East County Observer 6.11.26

EAST COUNTY

Observer

Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

Art works at this camp.

PAGE 19

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

VOLUME 27, NO. 44

YOUR TOWN

Comp plan revise delayed Manatee residents pleaded for more time to review comp plan revisions. SEE PAGE 3

Lesley Dwyer

A solid alliance at The Juice Pod Tricia Robustelli with Grapevine Communications and Amanda Born with Selah Freedom (above) sipped on smoothies and made some solid connections June 4 at The Juice Pod on Lakewood Ranch Main Street.

The women are members of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance’s Young Leaders Alliance, which hosted a Rise & Grind social at the juice bar.

Robustelli said it can be hard to find other young professionals to connect with, but the alliance makes it easy with events you can attend whenever you want.

“Out of all the chambers I’ve joined, I’ve made the best connections through the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance,” Born said.

A LEGEN-DAIRY CAMP Annual Junior Ranchers camp teaches the importance of agriculture.

SEE PAGE 17 Courtesy image

Patriotism pays for the Elks Era Gibbons and Abigail Smith (pictured above with Kevin Burke, the former exalted ruler of the Lakewood Ranch-Sarasota Elks Lodge) are smiling because they earned $500 each.

Gibbons, an eighth grader at The Classical Academy, and Smith, a seventh grader at Braden River Middle School, took third place in the state for their respective entries into the annual Elks Grand Lodge Americanism Essay Contest.

This year’s theme was “What Service to My Country Means to Me.” Both highlighted their families’ military backgrounds, but also smaller acts of service anyone can contribute.

Gibbons’ essay said, “Service is about using your own gifts to make a difference.”

Read the Observer anytime, anywhere on our free app! Visit YourObserver.com/app-offer or use the QR code below.

Madison Bierl

Gabrielle Finnegan, chapter president of the Lakewood Ranch High School Future Farmers of America, checks out Lucy the cow with 7-year-old camper Luca Bellantonio during Junior Ranchers camp.

A+E

The world comes to Venice theater.

PAGE 13

Model students Madison Bierl

Braden River High School rising senior Matthew Mangin created a design and model of an RV in space for the Technology Students Association’s Transportation Modeling event.

Area’s brightest students headed to TSA Nationals. SEE PAGE 10

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

District 1 candidate focuses on solutions over complaints Mark Stanoch is a former economic forecaster who uses past data to build future plans.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

E

ast County’s Mark Stanoch has a prediction for Manatee County: If the Board of County Commissioners focuses on economic development, residents will sit in less traffic.

Stanoch is running to represent District 1 on the commission, where traffic is a major concern, especially in the Parrish area.

“Stop the development” is a familiar rallying cry among many Manatee County residents and some commissioners and candidates, too, but Stanoch sees another solution to the county’s traffic congestion — “rational development.”

“I call it rational because it’s built on data,” he said. “You have to make policy decisions based on data, and when you don’t have the data, you have to at least build models so you can predict what the outcomes will be. I don’t think (Manatee County) does enough of that.”

Stanoch performed a data analysis using information from Florida Commerce, the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic Research and the Longitudinal EmployerHousehold Dynamics Program that shows Manatee County has a net outflow of 30,262 workers to surrounding counties every day.

The data Stanoch compiled indicates that those commutes are a major contributor to traffic congestion, so widening roads isn’t a good solution because the county would only be helping workers travel to and from neighboring counties.

Stanoch’s solution is to develop the economy and, at the same time, improve the roads. He called Manatee County an “exporter of labor.” “(Labor) is one of the most valu-

able things you have in a county, and we’re giving it away,” he said.

“More than half the houses that we build here in Manatee County are for the benefit of other counties. Think about it. It’s absolutely crazy.”

Stanoch’s predilection for predictions comes from a job he held with Chase Econometrics. Econometrics is mathematical modeling of economic systems. He built macroeconomic models of the U.S. economy.

Stanoch’s specialty was forecasting, which takes data from the past to inform about the future. He forecasted factors like rainfall in West Texas for an electric cooperative and gate attendance for Walt Disney World.

His forecast for Manatee County is that the population will keep growing because there is no way to stop people from moving, but he found that “rampant growth” doesn’t work either. When Stanoch looked to the past, he saw a county that had failed to balance housing development with job creation.

When looking at which industries are at work in Manatee County, construction holds a higher percentage in the county at 13% than the state at 9.6%.

“We’ve got to diversify our base here,” Stanoch said. “I’ll tell you who I’m jealous of is Pasco County.”

The Moffitt Speros Outpatient Center opened in January. It was the first phase of a 775-acre campus that will create thousands of jobs.

If elected, Stanoch would start looking in his own district with the industrialized area near SeaPort Manatee. If job creation is focused in corridors where infrastructure already exists, rural lands in District 1 can be preserved simultaneously.

“I guess if there’s a distinction between me and maybe the other people running is that people are great at describing problems. I’m more on the solutions side,” he said.

“Now, I don’t have all the answers, but I think in those kinds of terms.”

Stanoch also knows how to bring people together to achieve a common goal. He spent five years as the Microsoft relationship manager for Dell.

OLD-SCHOOL GAMER

Lesley Dwyer

Mark Stanoch is running for District 1. If elected, modeling and forecasting will help inform his decisions from the dais.

He noted that Microsoft is located in the Pacific Northwest, which has more tattoos per capita than the rest of the country, and Dell is located in Round Rock, Texas, that has some of the best barbecue in the country.

The cultural differences made the two companies “organizationally divergent.”

Yet, Stanoch won back-to-back awards throughout all five years by bringing the two teams together.

He also served as a principal at IBM Global Services and led two technology startups, which both sold to publicly traded corporations.

Once in retirement, Stanoch and his wife, Annette Stanoch, who also has a technology background, became involved in conservative politics following the 2020 election.

First, they joined Defend Florida.

Then, they started using their skills to improve election integrity and

help conservative candidates build websites.

Now, Stanoch is an active member of the Manatee Patriots. He manages the nonprofit’s website and distributes its weekly newsletter. He noted that the club is conservative, not partisan. Members of the group include registered Democrats as well as Republicans.

Additionally, Stanoch organizes the scholarship fund for the Victims of Communism Florida and is an active member of the Knights of Columbus chapter at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church. Stanoch is a fourth-degree knight, which is the patriotic arm of the group.

Like so many of the high-performing residents who retire to the Lakewood Ranch area, Stanoch laughed and said, “We’re retired and we’re not.”

When walking around Mark Stanoch’s house, one thing is clear — he works hard and plays hard. But for a man who spent his life in technology, he’s not playing with VR goggles strapped to his head.

There’s a wall of board games stacked neatly in his dining room, and his garage is filled with figurines that he 3D prints and paints himself.

“Besides technology, I am a history buff,” Stanoch said.

Stanoch re-created a miniature version of the Second Battle of Trenton, fought in early January 1777.

He’s been testing the game and plans to host an open house to play it around the Fourth of July to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary.

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VOTE 2026

2

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

NOT AN EASY READ Given three years of revisions, Manatee County residents wanted more than seven weeks to review updates to the 484-page comprehensive plan.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

M

yakka City’s Elizabeth Efferson is reading Manatee County’s proposed update to its comprehensive plan, but she needs more time to work her way through the 484-page document that was released to the public April 19.

“It’s too high-level,” Efferson said.

“I’m having to look up different terms just to understand one paragraph.”

Even the “Summary of Amendments” is 219 pages with 42 updated definitions of things like “inflowing watercourses,” which are “hydrologic connections defined as areas of state or federal jurisdiction.”

Efferson didn’t step up to the podium to address commissioners at the June 4 meeting, but about 20 other residents did and several more submitted written comments that echoed her concerns.

With jobs and families to tend to, residents said they weren’t given enough time and information to properly give feedback on the proposed changes.

The comprehensive plan is a vision for Manatee County’s future.

It’s a living document that was first adopted in 1989 and looks at least 10 years ahead to shape policies and guide future decisions.

Consulting firm Kimley-Horn was hired by the county in 2023 to update the plan. The firm held a series of 15 public meetings between August 2023 and April 2026.

Resident Elaine Johnson told commissioners she attended one of the workshops, but “it wasn’t very informative.”

“We had trouble getting questions answered,” Johnson said. “It’s been brought up to have some town hall meetings with you, commissioners.

I hope that’s something you’ll consider so we can dive down. It’s a time issue for a lot of people working, but this is a lot to comprehend, but it’s very, very important. Our county is dealing with a lot of problems due to overgrowth.”

Although commissioners didn’t commit to holding any town hall meetings, they voted 5-1 to give residents until Aug. 6 to review the proposed amendments.

Commission Chair Tal Siddique cast the dissenting vote, however, Commissioner George Kruse also voiced support for transmitting the amendments to the state.

But in the end, it didn’t matter how Kruse, Siddique or Mike Rahn voted because Commissioners Jason Bearden, Bob McCann and Amanda Ballard had made it clear leading up to the vote they were in favor of a delay.

With a six-member board, a tied vote is the equivalent of a denial.

During a lunch break, Kruse told the East County Observer that he, too, was concerned about time, but too much time versus not enough time.

Once the comprehensive plan is finalized, the county will start updating the land development code, which will take more than a year of rewrites and public hearings to complete.

Kruse said the things that residents actually care about are in the land development code, such as density, setback allowances and parking ratios.

He offered an example of how the two documents work in unison: The comprehensive plan lays out the guideline that the county will actively avoid urban sprawl, and the land development code adds the mechanisms to adhere to that guideline, such as allowing additional density and height within urban corridors to promote infill development, thus avoiding urban sprawl.

McCann argued it is more important to build public trust.

“Just like what happened with the wetlands, which actually got me elected, we were told it was just a transmittal. Well, it wasn’t,” he said.

“There’s a difference between participation over three years and seeing the finished product.”

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Cynthia Keough is one of several Manatee County residents to step up to the podium June 4 and ask commissioners for more time to review the updated comprehensive plan.

Commission George Kruse would have preferred the updates be submitted to the state, but ultimately voted to delay the transmittal.

Director of Development Services Nicole Knapp says another updated version of the comprehensive plan is waiting for Senate Bill 180 and Senate Bill 250 to sunset before it's submitted to the state for approval.

Commission Chair Tal Siddique is the one dissenting vote for transmittal.

Even the “finished product” isn’t finished because Senate Bill 180 prevents the county from writing anything into the plan that could be deemed “more restrictive or burdensome,” language that was never defined by the state.

Due to the restriction, Director of Development Services Nicole Knapp said some changes, such as reinstating larger wetland buffers, won’t be submitted to the state for review just yet.

“Some of the public comment we couldn’t proceed with right now, so there’s a parking lot situation where we’re holding onto those,” Knapp said. “They’re prepared as part of Phase 2.”

The plan is to wait out SB 180 until it expires in October 2027, then transmit a second updated comprehensive plan to the state.

KEY UPDATES Many residents expressed similar concerns as Johnson about “overgrowth,” so Trevor Poole, a planner with Kimley-Horn, shared “key updates” within the future land use element of the comprehensive plan.

Policy 2.1.1.4 ties into Kruse’s example of limiting urban sprawl.

The policy states that Manatee County will “promote development in currently undeveloped or underdeveloped areas which have the greatest level of public facility and infrastructure availability.”

Siddique clarified that the added language of “underdeveloped areas” does not include “greenfield development.” The policy is targeting areas, such as Bradenton, Ellenton and Palmetto where infrastructure already exists, not areas beyond the Future Development Area Boundary, such as Myakka City.

Policy 2.2.1.26.4 is an added policy that establishes a new land use category: mixed use-community/community serving.

Poole said creating “true community serving mixed use” was something that came up during the public engagement sessions. He said the category is intended to accommodate medium- to high-density residential uses, along with a mixeduse component that directly serves people living in that dwelling area.

Kruse often makes the argument that providing services near residential areas lessens traffic congestion because people don’t have to drive

Myakka City's Elizabeth Efferson and Duette's John Dunn listen to the hearing after driving across the county to attend the June 4 commission meeting regarding comprehensive plan updates.

“This is a lot to comprehend, but it’s very, very important.

Our county is dealing with a lot of problems due to overgrowth.”

Resident Elaine Johnson

as far to dine or shop.

The range of potential uses within the new category include such neighborhood commercial uses as a grocery store, schools, recreational uses and public or semi-public uses like a library.

Another new policy intends to protect and enhance agricultural centers.

Poole called Policy 2.5.1.7 “a policy to research programs and do case studies to see what can be adopted.”

The language in the policy states the goal of preserving agricultural land could be accomplished through the land development code or other programs that would compensate farmland owners to transfer development rights and conservation easements to the county.

The policy also adds a protection that “when new nonagricultural development is introduced adjacent to existing agricultural use, the nonagricultural use shall provide sufficient on-site buffering or other mitigation techniques to allow the agricultural operation to continue.”

A key update that falls under the category of Conservation, but is development-related and has plagued East County residents for years, is the county’s handling of construction dust.

Policy 3.1.1.6 already required the “control of erosion, fugitive dust and air emissions” related to development. The added language, if adopted, would require county staff to incorporate performance standards

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CHAPTERS n Future land use n Conservation n Coastal management n Transportation n Housing n Historic and cultural n Recreation and open space n Public facilities n Capital improvements n Intergovernmental coordina-

tion n Public school facilities n Property rights

into the land development code to assure that “exposed, destabilized or other altered soil is expeditiously covered with an acceptable erosion control material.”

The update would also require that “chronically noncompliant” developers use the “best available control technologies prior to re-issuance of their operating permits,” and staff will be required to follow up on complaints and notify state and federal agencies of the noncompliance.

“Nobody talked about anything being bad,” McCann said. “(Residents) haven’t had time to read it.”

To see the updated comprehensive plan in its entirety, visit MyManatee.org/Envision.

3

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NEWS BRIEFS

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

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Truck crashes into Palm Aire home

East County Observer earns 17 awards

A resident in his 60s was injured in his Palm Aire home early June 9 when a full-sized pickup missed a stop sign at an adjacent intersection and crashed into the Palm Aire property.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the 62-year-old sustained “nonincapacitating’’ injuries in the 12:30 a.m. crash at the corner of Tournament Boulevard and West Country Club Drive, which is just east of Lockwood Ridge Road.

In a report on the crash, the FHP said a Ford F-150, driven by a 54-year-old Sarasota man, was driving east on Tournament Boulevard, continued past the stop sign at the end of the street, left the pavement and crashed into the residence opposite the intersection.

Images of the neighborhood show an array of reflective warning signs directly across from the intersection of Tournament Boulevard, including one that indicates traffic must either turn right or left. All four wheels of the pickup made it into the home, breaking through the front of the building in the vicinity of a large window.

The driver was not hurt.

The crash remains under investigation.

The East County Observer won 17 awards at the Florida Press Association’s Weekly Newspaper Contest June 5 at the Hilton Disney Springs in Lake Buena Vista.

Leading the way was the Observer’s Lesley Dwyer, who won first place in the feature writing, nonprofile category. She also took a second place in the general news writing category and third places for hurricane feature story and hurricane coverage.

Managing Editor Jay Heater was awarded first place for best headline, for portfolio photography and for his photo series in one issue. Heater also placed second and third in the serious column category and was third for best obituary.

The Observer’s Melissa Leduc earned second places in overall graphic design, page design and informational graphic, and was third for front page makeup.

Madison Bierl placed second in the education news category for the East County Observer and was third in the education feature category.

Jack Nelson placed second for his sports column.

EAST COUNTY

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

EMERGENCY SIGNAL

Director of Public Works Chad Butzow said a third project getting started on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard is a “proper preemption signal” for East Manatee Fire Rescue’s Station 1.

The signal will use a steel mast arm and cost $656,000, funded from infrastructure sales tax.

