The men behind Myakka City’s Aker Brand Farms, a BMX training facility, received statewide recognition May 18 at the Florida State Championship Series awards ceremony.
Owners Will Grant (pictured on the right) and Jeremy Smith (not pictured) were honored with the William “Bill” Curtin Ambassador Award for their advocacy, leadership and dedication to the riders and families of Florida BMX.
Aker’s resident pro Rayne Lankford (pictured on the left) took first place in the series’ Pro-Am competition.
“BMX is my life,” Grant said. “I just want to thank every single person that shows up to these races, that shows up to our clinics and that comes out to our farm. Let’s just keep doing our best.”
Donuts with Dad
Lakewood Ranch resident Greg Kotlarczyk said the sugary treats match the event in the
of sweetness.
Kotlarczyk, along with his two children, fourth-grader Kyla and second-grader Kellen, were among those enjoying Donuts and Dads, hosted May 21 at Braden River Elementary.
“I was on a dietary cleanse, and the kids just said you can have one bite,” Kotlarczyk said. He said the apple fritter he had was out of this world.
Kotlarczyk said he appreciates how family oriented Braden River Elementary is.
“The fact that the school does that to make dads and moms part of the kids’ school experience and be able to share a moment with them is just so special all in itself.”
Waterway work aims to keep water flowing in Braden River as hurricane season draws near.
Lesley Dwyer
Lesley Dwyer
Courtesy image
School Board cites communication issues in firing Wysong
While parents praised the Manatee superintendent, and some school board members leaned toward keeping him, Choate, Spray and Kennedy voted to end Wysong’s contract 13 months early.
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
Mainly citing concerns over communication, the Manatee County School Board last week fired Superintendent Jason Wysong with just over 13 months remaining on his contract. Kevin Chapman, the school district’s chief of staff, was named interim leader. His compensation will be determined at a future school board meeting, a spokesman said. Leading up to the 3-2 vote to end Wysong’s three-year contract early, school board members complained about Wysong’s lack of engagement with them, slow responses to questions or emails and complaints from the public.
One school board member even said Wysong fell asleep in a meeting.
Parents, on the other hand, sang Wysong’s praises and questioned the timing of a Friday-announced special meeting on a Tuesday morning.
Parrish resident Jenn Williams described the timing of the meeting “suspicious.”
She has two children who attend McNeal Elementary School. She said the four-hour meeting was her first.
“Everything I’ve seen and heard were that Dr. Wysong was doing a great job,” she said. “I’m shocked that adults in a position of authority could get away with firing someone in this manner, but they did. Manatee County employees and students will be the ones to suffer because of the grudge these three held against a common enemy.”
School board members Chad Choate, Charlie Kennedy and Cin-
dy Spray voted to end the contract without cause. Heather Felton and Richard Tatem voted against it, preferring to go through “counseling instead of divorce” as Tatem put it.
Wysong said he was “certainly dismayed we’ve reached this point.” In a letter to employees, he wrote: “A few moments ago, our school board voted to make a change in the superintendent’s office. Although our journey together has been much shorter than I expected, I am departing SDMC with many wonderful memories of meeting students, attending events, and watching you do great work to support children in our beautiful community.”
The main concerns that were presented by Kennedy had to do with Wysong’s communication habits.
He said he had sometimes received no response from Wysong when issues were raised.
“Think about how many people rely on him for decisions,” Felton said countering the argument. “Yes, we are his bosses, but he gets hundreds of emails a day. If you’re not getting a response, shoot him a text.”
Felton said she sees Wysong at just about every event they are invited to and sees it as a positive thing.
“He is engaged. He will speak to anyone that wants to talk to him,” Felton said.
Choate said he felt Wysong spent too much time doing those things, acting more like an assistant superintendent than the superintendent.
Wysong said it was fair criticism and he could have spent more time in the office and answering emails.
He said he was humbled to head up the leadership team and said they are in good hands with or without him.
“I do wish there was a path forward. I think my style of work is adaptable to the board’s expectations,” said Wysong.
“Tone is not always there, all right, but I still have absolute trust in what he’s doing,” Felton said. “I see his integrity and I see his heart.”
Tatem said he and the board have failed Wysong in the sense of not providing enough feedback and said
he could have mentored him better to avoid a situation like this.
“At least try counseling before divorce,” Tatem said to his fellow board members.
Tatem questioned what kind of message the firing sends to the public and people in the workforce, as Wysong was not doing anything unethical or illegal.
He said Wysong has good morals and the metrics of the school district were headed in the right direction.
“Who’s going to come to fill the position knowing the last guy was fired without cause?” Tatem said.
Previous Superintendent Cynthia Saunders was promoted to the position in 2018 from roles as executive director of secondary schools and then the interim superintendent. She retired in June 2023.
Wysong had previously been a deputy superintendent in Seminole County.
School District Attorney Stephen Dye said that anyone fired without cause, as Wysong was, is entitled to 90-day notice with full compensation. On top of that, a severance payment of up to 20 weeks will be provided. On July 3, 2023, Wysong was sworn in on a three-year contract with a starting salary of $235,000.
This salary and employment package is another reason Kennedy expressed concern and said it was unfair that Wysong was able to negotiate a higher salary than his predecessor.
He also said he felt as if Wysong wasn’t always paying attention to him when he was speaking.
While Kennedy was running for his current seat on the school board, he was invited to a meeting with Wysong for all the candidates.
“The superintendent dozed off on me twice during that meeting,” Kennedy said. “I said it’s probably been a long day, it was the end of the work day. So I said, thank you and I left.”
Wysong said he was leaving with integrity intact, and that it has been a privilege for him to serve Manatee County schools.
MEMO TO SCHOOL DISTRICT STAFF
Dear Colleagues, A few moments ago, our School Board voted to make a change in the Superintendent’s office. Although our journey together has been much shorter than I expected, I am departing SDMC with many wonderful memories of meeting students, attending events, and watching you do great work to support children in our beautiful community.
In just two years of working together, we also have much to celebrate:
n Student academic outcomes were up in all 11 accountability categories in 2023-24, and preliminary results from 202425 indicate continued growth at most grade levels in reading and science, with more results still pending.
n Across all campuses, students are engaged in more deliberate writing, speaking, and listening exercises as a strategy to strengthen literacy instruction.
n The high school graduation rate for the Class of 2024 was up more than 4 percentage points, and even before summer graduation counts, the Class of 2025 will set an all-time high graduation rate for SDMC. If this initiative remains intact, SDMC may even reach a 90% graduation rate for 2026.
n Construction of new schools and renovation of existing facilities is on track, with more than $600 million in capital projects currently underway.
n School bus transportation efficiency improved this year, with more than 90% of morning routes running on-time most weeks.
n Our high schools are safer than ever with the successful implementation of universal daily security screening.
n At a time when many school
districts are experiencing declining enrollment and unstable budgets, SDMC district-operated schools continue to grow and our general fund balance is stable.
As the year winds down, I hope you will take the time to reflect on the work you do and the difference that you make in the lives of children. Regardless of the specific job responsibility assigned to you, showing up each day and giving your best makes each student’s experience a little better and creates the conditions necessary to prepare them for their futures. Your impact is limitless!
I am humbled by the many messages of support I have received from SDMC employees over the past three days. I am honored to have served as your superintendent, and I will be cheering you on from afar! Fare Well!
Madison Bierl
Superintendent Jason Wysong
Braden River cleanup cruises along
Contractors cleared downed trees and debris from River Club Boulevard to Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
In preparation for hurricane season, which starts June 1, cleanup on the Braden River has begun.
The initial results are shocking to some residents.
“I never knew the Braden River was that big and wide,” Summerfield Woods’ Jill Sauchinitz said. “It’s almost as wide as our street.” Sauchinitz’s home flooded after Hurricane Debby on Aug. 5. For months after, she complained to Manatee County that she couldn’t see through the vegetation to the bottom of the river.
Commissioners approved $2 million on March 25 to clean up portions of the Braden River, Buffalo Canal, Cabbage Slough and Gamble Creek with the goal of freeing up water flow that might otherwise back up and flood if a heavy rain falls again.
The overall work started April 7. Work on the Braden River started May 10, which was the last work order included in the $2 million allocation.
Jeff Bare, contract manager for the county’s Property Management division, said “literally tons of debris” have been removed from the Braden River.
Manatee County placed a priority on the approximately 1.2 miles between Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and River Club Boulevard because the surrounding neighborhood
ponds feed into the river when they reach a certain height.
Bare said removing the blockages reduces the hazard of flooding after substantial rainfall.
Commissioners approved an additional $7.5 million May 20 to clear another 95 locations among the 545 canals the county maintains. The remaining cleanup efforts in the Braden River will continue west toward Interstate 75 and east toward Lorraine Road.
Bare estimates the rest of the river will be cleared by mid-June.
The section from River Club Boulevard to the interstate will take less than a week, but the portion from Lakewood Ranch Boulevard to Lorraine Road will take longer because the vegetation is so thick and the river has so many curves.
The county had to hire outside contractors to complete the work before the height of hurricane season.
The first phase of cleanup was contracted to Rick Richards Inc. out of Myakka City. For the second phase, the county hired three additional contractors.
If left up to the county’s Stormwater Department staff, the work would likely not be completed before fall. There are only 62 staff members, and not all of them clear debris. Some mow; others spray chemicals to keep certain vegetation at bay.
It took Richards’ crew 10 days to clean up the Braden River between River Club Boulevard and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.
