East County Observer 5.6.21

E A ST COUNTY

Observer Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

Shady deal in the park.

PAGE 6B

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FREE THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

VOLUME 23, NO. 25

YOUR TOWN

County investigates officials Inspector general examines whether Manatee County Code Enforcement ignored citizen complaints about Myakka construction without permits. PAGE 3A

MOTHER’S DAY, MAY 9

Courtesy photo

Students enjoy box of quackers When Brody Winch, a kindergartner at Tara Elementary School, came to school April 19, he had six new classmates.

Winch’s teacher, Josephine Johnson, had been caring for the six duck eggs in her class. They finally hatched April 18, and the ducklings were ready to say hello to the class.

Johnson said having ducklings in class gives students a hands-on experience that teaches them about the life cycle of ducks.

MOM’S LOVE PREVAILS East County moms talk about being a good mother in 2021.

SEE PAGE 1B

Brendan Lavell

Greenbrook mom Kim Pinto has prioritized providing normal and fun experiences, such as riding bikes with friends or swimming at the pool, for her 4-year-old daughter, Lively, as they navigate through the pandemic.

Brendan Lavell

Light my fire Chabad of Lakewood Ranch and Bradenton celebrated Lag Ba’Omer with a bonfire April 29. The holiday celebrates Shimon bar Yochai, a second-century rabbi who revealed knowledge about the Torah.

Rabbi Mendy Bukiet was among many who helped light the Chabad of Bradenton’s fire, which he said represents the light of knowledge.

“For the community to get together is a phenomenal thing, especially after the last year and a half where people were isolated,” he said. “This holiday is about unity and community.”

New education choice on the Ranch Courtesy photo

Lakewood Ranch Charter Academy will implement the WISH framework, which focuses on wellness, innovation, science and health.

Lakewood Ranch Charter Academy will provide a new option for East County parents.

SEE PAGE 4A

A+E

Performance gets a big hand.

SEE PAGE 8B

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

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River Club residents seek support after gunfight “This has escalated to the level where [those residing at the residence] are dangerous to all of us.”

They wonder if violence will continue next to their homes on Oakmont Way. JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

As those who live on Oakmont Way in the River Club and in the surrounding neighborhood try to continue their lives without fear of more violence affecting their families, Manatee County deputies continued their investigation of gun fire that took place in the early morning hours of May 2.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office had issued no statement

by East County Observer deadline May 4 about what caused violence to break out at a “large” party at a home at 6706 Oakmont Way that left two people injured.

Some neighbors estimated 25 to 40 shots were fired at approximately 3 a.m., which caused party guests to scramble around the neighborhood seeking safety.

A Manatee County Sheriff’s Office report said neither injury was a gunshot wound but occurred when the people were injured while fleeing the scene.

Neither injury was life-threatening, according to the report.

Neighbors said the shooting at 6706 Oakmont Way was not surprising considering they suspected illegal activities taking place at the residence for more than a decade. According to property records, Carl Loeffler purchased

— Oakmont Way resident

Jay Heater

A bullet hole is in the window above the garage at 6706 Oakmont Way after a shooting early Sunday morning in the Lakewood Ranch area.

the home in June 2005 and it has been listed as a homesteaded residence since 2013.

Melissa Conway, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, said law enforcement has had a “history of calls” at that address dating back to 2006, but she said nothing was similar in nature to the May 2 shootings.

Neighbors said it has been like a long fuse and they were waiting for the explosion.

“This has escalated to the level where [those residing at the residence] are dangerous to all of us,” one neighbor said.

One neighbor had an audio recording of at least 15 gunshots that sound like they came from more than one weapon. The

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neighbor said several more gunshots followed.

The neighbors said they heard a person fleeing the scene saying “I’ve been shot.”

Conway said there were no people with gunshot wounds at the site. She said the two people who were injured sustained lacerations from broken glass when the people inside were attempting to quickly exit the residence.

East County Fire Rescue was on site Sunday hosing blood off the sidewalks and the street.

Although the Sheriff’s Office report didn’t say whether either of the victims were taken to the hospital, the neighbors said they watched as one female victim was taken away by ambulance.

Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies had arrived on the scene at 1:20 a.m. due to noise complaints and complaints about cars being parked illegally. Upon arrival, deputies determined the noise was not excessive while party organizers assisted in locating vehicle owners who needed to move their cars.

Neighbors called the report about not having excessive noise ridiculous. Those who lived a street away said they woke up due to the loud music. Neighbors on Oakmont Way said they were awake all night from the noise.

Neighbors said deputies left the scene after the illegally parked cars were moved. The shots were fired just before 3 a.m.

Conway said, “The deputy who responded to the calls regarding parking and noise complaints was in the neighborhood from around 1:30 a.m. until shots were fired, at which time additional deputies were called to assist.”

While the Sheriff’s Office release called the party “large,” neighbors estimated hundreds of

guests attended.

Conway said Manatee County has no statute that regulates the number of people someone can have on their private property.

Those who attended parked on other streets and a limo shuttled them to the party.

After the shooting, neighbors said it was chaos, people running and trying to find shelter.

Two neighbors said a man with a gun (in each case a different man) was at their front door. Another neighbor said party guests were trying to break into their lanai.

All the neighbors said they were afraid to live in a neighborhood they love, except for the one house. They are afraid for their children who play in the neighborhood.

“We just want the community’s help in getting this resolved,” one neighbor said.

Another neighbor said, “We feel neglected by the police we support.”

Conway said the Sheriff’s Office has initiated a “patrol request” for the area that will be in place in the “coming says, weeks and months.”

“We understand the concerns of the neighbors, and we are actively working to gather more information,” Conway said. “If anyone has information regarding the incident, we ask they please call us at 747-3011.”

The names of the victims have not been released. No arrests have been made.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

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FAIR TREATMENT? Myakka landowner says his complaint about construction to accommodate the Sarasota Medieval Fair was ignored.

BRENDAN LAVELL STAFF WRITER

E

ven as Manatee County Inspector General Lori Stephens investigates if Manatee County employees acted inappropriately after being asked to investigate possible construction violations on a 50-acre, agriculturally zoned property in Myakka City, construction has continued at the site, which had been advertised as the future site of the Sarasota Medieval Fair.

The property is owned by a corporation called Mallaranny LLC, which is managed by Jeremy Croteau. Croteau is also the president of the Sarasota Medieval Fair.

John Barnott, the Manatee County Building and Services Department director, said Croteau was informed of the requirements to host the fair. Barnott said a special permit and public hearing will be required if the Sarasota Medieval Fair is to be held at the property.

Asked if earthmoving construction is allowed on the Mallaranny property, Barnott referred to Section 702.2 of Manatee County’s Land Development Code, which explains exemptions to the county’s earthmoving requirements.

One activity eligible for exemption is “earthmoving which is accessory to agricultural operations where no earth is transported off-site,” according to the Land Development Code. However, the code also said that the exemption is only valid if “no off-site drainage is affected,” among other stipulations.

Drainage became the issue when Myakka City resident Russell Ireland, who lives on the property directly west of the Mallaranny property, and Doug Grosse, whose property is directly east of Mallaranny’s land, joined to inform the county that drainage patterns on their properties have changed since construction started on the Mallaranny property.

Ireland said rainwater has pooled on the southeastern cor-

Photos by Brendan Lavell

Amy Grosse, daughter of landowner Doug Grosse, whose property borders the eastern side of the Mallaranny property, stands in water caused by one day of rain. Doug Grosse says this didn’t happen in the past.

“We need to know the facts. Depending on what those facts are, then we’ll have to see how we handle it from there. But certainly, the way this has been moving forward is not appropriate.”

— Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh

ner of his property, even during the dry season, in ways that have never happened before. Grosse said pipes on the eastern border of the Mallaranny property have been spewing water onto his land, which then creates a large pool of standing water at least ankledeep after one day of rain. He said he is worried how much worse the flooding will become when the rainy season starts in May or June.

Ireland said April 27 that earthmoving construction, such as use of dirt fill and bulldozing work, was still taking place on the Mallaranny property.

THE CODE

An excerpt from Section 702.2 of the Manatee County Land Development Code explains exemptions to prohibition of earthmoving construction projects on agricultural land without a permit:

A.

The earthmoving operations listed under subsection B shall not require a separate earthmoving site plan or operating permit provided: … No off-site drainage is affected. … There is no rise in the base flood elevation of an identified floodway. … There is no change in grade at the property line (except for swales). … All other state and local requirements have been fulfilled.

Although an earthmoving permit may not be required, a tree removal permit under Section 700 may be required. If the site is located within the floodplain, then the provisions of the Floodplain Management Ordinance [must be followed].

B.

The activities eligible for exemptions are: … earthmoving which is accessory to agricultural operations where no earth is transported off-site.

Croteau told Manatee County Code Enforcement Officer Chet Brown on March 24 that he had stopped bringing truckloads of dirt to the property, according to a report filed by Brown. Croteau did not return requests for comment.

Attorney Robert Lincoln, who is representing Ireland, said Mallaranny LLC and the Sarasota Medieval Fair claimed they quali-

An RV and a bulldozer sit on the Mallaranny property April 14. Manatee County Code Enforcement Officer Tanya Shaw says RVs are not supposed to be on the site.

fied for an agricultural exemption for earthmoving construction on the land. Brown’s report said Croteau told him he planned to use the property for cattle and a nursery.

UNDER INVESTIGATION

Stephens now said her division is investigating whether Manatee County Code Enforcement officials ignored citizens’ complaints about construction on the property among other allegations.

Representatives of the Sarasota Medieval Fair did not return requests for comment, though it listed the property, labeled as The Woods of Mallaranny, as the location of the November 2021 fair in a copy of the vendor application obtained by the East County Observer. Sarasota Medieval Fair’s 2021 Florida profit corporation annual report listed the property as its principal place of business.

A screenshot taken March 19 from the “Map & Directions” section of the fair’s website mentioned a “recent purchase of vast beautiful acreage,” while a second screenshot from the “Accepting Merchants” section of the website said, “Join us at our new 50-acre permanent home, the Woods of Mallaranny!” Any mention of the purchase or the Woods of Mallaranny has since been removed from the website.

Mallaranny LLC purchased the property in September 2020.

Ireland filed the first complaint about construction on the Mallaranny property in November.

Manatee County Code Enforcement Officer Tanya Shaw was assigned to look into it. When she went to the property, she said construction workers wouldn’t allow her on the site. Shaw said it seemed like the site was being developed.

After giving her contact information to a person on the site, Shaw said she received a call from a person who identified herself as Kathy. Shaw said she learned later it was Kathleen Croteau, the Sarasota County Development Services Building Official and mother of Jeremy Croteau. Shaw said she informed Croteau of multiple violations on the property, including an on-site RV that appeared to be occupied.

“She said that she would get rid of the RV with the tenant that was on the property who was still on it, and they were trying to have him evicted,” Shaw said.

Shaw said she later checked and saw no site plan or permits filed with the county. A couple weeks later, she said she went to Ireland’s property.

“From his property, I could see tons of heavy equipment brought in, the land clearing that was going on, the fill dirt — you could tell it was very obvious that fill dirt was being brought in,” Shaw said.

In addition to construction, Shaw said a second RV had been brought to the site, and both were hooked up to utilities, which Shaw said is illegal. Kathleen Croteau did not return requests for comment.

Shaw said she then had a meeting with her supervisor, Tom Wooten, who found out who the property owner was.

“He said, ‘Oh, no,’” Shaw said. “‘I recognize her name.’”

Shaw said Wooten then led her to see Manatee County Code Enforcement Chief Jeff Bowman. According to Shaw, Wooten explained the situation all the way up to the discovery that the Croteau family owned the property.

“At that time, the chief’s like, ‘OK Tanya, go ahead and call Mr. Ireland, and let him know that there’s no violations,’” Shaw said.

Shaw said after she told Bowman she wasn’t comfortable with that, Bowman and Wooten called Ireland themselves, and Wooten told Ireland they had investigated his complaint and found no violations. Shaw also said Bowman then called Croteau to tell her the case had been closed with no violations, at which point she said she got up and left the meeting.

Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, whose district includes Myakka City, said on April 15 that it’s important to let the investigation process play out. However, she also said she was concerned by the reports she had heard. In the past, Baugh has said several times that county staff had too much control over local government.

“We need to know the facts,” Baugh said. “Depending on what those facts are, then we’ll have to see how we handle it from there. But certainly, the way this has been moving forward is not appropriate.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

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Courtesy photo

Lakewood Ranch Charter Academy is expected to have about 740 students enrolled if the school opens in August 2022. Within five years, the school is projected to have an enrollment of 1,965 students.

Traditional vs. charter:

Key differences

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Lakewood Ranch’s Ellie Herrera had never thought about sending her children to a charter school, but after hearing about Lakewood Ranch Charter Academy, she’s taking it into consideration.

Herrera has a sixth grader at R. Dan Nolan Middle School and a first grader at Gilbert W. McNeal

Elementary School and is preparing for her 5-year-old to enter kindergarten next year.

Hearing that Lakewood Ranch Charter Academy, whose application was approved by the School Board of Manatee County on April 27, will be a K-12 charter school with a focus on science, health and wellness has piqued Herrera’s interest.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

questions about the differences between traditional schools, such as McNeal Elementary and Nolan Middle, and charter schools.

Frank Pistella, the director of district support for the School District of Manatee County, said the main difference between a traditional and charter school is that a charter school has more flexibility in curriculum.

“The charter schools were created to help improve or maintain high standards of student achievement and increase parent school choice,” Pistella said.

Here’s a breakdown in similarities and differences between traditional and charter schools:

LEADERSHIP Traditional: The School District of Manatee County has control of its 43 traditional schools and sponsors 13 charter schools.

The school board monitors the budget, implements policies and procedures, and hires the superintendent. The district has several departments to track and support academic progress, address finances, ensure students’ and employees’ safety, maintain facilities and more.

Charter: Charter schools are created when an individual, a group of parents or teachers, a business or a legal entity submits an application to the school district.

In the case of Lakewood Ranch Charter Academy, Charter Schools USA partnered with Southwest Charter Foundation, a nonprofit that runs eight charter schools across the state including Manatee Charter School, to submit the application for Lakewood Ranch Charter Academy to the School District of Manatee County. Now that the application has been approved, Charter Schools

USA and Southwest Charter Foundation will create a governing board to lead the school.

Pistella said governing boards’ responsibilities include monitoring a charter school’s budget, implementing policies and procedures, and hiring school administrators.

ACCOUNTABILITY Both: Traditional schools and charter schools are both given a grade based on the state’s assessment of the school’s performance.

All schools must have students participate in Florida Standard Assessments, as well.

Traditional: The school district has several departments on the district level to address numerous facets of the district, such as finances, academics, safety and facilities.

Charter: Charter schools must submit a financial report to the school district monthly until the Florida Department of Education deems the charter school as high performing when it can move to quarterly. Pistella said that the school district also monitors the charter school’s governance, facilities, health services, human resources, safety and academic accountability.

If a charter school isn’t meeting student performance outcomes agreed upon in the charter agreement, fails to be fiscally responsible, violates law or shows other good cause, the sponsor of the school can close the charter school.

ENROLLMENT Traditional: If students do not apply for school choice, students have a zoned school based on their residence in which they enroll.

Charter: A charter school can

choose to focus on a certain population. For example, a charter school can focus on students who are interested in performing arts or be a school for gifted students.

Lakewood Ranch Charter Academy is accepting any students in kindergarten through 12th grade through an application process.

Once the number of applications exceeds the capacity for each grade, a lottery system will be used to select students.

CURRICULUM AND PROGRAMMING Traditional: The school district adopts curriculum based on recommendations from the Florida Department of Education. For example, the district will receive K-2 English language arts textbook recommendations from the state. The district will then seek input from teachers, staff members, families and others to determine which is best for the district and is most aligned with Florida standards.

Curriculum is set across the district’s traditional schools based on grade level.

Charter: Pistella said curriculum is one of the most flexible areas for charter schools.

“Charter schools have a lot of options to make their program different and innovative by implementing curriculum that might not be the same curriculum the district is using,” Pistella said.

He said the district has 13 charter schools, so you could easily have 13 charter schools using 13 different types of curriculum.

Lakewood Ranch Charter Academy will implement the WISH framework, which focuses on wellness, innovation, science and health.

In the charter school’s applica-

ABOUT LAKEWOOD RANCH CHARTER ACADEMY

Charter Schools USA partnered with Southwest Charter Foundation, a nonprofit that runs eight charter schools across Florida including Manatee Charter School, to plan the opening of Lakewood Ranch Charter Academy. n Lakewood Ranch Charter Academy will be a K-12 school focused on science and health with a mission of its students becoming lifelong learners. n The charter school will implement the WISH framework, which focuses on wellness, innovation, science and health. n The school hopes to open in August 2022. n The projected enrollment for kindergarten through sixth grade and ninth grade when the school opens is 740 students. The projected enrollment across all grades by year five is 1,965 students. n Ages 5-18 are served.

tion, some of the potential wellness and health initiatives stated were wellness walks embedded in student schedules and physical education curriculum infused with stretching and yoga.

Potential innovation concepts included such programs and electives as coding for kindergarten through eighth grade, research and Capstone for sixth

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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

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grade through eighth grade and pre-med electives and industry certifications for high school.

High school students could earn multiple college credits through participation in Advanced Placement courses and the Cambridge Assessment International Education program, which provides courses that are rigorous and emphasize higher-order thinking, written and oral skills, problem-solving and other skills.

Participation in these programs gives seniors an opportunity to graduate high school with 45 college credits.

Students who attend Lakewood Ranch Charter Academy could have the opportunity to participate in health- and wellness-related internships through partnerships with local health organizations.

In elementary school, there will be daily reading periods of a minimum of 90 minutes as well as daily writing periods of 30 minutes.

FUNDING Both: Pistella said both traditional and charter schools receive federal, state and county funding through property taxes and grants.

Both types of schools also receive funding through the School District of Manatee County’s 1-mill property tax referendum. All except 14.5% of the funding from the millage since it passed in 2018 goes toward different aspects of education the school board designated for traditional schools. Charter schools are given 14.5%.

The charter school will operate on its own budget, independent of the district’s budget.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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District considers letting masks down School Board of Manatee County will vote May 25 whether to begin a voluntary mask policy for summer school and the 2021-22 school year.

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GreyHawk Landing’s Paula Lohnes’ son came home from after the first day of school, and he was upset because he felt isolated from wearing a mask all day.

The School District of Manatee County has required students and staff to wear masks while on school grounds as a mitigation effort against COVID-19.

Lohnes was already reluctant about sending her son back to school in person because of the mask policy.

“We don’t believe in masks; we don’t wear them,” Lohnes said.

Two days later, Lohnes pulled her son from school and had him at home doing e-learning full time.

Now, Lohnes is hoping the School Board of Manatee County will approve a change to the mask policy that would allow her son to start his freshman year of high school as normal.

“I want him to have a normal high school experience,” Lohnes said. “There’s no reason for him not to.”

The school board is considering making masks voluntary after

Courtesy photo

Richard Corcoran, the Florida education commissioner, issued a letter to school districts to amend mask policies for next year to make masks optional.

Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees said April 29 that fully vaccinated Floridians don’t need to wear a mask in public or avoid large gatherings.

The school district gave a proposal to the school board during a workshop April 30 that, if approved, would change the mask policy to become voluntary for students, employees and visitors.

Cynthia Saunders, the district’s superintendent, could impose a mask requirement if the 14-day positivity rate of a communicable disease, such as COVID-19, reaches 10% or higher in Manatee County or if there is a high concentration in a specific school or group setting, such as athletics and club activities, according to the proposal.

Madelyn Hall and Patrick Danielcak, first graders at B.D. Gullett Elementary School, use laptops to learn how to access digital books from the public library.

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LET’S CELEBRATE THE CLASS OF 2021 Earning a high school diploma is an accomplishment worth celebrating.

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PROPOSED CHANGES

Proposed changes to the policy on control of casual-contact communicable diseases for the 2021-22 school year: n Face coverings and masks are optional unless otherwise required, beginning June 1, 2021. n Face covering for all employees and visitors will be optional, which includes summer school programs and the 2021-22 school year. n In order to protect the health, safety and well-being of all employees, students and visitors, the school board authorizes the superintendent to require face coverings if the 14-day positivity rate of a communicable disease reaches 10% or higher in Manatee County or if there is a high concentration in a specific school or group setting, such as athletics and club activities. Face coverings will be worn at all times for at least 10 consecutive calendar days or more if the positivity rate remains above the 10% threshold.

If Saunders requires students and employees to wear masks, the masks must be worn at all times for at least 10 consecutive calendar days or more if the positivity rate remains above 10%, according to the proposal.

Board member Charlie Kennedy agreed with the proposal with a few changes. He suggested the district uses a seven-day positivity rate instead of 14 days.

“That enables the superintendent to act more quickly if there is a rapid outbreak of some sort,” Kennedy said. “I think if you can have a middle ground on a mask policy or how to handle the pandemic in Manatee County, I feel

like it’s here and especially now that we have data and metrics from [the department of health].”

Another suggestion Kennedy made was to lower the threshold for requiring masks from a 10% positivity rate to an 8% positivity rate, which the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County considers to be a substantial risk of transmission.

Board members Mary Foreman, Gina Messenger and James Golden agreed with the changes Kennedy suggested.

Board member Scott Hopes was not present for the discussion.

“As it stands right now, I think this is a good way to go,” Messenger said. “I think it does create a reasonable threshold. It gives the superintendent the ability if she needs it to [require masks].”

The proposal would be implemented starting June 1, but Messenger, Foreman and Kennedy all wanted to move the implementation date to June 7 so the policy would be in place during graduation, which is from June 1-5 at LECOM Park and Manatee High School. The policy would then be in place as summer school starts June 7.

Foreman and Kennedy wanted to add language in the policy that would require masks to be worn on buses because numerous students would be in close contact on a bus at a time.

Golden wanted to add language that would require the board to review the policy every 90 days as the board did with the mask policy currently in place.

The school board will hold a public hearing on the mask policy and is expected to vote on a final draft of the policy at its May 25 board meeting.

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

EAST COUNTY

A MOM’S PROFILE

Who: Vivian Quinones-Solano Lives: Braden Woods Works: SunCoast Blood Bank Son: Luis Barguez What Luis says about his mom: “She’s always pushed through anything, and she sees the better in all things. Her attitude always is positive.”

Her challenge in the past year: Overcoming a rare form of skin cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma Her joy in life: Collecting blood and platelets for those in need The good news: On Feb. 25, a PET scan found no signs of cancer in her body.

Courtesy photo

Luis Barguez says his mom, Vivian Quinones-Solano, always tries to bring joy to others.

A MOTHER’S

MIRACLE Cancer survivor challenges others to give blood in Mother’s Day Challenge.

JAY HEATER | MANAGING EDITOR

Luis Barguez of Parrish said his mom, Braden Woods’ Vivian Quinones-Solano, spends most of her time trying to bring joy to others.

If they find that joy, it ultimately brings joy to Quinones-Solano. He tells his friends that it’s what makes her special.

After she was diagnosed with Merkel cell carcinoma May 11, 2020, the joy appeared ready to run out.

“I had something that looked like a small pimple in my earlobe,” Quinones-Solano said. “I had gone to a dermatologist. I had a very aggressive form of skin cancer. The survival rate was 18 to 25 months.”

Although Quinones-Solano, 57, the vice president of community relations for SunCoast Blood Bank in Lakewood Ranch, said she would fight to the end of life, she also was prepared for the worst.

“I thought, ‘God, … I’ve had a good life,’” she said. “I’ve loved every day for the last 24 years. I have been able to make a difference [at nonprofits collecting blood for communities]. I have been able to make sure we have the blood when it is needed.”

After making her peace, she began treatment, going to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.

She had her first surgery June 5 to remove her earlobe and remove lymph nodes in her neck. The lymph nodes showed the cancer had spread. By Aug. 1 she had more tumors on her ear and neck.

