The extreme summer heat has not stopped Kelli Turville (above) from playing with the Tennis for Adults group in Lakewood Ranch.
The Lakewood Ranch Community Activities group meets 9 a.m. every Tuesday and Friday at Summerfield Community Park. In season, there are often up to 40 players. Turville credits organizer Janis Ballard for her improving skills.
“She’s so enthusiastic and encouraging of all levels,” Turville said. “She takes the time to help us with our strokes, and it’s fun and a great way to meet new people.” Those interested can register at MyLWR.com.
and Carolyn has worked at The Knot, a wedding planning website.
“There’s no other feeling like being there when people are in need of help and being able to provide that help,” John said. John and Carolyn had a joint retirement party with 50 of their friends in their Lakehouse Cove community July 18. Carolyn said they plan on golfing and traveling more.
”As much as we loved our careers, our focus now is on quality of life and spending each day on what matters most to us — our family,” Carolyn said.
Lesley Dwyer
Courtesy image
Madison Bierl
Dari Oglesby, executive director at Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue, is grateful a $125,000 grant from the BishopParker Foundation will allow her to add staffing.
Nate’s receives $125,000 grant from Bishop-Parker
The grant will help Nate’s get its new care clinic staffed and running.
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
Sharon Pindar, medical director and on-site veterinarian at Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue Center, knew from a young age she wanted to help animals.
At 4 years old, she worked to rehabilitate and release injured birds. After being hired in January, she now works as the full-time vet at Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue in Lakewood Ranch, doing surgeries on shelter dogs and cats.
After arriving on the Lakewood Ranch campus, Pindar recalled hearing Nate’s Board President Rob Oglesby talking to an animal that had just arrived at the shelter.
“He said, ‘You’re OK now; you’re safe,’” Pindar said. “‘You’re at Nate’s.’
“That’s the feeling here,” Pindar said. “They’re safe when they’re here.”
After five years of construction, Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue is nearing the end of its $16 million Journey Home capital campaign. One of the final items is an access care clinic to provide veterinary services to both the shelter animals and the public’s pets.
Some appointments will be reserved for those who need help paying a vet bill.
“People will be able to walk in and plead a case, but anybody on public assistance will be able to come in and get help without coming from a referral,” said Dari Oglesby, executive director of Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue.
Nate’s care clinic will get a boost from a $125,000 grant from The Bishop-Parker Foundation that will help with staffing.
Sharon Pindar works as the medical director and began her job as the only on-site veterinarian at Nate’s
ANIMAL WELFARE GRANTS ANNOUNCED BY THE BISHOPPARKER FOUNDATION
■ $50,000 to Farmhouse Animal and Nature Sanctuary to provide farmhouse tours
■ $15,000 to Florida Rescue Farm for a year’s supply of feed
■ $125,000 to Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue for staffing of an on-site care clinic and shelter surgery suite
■ $55,000 to Audubon Florida for coastal waterbird conservation efforts in Manatee County
■ $17,000 to Sarasota Parrot Conservatory for continued hurricane response and recovery efforts
■ $40,000 to Satchel’s Last Resort for perimeter fencing at the animal shelter
■ $18,000 to St. Joseph Food Pantry to increase pet food purchases
■ $25,000 to Sugar’s Gift to provide support for animals at the end of life.
Honor Animal Rescue Center in January. The Bishop-Parker Foundation grant will allow for the current medical staff to grow. Its goal is to have four full-time vets and other
staff, such as vet technicians.
Wendy Deming, CEO of the Bishop-Parker Foundation, said Nate’s application was compelling due to its desire to build its staff to minimize the number of animals that end up in the shelter because people can’t afford to care for them.
Pindar currently has the resources to perform surgeries once a week, but Nate’s goal is to be able to do surgeries every day.
“We are excited to support them in this terrific way to help them build the capacity of their team,” Deming said.
Dari Oglesby said wages are more than 50% of the cost to run a veterinarian clinic, so the grant came at a great time.
“A lot of people want to give you the equipment, but the equipment’s no good unless you have the staff to use it,” Dari Oglesby said.
To keep animals with their families, one of Nate’s goals is to offer care at a lower price than a specialty clinic.
“If it’s something that’s fixable, we want to help them fix it,” Dari Oglesby said.
“They can keep their pet, and it doesn’t have to come to the shelter (to live) and it’s just like a happy ending for everyone,” Pindar said.
“That’s my vision.”
Dari Oglesby said Nate’s also tries to help struggling pet owners with food and behavioral care.
The surgeries performed at the clinic will depend on the skillset of the staff that is hired.
Part of the overall expansion includes two pregnancy suites for dogs.
Pindar recalled a special case of a dog from Georgia that had been shot and was transferred to Nate’s.
She had her leg amputated due to the shooting. When she arrived at Nate’s, the staff discovered she was pregnant.
Obviously, the staff becomes emotionally involved with the animals. Pindar had left on vacation and was worried she would miss the birth.
“She literally waited until the day I got back at noon,” Pindar said. “She had the first one, yeah, and she had 11 puppies.”
Pindar said the grant money also will allow for new staff training.
“Once we open, we can all hit the ground running,” Pindar said. “That grant has allowed us to do that and it’s been valuable.”
Nate’s currently has 11 staff members and 1,000 volunteers in its database.
Dari Oglesby said before construction Nate’s was adopting out 2,100 animals per year. With construction the number is approximately 1,500. When the construction is complete and the clinic is in full working condition, Oglesby hopes to get 3,000 to 4,000 animals adopted into new homes per year. They hope to have the veterinary clinic running by late January.
“The Bishop-Parker Foundation is a gift to our community as a whole, because we’re not the only ones that it gives to,” Dari Oglesby said.
Dari Oglesby, executive director of Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue, and Sharon Pindar, medical director, are thrilled with a $125,000 grant from The BishopParker Foundation.
Madison Bierl
Landfill gets new lease on life
Packing garbage with a different slope adds almost two decades of life to the landfill.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
When Anthony Detweiler, Manatee County’s superintendent at the Lena Road Landfill, started working at the landfill 22 years ago, the piles of garbage were measured using basic equipment — a measuring tape and a level.
“We’d take a big PVC pipe and put marks on it,” Detweiler said. “That’s where we’d fill our lifts (a 10-foot layer of waste) to. We didn’t know any different back then.”
Now, the process of compacting garbage barely requires human input. Instead of the drivers eyeballing massive piles of waste to try to achieve the perfect compaction and slope, bulldozers are equipped with technology that guides the drivers’ every move.
Detweiler said the skill of the operators doesn’t matter much anymore. The system is programmed to know exactly where the bulldozers need to place each shovel of garbage for the most efficient compaction, which can impact both the longevity of the landfill and its budget.
Fill dirt is expensive. The county has about $2.5 million worth of it between the two closed landfill cells. Cells are the areas where the waste is contained. The Lena Road Landfill has three cells, but only one is in operation.
An operator can’t waste fill dirt now if the system is programmed correctly. It knows that exactly 18 inches of dirt needs to top off the final slope of a cell. Elevation and density readings let the system know when the 18 inches have been added and if the pile is at its maximum compaction.
Slopes are an important measurement in a landfill because they dictate how the airspace is used.
Adjusting the cells from a 4:1 slope (Every four units you move horizontally, you rise one unit vertically.) to a 3:1 slope will extend the life of the Lena Road Landfill through 2057.
The slope modification was approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in May, and the landfill is now anticipated to remain open until mid-2057.
In 2023, the landfill only had about 15 years of life remaining.
To extend the landfill’s life, the two cells that were closed will be reopened and reconfigured with the new 3:1 slope. The fill dirt will be removed and set aside for future use.
Deputy Director of Utilities Chris Collins said he can’t say for sure how soon the latest cell will fill up, but he anticipates planning will start over the next five years to decide how to best handle reopening the first two cells.
THE FOOTPRINT
The overall county property, where the landfill and the wastewater plant sit, is about 1,200 acres. The cells take up 316 acres.
When the landfill first opened in 1972, it was less than half that size with just 132 acres of dumping ground.
Collins said the way the cells are
“By carefully reshaping how the trash is placed — without increasing the landfill’s height or footprint — they’re able to fit more waste into the same space.”
Tina Moutoux Saldaña, Communication Coordinator
filled and sloped will change, but the actual footprint of the cells will remain the same.
Extending the lifespan does not require using any additional acreage or building up the height.
Within the closed cells are unused areas called “terraces,” which are flat sections built into the landfill’s structure.
Communication Coordinator Tina Moutoux Saldaña likened a cell to a massive layer cake with wide steps.
“Some of those steps had gaps that weren’t being used,” she said. “By carefully reshaping how the trash is placed — without increasing the landfill’s height or footprint — they’re able to fit more waste into the same space.”
While the county owns an additional 161 acres adjacent to the landfill, currently, there are no plans to expand the landfill or build a transfer station, as was discussed when the adjacent property was purchased in 2020.
On average, the landfill takes in 2,000 tons of waste per day. An engineer designs a “fill sequence” that dictates how the trash is distributed within the cell. The machines are programmed accordingly.
Detweiler couldn’t say in tons how much the waste has increased over his 22 years at the landfill. Instead, he measured it in time.
“Back in those days, we used to stay in an area for two or three weeks, just building up,” he said. “Now, we move so fast (because so much more trash comes in).”
While looking down at the bulldozers and garbage trucks at the bottom of the open cell July 22, Collins said people need to recognize one thing about solid waste collection: There’s only so much space in a landfill.
Recycling is essential to the operation. The first goal in managing any
TIPPING FEES
Lena Road Landfill, 3333 Lena Road. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
■ $5 per automobile for residents bringing garbage to the landfill
■ $46 per ton for all other vehicle types delivering garbage
■ $44 per ton of white goods
■ $44 per ton of yard waste
■ $165 per ton of tires
■ $65 per ton of construction and demolition debris
landfill is to keep as much waste as possible out of it.
“We have about 33 years of life left,” Collins said. “That’s at the moment. That could go down based on development — more people coming in, more trash.”
On the other hand, if residents made a joint effort to recycle more waste, that would extend the life of the landfill.
Hurricanes are another factor. Detweiler said he’s never seen so many massive trees come into the landfill. The typical yard waste used to be trimmings. He figures people aren’t just cleaning up, they’re also getting prepared because they’ve seen what kind of damage big trees can do.
After scanning the massive pile of trash, garbage bins stood out as something people are disposing of right now. The county is converting to 96-gallon, standardized bins that will be picked up with trucks that use automated arms.
Instead of a worker hopping on and off the back of a truck, the driver will operate the arm from inside the truck.
However, the old bins can be recycled into yard waste bins. They’re especially handy because yard waste can no longer be disposed of using plastic bags.
