Sue and Ron Clark (pictured above) have created countless memories at Linger Lodge since buying their Braden Woods home in 1989, and they’re about to make one more.
The couple will be celebrating their 50th anniversary June 7, and the party is at the lodge.
When the couple first became regulars at Linger Lodge, there wasn’t much more than a bar and a pool table, so they’ve seen it grow.
They used to camp on the grounds with their three sons, and the restaurant gave their son, Jeff Clark, his first job. He’s now the executive chef of Mad Dogs & Englishmen in Tampa, which is listed in Florida’s Michelin Dining Guide.
“We spent a lot of our life out there,” Sue Clark said. “It was wonderful and a great thing for our children.”
The St. Barbara (Greek Orthodox Church) Ladies Philoptochos Society held a fashion show fundraiser April 5 and raised money for two organizations: Children First and Tunnel to Towers.
On May 28, Pat Trempelas, fashion show chair, presented a check of $6,500 to Philip Tavill, CEO of Children First.
Trempelas made a visit to Children First before deciding what organizations would benefit and said the nonprofit is a humble, giving and happy place. Her visit deeply touched her heart, and she knew they were meant to donate to them.
Trempelas wanted to make sure their gift made a direct impact, so the money will go toward three children’s fulltime care for their summer program.
The Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition team makes key purchase on Pine Island. SEE PAGE 3A
Lesley Dwyer
Lesley Dwyer
Madison Bierl
Protecting eagles costs Manatee almost $1 million
Manatee County staff made several accommodations for wildlife during the planning and construction of the 44th Avenue Extension.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Construction started on Manatee County’s 44th Avenue East extension project in 2013 and it’s expected to be completed by the end of the year.
But in the road’s final stretch, a pair of bonded bald eagles have set the project back by a month and an additional $864,336.58.
A utility line had to be rerouted and redesigned around the eagles’ former nest west of I-75 and just off Lena Road, which now has been taken over by owls. While an owls’ nest would not have led to redesigned utility lines, the fact that it recently had been a protected eagles’ nest, and bald eagles often return to such a nest, made the redesign necessary.
Manatee County Engineer Scott May said removing the nest could have held the project up for a year
because of permitting.
The latest accommodation on the 44th Avenue East’s extension for an eagle’s nest was not the county’s first.
From the initial designs and permits for the extension, staff members knew construction would impact two bald eagles nests west of I-75. They worked around the nests, including distance requirements and noise abatement.
The permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to work around eagles’ nests during the project also required Manatee County to mitigate the impacts with a conservation easement over approximately 24 acres of suitable bald eagle habitat adjacent to Duette Preserve.
But along with eagles nests, there are certain “control points” that had to be accommodated in the planning of a major connector road, such as 44th Avenue. For example, where the extension crosses over Interstate 75, the road had to line up at a point where it could connect to what was already built in Lakewood Ranch to the east.
“It was a little more complicated than most (projects),” May said.
“When you put those control points in, it really limits what you can do to connect your dots.”
The process and permits are fluent, for eagles have minds of their own and “an affinity for their trees,”
WILDLIFE CORRIDOR
Not only is Manatee County excited to provide a reliever road for residents with the 44th Avenue extension, Ecological Services division manager Sherri Swanson is excited that wildlife corridors were included in the project’s design.
“Manatee is a little unique in that we’re doing county roads,” she said. “Most of (the corridors) are being done by the Florida Department of Transportation.”
As part of the extension project, five wildlife crossings are being installed underneath 44th Avenue East. Swanson said drivers won’t necessarily know they’re there, but smaller to midsize animals, such as raccoons and bobcats, can pass through the area without having to cross over the road.
as Sherri Swanson put it.
Swanson is Manatee County’s Ecological Services division manager. Her job is to make sure construction does not illegally impact any wildlife. In 2016, in the midst of early con-
struction, a nest popped up near Interstate 75 and in the middle of the roadway’s path.
In that case, the tree had to be removed, but it was done so outside of nesting season, which runs from Oct. 1 through May 15.
Swanson said a new nest was built in the same territory.
Two other former nests in the area were taken over by great horned owls.
According to the National Audubon Society, great horned owls typically use nests built by other large birds, including eagles, hawks, crows and herons. Even so, those nests are protected as the eagles could return.
Two of the nests are to the west of I-75. The rebuilt nest is to the east of I-75 just off Lena Road.
Manatee County’s staff members have struggled to make the extension project work.
Staff members designed a curve to the north to avoid one of the eagles’ nesting trees that is to the east of I-75. They rerouted utilities and kept to a strict noise abatement protocol.
The eagles from that nest have faced other forms of stress as they battled Hurricane Helene in September and Hurricane Milton in October.
Their nest was destroyed, but the pair returned in January to rebuild.
After their first egg laying attempt failed, great horned owls pirated the newly rebuilt nest.
NEST UPDATES
Each nest was given an identification number. Manatee County staff is required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to continue monitoring the nests for two years after construction on 44th Avenue East is finished.
MN023: Located between 45th Street East and 44th Avenue Plaza East. The nest was pirated by great horned owls and is no longer used by eagles.
MN972: Located between 44th Avenue Plaza East and Interstate 75. The nest was removed outside of nesting season, and the eagles have rebuilt in a different tree in the same territory.
MN051: Located near Lena Road. The nest was destroyed by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, then rebuilt in January. However, winter storms battered the newly rebuilt nest and great horned owls pirated the nest after the eagles’ first egg laying attempt failed.
Jay Heater Bald eagles have cost Manatee County an additional $864,336.58 in building the 44th Avenue Extension as it crosses I-75 and heads into Lakewood Ranch.
Courtesy image
PINE ISLAND PURCHASE WILL PROTECT NESTING BIRDS
Manatee County buys 13 acres to complete its ownership of a Braden River island.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
George Graham Jr.’s family bought about 6,000 acres in Manatee County 114 years ago, and he just sold the remaining 13 acres to Manatee County for preservation.
The 13 acres include the northern tip of Pine Island, which is near the mouth of the Braden River, and a few surrounding mangrove islands.
Director of Natural Resources
Charlie Hunsicker said the parcel boundary is rectangular. The water within the rectangle is owned by the state, and everything above the “mean high water line” is privately owned, so it can be bought and sold.
Graham noted that if the purchase included submerged land, the total acreage would be about 78 acres versus 13 acres.
Graham agreed to a purchase price of $41,500. The Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee recommended the purchase to commissioners May 20, and the measure was approved unanimously with Commission Tal Siddique absent.
The property will be paid for using the Conservation and Parks Projects Referendum bond fund, which dates back to 2020, when 71% of voters agreed to a 0.15 millage ad valorem
tax and the issuance of up to $50 million in bonds so the county could have a dedicated fund to purchase conservation land.
Graham is 83 years old now. He hasn’t visited Pine Island in about 50 years. His pioneering family moved out of Manatee County after World War II.
He grew up in Miami and lives outside of Orlando now. Graham was hanging onto the land only because it was akin to a family heirloom, so a few years ago, he told Manatee County staff members he’d be willing to sell.
“Ecologically, it’s something the county wants to preserve,” Graham said. “They owned the rest of the island, so it just made a lot of sense.”
THE ISLAND’S PAST
With Graham’s permission, the county was already maintaining the entirety of the island because it contributed to the original purchase of the other 66 acres in 2003.
The first purchase was a partnership between the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the city of Bradenton and Manatee County.
SFWMD held the deed after having made the largest contribution of $450,000, which it received from the state’s Florida Forever fund.
Manatee County and the city of Bradenton each contributed $150,000, and the county signed a 30-year management agreement to maintain the 66 acres.
According to Susanna Martinez Tarokh, the SFWMD’s public information officer, the governing board in 2015 directed staff to negotiate surplus options for the original Pine Island tract.
The district attempted to negoti-
MANATEE COUNTY PIONEERS
Pick up any history book on Manatee County, and George Graham Jr.’s ancestors will be mentioned. On the paternal side of the family were the Grahams, and on the maternal side were the Pelots. They held just about every role a community has to offer — doctor, judge, teacher, musician, hotel owner, soldier, railroad operator and car dealer.
Graham’s great-grandfather, John Alexander Graham, bought the 6,000 acres of land that encompassed Pine Island in 1911. “He was a real wheeler and dealer,” Graham said. “He also started the trolley service in Manatee County.”
According to “The Singing River: A History of the People, Places and Events Along the Manatee River,” the trolley service ran from Manatee West to Fogartyville. Today, the area is known as West Bradenton.
ate a land swap with the county, but Manatee County didn’t have any properties that met the district’s criteria for a swap of “similar value.”
Private buyers were not an option at that point either. The island was purchased in 2003 because a developer wanted to put homes on it. Residents and government agencies all agreed that conservation was the better option.
In 2017, SFWMD signed a quit claim deed to transfer the property to the county with one caveat: If the island is sold or transferred and is no longer available for public use, the county has to reimburse the district for its financial contribution of $450,000. Tarokh said the transaction benefited SFWMD by reducing its landholding acreage, administrative costs and management liability.
THE ISLAND’S FUTURE
Moving forward, the entirety of Pine Island will be open to the public.
The island is only accessible from the water, but a kayak can easily paddle there and back. There are two small landing areas for boats on the island, which is less than a mile away from the State Road 64 boat ramp.
Exploring is permitted “during daylight hours at their own risk,” said Mike Elswick, a Natural Resources division manager for Manatee County. A set of service trails cut through the brush and pine trees, but the trails are not regularly maintained.
Now that the county owns the whole island, Elswick noted the opportunity for improved public access, but there would have to be a demonstrated demand for it before the county would increase its current level of service.
The island is and will continue to be maintained at the most basic level — prescribed burns, invasive plant control and trash removal.
County staff members visit the island no more than four times a year and they plan to stick with that routine to keep the Brazilian pepper trees at bay.
The minimally maintained island sits about a quarter-mile away from the Dot Dash Dit Critical Wildlife Area, a bird rookery that’s home to Tampa Bay’s only coastal colony of wood storks.
Wood storks are a federally listed species, which means they are protected under the Endangered Species Act. They were listed as “endangered” in 1984 and downgraded to “threatened” in 2014.
The National Park Service reports that the quality and quantity of the specific environment a wood stork requires “directly determines the well-being and the number of that species.” Dot Dash Dit consists of three small mangrove islands that total about five acres. Roseate spoonbills, great egrets and great blue herons are among the other birds that nest there.
Preserving Pine Island in its entirety contributes to their protection.
“As a Manatee County preserve, the area will be maintained as a natural habitat to optimize its ecosystem functions,” said Debra Woithe, Environmental Lands Program manager.
“In private ownership, mangroves could be trimmed for other uses, and the impact could reduce the growth of the mangroves.”
Growth is essential to supporting birds and marine life. The mangroves stabilize the soil, reduce nutrients and filter sediments in the river. Birds use the mangrove swamp and salt marsh areas to forage.
The island is also home to an active bald eagles’ nest, a pair of great horned owls and a few gopher tortoises. Nonnative feral hogs have also been spotted on occasion.
Owning the entire island is also just easier for Manatee County’s staff members. They no longer have to request access from Graham when conducting prescribed burns, and they don’t have to worry about the public wandering onto private property.
Courtesy images
Pine Island is located near the mouth of the Braden River.
John Alexander Graham also built a wharf in the Manatee River at the end of 26th Street, so the street cars could transport freight from the boats.
Courtesy image
The Manatee County Library’s historical digital collection dates this photo of John Alexander Graham to either 1917 or 1918.
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The final bell for two LWRHS teachers
Bryan Thomas has taught at the school since its opening, while Daniel Bryan-Beachler has taught there since 2001.
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
Two longtime Lakewood Ranch
High teachers, both with 38 years of experience, are retiring.