Radiation treatments ran from Aug. 13 through Oct. 2.

By December, the cancer had spread to her chest with nine more tumors.

Prospects were dim when she was asked if she would participate in a clinical trial of intralesional immunotherapy with IFx-Hu2.0 vaccine. It only been used in horses to treat advanced Merkel cell carcinoma except for two humans, in which it was unsuccessful. She was willing to try anything. Two tumors were injected on her chest.

Within a month, one of the tumors had disappeared, and

the other was reduced 40%. She was then was given the immunotherapy Babencio/Avelumab, which she will receive every two weeks for the next two years. Her tumors were reduced 75%, and by Feb. 1, all the tumors on her chest had disappeared. On Feb. 25, a pet scan showed no signs of cancer in her body.

“I will spend Mother’s Day with her,” Barguez said. “Sometimes you take life for granted. Then you learn how quickly you could be in a situation you never thought you could be in. It was an eye-opener.”

Quinones said it was much more than an eye-opener.

“One hundred percent, this was a miracle,” she said. “A lot of people were praying for me.”

It also gave her a newfound appreciation for accumulating blood and platelets, which can be important to cancer patients going through cancer treatments.

She said chemotherapy often destroys platelets.

“I see it every day,” she said.

“Cancer patients need blood and platelets. I appreciate it even more that the donors who come [to SunCoast Blood Bank] every two weeks give these people a second chance at life.”

Once she appeared headed toward recovery, Quinones-Solano thought she would ask her son to give blood.

“I don’t give blood regularly, and she asked me to do it,” he said. “I guess, for me, it’s more the matter of just finding the right time. But anything she asks me, I always do.”

After Barguez gave blood, his mom wanted something more.

“We were talking,” QuinonesSolano said. “How can we impact people? How about making a video about paying it forward.”

So they did, Barquez flashing signs about how he donated blood for his mom and asking others to do the same. They put it on SunCoast’s Facebook site. Others started donating and posting their videos as well. Anyone who wants to post a video can do so through Mother’s Day.

“I’ve loved every day for the last 24 years. I have been able to make a difference [at nonprofits collecting blood for communities]. I have been able to make sure we have the blood when it is needed.”

— Vivian Quinones-Solano

Jay Heater

Vivian Quinones-Solano says she hopes to collect blood and platelet donations that might eventually help those going through cancer treatments, like her.

“We wanted to create awareness,” said Quinones-Solano.

She has had her own increased awareness through the ordeal.

“It changes your perspective,” she said. “You think you are invincible.”

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

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944

Publisher / Emily Walsh EWalsh@YourObserver.com Associate Publisher — East County Observer / Lori Ruth LRuth@YourObserver.com Executive Editor / Kat Hughes KHughes@YourObserver.com Managing Editor / Jay Heater JHeater@YourObserver.com Sports Reporter / Ryan Kohn RKohn@YourObserver.com Staff Writer / Liz Ramos, LRamos@YourObserver.com; Brendan Lavell, BLavell@YourObserver.com Copy Editor/ Kaelyn Adix KAdix@YourObserver.com Editorial Designers / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com; Carol Parker, CParker@YourObserver.com Black Tie Editor / Harry Sayer HSayer@YourObserver.com Director of Advertising / Jill Raleigh JRaleigh@YourObserver.com Sales Manager / Penny DiGregorio PDiGregorio@YourObserver.com Digital Sales and Business Development Manager / Kathleen O’Hara, KOHara@YourObserver.com Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter, LRitter@YourObserver.com Advertising Executives / Richeal Bair, RBair@YourObserver. com; Chrissy Guevera, CGuevara@ YourObserver.com; Beth Jacobson, BJacobson@YourObserver.com; Jennifer Kane, JKane@YourObserver.com; Honesty Mantkowski, HMantkowski@ YourObserver.com; Bob Lewis, BLewis@ YourObserver.com; Toni Perren, TPerren@YourObserver.com Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Audri Ferguson, AFerguson@ YourObserver.com Sales Operations Manager / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com Sales Coordinator / Account Manager Emma Burke, EBurke@YourObserver. com; Lori Downey, LDowney@ YourObserver.com Tributes Coordinator/ Kristen Boothroyd, Tributes@YourObserver.com Director of Marketing / Robin Lankton, RLankton@YourObserver.com Director of Creative Services / Caleb Stanton, CStanton@YourObserver.com Creative Services Administrator / Marjorie Holloway MHolloway@YourObserver.com Advertising Graphic Designers / Luis Trujillo, Allison Wampole Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com Director of Information Technology / Adam Quinlin, AQuinlin@YourObserver. com Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland, LStrickland@YourObserver. com Controller / Rafael Labrin, rlabrin@YourObserver.com Office and Accounting Coordinator / Donna Condon, DCondon@YourObserver. com

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

9A

JAY HEATER

Pillars fall, owner rebounds S

Jay Heater

Cheri Christiansen is still smiling even though she had to close her Four Pillars spa in Lakewood Ranch.

Lakewood Ranch didn’t have much of a spa presence. It was fun covering all these businesses that were filling voids.

What made Four Pillars especially fun was Christiansen offered free health and wellness classes to the community.

Her business seemed like a good match all around.

Along the way, Christiansen would show me her master plan,

how she wanted to find a few investors to open a major spa complex in the Lakewood Ranch Commerce Park. She had land picked out, a business plan, and potential partners. It all was impressive and to me, a nonbusiness person, it made a lot of sense.

Meanwhile, her business was growing.

“I doubled my business every

year for four straight years,” Christiansen said. “Four Pillars was thriving.”

It was May 2018 when Christiansen expanded her business into a neighboring suite, 203, which also was 1,500 square feet.

She moved her office into that suite and began yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi and body sculpting classes there.

Then came March 2020, and COVID-19.

“I was so close to my dream in February of 2020,” she said. “So ridiculously close. Then the first week of March, everyone started cancelling appointments. A week later, we closed.”

Four Pillars reopened in midJune, but like many business owners who had lost workers, many of Christiansen’s 14 contract employees had gone on unemployment or left the business.

She received a Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster loan and struggled through the next year.

Finally, she said the business was back at a break-even point in April, and her appointments were full weeks ahead of time.

But her emergency loan payments would begin in July, her unemployment insurance had skyrocketed and she was afraid of the general business climate.

“I had made the decision to

close the first week of April,” she said. “I adapt to change, but the environment had changed too much.”

Christiansen, who is 50, decided to reactivate her CPA license and she hopes to go to work for a business in the Lakewood Ranch area.

“I feel blessed,” she said. “I have so much education and experience. Why would I take the risk (of running a small business)?”

She said a visit in May to the Grand Canyon and Sedona, Ariz., will clear her mind and then she will return to Lakewood Ranch to seek employment.

“I am going to stay in Lakewood Ranch,” she said. “I am the poster child for here. I love it.”

She hopes other business owners have a backup plan if they falter.

“The coronavirus is the killer of dreams,” she said.

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

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he looked like the happiest person in the room, which was odd since Cheri Christiansen was about to have her furniture carried away.

May 1 was the final day for Four Pillars in Lakewood Ranch, and those who had bought all the bits and pieces of the spa had to pick up their purchases so Christiansen could turn over the keys to her 1,500-square-foot space at Suite 221, 8209 Nature’s Way, in San Marco Plaza.

Christiansen said her business was killed by a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty caused by the current administration.

I expected tears, but then again, I should have known better. Christiansen is a “life coach” who helped her clients through personal crises.

Those smiles weren’t completely telltale, though. Christiansen admitted she was churning a bit inside.

“It is sad, because I loved my business,” Christiansen said. “I loved my staff, and my clients.

I created the dream job for myself.”

I was there — only a few months after I became managing editor at the East County Observer — when Christiansen opened her business on Dec. 12, 2015. At the time, fast-growing

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Stop developers’ destruction of real Florida The new Manatee County ad slogan “Love it like a local” rings of hypocrisy. It is grossly disingenuous.

It should be changed to “Come enjoy it before we destroy it.”

The county commissioners and mayors are narrowly focused on beach tourism.

At the same time, they are allowing the robber baron developers to move destructive overdevelopment farther east toward Myakka. The development destroys our real Floridanatural plants, threatened and endangered animals and ecosystems that are so unique to Florida. Real Florida is being replaced with a “Disney” version of a fake Florida with nonnative plants, heat-retaining tile roofs and pavement, and overpopulation.

Not to mention the phosphate mining disasters allowed to go effectively unchecked or to be swept under the carpet.

(Can we justify deep-well injection — is that effective low risk litigation?) The Piney Point wastewater dump did not need to be an emergency. Negligence and blind eyes allowed it to become an emergency.

Once declared as an emergency, hundreds of millions of gallons of toxic polluted wastewater could be pumped into Tampa Bay as a cheap way to get rid of it.

The authorities should have been prepared to fix pond liner leaks that have been a known risk. Remote underwater vehicle robots are typically

used in the industry. Also, nitrogen freeze lines are used in mining and tunneling to freeze underground soil to stop a leak or stream.

In hindsight, we should have done better with the mining waste.

Looking ahead, we can stop the robber baron developers’ destruction of real Florida before it is too late. Don’t let future generations look back and ask why we didn’t do better before it was too late.

MARK VANDEREE EAST COUNTY

Letter-writer’s rant didn’t meet the standard

I was puzzled by Raymond Kostanty’s letter (April 15) “Vaccines don’t meet the standard.” Certainly, no one could have taken it seriously.

Contrary to what Kostanty states, vaccine is a scientific term, not a legal one, and the use of all three vaccines were approved by the Federal Drug Administration. Because of the seriousness of the pandemic, approval was given on an emergency basis, but it was an approval.

This rapid approval procedure was required because of the seriousness of the pandemic; more than 3 million people have died worldwide, including 560,000 in the U.S. Credit the Donald Trump administration for Operation Warp Speed for speeding the development, manufacture, approval and distribution of these vaccines in less than a

year, compared to the normal timeline of 10-15 years.

Although Kostanty considers the PCR testing seriously flawed, it is considered by the scientific and medical community as the “gold standard” for testing with an accuracy rate in excess of 97%. His blanket statement that the “mass hysteria” caused by the inaccuracy of these tests resulted in domestic violence, divorce, suicides and the transfer of wealth from small companies to the big profiteers is solely based upon his own personal beliefs and nowhere supported by any meaningful studies.

Kostanty clearly denies that the vaccines are required. He also refuses to understand that as time progresses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the scientific community are learning more and more about what actions should be taken to fight the virus. In the beginning the CDC knew very little. Now with a substantial portion of the population vaccinated or having recovered from the virus, they are adjusting what they consider should be proper precautions.

Like most Americans, I take several drugs and vitamins a day. I don’t take them because I think they will fend off the virus; I take them for other needs. But I was extremely grateful to be given the opportunity and did take the vaccine.

EUGENE ROSE EAST COUNTY

Please save forest, vegetation along SR 64 Those of us who live in East Manatee County are witnessing a large amount of new development, especially along State Road 64. New businesses and residential condos and apartments are being built at a fast pace. We all can agree that this is part of development and growth to serve the community.

What is sad to see is all of the clear-cutting of forestry, vegetation and trees. It seems none of this original beauty is being preserved. The parcels near Cosco and Dairy Queen are unrecognizable. I’m sure the new landscaping will look nice, but it is incredibly sad to see these parcels being clear cut.

This brings me to the controversial parcel at the northwest corner of 117th Street East and S.R. 64. This is the parcel that Cox Chevrolet is currently proposing to build a car dealership on and is being met with extreme opposition from surrounding residents. A car dealership is not desirable within a residential community. After several county meetings over the past few years, it is becoming very apparent that this parcel is not favorable as a building site for anyone.

One of the main concerns of many is the environmental impact of flooding. This parcel is already flood prone, and there are already flooding problems and concerns with the surrounding residential communities. A paved parking lot would be a flood disaster for surrounding neighborhoods. Also, there is a natural

water tributary that currently runs right through the center of this parcel and feeds into the Gates Creek river system. Development plans have been submitted to the county showing a complete removal and relocating of this natural stream to the west property line. This does not sit well with the state of Florida nor with all of us residents who completely surround this parcel.