While the old bins are starting to come to the landfill, 23,000 of the new bins are stacked neatly in a row, waiting to be distributed to residents. The new collection service begins Oct. 6.
“We have about 33 years of life left. That’s at the moment. That could go down based on development — more people coming in, more trash.”
Chris Collins, Deputy Director of Utilities
Because of the automated collection, residents will only be able to dispose of trash that fits inside the bins. Anything larger will require an additional pickup.
The fee for an additional pickup is $59 per bulk item or $45 per cubic yard of piled waste. In anticipation that residents might want to avoid that fee, a new resident area was set up at the landfill.
The area is a parking lot filled with widely spaced dumpsters, so cars and trucks can easily pull up and unload garbage. It costs $5 per car to dump trash yourself.
THE COSTS
Some residents have complained about the new garbage collection system because they view the change as half the service for the same price. Collection days are being reduced from two days a week to one.
Collins noted that Solid Waste is an enterprise fund, meaning it pays for itself using the money collected from residents for services rendered.
He discussed some of the costs that come with running a landfill that residents might not have considered. The equipment alone costs tens of millions of dollars.
When a bulldozer needed to be replaced last year, staff chose to rebuild the frame for $850,000 because getting a second life out of the machine was a major cost savings over purchasing the same machine new for $1.5 million.
On the low end, a water truck costs around $500,000.
Just fueling the heavy equipment on site costs up to $40,000 a month. Detweiler said the compactors burn the most fuel out of all the equipment. In June, one compactor burned through 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel.
A bulldozer moves trash at the Lena Road Landfill.
Courtesy image
The yellow shows additional capacity
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Lakewood Ranch maintains No. 1 standing among master-planned communities
JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR
RCLCO, an industry leading real estate advisory firm, announced July 28 that Lakewood Ranch once again is the top-selling, multigenerational, master-planned community in the United States.
The latest report by RCLCO, which has tracked master-planned community sales since 1994, was announced Monday.
Its midyear report noted Lakewood Ranch had 1,185 new home sales through June, numbers that represent a 4% decrease year over year from the same period in 2024. That, however, was encouraging news for Lakewood Ranch developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, which had internally forecast a slightly higher decrease.
The new-home market in the nation’s top 50 master-planned communities declined 6.6%.
“Our midyear numbers beat our own projections,” said Laura Cole, senior vice president of Lakewood Ranch Communities.
The first half 2025 trend showed that 42% of the sales in Lakewood Ranch were attached homes ... including townhomes, villas and condominiums. That was far above the historical average of 12% attached homes.
“We have seen a sensitivity in the market to a more attached product,” said Cole, who noted that those products have been accessible to all buyers, including people who might not have realized they could own a home in Lakewood Ranch.
“For a long time, this market has thought of us as unattainable,” she said.
She also said that buyers have a comfort level in terms of purchasing a home in Lakewood Ranch.
“Buyers become more discerning,” she said in a Schroeder-Manatee Ranch release. “They don’t gamble
with their home purchases. They look for places with a track record, consistency and proven stewardship. That’s what gives them peace of mind and Lakewood Ranch fits that profile in spades.”
The release noted that the buyer profile included 42% who were “moving up,” 29% entry-level buyers, 22% active adults (typically buying in 55-and-over communities), and 7% in the luxury segment.
“In times of uncertainty, there is always a flight to quality,” Cole said in a release. “That trust is reflected in the steady stream of individuals and families drawn to Lakewood Ranch — not simply for homes, but for a better way of life.”
Lakewood Ranch’s numbers include 46% open space and 150 miles of trails.
Lakewood Ranch has been the No. 1-selling, multigenerational, master-planned community in the U.S. since 2018.
In overall master-planned community sales, RCLCO estimates that the top spot will be held by The Villages, which doesn’t announce midyear sales until the end of the year. RCLCO estimates The Villages is on track to match its 1,604 sales in the first half of 2024.
Lakewood Ranch was No 2 overall, followed by Cadence of Henderson, Nevada (722).
Jay Heater
Laura Cole, senior vice president of Lakewood Ranch Communities, says Lakewood Ranch’s No. 1 ranking for multigenerational, masterplanned communities in the U.S. is a product of its “track record, consistency and proven stewardship.”
Round and round on planned traffic circle
SMR President and CEO
Rex Jensen explained the advantages of a roundabout where Legacy Boulevard meets Deer Drive, but some residents remain furious about the plans.
LESLEY
Rex Jensen, CEO of SchroederManatee Ranch, met Thursday with Lakewood Ranch residents at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall to discuss the planned roundabout where Legacy Boulevard and Deer Drive intersect with University Parkway.
About 100 residents attended the meeting, and many wore red as a sign they want improvements to the existing signalized intersection, but not a roundabout.
Jensen, however, stressed that roundabouts are safer, keep traffic flowing, can handle greater capacities, and are more aesthetically pleasing than signalized intersections.
Instead of debating a stoplight versus a roundabout, Jensen asked the audience to give input on how they would like the roundabout designed. That input included, “Do residents want slip lanes that will allow easy right turns in and out of the country club without having to merge in and out of the main traffic lanes, and what type of landscaping would be preferred for the center island?”
The approach led some residents to leave about an hour into the meeting with their hands up in the air, mumbling that the meeting was a “waste of time.”
While many residents had their minds made up, others got on board with the idea of slip lanes if a roundabout is inevitable.
CITIZEN COMMENTS
Members of the Community Development Districts were allotted time at the end of the July 24 meeting for a Q&A with Rex Jensen, CEO of SchroederManatee Ranch. Citizens were also given two minutes each to offer their opinions.
■ “If we’re going to go ahead, we definitely would want slip lanes and any other safety features that could be put in.” –Susan Ellis, treasurer for CDD6
■ “The circle is not what we need. It will become a choke point in the future.” – Matt Cangemi, Country Club
■ “I’m concerned about the detour traffic.” – Les Price, Country Club
■ “I want this to be a community that’s friendly for pedestrians and bicycles. Would you consider tunnels or something that would make it easy to have self-sufficient pedestrians and bicyclists?” – Lisa Stillwell, Country Club
■ “We don’t have one roundabout anywhere. All of a sudden people are going 50 miles per hour and now they’re supposed to go around in a circle.”
– Judy Daley, Country Club
■ “One of my biggest fears is that (the roundabout) is going to change the traffic patterns and traffic volume within our community.” – Bron Scherer, Country Club
■ “We are not against roundabouts. However, just the fact that we are so close to that intersection, we would have liked to have been brought into this (discussion) much earlier.” –
Sarah Giacona, Country Club
the intersection, and now he agrees it is the best option.
Jensen said signal improvements and added turn lanes are not going to fix the capacity problems at the intersection because there are simply too many people trying to make left turns, whether they’re leaving the country club or The Out-ofDoor Academy across the street.
While the roundabout originally was approved by commissioners in November, it became an issue at the May 6 commission meeting when McCann made a motion to direct staff to come back with a written contract to mutually terminate the reimbursement agreement, a move that angered Jensen.
Jensen signed a contract with Manatee County in November to build a roundabout, and the county confirmed the contract has not been terminated.
However, Commissioner Bob McCann said he plans to insist the commission pull funding from the project at the July 31 budget meeting.
“We already gave (Jensen) a stop work order and told him not to do anything else,” McCann said. “People don’t want the roundabout.”
Jensen didn’t originally want a roundabout, but county staff members convinced him it was best for
Jensen responded with an open letter, printed in the Observer, that blasted the entire board, with the exception of Commissioner Mike Rahn because he was absent, for attempting to terminate a binding contract without giving notice to SMR.
Residents and McCann were under the assumption the roundabout would be discussed at the May 6 meeting. McCann added the item to the agenda after 5 p.m. on May 5. Country Club resident Carol Cooper led the charge of those who oppose the roundabout.
She left the meeting at Town Hall with the same opinion she had when she walked in.
A roundabout does not work at that intersection because there’s too much pedestrian traffic. She said the seniors living in the Country Club will struggle to navigate the roundabout as will teenagers at The Outof-Door Academy.
“We’re not against roundabouts. We’re against this roundabout,” Cooper said. “If they build our turn lanes and improve the signals, that’s what (the country club) needs, and that’s what’s in the Capital Improvement Plan that Manatee County has on record.”
The county’s CIP makes no mention of a roundabout.
Instead, there is a project sheet that proposes spending over $3.8 million to lengthen the left and right turn lanes on all approaches, add right turn lanes to the eastbound and westbound approaches and to rebuild the existing traffic signal.
Yet, on April 15, county staff presented a roundabout for the intersection as the No. 2 priority for District 5 in the CIP.
Bill Logan, the county’s information outreach manager, said the county’s plans for a roundabout have not changed.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Residents wear red shirts to show their opposition to a roundabout on University Parkway at Legacy Boulevard and Deer Drive.
Rex Jensen, CEO of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, speaks to residents July 24 about a possible roundabout at the intersection of University Parkway and Legacy Boulevard and Deer Drive.
Charter schools eager to make use of sales tax dollars
Starting with this school year, charters will receive a percentage of the half-penny sales tax.
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
Sara Geary, head of schools at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy since May, said learning is about becoming a part of a community and a part of the world. Her goal is to keep the “brighteyed curiosity and passion flowing” that she sees in kindergartners all the way to them becoming high schoolers.
“That’s the kind of environment that we work toward, educating the whole child and growing them to their best version of themselves,” Geary said. “Whether it’s charter or traditional, it’s different how they do it. With a charter, because we are privately organized and run, we can have a little bit more freedom in how we do it.”
Despite charters having their own school boards as they function aside from the School District of Manatee County, charters are still considered public schools and are part of the district. Beginning in August 2023, charter schools in Manatee County did not receive funds from the halfpenny sales tax.
TIME TO CATCH UP
On June 24, the school board voted to give a percentage of the tax to charter schools. Beginning in the 202526 school year, charter schools will receive 50% of their proportionate share of the sales tax. In each of the following years, the percentage will increase to 60%, 80% and 100%.
School board member Chad Choate said approximately $4.5 million will be distributed among the 17 charter schools in Manatee County for the 2025-26 school year. The amount each school gets will depend on its enrollment.
With the half-penny tax funds now being shared, Geary has a few ideas of how to utilize the funds.
“We want to create some outdoor classrooms here,” Geary said. “We want to expand the opportunities for our kids to experience nature in a different way and we want to expand some of our health and wellness opportunities outside.”
Patty Scerbo, a mother to two students at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, said it is unfortunate that charters operate “behind the scenes” and slip through the cracks when it comes to funding. Scerbo hopes the money will go toward improvements such as creating a football team at the high school. Right now, they only have flag football.
