East County Observer 6.12.25

EAST COUNTY

Not a sour Puss

Observer

Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

PAGE 4B

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

VOLUME 26, NO. 43

YOUR TOWN

Training center changes law enforcement landscape Manatee County now has all of its training needs in one Myakka facility. SEE PAGE 3A

File photo

A happy 86th for Dick Vitale With ESPN extending his contract through the 2027-28 season, Naismith basketball Hall of Fame member Dick Vitale made a more ambitious statement.

“I want to be the first guy to (announce) a game when I’m 100 years old,” Lakewood Ranch’s Vitale told ESPN. “That’s not that far off. I’m going to be there.”

Vitale (above) received the extension June 9, which happened to be his 86th birthday.

“Dick is the heart of college basketball, and his kindness, generosity and courage are a constant inspiration to us all,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in the announcement.

ESPN also said it is starting the Dick Vitale Invitational. The inaugural event will be played Nov. 4 as Texas meets Duke in Charlotte, North Carolina.

On track for Father’s Day RealRail hosts special event in East County.

SEE PAGE 1B

Jay Heater

Courtesy image

Dream day for Pete and Cleet

RealRail President Allen Novak and club member Doug Neumann work on the O Scale model train layout that will be available during the club’s special Father’s Day weekend event June 14-15. The club will have both O and HO layouts operating.

Cleetus McFarland, YouTube sensation and owner of the Freedom Factory race track, made a wish come true May 20.

Pete Hale, a 13-year-old diagnosed with leukemia, traveled from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to Manatee County to meet McFarland (above).

Make-A-Wish Southern Florida facilitated the dream day.

McFarland made Hale a custom T-shirt that read, “Pete & Cleet” and gave him a tour of his garage, which includes a helicopter. McFarland and Hale played video games together, and Hale got to ride shotgun in McFarland’s Ford Mustang as he did donuts around the blacktop.

On board to increase awareness New board President Jeff Toale spreads the word about the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation.

SEE PAGE 2A

For free access via our app, visit YourObserver.com/app-offer

Jay Heater

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Jeff Toale took over as president of the board of the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation on June 1.

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The woman who would be king.

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

He’s ‘all in’ for Lakewood Ranch JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

I

n 1995, Jeff Toale was an eighth grader at The Out-of-Door Academy on Siesta Key who was thinking about his future.

Toale and a group of his classmates were bused over to ODA’s new school site in Lakewood Ranch. If he decided to go, he would have been among the first class to go through the high school and graduate. The problem was that there wasn’t much on or near Deer Drive in Lakewood Ranch in 1995.

Toale, who was born, grew up and still lives in Sarasota, decided to go to Cardinal Mooney instead.

That doesn’t mean he didn’t keep his eye on Lakewood Ranch.

“There was nothing there when we were bused out there, but I was one of those guys who watched Lakewood Ranch when I was growing up,” he said.

His father was watching, too. On June 8, 2022, Robert Toale & Sons opened its Celebration of Life Center in Lakewood Ranch.

“We saw Lakewood Ranch as a growing community,” Jeff Toale said.

“Having a facility here would be a lot more comfortable for Lakewood Ranch families, and more convenient. We saw a need.”

But committing their business to the community meant more to the Toales. They said immediately they wanted to be part of their new community, and they wanted to give back.

That desire to give back will be in full flight now that Jeff Toale has taken over as president of the board of the Lakewood Ranch Community

Foundation. He took over June 1 and will hold that title for a year, unless the board decides to extend his term further.

“Three years ago, I was honored to be asked to join the board,” said Toale, who is vice president of business development with Robert Toale & Sons. “It was (former Executive Director Adrienne Boohhamer) at the time. I think Lakewood Ranch spoke to my heart. I’m all-in at this point.”

He said his focus will be on “donation opportunities, streamlining efficiencies, developing new committees, and continuing development and collaboration within the Lakewood Ranch community.

His term wouldn’t appear to be as potentially tumultuous as the last two years under Mark Clark, who took the nonprofit from a fund to a foundation, and who led the transition from an all-volunteer staff to one that was led by an executive director, and who basically rebuilt the financial strength of the organization.

Clark will remain on the board as past president for one year.

Joining Toale on the executive committee are Keith Pandeloglou, vice president; Lorri Kidder, treasurer and grants committee chair; and Lisa Lawler, secretary.

Outgoing board members are Kelly Gilliland, president and broker of Integrity Mortgage Capital, and Nicole Ryskamp, a board past president who is a real estate agent with Michael Saunders & Co. Two new board members were welcomed to the organization in Victoria Campbell, a realtor with NextHome KD Premier Realty, and Casio

MEET THE PRESIDENT JEFF TOALE New post: President of the board of the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation Occupation: Vice president of business development with Robert Toale & Sons Lives: Sarasota Wife: Hannah Kids: Claire, 17, Hudson, 15, Laurel, 13, Cade 10 On his ability to find time to give back: “I spend my time wisely, and I have an amazing wife and mother. She is the rock. We have been married 19 years.”

Jones, a founder of Level Ground Fitness and owner of The Exercise Coach-LWR. The Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and has a goal of raising $250,000.

Like previous executive directors, Toale would like to increase awareness of the organization in the community.

After a year without a soire, the LWRCF has scheduled the Soiree on the Ranch Grand Finale 2025 for Nov. 13 at Lakewood Ranch Country Club.

“We decided to jump back into it,” Toale said. “Obviously, awareness always is going to be key. One of the greatest benefits for us will be for the Lakewood Ranch community to recognize us as a pillar of the community. Through awareness you garner donations. We will do anything we can to get the message out.”

Besides the Soiree on the Ranch, the LWRCF will plan to have a golf tournament, a casino night and polo with the pros in the next year.

Jay Heater

Jeff Toale took over as president of the board of the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation on June 1.

The LWRCF gave out $125,000 in 2024 and just approved $33,250 for its first grant cycle of 2025.

“We granted nine of the 14 requests by the nonprofits that applied,” he said. “A good amount of those grants went toward kids’ programs over the summer. Lori Kidder does a great job heading our grants committee.”

The Builders Give Back program, launched in 2023, has been a huge success and Toale is looking forward to more great results in the future.

In the long term, he said perhaps a similar program could be offered to Realtors.

The bottom line is that Toale he will be looking for any way possible to find ways to give money back to the community.

“Our job is to improve what is already here,” he said.

Growing up, Toale said he saw the work done by Meals on Wheels as well as “having the good fortune of having access to people who gave advice” on the importance of supporting your community. He said the late Ron Foxworthy was a plumber

“We saw Lakewood Ranch as a growing community. Having a facility here would be a lot more comfortable for Lakewood Ranch families, and more convenient. We saw a need.”

— Jeff Toale

who always would talk about how giving back was an important part of running his business.

He said Eddie Morton of Morton’s Gourmet Market had an influence on him as he worked stacking shelves and stocking produce at Morton’s.

“He was always community oriented,” Toale said.

And those times his mom, Debbie, took him to serve food at St. Martha’s Church at Thanksgiving were important as well.

“I always saw how grateful people were,” he said.

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Jeff Toale takes over as Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation president.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Myakka City facility offers real world training Law enforcement cadets and officers no longer need to travel outside of Manatee County for basic training.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

T

he last time Manatee County had an outdoor firing range for law enforcement, Jay Romine had just graduated from the police academy.

His career has since spanned 46 years.

Romine served 20 years as chief of police for the Holmes Beach Police Department. For the past 12 years, he’s served as the director of the Law Enforcement Academy at Manatee Technical College.

Romine is not ready to retire just yet, but now that a new $7.01 million Law Enforcement Training Center is up and running off Taylor Road in Myakka City, he can retire in peace when the time comes.

“I had to see it through,” he said.

Romine was still chief of police when he proposed the training facility 18 years ago.

As the director of the academy, he started pushing hard for the center when the college’s indoor firing range at the campus on 34th Street West was shut down in 2014.

When small amounts of shrapnel started blowing back off the bullet traps to the firing line, the range was deemed too dangerous to keep in use and too expensive to refurbish, especially because that campus was no longer in use.

From then on, cadets had to travel to St. Petersburg to use an indoor firing range. Outdoor training didn’t require out-of-county travel, but it came with distractions that impeded the learning process.

The college had a driving pad next to its indoor range at the old campus.

Romine likened it to a parking lot. It had been grandfathered in, but it never met the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s standards for an official driving pad.

Romine said in its latter years, it also became the ingress and egress for Bayshore High School’s buses, so training would have to stop every time a bus passed. He described “the parking lot” as twice as long and half as wide as it needed to be.

“We made do, but it was a struggle,” Romine said. “Unless (an officer) gets into an accident and needs remedial training, they may go the rest of their career and never have any more vehicle operations training. That’s always stuck in my craw.”

The Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and the DeSoto Square Mall parking lot are among the other locations used for training.

Since March, cadets have been training at a 70-acre, state-of-theart facility that features a 50-yard pistol range, 200-yard rifle range, 300-by-600-foot driving pad with adjustable lighting, two observation towers, a classroom and an armory room.

‘GOOD LUCK FUNDING IT’

The facility is a partnership between the college and the Bradenton Police Department. Outside of the facility itself, there are two of everything.

Side-by-side storage units sit next to the driving pad. When opening the front door, the wall straight ahead is flanked with each institution’s emblem.

“This is kind of a shining exam-

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

A LONG WAIT Manatee County law enforcement and its recruits have never had all of their training needs met in one facility until now. The need for the facility dates back to the early 1980s when the outdoor Lena Road Firing Range was shut down.

“Somebody thought a bullet hit a garbage truck or something at the dump,” said Jay Romine, director of the Law Enforcement Academy at Manatee Technical College.

This is the first outdoor training facility in Manatee County since then.

Jay Romine, director of the Law Enforcement Academy at Manatee Technical College, had waited 18 years to see the Training Center open.

“The response we got was that it’s a great plan and there’s a real need for it. Good luck finding the funding.”

— Jay Romine

ple of working together to get this done,” Romine said. “That’s the only way it happened, and it’s not that way everywhere. We really do have a great relationship between the school and the agencies and all the agencies together. It’s been that way for years.”

In this case, the college had the funding, and the city of Bradenton had the land.

When Romine first presented his proposal 18 years ago, local officials loved it.

“The response we got was that it’s a great plan and there’s a real need for it. Good luck finding the funding,” Romine recalled.

It would take more than a decade, but in 2020, former Senate President Bill Galvano and former Rep. Tommy Gregory successfully led the Florida Legislature to appropriate $2 million to the training facility, and the Manatee County School Board agreed to fund the rest.

The Bradenton Police Department is still seeking $50,000 to complete the shoot house.

The price tag started at $4.7 million and ballooned to $7.01 million by 2024 because of increased labor and supply costs.

The more than $7 million estimate didn’t include the land, and cuts had to be made.

There’s a little more of an echo inside the classroom because there aren’t as many acoustic panels lining the back wall. A pursuit track to go with the driving pad was cut entirely from the plans, and the shoot house is only half finished.

Acoustic panels and less expensive building materials were the barely noticeable cuts. The shoot house was a major cut, so when money was left over in the budget, the school district agreed to get the project started.

A shoot house simulates the experience of an officer entering a building, except that the handguns shoot paintballs instead of live rounds.

The shoot house currently has floors, walls and an overhead catwalk for instructors to monitor the cadets.

It’s still waiting on a roof, but it’s usable. Romine pointed to the water on the floor and said a squeegee can push that out.

There’s also a $32,000 movable wall set-up that can transform the shoot house into a living room or classroom within a few minutes.

Temporary partitions are being used for now. The walls will come out of storage after the roof is installed.

The donation came from the family of Dr. Lawrence Lieberman through the Bradenton Blue Foundation, which raises funds that go specifically toward the training, wellness and safety of BPD’s officers.

Capt. Brian Thiers said the anticipated cost to finish the shoot house is about $150,000.

The foundation itself has committed $50,000 to the project, and it also received a $50,000 donation from Cox Chevrolet in honor of Steve Cox that’s earmarked for the shoot house.

The department is still seeking an additional $50,000.

“This type of training is real world scenario based,” Thiers said. “It makes our police officers and our law enforcement in Manatee County better at their job.”

BPD had already been using a training facility on the property because the city of Bradenton purchased the land for $756,500 in

1983: MTC builds an indoor firing range and driving pad at its campus on 34th Street West.

1989: Bradenton Police Department buys the 654-acre property at 38626 Taylor Road for $756,500.

2014: MTC closes its indoor firing range for safety reasons, and MTC starts searching for property to build a new facility.

2020: The Florida Legislature appropriates $2 million to MTC for the new facility.

2021: The Bradenton Police Department provides the land, and the $4.7 million project is approved by the School Board of Manatee County.

2023: A ground-breaking ceremony is held.

2024: Construction and labor costs rise, so the cost rises to $7.01 million.

2025: The Manatee Technical College City of Bradenton Law Enforcement Training Center opens.

1989. The overall parcel is 654 acres, but only 70 acres are dedicated to the training center and about half that is currently being used.

The old BPD range was in a nearby location among the 654 acres, and it came with an equally unique challenge as the college had to work around school buses.

According to Meredith Censullo, the department’s public information officer, the range could only be accessed through a rancher’s property, which included opening and shutting several gates to ensure none of the cows got out.

The old range had a shoot house at one point, but never electricity or bathrooms. Censullo also noted a “pieced-together obstacle course” that was primarily used for Special Weapons and Tactics tryouts and training.

The new facility has room to grow, and while an obstacle course and pursuit track could make excellent additions in the future, Romine and Thiers are more than satisfied with the outcome.

Vehicle operations training is underway at the new training center in Myakka City on June 3.

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

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Manatee County Animal Welfare is asking residents to help ease overcrowding at shelters by providing foster homes for kittens in need.

“It’s kitten season here in our county, and our shelters are full of tiny lives waiting for a chance,” said Manatee County District I Commissioner Carol Felts, in a release.

“Fostering saves lives — it gives these kittens a safe place to grow until they’re ready for adoption.”

The release said, “When new kittens arrive at Bishop Animal Shelter, they receive medical care and are held temporarily until a foster home becomes available. From there, the foster family cares for the kitten for a few weeks, providing love, monitoring and basic care until the kitten is healthy enough to be spayed or neutered. Once surgery is complete back at Bishop, the kitten is transferred to Cat Town, where it becomes available for adoption.”

Fostering is a free process. The shelter provides all supplies and medical care.

Donations of food, litter or funds are welcome at the shelters.

For more information about becoming a foster, contact Lauren Tryon at Lauren.Tryon@MyManatee. org or stop by Cat Town or Bishop Animal Shelter during business hours.

County makes self-service sandbags available

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Kitties need temporary homes in Manatee

Manatee County will make self-service sandbag locations available all through the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane season.

East County residents will have close access to locations at the Myakka Community Center, 10060 Wauchula Road, Myakka City; and in Parrish at 77550 Fort Hamer Road and at 905 Rye Wilderness Trail.

Other locations in the county include the Manatee County Stormwater Facility, 5511 39th St. E., Bradenton; Blackstone Park, 2112 14th Ave. W., Palmetto; Palma Sola Park, 7815 40th Ave. W., Bradenton; and the Rubonia Community Center, 1309

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The service continues through Nov. 30 from dawn to dusk daily.

Residents should bring their own shovels and be prepared to transport the sandbags themselves. A map of the sandbag sites can be found at MyManatee.org/Storm by clicking on the sandbags tab.

“Having sandbags ready ahead of a storm can make a big difference in protecting homes and property,” said Manatee County Commission Chair George Kruse in a release. “We encourage residents to prepare early and make use of these resources now — before a storm is on the way.”

The release also urged residents to keep up-to-date on storm alerts at MyManatee.org/Storm. They can also follow Manatee County Government on social media (Facebook. com/Manatee.County.Florida and on X @ManateeGov.

Burn ban dries up after rains Heavy rains across Manatee County have prompted emergency managers to rescind bans on public burning.

Manatee County this week allowed its burning ban to expire at midnight June 3. The restrictions had been in place since mid-April, when conditions were much drier.

“We’ve seen a positive shift in weather patterns, and conditions are trending in the right direction,” said Manatee County Commission Chair George Kruse.

In keeping with recent gray-sky trends, there is no less than a 50% chance of rain through the coming weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Early June is often the transition between the historically dry season and rainy season.

Portions of Manatee County have seen more than three inches of rain thus far in June. At Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, about three-and-a-half inches have fallen since April 1.

During a burn ban, these activities are prohibited: use of any items containing any “explosive compound,” sparklers, any item or product using or containing any amount of pyrotechnic composition, flares, open burning and campfires.

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

5A

Hurricane recovery grant ‘only’ $253 million Unmet needs from the 2024 hurricane season total more than $1 billion.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

M

ichelle Davis, grants division manager for Manatee County, said she could have never imagined using the word “only” in reference to a nearly $253 million grant.

