community support, overseeing operations as well as the fact that we love to dance and choreograph ourselves.”
Arts Advocates honors Andy Sandberg with Luminaire Award
Arts Advocates recently presented Andy Sandberg, artistic director and CEO of the Hermitage Artist Retreat, with its Luminaire Award. This award is presented to individuals to celebrate outstanding contributions to the arts in Sarasota.
Arts Advocates Vice President Carol Darling said in a statement, “Andy has demonstrated the power of collaborating with arts and educational organizations in our community, from Marie Selby Botanical Gardens to Booker High School. Under Andy’s leadership, the Hermitage Artist Retreat has developed local partnerships that benefit all parties.”
A Yale graduate, Sandberg joined the Hermitage in December 2019 after directing numerous offBroadway shows, including “Operation Epsilon,” “The Last Smoker
in America,” “Shida” and “Straight.” At Yale, he both performed and served as business manager for college performing arts troupes.
Based on a nine-acre campus on Manasota Key, the Hermitage offers artists multiweek residences to create new works of theater, music, visual art, literature and more. In exchange, artists must interact with the community through presentations that are free to the public with a $5 registration fee. Each year, in collaboration with the Philadelphia-based Greenfield Foundation, the artistic incubator awards the Hermitage Greenfield Prize, which includes a six-week stay at the Hermitage and a $35,000 commission to create a new work of art. The prize rotates between the fields of theater, music and visual art.
Along with the Luminaire Award, Arts Advocates President William Rusling presented Sandberg with a $1,000 donation to the Hermitage Artist Retreat, which has been hard hit by hurricanes in recent years. Past Luminaire Award recipients include Florida Highwaymen artist Mary Ann Carol, Howard Millman (Asolo Repertory Theatre), Richard and Rebecca Hopkins (Florida Studio Theatre), Victor DeRenzi (Sarasota Opera) and Iain Webb and Margaret Barbieri (Sarasota Ballet).
Courtesy images
Nate Jacobs (right) and members of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will host the third annual Juneteenth Arts Festival on June 22.
Joshua Stayton has been hired as artistic director of Azara Ballet.
Andy Sandberg accepts Arts Advocates’ Luminaire Award.
Asolo Rep stages a stirring come-to-Jesus moment
Josh Rhodes’ ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ delivers a fast, punchy rendition of the greatest story ever told.
MARTY FUGATE THEATER CRITIC
‘Jesus Christ Superstar” has risen on the Asolo Rep stage.
After a gestation as a 1970 concept album, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s powerchord passion play was first staged in 1971. It’s been resurrected so many times since then that it’s easy to forget the original concept.
Rice and Webber’s rock opera parallels the fanatical fans of contemporary rock stars with the cult of personality surrounding an itinerant Jewish preacher in Biblical times. In AD 33, Jesus is a hit with the Judean crowd, and the power structure hates it.
For different motives, the Pharisees and the Roman occupation forces decide to terminate him. With the help of one of Jesus’ displeased disciples, they arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
After that, he’s mocked, tortured, publicly humiliated and nailed to the cross. That’s Jesus’ fate. What happens next is a question of faith. The musical follows the New Testament timeline right up to the crucifixion.
“Jesus Christ Superstar” is a tightly written, fast-paced show. Rice and Webber’s songs reflect the AM radio airplay standards of 1970; they average from three to four minutes.
Josh Rhodes’ direction and choreography reflects that economy. His direction is focused and punchy. He gets in, gets it done and gets out. Each song unfolds in a scene. Each scene has a character, an emotion and a question.
Rhodes keeps you crystal clear on the decisions they face and what’s at stake. His choreography is never by the numbers. He keeps
IF YOU GO
‘JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’
When: Through June 28
Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail.
Tickets: $33-$95.
Info: Visit AsoloRep.org.
the ensemble moving, but their movement always serves the story.
One song might be angry and angular, another might be loose and sensual. The actors’ dance always flows organically from the nature of each song. It’s never tacked on.
A TRINITY WITH A VOLATILE CHEMISTRY
This revolutionary rock opera is complex, with a lot of moving parts. It’s a high level of difficulty. But the lead actors can all dance, act and sing at a Broadway level.
The trinity of Jesus, Judas and Mary Magdalene has a volatile chemistry of faith, fear, love and desire. The actors make you feel that seething emotional power.
Jesse Nager’s Jesus has one sandaled foot in this world and the other in the next. His all-toohuman Messiah has doubts, fears, questions, outbursts of anger and boundary issues. Is Jesus drinking the Kool-Aid and buying the crowd’s message that he’s God in human form? Who does he think he is, anyway?
Heath Saunders’ Judas functions as a stand-in for modern audiences. The story’s told from his point of view. What’s his story? Don’t ask Judas. He’s confused about his own motives.
At first, he tries to bring Jesus down to earth with practical advice — and always gets put down. What’s his beef with Jesus? Irrational jealousy? A rational fear of Roman reprisal? In the end, he betrays Jesus. Why? Judas accuses God of setting him up to be the bad guy who got Jesus crucified. Is
that the divine plan — or is Judas just shifting blame? Once again, Judas doesn’t know his own mind. If Judas is the prickly voice of common sense, Sarah Kay’s Mary Magdalene is a soothing balm to Jesus’ wounded soul. She’s mesmerizing in “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “Everything’s Alright.” She’s a worldly woman who’s been transformed by Jesus’ out-of-this-world personality. What she feels is beyond romantic love. It scares the hell out of her. The supporting cast is also up to the Biblical task.