On that note, it seems like little or no attention is being made toward green space or new parks during this wave of new developments along East S.R. 64. This beautiful forest parcel at 117th is attracting more wildlife, such as deer, eagles and osprey, because they are being chased out of their natural habitats. This parcel should be preserved and turned into an East Manatee County Nature and Dog Walk Park. Just a few paved trails to enjoy what is left of East Manatee County beauty being taken away by development along S.R. 64. There are not enough parks when compared to the number of residential developments here. Maybe the Manatee County Planning Commissioners could give this some thought, please.

DARYL HAWORTH EAST COUNTY

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YourObserver.com

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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

11A

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

BIG NIGHT

Liz Ramos

Jackie Llamas, a parent of a Lakewood Ranch High School senior, is happy she’s able to coordinate a prom for seniors like Nick Lenchinsky with his mother, Angie Lenchinsky Scarpa.

Private prom excites students After a ‘Night in Paris,’ Lakewood Ranch students will say ‘oui, oui, oui’ all the way home.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

This year wasn’t what Nick Lenchinsky, a senior at Lakewood Ranch High School, had hoped.

His last homecoming was canceled. He couldn’t enjoy senior privileges. The school wasn’t having a prom.

So when his mother, Angie Lenchinsky Scarpa, came up to him in early April and said she

booked the Hyatt Regency Sarasota, so he could have a prom, he was surprised.

“I was excited,” Lenchinsky said. “I was able to tell my friends, and they were excited and surprised. All my friends are telling me they love her, and they’re so thankful. They can’t wait because they finally have something to look forward to this year. It’s something to get their mind off COVID-19.”

What: Lakewood Ranch High School senior prom When: 8 p.m. to midnight May 15 Where: Hyatt Regency Sarasota, 1000 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota Tickets: $65 cash or check Theme: A Night in Paris Details: Students will need a parent to sign a waiver. Students who are 18 years old can sign the waiver. Students will need to present a school ID to purchase a ticket. Masks will be required while walking through the Hyatt Regency, but once students are in the ballroom, masks are optional.

Tickets: Prom tickets can be purchased from 6-8 p.m.

May 6 at Greenbrook Adventure Park.

More information: Email LRHS2021SeniorProm@ gmail.com

At the beginning of April, Lenchinsky Scarpa was scrolling on Facebook when she saw a story about a mother in Venice hosting a prom for her child’s senior class.

“I was like, ‘Yeah, there’s no reason we can’t do that,’” she said. “I was upset when I found out Lakewood Ranch was not having a prom. I just thought it was ridiculous. There’s no reason for it.”

Lenchinsky Scarpa put a post on her Facebook page saying she wanted to host a prom for this year’s Lakewood Ranch High seniors, and Jackie Llamas, the

mother of senior Meghan Llamas, offered to help.

That’s when the ball started rolling, and the two parents worked together to plan a senior prom that is not a school-sponsored event.

Both Lenchinsky Scarpa and Llamas were disappointed to see so many events, traditions and special occasions canceled or altered as a result of the pandemic.

“My daughter was excited last year for the junior prom,” Llamas said. “She didn’t go so far as to buy a dress, but she bought the ticket. She was so excited last year and was heartbroken when it was canceled. It’s going to be a great function for them this year.”

When it came to finding a location, the biggest challenge wasn’t finding one that was open and available but rather a location that could host at least 600 students.

Llamas said she’s hoping for at least half of the senior class, which has more than 600 students, to attend the prom, and she figures many of them will have dates.

Next, Lenchinsky Scarpa and Llamas came up with a theme: A Night in Paris.

“It was the first thing that popped in my head,” Llamas said.

Lenchinsky Scarpa and Llamas said they’ve received positive feedback about the prom, especially from the seniors.

“I wasn’t able to get the [prom] experience my junior year, so I’m looking forward to being able to go with my friends and go with someone and just experience what prom is supposed to be like,” Lenchinsky said.

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When some people see an alligator, they see a stoic creature that won’t harm anyone if left unprovoked.

Others see a dangerous animal that poses a threat to children and pets and doesn’t belong in an increasingly populated area.

This debate erupted onto social media in April when some East County residents complained about the removal of two alligators from a pond in Summerfield.

The vast majority of the hundreds of comments came from people who opposed the removal of alligators, but a handful of residents said removal of alligators in areas with high population density is necessary.

Heritage Harbour residents Lisa Kleeberg, who is also a lifelong Floridian, and Kaye Fonte vehemently disagree with the removal of alligators from East County, with the exception of a small number of alligators that show aggressive behavior. In the wake of the social media debate, they started a Nextdoor group called Alligator Advocates, which

Photos by Brendan Lavell

had 63 members about a week after its creation.

The main purpose of the group is to tell people that the vast majority of alligators will not hurt humans if they are left alone. Kleeberg and Fonte said it’s important to assume every pond has an alligator in it, adding adults should not let their children or pets near the edge of a pond, especially unattended.

Another mission of the group is to inform people about the danger of feeding animals, which Kleeberg and Fonte said is the type of behavior that causes an alligator to become more aggressive.

One idea borne from the group is the possibility of providing brochures to the Heritage Harbour Community Association to educate people about alligators and how to coexist with them, which they could also provide to Realtors.

Heritage Harbour residents Kaye Fonte and Lisa Kleeberg started a Nextdoor group called Alligator Advocates in response to the debate about the removal of alligators from ponds in East County communities.

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission often kills the alligators it is called to remove from developed areas.

Alligators can’t be relocated because they are territorial animals that often try to return to their capture site, creating “problems for people or other alligators along the way,” according to the commission’s website.

The commission also said captured alligators would need to be relocated on remote lands, areas that have typically been claimed by other alligators already, a situation that would likely cause fighting and the death of an alligator. The commission added that Florida’s alligator population is “healthy and stable.”

Some people don’t agree with Alligator Advocates. Greenbrook resident Rosemarie Farrell said alligators are “beautiful creatures” that lived in East County long before people did. However, she also said they are unpredictable, and children and pets who wander too close to the wrong pond can be attacked and dragged into the water. Farrell said it is unnatural for alligators to live in an area with so many people.

“The area in Lakewood Ranch now becoming so overpopulated has taken away the areas that the alligators can go to,” Farrell said. “We have a preserve in the back where we had alligators and other animals before all the development went on. We loved seeing them walk by and everything, but the overpopulation has caused a lot of these animals to be displaced.”

Racimo Ranches resident Frank Kovach said alligators are a natural part of the ecosystem but added that it’s naive to think they should be living in densely popu-

|

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

ALLIGATOR MATING SEASON Have you seen an alligator over the past few weeks? Mating season lasts from midApril through May, according to the Key West Aquarium. During this time, alligators are more visible. It’s especially important to keep your distance during mating season. The aquarium said female alligators could become “fiercely protective” of their nests and hatchlings.

An alligator rests at the edge of a pond in Heritage Harbour, where two residents started a Nextdoor group.

lated communities. Kovach has lived in Florida all his life, and he said some people who move here think alligators are “cute little things, like soft-shell turtles.”

Lakewood Ranch Inter-District Authority Executive Director Anne Ross said this mating season has brought a similar number of alligator sightings as any other year.

Ross also said no alligator attack has been reported on any human in Lakewood Ranch. In her six years with the Lakewood Ranch IDA, there has been one report of an attack on a dog.

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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

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Facial Esthetics Facial esthetics has become one of the fastest growing industries in the world. The

Village Idiots Cycling Club donates helmets to local schools.

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Ten students at Robert E. Willis Elementary School will be riding their bikes more safely to school with the new helmets they were given from the Village Idiots Cycling Club.

The Village Idiots Cycling Club partnered with the Sarasota Manatee Bicycle Club to provide 100 bike helmets to students in East County schools.

“We try to give back to the community and try to focus on cycling-related areas like safety with traffic intersections and interaction with motorists because we’re not always popular with motorists,” said Tom Williams, the Village Idiots Cycling Club outreach director. “This was an opportunity to reach out to the community in a cyclingrelated way.”

Williams is reaching out to schools in the area to see if there’s a need for bike helmets for students.

Under Florida law, bicycle riders who are under 16 years old are required to wear a bicycle helmet properly fitted and fastened securely on the rider’s head by a strap.

Williams said that ensuring children wear helmets when they’re young will help establish safety patterns when biking as adults.

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Village Idiots Cycling Club is looking to donate more bike helmets to Lakewood Ranch-area schools. Any schools interested in receiving helmets can contact Village Idiots Cycling Club on its Facebook page or the club’s website, VillageIdiotsCycling.com.

“A lot of adults right now ride around their neighborhoods and so forth without helmets because they did when they were little,” Williams said. “Sooner or later, one of them is going to have an accident. We just want them to ride safely.”

Dawn Zielinski, the president of Village Idiots Cycling Club, said it’s not only important for children to wear a helmet, but the helmet also must be strapped on securely.

“It does no good to your head to have a helmet on that is not strapped to your chin because as soon as you fall, it’s going to come off,” Zielinski said.

Bristol Scott, a first grader at Robert E. Willis Elementary School, shows off one of the new bike helmets the Village Idiots Cycling Club donated.

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SPORTS SISTER 5 SLUGGERS Lakewood Ranch grads back together on the University of Florida softball team.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS REPORTER

O

1

Former Lakewood Ranch High softball outfielder Denali Schappacher, a senior at the University of Central Florida, is the Knights’ leadoff hitter with a .362 average.

2

Former Braden River High defensive lineman Taylor Upshaw, a junior at the University of Michigan, was showcased in the Wolverines’ spring practice as a big-time, passrushing threat for 2021.

ne swing of the bat, a lightning-quick slice, was all it took.

Florida junior infielder Kinsey Goelz sent a pitch from Mississippi State senior Annie Willis over the left-center fence at the Bulldogs’ Nusz Park. The solo home run gave the Gators a 1-0 lead, and that’s also how the game would end. The moment was sweet for Goelz. She transferred from Mississippi State to the Gators a season prior, and

3

Former Lakewood Ranch High offensive lineman Samuel Jackson, a junior at the University of Central Florida, had a big spring practice and is expected to lead the team at both the guard and tackle positions in 2021.

4

Lakewood Ranch High grad Gi Krstec, a junior at Florida Atlantic, led the Owls with 24 shots on net in their 11 games during their 2021 spring season.

5

Lakewood Ranch High graduate John Rivera, a junior at the University of Mississippi, finished third in the 800-meter run (1:50.89) April 25 at the John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Kinsey Goelz is hitting .238 as a junior at Florida.

Photos courtesy UF Athletics

Avery Goelz is hitting .253 as a freshman at the University of Florida.

waiting to congratulate her at home plate was her sister, Avery Goelz, a Florida freshman.

“It was so cool to be like, ‘Yes, that’s my sister!’” Avery said.

The fervor in Avery’s voice when retelling the story make Kinsey laugh.

Despite admittedly being different personalities, the Goelz sisters are close. They played together for one season at Lakewood Ranch High in 2017 before Kinsey left for Mississippi State.

Time and space drifted their relationship apart, they said.

Kinsey was adjusting to college life while Avery, who was the No. 4 national recruit in the 2020 softball class per Extra Innings, was attempting to win a high school state title. Now that they are together again, the sisters said, they are working on building their relationship back to where it was in high school, when they were giving each other tips after at-bats and arguing over leftover chicken.

They get dinner just the two of them once a week, they said. It’s a chance for them to share stories and talk about whatever’s happening in their lives outside of the

MARQUEE MATCH What: Florida Gators softball (34-7) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (31-14) When: 6 p.m. May 7, 4 p.m.

May 8 and noon May 9 How to watch: SEC Network+ Why watch: Former Lakewood Ranch High siblings Kinsey and Avery Goelz play for Florida. The series against Texas A&M is the Gators’ last before postseason play begins.

team. Kinsey said that during her time at Mississippi State, she was only able to see her family during summer and winter breaks. The sisters are trying to make up for lost time now.

