East County Observer 6.17.21

E A ST COUNTY

Health Matters JUNE 2021

EAST COUNTY

Observer

Observer

NOT YET READY

Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

Many vaccinated individuals are still feeling anxious thanks to the effects of the pandemic.

RYAN KOHN | SPORTS

I

REPORTER

s the pandemic — and all the ills that come with it — finally coming to a close?

It depends on who you ask.

While some Americans are returning to large-scale events, either masked or unmasked, a large group of people is hesitant to fully live life like they did in prepandemic times just yet.

SEE PAGE 2

INSIDE

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

CUSTOM COMFORT

•

Mammogram device betters X-rays and selfcompression.

PAGE 4

UNIQUE FITNESS

Silks, heat and poles provide alternative exercise choices.

DIGITAL DETOX

Trade your screentime for new hobbies, family time.

FREE THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

VOLUME 23, NO. 31

Brendan Lavell

Carpet cleaner

Premier Sports Campus aquatic center included in county’s proposed budget. PAGE 3

Liz Ramos

Charlie Wormuth, a rising fourth grader, cares for a chicken.

Big lessons for little ranchers Eleven children participate in Lakewood Ranch High Future Farmers of America’s first summer camp. SEE PAGE 8

File photo

Suzanne Aguirre, shown swimming at John H. Marble Pool, is one of many Tsunami swimmers who live in Lakewood Ranch.

A+E

Liz Ramos

Coming up empty Lakewood Ranch’s Mark Storms (left) and Sarasota’s Roger Miller grabbed their fishing gear, got in their boat and set out into Trophy Lake along Lakewood Ranch Boulevard on June 11.

After a few hours of trying to catch fish, the lifelong fishermen came up empty.

“We thought there would be some big fish, but it was a quiet day,” Storms said.

PAGE 6

Premier pool could make a splash

YOUR TOWN

Friends of the Braden River Library President Judy Mullen knew her organization would be counted on to support the library’s renovation.

That support took the form of a $61,000 donation for new carpeting.

“We didn’t know what they needed help with, but we were ready,” Mullen said.

Replacement of the carpet, which is more than 10 years old, will be one of the renovation’s final tasks. After deep cleaning the entire library and replacing the ventilation, putting down new carpet will ensure the improved library is as sanitary as possible.

PAGE 5

Blast to past Fireworks on the Lake to return to pre-COVID flair.

SEE PAGE 2

File photo

Fireworks on the Lake at Nathan Benderson Park will mostly return to its pre-pandemic format this year, though a couple changes from last year will remain.

Collaboratively successful.

SEE PAGE 12

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

IF YOU GO FIREWORKS ON THE LAKE When: 5 p.m. July 3; fireworks start shortly after 9 p.m.

Where: Nathan Benderson Park Information: Visit NathanBendersonPark.org.

File photo

Lakewood Ranch’s Keri Langlois, Bryce and Jenn Wilson and Michelle Smith watch their friend Kristen Labatsky complete the Fireworks 4-Miler On The Lake as they listened to music by the Greg Billings Band in 2019.

Sparkle returns to Fireworks on the Lake SANCA said live music, food and the 4-mile race will return to its annual holiday event.

BRENDAN LAVELL STAFF WRITER

W

hen Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates was deciding on its budget for the 2021 fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was still casting a cloud of uncertainty.

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SANCA President and CEO Tomás Herrera-Mishler said the nonprofit decided it was too risky to include Fireworks on the Lake in its budget. The annual Fourth of July event held at Nathan Benderson Park was in jeopardy.

“The biggest challenge has been determining whether or not the show will go on,” SANCA Chief Operating Officer Stephen

Rodriguez said.

The show will indeed go on.

Sunset Automotive Group offered to sponsor the event, so with funding in place, SANCA announced on June 10 that Fireworks on the Lake would once again take place this year.

Fireworks on the Lake will cost SANCA about $40,000 and will draw as many as 25,000 visitors.

After a socially distanced event with subsequent attendance restrictions last year, the event will return to a more traditional format when it takes place July 3. The gates will open at 5 p.m.

Music will start at 5:30 p.m., and the fireworks will commence shortly after 9 p.m.

“The most exciting thing was when I realized that we would be able to gather the community back together after being forced apart for so long, celebrating our nation’s birth together,” HerreraMishler said. “I hope that this fun, family-friendly event helps to rekindle our patriotism and sense of unity with hope for the future.”

Rodriguez said this year’s event will be a hybrid of pre-pandemic editions and the 2020 version.

Live music will return, with two bands performing on Regatta

Island. The Black Honkeys will play their hybrid style of Motown, funk, rock and other genres, while country artist the Derek Lersch Band will also perform. A DJ will also provide music.

Another returning aspect of the event is the Kids Zone, which was introduced in 2019. Rodriguez said it will provide “a fun, safe and controlled environment for families to bring their children to play games and enjoy activities.”

Food vendors will return, as will the 4-mile race around the park’s Cooper Creek Lake.

Some aspects of the 2020 event will return. The fireworks will be broadcast on ABC for the second straight year. The broadcast will take place on the Fourth of July, the day after Fireworks on the Lake. They were broadcast last year because of the attendance restrictions put in place via social distancing protocols, and it was successful enough that SANCA and ABC will do it again this year.

In addition, Rodriguez said the park received “overwhelming” positive responses to its drivein event last year, so designated parking will remain. Tickets for parking will be $20 per car on Regatta Island. In the park’s south lot, tickets are $15 per car and $40 for recreational vehicles. Tickets will be available for purchase starting June 16 at NathanBendersonPark.org.

“I can’t wait to welcome our region to the park with our Kids Zone, food, live music and, best of all, a super fireworks display doubled by the reflection in our lake,” Herrera-Mishler said.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

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THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

OTHER COUNTY BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS East County road projects on FY22 proposed budget n Extension of Lena Road from south of 44th Avenue East to Landfill Road: $6.9 million n Widen Lorraine Road to four lanes from State Road 64 to 59th Avenue East: $38.1 million n Widen Upper Manatee River

SRQ Tsunami Coach Guy Bergeron instructs his swimmers during practice. The Tsunami share John H. Marble Pool with the Lakewood Ranch Lightning.

File photos

Proposed county budget includes Premier amenities Aquatic center, pickleball and racket center, and soccer building are included.

BRENDAN LAVELL STAFF WRITER

L

akewood Ranch Lightning Coach Steve Lubrino receives emails every day — sometimes more than once — from parents of children who want to join the swim team.

Each email becomes another name on the team’s waitlist, where Lubrino said each prospective swimmer waits an average of four to six months for a spot to open up. His team has grown from 75 to about 120 swimmers in the past six months.

A public pool in East County would allow him to accommodate a much larger team.

If Manatee County commissioners decide to keep plans for a $13.9 million Premier Sports Complex aquatic center on the budget recommended by county staff, the Lightning could see a new pool in East County as soon as 2024.

Staff members gave their first presentation of the proposed budget for fiscal year 2022 to the Manatee County Commission on June 9. There will be more work sessions for commissioners to evaluate staff’s proposed budget, which was crafted with commissioner input, between now and the start of the 2022 fiscal year Oct. 1.

The vote to approve a final budget usually takes place in September.

BY THE NUMBERS Estimated Premier costs on FY22 proposed budget n Aquatic center: $13.59 million n Pickleball/racket center: $4.89 million n Multipurpose soccer building: $6.46 million n 200-space parking lot: $759,500 n Overall site plan: $560,000

For the aquatic center, the county has planned a 25-yard pool with 10 lanes, which would include a shallow area for water fitness and swim lessons. Other planned aspects of the aquatic center include locker rooms with showers and restrooms, a water heating and cooling system, deck seating and shade structures.

If approved, design would likely start in October and take about one year. Construction would be planned to start in May 2023 and end in May 2024.

Local swimming coaches said an aquatic center in East County is necessary. The lack of pool space in East County caused a conflict between the Lakewood Ranch Lightning and SRQ Tsunami Swim Team in November when

Manatee County decided to have the two teams share John H. Marble Pool after the Lightning’s pool availability at Lakewood Ranch Country Club was reduced.

John H. Marble Pool is the easternmost public pool in Manatee County, located about threequarters of a mile west of Lockwood Ridge Road.

In addition to helping parents and kids by cutting down their commute to practice, Lubrino said an aquatic center in East County could become a home base for the Lightning, like other club teams have. A home pool would allow the team to hold swim meets that would make money for the county. Ideally, he would like to hold a meet every other month.

“We’ve been around since 2004,” Lubrino said. “Maybe we could put up banners, or we could put up a plaque with all the records like all the other teams do.”

Lubrino said that building an aquatic center in East County would help resolve the conflict between the Lightning and Tsunami. Tsunami Coach Ira Klein agreed, adding that the right facility could host two different programs and high school teams.

Klein said he has about 60-70 Lakewood Ranch-based kids enrolled in his program.

Like Lubrino, Klein said the right facility could be used for swim meets to earn the county money and provide economic impact for the community by filling up hotel space.

Other Premier amenities on the proposed budget include a $4.89 million pickleball and racket center and a $6.46 million multipurpose soccer building. The planned library near Premier Sports Complex is already funded for $14.92 million and is scheduled for completion in June 2023.

The proposed budget also includes $759,500 for a 200-space parking lot and $560,000 to create an overall site plan for the 200-acre property that includes the existing Premier Sports Complex and future park and library.

Road to four lanes from State Road 64 to Fort Hamer Bridge: $22.7 million n Rebase and resurface Lockwood Ridge Road from 56th Avenue Terrace East to University Parkway: $7.6 million

Plans for the pickleball and racket center include up to 24 pickleball courts, with as many as 10 covered. The plan includes an administrative office that would be the center of registration for a membership-based racket center for fee-paying members. Construction would be scheduled for completion in August 2022.

The multipurpose soccer building would be used for meetings, registration, dining, training and medical treatment. Plans for the building include climatecontrolled trailer restrooms, an emergency backup generator and parking lot improvements. Construction would be scheduled to start in October and finish in December 2023.

County staff said the building is necessary for Premier Sports Complex to compete with other sports tourism facilities in Florida, adding that teams at travel tournaments need space for storage and meetings.

“This project would fulfill the requests made by our clients that bring in large signature tournaments to our county that helps sustain tourism year-round,” the county’s proposed Capital Improvement Plan sates. “These enhancements would help support the hospitality industry and appeal to residents since events also include local athletes. The project would also add an additional revenue stream for our operation.”

