Commissioner Carol Felts said one of the unique things about Manatee County is how instrumental women are to its history.
Felts read a proclamation during the Aug. 5 commission meeting that declared Aug. 26, 2025, Women’s Equality Day in Manatee County.
Felts highlighted one woman in particular — Bertha Curry. Curry made history in September 1919 as the first woman in Manatee County to register to vote.
“Much has been achieved since Bertha Curry,” said LWV President Ruth Harenchar (above with Felts). “We have come a long way from the days when women were excluded from paid work and politics.”
Doug
Wagner, director at Manatee
Wager said he was humbled to receive the award and credited his success to team efforts. Gansemer, the executive director of adult, career and technical education, said Wagner has always been a leader.
“The School District of Manatee County is a great school system and we have so many things to be proud of here,” Wagner said.
Bierl Ricardo Vasquez and Monica Rodriguez
Courtesy image
Madison Bierl
Commissioners call for kids curfew
The Manatee County attorney has been directed to draft an ordinance to establish a 16-and-under curfew in unincorporated Manatee County.
LESLEY
Only one commissioner was opposed to enforcing a juvenile curfew in Manatee County — Commission Chair George Kruse. Kruse cited curfews as an example of government overreach and said parents should be the ones to set and enforce curfews for their children. Kruse was outvoted 6-1 during the Aug. 5 commission meeting. The motion directed the county attorney to draft an ordinance that will enforce a curfew for minors. In this case, minor means 16 and younger.
Unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, a minor must be involved in a permissible activity to be out between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and between midnight and 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Permissible activities include lawful employment, a school, church or civic-sponsored activity or an emergency involving the protection of a person or property. The sidewalk in front of a minor’s home or an adjacent neighbor’s home is another exception where the curfew does not apply.
Commissioner Bob McCann raised the issue. He said the school district and the sheriff’s office support the ordinance, but personal experience also informed his action.
“I worked in an emergency room for 37 years,” he said. “I can tell you that I saw more kids at night than I ever did in the daytime, and it was assault — a lot of sexual assault, children being trafficked, child abuse.”
Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells told the East County Observer that MCSO looks forward to working
PROPOSED CURFEW
Age of enforcement: 16 and younger Enforcement hours: From 11
p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from midnight to 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Exceptions to the curfew: Minors who are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, involved in an emergency or traveling to and from lawful employment or an activity held by a school, church or civic organization.
Penalties: Written warning for the first violation and a $50 fine for violations thereafter.
with commissioners and the school district to implement a curfew that educates and helps keep children safe.
Omar Edwards, associate director of Strategic Planning Initiatives for the School District of Manatee County, called the ordinance a “nobrainer.”
“We want to make sure that our students get a good night’s rest so they can be on track to graduate,” he said. “It will help those families that don’t have control at home.”
Kruse fears the ordinance could lead to profiling because teens can be arbitrarily stopped. He wants his teenage daughter to be able to drive home from seeing a movie without the fear of being pulled over based solely on her age.
On the other hand, Commissioner
Amanda Ballard said an ordinance can provide deputies with an opportunity to engage with minors to find out and understand why they’re out late at night.
“There’s a possibility that they’re out on the street at 2 a.m. because they don’t want to be home with their parents who are high and passed out,” Ballard said.
When the deputy brings the child home, there’s a second chance to engage with the parents.
Ballard represents District 2, which borders the Lakewood Ranch area. She said the district’s biggest problem is teens breaking into cars at night, but there are also issues with teens stealing cars and firearms.
Kruse noted that those issues are already illegal.
While the main support for the ordinance came from outside of Lakewood Ranch, Pastor Jerry Parrish, director of Community Outreach for the Manatee Police Athletic League, said the Lakewood Ranch area is not immune to issues of teen violence and crime.
“A boy beat his mother in Lakewood Ranch, and he stole his dad-
“We want to make sure that our students get a good night’s rest so they can be on track to graduate. It will help those families that don’t have control at home.”
— Omar Edwards
dy’s car,” Parrish said. “They live in a 6,000-square-foot house. It doesn’t matter the community.”
STATEWIDE CURFEW
Florida Statute 877.22 already established a curfew for minors, which state authorities can choose to enforce. However, local enforcement requires a local ordinance.
McCann said the local ordinance will be written using the state statute as a guide, including a section that addresses minors who have been
suspended or expelled from school.
The statute states that minors may not be in a public place, public establishment or within 1,000 feet of a school during the hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. during any school day.
The statute also establishes the penalties if a minor is found in violation of the curfew.
A written warning is issued for the first offense. Any violations thereafter are considered a civil infraction, which come with a $50 fine for each violation.
“You know who doesn’t care about written warnings,” Kruse said. “People who are out after hours to commit crimes.”
Reginald McNeal, assistant principal at Bradenton Bay High School and Middle School, argued that written warnings hold parents accountable, too. Change could occur if a parent has to appear in court for repeated violations.
McCann stressed that, if passed, the ordinance will be a “law in progress.” As deputies figure out what works and what doesn’t, adjustments can be made.
Courtesy image
Commissioners George Kruse, Bob McCann and Amanda Ballard debate the merits of a curfew for residents 16 and under at the Aug. 5 commission meeting.
Lakewood Ranch’s Peter and Athena Hotaling enjoy using their phones to connect with friends and family, play games, use social media and more. With the new phone restrictions, they will have to save those things for after-school hours.
Don’t call Manatee students; you will get a busy signal
House Bill 1105 states that elementary and middle school students will be required to stow away electronic devices for the entire school day.
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
Lakewood Ranch’s Peter Hotaling, an eighth grader at R. Dan Nolan Middle School, has had a phone for four years. He utilizes his phone for many things, including social media and playing online games with his friends. The fun stuff came into play when his teachers at Nolan would award phone time to students on occasion if they completed all of their necessary work or basically had good behavior.