On the field, both sisters have found success when given the opportunity. Avery has become entrenched as a starter in the Gators’ outfield. In 39 games (36 SEE SISTERS, PAGE 19A

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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

Gala’s guest offers pearls of wisdom A t the 2008 Dick Vitale Gala, Bruce Pearl — then the men’s basketball coach at the University of Tennessee — had the honor of introducing one of that year’s honorees, Tennessee legend Pat Summitt, who was the leader in wins for NCAA Division I women’s basketball coaches at the time of her 2012 retirement (1,098).

Pearl said he felt the power of the gala room. He saw all the good that the evening did; Vitale and company raised $1.2 million that year in its fifth year of existence. And as he was leaving the event, his wife, Brandy, turned to him and said, “Maybe you’ll be an honoree someday.”

“Yeah, right,” Pearl said to her.

I bet Brandy Pearl is feeling good about her prediction.

Pearl, now the men’s basketball coach at Auburn University, will himself be honored at the 2021 Dick Vitale Gala, to be held May 7 at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota. He will be honored alongside University of Florida football Coach Dan Mullen, former University of Notre Dame women’s basketball Coach Muffet McGraw and ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt. The event raises money for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, specifically

pediatric cancer research. Vitale has stated that this year’s event has a goal to raise $5 million.

Like Vitale, Pearl is committed to fighting cancer. In 2007, when Pearl was at Tennessee, his Volunteers lost to Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament. After the game, Tennessee junior guard Chris Lofton, the Southeastern Conference’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made (431), was given a random drug test per NCAA protocol. His testosterone levels were, according to Pearl, off the charts. The team knew immediately that something was wrong.

That something turned out to be testicular cancer.

“Chris didn’t want anyone to know what was happening,” Pearl said. “He didn’t want to hear taunts about it from opposing fans. So he played through his treatments. When he started his senior season, he struggled a little, and it was sad to see writers and fans criticize him.

You wanted to say: ‘Shut up, the kid’s fighting cancer. He’s a little fatigued.’ But you couldn’t.”

Lofton would eventually make a full recovery and finished his senior season strong. The fight that he showed while fighting cancer alone inspired Pearl, and the way his cancer was caught,

via random testing, made Pearl think about the importance of regular screenings. In 2009, Pearl started the Outlive program, which seeks to raise awareness for cancer prevention and detection while also raising money for families affected by the disease. The program followed Pearl to Auburn, where it is now known as the Autlive program. Pearl has also donated to cancer-related causes outside the program, such as funding new chemotherapy coves at the Tennessee Medical Center.

When Vitale told Pearl he wanted to honor Pearl at the 2021 gala, Pearl cried.

“I’m hungry, but I’m humble,” Pearl said. “I’m nobody from nowhere. To be honored on the same night as the others in this group means a lot.”

Pearl said he plans on making up most of his speech on the fly, though he will be sure to thank everyone in attendance for their contributions to the cause. He also said to expect lots of Auburn-connected people in attendance. Pearl said he’s proud of the way his school has embraced the night and the cause as something special.

He also said he’s constantly impressed with Vitale’s dedica-

Photo courtesy Shanna Lockwood/Auburn Athletics

Bruce Pearl’s Autlive program raises awareness for cancer prevention and detection.

tion to the fight.

“You hear his passion on TV, and you think ‘Wow, he has such enthusiasm when the light goes on,’” Pearl said. “Then you meet him, and you realize that the light is always on for him. He’s always that passionate, especially about his family and about stopping cancer.”

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

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FROM PAGE 17A

starts), Avery is hitting .253 with five extra-base hits, 11 RBIs and 16 runs scored. Defensively, she’s third on the team in put-outs (153) and has yet to make an error.

Kinsey has been used as a utility player, appearing in 13 games (seven starts). Kinsey is hitting .238 but has two home runs and four RBIs and, like her sister, has yet to make an error.

Avery said playing for her dad, Lakewood Ranch High Coach T.J. Goelz, helped prep her for pace of elite college softball.

“We never took a practice off [at Lakewood Ranch High],” Avery said. “Everything was always going 100%, and that is how it has to be here as well. It’s the little

details that mean the most, and [T.J. Goelz] was always focused on getting that stuff right.”

Despite their success, the sisters have not forgotten their roots. Kinsey said the pair has been keeping up with Lakewood Ranch’s season and was even able to attend the team’s road game against Gainesville High on March 13, a 13-3 Mustangs win.

The sisters are contributing to the nation’s No. 3 team as of April 25. The Gators are 34-7 and will begin postseason play May 12 when they head to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

“It’s cool that every year we have a goal of going to the College World Series and winning it,” Kinsey said. “That can happen here. I enjoy being on a team that believes we can win every game.”

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YOUR NEIGHBORS

MOMS RISE TO THE CHALLENGE LIZ RAMOS | STAFF WRITER

W

ith Mother’s Day approaching May 9, the East County Observer asked what it takes to be a good mom in 2021.

LAKEWOOD RANCH’S MARGARET SZALA Szala said the pandemic has meant her family can’t help take care of her 20-month-old daughter, Savana, and 4-yearold daughter, Juliana, but she’s grateful for the time she has with them.

“They’re babies now, and then you blink, and the next thing you know they’re talking and being independent,” Szala said. “I’m counting the days until they’re more grown up, but I also don’t want that to happen.

In a couple years, they don’t need you anymore, so I’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can.”

Szala said her family has been fortunate during the pandemic because her children aren’t old enough to be in school, and they haven’t had to make tough decisions, such as whether to send their children to school full time or participate in e-learning.

DEL TIERRA’S ERICA MCMILLIN Time management is at the top of the list for McMillin.

“Being a mom [of two boys] definitely has its challenges, such as being a working mom and getting the kids everywhere,” McMillin said. “But you have to give your kids opportunities. You always want your kids to have more than you had. I am very much like my mother, who was a good role model and very involved.

[During the pandemic], I had to make the decision whether to send [8-year-old Zachary] back to school full time. I never thought I would have to make that tough a decision.”

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RIVER CLUB’S SHERRY YU Yu said she has spent far more time with her family because of the pandemic. It has given her the opportunity to teach Mandarin to her 4-year-old daughter, Fanya.

“Especially with Asia being such a global focus, it’s important she learns the positives of our culture,” Yu said. “In light of anti-Asian sentiment in other places, we’re happy to live in Lakewood Ranch.”

Yu said the early months of the pandemic felt like having two full-time jobs because she had to continue her job as a professor at New College of Florida while her daughter and 6-year-old son, Ethan, attended virtual school.

Photos by Liz Ramos

LAKE VISTA’S JENSEN ALDRICH Aldrich said her 1-year-old daughter, Shayne, has had a difficult time getting used to people wearing masks but is now enjoying face-to-face interactions more as fewer people wear masks.

She loves taking walks with her daughter.

“I love getting outside and enjoying the fresh air and allowing her to discover the outdoors,” Aldrich said.

2B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Trade show forges alliances

L

Photos by Brendan Lavell

Cory and Mindy Poff of Cory and Mindy Photography came to the trade show with their friend, Gregory Claxton, of Florida VIP Realty. The Poffs met Claxton through the Kingdom Business Alliance, a Lakewood Ranch-based nonprofit.

Grow Financial Relationship Specialists Lisa Griffin and Heather Mong and Area Manager Tom Cofer show off their food. Griffin and Mong say their favorites were bread pudding and bangers and mash from McGrath’s Irish Ale House.

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akewood Ranch Business Alliance Vice President Dan Sidler surveyed swaths of people eating, drinking, laughing with friends and scooting their way from tent to tent, learning something about each business along the way.

Sidler beamed. The alliance has held some inperson events over the past six months, but nothing like the Open Air Showcase Outdoor Business Tradeshow, held April 29 in the parking lot of The Mall at University Town Center.

The 2021 Annual Membership Luncheon, held Feb. 26 at Grove, hosted about 125 people. Sidler estimated about twice as many people participated in the trade show.

“It feels good to get people back out here, get them connecting,” Sidler said. “It’s almost an overwhelming feeling of positivity.”

Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Events and Program Coordinator Janeth Gonzalez and Vice President Dan Sidler are happy to see the crowd at the trade show. Gonzalez says it was especially satisfying because she planned the event.

— BRENDAN LAVELL

Sarasota Magazine’s Allison Kummery, Current Technologies President Steve Daugherty, Liz Daugherty, Current Technologies Vice President of Business Development Michelle Olivo and First Citizens Bank’s Lisa Lawler

Mattison’s City Grille Chef Garrett Pristley tends to the braised short rib, which was one of the most popular dishes at the entire trade show.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

3B

Nursing scholarships awarded Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Foundation presents six $2,000 scholarships to nurses.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Lakewood Ranch’s Tiffany Gouwens said it was, indeed, a shock when she learned she was getting a $2,000 scholarship from the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Foundation.

“This is the first scholarship I’ve ever received,” Gouwens said just before the ceremonies began at the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Foundation’s 2021 Scholarship Awards Luncheon on April 28 at Lakewood Ranch Country Club.

Although the amount might not seem like much, Gouwens said it will help ease her education financial burden.

“This was important for me,” said Gouwens, who is an associate

RN in Lakewood Ranch Medical Center’s surgical recovery unit.

She currently is taking classes online with Western Governors University. She hopes to take more classes at Galen College of Nursing in St. Petersburg.

Gouwens was one of six scholarship recipients being honored, all of whom currently work at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

Foundation President Carole Cowan said the scholarships are meant to help nurses and potential nurses further their education. It just worked out this year that the foundation found six current employees who were deserving.

“Our goal is to ensure the health care workforce for the future,” Cowan said. “That includes offering them to our staff nurses and helping them to get advanced degrees.”

Usually, the Jingle 5K benefit run is a huge fundraiser for the foundation, but the race was canceled last year along with other fundraising events. With those funds depleted this year,

the community stepped forward.

The Cox Chevrolet and Mazda Scholarship was presented to Mary Weems. Wendy Grigg received the Lakewood Ranch Activities Board Scholarship.

Gouwens received the Grove Scholarship, and Kim Houser was given the Cowan Family Scholarship. Tia Borso earned the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Scholarship, and Sammie Billman was awarded the Wayne Sternberg Memorial Fund Scholarship in honor of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center ICU nurses.

“The best thing about these scholarships from the hospital’s perspective is that we are putting more people into the health care industry,” Lakewood Ranch Medical Center CEO Andy Guz said.

Each sponsor donated $1,000 for the scholarship, and the foundation donated another $1,000.

The one exception was Lakewood Ranch Community Center, which donated the entire $2,000.

Borso agreed with Gouwens that $2,000 will make a big difference in her finances.

Photos by Jay Heater

Lakewood Ranch’s Tiffany Gouwens (above) and Tia Borso (left) will pursue a master’s degree in nurse leadership.

“This is going to help me tremendously,” she said.

Borso is a nurse in the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center’s Women’s Center. She is pursuing a master’s degree in nurse leader-

ship. She said that the scholarship makes her want to give back to the medical center even more than she already does.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

NEIGHBORS NOTES

4B

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their communities; and the Veterans and Their Families Program, which will be opening an office in South Sarasota County.

New programs, such as the Supported Language program, to help improve English proficiency in the community are also being launched.

Benac and Eric Kaplan are both new members of the board, joining board members Steve Boone, Xtavia Bailey, Debbie Douglas, Rae Dowling, Shawn Hanlon, Rod Hollingsworth, Rob Morris, Laurie O’Loughlin-Shulman, Allen Weinstein and Brad West (chair emeritus). Boone, who began serving on the board in 2009 and rotated off the board in the 2019-20 fiscal year, will be board chair.

Boone, a partner in the Boone Law Firm, also served as board chair in 2013 and 2014.

“Our volunteer board members are essential in providing their leadership, guidance and expertise and ensuring our mission is being served,” said Bob Rosinsky, Goodwill Manasota’s president and CEO. “We look forward to our new board’s service to Goodwill and our community in the coming year.”

Esplanade gives back Esplanade Golf and Country Club partnered with Habitat for Humanity during the Esplanade Gives Back effort.