“When I first heard about it, I was happy to hear that our voice was definitely being heard, and somebody was out there speaking on our behalf,” Scerbo said.
“I was proud to see (the charter school) community unite, stick together, and be consistent,” school board member Charlie Kennedy said. “Nobody was screaming and yelling and it was always a respectful ask.”
Greyhawk Landing resident Sarah Taylor has three children who attend Rowlett Academy and was one of the parents to attend a school board meeting to voice her concerns.
Her children were originally zoned for B.D. Gullett Elementary School, and if they had chosen to attend that school, they would have been rezoned in 2021 to Freedom Elementary School. She said there would have been a lot of displacement so they chose to be a charter school family. In doing so, she said her children’s school deserves the same funds as other public schools.
PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN
The School District of Manatee board voted on June 24 to begin sharing the half-penny sales tax revenue with charter schools. Approximately one out of five students in Manatee County attend a charter school.
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
2028-2032: Charter schools receive 100% of an equitable portion
“I don’t understand why we wouldn’t have access to the same funds, because we’re still needing to have the resources for our facilities, technology essentials and improvements to the schools, just like all the other schools,” Taylor said. “It just doesn’t make sense.”
Taylor said the school district employees and board have a lot to manage and she is glad that they’re looking at ways to make the situation right.
“At the end of the day, something’s better than nothing, but it’s also frustrating that we have to settle for half (this year),” Taylor said.
At the June 24 school board meet-
ing, when the vote to share with charters was approved, Kennedy made the argument to speed up the process.
He wanted to expedite the plan to be 50%, 80%, 100% out of “basic fairness.”
“I made my arguments, and I tried to state my case and the board majority didn’t support that and that’s OK,” Kennedy said.
Dana Ulstead, who lives in Lorraine Lakes and has a child at Manatee School for the Arts, said she wishes charters were at 100% now and speeding up the process would be advantageous to everyone, but she also understands things take time and patience.
BARGAINING IN GOOD FAITH
“Everyone has an honest intention — that’s my hope,” Ulstead said. “I hope our board members are working for us. A lot gets lost in translation, but I’m happy they’re bringing it back.”
“Whether a student is attending a public or a public charter school, the school board voted to approve the charters to operate in Manatee County,” school board member Cindy Spray said. “Our voters passed the half-penny sales tax with the support of the charter community, all without asking what building the student was going to be sitting in.”
Steve Zickafoose, senior director of school improvement at Manatee School for the Arts, was heavily involved in attending board meetings. Zickafoose said the charter community had a presence at every school board meeting beginning on Feb.14.
“Parents might feel some money was left on the table for the charter schools, but I think we have to focus on the positive,” Kennedy said. “Getting this done was quite a lift and, I understand the frustration, but I think we did some good work in the end.”
“I do think giving back is a huge part of the community and how we can build it, no matter where it’s built,” Ulstead said. “I believe it, I live by it and I think kids are our future.” Zickafoose said he is truly grateful to the school board for listening and acknowledging that charter students are public school students.
“Whether they attend a district school or a charter, they deserve to be treated equitably,” Zickafoose said. “It’s not perfect, but it’s progress.”
Madison Bierl
Sara Geary, head of schools at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, and Patty Scerbo, a mother of two students who attend the school, look forward to potential improvements that will be funded by a share of the half-penny tax.
Fresh from the farm
Braden River High FFA members see personal growth on Ireland’s farms.
Myakka City resident
Sophie Jo Branscomb, a rising senior at Braden River High School, used to pick gallons of strawberries every January at a small farm near her house.
She would use the strawberries to create strawberry jam.
During a trip to Ireland July 7-15 with the Braden River Future Farmers of America, Branscomb, who is the FFA president, was transported back to that time while visiting The Village at Wheelocks Strawberry, a farm and artisan food shop between the cities of Dublin and Wexford.
“Being able to u-pick Irish strawberries connected me back to something that I hadn’t done in awhile,” Branscomb said.
Five Braden River High students went on the trip — Branscomb, Kylie Mohamed, Jacob Zinkhan, Jacqueline Lopez and Cameron Brand. They were joined by agriculture teacher Megan Krueger and parent chaperone Katy Brand.
The students had various agriculture-related experiences that taught them about a different country’s ways of raising animals and crops. For example, The Village at Wheelocks Strawberry farm grew its strawberries on raised planters above the ground.
“They were the best flavored strawberries I’ve ever tasted,” said Cameron Brand, a rising sophomore. “I’ve never tasted a juicy strawberry like that.”
Mohamed said strawberries in the United States aren’t as “strawberry looking” compared to the ones they saw and tried in Ireland. She said they were the most bright red strawberries she had ever seen.
Katy Brand, Cameron’s mother, said the farm would release bugs that would target certain pests without hurting the strawberry plants.
Zinkhan, who is a rising senior at Braden River High, serves as the FFA secretary both at his school and in the district. Zinkhan does not have an agricultural background, but became involved in FFA after taking an agriculture class his freshman year.
During the visit to Ireland’s Redmond Farm, a family-run farm just outside of Gorey, the students spent
30 minutes working in the field planting cabbage and cauliflower.
Zinkhan said it was a meaningful experience for him. Redmond Farm has won two awards in the World’s Best Steaks challenge competition and holds an Origin Green award, Ireland’s national food and drink sustainability program, run by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board.
“We all eat what’s produced from the ground, so it’s good for people to see where it comes from and actually see what it takes to do it,” Zinkhan said.
“The lady that ran the Redmond Farm was the cutest, most Irish lady ever,” Mohamed said. “She was adorable, so nice and hilarious. She’s definitely the type of person you want to lead a tour of her farm.”
Branscomb was impressed with learning how Ireland differs from the United States in dairy production during their visit to Lynch family farm of Coolnaclehy in Skibbereen, County Cork. The Lynch farm is the 2024 winner of the NDC and Kerrygold Quality Milk Award, which recognizes excellence in dairy farming.
“They’re a lot stricter (than the U.S.) on their carbon footprint,” Branscomb said of the Lynch farm.
“Over there, they’re using a lot less medications, large equipment, grain, all that sort of thing, to make their production a lot more environmentally friendly.”
Katy Brand said cows at the Lynch farm were completely grass fed, compared to cows in the U.S. that often receive grain.
“They would rope off parts of the pasture, so as the cows ate down the grass in one area, then they would open up another part of another pasture,” Katy Brand said. “It was beautiful.”
Cameron Brand recalled a moment where the students sat on a hill while taking photos, laughing and having fun. What stuck out to him was the grass — the length, the color and the feel of it.
“The grass felt so soft,” Cameron Brand said. “I don’t know why, but it was the softest grass I’ve ever felt.”
“The Ireland grass is not a myth,” Mohamed said. “Sophi Jo started picking the grass and making little braided bracelets with it, because it was such long, luscious grass.”
Both Zinkhan and Branscomb work at veterinary clinics and hope to become veterinarians. Zinkhan said border collies are common house pets but they go “absolutely insane” because they don’t have a job to do.
The students went to a farm called Glengowla Mines and they watched as 15 sheep were herded by a border collie.
“We saw what (border collies) are supposed to do in person, and it was easy to understand the true purpose of the breed and how amazing they can be when they’re properly trained and put to work,” Zinkhan said.
Zinkhan’s favorite stop was a visit to Highbank Orchards. The farm was
ON THE ROAD WITH THE FFA
On a trip to Ireland, Braden River High FFA students stopped at:
■ The Village at Wheelocks Strawberry
■ Lynch Family Farm ■ Glengowla Mines
■ DK Connemara Oyster
Redmond Farm
Highbanks Orchards
Irish National Stud Farm & Gar-
completely organic.
“What I thought was crazy is that their plants were some of the healthiest plants I have ever seen,” Zinkhan said. “They said they rarely have any issues with bugs, diseases, or anything because everything has a natural balance.”
Mohamed emphasized how fresh and amazing the apple orchard smelled.
The students also toured the Irish National Stud and Gardens in Tully for an “Irish racehorse experience.”
“One of the horse’s names was ‘Should Have Been A Ring’ because (the owner) was getting engaged but spent money on the horse,” Katy Brand said.
Krueger said the students had a virtual immersion experience in which they purchased, named, trained and raced a mechanical horse. One person acted as a trainer, while the other was a jockey.
“I almost killed my horse; it was so hard to hang on because my hands started getting sweaty,” Cameron Brand said.
Krueger said she plans to take students to Belgium and the Netherlands to study sustainable agriculture in July 2027.
“I am happy that I get to provide my students with the opportunity to travel,” Krueger said. “I hope that the students were bitten by the travel bug and continue to travel and be lifelong learners.”
“It is important to go out and talk to other people ... people who aren’t from the same country,
Braden River High School students Cameron Brand, Jacob Zinkhan, Kylie Mohamed, Sophi Jo Branscomb and Jacqueline Lopez traveled through Ireland, learning about agriculture and Irish culture.
Jacob Zinkhan, the Braden River High FFA secretary, agriculture differs Courtesy images “If
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MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
Is a traffic apocalypse nearing at UTC?
Iwas coming out of the City Furniture parking lot at UTC, expecting a busy but easy ride home after 6 p.m. on a weeknight.
You have to understand that I am a veteran of the traffic wars. I grew up in New York and spent a lot of time in the city. I lived 26 years in the San Francisco Bay Area, where every 20-minute drive had the possibility of becoming a two-hour ordeal. I lived two years in the Los Angeles area, where every 20-minute drive had the possibility of becoming a four-hour ordeal. Traffic, in general, doesn’t rattle me.
But on this evening, I was rattled. So if you know the UTC roads, I turned right out of the City Furniture parking lot on University Town Center Drive and headed toward the Yard House. I inched along until I was directly in front of the Yard House, then hit a brick wall. Luckily, I had a magazine in the car. After reading for a while, I looked forward and saw that North Cattlemen Road was at a standstill as well. I figured that a flock of Sandhill cranes must have been in the road.
Gee, why doesn’t the Yard House have drive-thru bar service? I think they have it in Arkansas. After 20 minutes and 150 yards, I was nearing what I thought was the promised land. There is a red light at that corner of Cattlemen Road, so I figured with about six cars in front of me, how much longer could it be?
Unfortunately, for my lane of traffic, only one car could fight onto Cattlemen during a green light. The cars on Cattlemen weren’t having any luck, so they blocked the intersection after their green light had turned red. Miss Manners and her sisters must have been in the cars in front of me, because most of them weren’t willing to force their way onto Cattlemen, much to the delight of those blocking the
intersection.
Eventually, it was my turn to get into the North Cattlemen Road procession and I summoned my innerNew York personality. Basically, I drove forward, presenting the message to either hit me or use the brakes. I had done it. I was on North Cattlemen, with just a short drive to University Parkway. Eureka!