Ann Morrison’s King Herod steals the show with a shrill, malevolent glamour in “King Herod’s Song.” Instead of the typical campy character (a la Josh Mostel in the 1973 film adaptation), she leans into the song’s Roaring Twenties vibe. She sits on a gilded throne like the queen (or king) of all flappers, with a pile of louche admirers below. Her sneering character wants Jesus to perform like a dancing monkey. Prove to me that you’re no fool! Walk across my swimming pool! Morrison totally
sells it like some evil Betty Boop.
Tally Sessions’ Pontius Pilate is tough, but he’s more bureaucrat than bully. He’d rather not crucify Jesus, but he doesn’t want to lose his mid-level job. He washes his hands of the whole sad affair and gets on with it.
Jenny Kim-Godfrey’s music direction is up to the hairpin turns of the show’s songs. The band’s out of sight and always in your mind. Jonathan Godfrey plays a mean electric guitar on the rock opera’s iconic riffs.
The show looks as good as it sounds. The design is visually striking and original. Adam Koch’s rocky set evokes the stone-cold brutality of the Roman Empire and the arid, desert environment of Judea.
Alejo Vietti avoids the cliché costumes of past productions. No sword-and-sandals. No firstcentury hippies in tie-dye shirts and bellbottoms. He finds his own take — and colors outside the lines of what’s been done before.
Cory Pattak’s lighting alternates from noonday clarity to twilight chiaroscuro. Illumination is
Mary Magdalene (Sarah Kay) mediates a showdown between Judas (Heath Saunders) and Jesus (Jesse Nager) in Asolo Rep’s “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
instrumentation — a counterpoint to the rocking score. Nicely done. The greatest story ever told has been told in many ways. In 1971, telling it as a rock opera was a very new way. Rice did a brilliant job finding a through-line of story and character in the Biblical text — and retelling that story with a counterculture sensibility. The characters’ motives aren’t simplistic in his lyrics. And they’re bursting with questions throughout the show.
What’s the buzz? Tell me what’s happening!
What is truth? Is truth unchanging law?
Jesus Christ, Superstar. Do you think you’re what they say you are?
This messianic musical doesn’t hand you the answers.
It’s not a rocking revival trying to convert you. But it’s not rocktherapy to cure true believers from the “God delusion,” either. The show’s nuanced, ambiguous, multilayered and anything but dogmatic. It takes you to the crossroads ... Where you go from there is up to you.
Image courtesy of Adrian Van Stee
YOUR NEIGHBORS
Future leaders honored
JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR
Both Nicole Hackel and Paige Venuto are accustomed to working behind the scenes, in anonymity.
But on Thursday at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club, they were center stage.
Hackel was named the Young Leaders Alliance’s Member of the Year, and Venuto was honored with the Emerging Leader Award at the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance’s Next Gen Awards dinner.
“It’s fun to be recognized,” said Hackel, who is responsible for scheduling and programming at many of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch’s biggest events in Lakewood Ranch. “But I do love working in the background. Then you see everything you’ve put into it come to life.”
“She makes so much happen here on the Ranch,” said Lakewood Ranch Communities’ Sandy Shahinian Levins of Hackel’s role. “A lot of the fun that you have here on the Ranch is because of Nicole and her team.” East County Observer Associate Publisher Lori Ruth, who presented Hackel with the award, said she “always is the first person to raise her hand to help whenever needed.”
Hackel said that none of the events’ success would happen without her team.
Likewise, Venuto said she gets lots of help putting together events for Lakewood Ranch Community Activities.
“I work with amazing people,” she said. “And I grew up here.”
Lakewood Ranch Communities’ Nicole Hackel earns the Young Leaders Alliance’s Member of the Year award.
Brittany Lamont, the president and CEO of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, said the Next Gen Awards is her second favorite annual event next to The Sandies.
“This is a way to honor and recognize our young professionals,” Lamont said. “These are our next CEOs who are going to be running companies here.”
Lamont said the wide range of nominees at the event represented all different types of businesses, nonprofits and organizations.
“We have such a depth of industry, and this is a reminder of what a robust business community we have
here,” Lamont said.
A panel of LWRBA judges was formed to consider and select the winners.
Besides Venuto and Hackel, Jordan Sebastiano of Sarabay Real Estate, Keiondra Marshall of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, and Blake Fitzpatrick of Sunshine Movers won awards. Sebastiano was named Connection Champion, Marshall earned the Community Impact award, and Fitzpatrick was honored with the Next Gen award.
Sebastiano said it was such an honor to be part of the Young Leaders Alliance. “Essentially, this is a great
NEXT GEN AWARDS
CONNECTING CHAMPION
■ Jordan Sebastiano, SaraBay Real Estate
■ Domenico Cricchio, Da Mimmo Tours of Italy
■ Ivan Richards, Truist Bank
COMMUNITY IMPACT
■ Keiondra Marshall, Mote Marine
■ Nick Bobbitt, Purmort and Martin Insurance
■ Julianna Strout, SRQ Women’s Expo
EMERGING LEADER
■ Paige Venuto, Lakewood Ranch Community
Activities
■ Cayla Gruendl, Harvest House
■ Mackenzie Lang, Manatee County Government
NEXT GEN
■ Blake Fitzpatrick, Sunshine Movers
■ Callie Friedman, Onplace
■ Hannah Ketelboeter, TerraNova Equestrian Center
YLA MEMBER OF THE YEAR
■ Nicole Hackel, Lakewood Ranch
Communities
■ Cameron Barsoum, J.P. Morgan Private Bank
■ River Yang, Mauldin and Jenkins
family,” he said.
Marshall thanked Mote for an amazing 3 1/2 years that she has worked there. “They have given me so many opportunities to grow,” she said.