“It was nice being able to do those things,” Hotaling said. “It was like a breath of fresh air almost, in between work, work, work, but now we can’t do that.”
Because of an electronic device policy enacted by the state, per House Bill 1105, elementary and middle school students are prohibited from cell phone use during school hours. All devices — phones, tablets, smart watches— must be turned off and stowed away all day, including during lunch and between classes.
Prior to this bill, Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Derek Jensen said cell phone use during lunch at middle schools was based on each school’s decision.
“It’s a battle we fight with students, because it’s something they want to access, either for social media or texting their friends in other classes,” Jensen said. “It’s a challenge, both from behavior management in class and even test administration.”
The law is different for high school aged students, who can’t use them during instructional time unless they get an OK from the teacher. High school students can use cell phones in designated areas.
Nicol Hotaling, Peter’s mother, said she is not against the new policy as she sees both pros and cons.
“You love (her kids having phones) because it allows you to feel comforted because you know where your kids are and there’s all these things now (like Life 360) where you can basically track them like a super spy,” Nicol Hotaling said. “But at the same time, it’s addicting.”
Nicol Hotaling said her only concern is that her son can use his phone after school in case he need to stay after for an activity or a storm changes their pickup plans.
“That’s the only thing I’d worry about because I don’t want to have to search for him for half-an-hour,”
Nicol Hotaling said.
Nicol Hotaling also has a daughter Athena who is a fourth grader at Robert E. Willis Elementary School.
Athena said she doesn’t care that she won’t be able to use her phone because she should be learning instead.
“She has an understanding of the capabilities of the phones and she enjoys utilizing it quite often, so for her to tell me she doesn’t care to have it during the day is interesting,”
Nicol Hotaling said.
School board member Heather Felton supports the restrictions for cell phone use for elementary and middle schools.
“The students at that age are so impressionable, they will go down rabbit holes,” Felton said. “We need to remove that from them when they’re in a classroom environment.”
Felton said using phones at the high school level at a teacher’s discretion is a valuable learning experience, as technology is a crucial part of the professional world with things like Zoom, office emails and timecards. She described cell phones as “an encyclopedia in the palm of their hand.”
Felton said not every student has access to their own school-provided computer and there are often carts of computers that are shared throughout the schools.
“We are such a pace-driven society now, with testing and all those other things in education,” Felton said. “We don’t have the time to go spend an hour or two in the media center for kids to take turns using the computers there or to try to look things up in books. We don’t have the time.”
Brielle Short is a junior at Lakewood Ranch High School. She said the use of cellphones over the pro-
CALL FOR UNDISTRACTED EDUCATION
Per House Bill 1105, effective immediately, the following guidelines will be in place for the School District of Manatee County: ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS
■ Students may not use personal electronic devices (such as cell phones, tablets, or smartwatches) at any point during the school day.
■ Devices must remain powered off and stored away, including during lunch and between class transitions.
HIGH SCHOOLS
■ Students are prohibited from using personal electronic devices during instructional time, unless:
■ Authorized by the teacher for educational purposes.
■ Used in board-approved or school-designated zones.
Students with documented medical or educational needs will be accommodated, in accordance with state law.
Per the State of Florida, these changes were implemented to enhance classroom learning, reduce distractions and support student well-being.
We appreciate our parents’ partnership in helping students understand and follow these new expectations. We are committed to fostering a safe and focused learning environment.
“It will
allow for kids not to be as distracted because they won’t have anything else to think about during the day other than instruction.”
Maria Korns, seventh grade English teacher at R. Dan Nolan Middle School
the distraction of social media and might even prefer it. Korns doesn’t expect much backlash from parents regarding the cell phone policy due to the new expectations being communicated prior to school starting.
vided Chromebooks is useful in the case of research, especially for history class.
“Half the websites you try to get on are regular websites that are restricted,” Short said. “It makes it a lot harder to research things for school, so the majority of the time you have to do it outside of school.”
“We have modern Promethean boards, big TVs in our classrooms and we have modern laptops and devices in our classrooms,” Jensen said. “If the teacher wants to use technology in the classroom, we’re going to find a way to make it happen.”
Maria Korns is a seventh grade English teacher at R. Dan Nolan Middle School.
“It will allow for kids not to be as distracted because they won’t have anything else to think about during the day other than instruction,” Korns said. “That’s what we’re all there to do — provide an exceptional education.”
Korns said some might be surprised at the amount of students who have told her they could go without
Interim Superintendent Kevin Chapman said the first week of school will be a big learning curve, reminding students and families about the new law, but said it will be OK in the end.
Lakewood Ranch resident Lyndsey Bride has two children in school — one in elementary and one in middle school.
“I like that the distractions are minimized and I like that the kids who don’t have devices aren’t left out,” Bride said. “I think there’s a lot of pros to it, so I’m pretty much in favor of it until I see something negative.”
“We have many forms of communication between teacher and parent, principal and parent, school administration and parent,” Chapman said.
Chapman said he is excited to see what the educational data on student achievement looks like at the end of the school year with little to no phone use.
“I’m interested to see what will happen in our classrooms here in Manatee County,” Chapman said.
“I’m certainly interested in watching and learning and seeing what happens next.”
Photos by Madison Bierl
Per House Bill 1105, elementary and middle school students will be required to power down devices and stow them away for the entire school day. High schoolers may use phones at teacher discretion.
Isaiah Benton, 11, Cole Hopkins, 10, and Blake McGrew, 11, chose screen time when given the opportunity at summer camp.
Six lemurs born at Myakka City
The Lemur Conservation Foundation in Myakka City has announced that six infant lemurs, all endangered species, were born this year on the reserve. Collared brown lemur twins were born in April, followed by red ruffed lemur triplets in May and then a ring-tail lemur in June.
The red ruffed lemurs are considered “critically endangered.”
Curator Meredith Hinton reports that all six are growing quickly with the support of their mothers and under the watch of Lemur Conservation Foundation keepers and interns.