“We’ve been around since 2004. Maybe we could put up banners, or we could put up a plaque with all the records like all the other teams do.”

— Steve Lubrino, Lakewood Ranch Lightning coach

Lakewood Ranch Lightning Coach Steve Lubrino says an aquatic center at Premier Sports Campus could become a home base for his team and allow him to hold swim meets that would make money for Manatee County.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

Tidewell searches for volunteers Tidewell Hospice seeks new volunteers after losing more than one-third of its volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BRENDAN LAVELL STAFF WRITER

Country Club’s Lynda Anderson felt helpless during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Usually a volunteer for Tidewell Hospice, Anderson was unable to help out as usual from March through the end of 2020 because of health and safety restrictions.

She knew the patients, more isolated than ever, had needs that wouldn’t stop. She knew hospice staff would be left on their own to handle everything.

“You’re sitting there, you’re not going anywhere, and you’re reflecting back on what things you would like to be doing,” Anderson said. “I kept thinking, ‘Gosh, I wish I could get back in there. I wish I was there to do something.’”

It has been a phased return since the start of 2021, but Anderson is finally back to doing almost everything she would do before the pandemic started. She is still social distancing while visiting patients and wearing a mask in the building.

Not all of the volunteers have returned, however, and Tidewell is seeking more, said Vice President of Specialized Services Stacy

Groff, who oversees all volunteers. Before the pandemic, Groff said Tidewell had about 1,200 volunteers for its nine facilities.

That number is down to 750.

Lakewood Ranch-specific data was not available because individual volunteers often help at a variety of locations.

Although volunteers weren’t allowed in the facility for almost nine months, Groff said a few of them did find ways to help. For example, when medical supplies, such as masks, gowns and even face shields, were in short supply, Tidewell enlisted some volunteers to make them. Volunteers made 900 gowns. Face shields were made using a couple 3D printers.

Groff said those supplies were vital until supply chains were replenished in the early summer.

As much help as those supplies provided, Groff said the lack of volunteer-patient interaction was the most difficult void to fill.

“You can put as many faces as you want on iPads, but it’s not the same as having a human right there with you,” Groff said.

Anderson returned to Tidewell in January but only in the role of host, which entails greeting people, taking their temperatures and ensuring restrictions on the

HOW TO VOLUNTEER What: Tidewell Hospice Contact: Volunteer Onboarding Specialist Sue Forbes Phone: 441-2061

Brendan Lavell

Tidewell volunteers Lynda Anderson, who works in patient support, and Phyllis Scarff, who works as a host, stand outside the entrance to the Lakewood Ranch facility. Anderson couldn’t do patient support for more than a year.

number of visitors allowed are followed. It wasn’t until about seven weeks ago — more than a year after she had to stop volunteering — that she finally got to work in her preferred role: patient support.

Anderson said that interacting with patients is the part of the job she missed most. Since she has returned, she said, patients have been thanking her for every single thing she does for them.

Anderson said that she also

appreciates all the families who thank her for volunteering.

River Club resident Bill Rempe missed volunteering at Tidewell, but he also was a little apprehensive when he first returned at the beginning of May, especially because he had only received the first dose of his vaccine. After volunteering a few times — and getting his second shot — he felt much more comfortable. He said Tidewell has done a great job of

taking health and safety protocols into account for patients and volunteers alike.

Rempe does pinning services for patients who are veterans.

Ceremonies consist of attaching pins to veterans’ clothing to honor their sacrifices and their families’ sacrifices. Rempe said the ceremonies are often emotional for the veterans, and he missed having the opportunity to provide those special moments for them.

Rempe himself served in the Army for six years, so the pinnings are especially meaningful for him as a way to show the patients their service was appreciated, one veteran to another.

“It is a material way, a personal way, for me to say thank you for your service,” Rempe said. “As you may be aware, many of our veterans and those who are serving today are not recognized for the contribution that they make and the sacrifice that they make to keep our country free. This is a way for me to reach those veterans who have served.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

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THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

Special election set for school millage The School District of Manatee County will use afterschool care fees to fund the special election.

LIZ RAMOS

ABOUT THE 1-MILL PROPERTY TAX

STAFF WRITER

M

anatee County residents will be headed to the polls Nov. 2 for a special election on the School District of Manatee County’s 1-mill property tax referendum.

The Manatee County commissioners unanimously approved the resolution June 8 after the School Board of Manatee County made changes to the resolution to address commissioners’ concerns about having a $400,000 special election.

The millage was last approved with 51% of the vote in March 2018 during a special election.

It generated $40.33 million in the 2019-20 fiscal year, and it is expected to generate $42.61 million in the 2020-21 fiscal year. The money from the millage is used to increase student instruction time by 30 minutes per day, increase pay for district employees, and expand career and technical education and STEM programs. The millage also provides funding for charter schools.

If voters approve the 1-mill property tax, it would start July 1, 2022, and expire June 30, 2025.

Having the millage expire after

Voters approved the 1-mill property tax in March 2018 with 51% of the vote.

The millage is set to expire June 30, 2022.

A special election to vote on the continuation of the millage will be held Nov. 2. If approved, the millage would start July 1, 2022, and expire June 30, 2025.

Future millage votes will take place during presidential elections.

The millage is used for: n 30 minutes of additional instructional time daily; n Salaries for teachers and staff; n Enhancing career and technical education and STEM programs; and n Charter schools.

SG

three years instead of four years forces the vote on the millage to occur during presidential elections starting in 2024, meaning there no longer would be special

Courtesy photo

Braden River Elementary School first grader Jordan McCarte listens intently as her reading buddy, Gia Giangrante, who is a fifth grader, reads “The Invisible Boy.”

elections for the vote.

Commissioner George Kruse, who first suggested the school board move the election to the Aug. 16, 2022, primary election, said he appreciated the changes the school board made to ensure future millage votes would occur during general elections when the most Manatee County residents’ voices will be heard.

“I do feel there’s some good faith associated with adjusting [the vote date],” Kruse said.

The school board couldn’t hold the vote during the Aug. 16, 2022, primary election because the current millage expires June 30, 2022. If the board waited to hold the vote, the school district would lose a year of revenue from the millage.

The school district will use

after-school care fees to pay for the special election.

Tim Bargeron, the associate superintendent of finance for the School District of Manatee County, said the enterprise funds from after-school care are used in a variety of ways and are used at the discretion of the School Board of Manatee County.

The board could choose to use the funds for anything in the district, such as laptops and textbooks, or to fund the special election, Bargeron said.

“We feel we are in good shape for covering the cost of the special election,” Bargeron said.

Bargeron and Mike Barber, a spokesperson for the district, said a political action committee will be developed to raise money for the campaign.

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YourObserver.com

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Michael Benkusky says he will do his best to honor Dick Wilson’s design of the Champions Course.

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Palm Aire’s Champions Course on schedule Architect Mike Benkusky says renovation should be complete for November reopening.

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Looking down a long runway of markers and dirt June 9 on the Palm Aire Country Club Champions Course, golf course architect Michael Benkusky talked about the theory of tailoring a course to its patrons.

Benkusky, of Lake in the Hills, Illinois, was chosen by Palm Aire Country Club to renovate the Champions Course, which opened in 1957 as DeSoto Lakes.

It was designed by noted architect Dick Wilson.

When it opened, Wilson’s design was immediately listed as one of the toughest courses in the country by Golf Digest. It could play nearly 7,000 yards long to challenge the world’s best golfers.

The PGA hosted the DeSoto Open in 1960 won by Sam Snead, and in 1961, the Golden Circle of Golf Festival was held on the course and won by legendary golfer Louise Suggs.

Wilson, though, knew that the pros might only play the course once every few years, if that much.

He created long “runway” tee areas where the back tees could

challenge the best golfers while the very front tees were suitable for high handicap recreational players. Average golfers would play from the middle tees.

Most courses at the time would have three or four tee markers to give golfers options. The game has changed.

Benkusky stood on a tee area, under construction and void of grass, that was approximately 75 yards long and would be home to eight tee markers.

As an example, consider that a front tee marker might have the golfers playing a 350-yard par 4.

The back tee marker would make it a 425-yard hole. The other markers would allow golfers a choice in-between based on their ability.

Complicating matters for Benkusky is that he wants his renovation to honor Wilson’s intentions in terms of the way the original architect wanted the course to be played. With eight tees, that can be difficult.

If Wilson designed a fairway bunker to force the golfers to carry it with a good shot or be penalized for a bad one, it wouldn’t make sense to place the bunker 230 yards from the middle tees, where the average golfer wouldn’t be likely to carry it even with a great shot. Such a placement, in contrast, might be perfect for scratch golfers another 40 yards back.

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“You get excited to work on someone’s design you respect. This course has good bones. It’s kind of like looking at a house remodel.”

— Michael Benkusky

“It does become tough to design a course with eight markers,” Benkusky said. “It’s hard to make it so people are all playing the course the same way.”

So Benkusky concentrated on the course playing as close as possible to Wilson’s original design from the middle tees to suit the club’s members and regular golfers.

“You can’t design a course for professionals,” Benkusky said.

“The only thing that makes them nervous is wind.”

With that in mind, Benkusky wasn’t worried about adding substantial length to the Champions Course, as is common with many golf course renovations. He did find a way to move four tee areas back, and when finished, the course will play to 7,200 yards from the back tees, 200 yards longer than the course could play before the renovation.

Benkusky did create nine new forward tee areas, giving more options to the recreational golfer.

Also included in Benkusky’s renovation is a complete stripping of the greens.

“Basically, we are restoring all the greens and putting surfaces,” he said. “We had to scrap off the top layer of organic materials. We took a look at the contours of the greens.”

Wilson valued the aerial game, meaning he didn’t want golfers to be able to hit shots short of the green and bounce the ball forward near the pin.

By adjusting the contours of the greens and the way a golfer approaches a green, Benkusky could honor Wilson’s design.

“Wilson was all about precision and hitting it in the air,” Benkusky said.

The renovation had made bunkers, which tend to expand over time, smaller. The bunkers also have been designed so that the sand slopes up to the forward top edge of each bunker, giving the impression they are very deep, even when they are not. The smaller bunkers helps with maintenance and playability.

Although water is prominent on the course, it is more about aesthetics than hazards.