Fitzpatrick, who owns Sunshine Movers, said he didn’t know what he was doing when he started the business, but his top priority was taking care of his team. He said as the area has gone through hurricanes, COVID-19 and other struggles, he has tried to find ways to give back to the community. He said giving back to the community grows a great culture in his own company and among his employees that has proven to be a great way to retain quality employees. He urged other businesses in attendance to do the same.
The nominees for Next Gen Awards at the Young Leaders Alliance dinner Thursday at Lakewood Ranch Country Club.
Photos by Jay Heater
Lakewood Ranch
Nicole Hackel was named the Young Leaders Alliance
of the Year at
at Lakewood Ranch Country Club.
VW. Kenneth Tyler, Jr. holds a baseball signed by Boog Powell, one of Tyler’s accounting clients and a former player for the Baltimore Orioles.
Accountant’s creativity adds up to a novel
W. Kenneth Tyler Jr. publishes his first novel in ‘Hunting the Red Fox.’
An unexpected conversation with former Major League Baseball player Jackie Brandt was so thoroughly entertaining to a Lakewood Ranch accountant that it prompted him to become a novelist.
W. Kenneth Tyler Jr. has never been a writer by trade, but listening to Brandt’s stories, followed by the fascinating stories of others he met at random, sparked ideas that eventually became his novel, “Hunting the Red Fox.” Tyler’s bio on the inside cover of the book playfully reads that he “spent four decades successfully writing some of the most compelling and persuasive prose imaginable to various governmental taxing
authorities.”
“Most CPAs don’t have the same kind of sense of humor I have,” Tyler said. “Pay attention to everything you read, there’s a lot of dry humor in my book.”
While Tyler would have loved to write a novel years ago, he was running a CPA firm and raising a family. He also doubted he had the chops to craft a fictional novel.
He needed to find a subject first.
Enter the dynamic, former pro ball player, Jackie Brandt, about 10 years ago.
Boog Powell, a former Baltimore Oriole, was one of Tyler’s clients. Powell owns Boog’s BBQ, a concession stand at Oriole Park at Camden Yards and at Sarasota’s Ed Smith Stadium.
Powell, who is now 83, introduced Tyler to Brandt, who played for the Orioles and four other Major League Baseball teams. Tyler listened as Powell and Brandt swapped stories. Brandt invited Tyler to sit with him next to the dugout while Powell headed to the skybox to sign auto-
Tim Tebow speaks at the event.
Photos by Ian Swaby Ro Pikat, 2, finds an Easter egg.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Lesley Dwyer
NOTES ABOUT ‘HUNTING THE RED FOX’
W. Kenneth Tyler Jr.’s “Hunting the Red Fox” is available on Amazon and BarnesAndNoble.com.
While the novel is a new release, some early feedback is in:
Author W. Kenneth Tyler has a vivid imagination that mixes well with his enthusiasm for history…the dual-timeline structure keeps us on our toes as we explore Perry’s unpredictable life and interesting twists and amusing turns.
— K.C. Finn for Readers Favorite, an online book review site
Everything I want in a weekend beach book…one of the most compelling and memorable books I’ve read in the last several years.
— Archwind, Amazon user
“Hunting the Red Fox” was an engaging story that captivated me throughout the entire book. Although fiction, the actual historical events that were intertwined made the read come to life. It was evident the author did his research…Great read and I look forward to reading more from this author.
— RTB20, Barnes & Noble user
graphs.
What followed were wild stories of Brandt’s baseball life from 1956 to 1967.
One involved Brandt and other players climbing into a hotel window in Washington, D.C., after they were out drinking and had missed their curfew.
While Tyler didn’t hear enough that would make only Brandt’s stories good enough for an entire book, he did think about interviewing more ballplayers and eventually retelling their wild stories.
Although he didn’t follow through interviewing ballplayers, Tyler did begin to interview random people in general. But he said the initial exchange with Brandt gave him the urge to write some kind of novel. What followed was “Hunting the Red Fox.”
“When I start at the top of the page, I have no idea what’s going to be at the bottom,” Tyler said of his
ideas. After leaving Camden Yards that day a decade ago, Tyler decided he would take his son Billy on a roadtrip through the Midwest to watch baseball games with retired players and document their stories the following summer. Then, he said “life happened,” and Billy Tyler wanted to play travel lacrosse that summer, so the roadtrip never happened.
Still, Tyler wondered whether interviewing people in general would lead to enough interesting stories to craft his novel. He thought an average Joe could have extraordinary stories to tell, too. He began interviewing strangers.
After listening to a plethora of stories, he said none were noteworthy enough to carry a chapter, let alone a book. He became somewhat defeated.
“It sounded like a good idea, but it wasn’t,” he said.
What it did was make him realize he didn’t need anyone else’s stories.
With no idea or instructions on how to write a book, Tyler started with one line: “The last jewel heist of my career was the biggest and best by far — the Mecklenburg Diamond.”
From there, his imagination led main character Perry Barnes to war, Hollywood, Jackie Gleason’s Long Island home and the PGA Tour.
Tyler’s accounting career had led him to Powell, Brandt and baseball, but his passion was always golf. The sport is one of the main reasons Tyler and his wife, Barbara, moved from Ocean City, Maryland to Lakewood Ranch.
His original idea of picking up stories through interviews wasn’t lost in the transition. It simply transformed. The idea spurred by Brandt’s storytelling is written from the first page when the character Roger Mace is introduced.
Mace is working on a book project and interviewing Barnes for the first time. The idea morphed into the literary device Tyler used to have Barnes share his stories.
Mace was Tyler’s mother’s maiden name. The inspiration for Barnes’ first name came from Perry Mason.
“I learned a lot from Perry Mason about how to interact with the IRS,” Tyler said. “That’s true.”