I would have celebrated, but I looked forward and saw the traffic wasn’t moving on University Parkway, either. An accident on I-75 had paralyzed that roadway, along with the University Parkway traffic trying to turn north onto the interstate.
I inched ever so slightly into the right-hand lanes once I arrived on University Parkway, and managed to finally pass the unfortunate souls who wanted to use the interstate going north. For a brief moment of euphoria, I soared forward, zooming past all the cars waiting to get on the onramp. Oh, aren’t I smart,
going surface roads to get around this mess?
Yeah, I was smart all right, until I saw a solid lane of traffic a halfmile back from the Lakewood Ranch Boulevard turn. All those drivers had thought they were pretty smart, too.
OK, no worries, I figured I would stay to the right, and drive all the way to Lorraine Road, turning north there. Nobody’s going to try to avoid traffic by taking that big a detour, right?
Wrong. I eventually joined the crowd on Lorraine Road, doing a bumper-tobumper crawl all the way to State Road 70. Insanity was creeping in.
So here’s the deal, whether you are living in the Bronx or Pocatello, Idaho, there’s always the chance of a traffic jam. An accident or mishap at the right time of day can cripple roadways. I always have been an advocate of looking at the big picture.
The big picture in the Lakewood Ranch area is that all our traffic woes are relatively minor. Sure, we have the congestion on State Road 64 and State Road 70, especially at rush hour. But, in general, we are fortunate. If you are driving at nonrush hour times, especially east of Interstate 75, it is generally smooth sailing — unless, of course, they have ripped up Lakewood Ranch Boulevard for construction.
But the big picture is that we are better off than most.
Sitting in my car, though, trying to escape the UTC cell block, I started to worry that a traffic disaster is upon us.
Normally, the heavy volume at UTC does not bother me. UTC has an amazing collection of stores, restaurants, bars and attractions that are a magnet for both locals and those who live an hour or more away in any direction (in smooth driving conditions). I don’t mind the traffic woes there, because I realize it’s part of the deal. It’s only natural.
But throw in an accident, such as the one on I-75, and a bearable slowdown can become gridlock in a heartbeat.
Even so, occasional nightmares can be tolerated if you can get a good night’s sleep most of the time. The worry for me is that the attractions keep coming, and we are simply going to overwhelm the existing roads.
There is a rumor that the new Mote Science and Education Aquarium is going to open before the end of the year. We can’t be sure because the nonprofit has cut off communication with the public that funds it since last November when it comes to the aquarium. However, it does seem inevitable. When it eventually does open, the aquarium expects 700,000 visitors in its first 12 months. Think anyone is worried about traffic?
University Place’s Doug Kenny
started a stream of 75 comments on the social media site Nextdoor commenting on UTC traffic woes.
“Now let’s be generous and say visitors arrive four at a time,” Kenny wrote. “(That) results in another 60 vehicles an hour, or more than one vehicle a minute, cluttering the intersection at University Park Avenue. What a mess!”
The commentors were divided between those who said “stop whining” and the “traffic apocalypse” camp.
But does it seem reasonable that the area is not preparing for a spike in traffic? Regional officials are taking the “somebody somewhere has to do something” stance.
One step would be to move along with the I-75 flyover that SMR had designed to take vehicles from Lakewood Ranch to the UTC area. In 2023, the East County Observer did a story in which Ken Stokes, an infrastructure coordination program manager for Sarasota County, estimated the project could break ground in 2025 and be finished by 2027. However, the project is still in permitting.
At the time, Stokes said the overpass, which would join Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and North Cattlemen Road, would help ease movement between Nathan Benderson Park, the Mall at University Town Center and Waterside Place. Perhaps it would behoove Sarasota County to get this project done. My advice, until then, is to put some magazines in your car.
Jay Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.
File photo
A flyover of Interstate 75 is planned near the water tower to relieve traffic congestion at UTC, but the project continues to drag along.
You Have an Estate PlanWhether You Know It or Not
If you think estate planning is only for the wealthy or elderly, think again. When someone passes away without an estate plan, state laws take over, deciding who gets what and when - and that may not reflect your wishes. Instead, you can take control through a personal estate plan.
You may think that a will is all you need. But wills only take effect after death; they don’t help if you’re alive but unable to make decisions. For that, you may want a Power of Attorney and health care directive.
Finally, make sure you have beneficiaries named on assets like 401(k)s, IRAs and life insurance policies. That way, these assets will transfer directly to those people regardless of what your will says.
Florida DOGE tasks force heads to Manatee
LESLEY
While most people dread any type of audit, Manatee County Commission Chair George Kruse welcomes the county’s upcoming audit by the Florida DOGE Task Force.
Kruse called the audit an opportunity to look for efficiencies and savings.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the audit during a press conference at the Manatee Performing Arts Center on July 24. He was accompanied by Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia.
DeSantis said Manatee County would be the next subject of an audit because it was upon request.
“We’ve had a lot of feedback, a lot of concern,” DeSantis said. “You’ve seen a significant increase in spending at the county level.”
DeSantis honed in on the last six years. He said that property tax receipts increased by 86%, which equates to $213 million. However, growth in Manatee County has only increased by 14%.
To address the dissonance, DOGE will look at the basis for that increased spending to see if it’s justified.
While Manatee County staff and commissioners were unaware that DeSantis would be holding a press conference about the matter, the audit was not necessarily a surprise.
In February, DeSantis issued a press release stating that a DOGE Task Force would be using publicly available county and municipal spending records to expose bloat within local governance.
In April, Kruse responded by proposing a five-member advisory board, comprised of citizens with backgrounds in accounting, auditing, finance, IT and human resources, that would provide an independent review. The board will be formed for one year, and its members will be appointed July 29.
Kruse said the county had already responded to one records request from the state and was in the process of responding to another when news
Gov. Ron DeSantis announces July 25 that Manatee County will be audited by the DOGE Task Force.
GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY LIAISON COMMITTEE
The Government Efficiency Liaison Committee was created to take a more in-depth look at Manatee County’s spending.
While the state’s DOGE audit will speed up the process, which was planned to take a year, Commission Chair George Kruse said the committee will still serve a purpose.
He said if a slew of recommendations are handed down to the county from the state, then the board can review them and make recommendations to the commission. If the state recommendations are fairly straightforward, the committee can provide its own independent DOGE analysis.
“We’ve got good applicants,” Kruse said. “There’s no reason to waste them.”
Appointments will be made at the July 29 commission meeting. More than 20 residents applied.
of the audit broke.
While the latest request entails a lot more information to be handed over, Kruse said 80% of it is only a matter of generating reports.
The other 20% is more complicated because the requests require subjective explanations, such as why cars for Community and Veterans Services are being wrapped with county branding.
The task force will be in Manatee County on Aug. 5-6. Kruse said staff is working diligently to prepare access to any records the task force wants.
Courtesy image
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
Sarasota Players brings Kander and Ebb’s sexy, portentous musical to a
A thrilling, chilling
IF YOU GO
‘CABARET’ When: July 31Aug. 10
Where: the Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail
Tickets: $35; students $15; VIP tables for two $150. Info: Visit ThePlayers.org.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Like several other arts groups in town, the Sarasota Players is a mom-and-pop shop. With husband and wife Brian Finnerty and Amanda Heisey Finnerty steering the creative ship, the community theater is skewing younger and edgier these days. Last summer, it leaned into sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll with Green Day’s “American Idiot” musical.
This summer, Sarasota Players is producing “Cabaret,” set in a seedy Berlin nightclub as the Nazis solidify their iron grip on Weimar Germany. First staged on Broadway in 1966, the Kander and Ebb musical gained broader audiences and Oscar gold with a 1972 film adaptation.
Directed by Bob Fosse with a screenplay by Jay Presson Allen, the film starred Joel Grey as the Emcee and Liza Minnelli as the sultry singer Sally Bowles. “Cabaret” has been revived several times on Broadway and the West End over the years, winning rave reviews and a Tony Award for Alan Cumming as the Emcee in 1998.
Even if you’ve never seen the musical or movie, you’ve heard the titular siren song:
“What good is sitting alone in your room?
“Come hear the music play.
“Life is a Cabaret, old chum,
“Come to the Cabaret.”
Unfortunately, the cheerful ditty has led to some misconceptions about “Cabaret.” Amanda Finnerty, who stars as Sally in the Sarasota Players version, remembers the reaction of fellow theatergoers when she went to see Asolo Repertory Theatre’s production in 2022.
“I didn’t think it was going to be so
dark,” Amanda recalls a woman saying to her date. Evidently, it was too dark because the couple decided to leave at intermission, she says.
Brian Finnerty, who is directing Sarasota Players’ “Cabaret,” doesn’t want scare audiences away. In fact, they’re having fun with the staging, doing the show on a circular stage surrounded by tables that act as a VIP section of the Kit Kat Club, where “Cabaret” takes place.
But with authoritarianism on the rise all over the world, the couple isn’t shying away from the underlying theme of the show, namely that good times and complacency can pave the way for autocracy.
Based on the previous collaborations of Amanda and Brian, that ominous warning will be leavened with plenty of sexy singing and dancing, even within the restrictions of the Sarasota Players’ temporary home in The Crossings at Siesta Key mall.
The Finnertys recently sat down to talk about their vision for “Cabaret” at the Sarasota Players’ costume shop on 10th Street. The conference table for the meeting sat on top of the round stage that had yet to be transported across town for “Cabaret.” It sat in the middle of a two-floor warehouse bursting with props and costumes from previous productions by the community theater, which kicks off its 96th season in September.
According to Brian Finnerty, the round stage was last used for the production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” during the community theater’s 90th season in 2019. Back then the troupe was known simply as “The Players” and its home was at 838 N. Tamiami Trail, a theater across from the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium that it sold.
In “Joseph,” the round stage rotat-
Image courtesy of Adrian Van Stee
Jason Ellis plays the Emcee and Amanda Heisey plays Sally Bowles in the Sarasota Players production of “Cabaret,” which runs from July 31 through Aug. 10.
ed, Brian Finnerty says. However, this time, it will remain stationary and a ramp will allow the Kit Kat Club performers to strut their stuff.
To add to the nightclub ambience, there will be three VIP tables for two surrounding the stage. Those VIP seats, $150 each, include champagne and a charcuterie board from Pineapple Kitchen and chocolates.
The VIP seats sold out early. Brian expects those ticket holders to show up in attire appropriate to a Berlin nightclub in the 1930s. “If not, we’ll have costumes at the door that can help them dress the part,” he says. “We’ll have some fun little boas and such that they can throw on so they can be part of the story.”