Stephen Beecher, division chief of administration for EMFR, said the primary issue occurs when vehicles attempt to cross the southbound lanes to head northbound. Drivers often have to wait several minutes before a sufficiently safe gap in traffic becomes available.

Because EMFR’s signal is a permanent solution, it will take closer to two years to complete.

Lesley Dwyer

The installation of span wire traffic signals on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard at the intersections of Gatewood Drive and Wood Fern Trail are two projects within Manatee County’s “master vision” for speed management on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard between 44th Avenue East and State Road 64.

More signals approved for Lakewood Ranch Boulevard A series of traffic signals will be installed between 44th Avenue East and State Road 64.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

E

cho Lake’s Richard Brenner was so fed up with traffic and safety concerns at the intersection of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Wood Fern Trail, he reached out to his local representative, Commissioner Bob McCann, to request a traffic light.

He told McCann the intersection is “a real mess,” especially when school is in session and parents are picking

up their children from B.D. Gullet Elementary School and Dr. Mona Jain Middle School.

Brenner said a number of southbound drivers on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard choose to pass Wood Fern Trail because it’s too difficult to turn left. Instead, drivers make a U-turn at the light at 44th Avenue East and backtrack to access Wood Fern Trail.

Brenner noted that it’s equally dangerous to turn left from Wood Fern Trail onto Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.

At the June 2 commission meeting, McCann made a motion to expedite the installation of a traffic light at the intersection “before a fatal accident occurs.”

The motion received a quick second from Commissioner George Kruse and passed unanimously.

Kruse called it a “terrible intersection” and said cars are starting to stack up at 44th Avenue East from the U-turns Brenner described.

“I think Lakewood Ranch and 44th Avenue East would be a good loca-

tion for an actual roundabout,” Kruse said. “And this could be a permanent light (at Lakewood Ranch and Wood Fern Trail) because there’s more through traffic now that 44th is being used more often.”

McCann’s motion was to expedite the project because a span wire traffic signal is already included in the capital improvement plan. The overall cost of $319,250 will be paid for using impact fees.

A span wire traffic signal can last 20 years, but it’s considered temporary because they’re strung up with cables and poles. A roundabout or a traffic light that hangs from a steel mast arm is considered a permanent solution.

Instead of underground sensors, the signal will include an above ground, “nonintrusive” vehicle detection system. The intersection will also be updated with pedestrian crossings.

Kruse said a temporary signal is an inexpensive fix that allows the county time to see if a signal will correct the issues and determine a permanent solution.

One thing Kruse is sure of right now — stop signs don’t work. People blow through them, he said.

THE MASTER VISION “We had a master vision for speed management and intersection control on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard,” Director of Public Works Chad Butzow said. “There are three projects right in a row that are actually just getting underway right now.”

The vision targets Lakewood Ranch Boulevard between 44th Avenue East and State Road 64 and actually includes four projects — intersection improvements at Wood Fern Trail, Gatewood Drive and Portal Crossing and an emergency light in front of East Manatee Fire Rescue’s Station 1.

Only three projects are underway because one is not currently funded — the traffic light at Portal Crossing.

Butzow noted that roundabouts were “preferred” for the intersections.

However, the estimated cost to upgrade the three intersections was over $2.8 million in the FY20252029 Capital Improvement Plan, and Manatee County didn’t have the funding.

Each intersection was only partially funded for fiscal year 2025.

For example, the overall budget for intersection improvements at Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Wood Fern Trail was $911,266, but only $159,766 was funded in FY2025.

Those improvements were proposed in June 2024, which was just the start of that year’s budgeting session. By September 2024, when the FY2025 budget was adopted, all three intersection projects were placed on a “deferred list” due to a budget shortage.

Commissioners shifted gears a year later during the FY2026 budget process and prioritized infrastructure maintenance and small projects that could make a big impact.

At that point, two out of the three intersection projects were scaled down but fully funded.

The plan for the intersection of Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Gatewood Drive is identical to the plan for the intersection at Wood Fern Trail — a $319,250 span wire traffic signal.

Butzow said the traffic signals are running about six months behind schedule, but work will begin this summer and is anticipated to wrap up by late 2026 or early 2027.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

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Neighbors who help in an emergency CERT members aren’t first responders, but they can offer valuable aid before help arrives.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

L

akewood Ranch Community Emergency Response Team members are not first responders, but sometimes CERT members can be the first to respond.

In April, Team Leader Polly Greene arrived at an emergency at a home in the Lakewood Ranch Country Club about six minutes before Manatee County EMS. Greene’s response time was about 90 seconds because she lives in the community.

When Greene arrived, she found an older man in his garage with the top part of his body underneath a van. A woman was on the phone with 911.

“The woman (on the phone) was very happy to have me there,” Greene said. “(My training) kicked in. I looked for the three pillars: Breathing, blood and choking.”

Greene relayed everything she saw to the 911 operator. The man’s breathing was regular, but somewhat labored. His capillary response was good. There was no blood. He could swallow, but he couldn’t squeeze Greene’s hand.

The man kept trying to get up, but the 911 operator already told Greene not to move him. To keep the man calm and still, she spoke to him about his wife and told him first responders were on the way.

Greene heard the sirens, but the sound disappeared. The ambulance missed the neighborhood. Greene instructed the woman to go outside and flag down the ambulance.

“My being there with this woman in the garage made a difference to

her, and I think I actually kept him from banging his head on the bottom of that van, which might have hurt him more,” Greene said. “I don’t know what the end result was, but I felt like I did something. I felt like I was actually helpful.”

The tagline for CERT is “Neighbors helping Neighbors.” The Lakewood Ranch chapter’s website reads, “Neighbors helping Neighbors since 2006.”

The group celebrated its 20th anniversary in February with a Celebrate Our First Responders event at Greenbrook Adventure Park.

LWR CERT has about 275 members, divided among neighborhood teams, who are trained to provide emergency first aid after a disaster.

Over the past year, the group has expanded its scope to include a network of automated external defibrillators.

Although Greene didn’t have to use the AED, that was the reason she responded to the emergency in the Country Club. She’s one of 14 members to volunteer to keep an AED outside the homes and respond when needed.

The AEDs are kept outside or on lanais so neighbors have easy access to them, as well. When LWR CERT President Jim Emanuelson placed one near his front door, he and his

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

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sibility of cardiac arrest exists, an emergency operator can send out an alert to all nearby AEDs. Greene told her story at LWR CERT’s latest hurricane preparedness seminar June 2. The team sponsors two prep sessions each year at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall. The events are free and open to the public. The next event is scheduled for Aug. 22 at 9 a.m.

The June 2 seminar featured Jennifer Hubbard, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Hubbard said the prediction for the 2026 hurricane season is 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

On June 13, the teams will be preparing for Hurricane Tim, but don’t pull out the hurricane shutters. Hurricane Tim is only an exercise. CERT members will be practicing the various steps of their response effort should a hurricane pass through the area this season.

New members are required to take a 20-hour CERT Basic Training class, which includes lectures, demonstrations and hands-on exercises.

The next LWR CERT training starts Sept. 30.

Jim Emanuelson is president of Lakewood Ranch CERT, and John McInally is the responder liaison.

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wife, Karen Emanuelson, hosted an ice cream social to let their neighbors know where the AED was located.

A study cited by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found survival rates as high as 70% if AEDs are used within two minutes of a collapse from cardiac arrest.

John McInally, the responder liaison for LWR CERT, took the lead on the AED network. He’s a former Army medic, emergency room nurse, CPR instructor and hospital executive. He retired to Lakewood Ranch seven years ago, but he’s been a member of different CERTs since the program began in 1985.

He shared three “magic words” that he’s used to calm people down, whether he was in the jungles of Vietnam during the war or in an emergency room in upstate New York — “I’ve seen worse.”

Being a helpful, calming presence is at the heart of what CERT members do. They’re not first responders.

They’re good citizens, and that’s all you have to be to use an AED. The machine guides the user through the entire process and only shocks when necessary.

Greene received the alert through the PulsePoint AED app. The app keeps a registry of AEDs. If the pos-

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

Property tax overhaul: What you should know Here are the basics of what Florida voters will be deciding in November and what it might mean for property owners.

HOW THE REFORM WOULD CHANGE TAX BILLS

Like with most issues involving taxes, no two situations are identical. Here are four property scenarios and what effect tax changes might have. In all cases, the data uses the aggregate ad valorem millage (5.3787) for an unincorporated Sarasota County property, keeping assessed values steady.

“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.”

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“Road to Serfdom,” 1944 Publisher and President / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com

ERIC GARWOOD

Publisher / Lori Ruth, LRuth@YourObserver.com

DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR

W

EAST COUNTY

hile the reports of property

Executive Editor and COO / Kat Wingert, KWingert@YourObserver.com

taxes’ demise in Florida

Managing Editor / Jay Heater, JHeater@YourObserver.com Sports Reporter / Jack Nelson, JNelson@ YourObserver.com Staff Writers / Madison Bierl, MBierl@ YourObserver.com; Lesley Dwyer, LDwyer@YourObserver.com Digital News Analytics and Marketing Strategist / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com Digital News Editor / Eric Garwood, EGarwood@YourObserver.com Copy Editor / Gina Reynolds Haskins, GRHaskins@YourObserver.com Senior Editorial Designer / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com

were greatly exaggerated

this month in headlines and instant-news stories, the deeper details of what the state Legislature approved in special session June 2 are far more nuanced than a clickgrabbing headline.

First off, it’s not a done deal.

To be enacted, the proposed taxsystem overhaul put forth two weeks ago requires 60% approval in the November election. Initially, that bar doesn’t appear insurmountable, based on polling data.

A query by Stetson University shows 77% of respondents would “definitely” or “probably” vote yes.

A similar poll by the James Madison Institute found 77% in favor, and 54% said they pay more in property taxes now than they did five years ago.

Here’s a deeper dive into what you’re going to see on the ballot this fall.

HOW IT WORKS NOW Florida’s ad valorem system of assessing and collecting property taxes has several mechanisms to reduce tax burden.

HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION

Within the first year of ownership, Florida residents may apply for a homestead exemption on their primary residences by March 1 of each year if they lived in the home on Jan. 1 of the same year. Once in force, the first $25,000 of this exemption applies to all taxing authorities. The second $25,000 excludes School Board taxes. And since Jan. 1, 2025, the annual exemptions are indexed for inflation, amounting to $51,411 for the 2026 tax year.

SAVE OUR HOMES

Florida’s Save of Homes provisions are designed to insulate taxpayers from sharp rises in assessed values, allowing for no more than a 3% yearto-year increase for homesteaded properties. But, if that owner sells, the baseline taxable value resets to current levels for the new owner and then is subject to the 3% ceiling once again.

Nonhomesteaded properties, such as second homes owned by residents of other states, can gain a maximum 10% annually in assessed value and routinely do during times of increasing property values. In Manatee County, about 47% of residential and real property is homesteaded. In Sarasota County, it’s about 45%.

IF IT PASSES The constitutional amendment would build toward a so-called super homestead exemption, totaling $250,000 for bona fide residents of the state before Dec. 31, 2026 — though still not applying to school

DIFFERING VIEWS

STATE SEN. BRYAN AVILA: “Our nation

was forged by pioneer patriots who left everything behind and risked their lives for the dream of living in freedom on their own piece of property. We agree with Gov. DeSantis that having to continually pay the government for the right to live on your own property flies in the face of that dream.”

SADAF KNIGHT, CEO OF THE FLORIDA POLICY INSTITUTE: “Unfortunately,

this property tax reform measure does not represent cost savings, but rather a cost shift — one that will force local lawmakers to cut local services that families rely upon or increase other taxes and fees to make up for the missing revenue. In either case, everyday Floridians ultimately pay the price for the massive loss in property tax revenue.”

HOMESTEAD HOME #1

HOMESTEAD HOME #2

TAX BILL UNDER PROPOSED REFORM IN FIRST YEAR (2027) Assessed value: $773,800 $150,000 homestead exemption applied Tax Bill: $7,919 ($3,355 county / $4,564 schools) Annual savings: $505

TAX BILL UNDER PROPOSED REFORM IN FIRST YEAR (2027) Assessed value: $267,123 $150,000 homestead exemption applied Tax Bill: $2,105 ($629 county / $1,476 schools) Annual savings: $534

TAX BILL UNDER PROPOSED REFORM IN SECOND YEAR (2028) Assessed value: $773,800 $250,000 homestead exemption applied Tax bill: $7,381 ($2,817 county / $4,564 schools) Annual savings: $1,042

TAX BILL UNDER PROPOSED REFORM IN SECOND YEAR (2028) Assessed value: $267,123 $250,000 homestead exemption applied Tax bill: $1,568 ($92 county / $1,476 schools) Annual savings: $1,071

CURRENT TAX BILL 2026 Market value: $1.1 million Purchased in 2021 for $650,000 2025 Assessed: $773,800 2022 Assessed: $699,200 2025 Tax Bill: $8,424 ($3,860 county / $4,564 schools) 2022 Tax Bill: $7,744 ($3,515 county / $4,229 schools) Average annual percentage increase: 2.2%

CURRENT TAX BILL 2026 Market Value: $700,000 Purchased in 2013 for $340,000 2025 Assessed: $267,123 2015 Assessed: $214,099 2025 Tax Bill: $2,639 ($1,163 county / $1,476 schools) 2015 Tax Bill: $2,369 ($1,009 county / $1,468 schools) Average annual percentage increase: 1.14%

NONHOMESTEADED PROPERTIES RENTERS

As the resident of a leased space, your property tax is included in your rent, so this measure doesn’t directly benefit you. But your landlord does pay property tax, and in all likelihood, the owner of your apartment, house or condo isn’t entitled to a homestead exemption. So, the benefit you gain from all of this is indirect: Your landlord’s property now can’t increase in taxable assessed value more than 5% a year vs. 10% previously. Will you get a break on rent?

That’s not something that can be addressed within the amendment.

districts. There, only the original $25,000 exemption still applies. n Beginning on Jan. 1, 2027, homesteaded owners would be entitled to a $150,000 exemption from taxable assessed value, three times the current value. n That exemption increases to $250,000 on Jan. 1, 2028 and would adjust annually to the Consumer Price Index. n People who move to Florida after Jan. 1, 2027 would have a $50,000 exemption for their first five years before qualifying for the super exemption. n Nonhomesteaded properties would see a 5% cap on assessed taxable values.

Local governments would be restricted to funding only specific segments of spending with money derived from property taxes. They are: n Public safety, including law enforcement, fire service, and emergency medical service n Education and public schools (additional funds beyond operational expenses covered by school board taxes) n Road and bridge construction and maintenance, stormwater control, and other infrastructure projects n Natural resource projects, including flood control measures n Retirement benefits of local government employees n Bond obligations n Operations and administration of county officers and commissioners and municipalities Once a part of the plan, a state trust fund to help small, rural coun-

NONHOMESTEADED PROPERTY You live in New Jersey, but you like to visit your homeaway-from-home at the beach a few months of the year — but not enough to call Florida home or claim a homestead exemption.

Your condo has a market value of $2.6 million. It was assessed in 2025 at $1.026 million, rising from $933,570 the year before, nearly hitting the 10% cap. In 2023, you did hit the 10% cap, and the same happened in 2022. Had the 5% cap been in place since 2022, the 2025 assessment would be $937,642 — $88,358 less. Your tax savings would be about $478 ($5,496 vs. $5,018).

ties offset the losses of property tax revenue was removed before the final vote by the Legislature.

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POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS HIGHER PROPERTY TAX RATES?

Florida municipalities are restricted by law in raising tax rates above 10 mills ($10 per assessed $1,000 of assessed value), not to mention public sentiment on election day. Manatee County currently totals 7.856 mills in aggregate. Sarasota County levies an aggregate millage of 5.3787.