Scott Chapman, field maintenance superintendent for Manatee County’s Stormwater Department, estimates it would have taken his crew a month-and-a-half to do the same amount of work because the county doesn’t have the specialized equipment Richards’ has, namely a Gator Foot amphibious rubbertracked vehicle.
“They can go through an area of canal where they can run on the track, but if it gets too deep, they float and the propeller takes over,” Bare said. “Like some of the military-type vehicles, they can go from water to land and just keep on going.”
Chapman’s crew would have to load into a jon boat with chain saws to do the same work, but an even bigger issue is that they’re still making their way through 154 work orders left over from the 2024 hurricane season, which Bare called “the triple punch” of Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton.
Stormwater employees have been working overtime ever since. The goal is to finish up the remaining work orders by Aug. 1.
“It’s daunting for the staff that we have,” Chapman said. “And that’s the over 200 miles of canals that we reg-
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
Lakewood Ranch residents might have noticed white ribbons wrapped around trees along the Braden River. They’re part of a topographical survey ordered by Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, LWR’s parent company. While Manatee County’s investigation into the flooding that followed Hurricane Debby is complete, SMR is furthering its own investigative efforts. Stantec, an engineering and architectural consulting firm, is conducting the survey along the Braden River behind Tumbleweed Trail and Rivers Bluff Circle.
Anne Ross, executive director of the LWR Stewardship District, said the survey will catalog elevations behind the homes to the top of the riverbank. Stantec is almost finished with the work. Scott
ularly maintain and inspect. That’s not including natural systems.”
The Braden River is a natural system. Outside of removing a blockage at a homeowners request off Pine Valley Street, the county has never touched the river.
A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT
“It’s a huge sense of relief that now I can see the water flowing as it should because that means stormwater will flow as it should,” Sauchinitz said. “However, we need to make sure that it’s maintained.”
The Braden River was never monitored or maintained prior to flooding because the best practice for a natural system is to let it take care of itself.
Typical maintenance of canals relies on herbicides to control vegetation, but Bare said chemical treatments would harm wildlife in the area, such as gopher tortoises. The county also has “no legitimate access” to the river without an easement.
Bare described future maintenance as a “collaborative” effort between the county and its citizens.
“We don’t have the staff to be monitoring these (natural systems) every week,” he said. “We’ve got hundreds of miles of canals that we maintain with in-house staff and only a certain number of guys to do the work. Basically, we need everybody’s help.”
As budget season for the next fiscal year approaches, Bare and Chapman are preparing their requests for additional staff and equipment, but approval depends on the Manatee
County commissioners.
Reports of blockages need to go through the county’s 311 system so the call is properly logged and tracked. Unless there’s a safety concern, the work is done in the order it is requested. Chapman also noted that the stormwater department is only responsible for the flow line of the water.
He used the example of a recent caller who wanted the county to remove mangroves from his property. The request was denied because the mangroves were not blocking the flow of water.
“We make sure the water can get from Point A to Point B,” Chapman said. “If citizens are concerned about brush or tree trimming, that’s not us.”
But now that work has been done to the Braden River, it will be assigned an “asset number.” Chapman explained that an asset number allows the county to track when and what maintenance has been done.
Moving forward, the Stormwater staff will inspect the Braden River before and after a hurricane.
Standard protocol is to inspect before a storm a list of hot spots that are known to flood. After the storm passes, the staff has a “route list” of every maintained canal in the county that they inspect from end to end for blockages.
“It’ll add more to our plate to inspect every year,” Chapman said. “But we have a great staff. They know the ins and outs, and they take pride in their jobs.”
“We don’t have the staff to be monitoring these (natural systems) every week. We’ve got hundreds of miles of canals that we maintain with in-house staff and only a certain number of guys to do the work. Basically, we need everybody’s help.”
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
This is a finished section of the river. The water was barely visible before work was performed to clear out debris.
Chapman, field maintenance superintendent for Manatee County, says the Stormwater Department is still working on 154 work orders from last year’s hurricane season.
Jeff Bare, contract manager for Manatee County Property Management
Home under construction catches fire in Lakewood Ranch
Sarasota County sends 20 units to fire in Waterside.
Asingle-family home caught fire in Wild Blue at Waterside just before 11 a.m. on May 21.
The home was under construction, and no injuries were reported.
The Sarasota Fire Department sent more than 20 units, which included trucks from East Manatee Fire-Rescue and the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department, to the scene in the 8500 block of Sandpoint Street.
The home was being built by Stock Development, a luxury homebuilder based in Naples.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
“We are fully cooperating and awaiting official findings,” said
Claudine Leger-Wetzel, vice president of sales and marketing for Stock Development. “We remain committed to the safety and well-being of all residents and will continue to closely monitor the situation.” Fire trucks encountered “increased roadway traffic within the neighborhood” trying to reach the scene.
Sara Nealeigh, a media relations officer for Sarasota County, said the units were able to successfully navigate the challenges and protect the nearby homes from additional damage.
Leger-Wetzel said the community is experiencing a high volume of construction activity, but all traffic must comply with community parking guidelines, including parking on only one side of the street to ensure proper traffic flow.
Crews from Sarasota County stayed on the scene throughout the evening to ensure the fire was completely extinguished.
Drivers might see red on Lena Road . . . someday
Rosedale residents asked for solutions to make it safer for them to exit their neighborhood onto State Road 70.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Mike Zinn has lived in Rosedale since 1997. When he moved in, the entrance didn’t have, or require, a stoplight.
Now, even with a signal at the intersection, Zinn sees accidents and near-accidents every day when residents try to leave the neighborhood with a right turn to head west on State Road 70.
“You have to be very careful about cars cutting in front of you and cars pulling out of Lena Road in front of you,” he said. “Then, once you get past Lena Road, you’ve got issues of people still cutting in front of you.”
The entrance of Rosedale is along the westbound lane of State Road 70, about 600 feet east of Lena Road. Both the north and south ramps to enter Interstate 75 are to the west of Lena Road.
Rosedale residents are seeking relief from the Florida Department of Transportation because they worry the situation will only get worse when Manatee County finishes the construction that will connect Lena Road from State Road 64 to State Road 70.
“This is going to be a mess,” resident Michael Axelrad said. “There’s so much development here. (The County) is not getting ahead of it. Lena Road should be four lanes.”
The concern is that once Lena Road connects from State Road 64 to State Road 70, there will be more cars cutting across traffic and more cars exiting Rosedale because of 54th Drive East, which connects Lena Road to the Rosedale entrance at 87th Street East.
When Lena Road is backed up with
PROPOSED
FDOT proposes an intersection in which a left turn lane on State Road 70 to Lena Road would be signalized.
cars trying to exit onto State Road 70, residents predict that drivers will try to avoid the backup by turning left onto 54th Drive East, so they’ll turn onto State Road 70 through the Rosedale exit instead.
Axelrad and some other residents suggested making 54th Drive East one-way to prevent drivers from using it as a cut-thru street.
Walter Breuggeman, Traffic Services program engineer for FDOT
District 1, said the idea might not be feasible because of businesses along 54th Drive East, such as Norman’s Liquors Fine Wines Beers & Cigars.
Changes cannot adversely affect businesses, and FDOT has its own plan to ease residents’ concerns and increase safety along that corridor of State Road 70.
Breuggman made a presentation to residents at the Rosedale Golf and Country Club on May 22 with one caveat — the plan is not funded yet.
FDOT is working on funding with a goal to start construction in 2029.
FDOT’S PLAN
FDOT presented sketches of how its engineers want to solve traffic issues on State Road 70 between Rosedale and Interstate 75.
The suggestion is to add a signal to Lena Road. The eastbound lanes on State Road 70 would not be affected, only the eastbound left turn lane onto Lena Road from State Road 70 would have a stoplight.
However, the westbound lane on State Road 70 would be signalized, and it would coordinate with the stoplight at Rosedale.
Stopping traffic on westbound State Road 70 will allow drivers to safely exit right from Lena Road as drivers simultaneously turn left onto Lena Road from the eastbound turn lane on State Road 70.
Drivers exiting Lena Road will not be permitted to turn on red.
“When you’re taking a right out of Lena, it takes the guesswork out of it because you’re turning right on green when that westbound lane is actually stopped,” Breuggeman said. “You’re not trying to figure out if that westbound person is going to turn right on Lena Road or not.” Overall, residents liked the plan. They’ve been working with FDOT to offer feedback for the past 18 months.
“For the first time, I think that we have something meaningful that we can work on,” Zinn said. “Hopefully, we can dramatically improve traffic safety for Rosedale residents and other Manatee County citizens.”
EASY UPGRADE
While a stoplight at Lena Road and westbound State Road 70 will take years to come to fruition, there is a smaller improvement the Florida Department of Transportation is trying to accomplish over the next three months — upgraded signs leading to Interstate 75. The signs will alert drivers ahead of time to the upcoming right turns and also clearly mark the “Ramp only” lanes.
The new signs proposed by the Florida Department of Transportation will make it more clear as to which lane a driver should take.
Lesley Dwyer
Walter Breuggeman, with the Florida Department of Transportation, and traffic engineering consultant Samuel Berkman give a presentation to Rosedale residents May 21.
Courtesy images
ODA graduates reflect on the new road ahead
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
n a commencement address to
IThe Out-of-Door Academy’s graduating class last week, Head of School Debra Otey shared a metaphor about “taking the high road” that resonates beyond the graduation ceremony.
“Up until this point, most of you have had your road paved for you,” Otey said. “The trees have been cleared, and the brush has been pushed aside.”