The county was awarded the biggest grant in its history from the Department of Housing and Urban Development in January, and it is still not enough to cover the damages caused by Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton during the 2024 hurricane season.

Within three weeks of the grant’s announcement, $1.2 billion in requests were submitted by county staff, municipalities and nonprofits.

On top of financial constraints, the grant also comes with timing constraints. The county doesn’t expect the approved programs to start accepting applications until early next year.

“We are going by the regulations of HUD,” David said. “It’s not as fast as we would like it.”

The county held a public workshop June 3 at the newly renovated John H. Marble Recreation Center to go over the process and programs and also collect feedback from citizens.

In the crowd of about a dozen residents, three attendees were representing nonprofit organizations — The Salvation Army, The Boys and Girls Club and Hope Pathways of Manatee County.

“I’m trying to put as many tools as I can into my toolbox because I’ve got to get ready for the next round,” said John Agnelli, director of advocacy and strategic initiatives for the Boys and Girls Club.

The “next round” is the 2025 hurricane season that began June 1.

Lesley Dwyer

Michelle Davis, grants division manager for Manatee County, presents the county’s Action Plan to residents June 3.

On Oct. 10, the day after Hurricane Milton battered Manatee County, Agnelli texted a two-question survey to families that the club serves: Do you have electricity, and do you have food?

Agnelli said he remembers the exact percentages because they made such an emotional impact on him. Out of 230 responses, 97% had no electricity and 98% needed food.

With the assistance of Detwiler’s Farm Market, thousands of pounds of food and water were distributed over the next five days.

Many of those families, eight months later, have not been able to return home yet.

Agnelli said some have moved out of the area, and other families are essentially couch surfing. Some of the family units have had to separate for the time being because there’s not enough room in one house, so the family is divided between multiple living arrangements.

While the county does not have a list of specific projects the grant will address yet, it has divided the requests into general program categories and funding amounts.

The entirety of Manatee Coun-

ty qualifies as what HUD calls the “MID area,” the most impacted and distressed.

However, not all of Manatee County qualifies for the grant funding because it is earmarked for low to moderate income areas, of which there is only one in Lakewood Ranch.

Based on the HUD-provided map dated 2016-20, one small portion of Greenbrook, on the southeast corner of State Road 70 and Lorraine Road, qualifies under the grant’s income guidelines.

However, because the Braden River also affects areas outside of Lakewood Ranch, there were four initial projects submitted for consideration.

Two involved maintenance, which the county is already handling. The other two projects were for a bypass channel improvement and automated outfall structures.

Outfall structures provide staff with the ability to remotely lower the water levels before a major rain event.

There are three categories that qualify for the Infrastructure Recovery and Resiliency Program: ■ Critical unmet public infrastructure needs resulting from the 2024 hurricanes ■ The rehabilitation, reconstruction or acquisition of facilities that are currently or will be designated for emergency sheltering ■ Infrastructure projects that improve utility service reliability and reduce flooding risks in neighborhoods The county has six years to expend the funds. However, Davis said HUD representatives told her they think it could take up to 10 years because the county will be “stretched thin to find enough contractors” to complete the work.

For more information or to submit a comment, visit MyManatee.org/ LastingManatee.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS These numbers were compiled by the Manatee County Development Services department with the following explanation: Damaged structures were assigned Affected, Minor, Major or Destroyed damage classifications with estimated damage totals. The table provides a breakdown of the number of residential structures by damage classification and estimated damage for the 2024 hurricanes.

Disaster

Affected

Minor

Major

Destroyed

Debby

55

90

173

0

Estimated damages $57,166,386.95

Helene

702

2,315

946

344

$332,747,652.95

Milton

6,664

3,442

5,616

83

$472,403,425.65

Total

7,421

5,847

6,735

427

$862,317,465.55

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Possible county hiring freeze debated

Downtown Sarasota’s Premier Senior Rental Retirement Residence

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As the budget season approaches, commissioners raised questions about the county’s current processes.

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s Manatee County moves into its annual budget season, Commissioner Amanda Ballard equated the county’s current process to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

“The way our budget process is currently structured, we have very limited ability to actually shrink government,” she said. “We only have the ability to slow growth or to say no to new positions.”

Ballard broached the issue during the June 3 commission meeting after Commissioner Bob McCann deferred an item he added to the agenda that could have implemented

a temporary hiring freeze for county government.

His suggestion of a hiring freeze excluded the “critical roles required for Public Safety, emergency response and essential county operations.”

After Ballard shifted the topic from a hiring freeze to a review of the current staff, McCann had a request for each department head in the county.

He wanted a list of every employee in each department that includes how much they are paid, what their duties are and how much money their positions save the county.

McCann complained that departments are too frequently asking to hire new staff and that some staff members are unnecessary. He used grant writers as an example. “(United States Department of Health and Human Services) is pulling all their grants,” McCann said.

“We’re hiring people to write grants.

If those grants don’t come in, we’re still paying those people.”

On the other hand, Commis-

COUNTY RELIANCE ON AD VALOREM TAXES This is the data from the Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic Research’s study “Local Government: Case Study of Revenues & Expenditures.”

The study states, “As a percentage of total revenues, ad valorem taxes were ranked as the No. 1 source of revenue for 51 individual counties, as well as for the combined state total of counties.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

HAMILTON FAMILY

LAKEWOOD RANCH DELI E S T. 2024

LA

sion Chair George Kruse described Manatee County’s government as “lean,” noting the lack of bus service on Sundays. Most of the libraries are closed, too. The Lakewood Ranch Library offers limited hours on Sunday, but it’s the only branch to do so.

Kruse cited a recent presentation he heard at a housing conference.

As a response to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push to lower and eventually eliminate property taxes, the Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic Research analyzed how reliant Florida counties are on ad valorem taxes to pay for services.

Manatee County ranked No. 8 in a list of the 10 least reliant counties.

“We fell into that bucket of the 10 counties that utilize property taxes the least relative to services provided, implying we’re providing more services per dollar than other (counties) are,” Kruse said.

Commissioner Mike Rahn pointed to a potential legal problem with a hiring freeze.

“The county administrator’s (Charlie Bishop) contract states that he has the ability to hire and fire employees,” Rahn said. “In my opinion, if we were to implement a temporary hiring freeze, that could be considered a violation of his contract.”

Even when directors and deputy county administrators are brought before the commission, Rahn equated it to a “blessing.” He noted that it’s not the commission’s job to micromanage staff, their role is to set policies.

He did, however, agree with Ballard that the county’s budget process should include a description of base services.

Ballard’s complaint is that directors decide what constitutes a base level and continued level of services, and there’s no matrix for doing so.

Commissioners are only seeing new requests from each department.

“Some directors might be real budgetary hawks,” she said. “Others might not be, and we just don’t know.”

She noted that programs that were necessary under prior boards might not be necessary now because either the problem is solved or the program doesn’t fall in line with the policy preferences of the current board, so there’s no way for commissioners to “meaningfully cut the fat.”

Kruse and Rahn contend there’s not a lot of fat to cut because so much of the overall budget is doled out to the county’s constitutional officers, which are the clerk of court, the supervisor of elections, the sheriff, the tax collector and the property appraiser.

“We’re spending like 27 cents on the dollar on all the rest of government services combined,” Kruse said. “If you trim that dollar by 10%, you’re effectively trimming all of our actual services by a third.”

The first budget work sessions were scheduled for June 9-11. The commission takes a recess from June 23 to July 25, so the next budget meeting will be held July 31 when the tentative millage rate will be set.

Commissioners Bob McCann and Amanda Ballard question the efficiency of Manatee County’s hiring practices and budget process.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

EAST COUNTY

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

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944 Publisher and President / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com Associate Publisher — East County Observer / Lori Ruth, LRuth@YourObserver.com Executive Editor and COO / Kat Wingert, KWingert@YourObserver.com

Courtesy images

DIVERS CATCH THE

‘Kraken’ The vehicle was so weighted down with sand, three prior attempts had failed.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

W

hen pulled out of the Manatee River, the so-called “sunken

Suburban” that had eluded the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team for more than 15 years turned out to be an early 1990s Plymouth Voyager minivan instead.

The team tried to pull the minivan from the river three times before, but in this case, the fourth time was the charm.

During a training exercise May 21, the dive team successfully retrieved the corroded and mangled vehicle out of the river near the Fort Hamer boat launch.

“We called it the Suburban because it was heavy and so full of sand and so stuck in the ground.” Sgt. Theron Robinson said. “It became this Kraken type of mythological creature that was unmovable.”

Sand was the reason for the three failed attempts. It filled the minivan up to its windows, making the van so heavy that one of the team’s lift bags broke.

Lift bags are designed to lift 2,000 pounds, and the team was using two of them on the minivan — one on the front, one on the back.

Robinson described the bag material as a tough, industrial plastic. The bags are equipped with a strap that attaches to the vehicle and a valve that attaches to an air hose.

The bags fill up like balloons, and the power of buoyancy lifts the vehicle to the surface.

Once the bag and the car are floating, Robinson said the car is as easy to maneuver as a boat. A tow truck pulls it out of the water.

That first attempt at retrieving the minivan was in 2008. The team successfully used the same equipment to tow three other vehicles out of the river during that visit, but not the Voyager.

During another attempt, the bumper and door broke off, but the rest still wouldn’t budge.

The site was revisited this year because a nonprofit organization was looking for an elderly gentleman who went missing about five years ago.

Robinson wasn’t at liberty to say which nonprofit, but the organization searches for missing people and

was operating under the belief that the gentleman went missing from a boat ramp, so they checked several ramps in the area.

During the search, the nonprofit spotted the minivan and asked the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office if the dive team could check it for the missing man.

While the dive team was fairly certain they knew exactly which vehicle the nonprofit had found, they fulfilled the request and verified that the minivan showed no signs of a person having been trapped inside.

To the divers’ surprise, sand was not in the car either. Robinson can’t be sure as to how the sand was removed, but there are two feasible explanations.

Either the combination of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton washed the sand out of the minivan or the sand was removed when the area was dredged for the new boat launch which opened in 2018.

Regardless of how the sand was removed, it offered the divers an opportunity to test their skills.

“No. 1, we wanted to get it,” Robinson said. “But we also knew it would be difficult.”

The team had been working on fine tuning its lifting skills, so if they could pull up the Kraken, it would be proof their skills had improved.

The dive team consists of 16 divers and two bomb squad technicians.

There were 15 members of the team on hand to train and celebrate the win.

While the problem of removing the Voyager was solved, the mystery of how that minivan landed on the bottom of the Manatee River will not be solved. The minivan was covered in too much corrosion and too many oysters to pull a vehicle identifica-

POND PARKING There’s a pond near the intersection of 44th Avenue West and 34th Street West that’s as legendary among the dive team as the sand-filled minivan because it used to be a hot spot for sunken vehicles.

Sgt. Theron Robinson started with the dive team 18 years ago. He was told that two years before he started, the team went looking for one car in the pond and ended up pulling out 35 vehicles, including a school bus.

The team returned to the pond sometime around 2010 and pulled two more vehicles out of it, one of which was a midsized truck from the late 1970s.

Robinson said the majority of recovered vehicles were either abandoned or stolen.

tion number off of it.

“I imagine if somebody took a wire brush to it, they would be able to find the (VIN) on the firewall,” Robinson said.

However, once a vehicle is removed from the water, the dive team’s work is done. It either gets passed to investigators, or as in this case, it’s simply a recovered vehicle that gets towed away.

“We called it the Suburban because it was heavy and so full of sand and so stuck in the ground. It became this Kraken type of mythological creature that was unmovable.”

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team takes a celebratory photo after pulling a sunken minivan out of the Manatee River.

Managing Editor / Jay Heater, JHeater@YourObserver.com Staff Writers / Madison Bierl, MBierl@ YourObserver.com; Lesley Dwyer, LDwyer@YourObserver.com Sports Reporter / Vinnie Portell, VPortell@YourObserver.com Digital & Engagement Editor / 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 A+E Editor / Monica Roman Gagnier, MGagnier@YourObserver.com Chief Revenue Officer / Jill Raleigh, JRaleigh@YourObserver.com Regional Sales Director / Penny Nowicki, PNowicki@YourObserver.com Regional Digital Director / Kathleen O’Hara, KOHara@YourObserver.com Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter, LRitter@YourObserver.com Advertising Executives / Blake Chitwood, BChitwood@ YourObserver.com; Richeal McGuinness, RMcGuinness@YourObserver.com; Jennifer Kane, JKane@YourObserver.com; Honesty Mantkowski, HMantkowski@ YourObserver.com; Toni Perren, TPerren@ YourObserver.com; Brenda White, BWhite@YourObserver.com Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Anna Reich, AReich@YourObserver.com Sales Operations Manager / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com Account Managers / Lori Downey, LDowney@YourObserver.com; Caitlin Ellis, CEllis@YourObserver.com; Lexi Huelsman, Lexi@YourObserver.com Social Media and Content Manager / Emma B. Jolly, EJolly@YourObserver.com Tributes Coordinator / Kristen Boothroyd, Tributes@YourObserver.com Director of Partnerships / Ron Trytek, RTrytek@YourObserver.com Director of Creative Services / Caleb Stanton, CStanton@YourObserver.com Creative Services Administrator / Marjorie Holloway, MHolloway@ YourObserver.com Advertising Graphic Designers / Luis Trujillo, Taylor Poe, Louise Martin, Shawna Polana Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com Information Technology Manager / Homer Gallego, HGallego@YourObserver. com Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland, LStrickland@YourObserver.com Controller / Rafael Labrin, RLabrin@YourObserver.com Office and Accounting Coordinator / Donna Condon, DCondon@ YourObserver.com

— Sgt. Theron Robinson

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YourObserver.com Once the lift bags pull the vehicle to the surface, a tow truck pulls it out of the water.

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

SIDE OF RANCH

9A

JAY HEATER

Disaster app draws attention in Lakewood Ranch

I

n an odd way, the 2024 hurricane season was just what Country Club East’s Heather Hackett needed to get her Local Relief app up and running.

With Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton ripping through the region, Hackett certainly has had everyone’s attention.

In her words, here is a description of Hackett’s “local disaster network’s” mission: “Local Relief is a first-of-itskind, people-powered platform turning chaos into connection.

When storms strike and systems fall short, we rise — uniting communities, nonprofits and emergency services in one place to prepare, survive and rebuild. I speak the language of resilience, lead with heart and believe that neighbors helping neighbors isn’t just a slogan — it’s the future of disaster recovery.”

On a quiet-weather day this past week, I visited Hackett at home to see what would be new in 2025 for her nonprofit, which enters its third hurricane season. While technically it’s a third season of Local Relief, the app was just getting started in 2023 and not entirely functional.

The 2024 hurricane season was totally different. Residents had to feel like a professional boxer taking in short order a straight right from Muhammad Ali, followed by a left hook from Mike Tyson and then a haymaker from George Foreman.

Those residents were angry and frustrated people, who were just plain worn out when they went searching for recovery help. They were open to new resources to point them toward that help.

People began to find Local Relief ... more than 25,000 of them.

Local Relief became relevant, and Hackett was named in November as the 2024 C. John A. Clarke Humanitarian Award recipient by the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation. As Hackett said, “It showed

Jay Heater

Heather Hackett, founder of Local Relief Inc., points to the slat that bears her name as the 2024 C. John A. Clarke Humanitarian Award recipient.

me that someone was watching.”

But fear, when it comes to weather, is fleeting. People rebuild and recover, and then move forward, often with little regard to the past.

It is a strange climate for Hackett, who mostly is a humanitarian, but who also needs to be part businesswoman to keep her nonprofit afloat.

“Last year gave us the chance to put out the resources people wanted,” Hackett said.

The series of nasty storms gave Local Relief momentum. Whether the app continues to grow ... we’ll see. Hackett will need help from the community, whether that comes in the form of financial support from the business or private sectors, to stay afloat in the long run.

She no longer is a one-woman band as she gets technological help from employee Chris Driggers and Denise Abad has joined the team as a virtual assistant.

It is likely the more sophisticated her app becomes, the more it will cost to operate. And if you think of disaster relief as an industry, consider the landscape.

Last week, I wrote about Manatee County and its new Peregrine system, which is a $230,000-a-year software package that consolidates data that will help our emergency workers make decisions during disasters. It is all manned by geographical information systems analysts who translate the information to a considerable amount of

county staff members.

Manatee County spends millions of our tax dollars protecting us from hurricanes and then in helping us recover.

So do we really need an app like Local Relief?

Spend a little time with Hackett, and you will be convinced we do.

She says that while your needs might not always take priority with the local government, it might with your neighbors. She said Local Relief is all about neighbors helping neighbors.