HELP FOR GERD
The cTIF (concomitant transoral incisionless fundoplication) procedure offers a comprehensive solution for patients with GERD and hiatal hernias, a condition whereby part of the stomach protrudes through the diaphragm, often leading to GERD. If left untreated, GERD can lead to serious complications.
Samuel Yelverton, MD, general surgeon, performs the cTIF procedure at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. The minimally invasive technique requires only a very small incision, often helping patients to experience less pain than traditional surgery and leading to a shorter recovery time.*
Belching • Indigestion
• Atypical chest pain
COMMUNITY
THURSDAY, MAY 22 THROUGH
SUNDAY, MAY 25
LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING
Runs from 4:30-7:30 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Steve Arvy (Thursday), Side2 (Friday), the Miles Davis Project (Saturday), and Jack Berry (Sunday). The Friday and Saturday concerts are $5 while the others are free. Visit JiggsLanding. com.
FRIDAY, MAY 23 AND SATURDAY, MAY 24
MUSIC AT THE PLAZA
Runs from 6-9 p.m. each evening at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Singer/ Songwriter Sara Nelms performs for the Waterside Place crowd on Friday while Dean Johanesen plays Circus Swing and American Roots music on Saturday. Visit WatersidePlace.com.
SATURDAY, MAY 24
ROOFTOP YOGA
Begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 16410 Rangeland Parkway, Lakewood Ranch. Adults (18-and-over) can participate in the Rooftop Yoga program. The donation-based group class is designed to inspire and invigorate. Beginners are welcome as are those with lots of experience. The workout focuses on balancing effort and ease through breath work and postures. Those who participate are asked to bring a yoga mat. Visit MyLWR.com.
SUNDAY, MAY 25
FARMERS MARKET
Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch, which was voted as the top farmers market in Florida for the second year in a row in 2024, will run year-round every Sunday. Vendors offer seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. Visit MyLWR.com.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 28 RANCH NITE WEDNESDAY Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside
BEST BET
SATURDAY, MAY 24
FREEDOM CRAWL
Begins at noon at Peculiar Pub, 8141 Lakewood Main St., No. 103, Lakewood Ranch. Join the Memorial Day Freedom Crawl to support SRQ Vets. To secure a spot, register at Eventbrite and call up Memorial Day Freedom Crawl. Those who participate are asked to bring a $20 donation for the check-in. The event includes cocktails, food, a 50-50 raffle and music. Other pubs and restaurants participating are Percoco’s Pizza, Twisted Pit BBQ and Remy’s on main. Go to EventBrite.com for more information.
Place. Ranch Nite Wednesday features food trucks, dessert trucks, live music, weekly programing, outdoor bars and a recreational cornhole league. Please do not bring coolers or bring outside food or beverages. Visit Waterside.com.
A SHORT DRIVE
(MEMORIAL DAY EVENTS)
FRIDAY, MAY 23
GOLD STAR MEMORIAL
UNVEILING
Begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Manatee County Administration Building, 1112 Manatee Ave., W., Bradenton. Manatee County is unveiling an interactive, Gold Star kiosk honoring fallen local service members and their families. Visit MyManatee.org.
MONDAY, MAY 26
MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE
Begins at 9 a.m. at Don Courtney Veterans’ Monuments Park, 176 Waterfront Drive, Bradenton. Join the community in recognizing veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice. The park is on the Riverwalk behind Manatee Memorial Hospital.
PATRIOTIC SYMPHONY SALUTE
Begins at 10 a.m. at Anna Maria City Pier Park, 103 N. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria. The Memorial Day Patriotic Symphony Salute is a 90-minute program that is free. It includes a flag presentation by the U.S. Marine Corps and live patriotic music.
Seaside Style
Starts Here
Art that inspires
Sally Eckelman, a seventh grade student at Dr. Mona Jain Middle School, was looking for strange, inspirational photos as she was brainstorming about what sort of digital art project she wanted to create for the school’s second annual Art Show May 15.
She decided to use balloons, one fully intact and one that pops.
“It represents a harsh and toxic breakup,” she said. “He’s disinterested and her whole world is shattered.”
Katelyn Reyes, the digital arts and technology teacher at Mona Jain, said she has seen Eckelman’s creativity and technical skill grow tremendously.
“I am so proud to hear how clearly and thoughtfully she speaks about her work, explaining not just what she created, but how and why,” Reyes said.
Reyes said it is rare to see that level of insight and articulation in a middle school student.
“Even if Sally doesn’t always see it in herself, I see a dedicated, thoughtful artist who’s just getting started,” Reyes said. “I couldn’t be prouder of her.”
MADISON BIERL
Alexa Pressimone, a seventh grader, created a picture of an otter in Adobe Illustrator by tracing over a photo of an otter using shadows to determine where different colors were needed.
Sally Eckelman, a seventh grade student, created a digital art piece with balloons representing a difficult breakup.
Photos by Madison Bierl
Mariella Martinez Reyes, a seventh grade student who plays violin, and Elizabeth Argo, an eighth grader who plays viola, perform while visitors look at the art.
Best-In-Class Care
smh.com/cancer
Inside Sarasota Memorial’s Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, we’re tackling the toughest subject on the syllabus and rewriting the rulebook. Equipped with the latest technology and trained in the advanced treatment of head and neck cancers, lung and thoracic tumors, prostate and bladder cancers, breast and uterine malignancies, and complex colon and stomach cancers, this is a team that’s done the homework.
And from imaging and diagnostics to a collaborative care model where oncologists, specialists, surgeons, radiologists, and more work side-by-side for each and every patient, compassion is core curriculum, teamwork is second nature, and excellence is always expected.
It’s healthcare that’s personal, powerful, always progressing and only getting stronger.
And with every step, our community gains something even greater: more hope, more healing, and more victories, closer to home.