Otey said the world needs the graduates’ gifts to be shared and they need to find a way to pave the rest of the road now in front of them. To do that, she told the graduates to know themselves and figure out what they need in their lives.
“The phrase now implies taking the best path, the path of respect, integrity and responsibility,” said Otey.
Port Charlotte’s Allison Rice, 18, graduated as valedictorian. Rice was involved in student council serving as director of communications and she also volunteered at All-Faiths Food Bank.
“If there’s one thing ODA has taught us, it’s that success isn’t just measured by grades or college acceptances, but by the connections we’ve made, the friendships we’ve formed, and the resilience we have built,” she said.
On top of student council and her volunteerism, Rice is an equestrian who competes on the national level with her horse, Sam. Because of her busy competition schedule, she said she would miss two days of school about every three weeks.
“High school isn’t just about academics; it’s about all the unforget-
table moments that happen before and after class that make high school well, high school,” said Rice. Rice said she has learned a lot about time management, determination and resilience. Rice plans on attending Cornell as an economics major, but she said she is open to pursuing another path.
Sarasota’s Josey Rubinstein graduated as co-salutatorian. Rubinstein said he will “miss walking on the campus and immediately being surrounded by a community that feels like family.”
He said he will also miss the philosophical and intellectual lunch table debates on topics such as whether or not 100 men could take on a gorilla, if water is wet and if a hot dog is a sandwich.
He has been honored as a USA Lacrosse All-American, a national honor recognizing high school lacrosse players who succeed on and
off the field. He was also ODA’s male athlete of the year.
Rubinstein played soccer and lacrosse all four years of high school and added football for his senior year. He has served as captain for lacrosse since his sophomore year and captain of soccer for his senior year.
Rubinstein said he is inspired by his older brother 20-year-old Roscoe, who plays professional soccer for FC Naples.
“He’s the hardest worker I know, he’s always training, always working to get better,” said Rubinstein. “It just really inspires me to do better, because he really puts his all into what he loves.”
Rubinstein is headed to the University of Southern California to study AI for business.
Rubinstein said the most important thing he learned during his time at ODA and playing sports, was that failure is inevitable.
“It taught me to just keep going and keep pushing and if I do bad on something I will work harder and try to get it better,” he said.
Lakewood Ranch resident Kaitlyn Roman,18, graduated as co-salutatorian alongside Rubinstein. Roman said it feels like she began her time at ODA a long time ago, but also feels like it was yesterday.
“Time is strange, our perception of it is dependent on where our focus is,” Roman said. “It slips by unnoticed when wasted, flies when we enjoy it and feels fleeting when it matters most.”
Roman said she was determined to do the best she could in school and was very happy when she found out she was co-salutatorian. Roman is headed to MIT and hopes to major in aerospace engineering and minor in economics. Her goal is to figure out ways to reduce costs for the aerospace industry.
THE OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY CLASS OF 2025 70 graduates
5 of them have been at ODA since kindergarten $9 million in combined scholarships
7 athletes who will play in college 130 acceptances into different colleges
Roman is the founder and served as president of the STEM Outreach Club, which made visits once a week to students at Gocio Elementary that speak primarily Spanish to “help them gain an interest in STEM that they might not have been able to have otherwise.”
Roman also has been heavily involved in orchestra, participating in various orchestras around the community at different levels. She has played the viola for eight years and has mentored younger musicians on technical skill and techniques.
In her address, Otey listed a lot of potential failures the graduates may face, including bombing a test or losing a friend or a first love. She said no matter what they face, it is up to them to take the high road and determine how they handle these situations.
“Graduates, I hope you never get behind the wheel again without thinking about the road you’re on,” Otey said. “You gotta build it.”
Madison Bierl
Kaitlyn Roman and Josey Rubinstein graduated as co-salutatorians, and Allison Rice graduated as valedictorian.
HOPING FOR BLUE SKIES AHEAD
Westwinds’ Jimmy Gula is uneasy but hopeful that Hurricane Milton was a once-a-century storm.
JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR
It was not the way Jimmy Gula wanted to be featured on the front page of the East County Observer.
But there he was in the Oct. 17, 2024, edition, standing in front of his Westwinds home, surveying the damage done by Hurricane Milton with the headline reading, “Blown Away.”
Gula lived in Lakewood Ranch for 20 years before making the move to East County’s Westwinds 10 days before Milton made a direct hit on his neighborhood on Oct. 9. His wife, Jeanmarie, had died in 2021,and he wanted to downsize. A retired postman, Gula had delivered to the Westwinds community, and he fell in love with the neighborhood and its people.
In the photo, Gula was looking at a huge pile of rubble that had collected just outside his home. Part of the heap was his carport, which had been destroyed. The roof of his Florida room had been badly damaged and some windows in the back of his house had been blown out.
While he faced thousands of dollars in damages (he didn’t want to say the exact amount), he felt fortunate because he had stayed elsewhere when the hurricane hit so he did not risk injury.
Eight months later, Gula’s contractor finished repairs on his home in time for a new hurricane season in Florida.
“It has been (frustrating),” Gula said a week before the Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1. “But I expected to be on a waiting list because so many homes needed to be fixed.”
Gula, 70, signed with a contractor in November to do the repairs, but workers didn’t get to his house until this month. He admitted he was getting nervous.
He would see workers from the company he had hired in his neighborhood and would go to give them a nudge, hoping he would be next in line.
“I waited six months because the contractor was full up,” he said.
While Gula admits to being “uneasy” as the next hurricane season approaches, he also believes Milton, which tied with Hurricane Rita (2005) in being the most intense hurricane ever recorded over the Gulf of Mexico, was a once in a hundred years storm. It had built to a Category 5, then fell to a Category 3 before following a straight line path out of the Gulf in hitting Manatee County.
“It took 102 years for that kind of a hurricane to hit us last year, a direct hit,” he said. “The odds are that it won’t happen again, but you don’t know.”
Gula was asked if now, eight months after Milton, he regrets moving to Westwinds.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “It is very nice, and very quiet here. For me, it’s conveniently located. I run the Home Plate Express concession at LECOM Park for the Pirates. In 20 minutes, I am at the ball park. Everything I need is around here.”
But does he regret leaving Greenbrook, especially since Lakewood Ranch tends to weather storms well?
“I had lived in Lakewood Ranch for 20 years, and my neighbors were fantastic,” he said. “In Greenbrook, my house never had any problem with (storms). And I would admit that if I had come here a couple of weeks after (Milton), I would have said, ‘I ain’t buying this.’”
Even so, he is OK with his decision to move and is confident it will be smooth sailing from here.
His sister, Teresa Braud, lived just off Lockwood Ridge Road when Milton hit. She has since moved to the Austin, Texas, suburbs.
“She said, ‘We’ve had it,’” Gula said. “But there is no thought in my mind about going back (to the Northeast).”
A week before hurricane season, Gula was checking on some insurance quotes for his home, but he wasn’t confident he would be able to find anything that made sense. After selling his Greenbrook home a year ago, he had paid off his new Westwinds home and decided not to
STORMY WEATHER AHEAD
A May 22 release by The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasted an “above-average” hurricane season for the Atlantic basin.
The NOAA of the U.S. Department of Commerce, predicts a 60% chance of an above-normal season and only a 10% chance of a below-normal season.
The agency is forecasting a range of 13 to 19 named storms of winds of 39 mph or higher. Of those storms, six to 10 are forecast to become hurricanes of 74 mph wins or higher and threeto-five of those are expected to become major hurricanes of winds 111 mph or higher.
“This outlook is a call to action to be prepared,” said NOAA’s National Weather Service Director Ken Graham in the release. “Take proactive steps now to make a plan and gather supplies to ensure you're ready before a storm threatens.”
get the hurricane insurance because of the long term record of hurricanes not hitting directly in that area.
“Who knew a Category (3) hurricane would hit?” he said. “That was the last thing on my mind two weeks after moving here.”
He thought he would get some help from FEMA, but that fell short of what he expected.
“I had a guy from FEMA come over here and walk around,” he said. “I got $300 for the food I had to throw away. A month later, at the end of November, a guy from FEMA came out and took pictures. But they sent
me $700.”
That was only a tiny percentage of the money he paid out to fix the damages, but he chooses to look forward.
He wanted to spend more time talking about the willingness of people to step forward to help after the storm. He said one man, whose grandmother lived in the neighborhood, was driving past when he saw Gula looking at the pile of scrap next to home that had been blown off various homes in the neighborhood.
“I was thinking, ‘How am I going to get this out of here?’” Gula said. “But he stopped and helped me clean everything out.”
They moved all the debris to the street and the man was a huge help because he knew how to cut the electrical cable that was wrapped around some of the scrap.
“He was a guardian angel out of nowhere,” Gula said. “I didn’t even get the guy’s name. I wish I could find out because I would like to take him to dinner. I did know that his son played baseball for Braden River High.”
It only took a couple of weeks before all the debris was removed from the neighborhood.
Despite the financial hit, Gula said he feels fortunate.
“There are still a few houses in here that will get bulldozed,” he said. “My basic structure wasn’t damaged. (Following the hurricane), I was able to live here and I didn’t have to live in a FEMA trailer.”
Gula said he knows the construction standards have changed — his manufactured home was built in 1982 — and he feels the work he has had done on his home will make it better prepared to handle a hurricane such as Milton.
It will have to be since he isn’t moving.
“I am going to be here until I get planted,” he said.
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Shortly after last fall’s storms, Jimmy Gula said he planned to repair his Westwinds home and live there while work progressed because he loves the neighborhood.