Brian says those who have bought the VIP tickets have been told they will “get played with a lot” during the show, which runs from July 31 through Aug. 10.
DRESSED TO KILL
We’ll try to avoid spoilers, but one mannequin that greeted a visitor when she walked in the front door of the costume shop was dressed in a filmy black dress covered with satin glove-like hands. Yowza! That’s just one of many sexy outfits Sally Bowles wears in the show.
“Each of the Kit Kat Club girls has six costume changes,” notes Amanda Finnerty.
About those costumes: They’re the handiwork of Jill Castle.
Performing come-hither songand-dance is not a great leap for Amanda, a member of Hard Heart Burlesque under the stage name Karma Kandlewick. She and Brian performed together in various productions for six years on area stages before Brian popped the question on stage after an August 2021 performance of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”
In that Dingbat Theatre Project production, Brian directed, choreographed and designed the costumes, while Amanda played Yitzhak, a Jewish drag queen. With the departure of Sarasota Players’ artistic director, Steven H. Butler in March 2024, the Finnertys, who married in 2024, have taken a greater role in the community
theater’s creative direction under CEO William Skaggs.
Brian’s official title is production manager, and Amanda serves as marketing and PR director, but they wear a variety of hats on and off the stage.
The Finnertys said they were initially thinking of putting “Rock of Ages” into their summer slot, given the success of last year’s “American Idiot,” which attracted a young, enthusiastic audience. “With college kids home from school, we try to do something a little more risque, a little raunchier than usual in the summer,” Brian says.
Still, no one could accuse the Sarasota Players of not having fun and not appealing to young audiences during its regular season. Among the productions in their 2024-25 lineup were “Seussical: The Musical,” “Little Women,” “Fun Home” and “Into the Woods.”
The Finnertys had some performers in mind for “Rock of Ages,” a jukebox musical of 1980s heavy metal anthems, but changed their minds at the last minute. “Things kept happening in the world, and we thought, ‘Let’s do ‘Cabaret,’” Brian says. “I think it’s probably the most important show we could do right now.”
In some of its productions, the Sarasota Players seats the audience on three sides of the stage, but “Cabaret” seemed a natural for a theater-in-the-round production, Brian says.
The community theater is quite creative at using the shopping mall
space that once housed a Banana Republic store as it waits to move into its permanent home in Payne Park. Renovations on the cityowned Payne Park Auditorium are expected to be completed by fall 2026, in time for the Sarasota Players’ 97th season.
ALL THE WORLD’S A (ROUND) STAGE Theater in the round requires choreography and staging that keeps the show moving so performers never have their backs to part of the audience for long. Former dance kid Brian Finnerty is always ready to tackle choreography. “Of course, I’m biased, but I love Brian’s choreography,” says Amanda. “We don’t normally do things this dance-driven, and the Kit Kat Girls are killing it.”
Brian’s assisted in his “worldbuilding” for “Cabaret” by Technical Director Scott Schuster and Assistant Technical Director Logan Jenkins. Jason Ellis, the theater’s assistant director of operations, is ready for any challenge. He’s also multitalented, serving as the Emcee in “Cabaret.”
To add to the fun, “Cabaret” has not one, but two music directors. William P. Coleman, who recently appeared in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill” at Stageworks in Tampa, will be on stage playing piano. Meanwhile, Heather Weiskerger, the in-house music director, will be handling music tracks that she recorded in advance.
No matter the Sarasota Players production, audience members must be prepared for characters entering and exiting from different corners of the room. But they’re given advance warning not to stick their feet out in the aisle, lest they trip a performer. This is community theater, folks!
Brian Finnerty uses the same qualifier in his spirited description of “Cabaret.”
“Yes, it’s community theater, but we have a really solid group,” he says. “They can sing, they can dance and they really care about the musical. It’s going to be a really great show.” So what good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play ...
Beams are rising at Venice Theatre
The Venice Theatre recently invited members of the public to sign a construction beam as it rebuilds following the destruction of its Jervey Theatre in 2022 by Hurricane Ian.
One of the largest community theaters in the country, Venice Theatre has raised $20 million toward its $25 million capital campaign from a variety of sources, including state and local grants and private philanthropy.
The public beam signing attracted about 100 families, elected officials, donors and industry vendors, including Sarasota’s Magnum Builders, which is handling construction on the Jervey Theatre.
“This moment transcends steel and concrete. It’s about the people who refused to let the arts vanish from their community,” said Kristofer Geddie, executive direc-
tor of Venice Theatre and president of the American Association of Community Theatre.
After the 432-seat mainstage Jervey Theatre was destroyed, the Venice Theatre moved quickly to transform its Raymond Center education facility into a theater that seats 130. It has also held performances in its 90-seat black-box Pinkerton Theatre.
The July 18 beam signing was designed to drum up support for the Venice Theatre’s Next Act summer fundraising campaign, in which donations will be matched, thanks to a $125,000 fund approved by the Venice City Council.
The goal is to make enough progress on rebuilding the Jervey Theatre, once the home of the Kentucky Military Institute, in time for the June 2026 AACT WorldFest, which is expected to attract 8,000 members from all over the U.S. for productions, parties and workshops.
Courtesy image Brian Finnerty is production manager of the Sarasota Players community theater.
Images courtesy of Next-Mark
The Venice Theatre is making substantial progress in rebuilding its mainstage Jervey Theatre, which was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022, top.
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
‘A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD’
7 p.m. at FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail $15-$19 Visit AsoloRep.org.
Asolo Repertory Theatre rolls out a fun, family-oriented production that’s priced right. Adapted from Arnold Lobel’s children’s stories, Robert and Willie Reale’s musical follows the friendship of Frog and Toad through the seasons. Runs through Aug. 3.
DON’T MISS SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR
Pack up the car with Grandpa and the kids and head for the Circus Arts Conservatory’s annual Summer Circus Spectacular at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, a jewelbox venue that elevates any show. This thrilling, 60-minute circus of fresh new acts is perfect for people of all ages with short attention spans. There’s room for walkers, strollers, wheelchairs, you name it — but please arrive early so ushers can store them. Make it a circus day by adding a ticket to The Ringling’s famed Circus Museum for just $5 on the day of the show. Runs through Aug. 9.
IF YOU GO When: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday, July 31
Where: The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road Tickets: $20 adult; $15 child Info: Visit CircusArts.org.
‘TOO DARN HOT: SONGS FOR A SUMMER NIGHT’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $39 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Songstress Carole J. Bufford easily skips eras and genres in this showcase of stories and songs featuring the months June, July, August and September. Whether she’s singing songs made famous by Janis Joplin or Randy Newman, she leaves the audience with something they never knew before. Runs through Sept. 14.
‘THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE’
7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s Pinkerton Theatre, 140 W. Tampa Ave., Venice $37, $15 youth Visit VeniceTheatre.org.
Brad Wages directs the Venice Theatre’s production of the Tony Award-winning musical about six lovable kids in a bid to win a highly competitive spelling bee. Wages choreographs, while Michelle Kasanofsky is music director for the show, which is recommended for middle school students and older. Runs through Aug. 3.
‘DOROTHY’S DICTIONARY’
8 p.m. at FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave. $42 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Alice M. Gatling stars as Dorothy, who introduces a troubled teen played by Ethan Jack Haberfield to the healing power of books.
Directed by Kate Alexander, the tale explores memory, identity and how relationships can transform our lives. Runs through Aug. 10.
FRIDAY
LOOMIS BROS. CIRCUS
7:30 p.m. at Robarts Arena, 3000 Ringling Blvd. $30 adult ticket also admits two children; each additional child $8 Visit LoomisCircus.com.
Ringmaster Justin Loomis presides over a thrilling three-ring circus
OUR PICK
‘A TALE OF DUTY AND VALOR’ SaiNrityalaya School for Dance uses the Bharantanatyam dance form from Southern India to tell the tale of an exiled prince’s quest to rescue his wife from a demon monarch.
designed to bring back the glory days of the big top. Acts include “America’s Got Talent” competitors Chicago’s Official Flyerz Boys, Miss Natasha on trapeze, motorcycle daredevils, foot jugglers and animals of all kinds. Runs through Aug. 3.
SATURDAY
‘THE HIGH LIFE: CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE BIRDS’
10 a.m. at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St. $28; $23 online Visit Selby.org.
This eye-catching exhibition features about 70 works of birds by more than 50 photographers from around the world. The works are displayed in the Museum of Botany & the Arts and outside in the gardens, where some of the birds look like they just flew in. Runs through Sept. 14.
MONDAY
RAUSCHENBERG: A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
10 a.m. at The John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Road Free with $25 admission; Mondays free Visit Ringling.org.
IF YOU GO
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2
Where: Sarasota Opera, 61 N. Pineapple Ave.
Tickets: $20.60-$41.20
Info: Visit SarasotaOpera.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 exhibition includes works that The Ringling has in its collection, including pieces Rauschenberg created during his time on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Runs through Aug. 3.
TUESDAY
‘LILLIAN BLADES: THROUGH THE VEIL’
10 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free for museum members; $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Award-winning artist Lillian Blades invites visitors to get lost in her first solo museum exhibition, at Sarasota Art Museum. Her installation of “veils” combine handcrafted and found objects to create a mesmerizing display. Blades attributes her use of dazzling color to her childhood in The Bahamas and her process of creating large-scale assemblages to her late mother, an accomplished seamstress. Runs through Oct. 26.
Courtesy images
The duo Zeman Quick Change delights audiences at the Summer Circus Spectacular, which runs through Aug. 9 at The Ringling.
Florida Studio Theatre gives blue-eyed soul a spot in the limelight
Florida Studio Theatre’s Summer Cabaret featuring the songs of Motown and others inspired by Berry Gordy’s iconic record company.
“How Sweet It Is” is the “love child” of Canadian singer/songwriter Luke McMaster, a Motown aficionado who’s made a documentary about Lamont Dozier, the middle member of the famed HollandDozier-Holland songwriting team.
It’s the home stretch of McMaster’s run at FST, where he’s accompanied by journeymen performers Louis Tucci and Miles Aubrey. A veteran of the Broadway show “Jersey Boys,” Aubrey takes “How Sweet It Is” away from the Motown songbook with a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons favorite. (We’re not telling which one.)
It’s not the only time the show leaves Hitsville U.S.A. (the name of the Detroit studio where Motown songs were recorded). There’s a song or two by Felix Cavaliere of the Young Rascals, as well as a memorable ditty by McMaster called “Vodka Martini,” inspired by a golf lesson the songwriter received from Smokey Robinson in Palm Springs. (Yeah, Smokey’s in hot water right now with sexual battery allegations, but that’s the man, not his music.)