Both grew up in Indiana and went to high schools 12 miles apart. Daniel Bryan-Beachler graduated Whitko Junior/Senior High School in 1973. Bryan Thomas received his diploma from Columbia City High School in 1982.
They never met as teens, but they both ended up moving to Florida and teaching at Lakewood Ranch High School.
BRYAN THOMAS
Thomas, the Lakewood Ranch
High science department chair, has worked at the school since it opened in 1998. Before that, he worked at Southeast High School for 11 years right out of college. He was also a cross-country and track and field coach from 1987 to 2017.
During Thomas’ time at Southeast, he taught freshman Jeremy Edwards in 1990. Thomas described his handwriting as “horrific” and said it was
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hard to read. He said Edwards wasn’t performing well in school, so he took a lot of time to decipher Edwards’ handwriting and gave him advice on how to do better to succeed.
“I said, ‘Jeremy, you’re brilliant. I can tell you understand it and you can apply it, but people are going to see this, and they’re going to presume you don’t care and that you’re lazy,’” Thomas said.
After that conversation, Edwards improved his handwriting significantly.
Years later, Thomas received an email from Edwards.
Edwards thanked Thomas for the conversation they had and told him how important that conversation was to him. Edwards eventually attended Cornell University and later became an assistant professor at the University of Florida. He was proud that others had seen his brilliance, even with the terrible handwriting.
“So often as teachers, we don’t see or hear the outcome, but all these teachers here are making a huge positive influence on the kids,” Thomas said. “As a classroom teacher, you don’t see that end result.”
Thomas said his son, Cameron Thomas, Lakewood Ranch High class of 2013, and his daughter, Breanna Thomas, class of 2017, gave him the most valuable feedback while eating at the dinner table every night when he taught them in the biology honors class during their freshman years.
“They were brutally honest, and if they thought it stunk, it stunk, and they told me why, and I adjusted my teaching to what I was hearing from valid feedback,” Thomas said.
“Teachers never get that.”
A piece of valuable feedback Thomas’ daughter gave him was that there was too much focus on notetaking.
“I used to have the kids write out all the notes, and my daughter said, ‘That stinks, Dad,’” said Thomas. Breanna told her dad she gets tired of writing and was not fully engaged
when he teaches. She missed the graphics and photos he would show because she was busy writing. She suggested he give the students an outline with the most important lessons so they could be more present in class. He followed her suggestions.
“Certainly, there was no favoritism and, if anything, I was harder on them than any of my other students,” Bryan said. “They had a tutor at home if they needed it, and that was the difference.”
Thomas took his coaching skills and implemented them in the classroom, which included motivating the students, being organized and keeping track of student data.
“The best part of being a science teacher is working with the kids in the lab and just seeing the light bulb come on,” Thomas said. He now looks forward to having a more laid-back schedule with time for hobbies.
“I think it’s a longevity issue,” he said.
“You get to a certain point, you’re aging, and this doesn’t get any easier. I’m up at 4:45 a.m. every day, working until 3 or 4 p.m., and that’s a grind.”
Thomas said he would like to do some sort of tutoring when he is retired or find a part-time retail job to keep him busy. His wife, Deena Thomas, has been retired from teaching for 10 years and is a volunteer usher at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. He plans to join her.
“I’m a concrete, sequential workaholic,” he said. “I’m going to slow down, but I’m going to stay busy, too.”
DANIEL BRYAN-BEACHLER
Bryan-Beachler was not always set on being a teacher and had a 14-year career as a carpenter before he began teaching full time in 1987.
“I did not take any college-level classes when I was in high school. I wanted to work with my hands,”
Bryan-Beachler said.
Bryan-Beachler decided he didn’t want to be a construction worker full time and said it was a beautiful day when he was hired to teach. He recalled all of the calluses on his hands when he was interviewed for his first teaching job at Bayshore High School in 1987.
“I didn’t look necessarily like a construction worker because I
dressed for the interview, but I had to sell it to be able to get hired,” BryanBeachler said. “I knew I could prove myself. I had no doubt.”
Prior to his time at Lakewood Ranch High School, Bryan-Beachler taught at Bayshore High School, Harlee Middle School, Lincoln Middle School, Manatee Sheriff’s Bootcamp and Myakka Elementary.
He has worked at Lakewood Ranch High since 2001 in multiple areas, including special education, agriculture and English. His last 14 years have been in the English department.
For the past several years, BryanBeachler has been teaching students who had not yet passed the staterequired English language arts test for The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking. His students must be proficient to graduate.
“It’s practice, practice, practice every day. There’s nothing magical. It’s a lot of repetition,” BryanBeachler said. “Do they get bored? They do, but they need that quantity of repetition. So that’s how I have approached it.”
Bryan-Beachler said part of the reason he’s successful is because he is able to communicate with stu -
“I am looking forward to not having the clock ticking. I’ve loved this year. I have not burned out, but I’m ready, and it’s time.”
Daniel Bryan-Beachler
dents and reassure them that tests are just tests and they are not truly measured by the outcome.
“I tell them, ‘What you need to know is you’re a smart person. This doesn’t tell you whether you’re smart of not,’” he said. “It’s creating anxiety because you have to get it in order to graduate.”
Bryan-Beachler taught boys from 1993 to 1999 for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Boot Camp and was the first teacher in the program teaching all subjects. He said deputies were in his classroom every day for security purposes, and there were no discipline problems.
“There was nothing I had to worry about. It was pure teaching, being able to just purely teach and focus on education without having to worry about any of that other stuff,” Bryan-Beachler said. “It was a joyful experience.”
Bryan-Beachler, 69, is looking forward to retirement. He is looking into purchasing a boat, wants to organize old family photos and he wants to do a lot of gardening.
“I’m going to plant things and grow things. There’s an endless amount of things,” Bryan-Beachler said. “I still like building things and I’m going to build my shop back up and be able to create things again so I will not be bored.”
Bryan-Beachler looks forward to traveling to Scotland with his wife, Linda Bryan-Beachler, who is also a teacher and works at Dr. Mona Jain Middle School. He also wants to spend time with his nine grandchildren.
“I am looking forward to not having the clock ticking,” BryanBeachler said. “I’ve loved this year. I have not burned out, but I’m ready, and it’s time.”
Madison Bierl Daniel BryanBeachler and Bryan Thomas both grew up in Indiana and have each taught for 38 years. BryanBeachler has been a teacher at Lakewood Ranch High School since 2001, and Thomas has been a teacher there since the school opened in 1998.
School board wants fast process to find new superintendent
WRITER
The School District of Manatee Board members hope to have a new superintendent in place early in the 2025-26 school year.
School board member Chad Choate said consulting firms that have put in bids to help with the search have described that desire as an “aggressive timeline.” Even so, the board members want to conduct interviews with the top three candidates July 7-15.
The school board hired the law firm of Dye Harrison Knowles Kirkland Pratt & DePaola PLLC to help receive and organize applications received for the superintendent position. Stephen Dye is the board’s attorney.
Along with the help from the law firm, board members also plan to hire Bill Vogel, who was superintendent of Seminole County Schools and St. Lucie County Schools. Vogel works as an independent consultant and was heavily involved in the last superintendent search, as well.
For the last superintendent search in which Jason Wysong was ultimately hired in 2023, the interview process was split into two days. The current board expects to use a similar process with tentative dates of July 9 and 10 for the main interviews.
“The first day (board members) did the individual interviews (of the candidates), and then they also went out and toured the schools,” Choate said. “The second day they did the public interview in front of us.”
The school board voted 3-2 on May 20 to fire Wysong. Board members cited communication problems. Kevin Chapman was chosen as interim superintendent on May 20. Legally, there has to be a superintendent in place at all times.
Chapman’s contract was finalized on May 29, calling for a termination date of Jan. 5, 2026, or until the board installs another replace-
TIMELINE FOR NEW HIRE
*Timeline subject to update
June 2-June 19: Application window open June 19: Evaluation begins June 24: Board workshop to review, discuss and rank the top finalists
June 25-27: Calling candidates to schedule interviews
July 4 week: Break for holiday week
July 7-15: Interviews with top three candidates
■ One-on-one interviews
■ Panel interview in Board Room
■ Tour of select schools
■ Meet and Greet with Public
July 17: Additional workshop to discuss and select finalists
July 22: 5:30 p.m. meeting to finalize the selection of the chosen candidate July 23-August 4: Negotiations and preparation for the candidate to start.
Aug. 5: Scheduled meeting to accept decision/contract etc.
ment for the position. Chapman will earn $19,500 per month until a new superintendent is hired.
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Warthogs’ new home strictly for the birds
Willow and Winnie are right at home at Parrot Conservatory in Myakka.
LESLEY DWYER
If you’ve never met a warthog in person, consider taking a drive to Myakka City on June 7.
While the event is a fundraiser for the Sarasota Parrot Conservatory, Willow and Winnie will likely be the stars of the day.
The warthog sisters are just 7 weeks old. They moved into the conservatory April 17 and are fitting in well with the parrots, dogs, donkeys, pig, tortoise and cat.
“It’s a Disney movie every day,” founder and operator Greg Para said.
Para became a TikTok sensation alongside his last warthog, Wallace, who died Sept. 13. Para was out of town when Wallace busted through a door in the house and cut his side on a large splinter.
The surgery went well, but Wallace had a heart attack after waking up from the anesthesia.
Para was crushed. He was going to deactivate his TikTok account, but
then thousands of messages poured into Para’s inbox offering him condolences.
Some of the messages asked Para to keep his account active, so he did. Then, one of his Canadian followers messaged him about a guy in Blanco, Texas, named Reed Gardner.
Gardner runs a facility for gibbons, which are small apes. However, he also has two warthogs living at the facility, and the female was pregnant.
Para picked up the piglets at 3 weeks old so they would imprint on him.
“They believe I’m their mother,” Para said. “It’s important so that when they get big, they’ll behave.”
Right now, the piglets are about the same size as Para’s Jack Russell terriers, but they’ll gain about 10 pounds a month over the next two years. Wallace weighed 300 pounds. Para expects Willow and Winnie will weigh between 200 and 250 pounds.
The pair are the same size and color, but it’s easy to see which one is which. Willow has a puffier mane, but both have tiny tusks starting to peek out from their lips.
Para said the sisters are inseparable. While a male warthog can live happily on its own, females prefer to live among a sounder. This sounder just happens to be made up of a menagerie.
Costa, a Catahoula leopard dog mix, has taken over the role of protector. He keeps a close eye on the piglets. Wherever they go, he’s not far behind.
The piglets act just like puppies, too. One of their favorite activities is nipping on shoelaces until they’re untied.
FOR THE BIRDS
While Willow and Winnie will be one of the main attractions, the Summer Fling Fundraiser is raising money for birds, not warthogs.
Since last year’s hurricane season, The Sarasota Parrot Conservatory has maxed out its capacity for birds. Currently, 18 birds are living in temporary cages, and Para is not accepting any new rescues.
“They believe I’m their mother. It’s important so that when they get big, they’ll behave.”
Greg Para
IF YOU GO
The Summer Fling Fundraiser. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 7. Sarasota Parrot Conservatory, 28801 104th Drive E., Myakka City. Visit SarasotaParrotConservatory.org.
It costs about $65,000 a year to maintain the conservatory and keep the animals fed, but the money raised at the Summer Fling will go straight toward new aviaries on the property.
An aviary that holds two birds costs $1,400, which includes a fan, heater and enrichment toys. Para builds them himself using pressure treated wood and 12 gauge wire mesh that prevents predators from breaking in.
The aviaries are also built with tear-away roofs, so the structures don’t blow apart during hurricanes. The birds are brought inside before any major storm, but that one provision makes the recovery process quicker and less expensive.
Guests are welcome to roam the property and interact with the animals during the event. There will also be music, games and a hotdog stand.