Now, eight months later, the work at Jimmy Gula’s Westwinds home is complete. His carport and roof have been repaired and debris cleared away.
Please stop the roundabout at University Parkway and Deer Drive
I am the organizer of a grassroots committee (Residents against University Parkway/ Legacy Boulevard Roundabout) opposed to building a roundabout at University Parkway and Legacy Boulevard/Deer Drive. Once we became aware of the roundabout planned for (University Parkway and Deer Drive), we immediately reached out to residents with an overwhelming reply of support (to stop the roundabout).
We sent emails on April 3 to Manatee Commissioner Bob McCann and Lakewood Ranch Stewardship District’s Anne Ross and (SMR President and CEO) Rex Jensen. There was no reply from Jensen. Ross replied on April 15 that it would be up to Manatee County to change the design plan of the project. Ross also stated that they have requested public meetings, or information to be shared.
The East County Observer published an article April 23 that this roundabout was Manatee County District 5’s No. 2 priority and that it would be brought up at the May 6 meeting. We read the Manatee County Agenda for May 6, (but) we did not find this roundabout as an agenda item. Ross replied on April 30 requesting a list of our group’s main concerns for the roundabout. McCann replied on April 30 that at the May 6 meeting they were just discussing projects and their priorities. He stated that he informed (the county, commissioners) that we don’t want a roundabout at that intersection. Lastly, he instructed Public Works to tell (the LWR Stewardship District) to “stop the planning.”
At no time were we informed that this roundabout was already memorialized in a contract between Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park, LLC and Manatee County. No public meetings, no notice to the residents of The Country Club.
The above timeline also shows that Jensen and his office were aware that we were petitioning our elected county official to stop this
roundabout. In fact his office said it was up to the county to change the design plan.
This project by Manatee County Public Works was presented to the Manatee County Commissioners as part of the “consent agenda” at the Nov. 12, 2024 meeting. Consent Agenda Item No. 44 — Execution of Reimbursement Agreement with Lakewood Ranch Park Corporate Park LLC for Transportation Improvements. This item label doesn’t even list the location or that it is for a roundabout.
The consent agenda — with nearly 48 items of varying complexity — was approved without discussion or comment. The Reimbursement Agreement For Transportation Improvements University Parkway at Legacy Boulevard was approved. The agreement lists the estimated costs for the roundabout at $6,506,673 with Manatee County agreeing to reimburse Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park, LLC 50% of the expense ($3,253,336).
This was a Public Works project with no public meetings or notice to the residents of Country Club. If you had the opportunity to read Jensen’s letter published in the May 14 East County Observer, he states, “We have never done improvements by vote,” Jensen states. “Traffic engineering should be left to the professionals.”
It is no surprise that the residents of Country Club had no idea that this roundabout was being planned, it was never their intent to involve us.
At the May 6 BOCC meeting, concern from our residents was heard by the commissioners. Commissioner McCann, District 5, discussed that this roundabout was not wanted by the residents of Country Club. He asked the board to vote on a motion to rescind contract. The commissioners voted 6-0 with (one) absent and the motion passed. The motion was to negotiate termination of the reimbursement agreement signed Nov. 12, 2024.
Manatee County owns the roadway. The roundabout is the main entrance to a gated Country Club with 45 communities of mostly seniors as well as the Lakewood
Ranch Golf and Country Club. The roundabout will cause undue stress and confusion to our residents and make egress and ingress extremely dangerous.
This intersection has pedestrians, cyclists and students crossing it throughout the day. The opposite side of the intersection houses a private school (grades 5-12) with a large student body and a church which houses a preschool. Many students in grades 11 and 12 are teen drivers, another very dangerous group in roundabouts.
This intersection requires improvements to signalization and extension of turn lanes to ease the flow of traffic on University Parkway during high traffic times. A roundabout would cause significant backups for those trying to enter onto University Parkway from Deer Drive and Legacy Boulevard, and would be difficult to navigate for residents and students alike. In addition, this intersection appears to be too small to accommodate a roundabout.
We have the Manatee County Commissioners support. Hopefully, Jensen will negotiate termination of the planned roundabout. Another contract for needed improvements to signalization and expanded turn lanes should be negotiated.
In the meantime, our grassroots committee will continue to gather support to stop the roundabout and petition our commissioners to stand behind their vote and continue to negotiate to rescind this agreement. We hope that the voices of the people will make a difference.
CAROL COOPER COUNTRY CLUB
McCann contradicts ‘infrastructure before growth’
Manatee County residents deserve infrastructure that keeps pace with our community’s growth.
Commissioner Robert McCann has often called for “infrastructure before growth,” yet his recent opposition to a roundabout partnership (at University Parkway and Deer
Drive) contradicts that very principle.
In this case, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch identified a traffic issue and proactively moved to solve it — not waiting on the county’s project backlog or all of their tax dollars but instead stepping up with a cofunded solution.
This is exactly the kind of partnership we should encourage: Private investment aligned with public need.
The Lakewood Ranch model is based on smart planning — prioritizing high-quality infrastructure, environmental preservation and a thoughtful balance between growth and livability. SMR’s willingness to reassess and reinvest in infrastructure — even at its own expense — sets a regional standard.
Opposing such investments undercuts progress and damages public-private cooperation.
Our community needs leadership that fosters collaboration, not conflict, especially when contracts have already been executed in good faith.
We urge the Manatee County Commission to stand behind infrastructure investments that are timely, community-focused and responsibly planned. Let’s move forward together.
DEBBIE URBAN, PRESIDENT SUNCOAST BUILDERS ASSOCIATION
Photo by Lesley Dwyer Traffic lights on University Parkway at Deer Drive/Legacy Boulevard are scheduled to be replaced with a roundabout.
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Emmi Kaski, 3, doesn't want any other seat but dad Travis Kaski's shoulders.
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SCAN TO LEARN MORE
SPOTLIGHT
Society wants to spark interest in science
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Palm Aire’s Nick Barbi is not afraid to ask “stupid questions.”
“When you’re not necessarily an expert, but you feel that something makes sense and you start talking to people, you’re going to embarrass yourself one time or another,” he said, “But that’s what you need the others for.”
Barbi built a nonprofit off that sentiment.
The Science and Technology Society works with the likes of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration because Barbi’s “superpower” is taking ideas and bringing them to experts to make them happen. It’s never been a requirement that he knows the expert.
STS uses NASA technologies when offering workshops to local students.
Barbi is currently working to promote the club on its website.
He also made a connection with a high school in Hawaii through NASA that wants spectrometers but doesn’t have the funding.
Spectrometers measure light.
NASA offers instructions on how to make them, but even a simple one home costs about $200 to assemble.
Barbi’s goal is to make twice as many as they need at STS workshops and ship the leftovers to Hawaii, but that’s going to cost quite a bit more.
Since establishing STS in 2022, Barbi has never held a fundraiser. There are about 50 members who pay annual dues. A general membership costs $50 a year, and a family membership costs $75 a year.
Barbi also established the Mary Jo Barbi STEAM Education and Scholarship Fund, which helps fund the education programs.
But three years in, Barbi is ready to kick off an annual event to expand the club’s reach. His summer will be spent planning a music-oriented fundraiser, not a gala.
“Not the type of thing you wear a tuxedo to,” Barbi said.
Right now, the club is dependent on partnerships, so he’s seeking additional funding and volunteers.
ABOUT THE NONPROFIT Science and Technology Society. Visit ScienceandTechnologySociety.org.
Mission statement: To inspire curiosity, focus young minds on the pursuit of science and scientific careers, create meaningful collaborations and provide unique opportunities for families and professionals to grow their understanding of how science and technology shape the world in which we live, work and play.
the Everglades Foundation, Charlie Hunsicker with Manatee County Natural Resources and Rob Brady with Robrady Design.
Moving forward, there will be three seminar tracks: Science and the Environment, Artificial Intelligence and Health and Medical Science. Each track will offer three seminars a year, so Barbi is looking for volunteers to head each track.
The club provides judges for local robotics competitions, the Sarasota STEM Fair, Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy’s Science Fair and the Fab Lab’s RC Custom Car Open. Curiosity and interest are the only requirements to become a member.
Barbi has built several strong partnerships in a few years.
The University of South Florida and the Suncoast Science Center Faulhaber Fab Lab have provided meeting space, students and ideas to STS.
So what’s in it for members?
Members have likeminded, curious individuals to socialize with on a regular basis. STS holds monthly gatherings around Sarasota and Manatee counties.
STS also hosts forums. Past speakers include Steve Davis with
To attract more interest from students, STS will be exploring wearable technology next year. Member Timothy Mastroianni wrote three books on the subject, so Barbi will tap into his background for expertise and contacts.
The end goal is to illustrate how artificial intelligence can improve human performance. Sensors are placed on muscles, and the software package looks at how the muscles and joints move.
“There’s so much science, so much data, so many techniques available that we need people to understand more,” Barbi said. “We need to become more science aware in our lives and understand how to get the real information.”
Courtesy image
Nick Barbi, founder of the Science and Technology Society, holds one of the spectrometers made by students.
FAST BREAK
The Braden River High football team gave fans a sneak peek at the 2025 season in its spring game at home against Cape Coral Mariner on May 22. The Pirates took a 14-0 lead into halftime, but finished tied at 14. New Pirates quarterback Louisen Desinor, a rising junior, finished with 18-of-30 passing for 183 yards, two touchdown passes and an interception.
After winning a six-man playoff at Waterlefe Golf and River Club to advance past the local qualifying stage for the U.S. Open, Parker Severs will compete in the final stage of qualifying at Emerald Dunes Golf Club in West Palm Beach on June 2. The U.S. Open is June 12-16 at Oakmont Country Club, Corinth, Texas.