The libretto, or storytelling part, of “How Sweet It Is” is more than just a pastiche of anecdotes and video found on the internet about the history of Motown. McMaster’s got his own story to tell about how the music label changed his life.
Despite his fears of being an “imposter,” which he voiced both on stage and during an interview, McMaster’s got the street cred to be a practitioner of blue-eyed soul.
The musical second son in a family of hockey-playing brothers has spent time writing songs in LA, Las Vegas and Nashville. He also made a half-hour documentary about Dozier (watch it on YouTube) before the legendary Motown songwriter died in 2022 at the age of 81.
“Sometimes, I wonder what my life would have been like if I’d been born in another place and time,” McMaster muses, perhaps imagining himself topping the charts instead of entertaining cabaret audiences in Sarasota.
It’s already been proven that being white isn’t a barrier to covering Motown hits. The label’s songs have been interpreted by plenty of white singers, including The Beatles (“You Really Got a Hold on Me”), Linda Ronstadt (“The Tracks of My Tears”), Phil Collins (“You Can’t Hurry Love”) and James Taylor, who recorded the song that gave McMaster the title for his show.
Before he made his FST debut this summer, McMaster played with his band The Undercovers on Florida’s
East Coast. When he got a callback after “cold-calling” FST Associate Artist Catherine Randazzo, she put him together with FST veteran Aubrey, who recently wrapped the FST Winter Cabaret show “The Music of Laurel Canyon,” and Tucci, a seasoned New York City musician. Randazzo, who oversees FST’s cabaret program, helped McMaster with his libretto. “I like to tell stories during my show, but Catherine helped me write a script that was precise right down to the minute and second,” McMaster says. “It was like having a tutor.”
Despite the fact that he’s working from a script, McMaster leaves room for spontaneity and interaction with the audience. During a recent matinee, he let an inquisitive audience member know that she can find “Vodka Martini” on Spotify and that he’ll earn “point zero, zero five cents” if she downloads the song.
Obviously, McMaster is driven by his love of Motown, not money. He says he first began writing songs as an adolescent, up in Brandon, Manitoba’s second largest city.
“There was a loose floorboard where I used to hide my notebooks,” he recalls. To practice his songs and
to mimic Smokey’s falsetto, he’d use a hairbrush as a microphone.
When he was growing up, never did McMaster imagine one day he’d hit the links with his idol. The Canadian accepted an out-of-the-blue invitation that came by telephone from Smokey to play golf, even though he doesn’t know how to play.
‘SHAKE IT LIKE A VODKA MARTINI’
When it became apparent to Smokey that McMaster needed some help with his swing, his advice was to “shake it like a vodka martini,” giving the novice duffer the inspiration for a song and a great anecdote for his cabaret show libretto.
One of the most moving parts of “How Sweet It Is” is when McMaster plays a clip from his “Icons of Soul” documentary about Dozier. McMaster got to collaborate on a song with Dozier, whose legacy has been overshadowed by the biggerthan-life Gordy, as well as Motown stars who both wrote and sang, such as Smokey. (Dozier was not a performer.) For the “Icons of Soul” documentary, McMaster and Dozier wrote “My Life is a Song,” which McMaster performs during his show. While McMaster’s co-stars prove
they are stars in their own right, one of the best parts of “How Sweet It Is” comes when Aubrey and Tucci leave the stage for a few minutes. During that time, McMaster puts down his guitar and sits down at the electronic keyboard, where he performs a medley of Motown hits at a slow tempo. Suddenly, the songs take on a new depth, bringing to the forefront the sorrow that has always been there but that you might have missed because you were tapping your foot or snapping your fingers to the infectious beat.
McMaster likes Sarasota so much that he’s decided to move here full time. He’s been house hunting in Lakewood Ranch and scouting venues for The Undercovers. He’s also working with Randazzo on a future cabaret show for FST. Mum’s the word on that one, McMaster says. Roger that. But if you want to see McMaster on stage before next winter, better a get move on. It turns out that rockabilly crooner Eddie Cochran got it wrong. There is a cure for the summertime blues; it’s called “How Sweet It Is.”
Image courtesy of Emiliano Mejias
Louis Tucci, Luke McMaster and Miles Aubrey star in Florida Studio Theatre’s cabaret show, “How Sweet It Is,” which runs at the Goldstein Cabaret through Aug. 3.
YOUR NEIGHBORS
Giving kids with special needs a lift
Lakewood Ranch’s Kristal Triggs would love it if every child could enjoy a summer filled with arts, crafts and field trips, but having a child with autism, she knows many summer camps are not available to children with special needs.
Triggs, whose 6-year-old son, Grayson, has autism, is the clinical director of Lift ABA, which provides applied behavior analysis therapy. Lift ABA launched a pilot summer camp program, called Summer Skills Camp, in July for children with developmental disabilities. The program has been so successful, Triggs is in the process of creating a nonprofit to support the program.
The program runs Monday through Thursday, when students attend camp at B.D. Gullett Elementary School, while Fridays are for field trips.
On July 25, students were getting soaked during a field trip to the Waterside Park splash pad. The week before, they went to Tom Bennett Park. Next week will be to Sky Zone trampoline park.
Applied behavior analysis helps teach social skills to children with developmental disabilities.
“A lot of times, these kids are not able to integrate with others,” said Hannah Andrews, a boardcertified behavioral analyst. “So that’s our goal, to have these kids integrate into the world with the help that they need.”
Andrews noted the regression most students face during summer break can be worse for students with communication and behavioral issues.
The camp keeps students on track, but also gives them a true summer camp experience.
Ashley Geiger’s 5-year-old daughter, Kennedy, communicates using an iPad. Before having her photo taken, Kennedy first wanted to listen to her favorite song “I Like to Move It” from the movie “Madagascar.”
Geiger got choked up when talking about the services her daughter receives and the growth she’s shown since working with Lift ABA.
Sharing that growth with friends and family on social media led to Geiger selling $4,000 worth of popcorn to support the camp.
“I am so in love with this program,” she said. “They have changed our lives.”
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Campers and staff members get soaked by the giant bucket of water.
Elih Vega-Carrillo, 5, watches the water go up and down.
ABA therapist Marc Moyer gets his revenge with a water gun.
John Day is the camp’s program assistant, and 13-year-old Gavin McHugh is a camper.
Staff members at Lift ABA are ready to play, too. From left: Jessie Zelkoski, Kristal Triggs, Lauren Valentine, Hannah Andrews, John Day and Megan Guigliano.
VOTED SARASOTA’S TOP IMPLANT & AESTHETIC DENTISTS
YOUR CALENDAR
COMMUNITY
THURSDAY, JULY 31 THROUGH
SUNDAY, AUG. 3
LIVE MUSIC AT JIGGS LANDING
Runs from 5-8 p.m. each day at Jiggs Landing, 6106 63rd St. E., Bradenton. The live music lineup at Jiggs Landing includes Jack Berry (Thursday), Mike Sudderth (Friday), Santiago (Saturday), and Donnie Bostic (Sunday). All the music this week is free. For information, go to JiggsLanding.com.
FRIDAY, AUG. 1
MUSIC ON MAIN
Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. Mojo Filter, which plays rock hits from the 1990s, will be on the main stage for the free August Music on Main event. The nonprofit that benefits from event proceeds is the Bradenton Women’s Club. Event includes food vendors, beer trucks, sponsor booths, and games and activities (sponsored by Grace Community Church) for the kids.
SATURDAY, AUG. 2
BACK TO SCHOOL BASH
Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota. Florida Kid Care presents the free Back to School Bash. Parents can preregister their children for a free backpack and to participate in an interactive scavenger hunt to collect school supplies from event sponsors and vendors. Those who attend will find resources from health care providers, after school programs, sports programs and community support groups. Kids can enjoy the many fun activities offered at the event. There will be stage performances, free face painting, sports mascots and cartoon characters. For more information, call 674-1464 for or go to MallAtUTC. com.
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 are those with
BEST BET
SATURDAY, AUG. 2 THROUGH SATURDAY, AUG. 9
A TASTE OF MAIN STREET Runs at various times at participating restaurants at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. A Taste of Main Street offers prix-fixe menus, where multicourse meals are offered at a set, predetermined price at participating restaurants. Wine pairings, specialty cocktails and unique dishes will be part of the event. Brunch-lunch, two-course specials will be offered for $25, while three-course dinners will be available at either $35 or $45. For more information, contact participating restaurants. Those are Casa Maya Mexican Restaurant, Remy’s on Main, The Peculiar Pub, Percoco’s Pizza and Pasta, Twisted Pit BBQ, Station 400, Paris Bistro and Ed’s Tavern. For more information, go to MyLWR.com or contact a participating restaurant.
experience. The workout focuses on balancing effort and ease through breath work and postures. Those who participate are asked to bring a yoga mat. For information, go to MyLWR.com.
SATURDAY, AUG. 2 AND SUNDAY, AUG. 3
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 the Divebombers on Saturday and Sheree Cade on Sunday.
SUNDAY, AUG. 3
FARMERS MARKET
Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. 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 8-9 a.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Sarasota. Start the morning off with gentle yoga with lake views. For information, go to LakewoodRanch.com.
Good, clean fun
Sarasota resident Cyndi Dixon, along with her 5-year-old grandson, Alijah Dixon, took full advantage of becoming one with the foam during the Creative Child Learning Center’s foam party July 22.
Cyndi said Alijah is normally on the shy side, which has caused him to miss out on events such as Easter egg hunts and meeting Santa. Alijah didn’t let his shyness stop him from diving deep into a foam mountain.
“Every time, the children on the quieter side let their personality come out (during such events), as it is a new sensory experience,” Cyndi Dixon said. Dixon has worked at Creative Child Learning Center for 25 years and is the last original teacher since it the center opened.
The foam came out of an inflatable wall and blew throughout the yard.
Bradenton resident Skylar Nordgren, 4, said the foam looked like clouds and pineapples.
The party was presented by Skipper Schmitt, who owns and operates his own business, Awesome Foam Party. It is based in Apollo Beach and he creates his own bubble solution.
Schmitt said he does foam parties at 100 different preschools during the summer. This was his fourth visit to Creative Child Learning Center.
“They (the kids) said it was the best day ever,” Schmitt said.
“I always say the messier the better,” Heather Kukene, a teacher at the Creative Child Learning Center. “I’ve never seen them be so happy, and it’s a good way to get their energy out.”
— MADISON BIERL
Bradenton residents
Landon Schorn, 5, and Luca
BreyerBonilla, 5, get all
“bubbly.” They enjoy science activities and have made volcanoes in class before.