“There is a lot of water, but it doesn’t come into play,” Benkusky said. “[Wilson] didn’t really want it to. If it was me, I probably would bring the water more into play, but I’m not here to put my stamp on it.”

Other changes on the course are about aesthetics. Pine and palm trees have been added to create a “Florida feel” along with crushed shell to areas where it is hard to grow grass. Some cart paths that had deteriorated have been rebuilt with crushed shell.

“We’re enhancing the eye appeal,” he said.

About 50 trees were removed from the course because they were killing fairway grass.

Benkusky said he was excited to work on the course the first time he visited.

“You get excited to work on someone’s design you respect,” Benkusky said of Wilson. “This course has good bones. It’s kind of like looking at a house remodel.”

Work began at the course in April and Benkusky, who has been in the business since 1988 when he graduated from Iowa State, said the construction is ahead of schedule for its November reopening. Joe Rassett, the club’s general manager and chief operating officer, said it is a “multimillion-dollar renovation” to modernize the course.

A former collegiate golfer, Benkusky is looking forward to play the Champions Course.

“I haven’t even played a handful of rounds this year,” he said. “My clubs are sitting in Joe’s office.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

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

Photos by Liz Ramos

Daniel House and Charlie Wormuth, who are rising fourth graders, talk about the chickens they’re holding.

FFA hosts agriculture camp Second through sixth grade students learn how agriculture affects them.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

B

rynn Shear, a rising fourth grader at B.D. Gullett Elementary School, bent down in the chicken coop at Lakewood Ranch High School and scooped up a chicken.

She gently caressed the small hen.

“I like working with chickens,” Shear said. “It’s my passion.”

Shear was able to learn more about chickens as well as beef and dairy cows and goats during the second day of Lakewood Ranch High Future Farmers of America’s first Little Ranchers summer camp.

Maddy Hartwig, a rising senior at Lakewood Ranch High School and the president of the school’s FFA chapter, said the agriculture camp is the first of its kind at the school. It gives camp participants an opportunity to learn about agriculture and how it impacts them.

“The camp is focused around agriculture education and getting students a chance to look at agriculture and how it affects their

Mia Gorskey, a rising third grader at Gene Witt Elementary School, pets a calf.

Josie Romine, a rising junior at Lakewood Ranch High School and camp counselor, watches as Lorenzo Vagi, a rising fourth grader at Robert E. Willis Elementary School, shows Linda, a heifer, some love.

life,” Hartwig said. “I’m excited to see the kids learn and see how it is a good thing for the community.”

Throughout the weeklong camp, 11 campers learned about plant, animal, marine and environmental sciences. With plant sciences, campers learned about good insects versus harmful insects, the food chain of insects and how insects affect plants.

Animal sciences taught campers about beef cows, dairy cows, chickens and goats as well as how to make butter. Through marine sciences, campers learned about water filtration and its importance. Environmental sciences taught campers about soil and the nutrients needed to grow crops.

The final day of the camp was spent teaching campers about leadership through team building exercises and games.

Mia Gorskey, a rising third grader at Gene Witt Elementary School, liked being able to have hands-on experiences with the animals and activities during camp.

Lorenzo Vagi, a rising fourth grader at Robert E. Willis Elementary School, loved spending time with the goats. He laughed as he showed the edge of his shirt had bite marks from a goat.

Campers shared interesting facts they learned while interacting with the animals.

For example, Shear learned that goats can live for about 15 years and that cows can live for 20 years while Gorskey learned about byproducts of cows, such as toothpaste.

WHAT CAMPERS LEARNED Through the weeklong camp, participants learned about different aspects of agriculture, including: n Plant sciences n Animal sciences n Marine sciences n Environmental sciences n Leadership

The camp also was a learning opportunity for the 14 camp counselors, who are members of the school’s FFA chapter.

Hartwig and Hannah Yancey, a rising senior at Lakewood Ranch High and an FFA member, both said working with the campers will give them an opportunity to see whether becoming an agriculture teacher would be something of interest to them.

“I like to teach kids, but I didn’t know if teaching was something I wanted to do for a long time,” Yancey said. “Plus it’s always good to remember the basics of agriculture because sometimes you forget about it whenever you’re learning much harder stuff.”

Hartwig is hoping the camp will expand next year with new participants as well as returning campers. She said if campers choose to return, the counselors will be able to build upon the foundation of knowledge they have from this year.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

SIDE OF RANCH

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THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

9

JAY HEATER

Market’s impending move thrills vendors V

endors Ron and Betty Jo Baca of Baca Breads haven’t been staying until the end of the Market at Lakewood Ranch’s Sunday hours in the parking lot at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

Their breads were long gone.

Despite the quick sell-outs in their current location, the Bacas said they can’t wait to get started when the market moves to Waterside Place, most likely in August.

“It’s going to be an interesting market with all the development,” Ron Baca said. “They are going to have some attractions.”

Lakewood Ranch’s new entertainment and restaurant hub, Waterside Place, is still under construction, but it is inching toward the finish line. The buildings all are constructed, but merchants have just begun doing the inside build-outs while landscaping continues.

“Unfortunately, there isn’t a concrete date for the move yet as there are a lot of factors in play,” said Monaca Onstad, the director of community relations for Lakewood Ranch Communities. “We look to move the market to Waterside Place with the first tenant opening. We expect the move to happen sometime in August.”

In previous years, the market would close by May, but Onstad decided to keep it going right through the opening at Water-

Photos by Jay Heater

Above: Ron and Betty Jo Baca show their Baca Bread products to Lucy Dowd of Venice.

Left: Anthony Sessa of The Pasta Machine says business has been great in the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center parking lot, but he expects even more patrons at Waterside Place.

side Place. Vendors said they haven’t seen much of a slowdown despite the heat as we move into the summer months.

The Pasta Machine’s Anthony Sessa said the summer months always are slow, but he has been pleased because business has been brisk. He has loved his spot on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.

“A lot of people drive past here,” he said.

Even so, Sessa said he is looking forward to the move.

“They are building a lot of houses there,” he said of Waterside Place.

Ron Baca said Waterside Place’s attractions, such as an island park and smaller parks for entertainment, its many restaurants and all the neighboring apartments and town homes, will make for a great market. He does expect a slow start.

“It will take some education,” he said. “You have to train people to go because this will be taking them out of their way.”

Van Balam, whose knifesharpening business is a staple of the market, said he agrees business will “slow up” for a couple of months after the move.

“This has been a good market [at the current site], but Waterside Place is going to be incredible,” he said. “The vendors will grow with that community.”

Deborah Aiza, the owner of Good Hand Pasta, said she doesn’t think it will be all that

slow after the move.

“I would imagine they will have enough marketing in place,” she said. “Oh, my goodness, I am excited.”

The Market at Lakewood Ranch moved to the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center parking lot in November 2019. The two previous season (2017-18 and 2018-19), the market was run on Wednesdays at the Sarasota Polo Club. Previous attempts to run a market in the Main Street at Lakewood Ranch area were unsuccessful.

After SMR struck gold with the market in the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, I was sure I would find a few vendors who would be nervous about moving the market once again.

But that wasn’t the case at all as I moved from vendor to vendor. It was unanimous that despite solid business at the current site, they feel greater riches will be on the line at Waterside Place.

I guess it really is a plum location.

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

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

A bigger Ovation East County school of musical theater survives pandemic, then expands.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Ovation School of Musical Theatre Where: 4602 E. S.R. 64, Bradenton Who: Owners Matt and Michelle McCord of Creekwood Summer camps: The camps began June 7. For a list of the various camps, fees and times, go to Ovation-MusicalSchool. com.

Phone: 400-4854

students’ backgrounds and goals was magnified.

Ovation School of Musical Theatre was opened in 2013.

“I’ve been doing this since I was 5,” Michelle McCord said. “This is what I know. It is what I live and breathe.”

Michelle McCord was a ballerina from the age of 5 until she was 27 in Hanover, Germany, and then shifted to musical theater from 1988 to 1999 in Berlin.

Michelle and Matt met in Sarasota during a Players Centre for Performing Arts production of Neil Simon’s “Rumors” in 2011 when both were in the cast. Eventually, they both became instructors with The Players, which led to marriage and eventually them founding Ovation.

“It has been a lot of work and

Jay Heater

dedication,” Matt McCord said.

“It is amazing that we have accomplished as much as we have. We are so fortunate and so grateful. No incident of COVID came out of our school. Every morning at 7:30 a.m., I am here wiping with Lysol.”

One of the best business decisions they made was having Zoom classes during the height of the pandemic.

“The students needed the activity,” Matt McCord said. “The families were grateful we continued.”

Ovation School of Musical Theatre owners Michelle and Matt McCord did a lot of their own handyman work in getting their studio expansion ready for its June 7 opening.

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t was the first spring of COVID-19, and Ovation School of Musical Theatre owners Matt and Michelle McCord thought the pandemic might force them to find another way to make a living.

They thought about it for five minutes and then said, “No way.”

“This is what we do,” Matt McCord said.

At the time, the McCords were teaching out of their Creekwood home because the pandemic led them to close their Lakewood Ranch studio on Town Center Parkway in March 2020. Their enrollment of 200 students shrank to 84.

Then a group of their students’ parents organized a parade of 30 vehicles, which drove past the McCords’ home, flashing signs to show their support.

It was time for the McCords to think of the future.

They already were making plans to expand when the pandemic hit. They had found a nice space in the Braden River Plaza on State Road 64 that was owned by Benderson Development. With help from Benderson to get them started, they opened a new studio in June 2020.

A year later, on June 7, the

McCords opened their expanded Ovation, adding an 1,800-squarefoot teaching space to their existing 1,400-square-foot space.

They also added a 400-squarefoot acting studio. Their former studio was 2,400 square feet.

“We are beyond grateful to the families who stuck with us and paid tuition, even when we were teaching in a modified form [on Zoom],” Matt McCord said. “You can understand, it has been a stressful year.”

Michelle McCord said the new space will provide Ovation more performance opportunities because it will be able to accommodate additional seating from the previous studio. She said the students are proud to perform in their new facility.

“We are pinching ourselves,” Matt McCord said. “This is glorious.”

Both instructors said the pandemic forced them to teach in different ways and made them take a different look at their students.

“It increased our understanding that everyone has a life outside of here,” Matt McCord said.

“What we do impacts their lives as we go.”