“More than 98% of all lemur species are threatened with extinction,” said Lemur Conservation Foundation Executive Director Deborah Robbins Millman in a news release. “Baby season is a time of renewed hope that the world’s oldest living primates will be saved.”
Hinton said safeguarding the lemurs is taken very seriously at the reserve.
“Adding healthy and strong members to lemur colonies is an important part of our mission, and we couldn’t be happier with our latest additions,” Hinton said.
The reserve follows the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plans to ensure the health of the lemurs.
The collared brown lemurs were born to Isabelle and Vincent. The reserve notes that less than 25% of the species’ births are multiple infants. Ten collared brown lemurs have been born at the foundation in
its 30-year history. The red ruffed triplets were born to Aviavy and Hazu. About 30% of red ruffed lemurs born in managed colonies are triplets and some litters can be as high as six, according to the release.
The ring-tail lemur was born to Goose and Delia as the third ringtailed lemur born at the foundation in the past six years.
The foundation was formed in 1996 by conservationist and artist Penelope Bodry-Sanders. The reserve is 130 acres and home to more than 50 lemurs.
While not open to the public, the reserve hosts visiting scientists and students who study lemur behavior. The foundation has a field office in Madagascar, where workers protect lemur habitat through reforestation, eco-tourism and education programs according to the release.
For information on the reserve, updates on the infants or to donate to the cause, go to LemurReserve.org.
County seeks special magistrates
Manatee County is seeking two volunteer special magistrates to hear and rule on alleged violations of the county’s Land Development Code and Code of Ordinances.
The magistrates impose fines against violators.
All Manatee County residents are eligible to apply. According to a Manatee County release, “special magistrates are typically attorneys, retired judges, paralegals, and others who may have a legal background and/or law experience.”
Those appointed will fill four-year terms. A list of qualifications can be found in the county’s Code of Ordinances, chapter 2-7-21.
The hearings are normally held the fourth Wednesday of each month at 9 a.m. in the commission chambers in the Manatee County Administrative Center at 1112 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton. Applications are due Sept. 1 and can be found online at MyManatee.org. For more information, call Manatee County Code Enforcement Chief Tom Wooten at 748-2071.
Courtesy photo
These red ruffed triplets were among six lemurs born at the Lemur Conservation Foundation in Myakka City so far in 2025.
Intersection debate dead ends
Technical issues stop commission from ending any attempts to stop the roundabout on University Parkway in Lakewood Ranch.
THE SUNSHINE LAW
with new signals and longer turn lanes, or will it be bulldozed to make way for a future roundabout?
Lakewood Ranch residents hoping to get a final answer to that question Aug. 7 during the Manatee County land use meeting will now have to wait longer after a 3-3 vote by commissioners stalled the decision.
As it stands, a roundabout is planned for the intersection and is moving forward. However, Commissioner Bob McCann is trying to stop those plans on the request of a group of residents who live in the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club. The main gate to the country club is accessed through that intersection on Legacy Boulevard.
Manatee County and Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park LLC entered into a reimbursement agreement on Nov. 12, 2024. The agreement states Lakewood Ranch will design, engineer, permit and construct the roundabout, and the county will reimburse 50% of the cost, which is an estimated $3,253,336.
On May 6, without prior notice to Lakewood Ranch or its parent company, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, commissioners voted 6-0 to negotiate the termination of the reimbursement agreement. Commissioner Mike Rahn was absent.
SMR CEO and President Rex Jensen said Manatee County had talked him into a roundabout after he originally suggested upgrading the lanes and signals. In addition, he said he already has invested time and money into the planning and design of a roundabout.
According to the Office of the Attorney General, “Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Law was enacted in 1967. Today, the Sunshine Law regarding open government can be found in Chapter 286 of the Florida Statutes. These statutes establish a basic right of access to most meetings of boards, commissions and other governing bodies of state and local governmental agencies or authorities.”
TIE VOTE
At the Aug. 5 commission meeting, Rahn tried to have the roundabout issue removed from the Aug. 7 land use agenda because he and Commission Chair George Kruse would be out of town.
Rahn wanted to discuss the roundabout when there was a full board. Because it was a last-minute addition to the agenda Aug. 5, he needed a supermajority (five votes) to support even a discussion of waiting until there was a full board to discuss the roundabout.
Rahn’s motion to discuss the roundabout failed in a vote of 4-3 (It didn’t get the required five votes.) with commissioners McCann, Jason Bearden and Carol Felts opposed to discussing the issue before the Aug. 7 land use meeting.
On Aug. 6, Manatee County commissioners received a letter from Bill Galvano, former senator and an attorney with Grimes, Hawkins, Gladfelter & Galvano P.L. reasserting Jensen’s unwillingness to mutually terminate the agreement as requested by the county.
So on Aug. 7, Rahn and Kruse called
into the meeting.
At the land use meeting on Aug. 7, McCann called Jensen a bully. However, Kruse argued that terminating a contract based solely on the will of a new board will show that Manatee County contracts “are not worth the paper they’re written on.”
Commissioner Tal Siddique motioned to direct staff to close negotiations (to terminate the reimbursement agreement) and proceed under the existing agreement (to build a roundabout). Rahn seconded the motion.
However, when it came time for the commissioners to vote, Rahn’s voice was muted due to technical issues.
McCann pushed forward for a vote, excluding Rahn, who couldn’t be heard. The vote ended 3-3, with Ballard, Kruse and Siddique in favor of honoring the original agreement and McCann, Bearden and Felts opposed.
When a vote is tied, the motion automatically fails, which meant that staff would continue researching a reimbursement agreement.
“It is not three to three,” Kruse said through the speaker.
About 30 seconds later, Rahn was unmuted.
“I’m here now,” he said. “I don’t know what happened to my system, but I vote in favor of Commissioner Siddique’s motion.”
As the sitting chair, McCann said the vote had been taken and he moved on to the next item.