And while county social media might direct you to official sources for help, it might not point you toward the local church that wants to assist or the neighbor who has the truck to help you remove that stump from your lawn. You might find her app more effectively points a person toward gas, ice or other supplies.

Hackett talked about a Siesta Key resident whose home was flooded

by Hurricane Helene.

“Since then, she has made it a full-time job seeking resources,” Hackett said. “She has been dumbfounded on how big the process is. This is a smart woman who has taken notebooks full of notes, and she still is struggling. Local Relief is putting her together with the information.

“People are ready to prepare for a hurricane. They never are prepared to recover.”

Hackett has taken notes, as well, and she said the app is now more user-friendly. She said several businesses contacted her about supporting the nonprofit, but they would like to see numbers, as well, which might mean experience through a few more storms.

Besides everything else, Hackett might have to worry about competition if potential competitors see she has found an untapped area for her nonprofit.

“I’m a hybrid,” she said. “I’m in the lead right now.”

With another hurricane season upon us, Hackett doesn’t have time to worry about what might be. She continually wants to improve her app, which includes the podcast she just added.

She attends every disaster or storm-related event she can. She tries to build relationships with governments and school systems, which can provide volunteer hours from students.

It all goes toward helping her neighbors, and she says that is the end goal. She said the app is not a job, but a calling.

“I knew this is what I was supposed to do,” she said.

She tells a story of in April seeing her name written into the C. John A. Clarke Humanitarian Award plaque at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.

“I’m not sure words can really capture the swirl of emotions in that moment,” she says. “Gratitude, disbelief, pride and a deep sense of wow ... this actually happened.

“I got into my car to drive home and the second I turned the key, ‘You Get What You Give’ by the New Radicals started playing. I just sat there a minute and let it all sink in. There couldn’t have been a more fitting song, because at the heart of everything I do, and everything Local Relief stands for, is that simple truth. You really do get what you give.”

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 12, 2025

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Soar Academy prompts students to reach new heights

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Lakewood Ranch Prep students in the Soar program can earn as many as 60 college credits during a 5-year high school career.

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ith some seventh grade students showing maturity and academic achievement that was much higher than their peers, the Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy wanted to give them the opportunity to “spread their wings and soar.”

The Soar Academy program allows students to skip eighth grade and go directly into ninth. But they aren’t graduating a year early from high school unless they apply for that option. Essentially, they will be in high school for five years, which gives them the opportunity to earn more college credits and to participate in more advanced high school classes.

To join the program, students must have a 4 or 5 in the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking and have “As” in all of their classes.

Principal Cheryl Cendan said graduating early is frowned upon in Florida, so the program gives students the opportunity to amass up to 60 college credits in their high school careers.

“They’re all very well-rounded students,” said Cendan. “It’s a winwin for everyone.”

This just-completed school year was the first year the program was implemented, and Cendan described it as a “tremendous success.” She said the 34 students who were part of the program proved their capability to succeed in more difficult classes. She said many of those stu-

Madison Bierl

dents scored better than some of the “normal-aged” ninth graders.

“They did phenomenal,” Cendan said. “They had almost straight A’s every quarter.”

“These students will benefit from taking more college-level courses, and then they will also be part of the LECOM program (which gives them provisional early acceptance) if they’re interested in the medical, dental or pharmaceutical field,” Cendan said.

Sonia Singh, 14, said taking ninth grade classes wasn’t difficult for her, and she hopes to become a dermatologist, pediatrician or another position in the medical field. She plans to take advantage of the LECOM program.

Singh said moving to ninth grade early will further her career and allow her to take courses now that will fuel her interests. She wants to learn another language, perhaps Chinese. She said the move to ninth grade also has given her an early opportunity to participate in extracurriculars offered in high school.

Singh is National Junior Honor Society vice president and part of Health Occupations Students of America.

Madison Aviles, Jade Cheng and Sonia Singh started high school classes this year through the SOAR program.

Principal Cheryl Cendan said they are great examples of students who have the maturity to be able to handle the rigors of high school.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Madison Aviles, 13, also went through the program this year and appreciates the benefits. She is also part of National Junior Honor Society and is determined to become a zoologist.

Aviles said there have been moments where she felt the high schoolers were being judgmental because she was younger than the other ninth graders. She said the Soar students are grouped together, and it didn’t always allow easy opportunities to make friends outside that group.

“We’re not bothering you or anything. We’re just trying to get a good education,” Aviles said.

Jade Cheng, 14, is another Soar participant. She hopes to become either a real estate agent or a chef.

She is a varsity cheerleader and a member of the National Junior Honor Society.

“Be yourself and remember to focus on academics and not try to fit in,” Cheng said of her participation in the program. “Don’t try to change yourself and try hard in school. Try to make new friends, too.”

Jacob Lopez, 14, also went through the program and is interested in pursuing a career in aerospace engineering. His mother, Lay Lay Lopez, said she has seen significant personal growth in her son.

“He has become more responsible and more mature in his behavior, and he especially enjoys engaging with high school students through the program,” Lopez said. “Jacob mentioned that the program continuously challenges him academically, which has been a motivating and enriching experience.”

Thirty-four students participated in the SOAR program this year and 34 students also will participate this coming academic year.

“They’re more mature than their eighth grade peers, both academically and socially, so there’s no reason for them to be held back,” Cendan said.

Kylah Scheetz, 13, has been accepted into the program for the 2025-26 school year. She is excited to advance academically and dreams of becoming a lawyer that deals with civil cases.

Scheetz is currently middle school president and National Junior Honor Society secretary along with being

SOAR ACADEMY From the Lakewood Ranch Prep website on Soar Academy: ■ Students will be fully immersed in high school programming.

■ Personalized course selection meeting will be held with high school staff members.

■ Students will be enrolled in Ray Dass to begin PSAT/SAT preparation.

■ Students will have access to College Board/Cambridge Support hub, as necessary.

■ Students will be exposed to a multitude of instructional strategies to prepare them for AICE and AP courses.

■ Students will follow the high school period schedule ■ Students may participate in high school extracurricular activities, unless age restricted ■ Graduation cohort will remain the original year, unless early graduation option is chosen

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involved in the Lakewood Ranch Swim Association outside of school.

“A pro (of the program) will probably be not having to deal with the more immature students that are currently in my grade,” Scheetz said.

“The con will be leaving behind some of my current friends who are not doing the program.”

Kylie West, 13, will be part of the program next school year, as well.

She plays volleyball, flag football and basketball. She wants to get ahead in science classes specifically because she wants to become a veterinarian.

“I’m looking forward to seeing my report card at the end, knowing that my hard work paid off when I keep the GPA that I currently have,” West said.

Eddy Thomas, 13, is confident to handle the challenges that taking high school classes early will bring.

“Sometimes when I’m down, I’ve got to notice that I know I’m smart,” Thomas said. “I have to realize I’m in this program for a reason.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

No campfire, but plenty of snakes

You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is inally better than your dreams...

Lakewood Ranch High hosts Junior Ranchers Camp to teach kids about agriculture.

MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER

I

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nto his second year at Junior Ranchers Camp at Lakewood Ranch High School, 10-year-old Graham Rueping said a cow actually licked him.

It was just another experience, no matter how small, that Rueping, who attends B.D. Gullett Elementary, said makes the camp special.

He said he was inspired to go through the program, which ran June 2-6, by his 19-year-old brother, Noah, who was a counselor at the camp for two years.

As he did last year, Rueping said he enjoyed hanging out with cows, such as Kingston, Asher and Tippy.

Twelve Junior Ranchers ranging from second to sixth grade, along with nine counselors, learned about plant science, animal science, environmental science and leadership.

The campers were divided into teams.

The teams were the Blue Bears, Red Rattlesnakes, Green Gators and Yellow Stallions. They worked together on activities throughout the week.

“We try to get as hands-on as possible,” said McKenzie Gorskey, an agriculture teacher at Lakewood Ranch High. “The kids this week have milked cows, handled beef animals and snakes. We’ve also had them out collecting insects. We just try to get them out into agriculture and teach them things to take with them.”

Gorskey has been the agriculture teacher at Lakewood Ranch High School for eight years and the camp has been going on for five.

“I grew up in agriculture, so it’s natural for me to love it, but I found a passion for teaching when I was in high school in my own FFA program,”

Courtesy images

Gorskey said. “It was just something that seemed to fit for all of my interests, and I love seeing kids find joy in it as well.”

Gorskey said one of the foundational reasons that the camp was created was to expose younger kids to agriculture, in hopes that they will take agriculture classes and join FFA when they get older.

“They have a better understanding of where their food, fiber and natural resources come from,” said Gorskey.

During the week, there were a couple of guest speakers. Tim App, a retired agriculture teacher from Orange County, made a visit to the campers and brought 12 snakes along with him.

“Seeing them get excited about it and learn about reptiles, how they breed, how they eat, how they live, solidified the environmental curriculum that we covered that morning,” said Gorskey.

Lane Tamberino said he lives on a farm and has handled wild black racers, so he had no problem handling one at the camp.

He said he was terrified of the larger Texas indigo, but described the other snakes as “cute.”

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Parrish’s Nico Villanueva, a 7-year-old who attends Williams Elementary, was not eager to see the snakes. He said he was terrified and initially went to the back of the room but got the courage to be in close proximity.

“I don’t really like snakes, and the snakes that they pulled out were very creepy,” said Villanueva. “I didn’t touch them; I just got close to them.”

While snakes weren’t exactly Villanueva’s favorite, he said his favorite part of the week was walking the cows at the school that are raised by students to show at the county fair in January. He said he would love to return as a camper next year.

Myakka’s Lane Tamberino, a 10-year-old who attends Classical Academy of Sarasota, said he was terrified of the Texas indigo, even though he had handled snakes before from living in the country.

“The other ones I said look cute because of their faces,” said Tamberino.

Tamberino also has experience with farm animals and owns two cows that he takes to show: a heifer named Ginger and a steer named Joseph.

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

“Going into the show ring, you’ve got that game face on and you don’t know if you’re going to win,” said Tamberino. “It’s just like a bingo game.”

Along with App, Manatee County’s Sgt. Rob Hendrickson of the COPS Rural Unit visited the campers to talk about his personal experience with handling wildlife.

Gabby Finnegan, 16, is a member of the Lakewood Ranch High FFA and worked as a counselor for the camp. She said one of the campers asked Hendrickson if he had ever punched a bear before.

“Seeing them engage and ask questions at their age was not only impressive to us, but it was extremely impressive to the guest speakers,” Gorskey said. “They were able to see the curiosity.”

Along with all of the hands-on activities, campers watched movies regarding issues and lessons about agriculture. They watched “A Bug’s Life,” “Home on the Range” and “Hoot.”

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Graham Rueping, Nico Villanueva and Lane Tamberino were among the campers who learned all about plant science, animal science, environmental science and leadership at the Junior Ranchers camp.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Huge grant for Foundation for Dreams The Bishop-Parker Foundation gives the East County nonprofit $100,000 for its new campus near Rye Preserve.

LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER

E

lena Cassella, executive director of the Foundation for Dreams, said she’s waiting for her hard hat to arrive.

Cassella still keeps a pen in hand to write grants, but she’s also overseeing a massive renovation of a 34-year-old campus next to Rye Preserve.

The two go hand in hand, for the foundation was just awarded $100,000 from the Bishop-Parker Foundation to go toward remodeling costs for one of the campus’s cottages.

The Foundation for Dreams runs Dream Oaks Camp, a summer and weekend camp for children with special needs. The program currently operates out of Camp Flying Eagle, which is owned by the Southwest Florida Boy Scouts.

The 62-acre campus on Rye Wilderness Trail is owned by Manatee County, which licensed it to the Foundation for Dreams through Dec. 31, 2033, with an option to renew for

SPRING GRANT CYCLE

ABOUT THE NONPROFIT Foundation for Dreams, 751 Rye Wilderness Trail. Visit FoundationForDreams.org.

Mission statement: To celebrate the abilities and develop the comprehensive skill set of children with special needs and chronic illnesses, ages 7-17, by collaborating with families to provide individualized result-based goals and family support in a camp environment.

another 10-year term.

The new campus will allow the foundation to expand its services.

Cassella is focused on getting the Dream Oaks Camp up and running right now, but said the foundation will be seeking new collaborations with organizations that have a similar mission to serve children and strengthen families.

The campus renovation is well underway. The camp director’s cottage is finished, so Devonte Ousley is already living on-site.

The administration building is nearing its finish line. The Wi-Fi isn’t hooked up yet, but the offices and commercial kitchen are ready.

The cottage needs to be stripped. The $100,000 grant is just the start of getting it camper-ready.

Photos by Lesley Dwyer

Executive Director Elena Cassella and Office Manager Kayla White stand in the staff lounge at Foundation for Dreams’ new campus adjacent to Rye Preserve.

The learning center needs a few finishing touches and more furniture. The road through the campus is now paved with additional parking and accessible sidewalks to the buildings.

The cottages, however, are not so far along — two are under construction and the $100,000 is earmarked for the third, but Cassella said she needs upwards of $300,000 to finish it.

It was the first cottage built on the prior Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches’ campus in 1991. Accordingly, it’s in the worst condition. It also has step-ups and step-downs, which are an added challenge when renovating to the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The two cottages that are under construction had to be reconfigured, as well. The door frames and hallways are wider. The bathrooms will be larger with a Jack and Jill lay-

out, and the bedrooms have cutout space so wheelchairs can easily turn around.

The kitchens were ripped out to provide more open space, and each cottage will have a sensory room and activity areas.

A $50,000 grant from the Golisano Foundation will pay for the two sensory rooms, which will be used when campers become overstimulated.

Cassella noted that the Camp Flying Eagle campus doesn’t have activity space to accommodate inclement weather.

The Learning Center will be especially helpful on rainy days with four activity rooms. It also features an infirmary, nurse’s station, two accessible bathrooms and a staff lounge.

“It’s a game-changer for us,” Cassella said.

The Foundation for Dreams is just one of 30 local nonprofits to receive grants from the BishopParker Foundation. The awards ranged from $20,000 for the Florida Studio Theatre’s Write a Play arts integration program to $3 million for the Manatee Performing Arts Center’s Sara’s Studio, a new facility that will be used for education.

The grants totaled $5,328,042, and two additional East County nonprofits made the list of recipients — The Twig Cares and The Haven.

The Twig Cares received $22,500 for its clothing boutique off of State Road 64 that serves children in foster care. Executive Director Nicole Britton said the grant will be especially helpful because a large chunk of it will cover the boutique’s overhead.

“It’s a lot easier to get people to hold collections for shoes than it is to get people to pay for our lights to be on and our rent to be paid,” she said.

The money will also fill gaps. For example, if the boutique is low on clothing or shoes in a particular size, they’ll have a cushion to purchase those items.

The Haven offers educational, vocational and residential programs to children and adults with disabilities. The nonprofit was awarded $30,000 that will go to support healthcare services for its adult clients.

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14A

JUNE 12, 2025

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

ALL HAIL Jesse Nager stars as Jesus and Ann Morrison plays King Herod in Asolo Rep’s “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

Morrison steals the show as King Herod in Asolo Repertory Theatre’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’

Ann Morrison Courtesy image

MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

A

nn Morrison is a Broadway veteran and a luminary in the regional theater firmament. She lives to perform — and she’s a natural born performer. On top of that, she empowers other performers and knows what makes them tick. (That’s why she and Blake Walton led the SaraSolo festival for 10 years.)

Her passion burns deep; her theatrical toolbox overflows with talent and imagination.

Morrison’s had many claims to fame over her long career. But her portrayal of Mary in the 1981 premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s illfated “Merrily We Roll Along” is the one most theater fans know about. It was a rare flop in Sondheim’s incandescent career.

“Merrily” closed on Broadway after a mere 16 performances — and tanked a few careers along with it. Its untimely fate inspired “The Worst Best Thing That Ever Happened,” a 2016 documentary.

It also prompted Morrison’s “Merrily from Center Stage.” Her onewoman show won the 2023 Bistro Award for Outstanding Solo Musical.

On a merry note, the 2023 revival of “Merrily We Roll Along,” won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

And speaking of resurrections ...

Morrison recently put her spirit and her skills to work when Asolo Repertory Theatre colored outside the lines of casting and gave her the role of King Herod in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Seriously?

King Herod? Ann Morrison?

Seriously.

You wouldn’t think she’d be perfect for the part. But she is.

ONCE UPON A TIME ON THE ASOLO REP STAGE

The story begins with Josh Rhodes, director/choreographer. His longstanding relationship with Asolo Rep includes “Guys and Dolls” (2016), “Evita” (2017) and “Cabaret” (2022).

This past fall, Peter Rothstein, Asolo Rep’s producing artistic director, tapped Rhodes to direct and choreograph “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

They discussed finding a fresh take on the musical and its casting. Why not put women in roles you wouldn’t expect? Why not?

With that, Rothstein had an epiphany ... “Hey, what do you think about casting Ann Morrison as King Herod?”