Michelle McCord said she sees each student more as an individual with their own story. She said the way she thought about the

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

So crazy, it just may work MARTY FUGATE CONTRIBUTOR

D

ingbat. When Archie Bunker says it, it’s an insult. If a typesetter says it, it means a font with a bunch of wacky shapes. When the cohorts of Dingbat Theatre Project say it, they’re talking about getting seriously silly.

The troupe is the brainchild of Luke McFatrich, an improv teacher and fundraiser at Venice Theatre. He founded the compa-

ny in late 2020 during the shadow of the pandemic. It seems counterintuitive, if not crazy. What was he thinking?

“The pandemic was lasting longer than most of us originally expected,” he said. “I’d made a mental note to launch a fun theater project if COVID was still lingering by late fall. It was, so I did.”

COVID-19 was the context; talent was the fuel. McFatrich didn’t want to put on a oneman show. He reached out to Brian Finnerty, a multitalented

director and choreographer who seemed like an ideal collaborator.

McFatrich had worked with him before, and they shared the same skewed worldview.

The project was rolling.

“We got together and got to work creating our own shows,” McFatrich said. “As luck would have it, Brian and his friends had just produced a Halloween cabaret at the Bazaar on Apricot & Lime. We had a venue before we had a name.”

The elements were coming

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together.

“We had an outdoor stage, we had the talent, and there were only two other live theater productions in town at the Asolo and The Players Centre,” he said.

“Those shows weren’t aimed at younger people with families, so Brian and I created a show that hit the sweet spot for them. They loved us, and it all came together.”

The project started as a nameless duo, just McFatrich and Finnerty doing 21st century, punk-rock, post-modern vaudeville at the bazaar’s outdoor stage.

By the second performance, McFatrich’s brainchild had a name: Dingbat Theatre Project.

The troupe had now quadrupled.

The company staged its first production May 7: an eight-person, theater-in-a-trunk “Shrek: The Musical.”

“We had next to nothing to work with,” McFatrich said. “We had to get very, very creative to pull it off.”

The company’s actors all played multiple roles. When the company ran out of actors, it pulled out the puppets.

“Not articulated or sophisticated,” McFatrich said. “These were more like toys and stuffed dolls.”

The low-tech puppet cast included Gingy the Gingerbread Man, a cardboard cutout with candy taped to it; Humpty Dumpty, a volleyball with googly eyes; an “Elf on the Shelf”; and three stuffed panda dolls filled in for the bears who bothered Goldilocks.

Sound and lighting? The Players Centre for Performing Arts loaned out its equipment, along with the people who knew how to use it: lighting designer Matt Neywer and sound designer Joshua Linderman.

Stage manager? Lisa Million stepped up — on loan from Venice Theatre.

Costumes? David Walker and McFatrich’s mother.

Sets? Tim Wisgerhof made the scene. He’s Venice Theatre’s resident scenic designer and an expert at creating beautiful somethings out of nothing.

“Tim built us this huge, wooden, foldable backdrop in a day,” McFatrich recalls. “He went to Lowe’s at 6 a.m. and bought the lumber. He carved it with a circular saw while the paint was still

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When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When life gives you a pandemic, start a theater troupe.

That’s how Dingbat Theatre Project was born.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

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Courtesy photo

ists in the area. We got by with a little help from our friends.”

McFatrich adds that Dingbat Theatre Project isn’t planning on duplicating the efforts of its friends across the theater community.

“We’re not the Urbanite, we’re not The Players, we’re not the Asolo,” he said. “We call ourselves ‘the quirky contemporary theater on the Suncoast’ because that’s who we are — ‘contemporary’ and ‘edgy’ doesn’t really fit us.

We like to look at shows and figure out new and surprising ways to do them.

“We’re actor-driven, and our rehearsals are very collaborative on a creative level. Nobody’s passive. Everyone participates in shaping the show. From an actor’s standpoint, it really pushes your craft. It’s also really, really fun.”

Dingbat Theatre Project is Sarasota’s newest performing arts group.

355858-1

wet. I didn’t see him do it, but he somehow magically finished it by 6 p.m. — just in time for our first rehearsal.”

Everything looked great. But not slick. The production was deliberately low-tech.

“We were going for a funky, garage-sale look,” McFatrich said. “‘Shrek’ is such a deeply silly musical, and a whimsical approach works perfectly.”

The whimsy worked, thanks to collaborative creativity from across our area’s theater community. As McFatrich relates the story, it’s reminiscent of an old children’s book — “Stone Soup.”

Everyone added a little something to the mix.

“Theater at its best is a collaborative art form,” McFatrich said. “That’s what happened with ‘Shrek.’ We staged our first musical thanks to some of the best art-

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THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

Local Girl Scouts strike gold Two Braden River High School graduates earn top Girl Scout honors for helping others.

PURE GOLD OLIVIA TOWNSEND School: Braden River High School Graduation year: 2021 Years in Girl Scouts: 13 Favorite aspect of Girl Scouts: Getting to know other scouts

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KATHERINE E. MISCH DMD

s a teenager, did you ever wonder how to change a tire?

What about how to write a check? Maybe you needed tips and tricks on how to write a resume or tie a tie for a job interview?

Olivia Townsend, a Girl Scout and 2021 graduate of Braden River High School, has some answers.

When Townsend was a senior in high school, she started thinking about all the tasks she would need to know as an adult but hadn’t learned in school.

Her struggle with “adulting” became her inspiration for her Gold Award project for Girl Scouts.

The Gold Award is the highest achievement for a Girl Scout.

The project requires 80 hours and must make a long-lasting impact on the community.

Townsend spent months at the end of 2019 trying to find a place where she could host classes on different aspects of adulting, but she didn’t have any luck. Then the pandemic hit in March 2020, and she decided to move her Guide to Adulting into a web format with a website with how-to videos. “[There were] all these different tasks when I turned 17 that I had to figure out and do on my own, and I was like, ‘Well, I’m sure if I don’t know how to do it, a whole bunch of other people don’t know how to do it,’” Townsend said.

Townsend received her Gold Award in May along with six other Girl Scouts in Manatee County, including East County’s Sydney Shepard, who graduated from Braden River High School in 2020.

SYDNEY SHEPARD School: Braden River High School Graduation year: 2020 Years in Girl Scouts: 14 years Favorite aspect of Girl Scouts: Fishing

Shepard’s Gold Award project was building portable Earth boxes for DeSoto Beach Club, a retirement community in Sarasota, so the residents could garden.

Shepard’s inspiration for her project stems from her grandfather, Chuck Neetz, who was in a retirement home in New York and started gardening and sharing what he grew with his community.

“Gardening makes you feel happy, energized and successful whenever you do something correct, and it makes you feel independent because you’re focusing on your own thing,” Shepard said.

“When you see the product dayby-day that it’s growing, you feel satisfied with yourself.”

While working with her parents, Douglas and Juliet, and her boyfriend, Joseph Schneier, Shepard built the boxes for the residents to use and then helped the residents plant flowers and other plants.

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SPORTS

— Lakewood Ranch High’s Andres Junge SEE PAGE 17

HIGH

BEST OF THE BEST

5

Manatee County Youth Rowing sophomore makes his mark in the U17 1x races.

RYAN KOHN

OTHER IMPRESSIVE OUTINGS

SPORTS REPORTER

T

1

Lakewood Ranch High softball Coach T.J. Goelz was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Overall Coach of the Year on June 8. Goelz led the Mustangs to a Class 7A state championship.

2

The Out-of-Door Academy junior baseball outfielder Logan Tribble was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 2A Player of the Year on June 11. Tribble hit .453 with two home runs, five triples, nine doubles and 24 RBIs.

3

The Out-of-Door Academy baseball Coach Mike Matthews was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 2A Coach of the Year on June 11.

Matthews led the Thunder to a Class 2A state title.

4

Kevyn Rakowski sank a hole-in-one June 8 on the No. 4 hole of Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s Royal Lakes course.

5

“It’s fun to play. Basketball has been the time of my life.”

Todd Manas, Brian Fogel, Will Lawhon and Marvin Pearlman (-22) won the Men’s Pro Shop Buddy event (best ball scoring) June 12 at Palm Aire Country Club’s Lakes course.

he 2021 USRowing Youth National Regatta, held June 10-13 at Nathan Benderson Park, was an opportunity for junior rowers to make a name for themselves on a national stage.

One local rower took advantage of that opportunity.

Manatee County Youth Rowing’s best finish was from Hayden Lesser, a sophomore at Parrish Community High. Lesser finished third in the U17 Men’s 1x Final B (7:56.33) on June 12, less than three seconds behind event winner Cooper Anderson of Niskayuna Rowing (New York). That meant he finished ninth overall in the event, if combining the A and B final rankings. It was the event’s time trial June 10 that put Lesser on the national map, however.

In the time trial, Lesser finished fifth overall (7:36.68), approximately 20 seconds faster than his time in the finals.

The performance solidified Lesser as one of the elite U17 Men’s 1x rowers in the county, something he didn’t necessarily expect to happen entering the event.

“This was my first time [at the Youth National Regatta],” Lesser said. “I was nervous. I knew I had the potential to do it, but I have never competed at this level before. There was a lot of talent there.”

Lesser began rowing four years ago. He had been aware of the sport previously, he said, but only decided to check it out on a whim.

Lesser competed in the inaugural Fort Hamer Bridge Run on Aug. 26, 2017, and while at the event, he spotted a booth representing MCYR. Lesser went to a practice and never looked back. It was the sport for him — the only sport Lesser does. For him, he said, rowing offers the perfect blend of competition and uniqueness. He likes to race, but he also likes that

Although Manatee County only had a few rowers competing, another local crew — Sarasota Crew — had a handful of successful races.

The team’s best finish was from Eva Harris, who finished second in the Youth (U19) Women’s 1x Final A (8:10.66) and earned a silver medal. Sarasota Crew also had a fourth place finish in the Youth Men’s 8+ Final A (5:56.15) and a fifth place finish in the Youth Men’s 4Final A (6:36.78).

In the U17 division, the Crew won the Men’s 2- Final A (7:29.35).

rowing feels like a community all its own. People don’t argue about it on social media or gossip about it at school. It’s niche. The people who love it are the only people who need to love it. Lesser said most of his best friendships have been made through rowing.

“It’s a beautiful sport,” Lesser said. “It’s physically active, and you meet great people. I would not trade it for the world.”