HIGHER SALES TAXES?

A study undertaken by the Tax Foundation found that complete property tax elimination would require an average combined state-local sales tax rate of 15.34% to break even, more than double what residents pay in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

And that would require unlikely state approval and voter approval locally.

TOTAL ELIMINATION?

Though more work remains and nothing yet has been proposed, part of the amendment makes it possible for counties, municipalities and school districts to provide additional forms of tax relief, up to full elimination of taxes by voter approval.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

In some cases, part-time residents of Florida could shift residency to the Sunshine State to qualify for the exemption. In those cases, a Declaration of Domicile would have to be filed with the county clerk, proving rescinded residency elsewhere.

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9

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

SIDE OF RANCH

JAY HEATER

FY27 MANATEE RECOMMENDED BUDGET REQUIRED/CONSTITUTIONAL FUNDING

Does the promise of cash secure your vote?

$ 287,057,168 2,671,528 8,096,936

Property Appraiser

C

ash on the table.

Boy, it can be a powerful thing.

Years ago, a pro boxer I had known since he was a little kid called to ask me for advice. He was going to talk to promoter Don King about signing him to a promotional contact.

My advice was fairly simple to understand, but not so easy to do. I told him King had a reputation for putting cash on the table.

He was going to tempt him so he wouldn’t take time to think about leaving a manager who had cared about him.

When the boxer walked into King’s office, there was $50,000 on the table. This was a kid who had grown up poor. He signed the contact, took the cash, ditched his manager and was out of the sport and broke a few years later.

Now, Gov. Ron DeSantis has put cash on the table.

The strategy is the same. Florida residents who live in homesteaded properties eventually are going to get about $1,000 to $2,000 in their pocket if they vote in favor of DeSantis’ and state lawmakers’ constitutional amendment to cut back on the property tax collected by local governments.

The boxer had to make up his mind in 10 minutes. You and I have months before we need to vote on the proposal in November.

The question now is whether you research the ramifications or stuff the cash in your pocket and walk away.

I would urge you to consider a few things before you decide whether to take a deep dive into this amendment.

One not-so-obvious thing to consider would be Florida’s Department of Government Efficiency, which in 2025 audited seven Florida counties, including Manatee County and 13 municipalities in all. In October, Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia held a press conference to say Manatee County

had wasted $112.5 million of taxpayer money.

Ingoglia pointed to the rapidly expanding county staff as the main reason for the “wasteful” spending but gave few details. Remember that explanation your dad used to say sternly when he didn’t have any real answers, “Because I told you so!”

In reality, the DOGE audits were a campaign tour to prime voters for this year’s amendment. You go around the state, make public statements of how local governments are inept in spending your tax dollars, but you don’t give any reasoning or provide any public forums to dispute your findings.

Do you like being manipulated?

You should also note that the Department of Government Efficiency has not answered media requests, including mine, for information on the cost of the audits.

Limited answers have been released, such as many of those performing the audits are in-house government employees. Any businessman knows that when you switch an employee off regular duties to start a new task, you have to calculate the per hour salary and assign it to the new task.

Could it be that DOGE has cost taxpayers millions with no real effect, other than to set up this November’s election? Is it possible our state’s DOGE office doesn’t want to admit it doesn’t have a clue about its own wasteful spending to find everyone else’s?

Also in your memory banks has to be the SB 180 fiasco where state legislation was passed (SB 180) that was meant to stimulate hurricane recovery, but was altered in its language to serve special interest groups. It prevented Manatee County from going forward with reinstating larger wetland buffers, raising impact fees, and stopping development beyond the Future Development Area Boundary.

The uneasy relationship between

the state the local government was brought to the surface. It became apparent that Manatee County might pay for its unsupportive behavior by being put on the bottom of the list when it came to receiving state funds. Does it make you uneasy that a special fund will be created by the state to make up for the lost local property tax funds if the amendment passes?

Will you feel differently if the county is unable to maintain the lifestyle and infrastructure you have grown accustomed to having?

There are, of course, two sides to this. It’s hard to argue that Manatee County’s spending habits have been irrational at times. A $40 million veterans center that was approved in 2025 was more of a pet project than a residents’ demand.

A $12.48 million backup generator for the new county building in Lakewood Ranch shocked local taxpayers. The bigger issue was that county commissioners didn’t think they needed to explain why they were making what outwardly seemed like a ridiculously stupid purchase. Perhaps it wasn’t a stupid purchase, but if Commissioner Bob McCann hadn’t pulled it off the consent agenda, we wouldn’t have talked about it at all. Know what residents have said to me about this purchase? “Who is getting the kickbacks on this one?” Common sense demands some explanation.

Then we’ve got millions and millions and millions we spend on stray animals.

You can’t help but want to limit the money your local politicians can spend. I understand if you favor the amendment.

But no government, local, state or national, is above making mistakes and wasting our funds. There are going to be missteps or moves that make us want to scream. Do you want your local government stripped of its power? Do you want your commissioners to beg the state for funds because we have run out?

Property Appraiser Support

301,267

Tax Collector

21,172,577

Tax Collector Support

202,603

Clerk of Court

11,629,813

Clerk of Court Support

652,337

Supervisor of Elections

3,707,889

Court Administration

2,081,370

State Attorney

1,359,371

Public Defender

1 ,327,241

Guardian Ad Litem

294,490

Debt Service - Ad Valorem

3,885,000

Debt Service - Non Ad Valorem

8,055,879

Health Care (LIP) - Public Safety

10,450,178

Other County Svcs - CVS

2,986,530

Animal Welfare

6,372,448

Prompt Payment Act

7,483,626

EMS, 911, Emergency Mgmt

61,206,208

Total Required/Mandates/Constitutional/Judicial

$ 440,994,459

Property Taxes - Countywide Use

455,841,794

Total State Mandates/Judicial/Constitutional

(440,994,459)

Net

$14,847,335

150K Exemption Value Loss Tax Year 27

(81,159,795)

TY27 Net Available for General Gov Srvs

$(66,312,460)

250K Exemption Value Loss Tax Year 28

(149,413,251)

TY28 Net Available for General Gov Srvs

$( 134,565,916)

And is this about tax relief, or shifting more power to the state?

Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse offers this: “Florida’s state sales tax collections are projected to exceed $42 billion for FY2027. That’s more than $7 billion per percentage point and growing.

A 1% reduction in the state sales tax (from 6% to 5%) would have delivered roughly equivalent affordability relief, faster, without a constitutional amendment, benefiting all Florida residents.”

There is so much information to

consider, research and talk about.

Whether you vote yes or no, put in your due diligence before you take the cash and run.

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

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

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Vittoria Ferrisi Alvarez, Gracie Nichols and Sawyer Nowicki, all seventh graders at Dr. Mona Jain Middle School, created the book “Snowball’s Iceberg Incident” to enter in the Children’s Stories category for the Technology Student Association events.

Local students test their skills at TSA nationals With a variety of different events and themes, students test their skills and creativity.

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reating a children’s picture book for Technology Student Association competition might have been more difficult than a group of Dr. Mona Jain Middle School seventh graders expected.

Gracie Nichols, Vittoria Ferrisi Alvarez and Sawyer Nowicki had to use hand-drawn art, digital design and hands-on testing to finish their book — “Snowball’s Ice Incident.”

“The picture book is intended to teach young children the importance of friendship and teamwork when unexpected challenges occur,” Alvarez said. “In the story, Snowball (a penguin) faces trouble because he gets tired after playing all these different games, and while he’s sleeping his iceberg starts to break. He needs his friends to help him rebuild it.”

The team placed second in the Children’s Stories event at the state competition, which was held March 25-28 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Orlando.

They, along with other schools and students in East County, are preparing to compete in the TSA national competition June 22–26 at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Washington, D.C. The theme of this event was to include rhyming and repetitive text to help young children develop language and memory skills. The students tested the book at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA by reading to kids from 3 to 6 years old.

Other students faced their own challenges. A team of four students from Braden River High School — led creatively by Sofia Taggart and supported by Angela Vetter, Hannah Thai and Gabriella Smith — explained how the Fashion Design and Technology event led them to build a garment from scratch and then tell the story behind it. The theme was “Villain Era.” “When we first thought of it, all

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of us thought of using black, purple, green or red,” Taggart said. “The black is what stuck out and so we drifted away from that and decided to go with the opposite, which was white. That gave us a more differentiated design.”

The students said the judges offered positive reassurance. When they mentioned adding snakes to their design, judges were quick to say it was perfect just as it is.

Also from Braden River High School is Matthew Mangin, who is competing alone in the Transportation Modeling event. The theme is “The Sky is Not the Limit” revolving around space exploration. Instead of doing something like a space ship, he decided to create a recreational vehicle for the moon. He first designed it on the computer and then 3D printed the vehicle out of plastic while making the moon out of plaster.

“Not only does it have to stand out, it’s got to capture the attention of the audience,” Mangin said. “It’s trying to find a balance between not too obscure but not too recognizable.”

The judges told Mangin they don’t believe the wheels he had designed would work on the moon, so he is looking into wheels from previous space vehicles that might work better for the project.

For the Digital Video Production event at the state competition, a team from Lakewood Ranch High School placed first. Team members were Cooper Kelly, Kaden Oda, Alexander Hong, Paul Jordan, Vaibhav Akkinepally and Rishi Thakker.

The theme was “A Twist in Time” with the goal of showing a historical figure in the present. They decided to use George Washington and have him play football for the New England Patriots, because he is in fact a patriot.

Kelly, who dressed up as George Washington and acted in the video, said the uniqueness of the idea is what he believes separated them from others in the same event.

“We have him as the quarterback, that’s like the leadership role in football, and that’s who George Washington is, a leader,” Oda said. “We incorporated him into that, taking that role and bringing the team to a victory.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

11

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State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota does not discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, religion, age, national origin/ethnicity, color, marital status, disability, genetic information or sexual orientation in any of its educational programs, services and activities, including admission and employment. Direct inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies to Equal Opportunity Officer, 941-752-5599, 5840 26th St. W., Bradenton, FL 34207.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

Forums introduce Manatee candidates

WELCOMES Dr. Patrick Nelson, O.D.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

I

Board Certified Optometrist

f planning to vote Aug. 18 in the primary election, the League of Women Voters Manatee County and a few other clubs have set up in-person and online candidate forums. Only forums that are open to the public are included in this list.

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

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COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

District 2 and District 4 Republican forum June 17 at 11:30 a.m. Hosted by the

Lakewood Ranch Republican Club at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club. Candidates attending are Edward Bailey and Amanda Ballard for District 2, and Glen Gibellina for District 4. Visit LWRRC.com/ Luncheon-Registration. A forum for District 1 candidates is scheduled for July 21, but registration is not yet open.

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District 6 Republican forum June 23 at 5 p.m. Hosted by LWVMC

via Zoom. Candidates attending are Tony Barrett, Edward Ference and Tara Poulton. Visit LWVManatee. org/Events.

District 1 and District 2 forum June 25 at 11:30 a.m. Hosted by the

Manatee Tiger Bay Club at Manatee Performing Arts Center. Candidates to be announced. VisitManateeTigerBay.org. A forum for District 4 and District 6 candidates is scheduled for July 23, but registration is not yet open.

District 2 Republican forum July 1 at 6 p.m. Hosted by League

of Women Voters Manatee County via Zoom. Candidates attending are Edward Bailey and Amanda Ballard for District 2. Visit LWVmanatee. org/events.

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District 1 Republican forum July 8 at 4 p.m. Hosted by LWVMC

via Zoom. Candidates attending

are Elizabeth Arnold, John Dunn, Michael Harrison, Adam Johnson, Mark Stanoch and Leland Taylor.

Visit LWVManatee.org/Events.

MANATEE SCHOOL BOARD

District 2 forum June 24 at noon. Hosted by LWVMC

via Zoom. Candidates attending are James Golden, Sharon Jefferson, Margi Nanney, Cindy Spray and JT White. Visit LWVManatee.org/ Events.

District 5 forum June 30 at 6 p.m. Hosted by LWVMC

via Zoom. Candidates attending are Camden Bedinghaus, Jonathan Mullis and Chantal Wilford. Visit LWVManatee.org/Events.

U.S. HOUSE

District 16 candidate debate June 17 at 5:30 p.m. Hosted by the

Manatee Tiger Bay Club at Manatee Performing Arts Center. Candidates attending are Jonathan Harris, Kelly Kirschner, Tamika Lyles, Glenn Pearson, Ed Pope, Jan Schneider and Eddie Speir. Visit ManateeTigerBay. org.

District 16 Democratic forum June 18 at 5 p.m. Hosted by LWVMC

via Zoom. Candidates attending are Jonathan Harris, Kelly Kirschner, Tamika Lyles, Glenn Pearson and Jan Schneider. Visit LWVManatee. org/Events.

District 16 Republican forum July 9 at 4 p.m. Hosted by LWVMC

via Zoom. Candidates attending are Edward Pope and Eddie Speir. Visit LWVManatee.org/Events.

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group of Memphis will be representing Latin culture at AACTWorldFest, which runs from June 15-20 at the Venice Theatre.

An exterior view of Venice Theatre, which has rebuilt its Jervey Theatre and its fly tower following its destruction by Hurricane Ian in 2022.

A world of THEATER Venice Theatre hosts WorldFest, a showcase of productions from around the globe.

MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER A+E EDITOR

S

arasota is a friendly place, but sometimes, a little snobbery creeps in when it comes to our neighbor 18 miles south. Venice is smaller and doesn’t have all of Sarasota’s worldclass cultural institutions.

There is one area, however, where Venice towers over Sarasota — community theater. That’s particularly true when the Venice Theatre hosts the American Association of American Community Theatre’s WorldFest, which it has since 2010, pandemics and hurricanes notwithstanding.

WorldFest runs June 15-20 and includes 11 plays from around the globe as well as parties and workshops.

Asked why Venice Theatre hosts

WorldFest, Venice Theatre Executive Director Kristofer Geddie says, “No one else has the capacity to handle it.”

Of approximately 6,000 community theaters in the U.S., Venice Theatre is recognized as the second largest, as measured by its operating budget. (Omaha Community Playhouse claims first place.) Not to be confused with regional theaters that pay actors, community theaters fill their stages with volunteers who perform for applause and recognition, but not money.

Founded in 1950, Venice Theatre has more than 1,300 volunteers. Not bad for a city of about 30,000.

The last time Venice Theatre rolled out the red carpet for WorldFest was in June 2022. A few months later, Hurricane Ian destroyed Venice Theatre’s mainstage Jervey Theatre and its fly tower. Those who don’t visit Venice often may be surprised to see the tower intact again.

The inside of the 432-seat Jervey Theatre won’t open until 2027, but the outside is a thrilling site, especially if you saw it after Ian ripped through town in September 2022.

After the Jervey was knocked out of commission, the Venice Theatre continued to perform in its black box Pinkerton Theatre, which seats 90, and transformed its education building, the Raymond Center, into a temporary theater with a capacity of 130, while it raised money for construction.

A BIGGER JOB THAN EXPECTED

Monica Gagnier

Alyssa Goudy is coordinator of AACTWorldFest, which takes place June 15-20 at Venice Theatre, where Kristofer Geddie is executive director.

“The language of theater is universal. A lot is communicated through action and emotion.”

— Kristofer Geddie, Venice Theatre executive director

The cost of restoring the Jervey and bringing its systems up to code turned out to be $25 million, which was raised through government grants and private donations, with a few bumps in the road. In May, the Sarasota County Commission allocated the Venice Theatre $2 million to renovate the Raymond Center and return it to its original role as an education center.

Even though the Jervey Theatre isn’t open yet, WorldFest represents a “soft opening” of sorts. The staff and volunteers at Venice Theatre are ready to celebrate not just that global theater festival, but the end of the dark days when funding for the restoration hung in the balance.