… Former Lakewood Ranch High golfer Danny Walker made national headlines when he finished tied for sixth at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on March 17. Walker went on to miss the cut in his next three events, but has since bounced back. He finished T31 at the Corales Puntacana Championship from April 17-20; T12 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans from April 2427; T25 at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson from May 1-4 and T34 at the OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic from May 8-11. Quarterback Shawqi Itraish, a 2021 graduate from Braden River, committed to Ole Miss on May 21 after spending the past two seasons at Rice University in Houston. Itraish will be a redshirt junior this fall. Quote of the Week: “I’m disappointed in myself. As an offensive play caller, I let a couple of drives get away that we could’ve capitalized and gotten points on. That bothers me that I let the kids down. I feel great about their effort. They competed. It was a hard, long and tough spring, and they showed a lot of perseverance and courage, and I appreciate them for that.” — Braden River football coach Jason Grain after the Pirates’ 14-all tie against Mariner on May 22.
READING THE GREEN
The Concession will get a good look at hosting a major event when the Senior PGA Championship tees off in 2026.
VINNIE PORTELL STAFF WRITER
The Concession Golf Club has had aspirations of hosting some of the highest-profile events in golf since it opened in 2006, and that’s starting to take shape.
The PGA of America announced last week that it has reached a threeyear agreement with The Concession to host the PGA Senior Championship — a major golf tournament for the PGA Tour Champions 50-year and older group — beginning April 16-19, 2026.
Hosting this particular tournament has been on the radar for the past three years and is an important step toward the club’s ultimate goal of hosting the PGA Championship at the start of the next decade.
The Concession has already hosted some premier golf tournaments, including the World Golf Championship in 2021 and the Senior World Champions Cup in 2023.
“In 2021 we had the World Golf Championship, and that really put us on the map,” The Concession Golf Club General Manager Brian Weimann said. “We had the top 70 players in the world at the club. For us doing that, it kind of opened the box to looking at other events. The players loved it. The tour loved us. That’s how we had the World Champions Cup come to us two years ago. These are the building blocks as we make our way in these major events.”
The Senior PGA Championship was a natural next step.
The 2025 event, which just took place from May 22-25 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, includes players such as Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen, Steve Stricker, Lee Westwood, Stewart Cink, Padraig Harrington, Fred Funk, Mike Weir and Stuart Appleby. Tiger Woods, who turns 50 on Dec. 30, is someone who could join that list of big-name golfers in the coming years.
Weimann said hosting this event over the next three years will serve as a test run for the club potentially hosting the PGA Championship, one of the four major golf tournaments.
The PGA Championship is scheduled for sites through the 2030 season, and it’s likely no coincidence
The Concession Golf Club on May 20 reached a three-year agreement with the PGA Tour of America to host the Senior PGA Championship from 2026-28.
that the 2031 location — Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland — is the same site as this year’s Senior PGA Championship.
“This is an opportunity for us to show what we’re made of and possibly to look at bigger and better things as far as hosting the actual PGA (Championship) in the future,” Weimann said. “That’s something that is our long-term goal, and this is a great opportunity for us to showcase Concession on the national and world stage.”
One of the final dominos in hosting the Senior PGA Championship, and other events on that scale, recently fell.
Manatee County commissioners voted to release a three-acre conservation easement on May 6 that will pave the way to allow the club to create an entrance and exit area for VIPs to be dropped off near the clubhouse.
“That was an important piece of the puzzle, to be able to make this tournament entry area,” Weimann said. “It’s all about usable space, and we have 520 acres. We need to utilize our land to what fits these events best, and that easement was a crucial piece of the puzzle.”
Aspirations aside, the Senior PGA Championship is a prestigious event.
Some of the most famous golfers in the sport’s history have won the Senior PGA Championship, including Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer.
The event debuted in 1937 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, but soon shifted to Florida, where it was held from 1940-2000.
Hosting the event at The Concession will mark the event’s return to Florida for the first time in 26 years at a course that Nicklaus designed.
“I am happy and excited that the Senior PGA Championship is coming to The Concession Golf Club,”
said Nicklaus, the 1991 Senior PGA Champion, in a press release. “It’s quite a compliment to The Concession and Bruce Cassidy, who, along with a passionate membership, has worked very hard to create a worldclass club anchored by a world-class golf course.
“ … With an interesting blend of trees, water and Florida landscape, The Concession is a tremendous golf course, and a challenging one,” Nicklaus continued. “I think in recent years we have tried to soften it, but it’s still a stern test. But the course rewards good golf shots, so if you play well, you score well. There is at least one drivable par-4, and strategic par-5s that will make you think. The golf course should challenge every aspect of their game, and once they get the ball on the green, let’s just say the game is not over.”
Succeeding with the Senior PGA Championship and earning the right to host the PGA Championship would be accomplishments that go beyond The Concession Golf Club.
Florida has not hosted a major golf tournament since the PGA Championship was held at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens in 1987, and doing so would elevate the rapidly growing golf community of Manatee County to a new level.
“We have an elite championship golf course, and we have such a great area,” Weimann said.
“It’s an opportunity for not just Concession. It’s an opportunity for both Manatee and Sarasota counties to showcase what we have to offer. Both from the golf course, to our beaches to the downtown areas. I think as an area as a whole, these types of events that we can attract definitely benefits Concession, but it also brings that worldwide view to our area, which is great for the economy. All of those together is the real reason why we want to host these events.”
SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP IMPACT ON LECOM SUNCOAST CLASSIC
Hosting the Senior PGA Championship could elevate the area economically and lead to other golf events coming to Manatee County. The LECOM Suncoast Classic, a Korn Ferry Tour event that has been hosted at Lakewood National Golf Club since 2019, likely will be affected as well. The LECOM Suncoast Classic took place from April 16-19 this year, which are the same dates the Senior PGA Championship will take place in 2026. Tournament Director Justin Kristich said this will probably force the LECOM Suncoast Classic to alter the dates for its event next year. However, the arrival of another golf event in town only helps boost the profile of a burgeoning golf community.
“It’s a golf mecca,” Kristich said of Manatee County. “It’s one of the fastest-growing golf regions in the country, so we know these things are going to happen. We weren’t quite expecting it to happen the week we had, so that’s been the biggest challenge, but I’m sure there’s a way to peacefully coexist and both be successful. From a county experience, it will help bring more attention to this area and be a positive thing for the county, I can’t argue with that.”
“Don’t make fun of me for this one. It’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon.’” — Braden River’s Nick Cinelli, on his favorite movie. SEE PAGE 18
Vinnie Portell
Braden River made an enthusiastic entrance onto the field for its spring game against Cape Coral Mariner on May 22.
Courtesy of The Concession Golf Club
The Concession Golf Club is viewing the Senior PGA Championship as a test run to prove itself as a viable option for the PGA Championship in the coming years.
New coach brings major-league expertise to the Mustangs
Sarasota native embraces his new chapter with Lakewood Ranch High.
I
an Desmond spent most of his life dreaming about becoming a majorleaguer and ended up living that dream.
Desmond, a graduate of Sarasota High School, was drafted in the third round in 2004 by the Montreal Expos and went on to have an 11-year career with the Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies.
After five years of retirement, Desmond is back in the game, hired
to coach the Lakewood Ranch High School baseball team on May 21, replacing four-year coach Colton Chupp.
For Desmond, returning to baseball is a story that’s come full circle.
LIFE AFTER THE BIG LEAGUES
Desmond officially retired from baseball in 2022, but he played his last professional baseball game for the Rockies in 2019.
He decided not to play the 2020 season during the COVID-19 pandemic and racial tensions at the time. He instead devoted time to his wife and five children and the Sarasota community.
His time away from the game led
to him opting out of the 2021 season, as well, before finally calling it quits in 2022.
In total, he left $13.5 million in guaranteed salary behind — and the chance at a $15 million team option in 2022 — for a new phase of life.
That started with Newtown Connection, a nonprofit organization Desmond helped establish that focuses on athletics and health for diverse and at-risk youth in Sarasota.
Giving back is nothing new for Desmond, who was nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award by the Rockies each year from 201721 for his philanthropy with the Children’s Tumor Foundation and
LAKEWOOD RANCH BASEBALL OVER THE PAST DECADE
The Mustangs has typically been one of the more competitive baseball teams in the area. Here is how Lakewood Ranch has finished since 2015:
2015: 18-11
2016: 18-11
2017: 15-13
2018: 20-8-1
2019: 23-5
2020: 4-3
2021: 15-12
2022: 10-16
2023: 19-8
2024: 13-14-1
2025: 6-18
Newtown Connection.
However, he said he always pictured himself becoming a high school baseball coach one day.
“I was really fortunate to play for Clyde Metcalf at Sarasota High,” Desmond said. “I called Clyde (May 21) and let him know that he made a lasting impression on me. For me, as a retired major league baseball player who could do anything, to go back and coach high school baseball is a testament to how he did it and how he showed me how to do it.”
Though Desmond said he always imagined he would be coaching the Sailors, life threw him a curveball.
LEADING LAKEWOOD RANCH
Desmond has devoted much of his post-MLB life to philanthropy and the Sarasota community, but he’s also dedicated to his family.
Desmond and his wife, Chelsey Desmond, a former softball player at Riverview High, have five children — sons Grayson, Cruz and Ashton and daughters Dakota and Naomi.
Grayson, the oldest, is set to become a freshman at Lakewood Ranch High this fall.