Lesser made the most of his opportunity at the Youth National Regatta. The morning of the time trial, he did not change his routine. It still started with a round of bacon and eggs. He still stretched to eliminate any threat of cramping. What was different was the finish. Lesser, wanting to prove himself, was pushed to his limits by the event’s atmosphere.

When he got back to the dock, he said, his coaches were telling him he had completed the fifth fastest U17 1x race in the country.

“I was overjoyed,” Lesser said.

“It’s the best feeling I have ever felt.”

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Like all great athletes, Lesser is not satisfied. Although he’s happy with his overall performance, he failed to come home with a medal. That’s something he plans on correcting at next year’s event, he said.

Lesser was one of approximately 2,800 rowers competing at the Youth National Regatta. They represented 183 different rowing clubs. Normally known as the Youth National Championships, the event’s name was changed by USRowing in the wake of a decision to include U17 and U15 events to the U19 events instead of holding them separately. As a result, the regatta became the largest of its kind in USRowing history.

Only one other MCYR rower, Hayden Ross, competed at the event. He finished 28th in the Youth (U19) Men’s 1x Time Trial (7:34.03).

Hayden Lesser, a sophomore at Parrish Community High, has only been rowing since 2017.

He finished ninth in the country in the U17 Men’s 1x at the Youth National Regatta.

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16

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

Four Lakewood Ranch golfers named to Team Florida 16. The Brown and Long families have been friends for years, the golfers said. Having intense competition so close to home has pushed all three golfers to be their best. They all had great seasons as a result. Brown had nine top-10 finishes in Florida Junior Tour events; Alex Long won his first FJT event, the IMG Academy Open, in September; and Beni Long won the 13-15 division of the 2020 FJT Tour Championship in November (before he turned 16).

One would think the FSGA would make a big deal about this new initiative. Unfortunately for the FSGA, it appears that its communications team has been lax in terms of promoting Team Florida. When I spoke to Brown and the Longs about the honor, none of them knew much about it; Alex Long didn’t even know he had been named to the team.

This being the case, the trio’s enthusiasm for the honor was respectful but reserved.

“It’s always nice to be recognized and get some money,” Brown said. “It will make traveling for events easier. It’s a cool thing.”

Also making the list is Jacqueline Putrino, 16, who won the 2019 and 2020 Florida High School Athletic Association

individual state championships while playing for Riverview High in Sarasota. Putrino and her family moved to Lakewood Ranch late last year. She also had a great non-high school golf season, including a sixth-place finish at the 2020 Florida Women’s Amateur Championship.

It’s my job to cover East County sports, and thus it’s my job to give these golfers their due. All four are talented, and another — Jordan Brown, Jaxon Brown’s brother — will likely make Team Florida next year once he’s old enough to qualify (he recently turned 13). Being one of the 40 best junior golfers in the state is something to celebrate. The money they receive will help them chase even bigger dreams.

Hopefully in a decade or so, when the initiative is more known, making Team Florida will be something every young golfer strives to achieve. I hope the area has just as many golfers on the team then, too.

File photos

Above: Alex Long, Jaxon Brown and Beni Long were named to the FSGA’s inaugural Team Florida. All three players live in Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club.

Left: Jacqueline Putrino, who recently moved to Lakewood Ranch from Sarasota, is also on Team Florida.

Putrino won the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A individual championship in 2019 and 2020.

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

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I

f local golfers get recognized by a prominent organization, but no one hears about it, does it even matter?

We’re about to find out. This year, the Florida State Golf Association decided to give more recognition to its elite talent, which is a great thing. To do this, the organization put together its inaugural “Team Florida,” a list of the top 40 junior golfers in the state. The FSGA lists the criteria for team selection as players who “have not only demonstrated exceptional playing ability in local, state and national tournaments but also display sportsmanship and etiquette.”

Why has the FSGA created this initiative? In part because reaching the elite level in junior golf requires a lot of money. It is not cheap to travel constantly for tournaments, plus buying clubs, taking lessons from a coach, paying for post-round meals, etc. That’s why each golfer on the list will receive $1,000$2,000 to offset those costs.

Golfers will also receive special Team Florida apparel to wear while golfing.

Three area boys golfers, all of whom live in Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, made the 2021 list: Jaxon Brown, 15; Alex Long, 14; and Beni Long,

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Andres Junge Andres Junge is a 6-foot-5 rising senior on the Lakewood Ranch High boys basketball team. At the team’s Florida Gulf Coast University camp June 12-13, Junge averaged 20 points per game and made 25 3-pointers in five games, helping the team to a 4-1 record.

When did you start playing basketball?

I started when I was in seventh grade. I started playing football, but I realized I was getting taller and taller, so I switched to basketball. I lived in Dacula, Georgia, at the time. I moved to Lakewood Ranch about a year later.

What is the appeal to you?

I feel a connection to it all, the game and my teammates and coaches. It’s fun to play. Basketball has been the time of my life.

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

handling. I am not the greatest at that, but I’m getting better. We’re working on finishing [at the rim] as well.

What is your favorite food?

Mangoes. They are the most superior fruit.

Aqua Plumbing & Air, local heating, air conditioning, and plumbing company, is proud to celebrate Father’s Day with a unique focus on family: Co-owners Skip Stanton and Chuck Jacobson hired and work alongside their own sons in order to continue the family tradition of working and finding success in the skilled trades industry while serving the community.

With a mission to service customers and create relationships through plumbing and air conditioning service, installation and repair, Jacobson and Stanton aim to encourage, train and educate the next generation of skilled tradesmen and women, starting with their own children.

What is your favorite memory?

In eighth grade I played for Nolan Middle. There was one game when we were down by 17 with four minutes left. I hit five straight 3-pointers to help us come back. We eventually sent the game to overtime and won.

“There is a huge shortage in skilled trades because the next generation is being pushed exclusively into careers that require a university education,” said Chuck Jacobson, co-owner of Aqua Plumbing & Air. “I’m thrilled to have my son, Ryan, work with me.

Since he was a young man, I have instilled a strong work ethic and moral compass and showed him how to create something using your own hands.”

What have you worked on this offseason?

We have been working on ball

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What are your goals for next season?

Winning a state championship.

That’s all. I feel like it’s realistic.

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tradespeople have a direct hand in the success, safety, and health of our community, and we take that very seriously.”

With sons Michael & Matthew working alongside him at the company, Aqua Plumbing & Air co-owner Skip Stanton has a goal to continue training the next generation.

Photo credit: Chuck & Ryan Jacobson

“We believe in supporting our future tradesmen and women, and that starts with breaking down the stigma surrounding the skilled trades and stress that an education in the trades is just as valuable as any other,” said Stanton. “My two sons, Matt & Michael, bring a dynamic multigenerational depth to the workplace.

I’m proud that my sons are continuing the trade and hope my grandson and Chuck’s grandson will join us when they are older.”

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YOUR NEIGHBORS

ANIMAL

ATTRACTION The greater Lakewood Ranch area has plenty of places to see all kinds of animals.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

L

emurs, tigers and bears, oh my! The greater Lakewood Ranch area has plenty of places with animals for people to visit as summer begins.

Many animal organizations and nonprofits, such as Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary, were closed last summer due to COVID-19, and now they’re ready to welcome visitors back.

“It’s about time to be out in the sun and enjoy the animals,” said Danielle Rosaire, with Big Cat Habitat. “The animals enjoy it too.”

Rosaire said the animals noticed when people weren’t visiting the nonprofit and became depressed.

The only visitors the sanctuary had were people coming for private animal encounters.

Now the sanctuary is open for people to see its nearly 200 animals, view the bird and variety animal shows, and visit the petting zoo.

When it comes to being able to see and interact with wild and interesting animals, East County offers an abundance of options.

Here are a few:

BEARADISE RANCH When: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thursdays and Saturdays through July 4 Where: Bearadise Ranch, 6908 245th St. E., Myakka City Cost: $10 for adults; $6 for children Details: You’ll get to see bears in their natural habitat and learn about the different subspecies and more. The ranch is a learn-

ing facility to promote awareness for habitat conservation and preservation for all bear species.

Reservations are required.

How to schedule a visit: Call 322-2462, or email BigBearPines@aol.com.

More information: Visit the Bearadise Ranch Facebook page, or call 322-2462.

BIG CAT HABITAT AND GULF COAST SANCTUARY When: Noon to 4 p.m.

Wednesdays through Sundays Where: Big Cat Habitat, 7101 Palmer Blvd., Sarasota Cost: $20 for adults; $10 for children ages 3 to 12; free for children 2 years old and younger Details: Big Cat Habitat offers a chance to see several exotic animals. Visitors can reserve a spot in wild yoga sessions on select dates as well as schedule animal encounters. At 1 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, there will be a bird show followed by a live variety animal demonstration at 2 p.m. A petting zoo gives visitors another opportunity to interact and feed animals.

How to purchase a ticket: Visit BigCatHabitat.org.

More information: Visit BigCatHabitat.org, or call 731-6377.

BIRDS OF PARADISE SANCTUARY AND RESCUE When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturdays Where: Birds of Paradise, 17020 Waterline Road, Bradenton Cost: Donation Details: Visitors will see a multitude of species of birds from as small as a finch to as big as a macaw. It’s the most birds a person

File photos

Crystal Landkas-Coronas with Rye Road Giraffes feeds carrots to Melman and Twiggs. The giraffes love carrots and enjoy romaine lettuce, fresh branches from trees and other foods.

HERRMANNS’ ROYAL LIPIZZAN STALLIONS INDEPENDENCE DAY PERFORMANCE When: 6-8 p.m. July 4 Where: Herrmanns’ Royal Lipizzan Stallions, 32755 Singletary Road, Myakka City Cost: Free ($10 donation per person requested) Details: Herrmanns’ Royal Lipizzan Stallions is hosting its annual Independence Day performance.

Visitors can bring their own chairs or sit in the bleacher seating available.

More information: Call 322-1501.

Debbie Huckaby, the executive director of Birds of Paradise Sanctuary and Rescue, says people will learn and possibly interact with the birds during a visit.

can see in one location. Visitors will learn about the different species of birds, what they eat, how they live in the wild and more.

Visitors will be able to interact with some birds.

How to schedule a visit: Go to BirdsOfParadise.org, and fill out a sanctuary visitation request.

More information: Visit BirdsOfParadise.org, or call 727-3669997.