Rebuilding after the storm was a lot harder than everyone expected.

But in the wake of the storm, Geddie and WorldFest coordinator Alyssa Goudy have become ace problem solvers. When they were curating this year’s WorldFest, they were mindful of the difficulties that some foreign performers have recently experienced in obtaining visas. “Some of our troupes are representing foreign cultures and speak languages besides English, but they are already in the U.S.,” Goudy says.

A good example is Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group from Memphis. The only bilingual (Spanish-

Britain’s Scrambled Egg Theatre Co. will present “Exposure” at AACTWorldFest at the Venice Theatre on June 18-19.

Courtesy images

English) theater troupe in the midSouth, Cazateatro was founded in 2010 with a mission of celebrating Latino culture and uniting diverse cultures. Its entry in WorldFest is “I Was There: Memories of Those Who Had No Choice.”

One of the hottest WorldFest tickets is for Britain’s Scrambled Egg Theatre Co., which is presenting “Exposure,” a show that is reminiscent of Alfred’s Hitchcock’s classic films of the 1950s and 1960s.

Don’t assume a theater troupe speaks English because it hails from the land where the language originated. Scrambled Egg is known to perform in what Goudy calls “gibberish.”

What if you can’t understand the language being spoken in a play?

After all, the troupes at WorldFest represent countries such as Ghana, Israel, Italy, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Ukraine.

Not to worry, says Geddie. “The language of theater is universal. A lot is communicated through action and emotion,” he says. “When I watch a video of a play being submitted for WorldFest, I turn the sound off.”

A military brat who tried his luck as an actor in New York after earning a bachelor’s degree in musical theater, Geddie performed on Norwegian Cruise Lines for nearly a decade.

That experience helped him hone his improv skills, on stage and off.

Geddie first came to Venice Theatre to play Coalhouse Walker in “Ragtime” in 2010 and was hired the following year as the theater’s first director of diversity.

In 2023, Venice Theatre’s board promoted Geddie to executive director. He succeeded Murray Chase, who had held that position since 1995.

Before getting the top job, Geddie served as the community theater’s general manager for six years, during which time he earned a master’s in arts administration from Goucher College in Maryland.

Chase planned to retire, but agreed to stay to oversee the restoration of the Jervey Theatre. He is currently interim artistic director, following the exit of Benny Sato Ambush

in May 2025. Ambush joined Venice Theatre as artistic director on a temporary basis in January 2021 and ended up staying four years instead of one.

It was WorldFest that originally brought Ambush to town. He came as an adjudicator for the festival in 2010 and again in 2014. He liked what he saw enough to return full time seven years later.

That’s the thing about WorldFest: You never know who’s going to show up and make Venice their next home.

BREATHING THE SAME AIR

The excitement in the air in the days leading up to WorldFest is reason enough to make the trip from Sarasota for the festival, which promises to be a veritable United Nations of theater. At the end of the festival, one troupe will walk away with the coveted Audience Choice Award.

One of this year’s entries, “Common Air” features actors from two countries currently at war. Olga was born in Moscow and Iryna was born in Ukraine, but they both currently live in the U.S. Through movement and improvisational music, the two women come to an understanding.

A play from Israel follows an AI character who joins a women’s support office and upends routines and relationships. Presented by the Yoram Loewenstein Acting School, the dark comedy is called “Haviva, You’re Fired.”

The provocative show “Playing God” comes from Slovakia’s dNO Co. Inspired by a real-life mass murder at a church in that country, it puts judges and juries under the microscope.

Before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, theater was often used as a form of political dissent, assisted by disguised stories that would escape the notice of censors.

With authoritarian regimes cracking down on their opponents in various countries around the world, is theater once again becoming a fulcrum for political dissent?

“Theater is always political,” Geddie says. “That’s the nature of the beast.”

IF YOU GO AACTWORLDFEST When: June 15-20 Where: Venice Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice Passes: $250$570; $45 day passes available by calling 941-488-1115 Info: Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

THIS WEEK

If you’re a fan of Imani Winds, the Grammy-winning quartet, you won’t want to miss this Sarasota Music Festival concert. It features SMF faculty member and Imani Winds co-founder Jeffrey Scott on the horn playing “Tzigane” by Imani’s Valerie Coleman along with SMF faculty member Benjamin Kamins on bassoon.

SATURDAY COMEDY LOTTERY 7:30 p.m. at Florida Studio Theatre’s Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St. $15-$18 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Florida Studio Theatre’s own improv troupe takes over Bowne’s Lab with “Comedy Lottery,” giving the audience the chance to select the night’s games. If FST Improv isn’t on your radar, it’s time for a new machine. Runs through June 27.

OUR PICK ‘HONKY TONK ANGELS’ Follow three Dolly Parton wannabes on a road trip to Nashville as Angela, Darlene and Sue Ellen chase their dreams of country music stardom and forge lasting bonds of friendship along the way. Runs through June 21.

IF YOU GO When: 7 p.m. Thursday, June 11 Where: Florida Studio Theatre’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. Tickets: $25-$59 Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

THURSDAY JAZZ THURSDAY AT SAM 5:30 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free-$30 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

Sarasota Art Museum and the Jazz Club of Sarasota team up to host jazz al fresco. Enjoy the Robert Nissim Quintet and extended hours in the galleries, Bistro and shop.

Image courtesy of Sorcha Augustine

Alexandra Melrose, Hailie Lucille and Hannah Taylor star in Florida Studio Theatre’s “Honky Tonk Angels.”

‘LADY DISDAIN’ 7:30 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $31-$77 Visit AsoloRep.org.

as Eartha Mae, a country girl from South Carolina who became a citizen of the world. Jade Wheeler created and stars in this show with piano accompaniment by Catherine Stornetta. Runs through June 21.

Lauren Gunderson, one of America’s most produced playwrights, takes on the world of fantasy romance novels with “Lady Disdain,” a rolling world premiere at Asolo Repertory Theatre.

Audiobook narrators Beatrice and Benedict are rivals whose witty banter masks sexual chemistry.

Runs through June 27.

FRIDAY

‘WHO IS EARTHA MAE?’ 7:30 p.m. at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. $5-$44 Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

You may know singer Eartha Kitt as the sultry siren who sang “Santa Baby,” a 1950s holiday ditty. Maybe you remember her as Catwoman in the 1960s TV series “Batman.” One thing is sure: You’ve never seen the glamorous entertainer backstage

SCD IN THE ROUND 7 p.m. at SCD Home Studio, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300 $20 Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance. org.

Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s inthe-round performances give rising choreographers a chance to develop and present a work during SCD’s Summer Intensive. Choreographers receive audience feedback in a process facilitated by SCD Artistic Director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott.

TCHAIKOVSKY, RAVEL & DVOŘÁK 7:30 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail $35-$50 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

SUNDAY ‘SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING NEW’ 11 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

“Something Borrowed, Something New” features major modern artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Chuck Close, David Hockney, Yoko Ono, Kara Walker and Ai Weiwei. Their works have been loaned by private collectors in Southwest Florida to SAM for the show, which runs through Sept. 27.

GARDEN MUSIC SERIES: JAZZ PERFORMANCES 1 p.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St. Included with $28 admission; members free Visit Selby.org.

Come rain or shine to Selby Garden’s jazz concert featuring Brenda Watty, Suzanne Lucas and James Jones Quartet. Chairs will be provided for guests who pre-register.

Others can bring their own chairs.

DON’T MISS

CLASSIC MOVIES AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ The last time Cecile B. DeMille’s circus extravaganza, “The Greatest Show on Earth,” was scheduled to unspool at Classic Movies at the Opera House, a hurricane came to town and the screening was canceled. We’re hoping for better luck this time for the movie about Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which was filmed in Sarasota and had its 1952 premiere at the Florida Theatre, now known as the Sarasota Opera House. The film stars Charlton Heston and features some locals who are still alive.

IF YOU GO When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 12 Where: Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Tickets: $12 Info: Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

MONDAY ANCIENT ART FROM CYPRUS AND THE MEDITERRANEAN 10 a.m. at The John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Road Free with $30 admission; Mondays free Visit Ringling.org.

In 1928, circus magnate John Ringling moved beyond collecting Baroque paintings with a major acquisition of more than 2,000 pieces of Cypriot art at the Anderson Galleries in New York, where the Metropolitan Museum was selling parts of its ancient art collection. For the first time, Ringling’s treasures have a permanent home in Gallery 12 after a decadelong project.

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

Steven High to retire as executive director of The Ringling

The Railroad Education and Learning Center of Florida, Inc. Presents

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High has led the museum, founded by circus magnate John Ringling and now administered by Florida State University, since 2011.

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MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER A+E EDITOR

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Steven High is retiring as executive director of The Ringling, a position he has held since 2011.

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ensure those investments created lasting impact for the museum, its visitors and our students.”

High began his career with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the MIT Museum in Massachusetts. Following graduate work at Williams College, he held leadership and academic roles at institutions such as the Portland (Maine) School of Art and Virginia Commonwealth University. He also led the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno and Telfair Museums in Savannah, Georgia.

During High’s tenure, The Ringling more than doubled its collections, expanded its programming and educational offerings, installed major additions and undertook significant restorations. Some repairs weren’t planned for, such as damage to the grounds and the Ca’ d’Zan when Hurricane Milton made landfall in October 2024.

High’s stewardship saw the opening of the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art, the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion and the Turrell Skyspace Joseph’s Coat installation.

He also expanded educational outreach, accessibility initiatives and multidisciplinary programming, including the Art of Performance series, whose events take place in the jewelbox Historic Asolo Theater, or The HAT, for short.

The courtyard in the middle of the U-shaped John and Mable Ringling Art Museum is filled with statues, the most prominent of which is a 16-foot bronze replica of Michelangelo’s David. The Ringling Courtyard hosts public music and dance parties under David’s watchful eye.

FSU and the Ringling Museum of Art Foundation have hired Isaacson, Miller, a national search firm, to help identify High’s successor. The search committee will be led by Meg Hausberg, chair of the Foundation Board, and Michael Bush, incoming chair.

High’s retirement marks the latest in a series of management changes at Sarasota’s premier cultural and educational organizations. Larry Thompson retired on May 31 after 26 years at Ringling College of Art and Design, another outgrowth of John and Mable Ringling’s plans to transform a sleepy fishing village into a major cultural destination.

That was also the last day of work for Maestro Victor DeRenzi, who served as artistic director and conductor of the Sarasota Opera for 44 years.

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Please contact Allen Novak at 941.962.8542 or alnovak@tampabay.rr.com to reserve a space 463467-1

l o r i d a S ta te Un ive rs i ty announced that Steven High will retire as executive director of The Ringling, which operates as Florida’s State Art Museum, as soon as his successor can be found.

High joined The Ringling in 2011.

The cultural institution that grew out of John and Mable Ringling’s gift to the people of Florida in 1936 has been administered by FSU for 25 years.

The Ringling is a sprawling 66-acre campus composed of an art museum filled with European baroque masterpieces and a substantial Cypriot art collection, a circus museum and the affiliated Tibbals Learning Center, the Ca’ d’Zan (House of John) Venetian-style mansion and the Historic Asolo Theater, a jewelbox theater rescued from a palace in Italy.

One of the leading tourist destinations in the state of Florida, The Ringling hosts more than 400,000 visitors annually. That might not seem like much compared to Disney World’s 50 million visitors each year, but The Ringling is a major tourist draw in Sarasota along with beaches and the performing arts, including opera, ballet, orchestra and theater.

In a statement, High called serving as executive director of The Ringling the “highlight of his career” and credited the museum’s growth to the work of its staff, foundation board, university leadership and community supporters.

“Together, we strengthened The Ringling’s financial foundation, expanded its reach and preserved its remarkable collections and historic campus for future generations,” High said in a statement. “I am deeply grateful to Florida State University, our supporters and the Sarasota community for their partnership and trust.”

Under High’s leadership, The Ringling’s annual operating budget grew from $12 million to $28 million, and its endowment increased from $27 million to $67 million. The museum completed a $100 million capital campaign in 2019 and expanded its campus through a series of major projects and initiatives.

“Steven High strengthened The Ringling’s role as both a world-class museum and an important part of Florida State University’s academic mission,” said FSU Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Jim Clark in a statement.

Clark added: “He expanded opportunities for student learning, research and community engagement while helping preserve and enhance one of Florida’s great cultural institutions. FSU has invested in The Ringling’s growth and success, and Steven’s leadership helped

15

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

A+E REVIEW

SIGN UP FOR HOME DELIVERED MEALS.

The bar remains high at streamlined Sarasota Music Festival The festival’s spirit and artistic excellence remains intact, despite fewer concerts, fellows and faculty artists.

GAYLE WILLIAMS

IF YOU GO

CONTRIBUTOR

421 N Lime Ave • Sarasota FL 34237 (941) 366-6693 • MealsOnWheelsOfSarasota.org A registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization established in 1971

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Saturday, June 20th, 2026 at 1 PM FREE ADMISSION Join WBTT in celebrating Juneteenth! Enjoy live performances from local artists, a free art exhibit, short films and more.

Shop black-owned vendors and end the day with a FREE performance of Brian L. Boyd’s Young Artist Showcase ENIGMA.

he opening weekend of the Sarasota Music Festival’s 62nd season provided convincing evidence that the core spirit and artistic excellence of one of America’s premier chamber music training festivals remain intact.

Though this year’s festival has fewer concerts, fellows and faculty artists, the caliber of the young musicians remains exceptionally high. The most significant change is that public concerts now primarily showcase fellows performing alongside a single faculty mentor, rather than featuring faculty-dominated ensembles.

While moments of less-thanperfect ensemble cohesion surfaced, the vast majority of the June 5-6 performances in Holley Hall rivaled some of the finest of previous seasons.

On Friday, in Beethoven’s Septet in E-flat Major, Op. 20, violinist Salvador Riera stood out for her remarkable shimmering tone.

Faculty violinist David Bowlin led Mendelssohn’s blockbuster Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20. The musicians expressed the virtuosity, exuberance and overabundance of joy in the score.

A memorable Saturday finale with Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44 displayed an astounding level of confidence and artistry. Four students — Gabriela Salvador Riera and Minkyung Kang (violins), Elizabeth Chernyak (viola) and Amy Minchae Jo (cello) — matched the trademark virtuosity and collaborative sensitivity of pianist and faculty artist Michael Stephen Brown.

Two larger ensemble works topped Saturday night’s concert:

SARASOTA MUSIC FESTIVAL When: Through June 13 Where: Holley Hall and Sarasota Opera House.

Info: Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Louis Spohr’s Nonet in F Major, Op. 31 and Mozart’s Serenade No. 11 in E-flat Major, K. 375. The performances were excellent, displaying fine collaboration, balance and artistry.

Three works by American women composers deserve special mention — not as exercises in diversity programming, but because each makes a compelling case for a permanent place in the standard repertoire.

Short but nonetheless lovely was Florence Price’s reverent “Adoration,” featuring clarinetist Kevin Jin as the lone wind voice alongside a string quartet.

Composer Ruth Crawford Seeger’s Suite for Wind Quintet deserves wider recognition for her fresh take on 20th-century modernism. The five musicians, each with a strong solo voice, blended effectively while navigating unorthodox turns and twists.

Violins Gabriel Roth and Sydney Scarlett, faculty violist Teng Li, cellist Joie Kuo and pianist Qinghong Lian delivered Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet in F-sharp Minor, Op. 67 as the masterpiece it is. The collaborative spirit was strong, as was the ensemble’s cohesion. Similar to the Schumann Quintet, the score offers a starring role to the piano. Lian played with sensitivity, fluency and beguiling flair. If opening weekend is any indication, the Sarasota Music Festival’s future remains in very capable hands.