The Sarasota Parrot Conservatory offers lifetime care to relinquished parrots and avian assisted therapy to individuals healing from trauma.
The sessions are free of charge, and it’s a gradual process to get both the human and the bird to feel comfortable with each other.
The first session is just a visit to the conservatory to see which parrot will make the best pairing. The initial introductions are from outside the bird’s aviary until the individual is comfortable enough to step inside.
When ready, the pair can leave the aviary for a more tranquil spot on the grounds.
Para is currently building the Healing Center, a 50-foot-long greenhouse structure on the far end of the property that will be shaded and filled with songbirds. A waterfall will add some ambient noise to the peaceful setting.
Once open, therapy sessions will be held in the Healing Center. Para also envisions yoga practitioners renting it out to hold sessions similar to goat yoga, except instead of goats climbing on the yogis, songbirds will be perched on them.
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Costa, a Catahoula leopard dog mix, is always watching over the piglets.
Greg Para is the founder of the Sarasota Parrot Conservatory.
Willow and Winnie are 3 weeks old in this photo. They’re in a hotel room because Para had to pick them up in Texas.
Greg Para is expanding the Sarasota Parrot Conservatory to include a Healing Center that will host yoga with songbirds and avian therapy sessions.
Technology a boon for rescuers
Ihad a hard time moving away from a flip top phone.
I still have my original AOL email address that I opened 30 years ago. And when I see AI, I think of a steak sauce.
So put me in a Manatee County Emergency Operations Center room with geographical information system geeks (I mean that in a good way), and I feel like I’m putting together an Ikea cabinet following instructions that are written in Swedish. The press conference came May 30, two days before the
Atlantic hurricane season officially began June 1.
To say I was going to have a little trouble understanding Manatee County’s new Peregrine system at the Manatee County Public Safety Hurricane Media Day would be an understatement.
But Shannon Cox and Ryan Clark, who are GIS analysts for Manatee County, broke it down for me without shattering my brain.
I would imagine that was a tough assignment for them. Consider Cox’s LinkedIn about information: “Experienced GIS professional
skilled in cartography, python, database management, schema design, Utility Industry, Analytical Skills and Computer-Aided Design. Familiar with many ESRI products. Strong operations professional with a Certificate of Completion focused in Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD from Manatee Technical College in 2000. Completed the URISA Leadership Academy, July 2018.”
Now, I am not sure what all that means, but it sounds pretty good. Cox and Clark talked to me about life before Peregrine’s custom-
made system — the first of its kind in the nation — was installed just before Hurricane Debby in August last year. Two more hurricanes followed as the county’s GIS analysts worked to be up to speed on the system.
So what does that mean for 2025?
The analysts explained to me that life before Peregrine meant all significant data surrounding a hurricane or bad storm was kept in individual silos.
“In previous years, we had all the data,” Cox said. “But it was kept in different platforms. Peregrine is a data consolidator. Now we are putting all the data in one place.”
Clark said in previous years, it could take him more than an hour to accumulate all the necessary data that helps emergency workers make decisions. He would go to all the different sites to collect the information, analyze all the numbers and then paint a picture for the emergency workers.
Now the necessary data is provided in minutes and allows emergency workers to have a much faster response. All the key elements are delivered together. It’s an emergency bundling package.
For example, let’s say flooding threats are closing upon two areas in Manatee County. Analysts can quickly advise emergency workers which area to target first. It means they can target areas for search and rescue faster than before. That might save your life.
The information also will tell the analysts quickly if there are any road hazards that will hinder them in getting to an area in need. It could help the county inform residents faster if they need to evacuate in front of building flood waters. The information can help with decisions about releases from the Lake Manatee Dam.
Matt Myers, Manatee County’s Emergency Management chief, said the new system can produce realtime numbers for shelters so they can direct those in need to where they need to go. It quickly tells workers about power outages along with what lift stations might be
down. It provides all the data from tidal gauges. Analysts can look at all the streams and rivers in the county and compare them in a short period of time.
“It combines it all together,” he said of the Peregrine system.
Myers said that in the future, counties will find that the Peregrine system is not just a great tool but a necessary one.
The system is not inexpensive ($230,000 a year), but Manatee County values any safety measures it can supply to the benefit of its residents.
Jodie Fiske, Manatee County’s director of public safety, said the county doesn’t back away from technology. After a visit from Kevin Guthrie, executive director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Fiske asked Guthrie “how are we doing” with the Peregrine system in place.
His answer?
“Manatee County is leading the way,” he said.
Besides helping emergency workers make decisions faster, the system also compiles necessary data so the county can file for state and federal aid faster.
“It helps us get dollars in our pocket,” Fiske said.
It all goes back to Peregrine’s mission statement: “Helping the world’s most critical institutions make better decisions and improve operations by unlocking their data.”
It is worth the taxpayer money?
“We had a historic hurricane season last year,” Myers said. “That doesn’t mean we can’t go through another one.”
I might not be able to understand all the technical terms, but I do understand that.
Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.
Jay Heater
Matt Myers, Manatee County’s Emergency Management chief, talks during a press conference May 30 about how the new Peregrine system will consolidate vital information needed by emergency workers
Jay
SOLID WASTE UPDATES
A fair share?
School board members will vote whether to give charter schools an ‘equitable’ share of the half-penny tax.
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
Lakewood Ranch resident Tara Higgins is the mother of a first grader who attends Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy. Her family moved to Manatee County three years ago and she didn’t know much about how the county’s half-penny sales tax would benefit charter schools.
This year, she learned that since August 2023, charter schools have received no funding from the halfpenny sales tax, which generated $51.7 million for schools in 2024. Along with other charter school parents, she is not happy.
In 2016, the half-penny sales tax was renewed with the support of charter schools with the idea that it was to support all public school students — including those in charter schools. A block grant had provided charter schools with some funding from the half-penny tax, but those funds stopped in 2023.
Higgins questions why her daughter’s school is seen differently than other public schools and hopes to see fair distribution to all public schools in the future.
“It puts public charter schools at a disadvantage for resources and renovations,” Higgins said. “This ends up putting strain on the families to fundraise more in order to provide necessities for the children’s school.”
BOARD CONSIDERS CHANGE
With a backlash from the charter school community, the School District of Manatee County board held a workshop May 23 to discuss ways to provide charter schools with a percentage of the half penny tax.
School board members will tentatively vote on June 24 on ways to
move forward to provide charter schools with what they called “an equitable” share of the funds.
Steve Zickafoose, senior director of school improvement at Manatee School for the Arts, said the May 23 workshop provided the charter school community with a thoughtful and constructive conversation. He said board members showed they weren’t dwelling on past decisions and were trying to focus on making the right decisions moving forward.
“While the outcome does not fully reflect the level of equity we hoped for from the start, it represents a meaningful step forward,” Zickafoose said. “It shows that the school board, as a collective body, is recognizing the value of our charter students and the important work happening in our schools.”
Zickafoose said a showdown with the school board members was coming.
“The parents that I talked to are mad, because they know every time they buy a drink or every time they go to any store, Lowe’s or wherever, that the money that they thought was going to their kid does not go to their kid,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing, parents are just very upset about feeling misled.”
School board members acknowledged that the system should be changed moving forward.
“I would like to see us working together for the greater good, which
is obviously educating our children and to make our community the best that it possibly can be in the future,”
School Board Member Chad Choate said.
Zickafoose described charter schools as the other public schools’ “little cousin” that provides the education system with different ways to be innovative.
“It’s not that we get extra funding,” said Zickafoose. “We are fighting for the same pennies so that our kids get the same benefit.”
A FIFTH OF LOCAL STUDENTS GO
TO A CHARTER SCHOOL
In Manatee County, one out of every five students goes to a charter school.
District 2 Board Member Cindy Spray has more charter school students in her district — 3,900 — than any other district in Manatee County.
“Charters were never identified in that language (on how to distribute the half-penny sales tax funds) back in 2016. The board at the time advocated for charters to get behind it and support it, which they did,” Spray said.
The half-penny sales tax will return to the ballot in 2032.
If the school board doesn’t take action, Zickafoose said, “Everybody who has a kid in charter schools who’s paying their sales tax can count on the next seven or eight years of not having their money go to their kid whatsoever. That’s just wrong.”
School board member Richard Tatem said he went back and watched the vote from 2016 and said the board was not exactly clear in what the amendments and motions meant. He said it’s a good lesson to the current board that every motion needs to be clarified.
Zickafoose said the block grant gave the charter schools about between 3% to 5% of what they should have received.
“We’ve talked about some of the discrepancies, and I do not think we play on an even playing field,” Choate said. “I do think we need each other. I think we need charters more than you probably sit and think about. If we didn’t have them, where would that 20% of kids be, where would they be going?”
With more schools on the way due to growth and overcrowding, Choate
FRAMEWORK FOR POTENTIAL JUNE 10 SCHOOL BOARD VOTE
The School District of Manatee board will vote to give charter schools a percentage of what is considered “equitable” from the half-cent sales tax. Approximately 21% of the district’s students attend charter schools.
2025–26: Charter schools receive 50% of an equitable portion
2026–27: Charter schools receive 60% of an equitable portion
2027–28: Charter schools receive 80% of an equitable portion
2028–32: Charter schools receive 100% of an equitable portion
said parents should have the right to choose where they send their kids, whether it’s based around academics, sports, arts or something else.
WORKING TOGETHER
“It’s possible for charter schools and district leadership to work together to say we have a population over here that’s overcrowded,” Zickafoose said.
“Is there a charter school that we can support to open up in this zone to help alleviate that stress, that can build a building cheaper, and that could be more responsive quicker?”
Even though board members acknowledged charter schools should get a share of the half-penny funds, planning for the near future has left them in a bind.
“I don’t think we can chunk out $10.7 million for 2024-25 because we’ve already committed our dollars,” Spray said. “I do believe, starting next year, we need to slice it in there.”
Choate said that it seemed like there was a consensus that in the 2025-26 school year, they would try to reimburse 50% of what the charter schools sales tax would have been if it was equitable. He said he hopes the district can provide the numbers of what an equitable portion of the tax funds would have been, before the June 10 meeting. Charter schools receive approximately 21% of the 1 mill property tax that was extended by voters in 2024 because they teach 21% of the district’s students.
Elegant Home Transformations…
Public-private partnerships can work in right situations
Thank you for the shout out and for the information contained in your letter to the Observer dated May 22 (Encourage Public-Private Partnerships, Brittany Lamont, president/ CEO of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance). I believe that you are correct in that public-private partnerships should be encouraged. Public-private partnerships involve collaboration between a government and a private-sector company that can be used to finance, build and operate projects while providing reduced costs and accelerated timelines for public benefit.
For governments pursuing public–private partnerships for large infrastructure projects, capitalizing on the risk-management capabilities of the private sector could be a more efficient and effective approach. However, public-private partnerships should not blur the lines between legitimate public purposes and private for-profit activity and should truly involve collaboration of all stakeholders (both public and private) with the ultimate goal of benefiting the citizens of Manatee County.
In your letter, I noticed that you mentioned, “These collaborations have included ... environmental restoration efforts.”
Perhaps the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance and its many members would like to join me in restoring the wetlands to Manatee County. As you surely are aware, this “environmental restoration effort” has been demanded by the public since they were ignored by the previous Board of County Commissioners.
I, and the public, would appreciate your collective efforts and ask you to join us to restore the wetlands. Restoration would help to ensure high-quality municipal services including storm drainage, utilities, disaster mitigation and infrastructure, which are beneficial to supply chains and business logistics, which directly impacts the operational costs and efficiency of businesses.
Just so you know, when the
Manatee County District 5 Commissioner Robert McCann
public-private partnership is what everyone wants and the end result will benefit the public, I am in favor of any public-private initiatives. If the public doesn’t want the project, there is no partnership.