RYE ROAD GIRAFFES When: 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday (select weekends through July 4) Where: Rye Road Giraffes, 211 Rye Road, Bradenton Cost: $12 for adults; $10 for seniors; $5 for children ages 5 to 10; $10 for military Details: Visitors can meet animals, enjoy the open air pavilion and feed Melman the giraffe. Kids

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

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THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

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Liz Ramos

Marley and Ziggy, lemurs at Big Cat Habitat, are just some of the animals available for encounters.

Where: Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy, 4640 County Road 675, Bradenton Cost: $60 per person Details: Private or group riding lessons are available. The nonprofit’s weekly summer camp runs until July 30. Summer camp is $350 per week.

How to schedule a visit: Call 322-2000.

More information: Visit SmartRiders.org, or call 322-2000.

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Rebecca McCullough is part of the six generations of the Herrmann family to train and perform with the Lipizzan stallions.

activities include bounce houses, camel rides and pony rides.

How to schedule a visit: Message Rye Road Giraffes through its Facebook page.

More information: Visit Facebook.com/ TheRyeRoadGiraffes.

SARASOTA MANATEE ASSOCIATION FOR RIDING THERAPY When: 8-10 a.m. or 6-8 p.m.

Mondays through Fridays

While some nonprofits and businesses will be open throughout the summer, some will open in the fall.

Myakka Elephant Ranch, which provides encounters with the nonprofit’s elephants, is taking reservations for November. For more information, visit MyakkaElephantRanch.org, or call 702-0220.

Bearadise Ranch will close for the summer after July 4 and will reopen in October.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

Lake Club home tops sales at $1.9 million ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

A

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

Chadwick and Daria Fairchild, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 16325 Daysailor Trail to Deborah Natale and Scott King, of Round Hill, Virginia, for $1.9 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,277 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.23 million in 2017.

COUNTRY CLUB

David and Joanne Dillon, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 6918 Lacantera Circle to Marc Alan Morgan and Karren Marie Morgan, of Snohomish, Washington, for $1.85 million. Built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, three-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,881 square feet of living area.

Jack Steenbarger and Susan Benson-Molnar, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7427

MAY 31-JUNE 4

Armando and Sandra Sanchez, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 7523 Rigby Court to Vicki Landry and Robert Frank, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.3 million. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,533 square feet of living area. It sold for $900,000 in 2015.

Frances Nolan, of Dublin, Ireland, sold her home at 7028 Beechmont Terrace to Nigel Pilling and Mary Therese Krall, trustees, of Bradenton, for $1.18 million. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,325 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.05 million in 2006.

Photo courtesy of Daria Fairchild

This Lake Club home at 16325 Daysailor Trail sold for $1.9 million. It has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,277 square feet of living area.

Deborah Siskovic, trustee, of Canfield, Ohio, sold the home at 13515 Blythefield Terrace to Deborah Wilson and Anthony Herman, of Bradenton, for $1.04 million. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,960 square feet of living area. It sold for $750,000 in 2010.

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RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Greystone St. to Kenneth Kay Donovan III and Sandy Maryann Donovan, of Denver, for $1.5 million. Built in 2007, it has six bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,026 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.4 million in February.

Maureen Pulia, trustee, of Westchester, Illinois, sold the home at 6713 The Masters Ave. to Richard and Patricia Carickhoff, of Norristown, Pennsylvania, for $665,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,585 square feet of living area.

Paul and Carla John, of Acworth, Georgia, sold their home at 7739 US Open Loop to Howard David Stelzer, of Lakewood Ranch, for $649,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,290 square feet of

living area. It sold for $415,000 in 2018.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Clarence Jerone Moran and Phyllis Moran, of Bradenton, sold their home at 15809 Castle Park Terrace to Paula Lachat, of Bradenton, for $1.6 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 4,200 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.17 million in 2018.

Dean and Jeanine Brown, of Bradenton, sold their home at 14217

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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Bathgate Terrace to John Patrick Rain and Kathleen Ann Rain, of Bradenton, for $1.25 million.

Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,769 square feet of living area. It sold for $868,000 in 2017.

Jennifer Okony, trustee, sold the home at 14613 Secret Harbor Place to Martin and DeAnn Kristo, of Lakewood Ranch, for $825,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,955 square feet of living area. It sold for $700,000 in 2018.

Richard Steven Barlow, of Bradenton, sold his home at 16508 Hillside Circle to George Patrick Macnaught and Jennifer Macnaught, of Southborough, Massachusetts, for $800,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,232 square feet of living area. It sold for $519,700 in 2018.

Roundtree LWR FL Series LLC sold the home at 14516 Whitemoss Terrace to Sara Cohen, trustee, of Bradenton, for $486,000. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,863 square feet of living area. It sold for $368,000 in 2017.

WARWICK GARDENS

John and Gillian O’Neill, of Ireland, sold their home at 8020 Warwick Gardens Lane to Joseph Donald Sheets II and Angela Scott Sheets, of Midland, Michigan, for $1.49 million. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,210 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.3 million.

ESPLANADE

Michael Kneeland and Roxzene Hunter, of Sarasota, sold their home at 4714 Benito Court to Craig and Lee Ann Reich, of Reisterstown, Maryland, for $1.18 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,869 square feet of living area. It sold for $905,000 in February.

Janice Fung Keun Tse, trustee, of Redmond, Washington, sold the home at 13012 Sorrento Way to Christopher and Kathryn Lever, of Bradenton, for $1.12 million.

Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,875 square feet of living area. It sold for $741,300 in 2019.

William and Jennifer Champion, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4921 Tivoli Run to Michael Rowe and Sara Denzinger-Rowe, of Floyds Knobs, Indiana, for $825,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,982 square feet of living area. It sold for $718,000 in 2019.

George and Maria Evans, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5006 Tivoli Run to Karen Lines, trustee, of Bradenton, for $800,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,147 square feet of living area. It sold for $478,600 in 2017.

HENLEY

Higgins Gayheart, of Sarasota, sold his home at 6905 Cumberland Terrace to Mark Friedell and Ronni Rosenberg, of Bradenton, for $950,000. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,985 square feet of

living area. It sold for $664,000 in 2020.

MALLORY PARK

Jill Marie Morris and Michael David Moshimer sold their home at 11908 Hancock Drive to Jody Richards and Eugene Richards III, of Mount Holly, New Jersey, for $900,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two-anda-half baths, a pool and 3,125 square feet of living area. It sold for $613,700 in 2017.

ST. JAMES PARK

David and Susan Payne, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 8001 Fairhaven Glen to John and Christine Sharkey, of Painted Post, New York, for $845,000.

Built in 1994, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,216 square feet of living area. It sold for $715,000 in 2016.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

Robert and Barbara Lapp, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7626 Tralee Way to Peter and Jeanne Sheridan, of Bradenton, for $785,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, three-anda-half baths, a pool and 3,151 square feet of living area. It sold for $522,500 in 2010.

David and Sandra Wing sold their home at 10119 Cherry Hills Ave. Circle to Leroy and Cassandra Barnidge, of Bradenton, for $782,500. Built in 1997, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,281 square feet of living area.

POMELLO PARK

Mark and Debbie Hage, of Saginaw, Minnesota, sold their home at 21705 67th Ave. E. to Brian and Monica Moure, of Bradenton,

for $783,700. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,582 square feet of living area.

POLO RUN

Martin Lee Kristo and De Ann Jackson Kristo, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 17111 Polo Trail to Glen Hampton, trustee, of Bradenton, for $735,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,543 square feet of living area. It sold for $510,000 in 2019.

TREYMORE AT THE VILLAGES OF PALM AIRE

Geary and Rebecca Richard, of Sarasota, sold their home at 6918 Treymore Court to Gail Eisenfeld, of Sarasota, for $675,000.

Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,670 square feet of living area.

It sold for $459,000 in 2020.

BRIDGEWATER

Daniel Jungers, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 5660 Cloverleaf Run to Donald Poblenz, of Roswell, Georgia, for $650,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,876 square feet of living area. It sold for $584,600 in 2015.

SAVANNA

Craig and Kristen Smith, of Bradenton, sold their home at 3627 Scrub Creek Run to Vincent and Coleen Milazzo, of Toms River, New Jersey, for $630,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,448 square feet of living area. It sold for $392,800 in 2018.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

SONOMA

Jacqueline Germain, of Houston, sold her home at 8131 Santa Rosa Court to Brian and Kendra Lytle, of Lewis Center, Ohio, for $605,800. Built in 2010, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,514 square feet of living area. It sold for $450,000 in 2017.

RIVERSIDE AT TIDEWATER PRESERVE

Richard and Christina Godfrey, of Brimley, Michigan, sold their Unit D condominium at 1294 Riverscape St. to Mark and Kim McCabe for $599,900. Built in 2016, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 2,332 square feet of living area. It sold for $464,500 in 2016.

Virgil and Bobbie Holder, of Pittsburg, Tennessee, sold their Unit A condominium at 1210 Riverscape St. to Paul and Alyssa Brunette, of Round Lake, Illinois, for $385,000. Built in 2015, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,748 square feet of living area. It sold for $315,000 in 2018.

GREENBROOK

Scott and Anne Davies, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 14234 Sundial Place to Ramon and Brooke Arroyo, of Bradenton, for $570,000. Built in 2011, it has five bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,940 square feet of living area. It sold for $355,000 in 2011.

ONLINE See more transactions at YourObserver.com

DO YOU NEED HELP PAYING FOR CHILD CARE? CHILD CARE RESOURCE & REFERRAL

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Call (941) 757-2910 or visit www.elc-manatee.org today!

Sponsorship by the Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County and the State of Florida, Office of Early Learning.

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Registration #CH27655 “A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-HELP-FLA WITHIN THE STATE OR VISITING THEIR WEBSITE www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com.

REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.”

22

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

PEEK AT THE MENU

Brendan Lavell

Braden Woods residents Dayton Amey and Larry Brunatti are members of the Mustang Club of West Central Florida. They ate at Ford’s Garage for lunch and dinner June 8, the day of the grand opening.

Ford’s Garage revs up at UTC Recapture BRENDAN LAVELL Customers excited STAFF WRITER Spontaneous by detailed theme, When Ford’s Garage held its grand reminders of past Intimacy opening June 8, Braden Woods at Ford’s Garage grand opening in University Town Center.

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residents Dayton Amey and Larry Brunatti knew they had to eat there for lunch — and dinner.