Rhodes thought it was a great idea.

“I immediately laughed,” Rhodes says. “I thought Annie would be absolutely perfect for our approach.”

The director called Morrison.

“Hey. We have an idea ... how’d you like to play King Herod?”

She loved the idea. But she had one question. Why? Rhodes replied, “Because Herod’s scene is a musical number, it’s a cabaret number, and that’s what you’re known for in town.”

Morrison happily got on board. In the months that followed, she and Rhodes continued to brainstorm.

Morrison had her own great ideas.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, MIRACLES

Morrison’s take on King Herod’s character wasn’t Josh Mostel’s glam version or Alice Cooper’s big bad. It was an original insight, one informed by her legacy as a performer.

She realized that “King Herod’s Song” was basically an audition.

“He was making Jesus perform tricks like a trained monkey,” she laughs. “‘Walk across my swimming pool!

Change my water into wine!’ It was Tim Rice’s revenge on every Broad-

Image courtesy of Adrian Van Stee

QUEEN ANN IF YOU GO ‘JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’ When: Through June 28.

Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail.

Tickets: $33-$95.

Info: Visit AsoloRep.org.

way bully or overbearing director.”

What if Jesus had performed a miracle and passed the audition?

“Oh, I think Herod was keeping his finger on the chess piece,” she says.

“If Jesus had walked across the pool, Herod would’ve said, ‘I knew you could do it all along.’”

Morrison also observed that Herod wasn’t just auditioning Jesus. He was also performing for his own entourage. Rhodes describes the character as a “spoiled, deluded narcissist playing to a crowd of sycophants.”

Morrison agrees. “Herod knows how to get what he wants,” she says.

“That’s not hard — nobody ever tells him ‘no.’ He’s just never had to grow up.”

Rhodes loved Morrison’s performative approach and let her do her SEE QUEEN PAGE 16A

16A

YourObserver.com

A+E REVIEWS

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Shostakovich piano trio leaves a lasting impression at Sarasota Music Festival IF YOU GO

A trio of festival artists creates an otherworldly effect with piano, violin and cello.

2025 SARASOTA MUSIC FESTIVAL When: Through June 21 Where: Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, and Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Tickets: $15-$76 concerts; $5 for a single class or rehearsal.

Info: Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

GAYLE WILLIAMS CONTRIBUTOR

“F

rom Bach to Block,” Sarasota Music Festival’s first Friday night concert June 6 at the Sarasota Opera House, was eyeopening and quite satisfying.

Beginning the program was J.S. Bach’s spirited Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major. Tessa Lark and flutist Alex Sopp, both SMF faculty artists, and pianist Jeffrey Kahane, SMF director, were joined by 10 fellows, as students in the festival are called.

One fellow, flutist Ellie Eunbi Boek, played shoulder to shoulder with Lark and Sopp as one of the three solo voices in this concerto grosso, where the blend and balance were pleasing throughout.

Lark was alarmingly facile in tight runs, while Sopp and Boek fit together tightly, passing phrases back and forth all in a perfectly Bach-ish style.

The fellows — four violins, viola, two cellos and a bass — performed along with Kahane on piano. For many, the piano is a reasonable alternative to the harpsichord. I missed the distinctive pluck of the harpsichord.

I’ve attended almost three decades of SMF performances and was more profoundly moved by this night’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor by Shostakovich than any other. Composed in 1944 after the death of a close friend and as news spread about Germany’s concentration camps, the piece uses klezmer colors and folk tunes to capture the mood.

Two of the three faculty artists

Pianist Nicolas Namoradze Courtesy image

on stage for the piano trio are new to the festival: violinist David Bowlin and pianist Nicolas Namoradze. Cellist Karen Ouzounian joined only last season. Together in this remarkable trio, their fresh collaboration displayed gravitas of artistry and deep commitment.

Otherworldly harmonics on the strings grew to full-voiced sombre lines and compelling conversation with piano as the opening andante moved on to a snarling allegro scherzo with bows digging in like a threat. Taking a reflective turn in the largo, the piano’s dense dark chords rose up like a fist to the heavens. Together, Ouzounian’s exquisite cello line color under Bowlin’s ghostly high harmonics were breathtaking.

The last movement allegretto draws the clear conclusion that something is terribly wrong, and Namoradze brought forth the darkness with hints of a folk tune growing to a macabre klezmer.

Bowlin and Ouzounian brought a hint of light lyricism as well as some col legno (slapping bow wood to the strings) before turning dark again. At last, violin and cello exchange a five-note deedledeedle-dum, making for an epic ending.

Cellist Mike Block, a newish faculty member whose passion is cross-cultural collaborations, hosted a segment of the concert featuring 12 students improvising on tunes from Mali, Brazil and Bulgaria. Each student had their turn as a soloist. There were two true standouts — pianist Ningxin Zhan in the samba and clarinetist Jared Sta. Ana. Ludwig Thuille is not well known, but his Sextet in B-flat Major, Op. 6, is a welcome introduction. The ensemble of festival artists and two student fellows played together in a seamless whole. Xinrae Cardozo played horn with as smooth a tone as any faculty member. Flutist Ellen Hayun Lee showed full confidence and leadership.

Oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz, clarinetist Romie de Guise-Langlois, bassoonist Peter Kolkay and pianist Michael Adcock, all faculty artists, filled out the ensemble in this delightful performance. The melodically rich chamber music grew more interesting as each movement passed. The Alpine horn color of the third movement painted a picture, and the finale delivered a boost of energy to send us out the door.

QUEEN FROM PAGE 15A

own thing in the King Herod scene.

It’s a pivotal story point. That said, it’s only one big number in the second act.

But Asolo Rep’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” has a small cast. Rhodes asked her to play another role in the first act, as well.

THE WOMAN WHO WOULDN’T BE KING

For her first act appearance, Morrison crafted a female character with a backstory — Joanna, wife of Chuza, and the manager of Herod’s household.

Historically, Joanna was said to have followed Jesus after he’d healed her. Morrison sees her as a grounded, maternal presence — a sharp counterpoint to Herod’s swaggering absurdity.

“Joanna’s the complete opposite of King Herod,” she says. “That’s what makes her fun.”

Morrison adds that this role is purely internal. It’s not a speaking part. “Joanna’s not in the cast list,” she explains. “But I can’t play a generic female chorus member.

The audience might not know it, but I need to know who I’m playing.”

That’s the theory behind Morrison’s characterizations. They came together during rehearsals.

And came to light on the Asolo Rep stage.

Morrison steals the spotlight in a single, dazzling scene as King Herod. A 1920s-style song gives her license to unleash her full theatrical arsenal of comedic timing, sarcastic bite, big Broadway vocals and a meta-textual awareness honed by decades on stage.

Her bravura performance takes the audience by surprise.

The campy English music hall number is buried like a time bomb in the rock opera’s second act.

Before “King Herod’s Song,” the arid, stony set is harshly lit. Without warning, the stage explodes with a sudden burst of gold.

According to Morrison, the razzle-dazzle is a much-needed release valve. She collaborated with Rhodes on the concept and also cooked up some bits of physical comedy. “We do faux healings,

visual gags and even have a puppet Jesus,” she says. “It’s sacrilegious but hilarious.”

It’s a star performance. The Asolo audience gets a kick out of it. But needless to say, Jesus is the superstar in question in “Jesus Christ Superstar.” King Herod isn’t the lead role.

Morrison’s cool with that. “I’m not the star,” she says. “I’m used to it, and I love it! I’m the second woman, and that’s always my favorite part.”

THE ‘SECOND WOMAN’

According to Morrison, the “second woman” is theater jargon for a secondary female lead. A foil, romantic rival or friend, typically flamboyant.

Morrison remembers bringing it up in a conversation she had with her son, Huck, when he was 7 years old. As she recalls it ...

“Mom, do you see your life as a movie?”

“Well, yeah, I guess so.”

“You’re the lead, right?”

“No, I’m not the lead.”

“You’re not the lead in your own life?”

“No, I’m the second woman.

They have all the best lines.”

Morrison laughs at the memory.

“And I thought, ‘What a great metaphor!’ So, I live my life as though I’m the second woman.

There’s so much drama in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’ But I’m not in that play. In the movie of my life, I’m in a comedy. And consciousness is the playwright and director.”

She notes that acting is a spiritual act.

“You’re a bard; you’re a channel,” she explains. “It’s not about ego, but about dissolving ego.”

To Morrison, all the world really is a stage.

“There’s a larger consciousness behind our individual personalities,” she says. “That awareness is really playing us. So, in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ Ann Morrison will be playing the roles of Herod and Joanna. The role of Ann Morrison will be played by consciousness.”

Far out, as they used to say back when “Jesus Christ Superstar” first burst onto Broadway in 1971.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

EATING WITH EMMA

and orange bitter, I would’ve redirected the whole afterparty there. Like our wedding guests, this drink’s motto should be, “I came to party, but make it classy.”

Bottoms up

CIRCO: A TACO & BOURBON JOINT

1435 Second St., Sarasota; 941-2530978; CircoSRQ.com

on the best bourbon toasts Celebrate National Bourbon Day neat, on the rocks or crafted into cocktail magic.

EMMA BURKE JOLLY CONTRIBUTOR

A

s I sit here writing this, I’m simultaneously sipping a cocktail, brainstorming puns and preparing for my second Father’s Day without my dad. (Don’t worry, this isn’t going to get too sappy.)

I don’t need the holiday reminders; I’ll always find an excuse to honor my dad. His drink of choice?

Jack Daniel’s on the rocks.

Would he change it up to celebrate National Bourbon Day on June 14? I can’t say for sure his

There are a bounty of bourbon cocktails at Brine — from the coffee old fashioned ($15) to the cornbread old fashioned ($15) and more.

whiskey-loving self would go for these trendy bourbon cocktails I’m about to share. I do know that he’d raise a glass just to brag to anyone within earshot, “My kid dedicated this column to me — drink her recommendations.”

So whether you’re celebrating Father’s Day, remembering Dad or somewhere in between, let’s raise a bourbon toast to the ones we love, the ones we miss and the ones who gave us the good taste to order the second round ... on the rocks.

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Talk Bourbon to Me: Located in Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch, this new lounge’s house Bourbon Whiskey ($50, per bottle) is a classy 88-proof blend of 7-year-old Kentucky bourbon barrels handpicked and blended to near perfection. Think sweet vanilla vibes, a hint of aged oak and a finish so smooth it could charm your inlaws (though not mine because they don’t drink). Whether you’re a neat purist or just bourbon-curious, this bottle is a solid flex on your bar cart.

Totally Buzz-worthy: Just when you thought you were out, the Godfather ($16) pulls you back in ... with bourbon. This $16 boss of a cocktail at The Lounge mixes GLD Bourbon Whiskey with maple syrup, lemon juice, muddled basil and a splash of soda water for fizz.

It’s sweet, it’s herby and it’s got just enough edge to make you feel like you’re in a smoky back room making deals. One sip and you’ll be saying, “Leave the cannoli; bring me another round.”

17A

Courtesy images

The Lounge lets you create your own old fashioned ($16) with enhancements like flavored cubes, gold flakes and more.

BRINE

2250 Gulf Gate Drive, Sarasota; 941-952-3039;BrineSarasota.com

Talk Bourbon to Me: With 68 bourbons and whiskeys (and even more globe-trotting pours), Brine is basically a whiskey wonderland, but the cornbread old fashioned ($15) is the golden child of the cocktail menu. Infused with actual cornbread (yes, you read that right), Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon gets a sweet Southern twist, stirred with chocolate bitters and a kiss of orange. It’s comforting, rich and just rebellious enough to count as dessert and a drink — name a better duo. Come for the whiskey list, stay for the cornbread-flavored booze.

Totally Buzz-worthy: After hours of champagne toasts and old fashioned clinks at our wedding, I thought we were all riding the perfect buzz into the afterparty. So imagine my surprise when I walked

in and half our guests were sipping espresso martinis. Had I known Brine was slinging a coffee old fashioned ($15) made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, coffee liqueur, espresso

Talk Bourbon to Me: If smoky, sultry and slightly sweet define your love language, then Circo’s smoked bourbon old fashioned ($12) is your soulmate in a glass.

Made with Buffalo Trace and just the right balance of sweet and bitters, this cocktail rolls in with more drama than a reality show reunion. (Trust me, I worked for Jerry Springer.) After one (or let’s be real, two or three), you’ll be whispering, “smoke show” to both the drink and yourself. Don’t forget to snack while sipping, foodies. My choice? The chips and elote corn salsa ($9).

Totally Buzz-worthy: Stop by on National Bourbon Day and sip your way through bold bourbon pours, creative cocktails and crave-worthy taco pairings all day long. And if one day isn’t enough (it never is), get your tickets for the bourbon dinner with Elijah Craig on June 19 for premium bourbon tastings, more inventive taco pairings and a little bourbon education, too. Seats fill fast, so snag your tickets now to sit with your crew.

Sip bourbon and snack on Birria queso and chips ($14), chips and salsa verde ($8) or chips and elote corn salsa ($9) at Circo.

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With my appetite so poor and living alone, I have difficulty finding any incentive to

spur me on. However, that is exactly what Meals on Wheels does for me every time one of their volunteers delivers a meal to me.” – Carol, age 76

CONJURING

ART, MAGIC, AND MEDIUMS ON VIEW MAR 15 – JUL 13

Daily delivery • Fresh • Ready to enjoy

TICKETS + INFORMATION

ringling.org

NO WAITLIST CALL TODAY

(941) 366-6693

Conjuring the Spirit World: Art, Magic, and Mediums is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.

421 N Lime Ave • Sarasota FL 34237 MealsOnWheelsOfSarasota.org 430403-1

The Otis Lithograph Company (American), Thurston The Great Magician—Do the Spirits Come Back? (detail), 1929. Lithograph, 86 1/2 × 47 1/2 in. Tibbals Circus Collection. ht2005133

SCAN TO DONATE

A registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization established in 1971

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Conjuring the Spirit World: Art, Magic, and Mediums is generously supported by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Bob & Diane Roskamp Endowment Fund, Chao Ringling Museum Endowment, Selby Foundation Ringling Museum Endowment, and Peter & Mary Lou Vogt MuseumGenerated Exhibition Fund.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

The duo Zeman Quick Change confounds audiences at the Summer Circus Spectacular, which runs through Aug. 9 at The Ringling.

DON’T MISS

SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR Pack up the car with Grandpa and the kids and head for the Circus Arts Conservatory’s annual Summer Circus Spectacular at The Ringling. This thrilling, 60-minute circus of fresh new acts is perfect for people of all ages with short attention spans. There’s room for walkers, strollers, wheelchairs, you name it — but please arrive early to give ushers time to store them. Make it a circus day by adding a ticket to The Ringling’s famed Circus Museum for just $5 on the day of the show. Runs through Aug. 9.

THIS WEEK THURSDAY

MIRÓ QUARTET PLAYS SCHUBERT 4:30 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail $30-$43 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Sarasota Music Festival alum and faculty member Saeunn Thorsteindottir, a world-renowned cellist originally from Iceland, teams up with the Grammy-nominated Miró Quartet to play Schubert’s String Quintet. Giving the program its title is Schubert’s Rondo, featuring Stella Chen on violin and former SMF director Robert Levin on piano. Fans of Iceland will delight in Thorsteindottir’s performance of “Bow to String,” composed by her countryman Daniel Bjarnason.

‘FROM 145TH TO 98TH STREET’ 7:30 p.m. at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. $30-$44 Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.

Nia Akilah Robinson’s world premiere, “From 145th to 98th Street,” follows a Black family’s search for a better life. The American Dream proves elusive when the family’s son is wrongfully accused of a crime committed by someone with the same name. But the power of family prevails in this realistic tale of New York City life sure to resonate with all audiences. Runs through June 29.

‘HOW SWEET IT IS’ 7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave. $18-$42 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

As the mercury rises, locals know how to escape the heat with Florida Studio Theatre’s Summer Cabaret.

The series kicks off with a Motown tribute called “How Sweet It Is.” Led by dynamic vocalist and songwriter Luke McMaster, an energetic trio demonstrates the enduring appeal of hits like “Tracks of My Tears,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and more. Runs through Aug. 3.

1734 South Tamiami Trail Venice, FL 34293 941.493.7441

IF YOU GO When: 11 a.m. Friday, June 13 Where: The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road Tickets: $20 adult; $13 child Info: Visit CircusArts.org.

‘DEATH AND THE MAIDEN’ 7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $29-$52 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

Courtesy images

‘BEETLEJUICE JR.’ 7:30 p.m. at The Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130 $20 Visit ThePlayers.org.

It’s summer children’s theater season. When you see a familiar name with the appendage “Jr.,” it means the show is about 60 minutes, its performers are children — and/or both. This musical from the Sarasota Players Studio, the community theater’s youth arm, follows Lydia Deetz, an unusual teenager who finds some otherworldly friends when she and her father move to a new house.