So after two hours of deliberation and public comments, no action was taken. While the agreement is still in place to build the roundabout, McCann said he will continue his efforts to terminate it.
“We can still negotiate,” McCann said. “I’ve instructed staff to go back to Rex Jensen.”
Because county staff members are
still under the directive to negotiate, they have to bring the matter back to commissioners again, but a date to do so has not been set.
APPROVED ON CONSENT
One reason McCann said he will continue pushing the issue is that the roundabout was approved on a consent agenda without giving notice to residents.
Items placed on the consent agenda are approved in bulk and not discussed unless a commissioner pulls an individual item. Then, that item can be discussed or simply removed altogether.
Even Steve Zielinski, executive director of the Lakewood Ranch Inter-District Authority, was unaware the roundabout would be on the Nov. 12 consent agenda.
The same day the roundabout was approved, Zielinski told members of Community Development District 2, which includes the country club, that he had met with Ray Turner, former District 5 commissioner, and Chad Butzow, director of Public Works, two weeks earlier. Zielinski said he was told the roundabout would likely be placed on a December agenda for discussion.
Country Club resident Carol Cooper doesn’t believe items on a consent agenda should be considered proper notice to residents, especially not this particular item that she described as “misleading and deliberately ambiguous in its description.”
When placed on the consent agen-
da in November, the roundabout was item No. 44 and listed as follows — “Execution of reimbursement agreement with Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park, LLC for transportation improvements.”
“Is the public expected to inspect every item attached to an agenda to know that this is a project in their front yard,” Cooper asked.
Butzow said putting a roundabout on a consent agenda is a standard operating procedure, but called the lack of public outreach an “error in judgement.”
McCann argued that because the public was never given a chance to weigh in on the University Parkway roundabout and that the agreement was “hidden in the consent agenda,” Sunshine Law was violated. Cooper said there was something “disconcerting” about the entire process. She noted that the commissioners voting to honor the reimbursement agreement were in “lock-step” and offered no justification for their decision beyond the signed agreement.
“We keep hearing it’s a viable contract. Well, that really hasn’t been determined yet,” McCann said.
“The most direct consequences that any resolution, rule or formal action, including a contract, made at a meeting not held in accordance with the Sunshine Law is considered not binding and can be voided by a court.”
Lesley Dwyer
Country Club residents worry that workers driving large vehicles and towing trailers will struggle to navigate the roundabout and slow traffic.
‘Big
bins’ cause sizable concerns
The county is planning Community Cleanup Days to help residents dispose of larger items that won’t fit in the new garbage bins.
s Manatee County residents continue to express concerns about the upcoming changes to the county’s garbage collection, Commissioner Carol Felts said the county is exploring options to make the transition easier.
Starting Oct. 6, residents in unincorporated Manatee County will be required to use 96-gallon, countyissued garbage bins to dispose of their trash (Upon request, 64-gallon bins will be issued after Jan. 1.), and collection days will be limited to once a week.
Joe Di Bartolomeo, chairman of the board for the Tara Community Development District, scheduled a Zoom meeting with county officials Aug. 7 to discuss the pending changes after Tara residents continued to approach him with questions.
More than 70 residents and four county employees attended the meeting.
Chris Collins, Interim Deputy Director of Solid Waste, set the tone for the call by letting residents know that while the new garbage collection is a big change, it is, indeed, happening.
“These changes were approved by our Board of County Commissioners in May of 2024,” he said. “We are just the Utilities staff that are implementing these changes and doing the best we can to work with residents. Like it or not, we can’t change a lot of this stuff.”
More than 3,000 residents have signed a petition on Change.org ask-
East County residents from Lakewood Ranch to Myakka City have concerns that vary accordingly. For rural residents, one of the concerns is that a 96-gallon trash bin could be too heavy to haul down a long driveway. For condo owners, a 96-gallon trash bin could be too bulky to store in a one-car garage. Many HOAs, such as those found in the Tara community, prohibit residents from leaving their garbage cans outside.
Lesley Dwyer
The 96-gallon bins will be delivered to residents between Aug. 18 and the end of September.
ing the county to reverse its decision.
Felts was not on the commission when the decision was made, but she said the contract came down to money.
“The former board did a lot to keep (the rate) at $23.65 a month,” Felts said. “But for that, they had to agree to once a week services.”
Felts noted that the new business model for trash collection is “one guy in an automated truck,” and there’s not much “wiggle room” when there’s a limited amount of haulers to hire. The county is using Waste Pro and Waste Management.
The main concern from Tara residents was how to comply with HOA rules that don’t allow garbage cans to be kept outside when the bins won’t fit alongside a car in smaller garages. The other main concern is that many residents won’t be home from their summer homes when the bins are due to be delivered.
Collins could only offer a delivery time frame of Aug. 18 through the end of September.
Di Bartolomeo said he plans to contact the vendor to ask for a day or two notice in terms of delivery of the new bins and suggests other HOAs also become proactive in planning for the collection changes.
The Tara Master Association is going to change its policy to allow owners an extra week or two to get the new bins put away, so those residents who are out of town have time to make arrangements.
The 96-gallon bins are just 1 inch wider than the county-issued recycling bins. But if that extra inch makes a difference in a cramped garage, residents can request a 64-gallon bin after Jan. 1 by calling 792-8811.
RURAL CONCERNS
Felts represents the rural parts of Manatee County in Myakka and Parrish. She said garbage pickup looks a lot different in the country than in the suburbs.
For one thing, the driveways often are very long. People often load their garbage cans into the back of a pickup to get them to the end of the driveway, which might not be as easy with a 96-gallon can.
Felts also described several communal pickup areas where there might be 24 homes bringing their
‘BIG BIN’ BASICS
Manatee County has coined the change in garbage collection the “Big Bin Advantage.” The service will be automated, so only county-issued bins can be used from Oct. 6 forward, and the collection service will be reduced to once a week.
The big bins will be delivered sometime between Aug. 18 and the end of September. Residents are able to switch out the 96-gallon bins for 64-gallon bins after Jan. 1.