“I was joking with (athletics director) Kent (Ringquist) that I plan to be here to kind of eavesdrop on what they’ve got going on in high school, so I’d love to be here for a long time,” Desmond said. Desmond said he plans to
Steffany’s
an active college
“I was living a completely normal life. I worked full time, went to school full time and was always on the go,” she said.
When she began feeling sick on April 18, she wasn’t overly concerned and attributed it to anxiety, as she had occasional panic attacks during times of stress at school. When she started to lose strength on her left side, her boyfriend encouraged her to call 911, but she still believed it to be a panic attack. Then, she began vomiting. “All I tasted was iron,” she said. After he helped her to the bed to lie down, Steffany’s left arm began to contract, and she could no longer control her left hand. It was then that her boyfriend insisted she call the paramedics.
By the time she arrived at a local acute care hospital, doctors told Steffany’s family
she had experienced a stroke. Though the bleeding had stopped, she still had a large amount of swelling in her brain that was leaving her unable to walk, talk or swallow on her own. After seven days in the ICU, Quintana was deemed medically stable enough to be transferred to Encompass
announce a summer workout program soon, and hopes to have the players working out in the fall, too. Lakewood Ranch went 48-56-1 in four years under Chupp, including a 2023 season in which the team went 19-8 and reached the Class 7A regional semifinal round.
However, the Mustangs finished this spring with a 6-18 record. Ringquist would not comment on whether Chupp resigned or was let go from his position.
“He has a lot of ties to this area,” Ringquist said of Desmond. “He’s definitely connected with the youth programs, and his background playing at the highest level that you could possibly play and have success. He has a lot of great attributes that he can bring to our program that we’re excited about.”
There is reason to think that Lakewood Ranch could have a better season next spring.
Eight seniors graduated, but 14 sophomores or juniors could return for the 2026 season, including tophitter Carter Sprague (.400 batting average over 20 games) and pitcher Chase Skarbek (2.66 ERA in 26 1/3 innings).
Desmond and the Mustangs will have some stiff competition in the area.
However, Desmond is no stranger to baseball in Sarasota and Manatee counties and is up for the challenge.
“If I’m being fully transparent, when I was in my career, thinking about what I would do post-career, I always thought I would go back and coach Sarasota, but life changes,” Desmond said. “Being in the community we’re in has been great. We have a phenomenal community around us, and I couldn’t be more excited to start this next chapter of my life at Lakewood Ranch High.”
Vinnie Portell is the sports reporter for the East County Observer. Contact him at VPortell@ YourObserver.com.
Heath Rehabilitation Hospital to begin her recovery.
Though she was determined to progress as much—and as quickly—as possible, Quintana soon found that her stroke had also caused her to lose her ability to control her emotions. “The first day I came in, someone in the gym was ringing the bell,” she said. “I broke down crying. The director of therapy told me that would be me soon.”
Steffany’s used the AutoAmbulator®, a treadmill-like device that allowed her to get in a standing position in a harness. Robotics assist the patient’s legs, simulating walking. Though she was skeptical of the equipment at first, she admits, soon she realized its purpose. “My therapist kept repeating ‘Heel, toe’ to remind me how to move my feet,” Steffany said. “As time progressed, I noticed I was doing it on my own.”
Occupational therapy helped her regain fine motor skills and prepared her to walk with a backpack for when she returned to school. Regaining her ability to swallow—Steffany’s most important goal—was celebrated with Coke, her favorite beverage.
Steffany’s team knew when to push her and when to comfort her and showed her that she was capable of doing more than she thought. Most importantly, her team taught her to be patient with herself and trust the plan put in place for her.
“In the first two or three days, I was thinking, ‘Why am I here, this isn’t going to work,’” Steffany said. “It did. I definitely came out stronger.”
Steffany Quintana, 24, was
student, busily studying for finals and the LSAT for law school admission.
Vinnie Portell
Former MLB player and Sarasota High grad Ian Desmond said he plans on coaching the Mustangs baseball team “for a long time.”
Nick Cinelli
Nick Cinelli has high expectations for his upcoming senior season with the Braden River High football team.
If he plays anything like he did in the Pirates’ spring game against Cape Coral Mariner on May 22, that should be no problem.
Cinelli had eight receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown, along with two interceptions on defense as a free safety in a 14-all tie against the Tritons at Braden River High School.
When and why did you start playing football?
I started playing football when I was about 7, and I never played tackle until my high school career. I was always a flag football player. My parents didn’t want me to get hurt. I started as a freshman, and I didn’t see the field my freshman or sophomore year. Junior year, I made a switch (from quarterback) to receiver midway through the season.
What’s been your most memorable moment at Braden River?
Definitely the first game (last season) against Bayshore when I first got in. I got (an interception) that game, and it was just really memorable for me.
What’s been your most humbling moment in football?
Definitely going out with high expectations (last year), expecting that I’m going to do really good in the game and just like not playing to the best of my ability. The Parrish game was tough because I was expecting that to be my breakout game and I ended up having two catches for -2 yards.
What’s your favorite meal?
I’m going to have to say filet and shrimp. I make a mean steak. I cook it medium rare. I like loaded mashed potatoes and asparagus on the side.
What’s your favorite TV show or movie? Don’t make fun of me for this one. It’s
If
‘How
If
My
Who’s your favorite football player and why?
I’m
Lakewood Ranch YMCA hosts senior fair YOUR NEIGHBORS
akewood Ranch residents
LChuck and Phyllis Lynn, owners of Lynn’s Spins Inc., are frequent entertainers at the YMCA Senior Fairs and other local events.
On May 21, they provided entertainment for the guests of the YMCA’s most recent gathering, with Chuck singing along with Phyllis, who was DJing.
The Lynns’ 57th wedding anniversary is in late May.
“I’ve been blessed for 57 years,” said Chuck Lynn. “I don’t know where I would’ve ended up, probably in jail.”
Chuck and Phyllis both agreed they have had their ups and downs but have gotten through them as
best friends.
The senior program at the YMCA began 10 years ago and was founded by Donna Augustyniak.
She wanted to create a group where everyone was invited, for seniors can get often lonely.
Senior Fairs have been going on annually for five years, twice a year for the last three. The goal is to provide seniors a one-stop shop for a broad range of resources. On May 21, 37 vendors took part.
Augustyniak is the senior coordinator at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA and is now 76 years old.
“I’ve been a senior since I started, and I’m still going strong,” she said.
MADISON BIERL
Ali Tahiiri, Naturali Pro LLC brand representative, tells Bradenton’s Mary Orlando about a BioPhotonic Scanner, which measures the level of concentration of antioxidants through scanning a hand.
Lindsay Ogden, Josie Wilson, Denise Douglas and Meeru Fendt represent PrimeHealth Primary Care and Guardant Health. Guardant Health has the Shield blood test, which is the first FDA approved blood test for a colon cancer screening.
Bradenton's John Wayne Greenwell, The Alloro at University Groves' Patrick and Marilyn Moran and Lakewood Ranch's Chuck and Phyllis Lynn have been friends for years.
Sarasota's Susan Walker learns more about Discovery Commons at Bradenton, a senior living community, from Executive Director Stephanie McKinnon.
Photographs by Madison Bierl
MyCareFinders' senior care advisor Jean Kramer informs Lakewood Ranch resident Janet Stewart about services the company provides including assisting in finding senior living communities at no cost to the client.
Marcia Anderson and Donna Foster both have been members at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA for four years. Both of them acted as volunteers for the event and handed out snacks to those checking out the resource booths.
Center Point offers a little bit of everything
The 50-acre mixed-use project is six years in the making.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Center Point at Waterside has found its perfect mix of local and national tenants.
The 50-acre mixed-use plaza that sits in the southeast corner of University Parkway and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard started construction in 2019 with a 77,000-squarefoot medical building.
Now, six years later, the last outparcel is open for business, and the final commercial space has been leased.
Casto Southeast Realty is the developer of Center Point. The company, which also developed Lakewood Ranch Main Street, has high demand for tenant space in its developments.
Joe Douglas made a deal with Casto to purchase the 1.63-acre parcel on the corner of University Parkway and Business Boulevard to bring his upscale steak and seafood restaurant, 131 Main, to Lakewood Ranch.
Douglas said the deal was made locally, but Casto President Brett Hutchens visited his Charlotte restaurant to try the food first, then accept the check. Hutchens, his wife, Fabienne, and their dog dined on the patio.
“It wasn’t just (writing) a check; it was a check and an interview,” Douglas said. “Fortunately, it went our way.”
The restaurant opened at Center Point in April. The other four locations are in North Carolina.
Center Point appealed to Douglas because he’s also a real estate developer. Most of the businesses lease, but Casto allowed Douglas to buy his parcel. He likes to build from the ground up.
Now open, 131 Main completes the row of freestanding buildings that
front University Parkway. Ruth’s Chris Steak House anchors the opposite corner on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. In between are 7-Eleven, McDonald’s, Bar Italia, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, a bank and a dentist’s office.
Hutchens said it takes balance to fill a plaza. Tenants need to complement one another, not compete.
In January, there was one space left to lease within the inner strip of businesses, and there were plenty of options. In the end, Casto chose to offer visitors something sweet.
The Milkshake Factory will fill that final spot with milkshakes and chocolates. The concept was launched by fourth-generation chocolatiers. The family business started expanding in 2023 through franchising.
The Milkshake Factory is now in 15 states with 22 stores open and more than a dozen in the works.