Runs through June 22.

‘DAMES AT SEA’ 8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $42 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Ben Liebert directs and choreographs “Dames at Sea,” a parody musicals of the 1930s starring Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell. “Dames” first debuted Off-Off Broadway in 1966 starring Bernadette Peters. With the help of sailor/songwriter Dick, chorus girl Ruby lands a role in a musical that’s trying to find its footing. FST’s Ruby is Emily Ann Brooks, making her FST debut. Runs through June 29.

FRIDAY PATTI SMITH: A BOOK OF DAYS 10 a.m. at Selby Gardens Historic Spanish Point, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey Included with $20 admission Visit Selby.org.

There’s something for everyone on this program, which includes Alberto Ginastera’s Argentina-tinged String Quartet No. 1, played by Miró Quartet. Fans of Sarasota Music Festival faculty member Jasmine Choi will appreciate her flute in Suite for 13 Winds by Richard Strauss.

Last but not least is the titular piece, Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 based on his song ”Death and the Maiden.”

SATURDAY IN-STUDIO: SANDRA PORTAL 7 p.m. at SCD Home Studio, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300 $20 Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance. org.

Sarasota Contemporary Dance presents Sandra Portal, a faculty member from its summer intensive program. Portal, a Miami-based multidisciplinary artist of Cuban and Colombian descent, explores the intersection of community and identity.

LEVIN PLAYS MOZART 7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $29-$72 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.

The program features former Sarasota Music Festival Director Robert Levin, a renowned pianist and Mozart scholar who plays the

Selby Gardens collaborates with poet and musician Patti Smith, its artist-in-residence, on an outdoor exhibition of large prints taken from her newly published bestseller, “A Book of Days.” By displaying her photographs outdoors, Selby brings them into conversation with nature.

Runs through Aug. 31.

4551 N. Washington Blvd.

Sarasota, FL 34234 941.355.8437

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prodigy’s Piano Concerto No. 17.

The bill also includes festival faculty artist and violinist Stella Chen on Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s work for nine players and Dvorak’s Serenade for Strings, which sealed his reputation as a master composer.

SUNDAY ‘LILIAN BLADES: THROUGH THE VEIL’ 11 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free for museum members; $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

Award-winning artist Lillian Blades invites visitors to get lost in her first solo museum exhibition. Her Sarasota Art Museum installation of combines handcrafted and found objects to create a mesmerizing display. Runs through Oct. 26.

MONDAY ‘CONJURING THE SPIRIT WORLD: ART, MAGIC AND MEDIUMS’ 10 a.m. at the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Road Free with $25 admission; Mondays free Visit Ringling.org.

Go on the trail of things that go bump in the night with this fascinating interactive exhibition, which follows the growth of Spiritualism in the mid-19th century from its roots in dining room seances to traveling shows featuring magicians and mediums. Runs through July 13.

WEDNESDAY ‘GEORGE HARRISON: A GARDENER’S LIFE’ 10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens,1534 Mound St. $28 Visit Selby.org.

“George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life” is the ninth installment of the annual Jean and Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series. Walking around the 15acre sanctuary where gardens and botanical displays have been erected to mirror those in Harrison’s estate, Friar Park, you can’t help feeling that the late Beatle would approve of this living tribute. Pro tip: Arrive early for a serene experience.

Grab a bite in the world’s first netcarbon free restaurant, The Green Orchid. You can’t go wrong with the BLT. Runs through June 29

OUR PICK

THE ROOTS OF BLACK MUSIC IN AMERICA The cross-genre blockbuster “Sinners” is raising awareness about the legacy of Black music, which has influenced everyone from Hank Williams to Elvis Presley.

Learn all about how traditions from Africa moved into the church with gospel, the clubs and the stage with jazz and blues and continue to influence popular music today. Instructor Karlus Trapp takes the class on a 100-year trip through time.

IF YOU GO When: 1 p.m. Friday, June 13 Where: Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $15 Info: Visit OlliRinglingCollege.org.

Karlus Trapp

OUR SHOWROOMS ARE OPEN Special Financing Available

www.manasotaonline.com

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Sarasota Lakewood Ranch

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Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 11:00 am - 7:00 PM

1012 N. Orange Ave Sarasota, FL 34236

FREE ADMISSION Live performances by WBTT professional artists and rising stars from WBTT’s Stage of Discovery program Art from local artists Short films by local filmmakers and students from Ringling College of Art & Design A free jazz concert – in collaboration with Smooth Jazz Harbor online radio and Steglich Ross and Associates– by renowned jazz saxophonist Dee Lucas at 6 PM Screening of Soul Crooners – The Documentary, which discusses the history of the group and was filmed as the troupe was getting ready to perform at the 2024 International Black Theatre Festival Vendors & Food trucks Health and wellness workshops including a free introductory yoga class by Travis Ray

Daniella Padilla and Mala Vavourakis

Amy Champion, Janet Kassabian, Lisa Seifert and Janice Dziuk

PRESENTING SPONSORS PENELOPE KINGMAN DONA & SAM SCOTT

ROBERT HEEREN & STEVE KALT

Photos by Lori Sax

Jason Smith and Russ Jones

Check the WBTT website for a schedule of events - WestcoastBlackTheatre.org

Frederique Chauveau with Heather and Gabriel Welch

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LEADING SPONSORS

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3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34239

SELBY.ORG

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© Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

1

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Sotheby’s International Realty® Affiliate in the World* Florida Luxury Market Share** THE LAKE CLUB

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THE GULF COAST LUXURY LEADER

Open House Event Scan for a full list of open houses, property details, driving directions and more.

COWPEN RANCH 2410 Slough Road Thomas Netzel

HAMPTON LAKES 3582 Recurve Circle Charles Totonis & Joe Harris

$3,795,000 941.539.0633

$2,750,000 941.524.8299

$1,675,000 941.447.4875

$2,199,000 941.232.8055

LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB 7041 Beechmont Terrace Laura Stavola

MIRA LAGO 3804 Amapola Lane Cindy Taliaferro

$828,000 941.400.7676

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4809 Benito Court Andrew Tanner

$1,950,000 941.539.0998

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1209 Blue Shell Loop Laura Stavola

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5817 Brandon Run Leslie DuFresne & Lori Carey

$795,000 941.374.5010

5645 Churchill Downs Road Bill Blume

$435,000 941.894.7269

4627 Breezy Pines Boulevard Cindy Migone

$425,000 941.812.7438

PALM AIRE

29692 Niagara Court Frannie Smith

$389,900 941.236.1796

5608 Country Club Way #5608 Chris Constantinou

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LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB 7024 Brier Creek Court Laura Stavola

$1,450,000 941.447.4875

LAKE SARASOTA 3975 Coleridge Place Jaci Krawtschenko & Jennifer Garrabrant

$484,000 941.284.3789

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3445 Highlands Bridge Road Fernando Viteri

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$1,649,000 941.447.4875

SARASOTA $1,195,000 941.404.9504

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

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SARASOTA - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000

Classifieds 18B Games 17B Real Estate 11B Sports 13B Weather 17B

JUNE 12, 2025

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Photos by Jay Heater

Model railroading includes much more than trains and tracks.

President Allen Novak has been a member of the club for 47 years.

ALL ABOARD FOR FATHER’S DAY FUN

I

RealRail member John Schmidle enjoys himself as he gets an HO layout ready for the 50th anniversary celebration.

And when the model trains stop, the people can board the miniature airplane.

IF YOU GO What: RealRail 50th anniversary and Father’s Day Open House When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 14-15 Where: RealRail, 4908 Lena Road, Unit 101, Bradenton Cost: Free Features: Both O and HO scale layouts will be running; free kits for kids to build railroad cars to take home; refreshments, a model train giveaway More information: Call the club at 739-8724 or President Allen Novak at 351-9927.

— JAY HEATER Keeping with the theme of the area, Sarasota trains used to move the circus.

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t could be a choo-choo-for-you kind of Father’s Day Weekend in East County.

The RealRail model railroad club is hosting special event at its RealRail Center and Model Railroad Store, 4908 Lena Road, Unit 101, Bradenton, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 14-15.

The event also doubles as the 50th anniversary celebration for the club, formerly known as the Sarasota Model Railroad Club when it was founded in 1975. Its first home was at 1944 Main St., Sarasota, where the Main Bar is located now.

The club will have trains running in both the O and HO scale layouts.

Children can build an HO scale railroad car and take it home for free, and there will be refreshments and special deals on model trains.

President Allen Novak has been a member of the club for 47 years, and he is hoping the special event will prompt people to come to the Lena Road location, where the club has been about 18 months. They are hoping to attract new members along with getting more people interested in model railroading.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

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Providing simple to complex specialty dental care in one convenient location DR. HARRY HARING Specialist in Prosthodontics & Implants

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THURSDAY, JUNE 12 THROUGH SUNDAY, JUNE 15

LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING Runs from 4:30-7:30 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Jack Berry (Thursday), Raiford Starke (Friday), Donnie Bostic and Chuck, and Flip Flop Dave (Sunday). All music this week is free. For information, go to JiggsLanding.com.

FRIDAY, JUNE 13 AND SATURDAY, JUNE 14

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA Runs from 6-9 p.m. each evening at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Carmen Forte performs acoustic covers for the Waterside Place crowd on Friday, while singer Mylon Shamble entertains on Saturday. For information about the free music series, go to WatersidePlace.com.

BEST BET FRIDAY, JUNE 13

MOVIE IN THE PARK Begins at 7 p.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch. Grace Community Church sponsors Movie in the Park, the free monthly, outdoor family movie event at Waterside. This month’s offering is “Trolls Band Together.” The movie begins at sunset. The first 450 people in attendance will receive a free sno-cone from Kona Ice. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so bring a blanket or lawn chairs. Concessions will be available from We B’ Poppin Popcorn and Kettle Corn. Inflatables for the kids are available.

FRIDAY, JUNE 12 THROUGH SUNDAY, JUNE 15

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COMMUNITY

USROWING YOUTH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Begins at 8 a.m. each day at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. The USRowing Youth National Championship’s 30th anniversary will bring more than 4,000 athletes, 1,000 coaches and 5,000 spectators to Nathan Benderson Park. The nation’s top boys and girls rowers compete in different classes. For more information, go to NathanBendersonPark.org.

SATURDAY, JUNE 14 AND SUNDAY, JUNE 15

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 Woody on Sunday.

SUNDAY, JUNE 15

FARMERS MARKET Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch, which was voted as the top farmers market in Florida for the second year in a row in 2024, will run year-round every

File image

Inflatables are set up at Waterside Park for Movie in the Park.

Sunday. Vendors offer seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles, among other items. Other features include children’s activities and live music.

For information, visit MyLWR.com.

YOGA IN THE PARK Runs 8-9 a.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Sarasota.

Start the morning off with gentle yoga with lake views. For information, go to LakewoodRanch.com.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18

PARADISE SOCCER Begins at 7:30 p.m. at Premier Sports Campus Stadium, 5895 Post Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The Sarasota Paradise host the Ft. Lauderdale United in an USL League II game.

Tickets begin at $10. For more information, go to SarasotaParadise.us.

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

3B

Neal launches new home development Bringing Waterbury Park will offer 21 homesites in the rapidly growing eastern segment of the community.

ERIC GARWOOD DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR

Courtesy image

rapidly on the strength of new construction.

Not far away, in Sarasota County, plans are moving forward for Lakewood Ranch Southeast, which could ultimately see 5,000 new homes built. Sarasota County commissioners recently rezoned more than 500 acres between University Parkway and Fruitville Road for residential development with plans for about 1,400 homes and apartments.

Meanwhile, prices on the resale market have tipped downward, according to reporting from the Business Observer, a sister publication, quoting real estate research company Homes.com.

Michelle Rumore, a senior director of market analytics at the CoStarowned Homes.com, said properties are sitting on the market longer.

That is leading to sellers making concessions, especially in new construction, and price cuts on existing homes.

“Despite these pricing improvements, mortgage rate volatility over the past 45 days has kept some buyers on the sidelines, dampening demand,” Rumore says.

According to the data, in Tampa Bay, the average median home price in the market declined in Tampa by 2.7% over this time last year to $365,000. Sarasota/Bradenton and Naples saw far steeper drops, with the median home price falling 13.8% from a year ago to $405,000 in Sarasota and 14% from a year ago to $620,000 in Naples.

Waterbury Park offers four luxury semi-custom home floor plans, including this Seaside 2 model home.

Dr. Lackey’s Approach to Patient-Centered Care

The personal approach Growing up in eastern Kentucky, Dr. Lackey recalls a time when your family doctor wasn’t just a name on a chart; they were a trusted part of your life, someone who genuinely knew and cared about your family. Inspired by that personal approach, Dr. Lackey set out to bring that same old-school philosophy of medicine into his own practice. His mission is simple: to help his patients feel better and return to what truly matters in their lives. While Dr. Lackey understands the difficulties presented by the modern insurance landscape, he does his best to focus on his patients’ needs amid those challenges.

Dr. Lackey recalls one patient, an older gentleman and Army veteran. He came to Florida Lakes Vein Center with advanced chronic venous insufficiency that had caused terribly ulcerated wounds on his legs. Dr. Lackey said, “My priority is to resolve the medical issue, but what really pushed me was the desire to ensure that a man who put his life on hold to serve our nation wouldn’t have any more of his time to enjoy life taken from him.”

Where A Little Sparkle Brightens Your Day

Why early treatment matters Many people hear the term ‘Vein Center’ and immediately think of cosmetic treatments for veins. However, varicose veins can be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to deeper circulation issues. Conditions like Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI),

Deep Vein Thrombosis, Edema, and Phlebitis are just a few of the reasons individuals turn to Florida Lakes Vein Center for help. The center’s goal is to detect these problems early, before they lead to painful ulcers and infections that may require long-term wound care. That’s why they specialize in early intervention, offering minimally invasive treatments like VenaSeal™ and Varithena ™ to restore healthy blood flow and prevent complications.

With more than 10,000 vein treatments performed last year, Florida Lakes Vein Center, with locations in Lakewood Ranch, Venice, Wellen Park, and Sebring, stands as one of the leading vein care providers in the state. The center is also proudly led by Thomas C. Lackey II, D.O., the only certified VenaSeal ™ and Varithena ™ trainer in Central Florida.

Timing is everything “Many people suspect they have a vein issue but put off seeking help.

However, with vein-related conditions, early intervention can make a significant difference,” explains Dr Lackey.

Florida Lakes Vein Center offers free screenings to help individuals assess their symptoms. If you’re experiencing visible spider or varicose veins, leg fatigue, numbness, or restlessness, it’s worth considering a screening. The office accepts most insurance plans, including Humana and Tricare. For more information, visit our website or call our office.

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ucked into an enclave in the easternmost region of Lakewood Ranch, the 21-lot development of Waterbury Park is open for business.

Developed by Neal Signature Homes, the community’s newest development held a grand opening this past week at the southwest corner of Bourneside Boulevard and The Masters Avenue.

“There are not many places left in the area where you can find attainable luxury homes that are close to everything,” says Carlos Puente, president of Neal Signature Homes.

“The homes are spectacular, and they are minutes from shopping, restaurants, entertainment, schools and sports.”

According to a news release from Neal, exclusive of homesite and options, prices are set to begin at $1.4 million, and four models are available ranging from about 3,100 square feet to about 4,100 square feet.

During a live, webcast introduction to the development, Puente and Christina Potts, area sales manager, toured a model home and spoke about Waterbury Park’s home features. While the homes planned are not fully customizable, Potts said there is still plenty of room for buyers to add their own touches.

“Bring your ideas,’’ she said. “Our designers are going to work with you and your tastes and what you want to see in your home and in your style.’’

While the overall residential retail market in the Sarasota-Manatee area has turned from one favoring sellers to a more balanced market, the new home market is surging — especially in Lakewood Ranch. Nearby, the Waterside area has been growing

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4B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Alaina Lininger, 6-year-old Lakewood Ranch resident, is eager to take a selfie with the puppets.

Photos by Madison Bierl

Jerry Bickel, founder and executive director of Bits ’N Pieces Puppet Theatre, says his main goal at his library shows is to inspire children to immerse themselves in their imaginations and be more interested in reading books.

Connected to his work A fter watching Jerry Bickel perform Wednesday at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 6-year-old Juliano Born was asked if she wanted to be a puppeteer like Bickel.

Lakewood Ranch’s Born said no, but noted, “I loved how he had different voices. I have a really loud voice, almost as loud as a microphone.”

A crowd of about 75, made up of parents and their children, watched Bickel perform “Puss in Boots.”

Bickel is founder and executive director of Bits ’N Pieces Puppet Theatre and has been a puppeteer for 50 years.