This is cancer care at the top of its class.
Foundation bets on charity
The stakes were high at Gold Coast Eagle Distributing May 14. All bets were placed on charity.
The Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation hosted its first Casino Royale fundraiser, and Executive Director Kate Mulligan said it won’t be the last.
“Even before anybody walked in, we’d already made about $7,000,” Mulligan said. “The prizes were donated, so it’s a low-cost event that gets everybody out in the community mingling and getting to know the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation.”
The prizes were a round of golf for four at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club and a package of gift certificates to Lakewood Ranch restaurants.
Each of the about 75 attendees was given a stack of chips with which to play blackjack, poker, craps and roulette.
Some guests took the opportunity to dress up. Kat Houston with the Loveland Center arrived in a flapper costume.
The dress was fringed, and the stockings were fishnet. Houston wore it well with a boa wrapped around her neck and a silver beaded headdress to top it off.
— LESLEY DWYER
Kate Mulligan directs the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation, and Lorri Kidder is the treasurer for the board.
Diane Brune and Mark Clark try their luck at the craps table. Clark is the president of the foundation and Brune was named its 2018 Humanitarian of the Year.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
The Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation hosts Casino Royale May 14 at Gold Coast Eagle Distributing.
Wild Blue at Waterside captivates homeowners with its prime Lakewood Ranch location, exceptional residences, and resort amenities. This awardwinning Stock Development community features homes by notable builders and incredible amenities, including the new 13-acre Midway Sports Park with
tennis, pickleball, basketball, outdoor sports and more. Opening in fall 2026, the 30,000-square-foot clubhouse will feature indoor/outdoor dining, pools, movie theater, fitness center, and 9-hole premier putting course. Come discover Sarasota’s most desirable nature-centric luxury community.
NOW OPEN. MIDWAY SPORTS PARK
Taylor Drive home tops sales at $3.56 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome on Taylor Drive topped the week’s sales. Michael Brian Verble, trustee, of Lowell, Michigan, sold the home at 22540 Taylor Drive to Elizabeth Rezek, trustee, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for $3,564,000. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,388 square feet of living area.
LAKE CLUB
Nigel and Christine Elizabeth Weston, of New York City, sold their home at 16010 Topsail Terrace to David Darrin, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $3 million. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,738 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,895,000 in 2021.
David Houston, trustee, of Ontario, Canada, sold the home at 8388 Catamaran Circle to Gregory McIntyre and Martha Margarete McIntyre, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.8 million. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,671 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.6 million in 2019.
ISLES Angelo Silvestro and Lauriza Maia Silvestro, of Cumming, Georgia, sold their home at 8436 Cane Bay Court to Jay Walsh and Corinne Walsh, trustees, of Verona, Wisconsin, for $1.92 million. Built in 2022, it has four bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,605 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,014,800 in 2022.
COUNTRY CLUB
Richard and Victoria Herman sold their home at 7002 Dominion Lane to John and Karen Fitzgerald, of Hampton, New Hampshire, for $1.6 million. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,775 square feet of living area. It sold for $750,000 in 2014.
RIVERDALE
DABT Properties LLC sold the home at 4011 Fifth Ave. N.E. to Brian and Leslie Coyne, of Holmes Beach, for $1,335,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,657 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.24 million in 2021.
LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE
HBT at Waterside LLC sold the home at 1060 Waterline Court to Karen Ann Perz and Lisa Marie Murtaugh, of Sarasota, for $910,000. Built in 2024, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,139 square feet of living area.
Jody Staszesky and Richard Moss, trustees, sold the home at 969 Crosswind Ave. to Eleanor Hyland, of Sarasota, for $826,100. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,940 square feet of living area. It sold for $666,300 in 2022.
GREYHAWK LANDING WEST
Jedediah and Wendy Young, of Bradenton, sold their home at 833 Honeyflower Loop to Mary Owczarek, of Bradenton, for $886,500. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,892 square feet of living area. It sold for $680,000 in 2020.
MARSHALLS’ LANDING
David and Elizabeth Ann Hough, of Nokomis, sold their home at 5485 56th Court E. to Joseph and Tammy Scuorzo, of Bradenton, for $885,000. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,680 square feet of living area. It sold for $658,300 in 2021.
WILTON CRESCENT
Sondra Ettlinger, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 7849 Wilton
Crescent Circle to David Owens and Luette Semmes, of Salisbury, Maryland, for $850,000. Built in 1997, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,624 square feet of living area. It sold for $109,700 in 1997.
AZARIO ESPLANADE
John and Cynthia Cleveland, of Twinsburg, Ohio, sold their home at 3110 Tolmino Court to Betty Cooper, of Bradenton, for $845,000. Built in 2024, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,920 square feet of living area. It sold for $615,200 in 2024.
Ralph Murray Peck Jr. and Linda Orosz Larson, of Drummond, Michigan, sold their home at 14659 Derna Terrace to John Powers Mulligan Jr. and Mirae Bunnell, of Chesterfield, Missouri, for $642,500. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,678 square feet of living area. It sold for $518,200 in 2022.
THE MOORING AT EDGEWATER
Myrna Freyman, of Bradenton, sold the Unit 201 condominium at 6515 Moorings Point Circle to Jennifer Vorbeck, of Sarasota, for $775,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,117 square feet of living area. It sold for $525,000 in 2014.
MAGNOLIA HAMMOCK AT UNIVERSITY PLACE
Natalie Colleen Plesher, of Cape Coral, sold her home at 7723 Heyward Circle to Franz Ausserlechner, of Bradenton, for $710,000. Built in 2005, it has seven bedrooms, three baths and 2,509 square feet of living area. It sold for $390,000 in 2017.