Any trash that doesn’t fit inside the bin requires an additional fee to pick up. Call 311 or 792-8811 to schedule.
trash cans to one spot because the garbage trucks can’t access the narrow, gravel road. In that case, she said 24 bins, lined up 3 feet apart to support the new automated system, is probably not going to work.
The system will no longer have the worker who moves the bins by hand.
She supposes rural residents will use a lot more burn bins, but she and county staff are also looking toward dumpsters to address some of their concerns.
Dumpsters in specific communal areas are proving to be complicated issue, Felts said, but the county is planning to host “Community Cleanup Days” where they will set up temporary dumpsters at a central location.
Residents across the county share the concern that items that are too big to fit into the bin will now cost $59 a piece for pickup.
Residents can drop a carload of trash at the Lena Road landfill for $5. But that isn’t free, and if you live in Myakka City or West Bradenton, it’s also inconvenient.
Communications Coordinator Tina Moutoux Saldana said the first cleanup day will likely be held in January in Myakka City. The details are not completely worked out yet, but the county would like to host eight a year in different locations.
“You still have to get your stuff to the dumpster,” Felts said. “But that’s a heck of a lot better than having to pay $59 to pick up your kid’s old bicycle (because it won’t fit in the bin). It’s going to be a big help.”
A day of firsts in Lakewood Ranch
The new Lake Manatee K-8 began its historic first day on the School District of Manatee County’s first day of the school year.
As Alex and Samantha Montano walked away from their mom, Connie De Leon, on the opening day of school Aug. 11, Alex gave her a wave goodbye.
Then he did as all big brothers should, and grabbed his little sister’s hand, leading her into the building.
It was just one of the many touching moments as the School District of Manatee County celebrated its first day of school, and Lake Manatee K-8 marked the first day of its history.
De Leon said she had both excitement and anxiety as she dropped off her children — Alex is a third grader and Samantha is a pre-K student — at Lakewood Ranch’s newest school.
She looks forward to her children growing along with the school.
She said Alex always has been independent, so she isn’t worried about him tackling a new school environment. It’s all new for Samantha.
“She’s my last one, my baby girl,” De Leon said of Samantha. “I want to cry, but have held back because I
don’t want her to see me sad.”
While De Leon wanted to cry, Alex couldn’t wait to get into a science class with the hope of building a volcano in the near future.
Principal Todd Richardson loved the mix of emotions on opening day, saying he is grateful to have a sense of normalcy now that students are in the building.
“Parents are super excited ... a lot of tears, obviously,” Richardson said.
“For the kids, they came ready to go.”
Fourth grade student Ben Koske transferred from B.D. Gullett Ele -
mentary and he was eager to meet new friends. His parents, Jeremy and Katiei Koske, said they are happy to have the school at 17210 Academic Ave., even closer to their home.
From pre-K to fifth grade, 638 students were expected to arrive Aug. 11.
“I know that we’re anxious,” Richardson said as he greeted the students gathered in the cafeteria. “I know that we’re nervous. But today is going to be an awesome day.”
Richardson said Lake Manatee K-8 is a Leader in Me school with a motto of “Learn, Lead, Succeed.”
Both Richardson and Interim Superintendent Kevin Chapman were directing cars that were dropping off students.
“We plan all summer for this day,” Chapman said. “Like Todd said, it’s like the Super Bowl.”
Richardson said there are tweaks to be made in order to make the dropoff line move more efficiently. The school will experiment with starting drop-off before 7:55 a.m. as well as double stacking the line so more kids can exit cars at once.
Brando Fetzek, the Vice President and Project Executive for NDC Construction Company, came to the school for opening day to see the campus that he was involved with building come alive. His team has been putting the finishing touches on the campus over the past few weeks.
“I hope that they all call this place home,” Fetzek said of the students. “Todd’s been working really hard to get this campus ready along with his teachers.”
Ally Bourdon is the only first-year teacher at Lake Manatee K-8 and she moved from Texas. She said a new school attracted her because everyone will be in the same boat of figuring out where to go and how to teach, more so than an already established school.
Bourdon said the first day was chaotic, but she expected that in her kindergarten class.
“I want to get as much wisdom as I can for next year,” Bourdon said.
Xiomara Cappiello is a fourth grade teacher at Lake Manatee K-8 who previously taught at Braden River Elementary School.
“I’ve had a new wind of excitement with a new school. It gives you a new life,” Cappiello said. “It kind of reignites that spark.”
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Interim Superintendent Kevin Chapman and Principal Todd Richardson are eager to welcome students to Lake Manatee K-8, the first K-8 built from the ground up in Manatee County.
“I’ve had a new wind of excitement with a new school. It gives you a new life. It kind of reignites that spark.”
Xiomara Cappiello, fourth grade teacher at Lake Manatee K-8
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Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned. Publisher of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer, Business Observer, Jacksonville Daily Record, Key Life Style Magazine, LWR Life Magazine,
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
Third grade student Alex Montano waves goodbye to his mother Connie De Leon before he walks his little sister, pre-K student Samantha Montano, into Lake Manatee K-8 on the opening day of school.
Laura and Luiza Novato are entering fourth grade and kindergarten at Lake Manatee K-8.
Photos by Madison Bierl
Biljana Haskic and her kids, Damir and Zlatan Haskic, ride bikes and a scooter to Lake Manatee K-8 for the for first day of school Aug. 11.
Valorie Baron brings sons Brady and Cam along for the ride to drop off Lake Manatee K-8 kindergarten student Jacob Baron on the first day of school.
Upcoming land use meeting should grab your attention
As I drove into Myakka City last week, it was quiet. Kind of like what you would expect in a rural, farming area. But what this area is, or what it might become, seems wide open at this point in time.
At 9 a.m., Aug. 21, the Board of County Commissioners will be holding a land use meeting with some important topics under consideration. One will be putting some strength back into the Future Development Area Boundary, which has been compromised by some exceptions added to the Manatee County Comprehensive Plan that have made the line somewhat meaningless.