As you are aware, I was voted into office by the residents of Manatee County’s District 5 to serve their interests and fight for their priorities and needs, and I will keep doing so.
I support the business community, its economic development, promoting local business and workforce development. I encourage anyone to reach out to me with any concerns or comments at any time.
Finally, I enjoyed meeting with you in my office previously to address your concerns. I am probusiness and will gladly assist you and your members in any way that I can help. My door is always open.
COMMISSIONER ROBERT
COUNTY DISTRICT 5
SEND US YOUR LETTERS Have something to tell us? Send your letters to Jay Heater at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Circus Arts Conservatory cofounder Pedro Reis stepped down from management of the circus nonprofit this past November, but as production strategist, he still is responsible for producing the CAC’s tentpole events, such as the Summer Circus Spectacular.
Bringing star performers from all over the globe to Sarasota is getting harder, with longer waits for U.S. visas, and increased scrutiny at border crossings and airports. For the CAC’s Circus Sarasota, held this year from Feb. 15 to March 9, Reis was intent on hosting a troupe of Ethiopian acrobats, but they couldn’t get into the U.S. in time for the show.
IF YOU GO
SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR
When: June 13 through Aug. 9
Where: The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road
Tickets: $20; $15
children 15 and under. Admission to the Circus Museum is $5 on the day of the show.
Info: Visit Ringling. org or call 941360-7399.
“Getting into the country is more challenging and difficult than before,” Reis says.
Even though he didn’t get his Ethiopian artists back in February, he was able to book a troupe of female Ethiopian acrobats called Trio Black Diamond for the Summer Circus Spectacular, which starts June 13.
Trio Black Diamond has wowed audiences across Europe, including at the Monte Carlo Circus Festival and Saint Paul Dax in France.
“I think our audiences are really going to enjoy Trio Black Diamond,” Reis says. “That’s what it’s really all about, thrilling the audiences and bringing them back year after year.”
The Summer Circus Spectacular also includes “America’s Got Talent” finalist Aidan Brant on aerial straps, speed juggler Nilson Escobar, Sian España on the German Wheel and Zeman Quick Change, a husbandand-wife team whose lightning-fast costume switches stun audiences.
There are no animals in the Summer Circus Spectacular, but some traditional elements of the circus remain. You can’t have a circus without a ringmaster (CAC employee Jared Walker) and a clown (Juan Carlos Valencia).
A Florida native, Walker has had a long career as an actor, director and choreographer. He came to Sarasota in 2004 to play Fred Casely in “Chicago” and stayed on. The mag
been creative director for the Sailor Circus Academy, the CAC’s youth education arm, since 2018.
Clowns sometimes get a bad rap thanks to a sub-genre of horror movies. Presenting them to families can be tricky. For some reason, a foreign accent and a little bit of Continental flair makes the tricksters more palatable to modern audiences. Valencia, the fifth generation of a circus family, fits the bill.
As Reis casually drops the names of Ethiopia’s capital and the glamorous gaming mecca Monte Carlo in a telephone interview, it’s obvious that he knows his way around the world.
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Reis became a trapeze artist performing in Europe before making his American debut with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1984.
Together with circus royalty Dolly Jacobs, daughter of famed clown Lou Jacobs, Reis co-founded the predecessor organization to the CAC in 1987.
This is Reis’ 17th or 18th season producing the Summer Circus Spectacular at The Ringling, Reis says. He’s not sure of the exact number because one season was interrupted by renovations at The Ringling, the museum that grew out of John Ringling’s desire to leave his mansion and art collection to the people of Florida.
THE SUMMER SEASON KEEPS GETTING LONGER
What started out as a one-week show in The Ringling’s Wagon Room has since moved to the museum’s Historic Asolo Theater with a run of nine weeks this year, starting June 13.
CIRCUS PAGE 14A
Aerialist Aidan Bryant displays the dazzling skills that have won him international circus awards.
Courtesy images Trio Black Diamond, a female hand balance act from Ethiopia, performs at the 2025 Summer Circus Spectacular.
Sian España defies gravity on the German Wheel.
Jared Walker is the 2025 ringmaster.
Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week celebrates its 20th anniversary
Through June 20, local eateries offer $25 specials for lunch and $45 for dinner.
OBSERVER STAFF
Just call it Savor Sota. You’ve heard of the 12 Days of Christmas, right? Well, for 20 sizzling days in June, your favorite local restaurants will offer $25 two-course lunch specials and $45 three-course dinner specials.
Sponsored by the Sarasota County tourism bureau Visit Sarasota, Savor Sarasota (its full name) Restaurant Week is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. In honor of the milestone, the event has expanded to 20 days, with more than 60 establishments participating.
Originally started as a weeklong event in 2005 to boost restaurant attendance after season ended and the snowbirds went home, Savor Sarasota expanded to two weeks in 2020, to help give eateries a lift after COVID-19 shutdowns.
What’s new about Savor Sarasota this year, in addition to the longer schedule, is a mobile passport called the Visit Sarasota Flavor Trail that can be downloaded to your phone via text or email. It allows passport holders to check in at participating restaurants. By doing so, they accumulate points to win Savor Sarasota swag.
Don’t fret if you don’t live in downtown Sarasota. Savor Sarasota is a countywide event that includes eateries on Longboat Key, Siesta Key, Lakewood Ranch, Venice and other areas within Sarasota County’s 725 square miles.
Savor Sarasota gives foodies an excuse to get out of their comfort zone. Lakewood Ranch isn’t just for the people who live in the premier planned community. Waterside Place has got some great new restaurants worth checking out. Among
them are Kore Steakhouse and Agave Bandido, which are both participating in Savor Sarasota.
Yes, it’s been hotter than usual lately, but Savor Sarasota provides an incentive to get out of the house and enjoy some cool waterfront breezes.
Just scanning names, such as Crow’s Nest, Farlow’s on the Water, Fins at Sharky’s and Pop’s Sunset Grill, makes me feel a couple of degrees cooler already.
Some people hear the names of Sarasota’s finest restaurants and are intimidated. “Oh, that’s too expensive!” or “What will I wear?” are two thoughts that may come to mind. As they say in New York, “Fuhgeddaboudit!” Lunch during Savor Sarasota is a perfect time to try out that fancy place that you normally wouldn’t set foot in.
Many of Sarasota’s most beloved restaurants are part of Savor Sarasota, including Michael’s On East, Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, Libby’s and Selva Grill Downtown.
Let Savor Sarasota beckon you into restaurants inside hotels that you might not normally think of for your dining experiences. Wink Wink is a hipster nod to Old Florida located within the Sarasota Modern Hotel. Tzeva is a Mediterranean oasis with-
IF YOU GO
SAVOR SARASOTA
When: June 1-20
Where: More than 60 restaurants
Tickets: $25 for twocourse lunch specials; $45 for three-course dinner specials
Info: Visit SavorSarasota.com.
Tzeva’s small plates set a family oriented dining experience.
in Art Ovation Hotel, which features the colorful works of local artists in its lobby.
Savor Sarasota diners, we’ve got one word for you: reservations! Call your desired restaurant or consult its website to see what online booking service they use, be it OpenTable, Resy or another.
Do not just show up and expect to get the prix fixe special for Savor Sarasota. Many restaurants make limited quantities of their daily specials based on reservations.
Don’t feel ashamed or cheap that you’re there for a special; most restaurants make their money from alcohol. Don’t be surprised if your server tries to “upsell” you; their tip depends on the size of the bill, so it’s in their interest for the check to be as hefty as possible.
More Savor Sarasota etiquette: Just because you’re getting the special doesn’t mean you have to nickeland-dime your server.
If you’re feeling generous and your bank account allows it, express your gratitude for a prix fixe lunch or dinner special to your server. You’ll both feel good about the bounty of Savor Sarasota.
First built in 1798 inside a palace in Asolo, Italy, the jewelbox theater’s elaborate proscenium, decorative panels and other components were purchased by The Ringling in 1949. The historic theater, which opened for Sarasota performances in 1952, has only 286 seats. The intimate setting rules out circus acts with large apparatus like the Wheel of Death.
With a running time of about an hour, the Summer Circus Spectacular caters to the short attention spans of young children and internet-addled adults. There is plenty of room in the back and along the sides for walkers and wheelchairs. It’s not unusual to see three generations of a family watching the show, a phenomenon that warms Reis’ heart.
As much as he loves the Historic Asolo Theater (dubbed the HAT, for short), Reis wants readers and ticket buyers to think of his show as the Summer Circus Spectacular at The Ringling.
Why? So they won’t mistakenly go to the nearby FSU Center for the Performing Arts, home of the Asolo Repertory Theatre, which shares a parking lot with The Ringling.
Many a tourist has ended up at the HAT, inside The Ringling, for an Asolo Rep performance, or over at FSU for a show just minutes from curtain at the HAT. It’s confusing, but if these are the worst of our problems in Sarasota, we’re quite lucky.
Circus lovers are also flummoxed when they arrive on Mondays, the day of free admission at The Ringling, to learn that while they can tour the galleries of The John and Mable Ringling Art Museum at no charge, they will have to pay full freight ($30 for adults and $5 for children 6-17) to visit the Tibbals Learning Pavilion and other circus galleries at The Ringling.
Yes, John Ringling may be turning in his grave, but only his art can be viewed for free on Mondays, not The Ringling’s Circus Museum, established in 1948 under the direction of the museum’s first director, Everett “Chick” Austin. Sorry, the rules are the rules.
Fortunately for those who want to make it a day of circus at The Ringling and who absolutely must see the world’s largest miniature circus, the
CAC and the museum have teamed up to offer Summer Circus Spectacular ticket holders access to the Circus Museum for just $5. No trip to The Ringling is complete without viewing the Howard Bros. Circus Model, created by philanthropist and circus lover Howard Tibbals. Even the most jaded tourist won’t fail to be dazzled by the sheer scope of the majestic exhibit, which consists of more than 42,000 pieces and spans 3,800 square feet. It’s reminiscent of a military model. But instead of an army taking over a city, it’s a circus in all its glory preparing its cultural occupation.
While there is plenty of Old School circus ephemera at The Ringling, there’s also a new, interactive gallery on the second floor of the Tibbals called “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Opened in April 2024, the exhibit is devoted to the modern era of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which Feld Entertainment of Palmetto acquired in 1967.
All you need is popcorn! Maybe you can eat it in the car.
Food isn’t permitted in the Historic Asolo Theater, but there is a Starbucks on the second floor of The Ringling’s entry foyer, right above the gift shop. There’s also a lovely restaurant, The Grill Room, which is participating in Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week from June 1-20. It’s offering a $25 prix fixe special for lunch and a $45 one for dinner. With the recent addition of the holiday Wonderland circus at UTC, a collaboration between superstar aerialist Nik Wallenda and the CAC, to complement the annual Circus Sarasota in February and the Summer Circus Spectacular, some might wonder: Is there too much circus in Sarasota?
For the circus faithful, there’s never too much. Still, Reis is careful to keep the acts fresh at the events he produces, repeating artists only every four or five years.
“This is, I think, our 18th year at The Ringling,” he says. “Obviously, the recipe is working. What is it? It’s a combination of various energies — humorous, sensational, thrilling, death-defying. You are transported into another world.” P.S. It’s air conditioned.
Squeaky Wheel Fringe keeps the momentum going
The ‘smorgasbord’ festival takes over the Jane B. Cook Theatre from June 3-10.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
EDITOR
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
The 19th century showman P.T. Barnum gets credit for saying,
“There’s no such thing as bad publicity,” and Megan Radish, who founded Sarasota’s Squeaky Wheel Fringe festival three years ago, would be the first to agree.
A lot of people in Florida hadn’t heard of fringe festivals until Gov. Ron DeSantis cited them during a press conference in June 2024 when he explained why he had cut $32 million in arts grants in the 2025 fiscal year.