DESOTO LAKES COUNTRY CLUB
COLONY
Rick and Sandra Gerdeman, of St. Marys, Ohio, sold their home at 5017 Canterbury Drive to Truman Earl Jeans and Janet Gasque for $690,000. Built in 1978, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,162 square feet of living area. It sold for $385,000 in 2017.
DEL WEBB
Scott and Linda Smith, of Fernandina Beach, sold their home at 7311 Summerland Cove to Neal Jakel and Christine Fields, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for $680,000. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,919 square feet of living area. It sold for $629,800 in 2022.
SUMMERFIELD
Cynthia Kleiman, of Bloomington, Minnesota, sold her home at 11120 Marigold Drive to David Wach and Lanying Li, of Lakewood Ranch, for $670,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,148 square feet of living area. It sold for $230,000 in 2010.
SAPPHIRE POINT
Gregory and Lauren Conklin, trustees, sold the home at 5808 Silverside Pine Court to Mark LaPorte, trustee, of Allison Park, Pennsylvania, for $640,000. Built in 2024, it has five bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,616 square feet of living area. It sold for $674,500 in 2024.
COACH HOMES AT LAKEWOOD
NATIONAL
Kyle Yamashiro and Jeanne Yamashiro, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the Unit 1521 condominium at 5904 Wake Forest Run to John and Bridgette Alfonso, of Bradenton, for $638,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,108 square feet of living area. It sold for $700,000 in 2023.
BRIDGEWATER
Judy Spiniello and Christian Merlino, of Whitehouse Station, New York, sold their home at 13108 Swiftwater Way to Steven Olczak and Connie Olczak, trustees, of Bradenton, for $635,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,231 square feet of living area. It sold for $605,000 in 2021.
EAGLE TRACE
David and Susan Papenfuse, of Mechanicsville, Virginia, sold their home at 12117 Whisper Lake Drive to Dawn Burchette Kurc and Gary Michael Kurc, of Bradenton, for $615,000. Built in 2018, it has three
MAY 5-9
bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,227 square feet of living area. It sold for $352,800 in 2018.
ESPLANADE
Jeffrey Kennedy, of St. John, Indiana, sold his home at 5234 Castello Lane to Robert Quintal, of Bradenton, for $600,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths and 2,232 square feet of living area. It sold for $575,000 in 2021.
GREENBROOK
G. Stephen Christie and Kelly Welch Christie, of Havre de Grace, Maryland, sold their home at 13710 Glossy Ibis Place to William John Paul Galle and Katie Elizabeth Galle, of Lakewood Ranch, for $585,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,081 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2016.
DERSTINE ACRES
Steven Lott sold two properties at 1110 136th St. N.E. to Brook and
Abby Duncan, of Bradenton, for $580,000. The first property was built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,427 square feet of living area. The second was built in 1998, it has one bedroom, one bath and 600 square feet of living area. They sold for $326,000 in 2018.
CENTRAL PARK
Vincent and Bernadette Moran, trustees, of Potomac, Maryland, sold the home at 4907 Torrey Pines Run to Randy and Donna Campbell, of Bradenton, for $545,000. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,043 square feet of living area. It sold for $279,000 in 2013.
Courtesy image
A Lake Club home at 16010 Topsail Terrace sold for $3 million. Built in 2013, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,738 square feet of living area.
SPORTS
FAST BREAK
Former Lakewood Ranch
High pitcher Colton Gordon made his major league debut on May 14 with the Houston Astros. Gordon allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts over four and a third innings in a start against the Kansas City Royals.
The Sarasota Paradise soccer club opened its season with a 1-1 draw against St. Petersburg FC at Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch on May 17. Lukas Kamrath scored the equalizer in the 90th minute.
…Former Lakewood Ranch catcher John Schroeder ended the regular season with Florida Atlantic with a bang. Schroeder, a senior, went 6-for-16 at the plate with three runs, three RBIs, a double and two home runs over four games against Florida Gulf Coast and the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Schroeder and the Owls (36-19) was scheduled to open the American Athletic Conference tournament against Tulane on May 20.
…Former Braden River baseball player Ryan Waldschmidt a 2024 first-round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks, has had a promising start to his professional career. Waldschmidt is hitting .268 with a .456 on-base percentage, 36 runs, 25 RBIs, five home runs and four stolen bases through 38 games with the Hillsboro (Ore.) Hops, the high-A affiliate of the Diamondbacks.
…Nathan Benderson Park is hosting an ‘All-Around Summer Camp’ from June 2-6 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. for kids ages 6-13. The camp will include kayaking, paddle boarding, canoeing and fishing with a focus on water safety and wildlife education. The camp costs $300 for a week of full-day activities or $200 for a week of half-day activities. To register, visit NathanBendersonPark.org/ kids-camps.
“Without my
teammates,
I wouldn’t have had that breakout game, so all of my praise is to them.”
Pirates hope for bounce-back season
Coming off a 2-7 season in 2024, Braden River is ready to win again.
VINNIE PORTELL STAFF WRITER
The Braden River High football team is building after a rocky 2024 season, but that doesn’t mean the Pirates are resigning themselves to another losing season.
A year after shuffling coaches and losing players, the Pirates want to win now.
Former coach Curt Bradley left Braden River for Bradenton Southeast after the 2023 season, and longtime offensive coordinator Eric Sanders was promoted to coach. However, Sanders left to coach at Palmetto after four months.
In came Jason Grain.
A former offensive lineman for the University of Southern California, Grain joined the Booker High coaching staff as an assistant in 2012 before becoming the coach at Cape Coral Oasis from 2021-23.
Grain, hired to coach Braden River in June 2024, not only lost out on the spring season, but also lost several players.