“I love this group,” Bickel said of his audience at the library. “Their imagination is wide open. They’re with you 100% of the way. If they don’t like it, they’ll tell you right away, too. Luckily, I don’t have that happen because I spent a lifetime refining how to not make that happen.”

In the original “Puss in Boots,” the ogre changes into a lion. Bickel says in his story, he decided to let him change into a skeleton to make it a little different.

Marionettes are puppets are controlled by strings and sticks and wires. Bickel uses only puppets he has made himself in his shows.

Lakewood Ranch resident Anthony Palazzo came to the puppet show along with his two sons, 4-yearold Enzo and 3-year-old Anthony.

Bickel, who performed as a oneman show, liked Born’s comment about having a loud voice.

“If you’ve got a nice, loud voice, you’re halfway there,” Bickel said.

He said the most important characteristic to become a puppeteer is being a storyteller. Born said this was her first puppet show and she wants to see as many as she can in the future.

Based in Tampa, Bickel currently is on tour in the region with three upcoming shows that include “Puss in Boots,” “Selfish Giant,” and “Hansel and Gretel.”

“I get as much joy out of working with these small audiences as working in a 2,000-seat auditorium,” Bickel said. “In an audience like this — there were maybe 75 people here today — you see every single person, and that can’t be duplicated.”

— MADISON BIERL

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

5B

Joint Pain?

Let’s That

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Employing the latest tools and techniques, including minimally invasive technologies like robotic-assisted surgery and endoscopic spinal repair, this award-winning team pioneers the latest solutions that erase chronic joint pain and provide our patients with relief that lasts.

From total joint repair and replacement to non-surgical remedies and personalized rehabilitation plans, supplemented by pre-habilitation classes before treatment and home health care services after, this is advanced orthopedic care catered to each individual and dedicated to restoring movement, relieving pain, and empowering every patient.

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Because life is for living, not limits.

Class dismissed.

6B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Advice for young professionals Lakewood Ranch’s Tim Carnahan shares his life experience as a business executive and mentor through his book ‘Under Development.’

MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER

W

hen Lakewood Ranch’s Tim Carnahan, 71, received a copy of his self-published book “Under Development: A Commonsense Approach to Being Your Best (A Young Professional’s Guide),” he didn’t try to hold in his emotions.

“I just held it and cried,” Carnahan said. “It was my life, you know?”

Carnahan’s book does not contain studies. It is simply the world according to Carnahan — things he has learned through his own experiences as a longtime businessman.

He has been a mentor to both his coworkers and other professionals who have sought his advice.

Currently, he is a financial consultant for the Thirteen Group, but he has held executive roles at several businesses through the years, including Save Mart and Grand Union supermarkets.

This book is targeted toward young adults who are plotting their future or who feel stuck in a current job.

It discusses many ways for young workers to make themselves more marketable. In it, he also prompts readers to assess their talents honestly.

“Learning is just not somebody sitting with you and instructing you,” said Carnahan. “Learning is observing, having emotional intelligence and reading the room.”

Carnahan wanted to share his expertise with young students and professionals who might not know where they want their careers to go.

“I left three times as much on the cutting room floor because I wanted 100 pages,” Carnahan said. “I wanted something that a Gen Z-er could read in two hours, take 10 points

away that potentially could change their lives and then move on with it.”

Carnahan has been a mentor to an estimated 1,000 members of his different staffs in some way or another for 40 years. He continues to mentor those who seek him out. He said he has mentees who range from their second year in management to CEOs of companies.

He has 11 mentees currently. Some are local, while others reside in New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. Molly Killian is one of Carnahan’s longtime mentees who lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and works as the director at the Stand Together Foundation.

The pair worked together for two years in Washington, D.C., at the nonprofit organization Americans for Prosperity. Killian was inexperienced in her role of chief of staff, so Carnahan provided support and advice when needed.

“A personal touch was that he was compassionate, kind and careful and never pushy, always just thoughtful,” Killian said. “One of the big Timisms that I’ve taken with me in my life is ‘tough on issues, soft on people,’ and I think that was very much exemplified in how he coached and mentored.”

Killian said she can hear Carnahan’s voice throughout his book when she reads it. She said he is a very active listener, and the book is a manifestation of his decades worth of listening, and distilling the information into themes.

“I think the book reads pretty quick, pretty punchy and not preachy, which I appreciate,” Killian said. “Tim never made me feel young or inexperienced, even though I was.

He always made me feel like I had a

YOUR NEXT READ “Under Development: A Commonsense Approach to Being Your Best (A Young Professional’s Guide)” FultonBooks.com/ Books/?Book=UnderDevelopment To purchase a copy locally, go to Barnes and Noble, 200 N. Cattlemen Road, Sarasota

seat at the table with him.”

Killian said she wanted to maintain a relationship with him even after they were no longer co-workers. They have kept in touch with each other for the past 10 years and catch up with each other about once a month.

Carnahan said the writing process for his book was a long one, about four-and-a-half years. He would write and walk away while pursuing other hobbies. There was a spurt where he went to Siesta Key beach for three hours a day for six months to write early in the morning. When he was satisfied with his 100-page book, he started looking for publishers.

“I’m not Stephen King,” Carnahan said. “They’re not paying me in advance to write a book.”

Carnahan decided on Fulton Books, which he described as a “onestop shop” for all he was looking for.

He self-funded his book with the goal to get it out by June of this year for graduation. He accomplished that when his book became available online April 25.

Carnahan started out in the grocery industry and studied accounting in college.

“What I found was having store experience going into the office was almost the best education I could have had going in there,” Carnahan said. “Everybody in the stores

Madison Bierl

Lakewood Ranch resident Tim Carnahan self-published his book “Under Development: A Commonsense Approach to Being Your Best (A Young Professional’s Guide),” which gives advice to young professionals seeking guidance to make the most out of their careers.

“Learning is just not somebody sitting with you and instructing you.

Learning is observing, having emotional intelligence and reading the room.”

— Tim Carnahan

thought the people in the office were nuts, and everybody in the office thought people in the store were nuts.”

Carnahan knew in his mid-30s that developing people who worked for him would be a top priority.

“I think I was a much better collaborator, a much better corporate culture person, a much better problem solver and a much better process development person than I was an accountant,” said Carnahan.

ADVICE FROM TIM How to get the most out of your career Self-Assessment ■ Who are you professionally and personally?

Make a Plan ■ People spend more time planning vacations than they do career goals. It doesn’t have to be 10 years or 20 years, but some sort of plan will assist in accomplishing goals.

Look at Your Skills and Execute ■ Do you have the skills and credentials needed to get what you want?

■ Look at your situation objectively and use the necessary tools to get where you want to go.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

7B

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SCF.edu/OTA | Call: 941-752-5346 • Bradenton | Venice | Lakewood Ranch | Online

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

PET PICS Have photos of your four-legged family members? We want to see them!

Share them at YourObserver.com/Contests/Pet-Pics to be published online and for a chance to see them in print!

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ALL EARS: Lenny has a lot to say when it comes to how much he’s loving life in beautiful Lakewood Ranch.

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8B

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9B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS

Rising Together When Storms Strike A

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Tile remains a favorite for Florida homes thanks to its water resistance and ability to stay cool underfoot. It’s a stylish and durable option that continues to be in high demand. Homeowners love its versatility, and designers are constantly finding creative ways to showcase it. With so many colors and patterns available, there’s truly something for everyone. Engineered hardwood is another excellent choice. It provides the warmth and beauty of natural wood while offering greater moisture resistance than solid hardwood. It also adds long-term value to the home, making it both a practical and elegant investment.

As the region continues to grow and homeowners prepare for all that Florida living, including hurricanes demand, the team at Manasota Flooring remains committed to being more than just a flooring provider—they’re neighbors, ready to lend a hand. Through hardship, this community has shown incredible strength, compassion, and determination. And while flooring may seem like just one piece of the puzzle, it’s also the foundation where families gather, memories are made, and life begins to feel normal again. Manasota Flooring is honored to play a small role in that recovery, standing strong with the community they’ve proudly served for over five decades.

All of us at Manasota Flooring encourage everyone to stay safe and be prepared this hurricane season in case things start to blow… Hurricane preparedness involves creating an emergency plan, assembling a disaster supply kit with essentials like food, water, medications, and fl ashlights, and staying informed through- weather updates. Secure your home by rei windows and doors, and kno routes. Early planning helps and reduces r

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fter the widespread devastation of the 2024 hurricane season, countless residents across Sarasota and Manatee counties were left in urgent need of materials to rebuild and repair their homes.

Chris Quattlebaum, a lifelong Florida resident and manager at Manasota Flooring, is no stranger to hurricanes. But when the calls started pouring in from local homeowners, many near the company’s three store locations, he knew this was different.

The overwhelming need spurred him and his team into immediate action, determined to help their community recover as quickly as possible.

The Manasota Flooring team quickly contacted suppliers, negotiating quick delivery times, worked with their financing company to offer extended terms, and stocked an affordable product for immediate delivery.

The stories of people’s lives and homes being disrupted were difficult for the Manasota Flooring team to hear but the takeaway was that there are a lot of very resilient and helpful people living here in our community.

For the past 52 years, Manasota Flooring—a family-owned and operated business—has been helping clients choose flooring that’s truly “Florida appropriate.” The ideal flooring for a Florida home should withstand high humidity, occasional water exposure, and plenty of sunlight, all while staying cool underfoot and easy to maintain.

Some of the most popular flooring choices include Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP), tile, and engineered hardwood. LVP has soared in popularity as a budget-friendly, wood-look alternative that’s waterproof, softer underfoot than tile, and scratch-resistant. Manasota Flooring now offers an even wider variety of colors and styles to suit every taste.

Why Flooring Matters After the Storm When disaster strikes, families often focus on roofing, windows, and structural repairs-but flooring plays a major role in recovery too.

It’s where kids sit and play, where furniture is reset, and where the feing of “home” begins to return. That water-resistant and easy-to-mai erials like luxury vinyl plank neered hardwood have Florida homes. Not y to the climate, t and norm lcy in th in th

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OUR SHOWROOMS ARE OPEN

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

MICHAEL SAUNDERS & COMPANY PROUDLY PRESENTS

THE SUMMER OF

Opportunity

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Extravaganza ONE DAY ONLY! SUNDAY, JUNE 22 More than 200 homes across Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Lee Counties are opening their doors for this extraordinary event.

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SCAN FOR OPEN HOUSES

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10B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home in Lake Club on Bounty Lane topped the week’s sales at $2,375,000. Taber Chadwick III and Celeste Dockery, of Dahlonega, Georgia, sold their home at 8015 Bounty Lane to Steven and Marilynn Monahan, of Bradenton, for $2,375,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,813 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.5 million in 2021.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

John and Suzanne Pastorello, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7216 Prestbury Circle to James and Melodee Schneider, of Bradenton, for $1.4 million. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 2,803 square feet of living area.

It sold for $1.7 million in 2023.

LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE

Anne Bourne, of Mystic, Connecticut, sold her home at 8043 Waterbend Trail to Giorgio and Laurie Vitali, of Sarasota, for $1,312,000.

Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,867 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,475,400 in 2023.

RIVERDALE REVISED

Roy and Bonnie McKenzie, of Palmetto, sold their home at 4624 Fourth Ave. N.E. to Joseph Bailey Walsh, of Bradenton, for $1.3 million. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,488 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2014.

William and Alita Bess, trustees, of Aiken, South Carolina, sold the home at 4620 Blue Marlin Drive to Paul and Diana Green, of Springfield, Illinois, for $920,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,590 square feet of living area. It sold for $465,000 in 2014.

AZARIO ESPLANADE

Richard Dawson, of Lacy Township, New Jersey, and Denise Dawson, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4534 Trento Place to Brian Edward Durand and Karen Durand, of Bradenton, for $1.2 million. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,952 square feet of living area. It sold for $708,500 in 2022.

RIVER FOREST

Christopher and Amy Forrest, of Lakeland, sold their home at 5954 River Forest Circle to Robert Earl Stanell III and Leah Soleil Cohen, of Bradenton, for $1,195,000. Built in 1999, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,447 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.2 million in 2022.

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

Larry George Havelis and Barbara Ann Havelis, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5529 Mulligan Way to Richard and Kathleen Bergin, of Massapequa, New York, for $1,175,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,359 square feet of living area. It sold for $630,000 in 2019.

Thomas and Rose Gadbois, of Ontario, Canada, sold their home at 6115 Cessna Run to Charles Izzo, of Cleveland, for $1.05 million. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,207 square feet of living area. It sold for $512,000 in 2019.

ESPLANADE

Stephen Brown, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 13908 Messina Loop to Jennifer Maher, of Bradenton, for

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

MAY 26-30

$1,097,500. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,392 square feet of living area.

It sold for $670,000 in 2021.

Linda St. Jean, of Richmond, Rhode Island, sold the home at 12785 Fontana Loop to Rosemary Villanella, Claudia Murdoch and Giancarlo Villanella, of Southampton, New York, for $730,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,275 square feet of living area.

It sold for $448,000 in 2014.

ST. JAMES PARK

David Hudson and Kimberly Bruce Hudson, of Versailles, Kentucky, sold their home at 8111 Fairhaven Glen to Volker Otto Konrad Kosfeld and Jasmine Elisabeth Karolina Kosfeld, of University Park, for $1,075,000. Built in 1992, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,646 square feet of living area.

It sold for $1,025,000 in 2023.

COUNTRY CLUB VILLAGE

C.A. and Lilian Jorgenson, trustees, of Vienna, Virginia, sold the home at 13809 Milan Terrace to Roger Rosenbaltt, of Ellicott City, Maryland, for $1,025,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,485 square feet of living area. It sold for $825,000 in 2021.

DEL WEBB

Lisa Reppert, of Sarasota, sold the home at 17722 Littleton Place to Roger and Lynn Lutes, of Lakewood Ranch, for $950,000. Built in 2021, it has two bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,248 square feet of living area. It sold for $738,800 in 2021.

ENCLAVE AT HERITAGE HARBOUR

Debra and Brian Reiss, of Littleton, Colorado, sold their home at 629 River Enclave Court to Richard and Judy Stein, of Bradenton, for $950,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,391 square feet of living area. It sold for $620,000 in 2019.

SAVANNA

Kevin and Jill Michelle Furgason, of Bradenton, sold their home at 3525 Big Sky Way to William and Betty McGowan, of Bradenton, for $950,000. Built in 2021, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,937 square feet of living area. It sold for $615,500 in 2021.

Glenn Dale Milstead Jr. and Gwen Milstead, of Leesburg, Virginia, sold their home at 3517 Big Sky Way to Mark McCauley, of Greenland, New Hampshire, for $855,000. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,268 square feet of living area. It sold for $580,000 in 2021.

GREENBROOK VILLAGE

Arash and Brandi Ghanbarpour, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 14819 Bowfin Terrace to Stephen Cunha and Sonya Ferreira-Cunha, of Lakewood Ranch, for $935,000.

Built in 2007, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,050 square feet of living area. It sold for $752,000 in 2019.

Courtesy photo

This Country Club East home at 7216 Prestbury Circle sold for $1.4 million. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 2,803 square feet of living area.

349 Blackbird Court to Valdir Das Neves Jorge and Danielle Carduso dos Santos, for $825,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,736 square feet of living area. It sold for $458,000 in 2017.

Fremont, Indiana, for $875,000.

Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,551 square feet of living area. It sold for $710,000 in 2020.

WATERCREST

Pamela Fencil, trustee, of Liverpool, New York, sold the Unit 402 condominium at 6370 Watercrest Way to Robert Rae and Terry Rae, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, for $875,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,376 square feet of living area. It sold for $480,000 in 2016.

ROSEDALE HIGHLANDS

Gerald and Maureen Ronning, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 9604 53rd Terrace E. to Janet and David Herrington, of Bradenton, for $880,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,988 square feet of living area. It sold for $620,000 in 2010.

GREYHAWK LANDING WEST

William and Ginger Kearney, trustees, of Maumelle, Arkansas, sold the home at 352 Chantilly Trail

ROSEDALE ADDITION

Brian and Katharine Spletzer, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 9908 Carnoustie Place to Michael and Sandra Richmond, of

SEE REAL ESTATE, PAGE 12B

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Scott and Rachele Hamende, of Gainesville, sold their home at 6510 Flycatcher Lane to Stephen Michael Drackett, of Lakewood Ranch, for $700,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,578 square feet of living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2015.

Robert and Dorothy Horton, trustees, of Parrish, sold the home at 13324 Purple Finch Circle to Alexander Osterman and Dinara Abubakirova, of Lakewood Ranch, for $605,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,315 square feet of living area.

It sold for $309,700 in 2003.

GREYHAWK LANDING

Shawn and David Wherry, of Sarasota, sold their home at 12810 Magpie Place to Michael Ivan Weiss and Denok Weiss, of Bradenton, for $925,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,547 square feet of living area. It sold for $540,000 in 2019.