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JUNE 11, 2026

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Lakewood Ranch's Teddy Kirsch, 8, and Tiffany Granville, a camp counselor and FFA member, are happy to make their own butter with cream donated by Dakin Dairy.

Lakewood Ranch’s Addison Hollands, 7, poses with her butter before shaking to solidify it at the Junior Rancher’s Agriculture Summer Camp.

Photos by Madison Bierl

Lakewood Ranch’s Charlotte Wort, 7, says she had fun dancing, making butter and squeezing milk out of the cow.

NOTHING BUTTER THAN CAMP At Lakewood Ranch High, members of the Future Farmers of America are teaching campers about animal science, plant science, environmental science and leadership.

MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER

W

hen Lakewood Ranch’s Charlotte Wort, 7, touched a cow’s udder for the first time, she was shocked to find out it wasn’t squishy.

Instead, it felt rough, like leather, to her.

Despite the “weird” feeling, she had a great time learning about the benefits of cows and their udders.

“Some animals help our world,” Wort said.

Wort was among the campers to attend the Junior Rancher’s Agriculture Summer Camp hosted by the Lakewood Ranch High School Future Farmers of America and agriculture staff.

Each day of the camp had a different focus including plant science (June 1), animal science (June 2), environmental science (June 3) and leadership (June 4).

On the morning of June 2, the campers were visited by Dakin Dairy Ag Experience, a mobile trailer that brings a cow to see up close how the milking process works. Shannon Mullen and Jennifer Griffith are ag advocates who travel around Florida with the trailer.

“It is vital for the public, especially

children, to understand where their milk comes from and to appreciate the dedication farmers show toward sustainable practices for a better future,” Mullen said.

Lakewood Ranch’s Camden Satterly, 10, said when she was given the opportunity to hand milk the cow, 5-year-old Lucy, she was extra careful because she didn’t want to hurt her.

She said she grows tomatoes and peppers at home, so she loved learning about plants and bugs on the first day of the camp.

The camp was led by McKenzie Gorskey and Sophia JaramilloVasconez, who are both agriculture teachers at Lakewood Ranch High School.

Jaramillo-Vasconez said the goal of the camp is to provide hands-on experiences and build confidence as leaders, while also developing “a deeper appreciation for the people, animals, plants and environments that sustain our communities.”

“Agriculture touches every part of our daily lives, from the food we eat to the natural resources we all depend on,” Jaramillo-Vasconez said. “My hope is that campers and counselors leave with new knowledge, great memories and a curiosity to continue learning about agriculture.”

“Some animals help our world.”

Jennifer Griffith, an agriculture advocate with Dakin Dairy Ag Experience, says traveling with Lucy, a 5-year-old Holstein cow, gives the community an opportunity to see the milking process up close.

Lakewood Ranch's Sylvie Shatraw, 7, milks a cow from Dakin Dairy Ag Experience with the help of Ag Advocate Jennifer Griffith during the Junior Rancher's Agriculture Summer Camp at Lakewood Ranch High School.

Charlotte Wort, 7

Bradenton's Bastian Bellantonio, 4, and his dad, Assistant Principal Thomas Bellantonio, couldn't resist stopping by the Junior Rancher's Agriculture Summer Camp to milk the cow.

4 SERVICES. WE DO IT ALL. Air Conditioning Plumbing Electrical Generators

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Stewart Moon Macey moon Henry Moon

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YOUR CALENDAR

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

8141 Lakewood Main St., Suite N106 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

941-756-7800

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214 Tapa Parish Run 4BR/3.5BA/$590,000 A4693820 Steven Nicholson (941)400-6332

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COMMUNITY THURSDAY, JUNE 11 THROUGH SUNDAY, JUNE 14

LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING Runs from 5-8 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup includes Raiford Starke (Thursday), James Carberry (Friday), Pirate Over 50 (Saturday) and Rev. Billy Wirtz (Sunday). For more information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

FRIDAY, JUNE 12

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS Begins at 6:30 p.m. at 1560 Lakefront Drive, Waterside Place. The free Sights and Sounds music and arts series continues with the Lakewood Ranch Big Band. The local band is made up of musicians with diverse backgrounds and was formed to play traditional swing, dance and jazz tunes along with big band hits from the 1970s and later.

The band hopes to play various local events while also supporting area school music programs. Limited seating is available, so feel free to bring a lawn chair. No outside food or drinks are permitted.

MOVIE IN THE PARK Begins at 7 p.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch. The free, monthly, outdoor movie series continues with “Lilo and Stich.” Grace Community Church will provide one free snow cone from Kona Ice to the first 325 attendees. Showtimes begin at sunset. Seating is available on a firstcome, first-served basis. Feel free to bring a blanket or lawn chairs.

Concessions available from We B’ Poppin Popcorn and Kettle Corn and inflatables for the kids will be available beginning at 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13

Greenbrook Village

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Frank Lombardi will play acoustic rock and pop for those strolling the streets of Waterside Place. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

Lorraine Lakes

6433 Blue Grosbeak Circle Lakewood Ranch 4BR/3BA/$579,900 A4681479 Laurie Jarema (941)321-3410

5514 Tidal Breeze Cove Bradenton 2BR/2BA/$349,000 A4692959 Steven Nicholson (941)400-6332

461142-1

ROOFTOP YOGA Begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 16410 Rangeland

BEST BET THURSDAY, JUNE 11 THOUGH SUNDAY, JUNE 14

YOUTH ROWING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Begins each day at 7:30 a.m. and runs all day at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota.

The 2026 Youth National Championships will showcase the nation’s top youth rowers in many different age groups and classes. Tickets for a fourday pass to the event are $94; children under 5 admitted free. It is the 31st anniversary of the event, which this year will host more than 4,000 athletes and 1,000 coaches. Tournament organizers say the event will draw more than 5,000 spectators. For more information, go to NathanBendersonPark.org/Events.

Parkway. Adults 18 and older can participate. Visit MyLWR.com.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13 AND SUNDAY, JUNE 14

MUSIC AT THE LODGE Runs 6-9 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday at Linger Lodge, 7205 85th St. Court E., Bradenton.

Linger Lodge’s live music schedule includes Schmitz Brothers on Saturday and Scotty Yates on Sunday.

For more information, go to LingerLodge.com.

SUNDAY, JUNE 14

FARMERS MARKET Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch, which is 2025 was selected as the nation’s best Farmers Market, runs year-round every Sunday. Vendors offer seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles, among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. Go to MyLWR.com for more information.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17

BINGO Begins at 10 a.m. at the Patton Park pavilion, 5725 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. Join the weekly group that enjoys Bingo for All. Tickets are $5. The game is open to all ages. Visit MyLWR.com.

Once a Year Warehouse Sale SAVE! June 20th June 21st

Showroom Hours Saturday: 10am-5pm Sunday: 12am-5pm

Showroom Address

7211 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231

UP TO 80% OFF floor samples, one-of-a-kind, and more.

Plus discounts on special orders and many in-stock items.

Shop early for best selection.

2-DAY SALE SATURDAY, JUNE 20TH ONLY! Warehouse Hours Saturday: 8am-3pm Sunday: CLOSED

Warehouse Address

1114 Lewis Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34237

Take Advantage of Drastically-Reduced Prices

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18

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

19

THE ART OF SMART Over four days, students from schools all over Manatee County were able to strengthen their skills in various forms of the arts in the Manatee Arts Education Council Smarten Up Camp.

MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER

B

efore being cast in a lead role of Benchwarmer for the musical “Kick It” during the Smarten Up Camp at Braden River Elemetary June 1-4, rising fourth grader Isabella Cz didn’t think theater was her thing.

However, the Dr. Mona Jain Middle School student found she was comfortable singing and acting, and she didn’t have, as she feared, any trouble memorizing lines. The camp, no doubt, expanded her artistic horizons.

Before, drawing was her forte.

“You can draw whatever you imagine,” Cz said. “You can create anything — a dinosaur, a teacher or something like that. It’s a fun thing and it just helps you expose your imagination.”

But that imagination can also allow her to put her own personal stamp on a character while acting.

The Manatee Arts Education Council Smarten Up Camp took place at Braden River Elementary School June 1-4. Seventy-five campers from various schools around the county were able to participate in activities revolving around the arts including music (strings), art, dance and musical theater. Many of the students found they have talent they didn’t know exists.

Kristy Isaacs, the camp coordinator and a music teacher at Palma Sola Elementary, has served in the role since the camp began in 2018 and has watched as each year the camp has grown in size. She has taught music in Manatee County for 27 years.

Isaacs is grateful for how much the

Liam Kane, a rising third grader at Braden River Elementary, dances along to “You’re All,” a song from the musical “Kick It,” which tells the story of a soccer team preparing for their season.

camp has grown and that they are able to strengthen music education for local students beyond the traditional art and music classes they have during a regular school day.

“By the fourth day, they’re dancing on stage and singing with their partners,” Isaacs said. “They’re laughing and giggling with each other. They tell their parents they can go now, I got this. They’re developing friendships so quick with people from all over the county.”

Twenty-two campers were able to participate on full scholarship and eight on half scholarship with the help of grants from the Manatee Community Foundation and the Hecht Foundation.

Jeramiah Bowman, director of educational programs for the Manatee Education Foundation, said on behalf of The Manatee Education Foundation and the Manatee Arts Education Council that he is thankful for the continued partnership with the School District of Manatee County.

“MAEC is committed to supporting, promoting and celebrating the arts in Manatee County and providing all students access to meaningful arts experiences,” Bowman said.

Photographs by Madison Bierl

Isabella Cz, a rising sixth grader at Dr. Mona Jain Middle School, and Skylar Flandreau, a rising sixth grader at Martha B. King Middle School, take turns playing the ukulele during the Manatee Arts Education Council Smarten Up Camp.

Carlee Hernandez, a rising third grader at Gene Witt Elementary School, creates an art project inspired by graffiti with the help of Braden River Elementary art reacher Rebecca Misla.

Braden River Elementary’s Tyler Shomo, Freedom Elementary’s Henry Michaels and Tillman Elementary’s Isaiah Dunbar, who are all rising fourth graders, take a break from dancing.

Rising third graders Tessa Barcelona, of Willis Elementary, and Isla Cz, of Braden River Elementary, dance along to “You’re All” a song from the musical “Kick It” in the musical theater class.

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20

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

VOTE 2026

Bridgewater dad says connections make him a valuable candidate Jonathan Mullis is running for a board seat with the School District of Manatee County.

MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER

I

f there’s one thing Bridgewater’s Jonathan Mullis understands, it is the frustration of being stuck in school drop-off and pick-up lanes.

It might seem like a minor thing, but Mullis knows he has that in common with many other parents in the School District of Manatee County.

Mullis, 49, is running for the District 5 seat on the Manatee County School Board.

“As the son of two retired elementary school teachers, I saw firsthand how hard educators work every single day and how much they sacrifice for their students,” Mullis said.

“Now, as the parent of two very busy daughters in our school system, I see that same dedication from students,

Jonathan Mullis has been involved in local schools in a variety of ways, including as a volunteer for the Manatee Chamber of Commerce's Big Bank Theory program.

YourObserver.com

parents and teachers throughout our community.”

Mullis and his wife, Sonia Mullis, are the owners of Physical Therapy Doctors of Florida in Bradenton.

They moved to Lakewood Ranch in 2017. Including their other businesses, Mullis has been a small business owner for 17 years.

Their daughter, Isabella, 18, just graduated Manatee School for the Arts, a public charter school within the School District of Manatee County. Their younger daughter, Sophia, 14, will be entering her freshman year at the same school.

Mullis said because he is a parent of a current student, that gives him insight that the current school board lacks.

“I understand what they (parents) are going through,” Mullis said. “I understand the schools, and I understand dealing with teachers and the principals.”

Mullis said one of the reasons he would be a good school board member is because of his connections. He is involved in the Chamber of Commerce and he is a member of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance.

He is also is familiar with the current school board members and the county commissioners.

“I want to be able to help facilitate communication between all of these groups that should be working together,” Mullis said. “Sometimes the county and the school don’t seem to communicate as well as they should.”

Mullis said he is proud of his work with nonprofits as a volunteer. He has served on the Leadership Manatee Board of Governors and the Junior Leadership Manatee Board of Directors. Currently, he serves as the president of the Bradenton Kiwanis Club and sits on the board of direc-

MEET THE CANDIDATE Jonathan Mullis has six key pillars in his campaign: n Academic Excellence and Basics First n Parental Rights and Involvement n Supporting Teachers — Without Bureaucracy n School Safety and Student WellBeing n Fiscal Responsibility n Classroom Transparency and Curriculum Standards Courtesy photos

The Mullis family includes 14-year-old Sophia Mullis, Sonia Mullis, Jonathan Mullis and 18-year-old Isabella Mullis.

tors for the Manatee Tiger Bay Club.

“The more issues and problems and situations you’ve dealt with, the more capable you are of handling whatever comes your way,” Mullis said. “It’s great to have a plan and goals, but you really don’t know what’s going to happen.”

He said the biggest misconception about being a school board member is that individual members have more power than they actually do.

“We are one of, in the school board’s case, five people who have to work together,” Mullis said. “You don’t have to agree on everything, but you do have to work together, and you can’t get everything that you want. It’s not that simple.”

Mullis said he is not looking to burn anything down, but instead wants to keep it moving in the right direction.

“I don’t see any reason our school district shouldn’t be one of the best in the state,” Mullis said. “We can get there.”

He said he would like to get a largescale volunteer program in place to “get more manpower” to help catch up students who are behind. He said the district has many great reading programs but oftentimes they hap-

pen before or after school or in the summertime.

“It needs to be one on one and 20 to 30 minutes at least a few times a week in order to get them caught up to where they should be,” Mullis said.

“That’s going to take manpower, and I don’t think we can afford to be hiring dozens more teachers and we shouldn’t need to. We have many community members who would love to be involved. We just need to figure out how to get them involved.”

Mullis has been a volunteer for existing programs in the schools including the Big Bank Program and Project Teach.

If Mullis becomes a board member, he also wants to see more emphasis on career readiness after graduating from high school. He wants to make sure every student has a plan.

“I’m running because I truly love Manatee County and believe this community deserves leaders who will work hard, listen carefully and make thoughtful decisions that always put students first,” Mullis said. “I know how much effort it takes from everyone involved to help shape successful young adults and I want to do everything I can to support them and help our schools succeed.”

His mission statement: My mission is to ensure every child in our community receives a high-quality education built on strong academics and respect for parents’ roles in their children’s learning. I’m committed to promoting transparency, supporting great teachers, and expanding educational choices — including STEM, Arts and vocational programs — so families can find the best path for their students.

Together, we can keep politics out of the classroom and put students, parents, and teachers back at the center of education.

To learn more, visit VoteMullis.com.

Events Live music at the plaza Fridays & Saturdays, 6-9pm

You r P l ac e f o r

The Farmers’ Market Sundays, 10am-2pm

Good Fun

Sights + sounds: Lakewood ranch big band Friday, June 12, 6:30-7:30pm

Movie in the Park: lilo and stitch (live action) Friday, June 12, Movie begins at Sunset

Sundays at the farmers’ market, morning yoga classes, live performances and music are just the start. Solo or together, there are so many ways to play at Waterside Place.

find your fun!