Kicker Brunno Reus, offensive guard Evan Spencer and wide receiver Landon Green transferred to
Edwards and defensive end Myles Holmen transferred to Riverview. Cornerback/wide receiver Marcus Galloway transferred to Cardinal Mooney, wide receiver Reece Wilson transferred to Southeast and linebacker Ronin Dangler transferred to Manatee.
Those losses, coupled with the graduation of 18 seniors, left the Pirates lacking depth and experience.
It showed during the 2024 season.
Braden River finished last season 2-7 and lost five games by 30 points or more.
It will likely take the Pirates some time to build back into a winning program again, but Grain isn’t counting that out from happening sooner than some might expect.
“I’m not 30 anymore,” said Grain, who is 47 years old. “I’m getting old.
I’m not trying to coach until I’m 70. I want to win. So, I mean rebuilding and all that sounds good, but we’re trying to win games.”
Grain knows what it takes to build a team into a winner.
Oasis went 4-13 in Grain’s first two seasons, but finished 6-4 in 2023 — the program’s first season with six wins since 2011.
Still not even a full year into his coaching career at Braden River, Grain has a more optimistic outlook on this upcoming season.
Rising senior linebacker Storm Hense, who Grain called the “best player on the defense,” is healthy this spring after an injury limited him to just two games last year.
There are also promising returners on the defensive line, including rising junior David Louis, who Grain said emerged as a playmaker over the final three games in 2024.
The Pirates also made a key addiLouisen Desinor, a transfer from Southeast, will take over at quarterback following the graduation of Lucas Despot. Desinor, a rising junior, passed for 1,877 yards and 16 touchdowns for a 5-5 Seminoles team last season. He was undeterred by Braden River’s record, and said the Pirates’ bounce-back mentality can be a rallying point.
“You know, when you have the mentality that you have something to prove, it just makes people even more hungry,” he said. “When you’re surrounded by people with that mindset, it pushes you.”
BRADEN RIVER UNDER CURT BRADLEY
Former Braden River coach Curt Bradley also had to rebuild the Pirates’ football program when he was hired ahead of the 2012 season. If the Pirates need any evidence that they can turn their program back into a winner, all they need to do is look to the past. Here’s how the Pirates steadily improved under Bradley:
2012: 2-9
2013: 4-4
2014: 10-1 2015: 13-1
2016: 9-2 2017: 0-13*
2018: 9-3
2019: 4-7
2020: 4-4
2021: 9-2
2022: 5-5
2023: 5-5
*Braden River was forced to vacate all wins from the 2017 season due to impermissible benefits given to a player and former player.
Disproving the doubters has been a theme for Braden River this spring.
Wide receiver Nicholas Cinelli, a player who Desinor highlighted as one of his favorite targets, is a rising senior who is itching to silence the trash talk he hears around school.
“I’m just excited to prove everyone wrong,” Cinelli said. “People say we’re going to go 0-10, we’re trash, we’re terrible, but nobody’s out here. They don’t know, and we’re going to prove them all wrong.”
The Pirates will have their first chance to reset the narrative in their spring game against Cape Coral Mariner 7 p.m. on May 22 at Braden River High School.
— The Out-of-Door Academys Michael Garzia SEE PAGE 16B
Courtesy photo
Colton Gordon made his major league debut with the Houston Astros in a 4-3 win against the Kansas City Royals on May 14.
Braden River rising junior quarterback Louisen Desinor transferred in from Southeast where he passed for 1,877 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2024.
Second-year football coach Jason Grain led Cape Coral Oasis to one of its best seasons in school history before coming to Braden River in June 2024.
Photos by Vinnie Portell
Braden River is in a better spot this spring after a year of coach and player turnover.
Pirates top best East County prep sports stories of spring
The high school sports season is over, unless you count spring football games.
I’ve only been a sports reporter with the East County Observer since the start of the spring season, but I’ve already seen some inspiring stories.
Here are the top stories I enjoyed:
BRADEN RIVER BASEBALL
MAKES RECORD-BREAKING RUN
Because I’m new to the area, I didn’t have much of an idea of what to expect out of the local high school teams. When the Braden River baseball team opened the year with a 3-6 record, I almost wrote it off.
Little did I know that the Pirates were more talented than their record indicated. Coach Greg Creek had front-loaded the schedule with challenging teams to prepare a senior-heavy team for the postseason, and it worked.
The Pirates finished the season with a 19-12 record, a district championship and made it to the regional championship round for the first time.
Though they fell one win short of advancing to the 5A final four, the Pirates had a season that will now serve as the standard for future teams to meet.
LAKEWOOD RANCH GOLFERS
SHINE
The high school golf season is in the fall, but it’s worth mentioning some impressive feats that Lakewood Ranch golfers had on the links this spring.
Rising senior Emily Storm won an American Junior Golf Association event on April 13 in her first time competing in the AJGA, shooting seven-over-par 75-76.
After finishing 10th overall in the 3A state championships last fall, Storm is eyeing a state high school title in the fall.
Parker Severs, a recent graduate, is another Lakewood Ranch golfer who should have a bright future.
Severs led Lakewood Ranch to state runner-up finishes the past two years and earned a commitment to the University of Florida. The best appears to be on the horizon.
Severs won a six-man playoff in a local qualifier for the U.S. Open at Waterlefe Golf & River Club on May 8 to earn one of five qualifying spots. If he can advance past the next (and final) stage of qualifying at Emerald Dunes Golf Club in West Palm Beach on June 2, he will play in the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.
LAKEWOOD RANCH SOFTBALL RESURGENCE
The Lakewood Ranch softball team was one of the best in the state a few years ago. The Mustangs won state championships in 2021 and 2022 with a 60-4 record over those two seasons.