Esplanade used its podcast to get its community involved and eventually raised $17,744 that Habitat for Humanity put toward buying building materials for its Veteran Build program. Habitat for Humanity estimates it takes

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about $100,000 in materials to build a Manatee Habitat home.

The Esplanade money raised will go toward building the Terry Bibbins family home. Bibbins is an U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, and his home is being built in Palmetto.

“At The Esplanade Golf and Country Club, we are so fortunate to have neighbors who give,” said Nancy Sykes, the leader of Esplanade Gives Back. “Our Esplanade Gives Back group partners with agencies located in our area to truly help others who are in need, such as Habitat for Humanity and others. We are so proud that our residents once again rose to the occasion and helped donate their time to make this house a reality for our wonderful veteran, Terry.

We thank our residents for their continued efforts to help others.”

ment, the expanding team will help support and nurture of our evolving business.”

East County’s Joseph Shamp has been named to the Dean’s List at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange. … East County’s Martha Marquez Luna was named to the Dean’s List at Canisius College of Buffalo, New York.

New ‘Sister’ joins nonprofit

Law enforcement students earn scholarships

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

leadership team as a vice chair.

“Tracy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in business, community relations and philanthropy,” board Chair Amy Gorman said. “I am positive her excellent leadership skills will benefit Sisterhood For Good.”

Wolfe is a vice president and financial center manager at Gulfside Bank.

“Her depth of experience and accomplishments will assist Sisterhood for Good in effectively executing the group philanthropy mission,” Gorman said.

Sisterhood for Good has awarded more than $87,000 in grants and scholarships to 61 qualified local nonprofits since 2013.

Local students earn honors

Sisterhood for Good of Lakewood Ranch has added Tracy Wolfe to its advisory board of directors

|

Tracy Wolfe joins the Sisterhood for Good board as vice chair.

summer camps

Three students in the Manatee Technical College Law Enforcement Academy in Lakewood Ranch have earned Dan DiCicco Memorial Scholarship Foundation awards.

The scholarships were presented April 14, the eighth anniversary of DiCicco’s death.

DiCicco died of cardiac arrest in 2013 after a six-year tenure as a deputy with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

DiCicco’s parents, Cheryl and Paul, awarded student Rosa Bautista $3,000. Foundation supporters from Regions Bank, Theresa Pinnix and Stephen Ponzillo, presented Nicholas McMahon and Hugo Delgado with $1,000 scholarships.

The foundation provides scholarships to students pursuing careers in law enforcement.

Family and friends established the scholarship fund in DiCicco’s memory. The foundation has awarded $90,000 to 60 students since his death.

AT T H E C LU B

Neal Land expands staff Neal Land and Neighborhoods of Lakewood Ranch has added three new employees.

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5B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Filling a hole in the canopy

Left: About 10 trees were planted at the Rye Preserve Campground on Arbor Day. Below: Norman Morrison of AGG Restoration puts a tree into the ground.

B

efore 10 trees actually went into the ground at the Rye Preserve Campground in East County as part of Arbor Day on April 30, Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker told the crowd assembled it was the perfect time to “reflect on the silence.”

Certainly, it is silent most of the time at Rye Preserve Campground, which has only 20 “primitive” campsites in a somewhat open field that is bordered by beautiful trails and a river.

But it can get hot in that open field.

Ingrid McClellan, a member of Manatee County Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee and of the Scenic Manatee Advisory Committee board, is hoping the effort will bring more shade to the campground and give more people an appreciation of Manatee County’s parks and preserves, along with the importance of the tree canopy. McClellan has participated in the Arbor Day celebration for the past 25 years in Manatee County.

The county’s Arbor Day observance began earlier in the day with a treeplanting at Johnson Preserve in East County followed by the effort at Rye Preserve Campground.

Trees planted included longleaf pine, myrtle oak, sand live oak and sand pine.

— JAY HEATER

Photos by Jay Heater

Charlie Hunsicker, the director of Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources, talks about the need to preserve lands and resources.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

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7B

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Above: Ingrid McClellan, a member of Manatee County Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee and of the Scenic Manatee Advisory Committee board, addresses the crowd at Rye Preserve.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

‘GRAVITY AND LEVITY’

Eliza Ladd is an artist of movement. She responds to the limitations of the pandemic by thinking inside the box.

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

E

liza Ladd is the human equivalent of a perpetual motion machine. Her creative work colors outside the lines of performance arts genres — performer, dancer, writer, music maker, choreographer and director, to name a few. She’s also the FSU/ Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training’s associate professor of movement and dance.

TO WATCH

‘GRAVITY AND LEVITY’ When: Ongoing Performance Video: youtu.be/peenwevLOGg Talkback Video: youtube. com/watch?v=Q28B wtjXZpw

Courtesy photos

Eliza Ladd (above) and her Hand Puppet (left).

For years, it seemed like nothing could stop this human dynamo. And then the pandemic came, bringing with it a world of social distancing and remote human connection on Zoom.

Ladd’s response was “Gravity and Levity,” a short, spokenword and performance video.

Calling it minimal doesn’t do it justice. In this piece, the artist reduces herself to a single hand, with two googly eyes glued to its fingers — a literal hand puppet.

It sounds funny, and at times it is. But the piece can also be heartbreaking. It ranges from slapstick to mime to dance to a cry from the depths of the artist’s heart. What was Ladd thinking?

Here’s what she told us.

“My work as an artist is all about the body. The pandemic removed my ability to play, perform and practice with others in a shared space. What will become of live theater? Is it doomed to disembodiment?

This question was already in the air before the pandemic with the prominence of the computer and technology.

“The tag line to ‘Gravity and Levity’ is: ‘It took 400 million years to go from quadruped to biped and now this?’ ‘This’ refers to what’s happened in the pandemic, the removal of the body from common currency or perhaps its reduction to fingers and eyes. Typing and texting, seeing and watching, living your life through the computer screen. Nowadays it’s how I teach, make art and find theater.

“In pre-pandemic times, I was already aware that my field was slowly becoming a dinosaur art form. But it’s not extinct yet, and people still long for the expressive art of the human body, perhaps even more than ever. The pandemic may have accelerated our evolution (or devolution) toward disembodiment. This raises so many questions for an artist of movement.

“Is it possible to find embodiment and community through the computer and technology?

Can we still create relationships, communicate and express ourselves through movement? Can we make meaningful theater on Zoom? Can we still connect?

“To answer these questions, I created a character with my hand and some googly eyes. She’s a kind of a puppet who’s just fingers and eyes. And this little one is me, but she’s also not me. I shape-shift into that puppet.

This character dances, sings and speaks poetic text — all in her little black box. This allows me to create physical expression with my fingers and eyes and transmit it through the Zoom sphere.

“And it turns out that the answer to all my questions is yes — on a very deep level.

“I found that all the principles of large-scale theater still

apply in a performance made of a hand and some googly eyes.

The tiny expresses the vast. And technology becomes a window into something expansive and liberating. There’s a magic of scale — and it speaks to the isolation we’re all feeling.

“This tiny being expresses a great deal about what we’ve lost and what it means to be alive right now. She’s confined to a little black box and pushes back against the boundaries. Despite her limitations, she keeps trying to express herself and communicate. So in a way, I’m thinking inside the box. But I’m also reaching outside the box for some kind of freedom. Putting this little persona in such a confined situation speaks to both the powerlessness and power of our bodies in the spaces we create inside the computer.

“My character expresses playfulness, poetry and defiance. And I think the viewer knows exactly how she feels.

This tiny being bonds with the audience and expresses the loss and grief we all feel when we can’t relate to the big world with our whole body. But she also expresses a kind of power. She’s a shape-shifter, with a sort of fluidity — and that’s a powerful thing. She taps into the vastness of humanity with her transformations. In the end, I think this little one makes a connection with the audience — and that’s when I show my face. It’s as if to say, ‘You’re here, I’m here, and we’re still together.’

“We’re alive, and we’re dying.

It’s funny and tragic. Ah, theater!”

Eliza Ladd’s performance and talkback was produced by Sarasota Contemporary Dance.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

A

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

Volker and Brigitte Petzold, of Sarasota, sold their home at 16210 Clearlake Ave. to Rose Lorella and Michael Lorella, trustees, of Carmel, California, for $1.55 million. Built in 2010, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,731 square feet of living area.

LAKE CLUB

Lester and Susan Goodman, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 16122 Daysailor Trail to Michael and Susan Smith, trustees, of Bradenton, for $1.48 million. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,688 square feet of living area.

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

9B

REAL ESTATE

Lake Club home tops sales at $1.55 million

|

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

APRIL 19-23

SD TLC Holdings LLC sold the home at 16918 Verona Place to Daniel and Jane Boylan, trustees, of Dallas, for $1.14 million.

Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,638 square feet of living area.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Kenneth and Tamara Barbet, of Yardley, Pennsylvania, sold their home at 15813 Castle Park Terrace to Brent and Pamela Peterson, of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, for $1.3 million. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,503 square feet of living area.

Timothy Howard McCabe, of Apollo Beach, sold his home at 14520 Stirling Drive to Robert and Joanne Houillon, trustees, of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, for $499,000. Built in 2013, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,863 square feet of living area. It sold for $415,000 in 2020.

COUNTRY CLUB

Durban Realty Holdings II LLC sold the home at 7812 Rosehall Cove to Alfred Nietzel, trustee, of Bradenton, for $1.26 million.

Built in 2002, it has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,080 square feet of living area. It sold for $750,000 in 2018.

Photo courtesy Michael Saunders

This Lake Club home sold for $1.55 million. It has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half bathrooms, a pool and 3,909 square feet of living space.

Joan Briggs, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, sold her home at 12718 Stone Ridge Place to Charles Thomas Gleason and Virginia Lake Gleason, of Lakewood Ranch, for $699,000. Built in 2008, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,784 square feet of living area. It sold for $699,900 in 2014.

Ruth Cummins, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 7610 Silverwood Court to Melissa Hinmon, of Berwyn, Pennsylvania, for $555,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,274 square feet of

living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2019.

SHOREVIEW

Karen and Michael Grillo, of Sanford, Michigan, sold their home at 7768 Grande Shores Drive to Mary Ann Evans, trustee, of Downers Grove, Illinois, for $1.25 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,095 square feet of living area. It sold for $969,700 in 2018.

SEE REAL ESTATE, PAGE 9B

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10B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

Real estate

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,782 square feet of living area. It sold for $470,000 in 2020.

FROM PAGE 9B

Robert Lifsey, trustee, sold the home at 7900 Grande Shores Drive to Sharon Miller and Jay Daniel Conti, of Sarasota, for $950,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,824 square feet of living area. It sold for $698,900 in 2020.

POMELLO PARK

Bruce and Paula Behrens, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6604 189th St. E. to Jenny and Craig Woldt, of Bradenton, for $1.2 million. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,994 square feet of living area. It sold for $525,000 in 2002.

Randy and Erin Fawcett, of Bradenton, for $650,000. Built in 2014, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,209 square feet of living area. It sold for $449,200 in 2014.

WATERLEFE GOLF AND RIVER CLUB

Richard and Cheryl Reyenger sold their home at 10006 Discovery Terrace to Steven and Kelly Cullen, of Bradenton, for $750,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,025 square feet of living area. It sold for $615,000 in 2018.

Michael and Yvonne Deery, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 12002 Forest Park Circle to Michael and Katie Bernas, of Bradenton, for $559,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,937 square feet of living area. It sold for $409,400 in 2014.

RYE WILDERNESS ESTATES

ESPLANADE

Adam William Korinek and Amy Korinek sold their home at 603 165th St. E. to Jeffrey Mel Bertsch and Amy Marie Bertsch, of Bradenton, for $700,000.

Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,122 square feet of living area. It sold for $435,700 in 2017.

HARBOUR WALK

Robert Wade Latham, of Fairfield, Texas, sold his home at 591 Mast Drive to Michael Dobbs, of Bradenton, for $1.1 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,708 square feet of living area. It sold for $855,000 in 2020.

Robert and Joyce Ballard, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 13920 Messina Loop to Jeffrey and Ann Flynn, of Scotch Pines, New Jersey, for $660,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,367 square feet of living area. It sold for $480,300 in 2017.