To these members of the Mustang Club of West Central Florida, this wasn’t just another burger joint opening up in town. It was

their passion coming to life in the form of a restaurant and bar.

But what about the customers who aren’t in a club devoted to Ford? Why were they excited to be some of the first people to eat at one of many local restaurants specializing in burgers and beer?

For one reason or another, every customer asked said they didn’t view Ford’s Garage as just another in a long line of burger joints but

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rather as a unique dining experience at a restaurant that happens to specialize in burgers.

Parrish resident Sally Washio said that there was something special about eating in a Prohibition-style garage. She liked being surrounded by oil cans and other items that reminded her of American innovation and artisanship. It reminded her of her father, who grew up “old school” with three brothers.

“They looked at something, and they weren’t defeated by it,” Washio said. “Whatever they

needed, they made. To me, when you go into a garage, it brings the ability to just put together life.

You’re building amazing things.”

Her husband, Ken, said eating in the restaurant made him feel nostalgic, too. He worked at a gas station when he was a teenager, so seeing all of the car parts made him think about his youth.

Amey and Brunatti said they appreciated how detailed the theme was at Ford’s Garage, particularly how the employees wore old-fashioned gas station shirts with names sewn on. They also said the bathrooms were mustsee, with tires used as sinks and gas pump door handles.

Sarasota resident Carlos Montenegro agreed with Washio’s comment about eating in a garage for a slightly different reason. He said Ford’s Garage was the perfect place to eat a burger because the mechanical-themed atmosphere had a ruggedness that matches the aesthetic of a greasy American burger.

Montenegro and Sarasota’s Kaitlin O’Donnell also said the restaurant had more specialty burgers than most other burger joints, adding that they appreciated some of the unique toppings on the menu, such as arugula and sweet red onion marmalade.

Sally and Ken Washio said there was one other aspect of Ford’s Garage they enjoyed that simply can’t be copied by any other restaurant: the Ford brand. Sally Washio said the tradition of Ford made her feel connected with history and traveling the country.

“It takes you to places around America where you can travel,” she said. “For some reason, you catch that logo, and it’s America.

It’s Ford.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

SATURDAY, JUNE 19

LEARN TO FISH Begins at 10 a.m. at James Patton Park, 5725 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The Lakewood Ranch Anglers Club and Lakewood Ranch Community Activities provide basic lessons on fishing. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

FOOD DRIVE Runs from 9 a.m. until noon at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. The Mayors’ Feed the Hungry Fill the Truck Food Drive will be collecting perishable and nonperishable food, including meat, cheese, fruit, vegetables, eggs, canned goods and more.

The event also is collecting pet food for service dogs. For more information, go to MayorsFeedTheHungry.org.

SUNDAY, JUNE 20

SUNDAY, JUNE 20

MARKET AT LAKEWOOD RANCH Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, 8330 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. The Market at Lakewood Ranch runs every Sunday through July. Vendors will be offering seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles among other items. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

Barre3. Bring your own mat and water bottle. All participants are asked to follow social distancing guidelines. For more information or to register, go to LakewoodRanch.com.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23

PANDEMIC IMPACTS ON TOURISM AND TRAVEL Begins at 11:30 a.m. at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, 7650 Legacy Blvd.,

SATURDAY, JUNE 26 File photo

Good Hand Pasta Owner Deborah Aiza is a vendor at the Market at Lakewood Ranch, which is open every Sunday through July.

Lakewood Ranch. The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance is hosting a luncheon with guest speakers to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the travel and tourism industry. The discussion will include the recent rebound where the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport has recorded its highest number of passengers ever for a month in April. Panelists include Vir-

ARTS AND CRAFTS Runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mixon Fruit Farms, 2525 27th St. E., Bradenton. Mixon Fruit Farms hosts Craft Fair Saturdays featuring jewelry, art, food and drinks. Admission is free.

For more information, call 7485829, or go to Mixon.com.

SUNDAY, JUNE 27

YOGA IN THE PARK Begins at 9 a.m. at Bob Gardner Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The public is invited to participate in a free yoga workout at Bob Gardner Park. The event is hosted by The Yoga Shack Florida. Bring your own mat and water bottle.

All participants are asked to

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4551 N. Washington Blvd.

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23

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

MARKET AT LAKEWOOD RANCH Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, 8330 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. The Market at Lakewood Ranch runs every Sunday through July. Vendors will be offering seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles among other items. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30

SPOTLIGHT ON TRADE SCHOOLS Runs from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Lakewood Ranch Elks Lodge, 4602 Lena Road, Bradenton.

The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance his hosting a look at plausible paths to success through trade schools and technical colleges. The seminar is free to attend but RSVP is requested through LWRBA.org/ event-4306960. Students and parents are invited to attend.

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BARRE IN THE PARK Begins at 9 a.m. at Bob Gardner Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The public is invited to participate in a free barre workout at Bob Gardner Park. The event is hosted by

ginia Haley, the president of Visit Sarasota County; Elliott Falcione, the executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau; Rick Piccolo, the president and CEO of the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport; and Nate Huff, the senior vice president of Miles Partnership. The luncheon is $29 for Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance members and $39 for nonmembers.

BEST BET

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

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COMMUNITY

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24

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

FORECAST

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

THURSDAY, JUNE 17 High: 88 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 43%

FRIDAY, JUNE 18 High: 89 Low: 76 Chance of rain: 24%

SATURDAY, JUNE 19 High: 91 Low: 77 Chance of rain: 24%

Gordon Silver captured this colorful roundabout landscape in Country Club East.

SUNRISE / SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, June 17

6:34a 8:27p

Friday, June 18

6:34a

8:27p

Saturday, June 19

6:34a

8:27p

Sunday, June 20

6:35a

8:28p

Monday, June 21

6:35a

8:28p

Tuesday, June 22

6:35a

8:28p

Wednesday, June 23

6:35a

8:28p

MOON PHASES

July 9 New

July 17 First

July 23 Full

July 31 Last

RAINFALL Monday, June 7

0.36

Tuesday, June 8

0

SUNDAY, JUNE 20

Wednesday, June 9 Thursday, June 10

0

High: 90 Low: 78 Chance of rain: 31%

Friday, June 11

0

Saturday, June 12

0

Sunday, June 13

0

0.04

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

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

YEAR TO DATE:

MONTH TO DATE:

2021 9.80 in.

2021 0.69 in.

2020 25.18 in.

2020 11.58 in.

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UPSCALE by Morton J. Mendelson; Edited by David Steinberg

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98 Musician Yoko 99 Bowling alley button 101 Chapek’s predecessor at Disney 102 Squealer 104 Australian boot brand 107 Motionless 109 Supervillain who doubles as a clergy member? (... do?)

115 “Goodness!”

117 Distress signal 118 Represented, with “for” 119 Moth, once 120 Bicycle helmets? (... ti?)

122 Pong creator 123 On the job 124 Tree of life’s garden 125 Japanese roadster 126 Social stratum 127 ___ qua non 128 Funny Foxx 129 Leaves at a restaurant?

130 ___ Park, Colorado 131 Caraway tidbit

45 Watch brand 46 U.S. govt.-backed security 47 First strategy 49 Music popular in Mumbai 50 Became taller 51 Pound of poetry 53 Zealous leader?

55 Speaks from a podium 56 Sing like Frank Sinatra 59 Sumo wrestler’s robe 63 Bluegrass instrument 65 Dinner booking, informally 67 Series of tit-for-tat tariffs, say 69 A coupe has two 70 Earlier 71 Assists 72 Viral GIF, perhaps 73 Solo such as “Vesti la giubba” 74 Barely a dent 75 One may be fed with quarters 78 ___ student (aspiring dr.)

79 Classic Langston Hughes poem DOWN 80 “Verb” or “adjective” 1 Hardly hearty 81 Consistently chosen 2 Classic camera brand 84 Tick off 3 Went on to say 85 New York’s says “Excel4 Attend by oneself sior” 5 Condiment counter at a 87 Comic musical producMexican restaurant tions 6 Tom of “The Seven Year 90 Beats by a lot Itch” 91 Piece of firewood 7 Tiny role for a huge star 93 They can’t be serious 8 x, before algebra?

97 Luxury Italian fashion label 9 Becomes involved ©2021 Universal Uclick 100 Cooks, as spinach 10 Enjoys a soak ACROSS 28 What horses can do while 48 One calling “Attention!” mi?)

101 “What a shame!”

11 Otherworldly 1 Mark, as a problem standing, surprisingly 72 TV show that was known 12 Flak jacket, say to others, informally 103 QB’s success, perhaps 5 Factions 29 Casual greeting for its ads?

52 Boxing match site 104 Female cow part 13 One or more 10 Kid-lit elephant 30 “What nerve!”

54 Toy merchant in business 76 Exude 105 Glittery rock 14 Sector 15 Supporters 31 Dumbfounded young 77 Changing the handle of? 15 Peter out by himself? (... fa?)

106 Took advantage of, as the 19 Update the style of fellow? (... sol?)

82 Buffalo’s lake 57 Farmland units system 16 ___ and well 20 Be patient for 33 Captivate romantically 83 Golden Fleece seeker 58 Religious ascetic 108 Ish 17 Mandarin alternative?

21 By oneself 35 Leprechaun’s kin 60 Like white tigers, vis-a- 86 Dirt in beds 110 Stop pedaling downhill 18 Wolf (down) 22 Turing of math 36 Shapeless lump 88 Artoo-___ vis orange ones 111 Cake that may be flour26 Stampede 23 Assists 37 Folks in a video game 89 Common quality assur- 32 Just in case 61 Golden ___ (senior) less 24 “I wanna try!” series 62 Put $2 on 2, for example ance step in gum produc112 Convex belly button 34 En ___ (all together) 25 Brand of neatly arranged 39 Accumulated, as tion? (... re?)

64 Country by the Gulf of 38 Classic British sports cars 113 Speak one’s mind chocolates? (Theme hint: 92 Suddenly emerged expenses Oman 114 Didn’t just put in check 40 Toy with, puppy-style What follows la?)

41 Rolled-out grass 94 Beaverlike, so to speak 41 Inbox nuisance 66 Canadian capital 116 Tear to bits 27 Odafin Tutuola’s por44 Swinging, in softball 68 Electronically transmit- 95 Type of stove 42 Top predator in the ocean 121 Itinerary word trayer on “SVU” 96 Was in charge of 47 Canadian leaders (Abbr.) ted figure of speech? (...