455678-1

sarasota's only spot for lakeside Shopping, Dining + Entertainment

Open Daily | 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34240 | WatersidePlace.com

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

21

Make Your Next Move Exceptional

4218 Butte Trail, Lakewood Ranch

16925 Clearlake Avenue, Lakewood Ranch

$3,999,000 | 4 BR, 5 BA, 2 HALF BA | Web# A4680935

$3,990,000 | 4 BR, 5.5 BA | Web# A4689420

Donna Soda: M 941.961.5857

Gloria Bracciano: M 941.229.4000 | Angelica Rossi: M 786.202.3000

19436 Newlane Place, The Concession

3308 Palma Sola Boulevard, Bradenton

$3,399,000 | 4 BR, 5 BA | Web# A4672950

$2,475,000 | 4 BR, 4.5 BA | Web# A4687346

Donna Soda: M 941.961.5857

Gloria Bracciano: M 941.229.4000 | Angelica Rossi: M 786.202.3000

7951 Matera Court, Lakewood Ranch

8116 Lone Tree Glen, Lakewood Ranch

$1,999,000 | 3 BR, 3.5 BA | Web# A4679918

$1,699,000 | 4 BR, 4 BA | Web# A4663172

Donna Soda: M 941.961.5857

Nikki Taylor: M 941.587.9060

3571 Santa Caterina Boulevard, Bradenton

1010 Crosswind Avenue, Sarasota

$1,000,000 | 3 BR, 3 BA | Web# A4693758

$975,000 | 3 BR, 2 BA | Web# A4684499

Gloria Bracciano: M 941.229.4000 | Angelica Rossi: M 786.202.3000

Donna Soda: M 941.961.5857

11411 Spring Gate Trail, Bradenton

1741 Cleat Lane, Sarasota

$669,000 | 4 BR, 3 BA | Web# A4686199

$478,900 | 3 BR, 2.5 BA | Web# A4683232

Kelly Mooney: M 941.587.8430

Monica LeSuer: M 941.525.7278

elliman.com

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1350 MAIN ST, SARASOTA, FL 34236. 941.867.6199 © 2026 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED HEREIN IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. WHILE THIS INFORMATION IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, IT IS REPRESENTED SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, CHANGES OR WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL PROPERTY INFORMATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SQUARE FOOTAGE, ROOM COUNT, NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PROPERTY LISTINGS SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN ATTORNEY, ARCHITECT OR ZONING EXPERT. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

22

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

EAST BRADENTON 1245 Mill Creek Road 4 Beds 4/2 Baths 5,771 Sq. Ft. Lenore Treiman 941.356.9642 A4694036 $7,495,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 16903 Verona Place 4 Beds 3/2 Baths 3,084 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941.587.4359 A4689005 $2,250,000

EAST BRADENTON 520 Rye Road NE 6 Beds 5/1 Baths 5,200 Sq. Ft. Kevin Moran & Jill Berg 941.920.8600 A4655587 $2,195,000

THE ISLES 8444 Cane Bay Court 4 Beds 6/1 Baths 4,255 Sq. Ft. Kathy Barrie 941.757.7872 A4681997 $2,100,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB 7431 Greystone Street 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,170 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941.587.4359 A4690054 $1,995,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB 7527 Greystone Street 4 Beds 4 Baths 3,850 Sq. Ft. Victoria "Tori" Turner 662.614.2783 A4692043 $1,950,000

THE ISLES 8331 Redonda Loop 4 Beds 5/1 Baths 4,045 Sq. Ft. Kathy Barrie 941.757.7872 A4687844 $1,874,000

THE ISLES 8276 Redonda Loop 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,566 Sq. Ft. Kathy Barrie 941.757.7872 A4679617 $1,649,000

RIVER CLUB 10010 Clubhouse Drive 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,063 Sq. Ft. Nicole Ryskamp 941.807.1766 A4694576 $1,450,000

THE ISLES 8310 Redonda Loop 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,885 Sq. Ft. Stuart Lawrence & Laura Lawrence 941.894.4001 A4694174 $1,345,000

EAST BRADENTON 14204 11th Terrace NE 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 3,402 Sq. Ft. Jennifer Linehan 941.266.7555 A4677988 $1,150,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB 13911 Siena Loop 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,216 Sq. Ft. Deborah O'Mara 941.730.0777 A4678185 $1,095,000

GREENBROOK VILLAGE 14806 Bowfin Terrace 5 Beds 4 Baths 4,188 Sq. Ft. Stuart Lawrence & Laura Lawrence 941.894.4001 A4693544 $995,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6465 Watercrest Way #301 2 Beds 3 Baths 2,287 Sq. Ft. Deborah O'Mara 941.730.0777 A4683907 $995,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB 7210 Lake Forest Glen 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,500 Sq. Ft. Kathryn Dieter 941.299.2089 A4693706 $986,900

LAKEWOOD RANCH 12129 Thornhill Court 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,011 Sq. Ft. Garry Neeves 941.667.0653 A4672799 $929,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB 7719 Latrobe Court 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,675 Sq. Ft. Deborah O'Mara 941.730.0777 A4680635 $895,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6414 Watercrest Way #302 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,482 Sq. Ft. Jody Shinn 941.705.5704 A4679069 $825,000

GREENBROOK VILLAGE 15005 Bowfin Terrace 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,756 Sq. Ft. Stacey Yencik & Nicole Ryskamp 941.363.1127 A4686591 $799,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6527 Moorings Point Circle #101 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,983 Sq. Ft. Barbara A. Milian 941.504.0660 A4678335 $794,990

EDGEWATER 8412 Misty Morning Court 4 Beds 2 Baths 2,236 Sq. Ft. Ray Rausa 941.228.7614 A4689273 $775,000

EDGEWATER 8428 Misty Morning Court 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,538 Sq. Ft. Mary Pihl & Laura Navratil 941.932.3065 A4685923 $775,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB EAST 7263 Belleisle Glen 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,988 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941.587.4359 A4690053 $725,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB EAST 7538 Divot Loop #2D 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,376 Sq. Ft. Stuart Lawrence & Laura Lawrence 941.894.4001 A4676354 $699,000

RIVERWALK 7210 Switchgrass Trail 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,746 Sq. Ft. Mette Milland & Toni Schemmel 317.987.2450 A4690947 $620,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 8134 Pavia Way 5 Beds 5 Baths 3,734 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941.685.8420 A4687253 $2,985,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 8254 Pavia Way 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,033 Sq. Ft. Mark Boehmig 941.807.6936 A4692792 $2,250,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM

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THE CONCESSION 20906 Parkstone Terrace 4 Beds 5 Baths 6,486 Sq. Ft. Laura Naese 941.350.3657 A4674842 $6,500,000

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

REAL ESTATE

Lake Club home tops sales at $3,075,000

23

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

MAY 25-29

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

A

Lake Club home topped the week’s sales. Douglas and Nancy Brugler, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 8465 Pavia Way to Mark and Linda Griffin, of Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts, for $3,075,000. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, four-anda-half baths, a pool and 3,552 square feet of living area. It sold for $2,229,900 in 2021.

Lesley Dwyer

Victor Bhatt and Mary Doreen Bhatt, of Houston, sold their home at 616 Blue Shell Loop to Danielle and Pamela Nickerson, of Sarasota, for $3 million. Built in 2024, it has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,756 square feet of living area. It sold for $2,360,800 in 2025.

KDN Family Investments LLC sold the home at 1107 Shell Loop to Richard Norman Uhler and Irma Terrazas-Zambrana, of Sarasota, for $2.36 million. Built in 2025, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,219 square feet of living area.

LAKE CLUB

James Williams and Dschulia Glover-Williams, of Bradenton, sold their home at 16206 Baycross Drive to Paul Geoffrey Ian Walker, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2,145,000.

Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,332 square feet of living area.

COUNTRY CLUB

William Gordon Ball and Gina Doreen Ball, of Nashville, Tennessee, sold their home at 6903 Belmont Court to Kevin William Bordegon, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.05 million. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,613 square feet of living area.

It sold for $942,500 in 2017.

Richard and Sherri Mattiusi, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, sold their home at 7060 Whitemarsh Circle to Henry Billingsley and Kelly Billingsley, trustees, of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, for $885,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,658 square feet of living area. It sold for $495,000 in 2019.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Lewis Lefer and Beth Cooper, of Sarasota, sold their home at 16818 Berwick Terrace to Jeffrey and Vickie Quade, trustees, of Bradenton, for $1.75 million. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,686 square feet of living area. It sold for $916,100 in 2016.

Barbara Davis and Christian Robert Davis, trustee, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, sold the home at 15403 Leven Links Place to Sammantha and Matthew Ball, of Queensbury, New York, for $815,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,474 square feet of living area. It sold for $495,000 in 2019.

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL

George and Sarah Irvin, of Atlanta, sold their home at 5544 Mulligan Way to David and Wendy Rones, of Marietta, Georgia, for $1,375,000.

Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,117 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.15 million in 2022.

John Christopher White and Jan Nemitz White, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 17416 Hickok Belt Loop to Christopher and Bridget King, of Scarborough, Maine, for $985,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,207 square feet of living area. It sold for $465,000 in 2019.

ISLES

Billy and Martha Day, trustees, of Parrish, sold the home at 8134

This home at 616 Blue Shell Loop in Wild Blue at Waterside sold for $3 million. Built in 2024, it has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,756 square feet of living area.

Redonda Loop to David and Brigid Primrose, of Westlake, Ohio, for $1.35 million. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,862 square feet of living area. It sold for $758,100 in 2022.

SHOREVIEW

Edward Henry Watson Spence and Jingrong Dai sold their home at 7845 Mainsail Lane to Mark and Karen Green, of Sarasota, for $1,335,000. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,484 square feet of living area.

It sold for $1,506,700 in 2023.

SAPPHIRE POINT

Emily and David Johnson, of Bradenton, sold their home at 16415 Slate Place to Michael and Ashley King, of Asheville, North Carolina, for $1,299,000. Built in 2022, it has six bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths and 5,323 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,004,500 in 2022.

MOORINGS AT HERITAGE HARBOUR

Andrew Edwin McKay and Cathy Joan McKay, of New Brunswick, Canada, sold their home at 8712 Rum Runner Place to William and Katy Chinn, of Bradenton, for $980,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,533 square feet of living area. It sold for $531,300 in 2018.

WINDING RIVER

Dawnetta Gomolski and Thomas Jeffrey Gomolski sold their home at 1018 143rd St. N.E. to Sean and Jennifer Landis, of Bradenton, for $970,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,166 square feet of living area. It sold for $990,000 in 2024.

UNIVERSITY PARK

Danielle Ulfers, of University Park, sold her home at 7937

Broadmoor Pines Blvd. to Linda and Christopher Lang, of Sarasota, for $960,000. Built in 1985, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,830 square feet of living area. It sold for $640,000 in 2019.

LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE

Karen Parmet, of Sarasota, sold her home at 8034 Sandstar Way to Lisa Reppert and Nan Kathleen Tolleson, of Sarasota, for $850,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,296 square feet of living area. It sold for $674,000 in 2020.

POLO RUN

Debra Marchese and Joseph Michael Marchese, of Bradenton, sold their home at 17056 Polo Trail to Nicholas and Nancy Divinitz, of Lakewood Ranch, for $830,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,543 square feet of living area. It sold for $475,000 in 2018.

RIVERDALE

Matthew Stemer and Jordan Nicole Stemer, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4503 Fifth Ave. N.E. to Frank and Elizabeth Ditommaso, of Lee, New Hampshire, for $1,295,000. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,384 square feet of living area. It sold for $715,000 in 2019.

Michael Andrew Tully and Rebecca Tully, of Nashville, Tennessee, sold their home at 4203 Fifth Ave. N.E. to Donald and Tiffany Moerman, of Bradenton, for $1,025,000. Built in 2010, it has two bedrooms, twoand-two-half baths, a pool and 1,747 square feet of living area. It sold for $512,000 in 2013.

AZARIO ESPLANADE

Edward Bonneau III and Marianne Sargent, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 15842 San Lazzaro Ave. to David Lawrence Hahn and Karen Ann Hahn, of Cold Spring Harbor, New York, for $1,265,000.

Built in 2025, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,404 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,062,700 in 2025.

Elyse Ann McMullen and Julie Catherine Sobecki, of La Porte, Indiana, sold their home at 4723 Trento Place to Claire Osborne, trustee, of Bradenton, for $975,000.

Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,116 square feet of living area. It sold for $579,100 in 2021.

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Kenneth and Charlene Donnelly, of Eastsound, Washington, sold their home at 9915 Old Hyde Park Place to Christopher Stidd, of Bradenton, for $1.02 million. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, three-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 3,688 square feet of living area.

ESPLANADE

Kenneth and Valerie Ann Shapiro, of Boca Raton, sold their home at 12803 Sorrento Way to Maryanne Kessler and Jon Kessler, trustees, of Bradenton, for $995,000. Built in 2018, it has two bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,087 square feet of living area. It sold for $485,000 in 2019.

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WILD BLUE AT WATERSIDE

JUNE 11, 2026

SPORTS

“Coach Russ (Buller) is always like, ‘Go and get it.

You’ve got this.’ He always believes in me.”

— The Out-of-Door Academy track and field’s Daphne Quintal SEE PAGE 26

Club change comes up aces BREAK FAST

Lakewood Ranch High graduate Madison McKay, who joined Sarasota Crew as a junior, will contend for a national title.

JACK NELSON SPORTS REPORTER

Image courtesy of Arizona Diamondbacks/Anna Carrington

Braden River High graduate Ryan Waldschmidt made his MLB debut last month with the Arizona Diamondbacks and has since become the team’s starting center fielder.

R

yan Waldschmidt has passed the one-month mark of his first MLB season. The 23-year-old center fielder, who graduated from Braden River High in 2021, plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He owned a .284 batting average, .346 on-base percentage and seven RBIs through 74 at-bats, as of May 31. Waldschmidt made his debut May 8 against the New York Mets and went 1-for-1 with a single.

He started 2026 with the Reno Aces — Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate — but got the call after batting .289 with three home runs and 22 RBIs across 34 games.

He was selected by Arizona with the No. 31 overall pick of the 2024 MLB Draft, and two years later, has completed the climb to the bigs. The Diamondbacks face the Cincinnati Reds on the road from June 12-14.

Games are scheduled for 7:15 p.m. June 12, 4:10 p.m. June 13 and 1:40 p.m. June 14. ... For the first time as a professional soccer club, the Sarasota Paradise have won consecutive games. They defeated the New York Cosmos 2-1 on May 30 following a 2-0 victory over AC Boise on May 27. It also marked the first time this season the Paradise scored two or more goals in consecutive games. Defender Anderson Rosa and forward Jonathan Bolanos are the team’s leading scorers, as of May 31, with three goals apiece, while midfielder Sander Røed boasts a team-high five assists.

The Paradise are 4-8-1 and 11th in the 17-team USL League One — also as of May 31. Next, they’ll host Union Omaha at 7:30 p.m. June 13 at Premier Sports Campus. ... Zoe Buller, a rising eighth grader at The Out-of-Door Academy, placed third in the girls’ middle school pole vault event of the inaugural Under Armour Track and Field Nationals, which were held May 29-31 at IMG Academy. Buller’s mark of 3.00 meters set a new personal best following a seventhgrade season in which she placed eighth for pole vault at the FHSAA Class 1A track and field state championships. She won the 1A-3 regional and 1A-11 district titles to earn her way into the state championships.

TOP HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES PAGE 25

I

t was time for Lakewood Ranch High student Madison McKay to tell her parents, Scott and Shelly McKay, about the idea which had been brewing in her mind. She felt change was necessary in her rowing career.

The then-rising junior believed her longtime club, Manatee County Youth Rowing, was no longer the right environment in which to pursue her goals.

McKay sat down with her parents before the 2024-25 season and voiced her interest in joining Sarasota Crew to finish out her high school rowing days.

“I wanted to get recruited. I felt stuck on the team that I was on,” McKay said. “We didn’t get into bigger boats, which is all they do in college.”

Over the past two years, she’s proved to her parents — and herself — that was the right move to make.