However, the Mustangs took a step back after the resignation of coach T.J. Goelz and the graduation of several star players.
Lakewood Ranch went 6-21 last year and opened this season 3-7, a previously unthinkable stretch of losses for a once-dominant team.
Those struggles didn’t last.
Led by a couple of senior leaders and some up-and-coming players, the Mustangs finished with a winning record (13-12) and nearly upset
Parrish Community, a back-toback state champion team, in a 2-1 loss in the district tournament.
With eight of the team’s top 10 players poised to return, Lakewood Ranch softball could become a contender again as soon as next season.
ODA BOYS TENNIS TEAM WINS DISTRICT AND REGIONAL TITLES
The Out-of-Door Academy boys tennis team won the school’s first team state championship in 2018, and the Thunder still sport an impressive program in 2025.
The Thunder won district and regional titles this year.
In the regional playoffs, they defeated Cypress Lake Canterbury and Bradenton Saint Stephen’s Episcopal.
They opened the Class 1A state tournament with a quarterfinal win over Winter Park Trinity Prep before falling to Miami True North Classical Academy in the semifinal round.
Although No. 1 singles player
Prithvi Sudhakar graduated, the rest of the team — Harrison Shepard (Class of 2027), Cash Murphy (2027), Maximilian Murphy (2028) Michael Kolar (2029), Dhruv Sudhakar (2029) and Abner Yu (2029) — could all return.
LIAM ST. JOHN SETS LAKEWOOD RANCH JAVELIN RECORD
Lakewood Ranch sophomore Liam
St. John started throwing a javelin to stay busy during the football offseason, but he’s become one of the top throwers in the state.
St. John quickly developed a passion for javelin throwing. He’s spent hours watching YouTube videos of throwers and practicing at the school and in a field in his back yard.
After opening this season with a throw of 50.39 meters, he was 1.07 meters away from Lakewood
Ranch’s all-time best.
Beating that record wasn’t as easy as he first thought. St. John plateaued with throws of 48 meters or less for six straight weeks.
After seeking out training from other local throwers and fine-tuning his mechanics, he broke through for second-place finishes at the district and regional meets, including a throw of 53.36 meters at the regional meet that sent him to the 4A state championships.
LAKEWOOD RANCH GIRLS LACROSSE FIRST REGIONAL APPEARANCE
By every measurement, the Lakewood Ranch girls lacrosse team should have taken a step back this season.
The Mustangs lost more than half of their goal-scoring from last year to graduation and had a young and relatively inexperienced team. However, the intangibles made all the difference.
Lakewood Ranch embraced a team-first attitude. Sophomore Janelle Gonzalez, who has autism and Turner syndrome, set the bar high by attending every practice and rooting on her teammates with unmatched enthusiasm.
That infectious spirit, along with breakout seasons by junior Gabbie Hotaling (63 goals, 36 assists), sophomore Gigi Canali (62 goals, 10 assists) and Gigi Haines (30 goals, 30 assists) led to the most wins (137) in program history and the first regional playoff appearance.
Vinnie Portell is the sports reporter for the East County Observer. Contact him at VPortell@ YourObserver.com.
Vinnie Portell
Pirates senior Nick Curbelo celebrates scoring the first run of a 9-3 win over Manatee on a triple by senior Camden Pope in a regional semifinal game on May 1 at Braden River High School.
SWIMMING LESSONS
ATHLETE
Michael Garzia
Out-of-Door Academy freshman
Michael Garzia had a breakout performance in the Thunder football team’s spring game. Garzia, a running back and defensive back, ran six times for 102 yards and a touchdown on offense and made four tackles and an interception on defense in a 19-14 win over The Master’s Academy on May 15.
When and why did you start playing football?
I grew up in Philadelphia and I was always surrounded by football. My dad (Pete Garzia) played college ball (Widener University). My family played in college all over the place, and I grew into the sport. I’ve always had a passion for it. My first time playing tackle was in the sixth grade. What was the best moment of the spring game for you?
If I had to pick a highlight, it would definitely be my first touchdown and celebrating with all of my teammates. I forget what yard line it was, but it was a 26 Power, and I juked the safety and scored. The first people who showed up in the end zone were my linemen, which I’m extremely pleased about because without them, I would have never been able to score.
What’s your favorite all-time football memory?
That’s tough because I have a lot, but if I have to pick one, it would probably be my first time putting on a varsity jersey. It was completely different from middle school. It was a different atmosphere and tempo, and I felt like it was a second home to me.
What’s gone right for you personally this year?
Connecting with my team mates. I feel like it’s not about how you actually play, it’s about how you connect with your team and the attitude you
If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to VPortell@YourObserver.com.
represent. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t have had that breakout game, so all of my praise is to them.
What’s been your most humbling moment in football?
Definitely after an OK game or a bad game and going into film and being told what I did right and wrong and what I need to do better. It’s definitely a humbling experience, but it’s something every football player should experience because it grows you as a person.
What’s your favorite TV show or movie?
I’m not a big fan of TV shows, but my favorite movie would have to be “Remember the Titans.” Of course I like the football end, but also the brotherhood that it builds. It really shows how even a diverse, or segregated team, can become one.
If you’re not playing football, what are you doing?
Usually helping out with my older brother’s organization. My older brother, Rocco, has Prader-Willi syndrome, which is a rare disease. If I’m not at school or football, I’m either in D.C. or some big city helping to advocate for him. We have a fundraiser and a 501(c)(3) to help raise money for the foundation. I’m just trying to bring awareness and education to this rare disease.
Dr. Craig Misch
Implant & Aesthetic Dentistry
SIGN LANGUAGE by Zhouqin Burnikel, edited by Jared Goudsmit
By Luis Campos
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