As the current board debates adding amendments or rescinding
amendments, you might want to attend the meeting at the Manatee County Administration Building. The meeting also will be for a discussion of wetlands protections, and whether the county is prepared to fight to set its own standards for buffers. The well-intended actions of our commissioners in 2024 to set minimum 50-foot wetland buffers above state recommendations has been compromised by Senate Bill 250, that prohibits any measure that makes construction or reconstruction more burdensome or restrictive in counties impacted by Hurricane Ian. That, of course, includes Manatee County. While setting wetland buffers at 50 feet would hardly seem burdensome to anyone for any reason, it all creates an environment for legal
challenges which could chew up millions of our taxpayer dollars.
Considering our commissioners already have put several important projects on hold due to a lack of funding, it wouldn’t seem we are in a position, as a county, to be involved in numerous lawsuits, but that is what we might be facing.
You would think that special interest groups would be counting on our lack of fortitude in terms of lawsuits so they can capitalize when it comes to projects not even remotely connected to hurricane damage but indirectly supported by Senate Bill 250.
To all this, you can add Senate Bill 180 in the 2025 session, a bill intended to provide hurricane recovery legislation, but which blocks local governments from
adopting land-use rules that are more “restrictive or burdensome” than those in place before recent hurricanes.
If any of this irks you, attending the meeting would be a good first step, followed by a run to your state representatives and senators to make sure they are respecting your desires and not passing legislation that includes new laws that trumps anything put into place by local government.
Those teen Ebikers must have left a trail of grease all over Lakewood Ranch, because I think we just fell down that slippery slope.
Nobody likes to be harassed by a group of foul-mouthed teens, but our county commissioners seem to be taking this isolated annoyance to extremes.
On July 29, the commission recommended some restrictions to the use of electric bikes on our sidewalks and roadways. Those restrictions made sense, although I doubt that safety was a factor as much as the desire to squash a group of aspiring Hells Angels from continuing to be a nuisance.
OK, I get it.
But then out of the blue — I would imagine most of our commissioners must believe our teenagers are out of control — comes this plan to establish a curfew for those 16 and under from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight to 5 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The curfew supposedly will “support parents in setting boundaries.”
Here’s a thought. How about the government staying out of the parents’ family business?
All of our Manatee County commissioners are Republicans. I thought that meant being in favor of “small government” including less government regulation and more personal liberties.
That scary part of this, if you have lived a little, is not the action itself, but what’s next? If our commissioners feel the need to intrude on family business, will they continue to take this further?
It’s hard for me to believe that Commissioner George Kruse was the only one who thought this through a bit. During the Aug. 5 Commission meeting, Kruse was outvoted 6-1 when it came time to vote on whether the county’s staff members should draw up curfew recommendations.
Kruse said a curfew was an example of government overreach. He’s right.
This all came up very quickly, so if you are a parent in Manatee County, you might want to call your commissioners and give your opinion on whether you want politicians running your household.
When I first heard of the curfew idea, I thought back to the movie “Footloose,” in which the residents of a small Utah town go nuts, trying to ban dancing to rock music and then by burning library books they felt were corrupting the youths. It was all so stupid.
Of course, that’s extreme, but it’s part of the what’s next equation.
We have turnover in our sports department here at the East County Observer with Jack Nelson, a UCLA graduate coming to take over the sportswriting duties Sept. 1. Jack is a personable young writer with lots of energy, so please feel free to greet him with an email at JNelson@ YourObserver.com.
So until that time, if you have any sports stories, ideas or results to report, please feel free to contact me at JHeater@YourObserver.com or call me at 755-5357. We want to continue to highlight our area’s exceptional athletic talent during this short void.
Jay Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.
Jay Heater
TRIBUTES
J. Jeremy T. Whatmough 1934-2025
On July 21, 2025, J. Jeremy T. Whatmough passed away at home surrounded by his family. The son of Joshua Whatmough and G. Verona Taylor, Jeremy was born on September 24, 1934, in Boston, MA. Predeceased by his parents and his sister -Theodora, Jeremy is survived by his wife of 64 years Myrna, his son Joshua (Lessa), his daughter Jocelyn (Guille), and great-niece Diana. Jeremy lived his life on his own terms and chose when he wished to leave this world.
From ages 7 through 17, Jeremy attended Upper Canada College in Toronto Canada as a boarder. Rather than stay for grade 13, Jeremy entered Harvard in the Fall of 1952 and he graduated in 1956 with a degree in Economics. During college summers, Jeremy worked on the Ford assembly line; like his degree, this prepared him for his employment in the automotive industry. Jeremy was recruited by Ford right out of college and enjoyed many years with them.
After his tenure with Ford, Jeremy was recruited by American Motors and ultimately oversaw the Jeep Division. Even though Jeremy was a devoted automotive
person, Conrail, a freight railroad, needed his help and expertise. He answered the call and was one of a handful of people who saved the company which then went on to become publicly traded. While at Conrail, Jeremy was thrilled to return to Harvard to complete the Advance Management Program in 1986 and most enjoyed overseeing the Conrail Police Department. He retired from Conrail in 1994 but that did not last long. Jeremy then set off for Pittsburgh and ultimately retired for good from MK Rail.
Once Jeremy retired to Longboat Key, he became very involved in the community - The Garden Club, Planning and Zoning Board, Kiwanis, Commissioner and
Mayor. Jeremy was also active in The Harvard and Ivy League Clubs as well as All Angels by the Sea Episcopal Church. Jeremy and his family moved to the Lakewood Ranch full time in the mid2000s. Here Jeremy enjoyed taking care of his multi-acre property, being with Myrna and enjoying Sunday polo. Jeremy will be remembered as a type A personality who never demanded more of anyone else than he did himself. Both professionally and personally he cared deeply about everyone around him. Jeremy was a man who loved his wife Myrna and was the greatest supporter and role model to his children. To say he will be missed is an understatement.