Photos by Madison Bierl
Bradenton residents Iyla Hall, Finley Jones, Riley Egloff, Wimauma resident Anastasia Oustimov and Sarasota resident Liana Alvarado enjoy their teachers, Mechelle Robertson and Kasie Marshall, join in on the fun.
Lakewood Ranch resident Madeline Phillips, 4, felt like a superhero while she was running through foam during a party at the Creative Child Learning Center in Lakewood Ranch.
Lakewood Ranch resident Rosemary Combast, 5, emerges from the foam.
Bradenton residents Cameron Canay, 5, and Brooks Pfeifer, 5, had fun playing in the “deep end.”
Country Club home tops sales at $3.5 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in the Country Club topped the week’s sales. Marc and Renee Preininger, of Sarasota, sold their home at 7011 Belmont Court to Terrence Gregory Kemp and Ann Louise Kemp, of Lakewood Ranch, for $3,499,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,652 square feet of living area.
COUNTRY CLUB EAST
Laurie Anne Vitali and Giorgio Vitali, of Sarasota, sold their home at 16531 Kendleshire Terrace to Kevin Gerard Farrell, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.2 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,434 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.4 million in 2023.
Petra Matrai, trustee, of Reston, Virginia, sold the home at 16734 Collingtree Crossing to Thomas Wozniak, of Lakewood Ranch, for $950,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,408 square feet of living area. It sold for $640,000 in 2019.
Dwight and Eileen Burnson, trustees, sold the home at 7130 Whittlebury Trail to Geoffrey and Elizabeth Parkinson, of Greenwich, Connecticut, for $850,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,443 square feet of living area. It sold for $875,000 in 2023.
ISLES
Robert Gerald DiMeo Jr. and Morgan Lee DiMeo, of Bradenton, sold their home at 18215 Cayo Largo Place to Kirk and Shelby Liddle, of Bradenton, for $1.95 million. Built in 2024, it has four bedrooms, fiveand-a-half baths, a pool and 5,147 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,744,800 in 2024.
UNIVERSITY PARK
Bruce and Cathy Mantia, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, sold their home at 7305 Chatsworth Court to Richard and Nancy Allen, of University Park, for $1,425,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,109 square feet of living area. It sold for $772,500 in 2002.
WINDING RIVER
Kurt Whitlock Fisher, of Eustis, and Karrie Lee Fisher, of Parrish, sold their home at 1007 143rd St. N.E. to Scott and Maureen Prossen, of Bradenton, for $1,315,000. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 4,014 square feet of living area.
CYPRESS CREEK ESTATES
Susan Lawrence, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 6143 Ninth Ave. Circle N.E. to Anish Patel and Rina Patel, of Bradenton, for $1,125,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,714 square feet of living area. It sold for $800,000 in 2021.
COUNTRY CLUB
Elizabeth Vogt and Roger Vogt, trustees, sold the home at 7229 Lake Forest Glen to David Houston and Susan Houston, trustees, of Lakewood, for $1,095,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,669 square feet of living area. It sold for $580,000 in 2015.
Joseph Agresta and Jo Ann Williams, trustees, of Falmouth, Massachusetts, sold the home at 7019 Vilamoura Place to Christopher and Kerry Hann, of Lakewood Ranch, for $950,000. Built in 2005, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,643 square feet of living area. It sold for $620,000 in 2021. Juan Cole, Laura Cole, Maria Del
Mar Cole and Kenneth Cole Jr., of Ashburn, Virginia, sold their home at 7443 Riviera Cove to Scott Beavers and Shanlee Beavers, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, for $655,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,400 square feet of living area. It sold for $415,000 in 2020.
Barbara Sander, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 7762 U.S. Open Loop to Jeffery Joerin and Amy Potthast, of Lakewood Ranch, for $589,000. Built in 2002, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,113 square feet of living area. It sold for $589,000 in 2006.
AZARIO ESPLANADE
Michelle Martin Lusnia and Michael Leonard Lusnia, of Winter Garden, sold their home at 16218 Umbria Place to David Roy Fry, of Tampa, for $985,000. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,101 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,007,200 in 2023.
Earl Larson and Tryla Brown Larson, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 3008 Tolmino Court to Karl and Stephanie Pearson, of Lakewood Ranch, for $600,000. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,678 square feet of living area. It sold for $699,900 in 2024.
POLO RUN
Neil and Phyllis Friedland, of Bradenton, sold their home at 17923 Polo Trail to Joshua Arlen Landry and Kristy Layne Landry, of Bradenton, for $817,500. Built in 2020, it has five bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,374 square feet of living area. It sold for $465,000 in 2020.
UNIVERSITY PLACE
Fredrick and Catherine Netherton, of Ontario, Canada, sold their home at 7816 Ashley Circle to John and Joni Burton, of Bradenton, for $780,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,693 square feet of living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2012.
MILL CREEK
Maria Arcacha sold the home at 310 136th Court E. to Jonathan and Gina Gallo, of Bradenton, for $740,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,571 square feet of living area.
GREENBROOK
Archer Katz and Nanako Yuasa sold their home at 6305 Royal Tern Circle to Peter William Busichio and Leighann Busichio, of Lakewood Ranch, for $695,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,403 square feet of living area. It sold for $731,000 in 2021.
SOLERA
Malia Homebuyers LLC sold the home at 17547 Cantarina Cove to Jonathan Nixon and Meredith Melillo, trustees, of Bradenton, for $695,000. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,838 square feet of living area. It sold for $634,000 in 2023.
STONEYBROOK AT HERITAGE
HARBOUR
Wolfgang Gross and Anne-Kathrin Keinath, of Germany, sold their home at 7574 Camden Harbour Drive to Martha Patricia Perez
Aspra Sebulonsen and Andre Leidulf Sebulonsen, of Bradenton, for $660,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,598 square feet of living area. It sold for $313,000 in 2011.
SAPPHIRE POINT
Johnathan Joseph Feist and Nicole Feist, of Winter Garden, sold their home at 16231 Pine Mist Drive to Andrew and Anna Smith, of Bradenton, for $655,000. Built in 2022, it has five bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,638 square feet of living area. It sold for $546,600 in 2022.
HIDDEN MEADOWS
Barron Anthony Japinoski and Margarita Japinoski, of Mebane, North Carolina, sold their home at 2609 65th St. E. to Juan Roman Fuentes and Yusdania Gonzalez, of Braden-
RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
JULY 14-18
ton, for $650,000. Built in 1986, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,158 square feet of living area. It sold for $316,000 in 2020.
WATERFRONT AT MAIN STREET
Mark Stephen Wadina and Sandra Karen Wadina, of Plover, Wisconsin, sold their Unit 2-605 condominium at 10520 Boardwalk Loop to Robert and Lisa Trucksess, of Bradenton, for $625,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,467 square feet of living area. It sold for $513,700 in 2018.
BRIDGEWATER
Barry and Eileen Murphy sold their home at 5511 Foxfire Run to Donald Troy Chilton and Kimberly Devlin Chilton, of Bradenton, for $620,000. Built in 2016, it has four
bedrooms, two baths and 2,268 square feet of living area. It sold for $359,000 in 2016.
HERITAGE HARBOUR
John Wood Jerrehian and Emily Jerrehian, of Curacao, sold their home at 7115 Marsh View Terrace to Zarephath Holding LLC for $615,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,006 square feet of living area. It sold for $311,000 in 2016.
WILTON CRESCENT
Schildt Family Holdings LLC sold the home at 7861 Wilton Crescent Circle to Carolyn Schildt and Jeffrey Behling, of Burlington, Wisconsin,
Courtesy image
A Country Club home at 7011 Belmont Court sold for $3.5 million. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,652 square feet of living area.
for $600,000. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,530 square feet of living area. It sold for $380,000 in 2010.
DESOTO LAKES
Frank McDermott and Debora Lynn McDermott, trustees, of Sarasota, sold the home at 4713 Tournament Blvd. to Richard Leal, of Sarasota, for $560,000. Built in 1963, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 2,734 square feet of living area. It sold for $145,000 in 1995.
WATERLEFE GOLF AND RIVER CLUB
Robert and Diane Baker, of Sarasota, sold their home at 735 Foggy Morn Lane to Kelly Cullen, of Eatonton, Georgia, for $560,000. Built in 2001, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,837 square feet of living area. It sold for $256,900 in 2001.
Michael and Colleen Bedient sold their home at 643 Misty Pond Court to Dennis Marc Bateman and Kimberly Jean Bateman, of Portage, Michigan, for $520,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,977 square feet of living area. It sold for $361,000 in 2019.
DEL TIERRA
Dale and Debby Roderick, of Roscoe, Illinois, sold their home at 15612 Trinity Fall Way to Michael James Vanzile and Kimberly Faye Hull, of Bradenton, for $555,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,612 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2020.
Peter Richard Sheridan and Linda Ann Sheridan, of the United Kingdom, sold their home at 364 Grande Vista Blvd. to Timothy Dunn, of Bradenton, for $550,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,812 square feet of living area. It sold for $356,200 in 2017.
ROSEDALE GOLF AND TENNIS
CLUB
Lisa Murray, of Lake Forest, Illinois, sold her home at 5318 88th St. E. to Dolores Diane Modrcin, of Bradenton, for $550,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,490 square feet of living area. It sold for $244,600 in 1993.
LAGOON AT TIDEWATER PRESERVE
Paul Cassell, of Bradenton, sold his Unit D condominium at 1123 Riverscape St. to Steven Holdway and Angela Holdway, trustees, of Bradenton, for $540,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,332 square feet of living area. It sold for $410,000 in 2021.
GREYHAWK LANDING
SFR Borrower 2021-2 LLC sold the home at 235 Dahlia Court to John Cash and Brooke Natasha Cash, of Bradenton, for $532,000. Built in 2006, it has five bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,835 square feet of living area. It sold for $387,000 in 2017.
VIRGINIA WATER Mary Kathryn Seidholz, trustee, sold the home at 7121 Victoria Circle to Michael Delich and Eileen Yvonne Smith, trustees, of University Park, for $530,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,070 square feet of living area.
SPORTS
FAST BREAK
Former Braden River High baseball player Ryan Waldschmidt has shot up prospect rankings since he was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 31st overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. The Athletic’s Keith Law released an updated ranking of the top 60 prospects in the game July 24 and slotted Waldschmidt at No. 29 overall.