From June 11-14, McKay will represent Sarasota Crew one last time in the Youth Women’s Eight of the USRowing Youth National Championships, held at Nathan Benderson Park. The Lakewood Ranch High graduate will row for Jacksonville University in the fall.

Her boat is one of 16 entries for the Osprey-based club, which is tied for second among the 236 different clubs converging on the park. Maritime Rowing Club of Connecticut also boasts 16, while RowAmerica Rye of New York leads with 21.

Two years removed from her decision to leave her former team, McKay — and the eight other girls in her boat — will vie for a junior national title.

“We feel good, actually,” McKay said. “It took us a long time to get to where we are, but I’m grateful for it.”

Their boat also features Riverview rising senior Olivia Mulliner, Pine View graduate Gabi DeLeo, homeschool graduate Eliana Fanders, Sarasota graduate Sydney Dalton, Venice graduate Anna Raney, Pine View rising junior Sydney Soboleski, Pine View graduate Sofia Yu and Pine View rising senior coxswain Kaylie Dominguez.

At the USRowing Southeast Youth Championships from May 9-10, they placed fourth in 6:44.41, and were on the brink of failing to qualify for the national championships. But now they have another shot to prove they rank among the nation’s best. McKay said her teammates have a renewed focus as they head into the national championships.

She was in the fourth seat last fall when this season got underway. In February, though, she was moved to the stroke seat — eighth — and has maintained her position.

McKay is responsible for the technique and rhythm of the entire boat.

The coxswain is the only person in front of her, but she can feel all the movement behind her.

“It is a difficult and arduous position to be in,” said Sebastian Spivey, the lead girls coach for Sarasota Crew. “You’re the one who feels every resistance, every mistake that the crew will make, and it’s just a heavier burden sitting up there and not having to follow anybody. You’re the one who has to take the plunge head first.”

Before contending for a junior national title or committing to a NCAA Division I program, she had to learn what it meant to be a rower.

The sport didn’t run in her family.

Neither of her parents had experienced it themselves, so unlike many others, she didn’t grow up on the water with an oar in her hands.

It was the constant advice of McKay’s middle school friends who pushed her into rowing in seventh

Jack Nelson

SARASOTA CREW’S EAST COUNTY ROWERS COMPETING AT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS n Ryan Boback, rising sophomore, Lakewood Ranch High School Second U16 Men’s Eight, seventh seat n Charlotte Brousseau, rising junior, The Out-ofDoor Academy U17 Women’s Four, coxswain n Krista Khalil, rising sophomore, Lakewood Ranch High School Second U16 Women’s Eight, fourth seat n Claire McGettigan, rising sophomore, Braden River High School Second U16 Women’s Eight, third seat n Madison McKay, graduate, Lakewood Ranch High School Youth Women’s Eight, eighth seat n Artem Varshavsky, rising ninth-grader, The Out-of-Door Academy Second U16 Men’s Eight, first seat

grade. At first, she questioned why she had even listened to them.

“They were like, ‘Oh, just come try it. It’s fun; we promise,’” McKay said. “I tried it, and the first day I was there, there was a 2K erg test. You win some, you lose some.”

That was merely a sample of what the following weeks would entail. As she continued with Manatee County Youth Rowing, she grappled with the physically demanding nature of the sport.

There were a couple instances, McKay said, when she wanted to quit as she first got into rowing. Her

parents advised against that and encouraged her to stick with it.

She stuck it out, indeed.

Sarasota Crew eventually attracted her attention. In virtually every regatta, there would be athletes from the club racing against her, and they won — a lot. McKay wanted to become part of it.

“She came in as the underdog, and had to do a lot of adapting in some ways,” Spivey said. “When you’re with a new team, new style, new culture, it’s almost like starting over.”

Adapting to the club’s size was a challenge. Her prior rowing experience was a team that was founded in 2011 and supported over 60 athletes, per its website.

Manatee County Youth Rowing won’t have any athletes at Nathan Benderson Park for the national championships. Sarasota Crew, founded in 2002, will have 103.

“Coming from a small team, I (was used to having) more responsibility on my shoulders,” McKay said.

“When I came here, I felt small in a big group of people, because there’s so many people on the team. It definitely took me awhile to find my footing.”

The past two years have allowed her to get comfortable in that group.

She’s spent hours upon hours alongside other rowers, whether practicing or competing.

Becoming part of the Youth Women’s Eight — the Sarasota Crew’s top female boat — taught her what’s necessary for team success.

“I used to just try to make myself better,” McKay said. “That’s still important, obviously, but I started showing up not just for myself, but for other people.”

Joining Sarasota Crew made her more visible to college recruiters, eventually leading her to Jacksonville University. Now, that decision has her in junior national title contention.

A change of clubs changed the trajectory of her rowing career.

Madison McKay is in her second and final season with Sarasota Crew. With the club's Youth Women's Eight boat, she will have a chance to compete for a national title at Nathan Benderson Park on June 11-14.

YourObserver.com

NELSON’S NOGGIN

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

JACK NELSON

East County’s top high school athletes of 2025-26 With the school year at an end, it’s time to discuss the five athletes who impressed us the most.

P

ut down those pencils and toss away those old papers, or set them ablaze in a bonfire, if you so desire.

The 2025-26 academic year ended in late May, and with that, high school athletics went on hiatus for summer break.

Before the countdown to August and the 2026-27 school year begins, here are the five athletes from East County who impressed most this past year:

ship. The Pirates rallied behind her and secured the Olympic team title — a first for the program.

She boasted four state medals entering 2025-26, which already ranked as the most of any female lifter before her. Now, she’s the only individual state champion in program history.

The now-graduate was perfect at the state meet. Mangay-Ayam hit all nine of her lifts with highs of 190 pounds in the clean and jerk, 150 in the bench press and 145 in the snatch.

At the end, she hoisted a state trophy with three gold medals draped around her neck.

The rising senior goalkeeper made 183 saves against 23 goals allowed.

She played in 21 of 22 games for the Mustangs, surrendering just 1.09 goals per game, and recorded seven shutouts along the way. The squad around her finished 16-3-3.

In the 6A-3 regional final against East Lake, with the game tied at 4 by the end of regulation, Shirley held her own for two overtime periods. She stayed steady through penalty kicks, and in the fourth round of sudden-death, made the title-clinching save.

Lakewood Ranch lost to Niceville 4-0 in the 6A state semifinals, but it was Shirley’s effort which ensured the team’s second consecutive appearance on that stage.

Photos by Jack Nelson

PAYTON MANGAY-AYAM, GIRLS WEIGHTLIFTING, BRADEN RIVER

AVARY SHIRLEY, GIRLS SOCCER, LAKEWOOD RANCH

For much of the 2025-26 season, Lakewood Ranch girls soccer was overshadowed. Its male counterpart accomplished the first undefeated regular season in program history.

That team, though, did not reach the FHSAA Class 6A state semifinals. The girls did — largely thanks to Avary Shirley’s work between the posts.

Jacob Fuentes deserves a nod as Braden River’s best performer at the state championships. The nowgraduate won silver at 144 pounds, but considering Fuentes’ 49-8 record, Rowe has the edge here with his complete body of work.

KEVIN GYURKA, CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK AND FIELD, THE OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY

KAYDENCE EVANS, SOFTBALL, BRADEN RIVER

EVAN ROWE, BOYS WRESTLING, BRADEN RIVER

There are good seasons and there are great seasons. Sometimes, athletes perform at an even higher level, going beyond great.

That’s what Payton Mangay-Ayam did in the final season of her high school career. She put the final touches on an unmatched legacy in Braden River girls weightlifting history.

Mangay-Ayam won individual Olympic and Traditional titles in the 129-pound weight class at the FHSAA Class 2A state champion-

25

Very few — if any — first-year wrestlers dominate on the mat. By year two, there can be more who make it far, but the odds are still stacked against them.

Evan Rowe joined wrestling as a junior with a background in mixed martial arts and jiu-jitsu. His lack of experience, though, was no problem at all this past season.

The Braden River graduate placed third in the 165-pound weight class at the FHSAA Class 2A individual state championships as a senior. He also won gold at the 2A-3 regional and 2A-9 district meets.

Five Pirates placed at the state meet, and Rowe finished the season with the most victories among them. He went 62-4, and in his semifinal match, ran into eventual champion Kawayran Vazquez.

The senior class for Braden River softball wasn’t all that large this past season. With respect to size, it wasn’t much of a class at all.

Pitcher/infielder Kaydence Evans was the singular senior on the roster. As wins started to stack up for the Pirates, it became clear she was the ultimate veteran presence.

Evans posted a sparkling 1.31 ERA over a career-high 112 innings pitched as Braden River reached the state semifinals for the first time since 2016. She struck out 28.5% of batters faced and walked a mere 2.2% of them, holding opponents to a .191 batting average.

Both “ace” and “workhorse” are fitting descriptors. She kept Braden River within striking distance against Niceville in the 5A state semifinals — ultimately a 2-1 defeat — by retiring 12 consecutive batters to end the contest.

Not to be forgotten is what Evans accomplished at the plate. The State College of Florida signee batted .421 with 30 RBIs, good for second most on the team, and had a team-high 76 at-bats.

She was the difference-maker for the Pirates as they flipped last season’s 4-19 struggle into a 23-4 triumph.

More than a few records in the annals of The Out-of-Door Academy’s athletic history belong to Kevin Gyurka. His running career is plenty decorated.

At the 2026 FHSAA Class 1A track and field state championship, he placed fourth in the 800-meter and 1,600-meter runs with times of 1:57.47 and 4:19.69, respectively. He also finished seventh (16:19.30) at the 1A cross country state championship.

Gyurka graduates with school records in the 800-meter (1:55.30), 3,200-meter (9:28.28), 3,200-meter relay (8:03.05) and 5K (15:48.60), per FLRunners.com.

His best statewide finish was third in the 3,200-meter run (9:28.28) at the 1A track and field state championship in 2024.

In cross country, his improvement from junior to senior year was considerable. He jumped 20 places at the state meet by shortening 16:41.50 to 16:19.30 — a 22.2-second difference.

Bar none, he was the area’s best male runner in 2025-26, and leaves behind a name worth remembering at ODA.

Jack Nelson is the sports reporter for the East County and Sarasota/Siesta Key Observers. Contact him at JNelson@ YourObserver.com.

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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

Daphne Quintal May 30-31 was a big weekend for Daphne Quintal. Not only had she finished seventh grade at The Out-of-Door Academy, but she represented the Thunder at the inaugural Under Armour Track and Field Nationals, held at IMG Academy. She placed sixth in the girls’ middle school pole vault event with a mark of 2.55 meters, setting a new personal best. Quintal is the East County Athlete of the Week.

How was your experience at the Under Armour Track and Field Nationals?

I thought it was cool. We got there, and I got to see (rising eighth grade teammate Zoe Buller), of course.

Then we were both vaulting back and forth. It was a bit of a different style than I was used to, because they had the 10-and-up, but then they also had boys running at the same time.

Did you have any expectations for yourself going into the event?

I was hoping for a new PR — 8 1/2 feet — which I did get. I did not expect to get near 9 feet, which I did.

That was cool.

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What were your goals this past season as a seventh grader in track and field?

I was just hoping to get up there and get more height. It was more competitive this year. Last year, we did vault a bit, but it wasn’t much — maybe one or two meets. This year, we got to do a lot more vaulting.

When and why did you start pole vaulting?

I did track in sixth grade, and Zoe and her dad, Coach Russ (Buller II), they did pole vault. Both of her parents (Russ Buller II and Dana Ellis) are vaulters. I got into it because of them. He was very generous to let me practice with them.

If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to JNelson@YourObserver.com.

How would you describe the passion you have for this sport?

I love vaulting because it’s fun. I like doing it with Zoe. We get to practice together a lot, and it’s good to have friends in sports. It’s just fun in general.

What piece of advice have you always carried with you?

Coach Russ is always like, “Go and get it. You’ve got this.” He always believes in me.

What’s a fun fact about you not many people know?

I love sports. I do three sports for school — track, basketball and volleyball. I’d probably have to say basketball (is my favorite), because I’ve been doing it since I was little.

If you could go anywhere for a dream vacation, where would you go and why?

I’d want to go on another cruise somewhere sunny. My family and I are going on a cruise to Alaska this summer.

If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you eat?

Chick-fil-A. If you could have any superpower, what would you choose and why?

Telekinesis. I’d love to move things with my mind.

Finish this sentence. Daphne Quintal is ...

Strong-minded.

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27

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

THURSDAY, JUNE 11

WEATHER

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

SUNRISE / SUNSET

FORECAST

Sunrise Sunset

High: 91 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 47%

FRIDAY, JUNE 12 High: 92 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 56%

Thursday, June 11

6:33a

8:24p

Friday, June 12

6:34a

8:25p

Saturday, June 13

6:34a

8:25p

Sunday, June 14

6:34a

8:25p

Monday, June 15

6:34a

8:26p

Tuesday, June 16

6:34a

8:26p

Wednesday, June 17

6:34a

8:26p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, JUNE 13 High: 92 Low: 77 Chance of rain: 50%

June 14 New

June 21 First

June 29 Full

July 7 Last

RAINFALL

SUNDAY, JUNE 14 High: 91 Low: 78 Chance of rain: 33% David Ondocin took this photo of a fabulous sunset over Lakewood Ranch.

Monday, June 1

0

Tuesday, June 2

0

Wednesday, June 3

0

Thursday, June 4

0

Friday, June 5

0

Saturday, June 6

0

Sunday, June 7

0

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

Submit your photos at YourObserver.com/Contests. All submissions will be entered in the 2026-27 Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2027, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

YEAR TO DATE: 2026 12.31 in.

2025 13.13 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 0 in.

2026 2025 4.46 in.

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Daily crossword puzzles available at YourObserver.com/crossword

SHORT LIST by Rebecca Goldstein, edited by Jared Goudsmit Park” 61 Teachers who help you with your notes?

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Flanders 126 Big rigs 127 Slumbering

©2026 Universal Uclick

ACROSS

67 *The Kremlin ponders 35 Winter worker, e.g. over a decision?

37 Actor/rapper Epps 1 Vampire-repelling bulb 71 Belonging to us 39 Abolitionist ___ Hunt 7 Summer camp boat 72 Spanish island known Francis 12 Tire pressure initials for its nightlife 42 To be, in Spanish 15 Nonverbal greeting 75 Parodies 43 Daniel who plays Benoit 18 Single-celled organism 76 “I’m the guilty party!”

Blanc 19 Love, in Paris 79 Remember 45 Financial plan 20 “Time for bed” 81 Creative pursuit 47 Salad dressing container 22 *Vegetable grown in a 49 *Energetic baby bears? 82 Eavesdropped school garden?

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66 Med. care option

101 “will u b late?”

102 Pictures 104 Soccer score 108 Tax ID 109 *Subject line of an email excluding an astronaut from a mission?

113 Carefully cook up, like a scheme 115 Obstruct 116 “The rumors aren’t true!,” or a phonetic hint to the transformations at the ends of the starred clues’ answers 121 Nail polish remover ingredient 122 Loses traction 123 Raised, like kids 124 “___ Miz” 125 Homer’s “neighborino”

457540-1

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.

“P ONAX HFVPT SDB P RCPDU VPDJPDJ PV S BPKXTR OPDX RN MNFK CXSKR ...

NDX NE RCX JKXSRXVR RXSTCXKV P CSB ZSV RCX VPDJPDJ RXSTCXK.” HXKMO VRKXXQ

“TRX VGLHS TRXZ OJLH JHM TRXZ GNJZVAZNJS JZN XHOZNINMNHVNM LH VGN GLWVRZT RQ VGN YRZPM, AXV VGNH TRX ZNJM.”