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More options needed for UTC traffic
I read with much understanding and commiseration Jay Heater’s July 31 article (“Is a traffic apocalypse nearing at UTC?”).
His article stimulated a memory of an article I submitted to the Observer in January of 2015 about a different management approach for University Parkway traffic flow (“Will a monorail work on University Parkway?” Jan. 22, 2015).
The purpose of my article was to propose options other than added road lanes to move people down University Parkway and into UTC and other nearby venues. Road lanes not only move people but vehicles as well. The proposed idea was to use elevated transit such as a monorail to move people and not vehicles.
The elevated system could be installed in the center of the highway on already available space and not interact with traffic like a bus would. Stagging parking lots could be east of 75 and west near Honoree for boarding. Offloading stations could be located at various points at each major venue, like UTC, along University Parkway and circulation automated vehicles circulating within the venues could pick up the new arrivals and deposit them at various locations within the venues.
My article was published before the diverging diamond at I-75 and University Parkway, which has done wonders at moving people through that intersection faster so they can stop as they stack up waiting their turn to move through the spiderweb roads at UTC and the adjacent venues. Also, UTC has significantly expanded its destination places like PopStroke golf and The Mote Aquarium. These people magnets will continue to increase the vehicle density.
My objective is not to try to sell the idea of a monorail per se nor provide design detail but to instigate thought about people mover options other than just adding more road lanes to bring in more cars.
MIKE FINNEY LAKEWOOD RANCH
Observer stories had blunders
In the Aug. 7 edition, the road is mentioned on the cover page, given a full description on Page 3 (“No longer the road to nowhere,” Lesley Dwyer), and is also discussed elsewhere. Yet nobody had the intelligence to include a map of this road showing not only its location, but how drivers got from Lakewood Ranch to Bradenton before it opened.
That photo of the people on Page 3 is meaningless. I can’t imagine how 21,000 vehicles will be taken off S.R. 70 and S.R. 64 daily as a result.
In the Page 5 article about the Mixon property, it said that the first and second reasons tourists come to Florida are for “Our sugar-white sand beaches and the uniqueness of the food.” Which foods are unique? To someone born in Florida and has traveled little outside Florida, or has lived here for many years, nothing will seem unique. How about some specifics?
I’m disappointed that blunders like these exist.
RAY KOSTANTY BRADENTON
Keep writing about worthy charities
In the Aug. 7 Observer, Madison Bierl wrote an excellent piece (“Back to school in style”) on Stillpoint’s Backpack and School Shoes program. One of our long-time volunteers remarked that it was one of the best articles on these programs she had ever read.
Please keep writing articles, such as this one, for worthy charities in our area. Such well-expressed public support for charitable organizations very much encourage them to keep working hard. Be assured, it is much appreciated, God bless you. P.S. The East County Observer’s long-time support is highly valued by all of us.
GENE TISCHER PAST PRESIDENT AND BOARD MEMBER STILLPOINT MISSION
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
THE HEAT IS ON
Carole J. Bufford belts out a sizzling ode to summer in FST’s ‘Too Darn Hot.’
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
he science fiction writer
Robert Heinlein gets credit for saying “Every generation thinks it invented sex.” That observation might be true, but cabaret singer Carole J. Bufford knows that’s not the case.
For her summer cabaret show at Florida Studio Theatre, “Too Darn Hot: Songs for a Summer Night,” Bufford digs deep into the annals of American popular music to celebrate summer pastimes of days gone by, including one called “makin’ whoopee.”
Before TV, there was radio. Its songs and serials educated the young about the rites of adulthood in a different manner than did the minister in his pulpit.
For those with the means, the automobile provided a way to get off the front porch and escape the watchful eyes of parents and neigh-
Away from home, there were the pleasures of the movie theater and later, the drive-in. For many years, the drugstore counter was a prime meeting spot for members of the opposite sex. It was here that you cooled off with Coca-Cola, which came from a fountain, not a bottle
The drugstore often had a jukebox, and in some places, people even danced. Such dangerous activity was banned in bars and restaurants by the City of New York in 1926. The Cabaret Law remained on the books until Bufford spans the decades in her FST show. Her repertoire — and her costumes — transport you to a slower, steamier time where summer provided ample opportunity for misbehavin’.
As the Cole Porter song that gives Bufford the title for her show reminds us, sometimes it’s “Too Darn Hot” to do much of anything, except perhaps roll in the hay. But there could be a price to pay for such abandon, as Bufford warns us with that Jazz Age favorite “Makin’ Whoopee.”
Bufford, a red-headed siren, organizes her show by the summer months —June, July, August and
September. Each month is introduced with a poem to set the mood. During the show, it quickly becomes evident that not only is Bufford a dazzling entertainer, she is a scholar.
A SINGER WITH A KNACK FOR RESEARCH
A lot of cabaret singers ad lib their librettos (the spoken word part of the show), but Bufford has done her homework, not only in her wideranging selection of songs, but in the stories behind them. Even those well-versed in the popular music of the 20th century might learn something new.
With its subtitle “Songs for a Summer Night,” it’s not unexpected to hear Bufford croon George Gershwin’s 1934 song, “Summertime,” his aria from the opera “Porgy and Bess.” But Bufford demonstrates her vocal versatility by performing the song in the style of Janis Joplin, who recorded it with Big Brother and the Holding Company in 1968 before going solo.
Sometimes, Bufford flips the switch, like when she belts out Bob Seger’s “Fire Down Below,” a masculine salute to strippers and their faithful followers that one might not expect in the set of a songstress, even a sultry one. With this and other knowing nods in “Too Darn Hot,” Bufford embraces the power of female sexuality.
But the heat of summer can lead to destructive pursuits. Randy Newman is known for his humorous and often sardonic ditties like “Short People” and “I Love LA,” the tonguein-cheek anthem he wrote for the 1984 Summer Olympics.