“The D-backs’ second pick in the 2024 draft, Waldschmidt destroyed High-A pitching earlier this year before a promotion in late June to Double-A Amarillo,” Law wrote. “He’s a good hitter who happens to have power, and is making plenty of contact in Double A. He’s mostly played left field this year and that’s probably where he’ll stay, so he does have to hit to be an above-average regular.” ... Lakewood Ranch resident Kevin Roy finished tied for 28th place at the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota from July 24-27. Roy shot a 68-68-71-64 (13-under par) and earned $50,591 in the event. Roy is ranked No. 76 on the FedEx Cup Playoff and Eligibility Points List, six places back from qualifying for the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first of three FedEx Cup playoff events that takes place Aug. 7-10. He needs a big week at the final regular season event, the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, July 31 through Aug. 3. ... Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch announced it will host two prestigious youth soccer events — the Premier SuperCopa and SuperCopa+ championships — in 2026, 2028 and 2030. A partnership with U90C Sports and the regional tourism alliance of Bradenton Area Tourism and Visit Sarasota will bring the top U9-U17 soccer teams in the nation to the area to compete in the invite-only competitions.
SOCIAL MEDIA REACTION TO JACKSON’S SIGNING
Users of X had fun joking about Samuel Jackson signing with the Jets. These are some of the nearly 1,000 comments under ESPN reporter Adam Schefter’s post:
@damBeckwith: “Samuel OL. Jackson”
@StrawHatLife: “Tell me his middle name right now.”
@Mulevikes: “That’s a tasty signing!”
@noamfox: “Finally some star power that was needed.”
@ericlauermusic: “Signing Bonus: Lifetime supply of Royale with Cheese.”
to help players understand different perspectives.
“You can’t negative self-talk,” he said. “The more positive you are, and the more that you understand that every day is a new day for a new opportunity, it helps. This is a stressful job and you have millions of people watching you. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone is a backseat coach. A lot of people played football in high school and think they understand football, but they really don’t. If you know you and you keep doing you, eventually success should follow.”
Former Mustang lands opportunity with Jets
Samuel Jackson played in the United Football League with the Houston Roughnecks this spring.
VINNIE PORTELL STAFF WRITER
When NFL reporter Adam Schefter posted that the New York Jets signed offensive lineman Samuel Jackson at 8 a.m. July 23, it prompted some predictable responses.
Fans sent back GIFs of the famous actor, recited their favorite quotes of his, and some even Photoshopped the actor in a Jets uniform.
It was a funny moment in an otherwise dry time for NFL news, but it’s a joke that the football Samuel Jackson, a Lakewood Ranch High graduate, has heard throughout his life.
“I did see a bunch of people sending Samuel L. Jackson GIFs,” Jackson said. “I know it comes with my name. It’s pretty funny. Every time I meet someone new, they say, ‘Hey, we have to ask you, does your middle name start with an L?’ It’s followed me my entire life. Hopefully, one day it’ll give me the opportunity to meet him.”
Jackson has been a journeyman offensive lineman since graduating from the University of Central Florida in 2022.
Though he appeared in 66 games across his five years with the Knights, he went undrafted and signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the 2023 season, but was waived before the season began.
He most recently played with the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League this past spring, which gave him enough game tape and credibility to earn his current opportunity with the Jets.
Jackson has yet to make a name for himself at this juncture in his career, but he wants to one day be known for more than low-hanging jokes.
“I’m a guy who perseveres and believes in himself,” he said. “I have a dream, and I know what I want to do. Regardless of what people might say or think, I have the rest of my life
to have a career. I only have this short amount of time to do what I want to do and make my dream happen.”
Jackson was a 6-foot-6, 332-pound offensive lineman by the time he graduated from Lakewood Ranch High in 2017 and committed to UCF.
He received immediate playing time with the Knights, playing in all 13 games in his freshman season.
Despite not wavering on his commitment to playing football, Jackson made use of his five years at UCF to prepare him for his next stage of life.
A three-time ACC All-Academic team member and an Honor Roll graduate, Jackson earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology and used his fifth year to achieve a master’s degree in educational leadership.
No matter what happens with Jackson’s NFL or UFL career, there will come a day when he has to stop playing football professionally.
When that happens, Jackson said he wants to be a sports psychologist
It will be a challenge for Jackson to make the 53-man roster as an offensive guard with New York.
The Jets have the ninth-best offensive line in the NFL this season per Pro Football Focus, and guards John Simpson and Alijah Vera-Tucker were both ranked inside the top 12 guards in football last year.
However, Jackson said if his stint with the Jets doesn’t last beyond training camp, he will have the opportunity to return to the Roughnecks next spring.
Now 26 years old and standing at 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, Jackson has the physical makeup to keep his dream alive — and potentially inspire others along the way.
“Hopefully, I can be someone people can look at and be like, ‘Maybe I should give this another shot or continue to do this,’” Jackson said. “‘I shouldn’t give up on something so easily.’”
“I have a dream, and I know what I want to do. Regardless of what people might say or think, I have the rest of my life to have a career. I only have this short amount of time to do what I want to do and make my dream happen.”
Samuel Jackson
Courtesy Image
Former Braden River baseball player
Ryan Waldschmidt is now ranked as one of the top 30 prospects in MLB just more than a year removed from playing with the Kentucky Wildcats.
Samuel Jackson will face a stacked offensive line unit when he tries to make the Jets in the preseason.
Courtesy images
Samuel Jackson played for UCF after graduating Lakewood Ranch High, and has since bounced around with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Roughnecks and now the New York Jets.
Ten players to watch in East County
new season of high school football officially began with noncontact practice July 28, which means it’s time to start looking ahead at what’s to come. I visited with each East County football team this spring and spoke with players and coaches to find out which players are the ones to watch. Combine that with some in-person evaluation and statistics from this past season, and I think I have a good idea of which players will rise to the top.
Here is the East County Observer’s top 10 high school football players to watch in 2025:
1. ALLEN CLARK, OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY SENIOR (RB/LB) It would be almost impossible to ask more of Clark than ODA did last
year, but that could be what he’s tasked to do this fall. Clark carried the ball 214 times (23.8 rushes per game) for 1,524 yards (7.1 yards per rush) and 22 touchdowns. When he wasn’t running the ball, he was playing linebacker, where he accumulated 29 tackles (five for a loss of yards), six quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and a forced fumble. His coaches see him as a legitimate Division I player, and he could finish his career as the best player in program history.
2. LOUISEN DESINOR, BRADEN RIVER JUNIOR (QB) Desinor couldn’t have come to Braden River at a better time. The Pirates are coming off a 2-7 season and lost starting quarterback Lucas
Despot to graduation. In comes Desinor from Southeast, where he completed 54.1% of his passes for 1,877 yards and 16 touchdowns to lead the Seminoles to a 5-5 record. Desinor showed a sneak peek at what he can do in a spring game performance against Mariner in which he finished with 18-of-30 passing for 183 yards, two touchdown passes and an interception.
3. DYLAN WALKER, OUT-OF-DOOR
ACADEMY SENIOR (DB/WR/K/P/ KR)
Walker is the most versatile player in East County. He plays in every phase of the game, from kicking and punting to receiving, playing safety and returning kicks. This past fall, Walker had eight rushes for 34 yards and a touchdown, three receptions for 42 yards, 46 tackles, (nine for a loss of yards), five pass breakups, an interception, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a blocked punt, 47.3 yards per kickoff and 27.7 yards per punt, including three that settled inside the opponents’ 20-yard-line. To top it off, Walker also returned two kickoffs for 8.5 yards per return. He received his first scholarship offer in July to Washington and Lee University in Virginia.
4. COOPER ORZEL, LAKEWOOD RANCH SENIOR (TE/WR/LB) Standing at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Orzel is a physically intimidating presence for the Mustangs. He was the team’s leading pass-catcher last year with 13 receptions for 193 yards and a touchdown. Not only could he be more involved on offense this year, but he’s also expected to be a contributor on defense for the first time as well. Orzel has been training at linebacker this offseason and the coaching staff said he looked like he was a veteran at the position in spring practice.
5. WINSTON CRISCI, OUT-OFDOOR ACADEMY SENIOR (DE/TE) Crisci is a force off the edge at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds for a Thunder team in need of one. Last season, he made 29 tackles (10 for a loss of yards) along with a team-high four sacks and 38 quarterback hurries. He also broke up four passes, recovered a fumble, blocked a punt and made four receptions for 107 yards.
6. KA’MARION JONES, LAKEWOOD RANCH JUNIOR (CB/WR) Lakewood Ranch High lost most
File photos
The Braden River football team is excited to make people forget about last year’s two-win campaign.
ODA sophomore running back Allen Clark (17) runs through an attempted tackle by All Saints’ Academy sophomore Jaelen Randall (6).
Lakewood Ranch junior Cooper Orzel catches a pass from junior quarterback Liam Fernandez.
The Out-of-Door Academy rising senior Dylan Walker plays wide receiver, kicker, punter and defensive back for the Thunder.
of its best players to graduation or transfer this offseason, but Jones stuck around, and should play a key part this fall.
Jones was a standout in the secondary for the Mustangs last year with 32 tackles, six interceptions, five pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. He could put that athleticism to use this season on offense as well, especially after Lakewood Ranch lost three of its top four pass-catchers.
7. NICHOLAS CINELLI, BRADEN RIVER SENIOR (WR/DB)
Cinelli was the team’s backup quarterback until this past season, when he stepped in at receiver. After spending the past year learning a new position, it looks as though he may have found where he fits in best.
The coaching staff was singing his praises this spring, and he backed that up in the spring game with eight receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. He also proved his worth on defense, recording two interceptions despite playing limited snaps at safety.
8. DAVID LOUIS, BRADEN RIVER JUNIOR (DL)
Louis played in two games at the tail end of his sophomore season last year and made two tackles with one sack. Judging by that, one might be wondering why he’s made this list.
Pirates coach Jason Grain is a big fan of Louis, who he said is an athletic freak who he fully expects to have a breakthrough season this year. When that type of praise is coming from someone who played on the offensive line at the University of Southern California, it’s hard to ignore.
9. MICHAEL GARZIA, OUT-OFDOOR ACADEMY SOPHOMORE (RB/LB/DB)
Garzia played last season as a 5-foot-8, 140-pound freshman, but still impressed the coaching staff despite playing undersized. He rushed 16 times for 156 yards (9.8 yards per rush), made 22
tackles (three for a loss of yards), an interception, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
If his spring game performance of six rushes for 102 yards and a touchdown on offense and four tackles and an interception on defense are any indication of what’s to come, this could be a big season for Garzia.
10. DARRIOUS POMPEY, BRADEN RIVER JUNIOR (OL)
Pompey is a force on the offensive line at 6-foot-1, 320 pounds. His presence will be essential to keeping Desinor upright in the pocket and giving the Pirates a chance to win more than two games this season. With size like that and a former DI offensive lineman as his head coach, Pompey has all of the tools to become one of the area’s best blockers.
NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH
UNGEP
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INNER CONFIDENCE by Adrian Johnson, edited by Jared Goudsmit
By Luis Campos
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