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REAL ESTATE

Lake Club home tops sales at $2,375,000

11B

12B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Real estate FROM PAGE 11B

to Richard and Deborah Mott, of Bradenton, for $735,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,203 square feet of living area. It sold for $524,100 in 2020.

ARBOR RESERVE

Coach and Caroline Santoni, of Sarasota, sold their home at 4725 Arbor Gate Drive to Frank and Donna Thorne, of Bradenton, for $724,900. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 1,399 square feet of living area. It sold for $487,000 in 2021.

Catherine Wieland, of Bradenton, sold her home at 4618 Arbor Gate Drive to Virginia Ann East, of Bradenton, for $640,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three-anda-half baths and 3,548 square feet of living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2015.

MARSHALL’S LANDING

Rebeca Fajardo, of Naples, sold her home at 5461 56th Court E. to Joe and Anna Strickland, of Trenton, Georgia, for $689,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,107 square feet of living area. It sold for $499,900 in 2019.

WOODBORNE TERRACE

Sherry Xinrui Yu, of Bradenton, sold her home at 10216 Woodborne Place to Opendoor Property Trust I for $648,300. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,970 square feet of living area. It sold for $405,000 in 2014.

MOTE RANCH VILLAGE

Jeffrey and Melissa Palow, of Parrish, sold their home at 5755 Carriage Drive to Kyle Joseph Paul Treen III, of Sarasota, for $648,000.

Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,317 square feet of living area. It sold for $185,000 in 1995.

HARMONY

Edward Allan Kriso Jr. and Doris Kriso, of Aiken, South Carolina, sold their home at 5323 Applegate Court to James Clark Wooller and Jennifer Sivyer Wooller, of Bristow, Virginia, and Joseph William Wooller III, of Bradenton, for $645,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,392 square feet of living area. It sold for $490,000 in 2021.

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STONEYBROOK AT HERITAGE HARBOUR

James Margo Cowie, trustees, sold the home at 7554 Camden Harbour Drive to Rose Abuhan, trustee, of Bradenton, for $642,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,345 square feet of living area. It sold for $346,000 in 2019.

Stanley and Janice Wrubleski, of Lutz, sold their home at 9039 Willowbrook Circle to Jeremy Daniell Filsell and Rebecca Susan Kellerman-Filsell and Paul Harry Kellerman, of Bradenton, for $625,000.

Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,228 square feet of living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2006.

MIRABELLA AT VILLAGE GREEN

Eric and Patricia Brown, of Bradenton, sold the home at 6912 Playa Bella Drive to Donald Eugene Kubecka and Linda Martin Kubecka, of Bradenton, for $620,000.

Built in 2016, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,525 square feet of living area. It sold for $520,000 in 2022.

BRADEN WOODS

William Clark Whiddon, of Boynton Beach, and Julia Marie McGriff, of Davenport, sold their home at 9219 59th Ave. Drive E. to Eric and Paloma Quintanilla, of Lakewood Ranch, for $580,000. Built in 1984, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,740 square feet of living area. It sold for $368,500 in 2006.

ONLINE See more transactions at YourObserver.com

A DAY AT THE BEACH WITH THE OBSERVER: David and Linda took the East County Observer along with them while visiting Cozumel, Mexico, during a cruise celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.

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JUNE 12, 2025

SPORTS

“I think the older I get, the harder the game becomes. The better you are, the harder the courses you play. ” — Lakewood Ranch High graduate Parker Severs SEE PAGE 15B

FAST

BREAK

Paddlers based at Nathan Benderson Park celebrated their selection to Team USA.

Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Giants

Former Lakewood Ranch baseball player Grant McCray hit two home runs on June 8 as he continues to make a bid to be called up to the San Francisco Giants again this season.

F

ormer Lakewood Ranch baseball player Grant McCray hit two home runs and drove in all four runs for the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, in a 4-0 win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys on June 8. McCray is now batting .256 with a .327 on-base percentage, 43 runs, 14 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 37 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in 61 games this season. ... Former Lakewood Ranch pitcher Colton Gordon earned his first win as a Major Leaguer on June 6 against the Cleveland Guardians. Gordon allowed one run on seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts over five innings. Five starts into his MLB career, Gordon is 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) and 25 strikeouts across 24 2/3 innings. He is scheduled to make his next start June 13 in Houston against the Minnesota Twins. ... The Sarasota Paradise soccer club won both of its matches last week. The Paradise defeated Fort Lauderdale United 2-1 on the road on Wednesday, June 4, and won 2-0 over Miami AC at home on Saturday, June 7. The Paradise (4-0-1) are in first place in the South Florida division of US League 2. Sarasota will host its next home match June 18 at 7:30 p.m. against Fort Lauderdale United — the second-place team in the division. ... Lakewood Ranch resident Kevin Roy finished in a tie for 18th place at the RBC Canadian Open from June 5-8. Roy shot a 12-under 68-68-64-68 to earn $125,277. It was Roy’s fifth top-20 finish on the PGA Tour this season in what’s been a breakthrough year for him.

Lakewood Ranch paddlers selected to Team USA The 17th IDBF World Championships begin July 14 in Germany.

VINNIE PORTELL STAFF WRITER

L

akewood Ranch resident Allyson Race received a phone call earlier this year that brought her to tears.

Team USA Dragon Boat Coach Angela Long was on the other end of that call, informing Race that she had been selected to be a part of the inaugural Team USA Breast Cancer Paddlers.

Race and her teammates will compete along with 22 other paddlers from Nathan Benderson Park at the 17th International Dragon Boat Federation World Championships in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany, from July 14-20.

Paddlers from Lakewood Ranch and Bradenton include Race, Teri Mason, Carol Tucker, Amy Harris, Laura Richards, Maybe Sullivan, Tim DiMenna and Ty Brewer.

For many paddlers like Race, the chance to compete on a world stage is exciting, but it isn’t the primary motivation for competing in dragon boat races.

Race competed in the 14th IDBF

HISTORY OF DRAGON BOATING 77-476 BC: Dragon boat racing originated in China as a way to appease rain gods.

The legend of its origin revolves around a man named Qu Yuan, who threw himself into the Mi Lo River after being banished from China due to claims of treason.

Fisherman raced their boats to save him, beating a drum and throwing rice dumplings into the water to distract fish, thus founding a lasting tradition.

206 BC to 220 AD: Dragon boat racing became a sport during the Han Dynasty.

1976: The first Hong Kong International races are held, an event that the IDBF acknowledges to be the start of the “modern era” of dragon boat racing.

1991: The International Dragon Boat Federation is formed.

1995: The first IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships was held in Yueyang, China.

ON COURSE FOR SUCCESS PAGE 14B

2025: Today, people compete in dragon boat races around the world. According to the IDBF, there are 50 million participants in China, 300,000 participants in Europe and 90,000 participants in the United States and Canada.

Team USA dragon boat paddlers ran through some practice sessions at Nathan Benderson Park ahead of the IDBF World Championships in July.

Club Crew World Championships in Ravenna, Italy, in 2024, but decided to take some time off from the sport afterward.

That didn’t last long.

Teammates texted her to see how she was doing, and after some time, she found herself back in a dragon boat at Nathan Benderson Park.

“It was pulling at my heart,” Race said. “I think it was the relationships we have on the team, but also the love of the sport. If you love a sport, I don’t care what age you are, it draws you to it. I ran in my 30s, and I still run today. The 70-year-olds out here are definitely inspiring.”

Newcomers to the sport of dragon boat paddling have their fortitude tested quickly.

A new paddler must learn how to paddle in sync to the beat of a drum alongside their teammates. If the timing is off, paddles will collide, water will splash onto the boat, and maximum speed will be impossible to reach.

The elements — from heat and humidity to foggy mornings — create an adjustment period as well.

That’s not even to mention the fact that alligators are lurking underneath the surface of the water.

“Your hand goes in the water when you paddle, so every time I’m like, ‘Please don’t eat me,’” said Team USA dragon boat paddler Maybe Sullivan. “My coach will say, ‘Put your leg in the water,’ and I’m like, ‘No way.’”

Sullivan had to overcome more than just her fear of alligators to get back in a boat again.

Back in 2016, she was aboard a commercial fishing boat hauling 180,000 pounds of salmon in the Bering Sea when a storm capsized the boat.

Luckily, Sullivan’s son came to the rescue in his boat, but the memory stuck with her.

“I never thought I was going to

Photos by Vinnie Portell

be in the water again, and now I’m here,” Sullivan said.

To qualify for Team USA, paddlers had to be tested in time trials using tandem outrigger boats in which one person steered the boat while the other paddled.

Those times were measured along with rowing erg results to evaluate both the speed and power of the paddler.

Paddlers such as Race and Sullivan have already made the most out of their experience, but winning gold would make that journey even sweeter, and Team USA has a strong history of winning.

Team USA brought home 24 gold medals, 39 silver medals and 19 bronze medals from the 16th IDBF World Championships in Thailand.

There isn’t any history to lean back on for the Breast Cancer Paddlers because this year will be the debut of the division at the IDBF World Championships, but optimism abounds nonetheless.

“They’re the ones paving the way,” Long said of her paddlers. “They’re trying this division out and seeing how it works. I know it’s going to be successful. They already have seven countries that are going to be participating, so they’ve got a good turnout. It’s going to be great.”

Team USA dragon boat paddler Maybe Sullivan (front right) worked alongside her teammates during a practice at Nathan Benderson Park.

14B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

VINNIE’S VIEW

VINNIE PORTELL

His Special Olympics road has been pure gold Jeremy Thompson has won friends, life skills and gold medals.

L

akewood Ranch resident Jeremy Thompson was born with Down syndrome, but that hasn’t stopped him from believing he can achieve just about anything.

Sometimes, that hasn’t worked in his favor, like when he turned 16 and backed the family car into a tree trying to drive by himself for the first time.

Other times, it’s resulted in lifelong memories of success, such as his two trips to the Special Olympics USA Games.

On May 16, Thompson, who is

Photos courtesy of Holly Thompson

Special Olympics athlete Jeremy Thompson won a bronze medal in bocce at the Florida Special Olympic Summer Games in May.

now 36, won a bronze medal in bocce at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Special Olympics Florida Summer Games with his mother, Holly Thompson, coaching him.

“My son has never had problems with confidence,” Holly Thompson said. “He’s felt that he can do anything, partly because we always told him that he could.”

Holly Thompson enrolled Jeremy in Special Olympics when he was 8 years old, and it’s been one of her best decisions.

He’s competed in track and field, bowling, basketball, golf, bocce, corn hole, and even alpine skiing.

After moving to the Lakewood Ranch area from Kentucky in 2022, the Thompsons helped establish training in alpine skiing for local Special Olympic athletes.

One of Jeremy’s favorite sports has been golf, and for good reason.

He’s won a gold medal at the state level of competition, which allowed him to advance to the USA Games.

Though he also advanced to the USA Games in track and field, Jeremy, a self-described competitor, said that’s his least favorite sport.

“I place second, third or fourth, and I hate that,” he said.

Jeremy’s time in Special Olympics means more to the Thompsons than the wall of medals on display in their family home.

As part of a military family, Jeremy has moved from Alaska to Ohio to Kentucky and now Florida.

During each transition he’s gone through, he’s made lifelong friends through Special Olympics.

When he bowls on Wednesday afternoons, Jeremy will FaceTime his bowling friends from Kentucky so they can still enjoy the time together.

It’s also given him the skills to hold a job. He’s a member of the Special Olympics Athlete Leadership Council and he helps with

Jeremy Thompson and his mother, Holly Thompson, helped start an alpine skiing group for athletes of the Special Olympics on the west coast of Florida after competing in the sport in Kentucky.

fundraising opportunities. He has raised his skills in interacting with people.

If not for the Special Olympics, Holly said she fears Jeremy might have spent much of his time behind a screen, unable to learn quality life skills and to make meaningful relationships.

“He has these lifelong friendships,” Holly Thompson said. “He goes to the movies; he has parties he goes to. All of the things you want for your children growing up, he now has.”

Though Jeremy has already won medals and found his community, there still are goals for him to reach.

He dreams of making it to the Special Olympics World Games.

The next World Games will be in

2027 in Santiago, Chile.

Even if Jeremy doesn’t achieve that goal, however, one of the lessons he’s learned along the way is that the Special Olympics is about more than just winning medals.

“My mom has taught me to do my best, but it’s OK if I don’t win,” he said.

Vinnie Portell is the sports reporter for the East County Observer. Contact him at VPortell@ YourObserver.com.

HISTORY OF THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS 1968: Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded the Special Olympics in 1968. The first international Special Olympics games were held at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 20 of that year. One thousand athletes from 26 states and Canada competed in track and field, swimming and floor hockey.

1971: The U.S. Olympic Committee gave approval to the Special Olympics as the only other organization in the U.S. to use the word “Olympics.”

1977: The first Special Olympics Winter Games are held in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. More than 500 athletes competed in skiing and skating events.

1981: Wichita, Kansas, Police Chief Richard LaMunyon begins the Law Enforcement Torch Run, a tradition that continues to this day.

1988: The International Olympic Committee officially endorses the Special Olympics.

1988: The Special Olympics introduces unified sports, in which Special Olympic athletes can compete alongside someone without intellectual disabilities.

1993: The fifth Special Olympics International Winter Games are hosted in Austria — the first international games hosted outside of the U.S. 2003: Ireland becomes the first nation outside the U.S. to host the Special Olympics World Summer Games. It was the largest sporting event in the world that year, with more than 5,500 athletes.

2025: There are now more than 4 million Special Olympic athletes worldwide, along with more than 1 million coaches and volunteers who help athletes compete in more than 30 Olympic-type sports.

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

When and why did you start playing golf?

I started playing golf because my brother and dad went to the range a lot, and I wanted to go with them. I was about 9 years old.

What’s been your most memorable moment on the golf course?

This last week at U.S. Open qualifying was pretty memorable. I had my whole family there, and that was pretty cool. It was a super nice golf course and it was in great shape.

er the game becomes. You go from playing easy golf courses when it’s not the best competition to against some of the top junior golfers and college players in the world. That’s when I was humbled by them, like ‘Holy cow, they’re way better than me.’ That made me appreciate it.

What’s your go-to warm-up music?

I listen to country music. Guys like Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs and Eric Church. If I need to get locked in, I’ll listen to rap.

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Parker Severs came within one great day of golf from playing in the U.S. Open this week. Severs graduated from Lakewood Ranch High in May and wasted no time getting started on the next phase of his golf career.

A few days after classes let out, he won a six-man playoff at Waterlefe Golf and River Club to advance past the local round of qualifying for the U.S. Open at Waterlefe Golf and River Club on May 8. Severs earned one of four qualifying spots to the final round of qualifying at Emerald Dunes Golf Club in West Palm Beach on June 2. He shot 3-under-par 69 in his first round, and was 5-under par for the tournament at one point in his second round. However, some miscues on the way in resulted in a second round score of a 3-over-par 75 to fall 10 strokes outside of the qualifiers.

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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Parker Severs

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

15B

If you’re not golfing, what are you doing?

I like to fish a lot. I play pickleball.

Those are the two things I do almost every week.

What does your ideal weekend look like?

I’d probably play golf for most of the day on Saturday and Sunday, maybe fish one afternoon. At night, I’d hang out and play poker or pickleball.

Spend Your Summer at

Finish this sentence. Parker Severs is …

Hard-working.

PLAY

What was your U.S. Open qualifying experience like?

Obviously, a lot of guys in the field were a little bit older or had more experience, but I was pretty much right there for about 20 holes.

I guess you can blame it on the weather delay.

After my 15th hole, we had about a two-anda-half-hour rain delay.

We went back out and I lost my groove, I guess.

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I think the older I get, the hard-

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

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17B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

THURSDAY, JUNE 12

Sunrise Sunset

High: 89 Low: 73 Chance of rain: 57%

FRIDAY, JUNE 13 High: 91 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 52%

Thursday, June 12

6:34a

8:26p

Friday, June 13

6:34a

8:26p

Saturday, June 14

6:34a

8:26p

Sunday, June 15

6:35a

8:27p

Monday, June 16

6:35a

8:27p

Tuesday, June 17

6:35a

8:27p

Wednesday, June 18

6:35a

8:27p

WEATHER

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

SUNRISE / SUNSET

FORECAST

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, JUNE 14 High: 91 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 44%

June 18 Last

June 25 New

July 2 First

July 10 Full

RAINFALL

SUNDAY, JUNE 15 High: 91 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 43% Gordon Silver captured this photo of a bald eagle carrying some nest building materials along Lorraine Road.

Monday, June 2

0

Tuesday, June 3

1.07

Wednesday, June 4

0.8

Thursday, June 5

2.35

Friday, June 6

0.01

Saturday, June 7

0

Sunday, June 8

0

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

Submit your photos at YourObserver.com/Contests. All submissions will be entered for the 2025-26 Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2026, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

YEAR TO DATE: 2025 13.13 in.