Bradenton residents Renee and Brent Schadenberg are the local franchise owners. They’re opening another Milkshake Factory at 7230 Manatee Ave. W. The couple’s territory spans from Bradenton to Fort Myers.
Opening dates are not scheduled for either location as of yet.
FLOWER CHILD
The latest and last restaurant to open in Center Point is Flower Child, a fast-casual, health-conscious restaurant.
“This is the first store in Florida for Flower Child, which a lot of people in our business can’t believe,” Hutchens said. “Mostly, those concepts try Miami first and then grow elsewhere.”
Dave Luz, vice president of operations for Flower Child, said the brand thrives in communities that align with the company’s values — wellness, quality of life and a strong sense of community.
“We know that Lakewood Ranch is one of the fastest-growing communities in the state, with a highly
engaged, health-conscious population — our ideal guest,” Luz said. “So, that means we don’t always enter a market with the obvious choice if we have an opportunity with a market like Lakewood Ranch.”
Casto made a point to include several wellness options at Center Point. Chamberlin’s is an all natural grocery store. The Thrivery is a juicery and cafe focused on nutrition. There’s also a Pilates studio and med spa.
The Lakewood Ranch location is No. 41 for Flower Child, which was created by Sam Fox of Fox Restaurant Concepts before the restaurant group was bought by the Cheesecake Factory in 2019.
Hutchens thought Flower Child was “phenomenal” long before the
lease was signed, so he was the one who wanted to be picked that time.
UTC had also been trying to coax
Flower Child into the Florida market.
Lucky for Hutchens, he knows the Realtor for the Cheesecake Factory.
Luz credits Hutchens for being the “catalyst” for bringing the brand to Lakewood Ranch.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Brett and Casto,” Luz said.
“Their passion for creating a curated, community-driven dining and retail experience was clear from day one.”
Luz added that Lakewood Ranch “checked all the boxes for an impactful debut in the state.”
Dr. Kansara
at Coastal Eye Institute, is a leading expert in the field of ophthalmology, specializing in:
• Glaucoma Management & Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Procedures
• Micro-Incision Cataract Surgery
• Routine Eye Care
His patient-centric approach ensures personalized treatment plans that cater to your unique eye health needs.
Whether you’re seeking preventative care or battling an eye condition, Dr. Kansara’s expertise and compassionate care can guide you towards improved vision and a healthier lifestyle. He is
to staying at the forefront of ophthalmic advancements, offering the latest treatments and technologies to deliver the best possible outcomes for his patients.
Don’t miss this opportunity to receive compassionate and personalized eye care.
of
Feb. 19: The Thrivery Feb. 28: Arhaus (furniture and home decor store) Apr. 9: 131 Main
Flower Child opened May 13 in Center Point at Waterside.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Yellow Clover greets guests as they enter the dining room at 131 Main.
Arhaus sells modern furniture and home decor with a 16,000-square-foot showroom.
Robot teams score well in worlds
Haile Middle placed third in its division, and Mona Jain Middle placed second in its division for teamwork.
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
Working on a robot, trial and error can be a way of life.
Trial and error in all things technical, all things mechanical and, even, some things personal.
Meet Team Charlie, a group of seventh graders from Carlos E. Haile Middle School, just back from the VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas. Team Charlie is made up of Sofia Laubacker, Amelia Cendere, Connor Willats, Joshua Parker, and Cooper Gallego who were coached by Anthony Vasile.
Dressed in Charlie Brown pajama pants, Team Charlie finished 26th in robot skills in a group of 420 teams and third in the Teamwork Challenge. Mona Jain Middle School was also there, finishing 83rd in skills and second in the Teamwork Challenge. McNeal Elementary was 100th of 400 in skills and 53rd in teamwork.
Bradenton’s Sofia Laubacker, 12, was the Team Charlie’s lead and helped code the robot. This is not her first time at VEX Worlds, as she and Willats were both part of the team “The Donut Squad” in fifth grade that also made it to worlds.
“We would code it fully, take it home and work on it over the weekends,” said Laubacker. “Then Cooper and Connor, they would have the bright idea to change the robot so then we would have to recode it again for another eight hours.”
“It is true,” said Gallegos. “As a builder, I just wanted to always make the robot better somehow.”
Gallegos said he has always enjoyed building and creating things and started out with Lego before joining VEX three years ago.
“I would build models and work on car engines and stuff like that,” Gal-
legos said. “I was like this would be a cool opportunity for me to do something I enjoy.”
Gallegos said their original robot was pretty flimsy, with parts always bending “This (their current robot) it’s a lot more sturdy,” said Gallegos.
Parker said he learned to scout other teams’ designs to make his own better. Trial and error, remember?
“We learned how to maximize our driving score and find the true potential of our robot,” said Willats.
As a team, Charlie has had ups and downs but found ways to work together. There were five members of the team so they would often vote on decisions but there were times Cendere would opt not to vote, but did learn how to compromise better.
“I’m sorry; I didn’t want to take sides,” said Cendere.
Laubacker said there were times where she had to walk away and take a breather.
“None of us really took it to heart,”
Laubacker said. “We’re all very good friends in our life, and I like that we were able to push through that.”
This school year, the team was able to meet as a class every day. Last year, it was only after school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Laubacker said it enabled them to have a lot more time to think of ideas and successfully implement them. The time between practices last year allowed for more time to forget ideas but there were five extra hours during the week that she appreciated having.
Gallegos said building their robot took a lot of trial and error (there it is again) and a lot of time sketching in the engineering notebook.
“I was really happy with the design and how good we got this robot to be by the end of the season,” said Gallegos.
“What was good is that one of our best friends’ team, The Mechanical Bulls, weren’t in our division,” said Gallegos of a team from Mona Jain Middle. “So we got third and they got second.”
Mona Jain Middle School “Mechanical Bulls” made up of Jaxon
Carver, Carl Santos and Charles Santos were in a different division than Charlie, but also placed highly. They went to their division’s finals and won second place in teamwork for the opportunity division and placed 83rd in skills out of over 400 teams.
Both Charlie and the Mechanical Bulls have YouTube channels where they post and get advice from other teams. Gallegos said Carl commented on one of their videos recommending a smaller sprocket be replaced with a bigger one.
“I was like, ‘Hey guys, remember Carls’ comment,’” said Gallegos. “We changed that, and it was a big game changer. It helped so much.”
McNeal Elementary team “Blue Lightning” was made up of Samantha Casnueva, Trenton Horne, Matthew Jackson, Parker Poplaski. They placed 53rd out of 84 teams in teamwork in the arts division. They placed 100th in skills out of 400 teams.
“It was a wonderful experience for our team. They kept their season average score in the team matches and did well in Skills,” said Vyacheslav Kolomiychenko, who coached “Blue Lightning” from McNeal Elementary. “They enjoyed interacting with other teams, sharing trinkets, and exploring the venue.”
TEAM CHARLIE VEX SEASON
Howlin’ on the Ridge
Tampa Bay
Courtesy image
Haile Middle School students Sofia Laubacker, Amelia Cendere, Cooper Gallegos, Connor Willats and Joshua Parker competed at Vex Worlds and won third place in Teamwork for the research division. They were led by their coach Tony Vasile.
Concession home tops sales at $4 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome on Lindrick Lane in The Concession topped the week’s sales. John and Tammy Miller, trustees, of Newport Beach, California, sold the home at 8487 Lindrick Lane to Darren Stephen Slegg and Hend Haymour, of Bradenton, for $4 million. Built in 2024, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,816 square feet of living area.
COUNTRY CLUB
Edward and Ellis Bobilin, of Salem, South Carolina, sold their home at 7028 Lacantera Circle to Byron and Joanne Shinn, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.3 million. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,518 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.36 million in 2020.
Janine Rempe and Robert Holmes, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7324 Riviera Cove to 7324 Partners LLC for $782,500. Built in 2003, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,997 square feet of living area. It sold for $355,000 in 2020.
ISLES TMAN Investments LLC sold the home at 8281 Redonda Loop to Victor Prichard, trustee, of Flower Mound, Texas, for $1.98 million. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,004 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.1 million in 2023.
WATERLINE ROAD
David Shaddock and Virginia Ann East, of Sarasota, sold their home at 17507 Waterline Road to Ember Academy of Florida LLC for $1.85 million. Built in 1968, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,709 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2013.
ESPLANADE
David Gruber and Margaret Vigiolto sold their home at 4825 Benito Court to Duane Silvestri and Teri Shizuko Silvestri, of Bradenton, for $1.55 million. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,770 square feet of living area. It sold for $865,200 in 2017.
TIDEWATER PRESERVE
Melvin and Jennifer Benson, trustees, of Edmond, Oklahoma, sold the home at 5818 Tidewater Preserve Blvd. to Robert and Maria Ferguson, of Mantoloking, New Jersey, for $1,250,600. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,460 square feet of living area. It sold for $980,000 in 2021.
RIVER CLUB SOUTH
Joseph and Elizabeth Feldmann, of Carbon, Illinois, sold their home at 9420 Old Hyde Park Place to Louis Philip Caravella and Patricia Ruth Caravella, of Castle, Rock, Colorado, for $1.24 million. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,713 square feet of living area. It sold for $540,000 in 2010.
COUNTRY CLUB EAST
Michael Edward Shaklik and Ye Lou, of Coronado, California, sold their home at 7220 Whittlebury Trail to Terry and Amy Wolcott, of East Aurora, New York, for $1.05 million. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,399 square feet of living area.
UNIVERSITY PARK
Barton and Rorie Russell, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 6947 Lennox Place to Mark Berman and Susan Stewart, of Bradenton,
has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half
for $980,000. Built in 2001, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,239 square feet of living area. It sold for $785,000 in 2023.