Hugh Reginald Duey III, of Sebring, sold his home at 13207 Sorrento Way to Elizabeth and Kenneth Williams, of Jackson, New Jersey, for $620,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,296 square feet of living area. It sold for $518,700 in 2018.

CENTRAL PARK

Louis Cruz and Giselle Ucciferri, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 12064 Longview Lake Circle to Amanda McfaddinMills and Trent Mills, of Bradenton, for $685,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,268 square feet of living area. It sold for $521,300 in 2014.

RIVERDALE REVISED

Martin Eamon Murray and Christina Fajardo Fajardo, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4528 Shark Drive to Frank Radtke, of Flushing, Michigan, for $800,000. Built in 1995, it

TARA

Amer Saba and Robin Anne Saba, of Olathe, Kansas, sold their home at 5807 Covey Court to David Neiman, trustee, of

James William Archibald and Maria Dillon sold their home at 12072 Longview Lake Circle to

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Armando and Maria Mosqueda, of Bradenton, sold their home at 255 Dove Trail to William and Ramona Easter, of Palm City, for $610,900. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,101 square feet of living area. It sold for $399,000 in 2017.

DEL WEBB

Robert and Linda Cowgill, of Crestview, sold their home at 17353 Hampton Falls Terrace to Catherine Ann LaRose, trustee, of Bradenton, for $595,000. Built in 2018, it has two bedrooms, two baths and is 1,832 square feet. It sold for $490,700 in 2018.

Richard Andrew Stewart and Elizabeth Stewart, of Parrish, sold their home at 205 Petrel Trail to Francis William Blake III and Karole Dee Blake, of Bradenton, for $510,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,517 square feet of living area. It sold for $379,000 in 2015.

ONLINE

Ana Maria Marques sold the home at 12428 Aster Ave. to Phylicia and Joseph Siglinger, of Bradenton, for $475,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three

See more transactions at YourObserver.com

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SPH Property Three LLC sold the home at 12564 Natureview Circle to Michael Conner and Emily Ruth Conner, of West Chester, Ohio, for $415,900.

Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,509 square feet of living area. It sold for $401,000 in February.

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Edward Storf Jr., of Bradenton, sold his home at 12826 Kite Drive to Patricia and Donald Ingle, of Punta Gorda, for $475,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,407 square feet of living area. It sold for $437,600 in 2006.

Gary Thies and Lana Thies, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 6214 Cormorant Court to Donald and Susan Walker, of Kansas City, Missouri, for $535,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,313 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2015.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

COMMUNITY THURSDAY, MAY 6

CASUAL CORNHOLE Begins at 9 a.m. at Bob Gardner Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities is hosting a casual cornhole league for those 18 and up. A fee of $25 covers all sessions.

For more information or to register, go to MyLWR.com, or call 727-1505.

FRIDAY, MAY 7

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

SATURDAY, MAY 8

KIDS YOGA Begins at 10 a.m. at Bob Gardner Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities is hosting kids yoga for ages

ticipants are asked to follow social distancing guidelines. For more information or to register for the event, go to LakewoodRanch.com.

BEST BET SUNDAY, MAY 9

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

The Market at Lakewood Ranch runs every Sunday through July. Vendors will be offering seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles among other items.

For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

5-9. The event is free for Lakewood Ranch residents and $10 for nonresidents. Go to MyLWR. com for more information.

KIDS CORNHOLE Begins at 11 a.m. at Bob Gardner Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosts cornhole for kids ages 7-12. The event is free for Lakewood Ranch residents and $10

TUESDAY, MAY 11

for nonresidents. Go to MyLWR. com for more information.

UTC JOB FAIR Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at UTC’s West District in the retail space between Old Navy and Michael’s, 125 N. Cattlemen Road, Sarasota. Job-seekers can meet local employers and explore full- and part-time positions now available from more than 50 retail stores and restaurants located at the Mall at UTC and throughout the UTC District. Attendees should bring copies of their resume and two forms of identification. For more information, visit MallAtUTC.com/events.

BARRE IN THE PARK Begins at 9 a.m. at Bob Gardner Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The public is invited to participate in a free barre workout at Bob Gardner Park. The event is hosted by Barre3. Bring your own mat and water bottle. Mats must be placed 6 feet apart. All par-

ENVIRONMENTAL DISCUSSION Begins at 2 p.m. virtually. The Environmental Discussions Group will host Alexis Horn, a public outreach specialist for Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Partnership, and Jim Gross, a professional geologist for more than 40 years and the

File photo

Good Hand Pasta at the Market at Lakewood Ranch.

SUNDAY, MAY 9

|

11B

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

executive director of Florida Defenders of the Environment.

Horn will discus the CHNEP’s activities in the region while Gross will describe the history of the Florida Barge Canal Project and efforts to restore the Ocklawaha River. To request a Zoom line, send an RSVP to ResourceWisdom@gmail.com.

WALKING GROUP Begins at 9 a.m. at Bob Gardner Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The casual walk, hosted by Lakewood Ranch Community Activities, is for adults 18 and up. The event is free for Lakewood Ranch residents and $10 for nonresidents. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12

BINGO Begins at 10 a.m. at the Greenbrook Adventure Park, 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosts Community Bingo every Wednesday.

Bingo is for those 18 and up.

Bingo will be held under the pavilion. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

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12B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

FORECAST

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

THURSDAY, MAY 6 High: 86 Low: 73 Chance of rain: 22%

FRIDAY, MAY 7 High: 83 Low: 65 Chance of rain: 7%

SATURDAY, MAY 8 High: 86 Low: 68 Chance of rain: 1%

Karen Kern captured this tree frog on a bird of paradise in Greyhawk Landing in East County.

SUNRISE / SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, May 6

6:46a 8:06p

Friday, May 7

6:46a

8:07p

Saturday, May 8

6:45a

8:08p

Sunday, May 9

6:44a

8:08p

Monday, May 10

6:44a

8:09p

Tuesday, May 11

6:43a

8:09p

Wednesday, May 12

6:42a

8:10p

MOON PHASES

May 26 Full

June 2 Last

June 10 New

June 17 First

RAINFALL Monday, April 26

0

Tuesday, April 27

0

SUNDAY, MAY 9

Wednesday, April 28

0

Thursday, April 29

0

High: 89 Low: 72 Chance of rain: 4%

Friday, April 30

0

Saturday, May 1

0

Sunday, May 2

0

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

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

YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2021 8.82 in.

2021 0.00 in.

2020 11.34 in.

2020 0.00 in.

MANASOTA FLOORING INC 349217-1

CROSSWORD

©2021 Universal Uclick

ACROSS 1 Mammals that spelunkers see 5 Exercises in a park, say 9 “So cute!”

12 Very, very 16 “We’re in trouble” 17 Word before “deck” or “hand” 19 Be sore 20 Sparrow sound 21 Is impatient during the kitchen remodel?

24 Preindustrial transport 25 Radio, television, etc.

26 Rip apart 27 Mortgage deal, briefly

941.355.8437 | Bradenton

RE-TURN AND RE-PLACE by David Alfred Bywaters; Edited by David Steinberg

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107 Have a snack 109 “This ___ a test” 112 Still with us 114 Escapade after this year’s games?

119 Unspoken 120 Woolly mamas 121 Golf shoe feature, perhaps 122 Numbers game 123 “Understood” 124 Thyroid-examining doc 125 Sleeve designs, informally 126 Whirling current

50 Proceed with the parade 51 Enterprising person 53 Sailor’s assent 54 Drug that some microdose 56 “All bets ___ off” 58 Air component 61 Possible sweepstakes winner 62 Ride similar to a dune buggy, briefly 63 Weekend show since ‘75 65 Comedian Margaret 66 Frustration source 67 Mornings (Abbr.)

68 Corn core DOWN 69 Tint 1 Future flower 70 Gelato alternative 2 “Excuse me” 73 “Red and yellow kill a fellow” serpent 3 Big book 74 Wonderland visitor 4 Summertime refuges 75 Disorderly conflict 5 David’s kingdom 76 Maker of Brownie Brick 6 Photo ___ (PR events) Road ice cream 7 Stat for a student 78 Put clothes on 8 Hide, or give off 79 Sock tip 9 Do something 81 Hockey great Bobby 10 Lost person’s question 84 Secures with string 11 Used to be 85 Memo heading 12 “Well, lookee here!”

13 Borrowed shell occupant 86 Slob’s handiwork 88 Plunged in 14 Kind of oil in Chinese 91 Paving stuff cuisine 15 Corkscrew or church key 92 “___ know what?”

93 Sheetlike clouds 18 Fish eggs 19 Nickname related to Drew 94 Marsupials that enjoy eucalyptus leaves 20 Casual pants 95 Bread or whiskey grain 22 Veto 29 “A wise ___ once said ...” 57 Sultry summer stretch flag 96 Experts 23 “Do ___ others ...”

30 Breathe out 59 Massage sites 83 Austria and Australia 100 They may head for the 28 Fashionable fellow 33 Variety 60 Closer at hand 86 In a jolly fashion hills 31 Bass drinks 35 Punctual 63 Story that takes hours 87 Trousers part 102 Clues 32 Like a deep voice 37 Bit of butter to tell 89 Perfect square after four 34 What may follow A, B, C or 103 Corner keyboard key 39 Numbers game 64 It’s covered with covers 90 Parts of wedding cake 106 Fencing sword D on a test?

41 Person who carries 65 Basketball coaches’ eating contests?

108 Brief interval, briefly 36 Root-third-fifth chord certain retrievers? position swaps, perhaps?

93 Low-level Breckenridge 37 Confine, as sheep 110 Pundit’s newspaper piece 43 House of Lords tourist? 68 ___-Town (Windy City) employee?

111 Be inclined (to) 38 Insurance company 46 Arizona city in the 71 Sharp set in a den 96 Mexican money 113 Compete named for a volcano Sonoran Desert 72 “To be, or not to be” play 97 Middle name for John 115 Matched group 40 Stock exchange figure 47 (Not my mistake) 73 Arrived Hooker or Kathie Gifford 116 Where to sail 42 Strip in a first-aid kit 48 Weeping 77 Like some cats and 98 Pleasantly warm 117 Feedbag bit 43 Orchestra areas 49 Not dull at all concerts 99 Char 118 Rob ___ (Scotch cocktail) 44 Big tub 52 Vanishing Asian sea 79 Gentle throw 101 Urges to work hard 45 Attached, like a certain 55 Select, as a radio station 80 Drove (around) 104 Fled patch 56 Seth’s father 82 Animal on California’s 105 Unwanted plant 46 “Delicious!”

CELEBRITY CIPHER

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“Y SB ISZZN KCLSOVC Y’B DTSRCXOM. Y LIHHVC RH KC DTSRCXOM. RISR DTSRYROPC SMMHAV BC RH KC ISZZN.” – AYMM STWCRR “SB SP UWOBVCI; CUP’O FUMMR SDUWO YSVAWMI, DIJSWBI YSVAWMI FVAA OSXI JSMI UY VOBIAY. YUJWB UP BWJJIBB.”

– KIPMR JSNVAA Puzzle Two Clue: X equals K

Sarasota

SAVE ON SELECT COLORS & STYLE

Puzzle One Clue I equals H

HARDWOOD

© 2021 NEA, Inc.

SUDOKU

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

©2021 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

05-06-21

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

RED PAGES INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

Cleaning

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon

ADVERTISE YOUR MERCHANDISE with the total value of all items $200 or less in this section for FREE! Limit 1 ad per month,15 words or less.

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Garage/ Moving/ Estate Sales MOVING SALE Saturday May 01, 7:30 AM-12:00 PM - 4949 Creekside trial furniture, tools, paintings much more stuff must go

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This week’s Crossword answers

©2021 Universal Uclick

You’re only cheating yourself.

Items Under $200

GREY-BLACK Metal Mesh table with 4 chairs and blue striped cushions $100. 2 Martha stewart reclining lounge chairs $ 100.

941-417-2445

SENIOR LOOKING to purchase precious metals, diamonds, time pieces, coins, jewelry, antique and estate jewelry, and collectors plates.