43 NBA great Nowitzki

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.

“UIXUM NF UMK XVUNHEUK TLCKI. CMKO UMK UIXUM SLHKF EILXOW, EVV UMK VNKF MERK UL IXO EOW MNWK.” NSK SXGK “T JPHDKPS UVX YMIU SPLPDYTKHLTVK T UHNP, HKS LUHL KV YHLLPD XUHL LUP AIVDP TA, HKZVKP IHK IVYP FHIC.” FTHKIH HKSDPPAIM Puzzle Two Clue: N equals V

Sarasota

KITCHENS, BATHROOMS, BEDROOMS & MORE

Puzzle One Clue H equals M

HARDWOOD

© 2021 NEA, Inc.

SUDOKU

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

©2021 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

06-17-21

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon

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.

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CEMENT PELICAN 2 feet tall $65, keurig coffee maker $30, bike rack for car holds 2 $30, margaritaville beach chair $50.

941 359 8460 DESK CHAIR: Black, high back executive chair. $25. 941-3514116 GAS CLOTHES dryer for sale excellent condition asking $165. Ask for Bob 941-5365075

BEACH’N RIDES eBike Sales and Service We sell and repair electric Bicycles from our Shop at 12208 Cortez Road, W. in Cortez, Florida.

(941) 251-7916 www.beachnrides.com

auto

STEEL BIKE rack for rear hitch connection, holds 2 bikes.

Sturdy. $50 941-545-4693

Condos/Apts. for Rent OR RENT ANNA MARIA FO ISLAND UPDATED 5 STAR CONDO. Available September November (monthly with multimonth discounts) millions $ waterview, first floor, 2br/2b, patio, walk to beach, pool, tennis, smoke free, boat slip available. marketreps@aol.com

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Cleaning

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This week’s Crossword answers

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This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers

Puzzle One Solution: “Truth is the ultimate power. When the truth comes around, all the lies have to run and hide.”

Ice Cube Puzzle Two Solution: “I learned how much determination I have, and that no matter what the score is, anyone can come back.”

Bianca Andreescu

This week’s Sudoku answers

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

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

Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer.

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

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Items Under $200

QUEEN SIZE sofa, hide a bed, Herringbone pattern, neutral color, very good shape, must see! $200. 941-907-9080

peekers’ place

stuff

PROFORM ELECTRICAL $120. ProForm treadmill $80 OBO 941-351-7846

real estate

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

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

Aluminum

Doors

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

GRAB BARS

Sliding Glass Door Repair

CALL BEFORE YOU FALL

235

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com

Owner / Operator Insured

359147

Auto Service

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WE COME TO YOU

941.270.4400

358394

954-1878

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SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

Call John 941.377.2940

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

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

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Landscaping & Lawn

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358809

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

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

941-735-3362

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

Construction

941.966.0333

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

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SELL YOUR CAR!

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358795

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

358796 38056

Dustin Yoder

$

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE”

“Specializing in 6” Seamless Gutters”

358810

|

358400

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

Allison J. Abizaid, M.A.

Personal Gardening Services | Designer

941.400.0431

gbyallison@yahoo.com gardensbyallison.com 359488

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

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

358811

26

Lawn Care

Home Services Kitchen Renovations and Upgrades Visit our showroom

Are You Having Dryer Difficulties?

7262 55th Ave East, Bradenton, 34203

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

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

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

Residential

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Commercial

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

Painting

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

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www.ezslider.com

Honesty, Integrity and Pride

FREE IN-HOM ESTIMATEE S

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

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359206

941.628.8579

358401

bschule88@gmail.com

359149

(941) 650-7758

941-544-1066

AFTER

BEFORE

| scaperotta@aol.com

Italian American Owned

Visit RED PAGES at YourObserver.com/RedPages

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

YourObserver.com

Security

Bisson Roofing Inc.

Right On Target

Specializing in Reroofs and Repairs FREE Estimates • 30 Years Experience

10 SAVINGS %

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Don Burrow, President/CEO

www.bissonroofing.com

Owner Supervises Every Job

With this ad

We also conduct the security D & G courses

RC0067420 • Lic. & Ins.

358812

941-737-4483 www.PantherHydroCleaning.com

941 - 748 - 7400 359148

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MOBILE PATROL FIXED LOCATION BODY GUARD SERVICES EVENT SECURITY

Res./Com.

Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

STANDARD WINDOWS

359150

359493

941-270-1561 359498

Screening

358801

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

Satisfaction guarantee Satisfaction Guarantee Pool cage Restoration/ Rescreening specialists Manufacture and Workmanship Warranties specialty screens / screw replacement / paint

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Insured

Doors and more!

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Manufacture and workmanship Warranties

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(941)

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HEROES found here.

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25

UP TO

941-626-3194

941-345-5264

Lic./Ins.

ndow & Pressure Clea et Wi nin s n wn as Sunrise Win g Su erly kno d

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

Eldridge Re-Screen

B1700034

Windows

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

“No Job Too Small”

don@rightontargetfts.com

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc. Building & Roofing Contractor

Licensed

(941) 405-2931

358923

Pressure Cleaning & Soft Washing Residential and Commercial

LLC

PROTECTION SERVICES

ows

120

$

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

SPECIAL 00 5

$

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

Purified water window cleaning available!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

358802

BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCTS

27

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

Roofing

Power Washing

SAFE ROOF CLEANING

|

28

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

There has never been a better time to sell your property

The Florida Gulf Coast Luxury Leader

No.2

SARASOTA 15111 Gaddy Up Ranch Road

Peter Laughlin

$5,895,000

941.356.8428

S ot h e by ’ s I n t e r n a t i o n a l R e a l t y ® A f f i l i a t e I n Th e W o r l d

NORTH MANASOTA KEY 716 North Manasota Key Road Christina Edmonds & Anita Caravello

No.19

THE LAKE CLUB 7929 Staysail Court Jim Soda & Laura Stavola

$5,580,000 941.383.2500

I n S a l e s Vo l u m e I n Th e N a t i o n R I S M e d i a P o we r B r o ke r R e p o r t

$3,050,000 941.961.5857

No. 21

SARASOTA POLO CLUB

SARASOTA

PALMER FARMS

8075 Whiskey Pond Lane $2,750,000 Jim Soda & Laura Stavola 941.961.5857

7090 Manasota Key Road $2,095,000 J. Walter Almeida 941.757.7550

8403 Palmer Boulevard $2,000,000 Jason Skowronski 941.812.6090

COUNTRY CLUB EAST 7712 Sudbury Glen

$1,300,000

Dawn Merrill & Katina Shanahan 941.915.7126

GREENBROOK VILLAGE 14336 Sundial Place Jim Soda & Laura Stavola

$625,000 941.961.5857

COLONIAL OAK GEM 2298 Cork Oak Street West

Robyn Sadlo

$398,000

941.812.4219

SARASOTA

I n S a l e s Vo l u m e I n Th e N a t i o n R E A L Tr e n d s Fi ve H u n d r e d

SAVANNA AT LAKEWOOD RANCH

UNIVERSITY PARK

SAVANNA AT LAKEWOOD RANCH

3723 Scrub Creek Run $685,000 Kevin Milner 941.907.9541

6160 Palomino Circle $675,000 Sheldon Paley & Joe Ebert 941.932.1487

3715 Scrub Creek Run $649,900 Mike Griffin & Nicole Pies 941.586.6402

THE VINEYARDS AT SILVER OAK

STONEYBROOK COUNTRY CLUB

SARASOTA

HAMMOCK PARK

5129 Cantabria Crest $579,000 Valerie Dall’Acqua 941.445.7295

9403 Forest Hills Circle $524,500 Ken Ipox 941.993.7279

THE MOORINGS AT EDGEWATER

NEWBURN VILLAGE

275 Sinclair Drive Liz Snyder

$1,100,000 727.424.6444

6560 Moorings Point Circle #201 $395,000

Michelle Crabtree

941.724.4663

1354 Daryl Drive Kevin Milner

$395,000 941.907.9541

519 Richardson Way Rebecca Zimmerman

$475,000 941.224.4824

4508 Chinkapin Drive $410,000 Robyn Sadlo 941.812.4219

WHITFIELD ESTATES BAYSIDE 7511 Westmoreland Drive $349,000 Peter Laughlin 941.356.8428

DE SOTO LAKES 4040 Prado Drive Linda Dooley

$339,000 941.400.7359

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

BAYSO 149 Luxury Condominiums within Quay Sarasota

Residences from the $800,000s to more than $3,000,000 Gregg Center | 941.220.0828 Lisa Otte | 941.281.5472

GR ANADA PARK West of Trail New Custom Homes from $1,020,000 Peter Laughlin | 941.356.8428 View video at PSIR11.com

Visit or call us for a private consultation

ListWithUsToday.com | 877.539.9865

MAGNOLIA PARK Condominiums from $279,000 Cynthia Wickson | 941.441.8060

LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541 SARASOTA - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000 LONGBOAT KEY | 941.383.1526 VENICE TO PUNTA GORDA | 941.412.3323 RENTALS | 941.364.4032

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 sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.

348063-1

PremierSothebysRealty.com

. . . t i a W But

S ’ E R THE !

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YOU’VE BEEN SERVED a menu of options for Fall classes!

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PLACE YOUR ORDER! SCF.edu/FallMenu | Text 941-304-5443 | Call 941-752-5050 State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota does not discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, race, religion, age, national origin/ethnicity, color, marital status, disability, genetic information or sexual orientation in any of its educational programs, services and activities, including admission and employment. Direct inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies to: Equity Officer, 941-752-5323, 5840 26th St. W., Bradenton, FL 34207.

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Est. 1987

Cosmetics, Implants and Bite Reconstruction Actual Patients

Smile Makeovers and Veneers

Before

After

Before

After

Dental Implant Surgery and Reconstruction

Before

After

Before

After

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

Cosmetic Dentistry

Orthotropic Orthodontics

• Digitally Guided Implant Surgery

• Conservative ‘No Prep’ Veneers

• Airway Ortho for Children and Adults

• On-Site Cat Scan

• Nonsurgical Facelifts

• PRP and PRF Blood Enhancers

• Bite Correction

• Orthotropic Ortho for Children and Adults

• Bruxism Treatment

• IV Sedation

• Lumineers®

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

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

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

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

357214-1

longer other no

the

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THURSDAY PRINT DISTRIBUTION 60,000

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

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