BJKNW AJPMYLH

“NX UBKQBN HXZJ XOB TUAQ’P GQIBUBE UP BXN QIPH, MZN UN’P PNUTT ITTXOQV, IBV U NCUBL HXZ’TT MQ CIDDUQJ AXJ NCQ NJXZMTQ.”

MUTT OINNQJPXB Puzzle Three Clue: J equals R

crossword

Puzzle Two Clue: X equals U

Sarasota 941.355.8437 | Bradenton 941.748.4679 | Venice 941.493.7441 | manasotaonline.com

The Grounded Feeling Everyone will Enjoy

Puzzle Two Clue: N equals G

at MANASOTA FLOORING INC

sudoku

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

©2026 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

06-11-26

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

RED PAGES real estate

home services

Homes for Sale

Auto Transport

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card 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 Notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis..

Items Under $200 USED TIRES Venom Power SWAMPTHING Used (Set of 2) 35x12.50 R22LT $200 (661) 254-4200

Antiques/ Collectibles

1776 BETTSY Ross Figure and Flag Mug, $5. 4 Dairy Queen Spoons 8”, cone on top $4.

Call (941)741-9727 FRAMED 24X20 WILLIAM TELL 1976 SIGNED LIMITED EDITION #62 OF 100 F-101 B $95. Call (310)720-7285 KITTY CONDO, 2 levels, super clean & Nice $20.

No Text (941) 879-7105 METAL FLOOR lamp with 3 lights. Adjustable light cages, accepts standard bulb sizes.

All light sockets work.

Call (941)806-9855 MODERN RUGS - 4 matching, multi-colored, checkered rugs.

Large & small. $139. Shark steam mop $59. 941-758-4646

Autos Wanted

40+ years in Sarasota Honest Evaluations NO ONE PAYS MORE!

CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

941-400-8811 Boat Slips for Rent/Sale

STORAGE FACILITY Boat/ RV/ Trailer. Secure facility, low monthly rentals, Clark Rd area.

941-809-3660, 941-809-3662.

BOAT SLIPS FOR LEASE ON LONGBOAT KEY

WE BUY cars. top $$ paid for your vehicles.

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

Annual and monthly leases are available. Deep water slips up to 40 ft with water and electrical service. Easy access to Sarasota Bay, ICW and Gulf Call 941-500-3895.

Merchandise Wanted BUYING GOLD, SILVER W/ CASH. RETIRED INVESTOR Diamonds, Coins, Jewelry, Watches & Pocket Watches.

Confidential & Honest.

FREE HOUSE CALLS. Call David (941) 499-6417 DAD AND DAUGHTER TEAM BUYING COINS & CURRENCY Call Today! 941-795-3203 SENIOR LOOKING to purchase precious metals, diamonds, time pieces, coins, jewelry, antique and estate jewelry, and some collectors plates. Personal and confidential.

Please call Marc: 941-321-0707

Use the

SMART TV $125 Samsung 44” with remote 941-524-8867

RED PAGES

STAMPS For Sale Price.

Foreign, old and new. U.S., old and new. In Lakewood Ranch.

941-318-0093

CALL 941-955-4888

to clean out your garage

GARAGE SALE As low as $17.50 per week!

941-955-4888

Aluminum

Cleaning BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service

by Maria. Residential. Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References.

Free Estimates. Reliable. Lic./Ins. 941-400-3342. Instagram: Braziliancleaningsrq

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

Luxury Sarasota Bay views uexd ur5 yS oittahBBaoyavt iD ew 4L B Ba arta hs w ocs k uexd ur5 yS otitahBBaoyavt iD ew 4LB Baarta hsw ocsk $1.76 million 4 Bed 5 $1.76 Bath wmillion ith Boat Dock Luxury $1.76 Sarasomillion ta Bay views L u x u r y S a r a s o tag BBatooyaS vt iD ew N e a r S o u t h b r i d stcsak 4NB e d 5 B a t h w he rvS5 uhate hth rid diittg eroso ealed hpeoBtooola, S tsitD oltclakto O4N nB ee eo l$1.76 ,B ab tw e million e a r S o u t h b r i d g e t o S i e One lsehvoepl$1.76 ,sh. e3aBteemillion d p2o.5oB l,astthrosltlato d One lsehvoepl,sh. e3aBteed l,astthroll to d-p2o.5oB NeasrhS breid oo pu s$1,250,000 .tth 3B dg -2e .5tto BaS tihesta $1,250,000 N e a r S o u h b r i d g e o One level,$1,250,000 heated pool, Ssiterosltlato One lsehvBrooke l,astthroll to oepl,sh. e3aBteO’Malley ed d-p2o.5oB O’Malley shBrooke oCLUB ps$1,250,000 . 3BREALTY ed-2.5Bath Brooke O’Malley CLUB REALTY $1,250,000 Call 941-726-2677 CLUB REALTY Call 941-726-2677 Brooke O’Malley Call 941-726-2677 Brooke O’Malley CLUB REALTY CLUB REALTY Call 941-726-2677 Call 941-726-2677

941-955-4888

YourObserver.com/RedPages

CARL DATTILO Painting Licensed & insured. Interior/ Exterior painting including drywall repair and retexturing.

Wallpaper installation & removal, CALL TODAY pressure washing. Residential & 941-955-4888 condos.

Honest & reliable.

For Free estimates call

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers

Puzzle One Solution: “I love music and I think singing is a direct line to your heart ... one of the greatest teachers I had was the singing teacher.”

Meryl Streep

This week’s Sudoku answers

Blinds/Window Treatments

TRANSFORM YOUR SPACE WITH

Elegance & Style SPECIALTIES:

Blinds, Shades, Shutters, Draperies, Cushions, Wall Coverings, Motorized Systems

HoHoBuysCars.com

5-Star Rated

463026

941.270.4400

YoderAluminum.com

Painting

Puzzle Three Solution: “To invent your own life’s meaning is not easy, but it’s still allowed, and I think you’ll be happier for the trouble.”

Bill Watterson

463068

463452

Owner /Insured Operator Insured

JAMES BOTTORFF EXPERIENCED HANDYMAN SERVICES Call or Text 941-807-0032 Registered in the state of FL.

Puzzle Two Solution: “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.”

James Baldwin

WE COME TO YOU

941.650.9790 941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com

Handyman Services

CARL 941-448-8468 35+ years experience.

FAST • EASY • SAFE

Dustin Yoder

CALL TODAY 941-955-4888

RED PAGES

This week’s Crossword answers

SELL YOUR CAR! Dustin Owner Yoder/ Operator

RED PAGES

Advertise your business or service in the Observer

Auto Service

“Specializing inin6” Gutters” “Specializing 6” Seamless Seamless Gutters”

Advertise your business or service in the Observer

©2026 Universal Uclick

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. Price must be included next to each item. No commercial advertising.

Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer.

Call 941-955-4888 Or Email ad to: classified@yourobserver.com (Please provide your name and address) Or Online at: www.yourobserver.com Or mail to: The Observer Group 1970 Main St. - 3rd Floor Sarasota, Fl 34236

Al Tomlinson

You’re only cheating yourself.

Items Under $200

Over 1 Acre Beachfront House Over 1 Ac$re6.B ac 5e m illh iofrnont House Over 1 Ac$re6.B ac 5em illhiofrnont House $6.5 million cBeesascC nn alt 4Ho Buesde OS vaeilrb1oaAtcArec hfa ro s$675,000 C nn atl 4Ho Buesde OSvaeilrb1oPaAetcnA e6cin.cB em asc hiofarno ge $rd 5 i l l SailboPaetnA c c e s s C a n a l 4 Bed $675,000 $d6in.5g m illion Pending $675,000 ntoaattioAncG se ieewd SP alailb ceo slffsC Co au nra l 4V B oAnocnG se ieewd SPalailn btoaatetiC cdgeoosl$675,000 s3CC aeundra l 4VB Bo n d i n PlantP a t i o n G o l f C o u r s e V iew o$294,000 3 Bed PeC nd inndgo$675,000 Co$294,000 ndo 3 Bed Plantation$294,000 Golf Course View ona f3iCtB HoP uslaenotantiC n hoeuPdrosoel V&ieDwock o nGa dollolw House on C C a n h ePdool & Dock Co$294,000 na dow3itB House on C$1,250,000 a n a l w i t h Pool & Dock $1,250,000 $294,000 $1,250,000 P teP lyoU grD ad Ho ooulsH eo om ne CC ano aml p wllie th op l& oe cd k P teP lyoU grD ad HoooulsH e oom n eCC a$545,000 noaml p wieth op l& oecd k Pool Home $1,250,000 C o m p l e t e l y U p g r a d e d $545,000 $1,250,000 $545,000 Pool Home Completely Upgraded Pool Home C ompletely Upgraded $545,000 $545,000

©2026 NEA, Inc.

Paintings •B Bronzes •P Sculptures •O Oriental Rugs •S Asian Art •A Antique Furniture •A

SHIP YOUR car, truck or SUV anywhere in the United States.

Great rates, fast quotes. Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

auto

WANTED

peekers’ place

stuff

ANTIQUES WANTED

you off your feet!

We’ll SWEEPWe’ll youSWEEP off your feet!

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages

941-879-6310 | designingwindowsbyisabel@gmail.com www.designingwindowsbyisabel.com Special Discounts for Veterans & Seniors

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

Home Services

Screening

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

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

MAKE YOUR

GROUT

453817

LOOK LIKE

NEW AGAIN

Established in 1989 Serving Our Area for Over 35 Years • Pool Enclosures • Front Entry Screens • Lanais • Concrete & Pavers

Irrigation

Call Today: (941) 925-3200 info@bishopsaluminum.com

941-735-3362 Doors

463017

ANDY’S LAWN SPRINKLER SERVICE

Pegatronics.com

SERVICING MANATEE COUNTY SINCE 1979

DON’T let your

463596

PATIO DOORS be a DRAG or your

BLACK LABEL CAR SERVICE “Luxury for Less”

• Systems Upgraded & Serviced • Troubleshooting & Repair • Monthly Maintenance Service Provided

448996

WINDOWS be a PANE!!

941 - 248 - 4734

ANDY AVALOS | 941-545-7280

Sliding Glass Door Repairs Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts | Window Repairs

SCC131150987

Transportation

463014

All Florida Airports, Concerts & Dinners - Hourly Cruise Ships & Medical | See Specials at: www.blacklabelcarservice.com

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

Trees

CALL BEFOREYOU YOU FALL CALL BEFORE FALL

GRAB BARS GRAB BARS

FREE

IN-HOAMTEES ESTIM

Tree Removal Tree Trimming Lawn Maintenance and More!

20 years local experience Licensed & Insured

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

249 235

* $ $235

$

Call us today!

941.628.8579

INCLUDES22MOEN MOEN STAINLESS INCLUDES STAINLESS STEEL STEELANTI ANTISLIP SLIP CONCEALED PEEN CONCEALED SCREW SCREW GRAB GRAB BARS (16”BARS & 24”)(16” & 24”)

941.966.0333

www.ezslider.com

LIFETIME GUARANTEE • LICENSED • BONDED • INSURED COVERAGEAREA: AREA:LAKEWOOD PARRISH TO NORTHPORT COVERAGE RANCH TO S. VENICE

FREE ESTIMATES, CALL TODAY!

(941) 544.5663 | luislopezlanwservice@gmail.com

DRGRABBARS.COM

*DRILLING CHARGES MAY APPLY FOR MARBLE, GRANITE OR PORCELAIN. COUPON REQUIRED.

Plumbing

Window Cleaning

Mark’s Plumbing Service

Handyman

463455

INTERIOR RENOVATIONS • DRYWALL • PAINT • TRIM • DOORS • TILE • FLOORING • SHOWER TEXT OR CALL 574-354-7772

Licensed

Health

jccpcleaning@aol.com | jccpwindowcleaning.net

Windows

“No Job Too Small” Insured

Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

• Pet Screen • 20/20 No-See-Um Screening • We Paint Pool Cages

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

941-270-1561

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

Res. | Com. | Lic. | Ins.

Roofing

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224

Formerly known as Sunrise Windows

Building & Roofing Contractor

Recognized Among the Best Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Physicians in America

UP TO

• Aluminum, Vinyl, & Wood Soffit and Fascia • Metal & Shingle Roofing • Pool Cage, Pan Roofs & Lania Fabrication • Aluminum Welding & Fabrication

Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

463011

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS Showcase your products or services.

$

SCREEN MACHINE RE-SCREENING

Screen Repair | Per Panel Pricing Building | Under Truss | Lanais | Entryways Prompt Estimates (usually no visit necessary)

CALL 941-955-4888

941-879-3136

TREASURES found here.

Looking for something?

Your lucky discovery is closer than you think.

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

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

SPECIAL 00 5

Screening

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

160

25 $

STANDARD WINDOWS

941-626-3194 kennethfuhlmaninc.com

Midtown Medical Park 1215 S. East Ave. Suite 210 Sarasota, FL 34239

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

CALL JUAN & CINDY LICENSED & INSURED 239-203-5913 l 407-902-7845

463450

Eldridge Re-Screen

KEENS HANDYMAN SERVICES

463062

SERVING SIESTA KEY & SARASOTA COUNTY

WINDOW CLEANING, PRESSURE WASHING, & GUTTERS CLEANING!

Rescreening & Repairs

463012

941.302.5850

941-920-8221

senior citizen discount.

www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

PURIFIED WATER WINDOW CLEANING AVAIL ABLE!!

463456

Accepting Credit Cards

RELIABLE • INSURED 463070

HANDYMAN SERVICES

Plumbing repairs. Replace toilets, faucets, water filters, water softeners and repair leaks.

463436

C.T. MALLETT

Carpentry • Painting Pressure Washing

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES 941- 284 - 5880

463015

463453

DON DI STEFANO (941) 893.8475

DO YOU HAVE LOOSE & HOLLOW TILES?

364556 463061

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

Pool Enclosure Specialists

INJECT-AFLOOR SYSTEM

410036

Computer

29

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2026

Planning a Move?

Start with Lakewood Ranch’s Most Trusted Team Top 1% of Realtors in Sarasota and Manatee Counties Top 1% of Coldwell Banker Realtors Worldwide

Under Construction | Expected Completion: Spring 2027

View Listing

8613 Sandpoint Street | Wild Blue $3,479,875 | 3,632 Sq Ft | 3 Bedrooms | 3.5 Bathrooms | Bonus Room | Den | 3-Car Garage | Pool & Spa

Move-in Ready | New Construction

New Listing

7241 Orchid Island Place | Country Club

134 Bragg Lane | Bungalow Walk

$599,000 | 2,260 Sq Ft | 2 Bedrooms | 2 Bathrooms | Office | Community Pool

Offered at $619,990 | 2,006 Sq Ft | 4 Bedrooms | 2.5 Bathrooms

7656 Portstewart Drive | Country Club

4719 Cassio Court | Azario

$1,350,000 | 3,128 Sq Ft | 4 Bedrooms | 3.5 Bathrooms | Office | Pool/Spa

$895,000 | 2,313 Sq Ft | 3 Bedrooms | 3 Bathrooms | Office

Under Contract

Sold

14718 Secret Harbor Place | Country Club East

13828 Siena Loop | Country Club

Offered at $950,000 | 2,803 Sq Ft | 3 Bedrooms | 2.5 Bathrooms | Office

$799,00 | 2,311 Sq Ft | 3 Bedrooms | 2 Bathrooms | Office | Pool/Spa

Interested in Private Listing options? Contact us | 941-702-0437 SHANAHAN LUXURY GROUP 941.961.8205 | 941.702.0437 ShanahanLuxuryGroup@CBrealty.com 8334 Market Street | Lakewood Ranch, FL TOP PRODUCING LAKEWOOD RANCH TEAM 2023, 2024, 2025 for Coldwell Banker Realty Contact Us to Learn More or to Schedule a Showing.

455911-1

30

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