Personal and confidential.

Please call Marc: 941-321-0707.

auto

stuff

FOR SALE Nepresso Espresso Machine $50 7" Digital Picture Frame $30 (201) 669-8331

Merchandise Wanted

Health Services

peekers’ place

Items Under $200

home services

The East County Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the East County Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property.

real estate

Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card

HOUSECLEANER: Very honest and reliable. Guarantee quality work.

Have plenty of cleaning references to give upon interview. If interested and you have questions, Call: 660-362-2333.

The CRYSTAL CLEAR choice!

Made for where you live. Here!

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.”

Will Arnett Puzzle Two Solution: “As an outside; don’t worry about failure, because failure will take care of itself.

Focus on success.”

Henry Cavill

This week’s Sudoku answers

©2021 NEA, Inc.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 941-955-4888 OR VISIT YOUROBSERVER.COM/REDPAGES

14B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Aluminum

Construction

Health

THE BEST This Doctor is Among

SPINAL DECOMPRESSION PHYSICIANS IN AMERICA

Kitchen Renovations and Upgrades Visit our showroom

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Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

Auto Service

Doors

SELL YOUR CAR!

Sliding Glass Door Repair

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“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE” 356664

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

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FREE CONSULTATION

Home Services

Are You Having Dryer Difficulties?

YOUR BUSINESS

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

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

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

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

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Patio Furniture Repairs.com patio RepaiRS

ON TARGET

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OBSERVER RED PAGES

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/ DELIVERY FREE PICKUP ONSITE QUOTES outdoor furniture experts• •FREE www .patiorepairs .net

Doors

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

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

Commercial

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www.ezslider.com

$

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941.966.0333

DrGrabBars.com

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

357145

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

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954-1878

(cell) 780-3346 Licensed & Insured

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

Call John 941.377.2940

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

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235

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

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941-735-3362

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941-705-5468

Residential

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Pegatronics.com

357169

Call 941.358.2224 today to schedule a

GROW

Computer

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

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com

357146

HoHoBuysCars.com

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

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

357083 38056

941.270.4400

New Deluxe Rollers Will Make Your Doors Roll Better Than Ever Call Mark 928-2263 proslidingglassdoorrepair.com

5-Star Rated

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

357140

FAST • EASY • SAFE

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

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

www.showerandbathsarasota.com

FREE IN-HOME ESTIMATE S

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

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RED PAGES. MADE FOR WHERE YOU LIVE. HERE! TO ADVERTISE CALL 941-955-4888 OR VISIT WWW.YOUROBSERVER.COM/REDPAGES

356668

Owner / Operator Insured

355959

Dustin Yoder

356301

“Specializing in 6” Seamless Gutters”

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Landscaping & Lawn

Power Washing

GARDENS BY ALLISON

SAFE ROOF CLEANING

Building & Roofing Contractor

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

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941.400.0431

357148

941-737-4483 www.PantherHydroCleaning.com

355960

Pressure Cleaning & Soft Washing Residential and Commercial

Allison J. Abizaid, M.A.

10% SAVINGS With this ad

356303

Rescreening & Repairs

Lawn Care

Screening

Eldridge Re-Screen Licensed

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941-739-5102

355961

“No Job Too Small”

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

356305

RED PAGES

Painting

UNIQUE PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING SERVICES Complete Interior & Exterior Painting

FREE ESTIMATES - Call Joel, Owner 30 Years Exp. Cell 619-405-7650 Home/Office 941-758-4840

356670

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

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS

Showcase your products or services each week in the Red Pages.

CALL 941-955-4888

Power Washing Pressure Washing

Roofing Pressure Washing

Bisson Roofing Inc. Specializing in Reroofs and Repairs FREE Estimates • 30 Years Experience

Honesty, Integrity and Pride

356138

941-544-1066

AFTER

941 - 748 - 7400

BEFORE

| scaperotta@aol.com

Italian American Owned

357149

Serving Sarasota/Manatee Area Since 2004

RC0067420 • Lic. & Ins.

Owner Supervises Every Job

www.bissonroofing.com

YOUR HOME

found here.

Find a place where you can visit listings, not just imagine them.

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

Call 941-955-4888 or visit YourObserver.com/redpages

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

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

941-345-5264

specialty screens / screw replacement / paint

Windows

Doors and more!

Insured

941-270-1561

SMALL ENGINE REPAIRS

• Roofs • PoolCages Cages•• Decks Decks ••Driveways • Roofs • Pool Driveways • Deck/Paver Sealing • Gutter Cleaning • Deck/PaverAnd Sealing • And Much More Much More!

941-626-3194

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

357142

gbyallison@yahoo.com gardensbyallison.com

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

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Res./Com.

Lic./Ins.

w & Pressure Cl indo345-5264 W(941) eani t e s ng wn as Sunrise Win o n k Sun y l r e d Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

25

UP TO

STANDARD WINDOWS

ows

120

$

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

SPECIAL 00 5

$

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

Purified water window cleaning available!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

357143

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

15B

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

Roofing BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCTS

No Job is too Small!

|

RED PAGES Bring Results | 941-955-4888

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2021

THE FACE OF

HEALTH CARE You’re the first person patients see in the morning and the one who cares for them overnight. The steady presence when they need strength, the uplifting smile when they need spirit and the compassionate ear when they need humanity.

And in times of crisis, nurses are the ones who doctors count on and patients rely on.

It’s a difficult job, a demanding job, an endless job, but it should never be a thankless job.

So to all the nurses at Sarasota Memorial and beyond, thanks for making the rest of us look good.

356297-1

16B

. . . t i a W But

S ’ E R THE !

E R MO

XNLV19038

Flip the page for more sales and specials!

longer other no

the

newspaper

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

THURSDAY PRINT DISTRIBUTION 60,000

The Observers* 50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

59,286

Sarasota Observer Longboat Observer East County Observer Siesta Key Observer

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

10,000

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

Pick up your FREE copy of The Observer every Thursday.

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

A Person-Centered Approach to Memory Care At The Sheridan, everything we do is with your loved one in mind. Specially designed activities for our memory care residents weave opportunities for wellness, enrichment and creativity into the fabric of their daily lives. And with the support of caring, skilled professionals, residents find joy every day.

Call 941-315-9503 today to schedule a tour or to get a copy of

Assisted Living | Memory Care Assisted Living License #12858 WWW.SENIORLIFESTYLE.COM

355121-1

The Complete Guide to Dementia for Caregivers.

A community built around caring Surrounded by the tranquil parks, lakes and nature reserves of Lakewood Ranch, every day at The Sheridan rewards residents with energy, activity, friendship and kindness. Upscale and comfortable, with a reputation second to none, our assisted living helps residents just enough to ensure they feel confident and independent.

And our vibrant memory care setting is a tour-de-force in personalized, uplifting, attentive programming for those who have Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. The Sheridan has a vibe – and it’s irresistible!

Call 941-315-9503 today to schedule a tour or to get a copy of The Complete Guide to Dementia for Caregivers.

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

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

3 AREAS of

397

$

(for Frown Lines, Forehead & Crow’s Feet) SEE BACK FOR DETAILS.

OVER 600 FIVE STAR REVIEWS

355583-1 Following all CDC Guidelines to ensure the safety of our clients & staff

LWR 941-359-BTOX(2869) | SRQ 941-360-BTOX(2869) www.bowtiquemedspa.com 355583-1

Beauty is Our Business OFFERS GOOD AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

6277 Lake Osprey Drive Lakewood Ranch, FL 34240 6118 S. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34231 MUST BOOK AND PREPAY. Must bring this ad in to receive offer.

Cannot be combined with any other discounts or offers. No exchanges or refunds. All sales final.

Limited availability. Se habla español.

Offers expire 5/31/2021.

Our team at World Class Dentistry treats patients with a multitude of concerns which streamlines treatment and maintains quality control. The doctors along with their master dental technicians and on-site laboratory offer complete cosmetic and implant solutions.

We have been serving the Sarasota area since 1987. Call today for a consultation to begin your life-changing transformation.

Jill Morris, DMD

Burr Bakke, DDS

Cameron Johnson, DMD

• Accredited Member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (only 550 accredited dentists worldwide)

• Fellow of the American Dental Implant Association

• Member of North American Association of Facial Orthotropics

• Fellow of the American Academy of Dental Facial Esthetics • Post Doctoral Instructor of Full Mouth Reconstruction • Member International Academy of Oral Biological Dentistry and Toxicology • Practicing dentistry for 33 years

• Fellow of International Congress of Oral Implantologists

• Member of the American Orthodontic Society

• Fellow of the American Academy of Dental Facial Esthetics • Member of American Academy of Implant Dentistry • Post Doctoral Instructor of Full Mouth Reconstruction

• Member of the International Association of Orthodontics • Member of American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine

Phenny Polpornvitoon, DMD • Member of American Dental Association • Member of American Association of Women Dentists • Member of American Academy of Implant Dentistry • Member of International Congress of Oral Implantologists

• International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology

Advanced Care and Dental Technology at One Location Stay Connected With Us

(941) 999-3205 | 3951 Swift Rd., Sarasota, FL 34231

356478-1

Est. 1987

Cosmetics, Implants and Bite Reconstruction Actual Patients

Smile Makeovers and Veneers

Before

After

Before

After

Dental Implant Surgery and Reconstruction

Before

After

Before

After

On-Site Laboratory with Master Technicians to Customize and Control Results Implant Dentistry

Cosmetic Dentistry

Orthotropic Orthodontics

• Digitally Guided Implant Surgery

• Conservative ‘No Prep’ Veneers

• Airway Ortho for Children and Adults

• On-Site Cat Scan

• Nonsurgical Facelifts

• PRP and PRF Blood Enhancers

• Bite Correction

• Orthotropic Ortho for Children and Adults

• Bruxism Treatment

• IV Sedation

• Lumineers®

• Bone Grafts and Sinus Lifts • Zirconia and Titanium Implants • Laser Assisted Surgery

• Botox, Fillers, PDO Threads, Microneedling • Laser Assisted Gum Tissue Treatment

• Crooked Teeth and Bite Correction • Receding Chin Correction • Smile Broadening • Non-Extraction of Permanent Teeth

(941) 999-3205 | SarasotaDentist.com 3951 Swift Rd., Sarasota, FL 34231

ADVERTORIAL

DONATING FROM HER DOORSTEP You can give the gift of life with an “at-home” blood donation today.

It’s no secret that Heidi Kocur’s loyalty to SunCoast Blood Centers (SCBC), and the motivation behind her countless blood donations to help the community, runs deep. Her late husband William “Billy” Kocur, a battalion chief who bravely served the Sarasota County Fire Department for 25 years, died in a motorcycle accident back in 2017. Heidi, following the tragedy that shook her family, knows the importance of a blood donation – for someone in dire need, it’s the gift of life.

And Heidi is just steps away from her home when donating blood products.

SunCoast Blood Centers offers a Concierge Donor Program – a completely unique service not found among other blood banks – in which a mini-vehicle drives to your home or office for one-on-one interaction inside the bus scheduled by an appointment. Donors receive the safety and comfort of being parked in their driveway, in case of an emergency, while garnering the full attention and focus of their phlebotomist for a better experience.

The Concierge Donor Program, which actively seeks whole blood and double red blood cell contributions, expedites donors through the giving process compared to large blood mobile buses and fixed sites with wait lines as well. SunCoast Blood Centers collects, on average, six pints per day and roughly 100 monthly through the service. The Concierge Donor Program, stretching Sept. 1 to March 31, even received 644 pints of whole blood, convalescent plasma and double red blood cell donations.

That service, which is currently available four days a week, has certainly been convenient for Heidi and similar donors. The program has even offered a safe way to give blood, away from crowds, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. And SunCoast Blood Centers plans to expand it further with service Monday through Saturday, previously limited because of staffing, and two to three small buses out in your neighborhood daily.

Join donors, like Heidi, and grant the gift of life to someone through SunCoast Blood Centers – and we’ll come to you.

To schedule your appointment today and have a mini-bus park in your front yard, call 844-972-6819 or email home@suncoastblood.org.

suncoastblood.org