“So you’re having your tax dollars being given in grants to things like the fringe festival, which is like a sexual festival where they’re doing all this stuff,” DeSantis said in Polk County.
His words helped put Florida’s four fringe festivals — Orlando, Fort Myers, Tampa and Sarasota — in the spotlight. The festivals, which run back to back, with Orlando kicking off on May 13 this year and Tampa wrapping on June 22, are enjoying the added publicity. Their management has drawn closer since their perceived dangers were highlighted, Radish says.
Sarasota’s Squeaky Wheel Fringe festival runs from June 3-10 at the Jane B. Cook Theatre in FSU Center for Performing Arts. Last year’s festival sold 750 tickets, Radish said, a 20% increase over its premiere event in 2023. She expects the growth to continue, especially with the greater visibility that fringe has gained.
Radish is a Florida native who worked in regional theater for nearly a decade before forming Squeaky Wheel Theatre Group, the festival’s producer, in 2020. She didn’t take the governor’s words as an insult.
“I think that statement was made from a position of not understand-
IF YOU GO SQUEAKY WHEEL FRINGE FESTIVAL
When: June 3-10
Where: Jane B. Cook Theatre at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $19 and under, plus fees. Info: Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.
ing,” Radish said in an interview. “If he saw the greater picture of what fringe is, the narrative would be different. Yes, we are uncensored. We believe that art shouldn’t have boundaries on it. But I’ve seen worse in R-rated movies.”
All four of Florida’s fringe festivals, of which Sarasota is the newest, owe their existence to Edinburgh. The granddaddy of all fringe festivals, Edinburgh got its start in Scotland in 1947 and has been going strong ever since.
So what is a fringe festival, anyway? It’s described by Radish as a “smorgasbord” of performances that are uncensored. And it’s not one type of performance. It can be drama, dance, comedy, music or all of the above.
Still, fringe isn’t for everyone.
Perhaps fringe festival veteran Keith Alessia, who came to town last year with “Tomatoes Tried to Kill But Banjos Saved My Life,” put it best. “Fringe is some of the best stuff you will ever see and some of the worst,”
he said in an interview with the Observer.
Some fringe festivals use a lottery system to make their selections, but Squeaky Wheel relies on a group of adjudicators to decide who makes the cut. This year, there will be seven shows. All tickets cost less than $19 before fees, including a $4 charge to defray festival costs.
Artists are responsible for promoting their shows, but they get to keep the proceeds from the performances.
SEARCHING FOR THE UNIVERSAL IN THE PERSONAL
Many fringe shows, which generally run about an hour, tell personal stories that their creators hope will resonate with wider audiences.
Such is the case with Terrance Jackson’s show, “Did You Not Know?” The title comes from a conversation Jackson had with his stepmom in December 2021 when he learned that his father had passed away nearly a year earlier.
Jackson, a native of Sarasota who went to Booker High School’s Visual and Performing Arts program, recently returned to town to become director of education and engagement at Asolo Repertory Theatre.
Prior to that, he spent five years at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, where he held a variety of roles.
In “Did You Not Know?” Jackson plays eight characters, including his mom and his stepmom, in what he calls a “love letter to Sarasota.” Working with his director, Cat Brindisi, he’s tried to create “something respectful.”
Says Jackson, “I hope audiences will see themselves in one of the characters. It’s important to not point any fingers. My stepmom was doing the best that she thought she could.”
Other familiar faces in the Squeaky Wheel Fringe lineup include Tania Vergara Perez of the Endedans Contemporary Ballet, who is presenting “The Paradox of the Mirror.” Drawing inspiration from Cuban artist Guillermo López González’s depiction of a mangrove, the work combines dance, video and painting to explore time, identity and memory.
Another dance-oriented program on the lineup is “Mamá Mala,” a onewoman bilingual dance theater piece that incorporates standup comedy.
First presented in January at the Historic Asolo Theater in a Micro WIP (Works In Progress) show through The Ringling’s Art of Performance series, “Mamá Mala” comes to Squeaky Wheel Fringe more fully embodied.
Starring dancer Ivonne Batanero, a veteran of Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre in Miami, the performance reflects Batanero’s growth as an artist while coping with the responsibility that comes with being a mother.
In between dancing in Miami and moving to Sarasota in 2024, Batanero spent three years in Costa Rica, where she interviewed women from varying backgrounds and nationalities about motherhood. Although she drew from the experiences of other women to create her character, who is a standup comedian, “Mamá Mala” is also deeply personal.
“It’s kind of playing around with the complexities of womanhood and motherhood. There are the sacrifices and the inevitable imperfections as you try to get it right. It’s trial and error,” she says.
Although “Mamá Mala” is set in the 1980s, it’s not a linear story, Batanero says. Helping to set the mood in the dance theater performance and usher in scene transitions is a soundtrack created by Kenra White with background noise, voices and songs.
Some troupes enjoyed their run in the 2024 edition of the Squeaky Wheel Fringe so much that they’ve come back for more. The Improvisational Repertory Theatre Ensemble of New York City, who presented “The Lonely Death of L. Harris” last year, returns with the intriguingly titled show, “Wow Wee! Adventures of a Little Girl Killbot Christmas Special!” Defined as a “post-apocalyptic ’80s sitcom Christmas Special,” the improvised performance follows the Truman family and their girl robot as they search for the true meaning of Christmas while the world is ending. Based on the description and the experience of its performers, we’re going to go out on a limb and declare “Little Girl Killbot” a prototypical “fringe” show, sight unseen. Maybe some folks can come down from Tallahassee and find the true meaning of fringe, right here in Sarasota.
Image courtesy of Rod Millington
With “Mamá Mala,” dancer/choreographer Ivonne Batanero explores the conflicting feelings of motherhood June 6-7 at the Squeaky Wheel Fringe festival.
THURSDAY
SARASOTA MUSIC FESTIVAL:
TESSA LARK RETURNS
4:30 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail
$30-$43
Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.
This concert brings Sarasota Music Festival Director Jeffrey Kahane, violinist/fiddler Tessa Lark and cellist Mike Block together again to re-create some of the improvisational magic of last year’s festival. The trio will perform together on Improvisation on an Old English Folk Song and on Clarke’s Piano Trio. The program also includes “The Jet Whistle” by Villa-Lobos, featuring Alex Sopp on flute and Karen Ouzounian, another favorite from the 2024 festival, on cello. Rounding out the program is Michi Wiancko’s “Fantasia for Tomorrow” featuring Lark on violin and Paul Neubauer on viola. The festival continues through June 21.
LEANNE MORGAN: JUST GETTING STARTED
7 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail
$56-$137
Visit VanWezel.org
Comedian Leanne Morgan rose to fame with her Netflix special “I’m Every Woman,” combining Southern charm with relatable humor. Her “Just Getting Started” tour is an ironic milestone on a 25-year career and has recently taken her to premier venues such as the Chicago Theatre and Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Runs through June 6.
SQUEAKY WHEEL FRINGE FESTIVAL: ‘WORTHY SOULS’
7 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail
$12.62 plus fees
Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.
A new folk rock musical by Rex Willis, “Worthy Souls” follows a day in the
DON’T MISS
‘JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’
This is it — the one we’ve been waiting all season for! Broadway director Josh Rhodes (“Spamalot”) returns to Sarasota to direct and choreograph Asolo Rep’s production of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” the granddaddy of rock musicals. The show promises to be of biblical proportions in more ways than one. Look for Sarasota’s own Ann Morrison, Mary in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along,” as King Herod. Runs through June 28.
IF YOU GO
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 5
Where: FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail
Tickets: $35-$95. Info: Visit AsoloRep.org.
THIS WEEK
life of a homeless man named Skye in a show that alternates humor and sorrow. Repeats June 7.
‘HOW SWEET IT IS’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.
$18-$42
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org
As the mercury rises, locals know how to escape the heat: Florida Studio Theatre’s Summer Cabaret. The series kicks off with a Motown tribute called “How Sweet It is.” Led by dynamic vocalist and songwriter Luke McMaster, an energetic trio demonstrates the enduring appeal of hits by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Supremes and others with songs like “Tracks of My Tears,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.” Through Aug. 3.
‘DIVAS: TIME AFTER TIME’
8 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St.
$37-$39
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
New to Sarasota? We’ve got two words for you: Jannie Jones. When Jones is performing at Florida Studio Theatre, run to the Court Cabaret. She is one-third of the trio performing in FST’s new cabaret show, “Divas: Time After Time.” The other gifted singers are Aja Goes and Dakota Mackey-McGee. Firsttimers to FST’s cabaret shows leave the show amazed that there is such talent here in our laid-back beach town. Runs through June 22.
SQUEAKY WHEEL FRINGE
FESTIVAL: ‘THE PARADOX OF THE MIRROR’
8:30 p.m. at FSU Center for the
$14.70
Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.
Choreographed by Tania Vergara Perez for Endedans Contemporary Ballet, “The Paradox of the Mirror” combines dance, video and painting to explore the themes of time, identity and memory. The work draws inspiration from Cuban artist Guillermo López González’s depiction of the mangrove and its diverse forms. Runs through June 6.
FRIDAY
IN THE ROUND:
A SUMMER INTENSIVE
7 p.m. at Sarasota Contemporary Dance, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Suite 300
$20 Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance. org.
In the Round gives rising choreographers from across the country selected by SCD’s Artistic Staff a chance to set a work in progress during Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s Summer Intensive. The choreographers are given feedback during the performance from audience members led by SCD Artistic Director Leymis Bolaños Wilmott.
JIM LAUDERDALE
7 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court
$32 Visit WSLR.org.
Jim Lauderdale’s the real deal. He’s been part of the country music scene since he released his debut album in 1991 and began writing
songs for country stars. Over the years, the North Carolina native has worked with artists such as Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Emmylou Harris and Elvis Costello. He has also won two Grammys and released 34 albums. His latest LP, “Game Changer,” was recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville and includes a mix of songs he’s written over the years.
‘FROM 145TH TO 98TH STREET’ 7:30 p.m. at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. $30-$44 Visit UrbaniteTheatre.com.
Urbanite Theatre wraps its season with Nia Akilah Robinson’s world premiere, “From 145th to 98th Street,” which follows a Black family’s
move to a better neighborhood in search of a better life for their children. The American Dream proves elusive when the family’s son is wrongfully accused of a crime committed by someone with the same name. But the power of family prevails in this realistic tale of New York City life sure to resonate with all audiences. Runs through June 29.
SQUEAKY WHEEL FRINGE FESTIVAL: ‘MAMÁ MALA’
10 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail
$12.62 plus fees Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.
Dancer Ivonne Batanero brings a meditation on motherhood she premiered in January at The Ringling’s Art of Performance Micro WIP (Works In Progress) series to the Squeaky Wheel Fringe Festival. The bilingual piece crosses genres by incorporating standup comedy and dance with a soundtrack of music and noise. Repeats June 7.
SATURDAY
SARASOTA MUSIC FESTIVAL: BEETHOVEN AND SHOSTAKOVICH
7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
$29-$72 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.
Conductor Stephanie Childress returns with a captivating program featuring Armenian American composer Mary Kouyoumdjian’s Tagh (Diary) of an Immigrant, Shostakovich’s popular Second Piano Concerto and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2, the last symphony he composed in the style of Mozart.
SUNDAY
PUCCINI’S ‘MADAMA BUTTERFLY’
1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
$20 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
It’s not that often that you get to watch a high-definition film of an opera in a real opera house. Sarasota Opera kicks off its summer HD at the Opera House series with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The heartbreaking tale of an ill-fated romance between a Japanese geisha and an American naval officer features Kevin John Edusei conducting the Royal Opera House orchestra and chorus.
Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail
HD at the Opera House presents Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” on Sunday, June 8.