2024 10.71 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 4.46 in.

2025 1.02 in.

2024

We have all of your luxury flooring needs carpet | hardwood | tile | stone | pavers | and more

Daily crossword puzzles available at YourObserver.com/crossword after a spaghetti dinner 127 Build on

60 25-time LPGA Tour winner Se Ri ___ 62 NFL field DOWN 63 Yank 1 Touchscreen tools 64 Cellular messenger 2 About 65 Fashion letters 3 Whipped dessert 66 Nonsense 4 Veterans 68 A long, long time 5 What might fill a pint 69 Oboe insert glass 70 Connect the ___ 6 EGOT winner and “West 71 Ain’t equivalent?

Side Story” actress Rita 72 Statistician Silver 7 Thomas ___ Edison 77 Mars, but not Earth 8 Pricing category 78 Family guy 9 Actress Longoria 79 Biblical garden 10 Fam member 80 “Stick Season” singer 11 “So there!”

Kahan 12 CPR pro 81 Witnessed 13 ___ Paulo 82 Not trimmed, as a beard 14 Container tops 83 “What’s up, ___?” (Bugs 15 Berry that’s mostly Bunny’s catchphrase) vowels 85 Some Canadian cops 16 Utters 87 Like a red steak 18 Confuse 88 Some classic PCs 19 Venue for gladiators 89 Compete (for) 20 British sports car, 90 Assist with a crime informally 92 Big Apple inits.

22 Canine command 93 “10” actress Bo 23 Tweaks, as an essay 97 Poet W.H. ___ 29 A few 98 Out of tune 30 Pumpkin pie spice 99 Epitome of thinness ©2025 Universal Uclick 31 Feel sore 101 Sounded like a smoke 95 “Dancing With the Stars” 32 Luggage-checking org. day!”

ACROSS 33 Congressional periods detector network 66 Amazonian snake 35 It’s just for show(rooms) 1 American ___ (territory 34 Music blaster 102 Put forward 96 Advertising slogan for 67 Advertising slogan for whose capital is Pago Pago) 36 Advertising slogan for 37 Overflow (with) 106 Paving goo Midas’ muffler service? the NBA? the MLB? 6 Aussie pals 38 Bar bill 107 Midsection 100 “The Wire” actor Idris 73 “Black gold” 11 Units named after inven- 43 Australian runner 39 Corporate VIPs 108 It’s a thing 103 Anderson Cooper’s 74 A la king?

45 A pop tor and engineer Nikola 40 ___ of expertise 109 “Curses!” network 46 Result of waves hitting 75 Throw out 17 Fairy-tale baddie 41 Big name in potato chips 110 Branch headquarters?

104 Regrets 76 Droop rocks on the shoreline 18 South American country 42 Caustic cleaner 112 Condition that may 105 Most greasy, maybe 78 Await judgment 47 Advertising slogan for with the world’s largest 44 Org. aka the Postal involve repetitive behaviors, 108 Accelerator particle 80 “Science Guy” Bill Chippendales? salt flat Service for short 20 Birthplace of Rastafari- 53 Tie-breaking periods in 81 “Steve Jobs” actor Rogen 111 Three-___ sloth 47 “SmackDown” org.

113 Chart-topping songs 113 Labor leader Jimmy 82 “Do ___ others ...” the NHL anism 48 Juno’s Greek counter114 Protest singer Phil 115 100 centavos 83 Family guy 54 Apt rhyme of “spy” 21 Advertising slogan for part 117 “___ pasa?” (“What’s 116 Advertising slogan for 84 Texter’s “I think ... ” 55 Ties the knot “America’s Got Talent”?

49 Dutch cheese happening?”)

McCafe?

86 Advertising slogan for 56 Hurt badly 24 Certain deadly sin 50 Soft mineral 118 www.wiktionary.org, e.g.

122 Made certain 25 “What concerns me is ...” 57 Surgery sites, for short the PGA? 51 Swank in Hollywood 119 “Losing My Religion” 123 Nor’s partner 91 Rural route with little 59 Bitter brews, briefly 26 Slight advantage 52 Nonparticipation anxiband 124 Swerves traffic 61 Historical period 27 Fam member ety, briefly 120 Pizzeria order 94 Nickname that sounds 125 Roadside stops 62 Audacity 28 Demand 58 One who pays a monthly 121 Charlottesville sch.

126 Like a toddler’s face like its first two letters 63 “Go ahead, make my 30 ___-pedi flat fee?

AD ABSURDUM by Jeff Chen & Paul Coulter, edited by Taylor Johnson

437914-1

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.

“JI TDI T PIDN LNWFOTK ZWTGFZV ETBFKN – T RXKKEFSVLID, TG TOLDIZZ, T EKTBIGOY CTGOID TGC ZFGSID!” WTU PIST

“KO GCGXD BWO’Y PGWXS SPGXG KY W YGIXGS OGXCG SPWS WOYUGXY SH SPG CKLXWSKHOY HT LGWJSD.” IPXKYSHNPGX BHXAGD

“DA ADH YIDPM PA MHH WAAT KHAKTH OACDF EBCTTCIDPTL. C YIDP PA MHH PZH MPBSFFTH. PZIP’M PZH NSD ECP.” BCWXL FHBJICM Puzzle Three Clue: N equals F

crossword

Puzzle Two Clue: T equals F

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

Flooring Made for Your Family

Puzzle One Clue: R equals B

at MANASOTA FLOORING INC

© 2025 NEA, Inc.

sudoku

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

©2025 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

6-12-25

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

RED PAGES INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

Autos Wanted

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon

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

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

Items Under $200

Sporting Goods

TWO YOUNG orange/red canaries, one crested head.

Approx 1.5 yrs old, sex unknown. $145 for both. Buyer needs cage.

Pictures available. 941 702-8982 (no texts)

stuff

Antiques/ Collectibles ANTIQUES, ETC. Hoosier cabinet pre-1980, 1941 card table w/ chairs, Caroline Williams Cincinnati prints & more.

Prices negotiable.

Call 941-213-9546

Homes for Rent BEACH’ N RIDES Electric Bike Shop! eBike Sales and Rentals Ride easy on an eBike with as much exercise or assistance as you want.

Leave traffic and parking problems behind!

13 models available.

Daily and weekly rentals available.

We also repair other Brands.

Open 9 to 5 daily except Sundays and holidays.

12208 Cortez Rd, FL 941-251-7916 Ext. 1

Merchandise Wanted 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

Items Under $200 CEDAR CHEST w/ sliding tray.

Great storage. $75 OBO Call 941-213-9546 FREE SHEET MUSIC for voice, music for piano.

New Violin (1/8th size) $199 941-358-8511

SELL YOUR STUFF HERE! SAMSUNG 26” TV Was in bedroom:had little use Super picture with remote $79 Call 941-524-8867

The Premier Golf & Marina Manufactured Home Community 55+ Active Lifestyle

SELL YOUR STUFF

FOR LEASE

941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

3 bd/2ba in Indigo subdivision $2,600/ mo.

Over 1 Acre Beachfront House $6.5 million

House on Canal with Pool & Dock $1,250,000

auto

Pool Home Completely Upgraded $545,000 Luxury Sarasota Bay views 4 Bed 5 Bath with Boat Dock $1.9 million Brooke O’Malley CLUB REALTY Call 941-726-2677

RED PAGES

Puzzle One Solution: “We are a very typical Spanish family – a bullfighter, an actress, a flamenco dancer and singer!”

Paz Vega

Puzzle Two Solution: “In every man’s heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty.”

Christopher Morley Puzzle Three Solution: “No one wants to see cool people doing brilliantly. I want to see the struggle.

That’s the fun bit.”

Ricky Gervais

CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

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

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

1st Saturday of the Month 10AM-2PM For home listings and tee times visit us online To schedule a tour, please call 877-211-5337 Business Hours MON-SAT 8AM-5PM SUN 10AM-4PM 2550 Pier Drive, Ruskin, FL 35570 www.riversideclubFL.com

SELL IT NOW!

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IN PRINT AND ONLINE

A POWERFUL COMBINATION 941-955-4888

YourObserver.com/RedPages

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

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

Cleaning BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service

by Maria. Residential. Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References.

Free Estimates. Reliable. Lic./Ins. 941-400-3342. www.braziliancleaningbymk.com

Handyman Services ANDY HOME SERVICES Painting & Drywall Repair, Texturing, Flooring, Tile & Laminate Flooring Installation, Minor Home Repairs.

Call 941-545-7280

Advertise your business or service in the Observer

RED PAGES CALL TODAY 941-955-4888

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

Wallpaper installation & removal, pressure washing. Residential & commercial, condos.

Honest & reliable.

Free estimates. 941-744-1020.

35+ years experience.

SARASOTA PAINTING, LLC INTERIOR / EXTERIOR / CABINETS WE ARE THE BEST!!!

Residential & Commercial.

Fully Insured.

CALL or TEXT Don 941-900-9398

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! 941-955-4888

This week’s Sudoku answers

Aluminum

Auto Service

SELL YOUR CAR! FAST • EASY • SAFE

Dustin Yoder

Dustin Owner Yoder/ Operator ©2025 NEA, Inc.

Owner /Insured Operator Insured

WE COME TO YOU

941.270.4400

HoHoBuysCars.com

941.650.9790 941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com

YoderAluminum.com

5-Star Rated

445445

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

446746

You’re only cheating yourself.

peekers’ place

Autos Wanted

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers

OPEN HOUSE

Homes for Sale

Plantation Golf Course View Condo 3 Bed $294,000

©2025 Universal Uclick

NOW offering HOMES FOR RENT from $2,500/monthly *On select homes

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Sailboat Access Canal 4 Bed $675,000

This week’s Crossword answers

Brand New Model Homes starting in the low $200s

941-357-0078

SALE

SELL YOUR STUFF HERE!

Starting in the low $100s

208 111th St E, Bradenton 34212 3 bd/2ba, 2 car garage, water view, lawn care free, monthly water bill free, screed lanai, washer & dryer included. $2,250/ mo.

GARAGE Advertise as low as $17.50 per week!

HOMES FOR SALE

Paint the town RED!

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..

Homes for Sale

home services

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

real estate

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

Attorney

Health

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

446457

RELIABLE • INSURED

941-920-8221

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

ON TARGET

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224 Recognized Among the Best Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Physicians in America

OBSERVER RED PAGES

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

Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

We have mediated divorces involving up to 15 million dollars of assets over past 30 years.

Roofing

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC Midtown Medical Park 1215 S. East Ave. Suite 210 Sarasota, FL 34239

William J. Leininger, JD

Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator 677 N. Washington Blvd Sarasota, FL 34236 SarasotaDivorceMediator.com 941-727-5555

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc. Building & Roofing Contractor • Aluminum, Vinyl, & Wood Soffit and Fascia • Metal & Shingle Roofing • Pool Cage, Pan Roofs & Lania Fabrication • Aluminum Welding & Fabrication

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

Cleaning

446740

446167

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

Irrigation

Don’t Let Your DRYER

941-626-3194 kennethfuhlmaninc.com

Paradise Dryer Vent Cleaning

LAWN SPRINKLER SERVICES

941.979.2707 paradisedryervent.com

• Systems Upgraded & Serviced • Troubleshooting & Repair • Serving Manatee County since 1979

Start A FIRE! Call

Licensed, Bonded & Insured

446743

YOUR SAFETY IS PRICELESS!

445342

TODAY!

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

445453

Call me for a free 30 minute consultation before you call a Divorce Lawyer!

Screening

ANDY AVALOS | 941-545-7280

Computer

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

GRAB BARS GRAB BARS

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

Transportation

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

249 235

* $ $235

$

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

BLACK LABEL CAR SERVICE “Luxury for Less”

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

DRGRABBARS.COM

Windows

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS

DON’T let your

Call John 941.377.2940

AFFORDABLE WINDOW CARE

by John Larson

Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

446263

PATIO DOORS be a DRAG or your

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

Residential specialist for window cleaning & tinting

www.showerandbathsarasota.com

WINDOWS be a PANE!!

Landscaping & Lawn

Sliding Glass Door Repairs Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts | Window Repairs

GARDENS

FREE

IN-HOAMTEES ESTIM

No Job is Too Small!

30+YEARS LOCAL EXPERIENCE.

Cut Your Energy Bill by Tinting Your Home or Business!

Tax benefits! FPL rebates!

affordablewindowcare.com affordablewindowcare@gmail.com

by Allison

Serving Longboat Key Since 2005 Res. | Com. | Lic. | Ins.

Allison J. Abizaid

446169

Personal Gardening Services | Designer

www.ezslider.com

941-400-0431 • gbyallison@yahoo.com • gardensbyallison.com

GG1 Lawn Care & Landscaping Services

Formerly known as Sunrise Windows

Pruning, Weed Maintenance, Tree Care Call Today for FREE Estimate

Handyman

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KEENS HANDYMAN SERVICES

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INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

SPECIAL 00 5

FULLY INSURED • OWNER OPERATED

CALL OR TEXT 941-900-9398 TODAY! OWNER: DON HUBIAK

160

25 $

STANDARD WINDOWS

$

Exterior / Interior / Cabinets

446166

Call to reserve your ad space

Painting

SARASOTA PAINTING, LLC

GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE RED PAGES

UP TO

423.251.2368 / 863.473.1069

senior citizen discount.

www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

PURIFIED WATER WINDOW CLEANING AVAIL ABLE!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES 941- 284 - 5880

445456

941.628.8579

INTERIOR RENOVATIONS ONE STORY GUTTER CLEANINGS ONLY $250-$350 TEXT OR CALL 574-354-7772

on US CAPITAL, SENATE & LIBRARY of CONGRESS buildings after 9/11.

CALL (941) 955.4607 (941) 321.1304

Storm Cleanup • Garden Beds • Landscape Maintenance • Weeds • Trimming

Call us today!

TRUSTED SECURITY FILM INSTALLER

445461

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

Doors

410036

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

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364556 446168

941 - 248 - 4734

Pegatronics.com

941-735-3362

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CALL BEFOREYOU YOU FALL CALL BEFORE FALL

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

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

Mark’s Plumbing Service

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

Divorce is never fun, but it does not have to be nasty & hateful! Protect your family relationships and assets from expensive Court litigation. Consider Divorce Mediation, the peaceful alternative.

446745

Plumbing

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

Divorce without Lawyers

19B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER | THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025

EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS. REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE. Our family believes selling your home should be as smooth and rewarding as the outcome itself. Our clients don’t just achieve outstanding results-they also enjoy a level of service and care that sets us apart. Here’s what they had to say:

“I was blessed to have the Shanahan Group help me sell my home. They are professional, approachable, and always available to respond to questions and issues. From start to finish, they provided the network of services (staging, repair work, painting, etc.) which ultimately got my home sold quickly.

As I was out of state throughout the process, I relied on them to resolve any and all issues involved in the sale.

They were there for me every step of the way with a calm and professional approach.”

— D.C., The Lake Club “Shanahan Luxury Group is very professional, knowledgeable, and results oriented.

I was able to sell my home in 4 days at a record high price .I give them a strong A+ for all around excellence!”

— T.D., Country Club East “What impressed me most, however, was how personable they were. This intangible quality made me feel incredibly comfortable working with them, and we were able to build a level of trust that went far beyond just a real estate transaction. Team Shanahan’s care, attention to detail, and personalized service have earned my wholehearted recommendation for anyone looking to buy or sell a home.”

— S.S., Wild Blue “The Shanahan group made the process of selling our home in Lakewood Ranch easy!

Their market expertise, staging skills and pricing analysis were fantastic.”

— M.F., Concession “The Shanahan Group went out of their way to facilitate the sale of our home. We were kept informed on all aspects of the showings and one team member was always present. We were treated with professionalism and respect.

I would highly recommend Katina and her team to anyone looking to sell their home.”

— D.Q., Lakewood Ranch Country Club “We were very pleased with Ken and Katina in both the selling of our home an advising us on our new home construction project. They went above and beyond any other real estate experience we have had previously and we have sold many homes in a number of states.”

— T.H. and M.H., The Lake Club

LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT’S NEXT. If you’re considering a move, we’d love to help you navigate the process with confidence and ease.

As Coldwell Banker’s top-selling team in Lakewood Ranch, we combine market expertise with a personalized approach that delivers-every time.

SHANAHAN LUXURY GROUP 941.702.0437 | ShanahanLuxuryGroup@CBrealty.com 8334 Market Street | Sarasota, FL ShanahanLuxuryGroup.com #1 LAKEWOOD RANCH TEAM BY SALES VOLUME 2023-2024 for Coldwell Banker Realty Contact Us to Learn More or to Schedule a Showing.

437246-1

20B