MILL CREEK
William and Catherine Rueth, trustees, of Blue Ridge, Georgia, sold the home at 13534 Fifth Ave. N.E. to Jenna Kazil, of Bradenton, for $900,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,815 square feet of living area. It sold for $457,000 in 2017.
TREYMORE OF PALM AIRE
Kevin James Grady and Elizabeth Jones Grady, trustees, of Fernandina Beach, sold the home at 7028 Treymore Court to James Comeford, of St. Petersburg, for $875,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,489 square feet of living area. It sold for $558,000 in 2017.
DEL WEBB
Robert and Marilyn Seaberg, of Manhasset, New York, sold their home at 18010 Harwich Place to Bruce and Sharon Krell, of Ontario, Canada, for $765,000. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,701 square feet of living area. It sold for $731,400 in 2022.
GREYHAWK LANDING WEST
Christopher and Ashely Akers, trustees, of Burleson, Texas, sold the home at 11910 Petunia Terrace to David Morehouse and Shannon O’Keefe, of Lakewood Ranch, for $760,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,727 square feet of living area. It sold for $544,000 in 2019.
BRIDGEWATER
Lisa Ketner, Personal Representative, of Noblesville, Indiana, sold the home at 13112 Ramblewood Trail to Theodore and Nancy Robak, of Bradenton, for $750,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,255 square feet of living area. It sold for $850,000 in 2023.
OSPREY LANDING
Rachel Vasquez, of Painted Post, New York, sold her home at 11553 11th Ave. E. to Brandon and Kiley Hurwit, of Bradenton, for $745,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 2,823 square feet of living area. It sold for $445,600 in 2017.
GREENBROOK
David and Heather Dees, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 6476 Royal Tern Circle to Joseph and Maria Volker of Santee, California, for $725,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,013 square feet of living area. It sold for $376,000 in 2005.
Iwona Sliwowska, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, sold her home at 142123 Sundial Place to Ayman Abdelhamid Farghaly and Ayten Farghaly, of Lakewood Ranch, for $725,00. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,324 square feet of living area. It sold for $629,600 in 2021.
Brian East, of Ft. Myers, sold his home at 13503 Glossy Ibis Place to William Dorman and Enith Yadira
Correal Romero, of Lakewood Ranch, for $599,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,386 square feet of living area. It sold for $285,000 in 2015.
John and Sheila Kresse, of Liverpool, New York, sold their home at 15310 Blue Fish Circle to Jason Michael Tortorici and Nicole Leigh Tortorici, of Lakewood Ranch, for $545,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,034 square feet of living area. It sold for $389,000 in 2021.
STONEYBROOK AT HERITAGE
HARBOUR
Jonthan Michael Duvall, trustee, of Ashland, Kentucky, sold the home at 8844 Brookfield Terrace to Russell Horneman and Sandra
Horneman, trustees, of Sarasota, for $700,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,005 square feet of living area. It sold for $417,000 in 2018.
WINDWARD
Jeffrey Cave and Christina Yong Mitchell sold their home at 2582 Wild Cherry Path to Hernando Teran, of Sarasota, for $680,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,109 square feet of living area. It sold for $535,900 in 2022.
THE MOORINGS AT EDGEWATER
Donald Strickland and Lucy Elise Strickland, of Denver, sold their Unit 101 condominium at 6527 Moorings Point Circle to Barton and
Courtesy image
A Country Club village home at 7028 Lacantera Circle sold for $2.3 million. Built in 2007, it
baths, a pool and 4,518 square feet of living area.
Rorie Russell, of Lakewood Ranch, for $675,000. Built in 2003, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,983 square feet of living area. It sold for $395,000 in 2019.
BRADEN PINES
Sharon Weaver, of Uniontown, Ohio, sold the home at 10508 Oak Run Drive to Ronnie and Rebecca Wolf, of Bradenton, for $650,000. Built in 1984, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,033 square feet of living area. It sold for $165,000 in 1994.
INDIGO
John Bowman Jr. and Barbara Connor Flanagan sold their home at 2932 Sky Blue Cove to Manish and Nidhi Patel, of Sarasota, for $650,000. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,220 square feet of living area. It sold for $606,400 in 2021.
PALM AIRE AT SARASOTA
Robert and Lori Payne, of Ontario, Canada, sold their home at 5662 Country Lakes Drive to Peter and Marie Sciocchetti, of Latham, New York, for $639,000. Built in 1991, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,395 square feet of living area. It sold for $300,000 in 2010.
HERITAGE HARBOUR
Irene Rivera, trustee, and Richard Joseph Rivera, of Bradenton, sold the home at 6849 Wild Lake Terrace to James and Aimee Heath, of Albany, Maine, for $635,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,268 square feet of living area. It sold for $352,500 in 2016.
CENTRAL PARK
John and Loreen Silva sold their home at 12014 Forest Park Circle to Laura Lee Rohrbach and Arlan Stephen Rohrbach, of Strongsville, Ohio, for $625,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,186 square feet of living area. It sold for $550,000 in 2021.
HIDDEN MEADOWS
Wanda Dunlap, of Bradenton, sold the home at 6300 26th Ave. E. to
Daniel Joseph, of Bradenton, for $625,000. Built in 1991, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,004 square feet of living area. It sold for $200,000 in 1999.
SAVANNA
Paul Michael Depalo and Laraine Jeanne Depalo, of Bradenton, sold their home at 3713 Savanna Palms Court to Joseph and Amy Rendace, of Lakewood Ranch, for $590,000. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,192 square feet of living area. It sold for $599,800 in 2023.
SUMMERFIELD
David and Maria Paliotta, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 11921 Whistling Way to Jeanne Frassica, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $585,000. Built in 1997, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,256 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 2015.
MAGNOLIA MANOR
John and Mary Jo Zimmerman, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6607 24th Ave. E. to Deena Martineau, of Bradenton, for $582,000. Built in 1978, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,896 square feet of living area.
ARBOR GRANDE
Philip Anthony Jones, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 2316 Springhaven Lane to Trade In Holdings LLC for $523,000. Built in 2020, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,965 square feet of living area. It sold for $315,000 in 2020.
RIVERWALK
Susan and Craig Belesi sold their home at 7415 Loblolly Bay Trail to William and Susan Hutto, of Lakewood Ranch, for $520,300. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,846 square feet of living area. It sold for $295,000 in 2015.
ONLINE
See more transactions at YourObserver.com
YOUR CALENDAR
COMMUNITY
THURSDAY, MAY 29
GARDENING CLASS
Begins at 10 a.m. at the Lakewood Ranch Library, Meeting Room B, 16410 Rangeland Parkway. The Manatee County Ag Extension and Manatee County Utilities and Water Conservation present a class on salt-tolerant plants and irrigating with reclaimed water. Valrie Massey, a horticulture program assistant with Mobile Irrigation Lab, will lead the workshop. The focus of the program is to educate homeowners on how to use less water and still have a healthy landscape. Free irrigation and landscape evaluations will be provided by the Mobile Irrigation Lab team for Manatee County residents with an in-ground irrigation system and a controller on which they are able to make changes. For information, go to Sites.Google.com/View/ Manateemil/Home.
THURSDAY, MAY 29 THROUGH SUNDAY, JUNE 1
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 Arvey (Thursday), the White Crowe Band (Friday), the Garbage-Men (Saturday), and Jason Hedges (Sunday). The Friday and Saturday concerts are $5; the others are free. For information, go to JiggsLanding.com.
FRIDAY, MAY 30 AND SATURDAY, MAY 31
MUSIC AT THE PLAZA
Runs from 6-9 p.m. each evening at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Acoustic cover artist Mike Williams performs for the Waterside Place crowd on Friday while singer Mylon Shamble entertains on Saturday. For information, go to WatersidePlace.com.
SATURDAY, MAY 31
ROOFTOP YOGA
Begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 16410 Rangeland Parkway, Lakewood Ranch. Adults 18 and older 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
BEST BET
SUNDAY, JUNE 1
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. For information, visit MyLWR.com.
experience. The workout focuses on balancing effort and ease through breath work and postures. Those who participate are asked to bring a yoga mat. For information, go to MyLWR.com.
SATURDAY, MAY 24 AND SUNDAY, MAY 25
MUSIC AT THE LODGE Runs 6-9 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday at Linger Lodge, 7205 85th St. Court E., Bradenton. Linger Lodge’s live music schedule includes Tony Lapera on Saturday and a musician to be named for Sunday.
SUNDAY, JUNE 1
YOGA IN THE PARK
Runs 9-10 a.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Sarasota. Start the morning off with gentle yoga with lake views. For information, go to LakewoodRanch.com.
TAI CHI CLASS
Begins at 9:45 a.m. at the Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota. Fab & Fit and the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center present Tai Chi/Qigong on the lower level of the Mall at UTC at Macy’s Court. The free class will be led by Sandy Bellino and is a gentle workout that involves whole body movement, mind focus and deep breathing. Participants will enjoy light refreshments. For information, go to MallatUTC.com.
NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH
UNDER PRESSURE by Zhouqin Burnikel, edited by Jared Goudsmit
By Luis Campos
The
The Shanahan Luxury Group facilitated the sale of our home with expertise and ease. Selling a home can be stressful, yet the Shanahans made the process seamless, easy, and quick. Tyler was accurate in pricing our home correctly the first time and is extremely knowledgeable of the real estate market. I highly recommend the Shanahan’s when selling a home.