Image courtesy of Sorcha Augustine
Slimani Slates, Aiel Blue and Brian D. Coates star in “From 145th to 98th Street,” which runs through June 29 at Urbanite Theatre.
Courtesy images
SQUEAKY WHEEL FRINGE
FESTIVAL: ‘DID YOU NOT KNOW?’
7 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $14.70 plus fees Visit SqueakyWheelTheatre.org.
“Did You Not Know?” is a one-man show starring Asolo Repertory Theatre Director of Education Terrance Jackson, who plays eight characters. A Sarasota native and Booker VPA alum, Jackson recently returned to his hometown after a stint as director of outreach at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. Cat Brindisi directs.
MONDAY
RAUSCHENBERG:
A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
The John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Road Free with $25 admission; Mondays free Visit Ringling.org.
The Ringling joins museums around the world in honoring the centenary of maverick artist Robert Rauschenberg, who burst onto the art scene in the mid-20th century with collages he called “combines.” The first American to win the grand prize at the Venice Biennale, Rauschenberg set the stage for the Pop Art movement. The exhibition includes works that The Ringling has in its collection, including pieces Rauschenberg created during his time on Captiva Island on Florida’s Gulf Coast, where he moved in 1968. Runs through Aug. 3.
TUESDAY
‘GEORGE HARRISON:
A GARDENER’S LIFE’
10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens,1534 Mound St. $28 Visit Selby.org.
“George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life” is the ninth installment of the annual Jean and Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series. Walking around the 15-acre sanctuary on the Sarasota bayfront where gardens and botanical displays have been erected to mirror those in Harrison’s estate, Friar Park, you can’t help feeling the late Beatle would approve of this living tribute. Runs through June 29.
WEDNESDAY
SARASOTA MUSIC FESTIVAL:
LEVIN LECTURE
1 p.m. at Holley Hall, 709 N. Tamiami Trail $15-$25 Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.
Former Sarasota Music Festival Director Robert Levin, a renowned expert on improvisation in classical
OUR PICK
SARASOTA MUSIC FESTIVAL: FROM BACH TO BLOCK
From Bach to Block includes Shostakovich’s 1944 composition Piano Trio No. 2, which he dedicated to a friend who recently died. But the program doesn’t dwell entirely on sorrow. Also on the bill of the concert being performed by Sarasota Music Festival faculty and fellows are Bach’s joyful Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, and cellist Mike Block’s Global Music Collaboration, giving audiences another taste of the spontaneity that was such a hit in last year’s festival. Festival runs through June 21.
IF YOU GO When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 6 Where: Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Tickets: $29-$53 Info: Visit SarasotaOrchestra.org.
music, delivers his annual lecture. The topic hasn’t been announced, but it’s a safe bet that Levin will challenge SMF Fellows and audiences alike with his knowledge of music history and theory. Festival continues through June 21.
Mike Block
Robert Levin delivers his annual lecture June 11.
Farmers Market produces Sunday fun
Even though watermelons were piled high, bread and cookies were freshly baked and paella was sizzling in a pan the size of a kiddie pool, a garbage can was stealing the show at the Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch on Sunday at Waterside Place.
Mary Oquendo, recycling coordinator for Manatee County, and Nate Masengale, a Solid Waste Division operator, set up a booth to answer resident questions and display Manatee County’s new “big bin” alongside the existing recycling bin.
“We bring both so people see the size,” Oquendo said. “It’s not as bad as people think it is. When they look at it, they’re saying it’s a little longer, but it’s not that wide. S changing their mind from that sticker shock, or rather size shock.”
Being that the Lakewood Ranch Farmers Market is so popular, Manatee County is unable to attend the market every Sunday because there’s not always space for them. However, Oquendo started bringing the bin out in January and will continue through the rollout in October.
While other events, such as Ranch Nite Wednesday, take a hiatus for summer, the Farmers Market is year-round. Vendors set up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday along Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place.
—LESLEY DWYER
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Mary Oquendo, recycling coordinator for Manatee County, shows off the “big bin.”
Parrish’s Emily and Josie Bonfiglio enjoy a couple cocktails from Agave Bandido before wandering through the market.
Chef Efrain Martinez, of San Andres, Spain, is serving the national dish of Spain — paella.
Cindy Unzicker, of Bite Me Cookies by Cindy, offers samples of her homemade, fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.
Sarasota musician Billy Lyon entertains the crowd solo. Usually, he plays with The Billy Lyon Band.
IT’S READ EVERYWHERE
Headed on a trip? Snap a photo of you on vacation holding your Observer, then submit your photo at YourObserver.com/ ItsReadEverywhere for a chance to win a $500 cash prize and help a local nonprofit!
TAKING THE OBSERVER UNDER THEIR WING: Tracy and Steve Schwarz read a copy of the East County Observer at Cardiff Castle in Cardiff, Wales.
BEST BET
THURSDAY, JUNE 5
THROUGH SUNDAY, JUNE 8
LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS
LANDING
Runs from 4:30-7:30 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Jack Berry (Thursday), Raiford Starke (Friday), Donnie Bostic (Saturday) and Donnie Bostic and Chuck (Sunday). All music this week is free. For information, go to JiggsLanding.com.
COMMUNITY
FRIDAY, JUNE 6
MUSIC ON MAIN
Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. The Jump Start Band is performing classic rock at the free concert and block party series. Proceeds from the June event benefit the Florida West Coast Avian Society. Enjoy food vendors, beer trucks and sponsor booths, along with rides and activities for the kids.
TROPICAL KICKOFF PARTY
Runs from 10 a.m. to noon at the Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota. Hosted by the Mall at University Town Center, the Summer Fun Club Tropical Kickoff Party for kids will offer character meet and greets, hula dancing, crafts and activities, face painting and giveaways. Check in for this free event at the Mall at UTC’s customer service desk upon arrival, then proceed to the Grand Court on the lower level.
FRIDAY, JUNE 6 AND
SATURDAY, JUNE 7
MUSIC AT THE PLAZA
Runs from 6-9 p.m. each evening at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Singer/ songwriter Dana Lawrence performs for the Waterside Place crowd on Friday, while Frankie Lombardi entertains with eclectic acoustic rock and pop on Saturday. For information about the free music series, go to WatersidePlace.com.
SATURDAY, JUNE 7
ROOFTOP YOGA
Begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 16410 Rangeland Parkway, Lakewood Ranch. Adults (18-and-older) can participate in the Rooftop Yoga program. The donation-based group class is designed to inspire and invigorate. Beginners are welcome, as well as those with experience. The workout focuses on balancing effort and ease through breath work and postures. Participants are asked to bring a yoga mat. For information, go to MyLWR.com.
File photo
Chuck Wilson and Donnie Bostic, of the Donnie Bostic Duo, perform at Jiggs Landing, which offers live music today through Sunday.
FREE JAZZERCISE
Begins at 9 a.m. at the Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota. The Mall at UTC retailers and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center host Fab & Fit with Fabletics: Jazzercise at Macy’s Court on the lower level. Enjoy a pulse-pounding, body-blasting fitness program. Bring a towel, water bottle and workout mat. Light refreshments will be available. For more information, go to MallAtUTC. com.
PARADISE SOCCER
Begins at 7:30 p.m. at Premier Sports Campus Stadium, 5895 Post Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The Sarasota Paradise host the Miami Athletic Club in an USL League II game. Tickets begin at $10. For more information, go to SarasotaParadise.us.
SATURDAY, JUNE 7 AND
SUNDAY, JUNE 8
MUSIC AT THE LODGE
Runs 6-9 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday at Linger Lodge, 7205 85th St. Court E., Bradenton. Linger Lodge’s live music schedule includes Brooke Hargrove on Saturday and Tony and his Toys for Sunday.
SUNDAY, JUNE 8
FARMERS MARKET
Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch, which was voted as the top farmers market in Florida for the second year in a row in 2024, will run year-round every Sunday. Vendors offer seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles, among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. For information, visit MyLWR.com.
YOGA IN THE PARK Runs 9-10 a.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Sarasota. Start the morning off with gentle yoga with lake views. For information, go to LakewoodRanch.com.
YOUR CALENDAR
Wave of appreciation
them know they’re appreciated.”
School board member Richard Tatem hopped on a bus two days prior to the wave off to see first hand what it is like. He said he felt safe, that they run a tight ship and the kids were well behaved.
“My
of the job is the kids,” she said. “It’s what we’re here for.”
It has been a tradition since 2015 for district leadership to gather before sunrise to wave and wish bus drivers good luck on both the first and last day of each school year. The last day of school was May 29.
School board member Heather Felton said it is important to recognize the transportation staff.
“Drivers and attendants are a hidden backbone of the school district,” Felton said. “We need to let
“I hate the alarm clock but love the event,” said Cindy Spray, school board member. “These people are so dedicated.”
Spray said she appreciates how the bus drivers wake up and arrive so early in the morning, and she still sees buses driving by her house at 6:30 p.m.
“(The drivers) are the first people the kids see in the morning and the last in the evening,” Spray said. “They are always so happy.”
— MADISON BIERL
Paul Gansemer, executive director of adult, career and technical education, waves alongside school board members Richard Tatem and Chad Choate. Tatem went on a bus ride two days prior and was impressed by the “tight ship” they run.
Bus attendant Joyce Gavin began working for Manatee Schools in February 2024 and says she loves to see the kids dress up for events like picture day and graduation. Bus driver Shawna Salvador has been in the transportation department for 5 years and says she wakes up at 4:30 a.m. every day and is to her bus by 6 a.m. Her favorite part of the job is the kids.
Tom Hohman worked as a route manager at Orkin Pest Control before becoming a bus driver this past year. He says it was nice to see the district leadership wave them off and wished he was with them doing the same but had a job to do.
Although the wave-off tradition has occurred since 2015, this is Heather Felton’s first time. She said the department of transportation is a hidden backbone of the school district and it is important to show appreciation for them.
Christina Britton, executive director of human resources, Sharon Scarbrough, executive director of secondary schools, and Stephanie Callaway, executive director of elementary schools, are among the first wavers.
School board member Cindy Spray and Melanie Johnson, assistant director of transportation, were there bright and early to wave off the bus drivers.
Photos by Madison Bierl
Lake Club home tops sales at $4.8 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in Lake Club on Baycross Drive topped the week’s sales at $4.8 million.
Steven and Marilynn Monahan, of Downers Grove, Illinois, sold their home at 16416 Baycross Drive to Richard and Katherine Barrett, of Lakewood Ranch, for $4.8 million. Built in 2015, it has five bedrooms, fiveand-a-half baths, a pool and 6,160 square feet of living area. It sold for $3.69 million in 2020.
COUNTRY CLUB
Rebecca Manise, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 6809 Belmont Court to Richard and Rebecca Ward, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.2 million. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,701 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,288,600 in 2018.
RIVER FOREST
Ronald and Deborah Brooks, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5963 River Forest Circle to Elizabeth Isenhour, of Bradenton, for $1,375,000. Built in 2005, it has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,031 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.04 million in 2021.
MOTE RANCH
Kenneth and Kari Duncan, of St. Petersburg, sold their home at 6935 Cumberland Terrace to Randall and Julie Holmes, of Bradenton, for $1.27 million. Built in 1999, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 3,210 square feet of living area. It sold for $575,000 in 2021.
AZARIO ESPLANADE
Jean Macdonald Weipert and Peter Michael Weipert sold their home at 3023 Vittorio Court to Katherine Hall Berens and Lawrence Brottman, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,249,000. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,427 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,111,100 in 2023.
James and Kimberly Anne Kowicki, of Williamsville, New York, sold their home at 14651 Derna Terrace to Natacha Falcon, of Linwood, New Jersey, for $765,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,920 square feet of living area. It sold for $589,900 in 2022.
