E A ST COUNTY
Observer Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998
What can you buy for $1 million? PAGE 19
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 17, NO. 32
FREE
NEW DIRECTION
Officials hope to break ground on an ‘iconic’ finish tower at Nathan Benderson Park within 60 days, while SANCA, which oversees the park, named its new COO.
SEE PAGE 3
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THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015
Donte was named after Marsha Panuce’s schnauzer, for whom Donte’s Den was also named.
Den Mother Marsha Panuce keeps the memories of her late husband, Don, and late schnauzer, Donte, alive in her new dog haven — Donte’s Den. AMANDA SEBASTIANO STAFF WRITER
Pam Eubanks
GIVING VETERANS A BOOST The Lakewood Ranch-Sarasota Elk Lodge No. 2855 had a SMART idea for which local organization should receive financial aid from the East County group. At a recent meeting, the local lodge held a luncheon for 60 veterans, and distributed a $2,200 check to the Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy (SMART). The dollars will benefit 20 veterans enrolled in the Warriors in Transition Program, slated for a meeting mid-July. The program is designed to assist both active duty military personnel and veterans with the transition back to civilian life. The Elks also gave a $750 check to St. Martha’s School student Alexa Ziff. The rising sixth-grader was one of five essay winners the lodge sponsored for the Division I State Americanism Essay Contest, which she won.
CELEBRATING A CENTURY
SEE DONTE’S DEN ON PAGE 4
YOUR TOWN
‘TO BE, OR NOT TO BE?’
CORRECTION The East County Observer misspelled the name of Maribeth Phillips, CEO of Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, in the June 18 issue.
When she was 7 years old, growing up near Chicago, Marsha Panuce looked forward to 30-minute Saturday morning train trips with her father, Jim Rybacek, to Hinsdale, Ill. He was an oral surgeon whose hectic schedule controlled most of his workweek. But Saturdays,
Jessica Salmond
To honor her 100th birthday, Edna Strode’s family members gathered to share some of her famous sayings — and one-liners. SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 8
Foam swords, sparkling crowns and robes? Check, check and check. Freedom Elementary School students brought William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet, The Prince of Denmark” to life recently for fellow students. The cafeteria performance culminated the school’s annual volunteer breakfast, held to thank those who donate their time throughout the year. Ranch resident and second-grade teacher Maria Barringhaus directed her students through the bitesized rendition of the classic.