ESPLANADE
Thomas Marrama, of Punta Gorda, sold his home at 12835 Sorrento Way to Thomas William Clark and Mary Teresa Clark, of Novi, Michigan, for $1,158,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,283 square feet of living area. It sold for $591,300 in 2019.
MAGNOLIA WOODS
Melissa and William Strayer sold their home at 1407 60th St. E. to Faith Karst, of Bradenton, for $1.15 million. Built in 2000, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,234 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2016.
LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE
Gloria Alvarez, of University Park, sold the home at 8077 Tidal Pointe Way to John and Karin Koeppel, of Hamburg, New York, for $1,035,000. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,281 square feet of living area. It sold for $771,100 in 2022.
COUNTRY CLUB EAST
Michael Joseph Burzminski and Nancy Hoch Burzminski, trustees, sold the home at 7014 Whittlebury Trail to Rodney and Mindi Bush, of Bradenton, for $1,025,000. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,717 square feet
of living area. It sold for $578,000 in 2020.
Monty Dyke and April Stead sold their home at 14510 Leopard Creek Place to Paul and Brenda Doucas, of Lakewood Ranch, for $960,000. Built in 2010, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,192 square feet of living area. It sold for $585,000 in 2021.
Steve Harvey and Ellen Redeker, trustees, sold the home at 14333 Stirling Drive to Robert Longwell, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $719,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,176 square feet of living area. It sold for $530,000 in 2021.
CRESSWIND
Charles and Priscilla Restaino, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 5050 Surfside Circle to Renee Revson and Raymond Jackson, of Bradenton, for $1 million. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,262 square feet of living area. It sold for $626,900 in 2020.
Lisa and Landon Lefton, of Fairlawn, Ohio, sold their home at 5066 Fairhope Circle to Edward and Laurie McNichol, of Greensboro, North Carolina, for $815,000. Built in 2024, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,302 square feet of living area. It sold for $960,000 in 2024.
SAVANNA Bartolomeo and Crocifissa Lentini, of Palmetto, sold their home at 14326 Flat Woods Terrace to Brendon Warfel and Cynthia Warfel, trustees, of Milford, Delaware, for $810,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,251 square feet of living area. It sold for $422,000 in 2019.
VIRGINIA WATER
Robert and Joyce Cuthbertson, of Ontario, Canada, sold their home at 6523 Virginia Crossing to Franklin Cohen and Karolyn Jo Kramer, of Atlanta, for $810,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,928 square feet of living area. It sold for $465,000 in 2021.
RIVER CLUB SOUTH
Laura Camburn, trustee, and Steven Michael Camburn, of Baroda, Michigan, sold their home at 9312 Firethorn Place to Erik and Yi-Lan Eastman, of Lakewood Ranch, for $791,500. Built in 1997, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 3,310 square feet of living area. It sold for $300,000 in 1997.
GREENBROOK
Kurtis Bedolla and Yvonne Bedolla, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 6670 Coopers Hawk Court to Emily and Joshua Champion, of Lakewood Ranch, for $770,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,738 square feet of living area. It sold for $713,500 in 2022.
SUMMERFIELD
Technology Development Consultants LLC, trustee, sold the home at 11234 Rivers Bluff Circle to Daniel Myers, of Lakewood Ranch, for $680,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,643 square feet of living area. It sold for $420,000 in 2024.
Christopher and Madison Laurenzo, of Reno, Nevada, sold their home at 12319 Hollybush Terrace to Gaylene Adele Galliford, of Lakewood Ranch, for $559,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,916 square feet of living area. It sold for $660,000 in 2022.
WINDWARD
Neal Communities of Southwest Florida LLC sold the home at 8015 Anthirium Loop to Daniel Martin Robinson-Freeman and Leigh John Andrew Robinson-Freeman, of Sarasota, for $680,000. Built in 2024, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,652 square feet of living area.
Neal Communities of Southwest Florida LLC sold the home at 2592 Dasheen Place to Lynne Margie Cymbal, of Sarasota, for $500,000.
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS MAY 19-23
Built in 2024, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,552 square feet of living
Neal Communities of Southwest Florida LLC sold the home at 2317 Blue Mahoe Lane to Katherine Wheeler, Frederick Wheeler and Vera Wheeler, trustees, of Sarasota, for $450,000. Built in 2024, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,527 square feet of living area.
INDIGO
RIVERDALE REVISED
Cindy Lancaster, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 4011 Fourth Ave. N.E. to Erik Willard Jones and Cathy Jones, of Bradenton, for $650,000. Built in 1990, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,670 square feet of living area.
RIVERWALK
James and Suellen Oberthaler, trustees, sold the home at 7618 Broomsedge Court to Andrej and
Jon Comeford, trustee, of Hampton, New Hampshire, sold the home at 4015 Celestial Blue Court to Kevin James Furgason and Jill Furgason, of Bradenton, for $677,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,356 square feet of living area. It sold for $682,000 in 2021.
Courtesy image
A Country Club Village home at 6809 Belmont Court sold for $2.2 million. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,701 square feet of living area.
Lucia Lukosik, of Lakewood Ranch, for $650,000. Built in 2001, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,060 square feet of living area. It sold for $469,900 in 2013.
CENTRAL PARK
Michelle Kingsley, of Venice, sold the home at 4832 Boston Common Glen to MY RE Investments LLC for $625,000. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,245 square feet of living area. It sold for $392,000 in 2016.
GREYHAWK LANDING WEST
Harry and Ina Born sold their home at 11907 Petunia Terrace to Robert and Bonnie Van Calligan, of Bradenton, for $600,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,700 square feet of living area. It sold for $473,300 in 2019.
DEL TIERRA
Michael Scott Adair, of Bradenton, sold his home at 14975 Flowing Gold Drive to Ivan Pivaral Gomez and Alyssa Pivaral, of Bradenton, for $589,000. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,607 square feet of living area. It sold for $299,000 in 2018.
ROSEDALE ADDITION
Pamela Labbe, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 4610 Royal Dornoch Circle to Raymond Michael Kolonay and Margaret Ellen Kolonay, of Springboro, Ohio, for $585,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,201 square feet of living area. It sold for $410,000 in 2019.
ROSEDALE GOLF AND TENNIS
CLUB
Donna Wicks, of Newfoundland, Canada, sold the home at 8711 51st Terrace E. to Mitchell Leon Drzewiecki and Teresa Drzewiecki, of Bradenton, for $585,000. Built in 2001, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,979 square feet of living area. It sold for $340,000 in 2014.
GREYHAWK LANDING
Tami Bottema and Brooke Bottema, of Bradenton, sold their home at 240 Dove Trail to Odai Majed Alhudare and Amani Hani Albeeshawi, of Bradenton, for $539,900. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,393 square feet of living area. It sold for $625,000 in 2021.
COACH HOMES AT RIVER
STRAND
William McGhie, of Naples, sold the Unit 802 condominium at 8106 Grand Estuary Trail to Dennis and Ruth Sellers, of Pennsboro, West Virginia, for $520,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,108 square feet of living area. It sold for $265,000 in 2016.
STONEYBROOK AT HERITAGE
HARBOUR
Mark Hazell, trustee, and Pamela Hazell, of Bradenton, sold the home at 7902 Haven Harbour Way to Brendan Mills and Olivia Marlena Mills, of Bradenton, for $490,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,222 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2008.
GLEN COVE HEIGHTS
Grant and Tina Tucker, of Rose Hill, Virginia, sold their home at 5311 47th St. Court E. to Andrea Anzurez and Derek Stepina, of Bradenton, for $475,000. Built in 1986, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,938 square feet of living area. It sold for $300,000 in 2021.
WILD FLORIDA
Myakka River thrives with restored floodplain
New life embraces Myakka’s habitat restoration zone.
MIRI HARDY CONTRIBUTOR
Free-flowing rivers with natural fluctuations are essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems. When a river is dammed, habitats, as well as the plant and animal species that depend upon them, are negatively affected. In 2022, as part of efforts to restore the natural flow of the Wild and Scenic Myakka River, an exciting habitat restoration project began at the Upper Myakka Lake. A critical part of this project was removal of a weir built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and filling in a bypass channel through the floodplain marsh, which was created in 1974 in an attempt to mitigate the weir’s negative impact. Importantly, healthy floodplain marshes benefit not only Myakka’s ecosystems, but our human communities, too. By absorbing excess water during floods, they reduce the risk of downstream flooding. Vegetation and soil in floodplains also slows floodwaters, preventing them from continuing to flow downstream to populated areas, where they can damage infrastructure. Habitat restoration of a highly impacted area, especially floodplain marshes, which are seasonally underwater, takes time.
Over the past few years, a habitat restoration exclusion zone, clearly defining the areas as off limits to park visitors, was established by the park. This helped reduce continuous trampling by park visitors, which suppresses natural revegetation due to degradation of plant communities and soil compaction.
Importantly, plant life in this area is essential not only for controlling erosion, but also for successfully restoring healthy habitats for our native wildlife, including insects, birds, and reptiles.
This spring, with undisturbed
endemic native ground cover coming into its own, wildlife continued to favorably respond to the improved habitat, as well as to the protection provided by the restoration zones from human disturbance, with exciting results. To park visitors’ great delight, killdeer nesting efforts successfully produced chicks on both shores of the habitat restoration site for the very first time. Like all plovers, killdeer nest on the ground. Of note, most successful nesting areas for this species have access to shallow water, which offers good feeding areas for newly hatched chicks. Myakka’s newly restored floodplain marshes now clearly fit the bill.
Friends of Myakka River exists to support Myakka River State Park and the Wild and Scenic Myakka River. Together, we’re protecting and sharing Myakka’s Magic to the benefit of future generations and our own. Follow us @FriendsOfMyakkaRiver.
Miri Hardy
Killdeer are dedicated parents known for their ‘brokenwing’ display, feigning injury to lure intruders away from their chicks or nest.
SPORTS
FAST BREAK
Former Braden River football player Ryan Neuzil signed a twoyear, $9.5 million extension with the Atlanta Falcons on May 28 that includes $6.5 million in guaranteed money. Neuzil, a center, started eight games for the Falcons last season. “I think Neuzil’s got a lot of strength,” Falcons offensive line coach Dwyane Ledford said, as reported by ESPN. “He might be one of the best athletes on the team. He’s just got a lot of power. At the center position, if you’ve got the quickness he shows, and you need it there, along with the power in the middle, it’s a good combination to have, and he’s shown that.” ... Former Lakewood Ranch High pitcher Colton Gordon (0-1, 5.95 ERA) started the third and fourth games of his Major League career for the Houston Astros this past week. Gordon was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land on May 20 following a start against the Tampa Bay Rays, but injuries to the Astros’ rotation opened up a spot for him to return to the team. Gordon pitched five innings against the Seattle Mariners on May 25 (3 ER on 7 H, 0BB, 4 Ks) and lasted five innings against the Rays (4 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 Ks) on May 31. He has struck out 20 batters in his 19 2/3 innings with the Astros.
Sarasota Paradise, a semi-professional soccer team, will host Miami AC on June 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch in the team’s second home match of the season.
The USRowing 2025 Youth National Championships will be held at Nathan Benderson Park from June 12-15 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature more than 3,500 rowers competing for medals in 43 events.
“We
changed up our program, how we approached everything and the amount of conditioning we went through.”
SPRING PREP Players of the year
VINNIE
PORTELL STAFF WRITER
The spring prep sports season has come to a close, which means it’s time to note several outstanding players in East County who helped their teams go on postseason runs.
The most unifying trait the best players had this year was determination.
These are the spring prep sports players of the year for East County:
BASEBALL — NICK CURBELO, BRADEN RIVER SENIOR
The Braden River baseball team went on its deepest postseason run in program history, and Curbelo was a driving force behind that success.
The senior outfielder and righthanded pitcher dealt with injuries to his elbow and knee this year, but didn’t miss much action.
He finished with a .405 batting average and 34 hits in 30 games, along with 18 runs and 12 RBIs. He did it on the mound, too, where he was 3-2 with a 3.25 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 28 innings.
SOFTBALL — LEXI MENEELY, LAKEWOOD RANCH SENIOR
Meneely was one of just two remaining players (Olivia Shephard the other) from Lakewood Ranch’s last softball state championship.
She used those experiences to lead a young Mustangs team this season on and off the field. Despite a 1-4 start to the season, Meneely helped rally Lakewood Ranch to a 13-12 record.
Facing Parrish, a back-to-back state champion team, in the district tournament, Meneely allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings to keep her team in the game in an eventual 2-1 loss.
She ended her senior year with a .348 batting average, 12 runs, 14 RBIs and nine doubles, along with a 6-1 record in the pitcher’s circle that was backed up by a 2.72 ERA and 47 strikeouts across 67 innings.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL — KORA
YANES, LAKEWOOD RANCH
JUNIOR
Lakewood Ranch had one of the best beach volleyball programs in the area. The Mustangs went 11-5, won a district championship and were ranked as the No. 44 overall team (out of 257 teams) to end the season.
Yanes was the team’s “best allaround player, hitter and blocker and one of the best defensive players,” according to coach Dallas Adam.
FLAG FOOTBALL — AMY ZEITLER, LAKEWOOD RANCH SENIOR
Zeitler quit cheerleading to devote herself to flag football and it paid off.
The senior was a do-it-all dynamo for a Mustangs team that went 12-4. Zeitler finished with 424 rushing yards (10.1 yards per rush) with five rushing touchdowns, 27 receptions for 319 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, Zeitler made a teamhigh 54 tackles, 10 pass breakups and three interceptions.
GIRLS LACROSSE — GABBIE
HOTALING, LAKEWOOD RANCH
JUNIOR
The Lakewood Ranch girls lacrosse team lost more than half of its scoring to graduation, but Hotaling stepped up to fill the void.
She led the Mustangs to a 13-7 record and their first berth in the regional playoffs in program history.
She scored a team-high 63 goals and 36 assists in just 20 games.
BOYS LACROSSE — MICKEY COHEN, LAKEWOOD RANCH
JUNIOR
The Lakewood Ranch boys lacrosse team went just 8-11 this year, but the Mustangs also played the seventhhardest schedule in Class 2A.
Cohen powered the offense with a team-high 42 goals and 27 assists.
BOYS TENNIS — PRITHVI
SUDHAKAR, THE OUT-OF-DOOR
ACADEMY SENIOR
Sudhakar was the senior leader of an ODA boys tennis team that made it to the Class 1A state semifinal round.
Sudhakar went undefeated during the regular season, won a No. 1 singles and a No. 1 district championship and proved to be essential in the regional championship when he won the deciding match in a thirdset tiebreaker.
GIRLS TENNIS — EMERSON
CARTER, LAKEWOOD RANCH
SOPHOMORE
Carter was a versatile player for a young Mustangs girls tennis team that went 12-2. She played out of the No. 1 singles, No. 2 singles, No. 3 singles and both the No. 1 doubles and No. 2 doubles spots.
Carter amassed a 7-5 singles record, but was best at No. 2 singles, where she was 4-1. She went 8-3 in doubles play alongside doubles partner Taylor Knoll. Carter and Knoll made it to the final round of No. 2 doubles play in the district tournament before bowing out.
BOYS TRACK AND FIELD — KEVIN
GYURKA, THE OUT-OF-DOOR
ACADEMY JUNIOR
A distance runner for ODA, Gyurka placed first nine times in meets this track and field season. He competed in the 1,600-meter
run, the 3,200-meter run and the 4x800 relay team.
Gyurka won a district championship in the 1,600-meter run and a regional championship in the 4x800 relay. He competed in both the 1,600-meter run and the 3,200-meter run at the 1A state championships, where he placed fourth and eighth, respectively.
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD —
SAVANNAH ADAMS, LAKEWOOD RANCH SENIOR
Adams, also a soccer player at Lakewood Ranch, has always loved running. When she first got into track, she found her lane in the 800-meter run, which she excelled at this spring. Adams placed first in meets eight times this track and field season. Her best performance came at the Manatee County Track and Field Championships, where she placed first in the 800-meter run, the 4x400 relay and the 4x800 relay.
She went on to win district titles in both the 800-meter run and the 4x800 relay. Adams finished her season by helping that 4x800 relay team place 12th at the 4A state championships.
BOYS WEIGHTLIFTING —
ANTHONY DELA CRUZ, BRADEN RIVER SENIOR
Dela Cruz was invited out to join the weightlifting team by a classmate in his biology class as a sophomore, and that turned out to be a big lift for the team at Braden River. He turned himself into a district and regional champion in the 119-pound weight class of the Olympic-style lift, and went on to compete at the 2A state championships in the Olympic and traditional style lifts.
Lakewood Ranch High’s Aiden Getschow
Courtesy photo
Former Braden River football player
Ryan Neuzil signed a two-year extension with the Atlanta Falcons after starting eight games this past season.
Dela Cruz finished sixth at the state championships in Olympic and eighth in traditional — the only East County athlete to place.
Braden River senior Anthony Dela Cruz File images
Lakewood Ranch senior Amy Zeitler
Lakewood Ranch beach volleyball player Kora Yanes
The Out-of-Door Academy junior Kevin Gyurka
Braden River senior baseball player Nick Curbelo
Local soccer player selected to ‘Jewish Olympics’
Lakewood Ranch-area soccer player Sky Commissar is just 14 years old, but she has already figured out how to keep herself poised on the pitch. Commissar writes motivational messages to herself on tape she wears on her wrist, with phrases like “Just play for yourself,” or “Remember who you’re playing for.”
Soon, Commissar hopes to send a message on one of the sport’s biggest stages. Commissar, who was born in London, was selected to play for the U16 Great Britain Girls Soccer team
in the Maccabiah Games in Israel from July 1-22.
Referred to as the “Jewish Olympics,” the Maccabiah Games feature Jewish athletes from around the world competing in 42 events once every four years in Israel.
For Commissar, this is an opportunity to showcase her skills as she chases big dreams.
She tried ballet, dance and flag football at a young age, but none of them resonated with her the way soccer did, to the delight of her father, Rob Commissar.
The two have turned soccer into an opportunity to bond and travel,
from rooting on Arsenal F.C. at home to daily practices and matches on the weekend with Florida Premier FC in the Elite Clubs National League Regional League.
“We’re together a lot because of soccer, and I wouldn’t give it up for the world,” Rob Commissar said. Commissar already has her future in soccer mapped out in her mind.
That starts with competing for Lakewood Ranch High School, then Florida State University and hopefully, one day representing the United States or England as an adult.
Playing in the Maccabiah Games
TIMELINE OF THE MACCABIAH GAMES
1928: Yosef Yekutieli proposed his idea of the Jewish Olympics to the Jewish National Fund
1929: Yekutieli traveled to Czechoslovakia to present his idea to the Maccabi World Congress
1931: British Palestine High Commissioner Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope officially approved the games
1932: The first Maccabiah Games opened on March 28
1950: The third Maccabiah Games were put on pause from 1939-1949 due to World War II until finally resuming in 1950
2025: The 22nd edition of the Maccabiah Games opens July 1 in Israel
will give her a taste of worldwide competition, and could give her a chance to earn new opportunities, even though she will be playing at a disadvantage.
Commissar, who recently turned 14, plays left wing and will be playing with and against several girls older than her and with different styles of play in the U16 division of the Maccabiah Games, but that is a necessary step to her development.
“This is very important, and I think it’s crucial,” said Florida Premier Director of Development Georgi Hristov, who played professional soccer in Europe and for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. “At one point, it needs to happen, otherwise it’s very hard, because how else do you compare yourself to the rest? Going outside the country and seeing different cultures is very important,
especially for kids in this country. Kids outside of the country mature very early in terms of understanding the game and competition. It’s vital for the growth of a player.”
It’s not as if playing the game is the only aspect Commissar has to consider when it comes to the Maccabiah Games.
What some may see as roadblocks, Commissar sees as obstacles to overcome to distinguish herself.
Ongoing tensions between Israel and Palestine are something Rob Commissar has thought over, but ultimately decided to put his faith in the organizers of the games.
There were financial aspects to mull over, as well.
Rob said the trip will cost the family about $8,000, which has been aided by a GoFundMe account he put together. That doesn’t include Rob’s travel costs, but he said nothing will stop him from being there.
“From a financial point of view, it’s just for me to fly over there and stay there, which you know, I’d sell a kidney if I have to. I’d do whatever I have to do to see her play,” he said. Sky is currently in London training with the U16 Great Britain Girls Soccer team for the month ahead of the Maccabiah Games, preparing for the next step in her soccer career.
“I think the main thing that comes out of this experience is meeting new people and exploring different countries and being able to see their culture and the Jewish culture itself,” she said. “Even though I am Jewish, I want to learn more about it and see how that can contribute to playing, whether that’s emotions or behavior on the field.”
Portell is the sports reporter for the East County Observer. Contact him at VPortell@ YourObserver.com.
Vinnie Portell
Florida Premier FC player Sky Commissar will have her first experience playing international soccer from July 1-22 at the Maccabiah Games in Israel.
Vinnie
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Aiden Getschow
The Lakewood Ranch High football team closed out its spring season with a 27-14 win over Lakeland George Jenkins on May 15, and linebacker Aiden Getschow played a pivotal role. The rising senior played just a half, but still made eight tackles with three tackles for loss.
When and why did you start playing football?
I started playing in first grade, mainly because my dad pushed me into it. He played when he was younger and in college, so he wanted me to play football.
What was most memorable about this spring?
The way the team came together. We kind of changed up our program, how we approached everything and the amount of conditioning we went through. We went through a lot of hard work, and I think it brought us all together.
What’s your favorite football memory?
Freshman year on JV we were playing Parrish, which is kind of our biggest rival. There was a huge pile, and I was on the field and I was kind of just watching it all go down. My coach at the time yelled at me and said, ‘Next time you see that happen, go in there and grab the ball.’ The very next play the same thing happened, and I went in there, grabbed the ball and ran it back for a touch down.
What went right for you this spring?
I put in a lot of work in the offseason, and I was pretty dialed in.
What does your upcoming senior season mean to you?
It means everything. This has the possibility to be the last time I get to play football. I’m going to leave it all on the field.
If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to VPortell@YourObserver.com.
What’s been your most humbling moment in football?
Last year when I got my first varsity start. It was this play they ran, and the quarterback handed the ball off and came up and threw a block on me and I got laid out. It was kind of my ‘welcome to varsity’ moment.
What’s your favorite meal? I love a good seafood boil. I go to a couple of places. Sam’s Seafood is one. They make pretty good crawfish. And then Owen’s Fish Camp has a pretty good seafood boil.
What’s your favorite TV show or movie?
I’m going go with the original ‘Star Wars’. I love ‘Star Wars.’ It was one of my earliest memories.
If you’re not playing football, what are you doing?
I’m either fishing, going to the beach, hanging out at home or hanging out with my friends.
Who’s your favorite football player and why?
Caleb Williams because he’s going to take the (Chicago) Bears
Finish this sentence. Aiden Getschow is … Ready for this
MINED GAMES by Evan Park & Jeffrey Martinovic, edited by Jared Goudsmit
I worked with Tyler Shanahan to purchase my dream home in the Waterside area of Lakewood Ranch, and I cannot speak highly enough of the outstanding service I received. From start to finish, Tyler exceeded all expectations and truly went above and beyond to ensure a smooth and successful transaction. He demonstrated a deep understanding of the local market and took the time to listen to my specific needs and preferences. The team’s professionalism and expertise were evident throughout the entire process, making what could have been a daunting experience remarkably stress-free. —