But how many people have heard Newman’s “Let’s Burn Down the Cornfield?” Bufford brings her considerable powers of persuasion to this sinister number. Her seductive delivery reminds you that in a onehorse town before high-tech pastimes, this might have been someone’s idea of fun.
Back in the days before information was instantly available on the internet, a New York City-based performer such as Bufford would have had to spend a lot of time in the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, a cultural repository of books, sheet music, audio and video.
Carole J. Bufford stars in “Too Darn Hot,” where she is backed by a band, including Angela Steiner on piano and Isaac Mingus on bass.
Carole Bufford stars in “Too Darn Hot,” one of three FST Summer Cabaret shows.
Photos courtesy of Sorcha Augustine
But with the help of Google and evolving AI tools, Bufford isn’t tied to the Lincoln Center NYPL branch.
Thanks to her research both online and off, you’ll leave “Too Darn Hot” full of factoids that you can regale your friends with or maybe win a round of “Jeopardy!” if you watch at home.
During a recent performance, Bufford confessed to her audience she was once criticized by a professor at Ithaca College, where she earned a BFA in musical theater, for being too old-fashioned in her musical tastes. Obviously, she’s gotten the last laugh, having made a career out of cabaret.
Bufford’s created her own shows, including “speak easy” featuring Grammy winners Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks, and has performed with Michael Feinstein’s Great American Songbook series at Jazz @ Lincoln Center and in “Broadway by the Year” concerts in New York and California.
When Bufford was growing up in what she calls a “one-stoplight town” in Georgia, there weren’t many opportunities for her to hone her performing skills. To help her accumulate showbiz credits, her father directed her in a performance of “The Wizard of Oz” when she was in high school.
A Georgia 4-H club, “Clovers and Company,” brought Bufford together with like-minded young performers. “I loved it because I finally got to meet people like me,” she says.
Talent shows and singing at beauty pageants while judges tallied their votes also helped Bufford get more stage experience.
Along the way, she figured out that “nearly all the songs I loved, especially those in the Great American Songbook, came from Broadway musicals.” That’s why she decided to major in musical theater.
Asked how her musical taste developed as a child, Bufford says family members played a part. Her dad was fond of the Great American Songbook, her mom liked Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand and her grandparents played country and western music on the radio and stereo.
ON THE TRAIL OF LIZA
But the single greatest influence on Bufford’s budding professional
Along the way, (Bufford) figured out that “nearly all the songs I loved, especially those in the Great American Songbook, came from Broadway musicals.”
aspirations was a woman who made a name for herself as “Liza with a Z.”
That’s Liza Minnelli, the daughter of Garland and film director Vincent Minnelli.
“We had a Betamax at home and my dad had recorded Liza’s 1980 HBO special in New Orleans. I used to come home from school every day and watch it,” she recalls. Bufford was also a student of Garland’s now classic movies, including “Summer Stock,” “For Me and My Gal” and “Easter Parade.”
After establishing herself in New York’s cabaret scene, Bufford got the chance to meet her idol for the first time in 2011. The meeting came during a break while Bufford was performing with Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks during his regular Tuesday gigs downstairs at the Hotel Edison. (They have since moved to the jazz club Birdland.)
“Vince brought me over and introduced me to Liza and Michael Feinstein,” Bufford recalls. “She was lovely and complimentary. That week it seemed like I saw Liza at least five times. She must have thought I was stalking her.”
Since then, Feinstein and Liza (Like all divas, she’s known only by her first name.) have become part of Bufford’s extended circle or vice versa.
“Some friends of mine are involved in her memoir, which is coming out next year,” Bufford says. “I can’t wait.”
“Too Darn Hot” marks the fourth time Bufford has brought a show to Florida Studio Theatre at the invitation of FST Associate Artist Catherine Randazzo, who supervises the Summer Cabaret series. Bufford was last on the FST stage in 2021, with “Vintage POP!” Two years earlier, she starred in “Come Together: When the ’60s Met the ’70s.”
Her maiden journey at FST was in 2017 with “Roar,” where she celebrated the music of the flapper and speakeasy era. You can hear echoes of that time throughout “Too Darn Hot.”
“Roar” was an offshoot of “speak easy” (lower case intentional), the collaboration between Bufford and the Nighthawks that played at the New York City nightclub 54 Below.
The first time Bufford had a gig at FST it was for eight weeks. This year she’ll be here for three months, until Sept. 14, when “Too Darn Hot” closes.
“Usually in cabaret, a show is only a night or maybe as long as a week. But with the long runs at FST, my shows become a cabaret/theater hybrid,” she says.
Before being hired by FST, she came to Sarasota for the first time under the auspices of Artist Series Concerts, then run by Lee Dougherty Ross. “That was around 2012 or 2013, which was when my cabaret career really started taking off,” she says.
After discovering the warmth of Sarasota audiences, Bufford is always happy to return to Florida’s “Cultural Coast,” especially to FST.
“I can’t think of a place in the country that has such a dedicated subscriber base,” she says.
A TIGHT TRIO MADE TO ORDER
It’s an article of faith that an artist will say their latest endeavor is their best yet. Bufford is no different, although she seems quite sincere. In her opinion, what helps makes “Too Darn Hot” so effective is her band. Joining Bufford on stage are Isaac Mingus on bass, Angela Steiner on piano and Aaron Nix on drums.
Bufford put together the trio herself, with help from Mingus, who accompanied her on “Vintage POP!” He suggested Nix and Steiner, whom he knows from working on musicals at Asolo Repertory Theatre.
Mingus, a 2023 New College of Florida grad, is a Renaissance man who has attracted a cult following among jazz enthusiasts in Sarasota despite his tender age.
Nix is also a local, but the adjunct professor of percussion at State College of Florida has performed with touring Broadway shows, including “Cats,” Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” and “West Side Story.”
Steiner is a music director based in the Denver area, with extensive national music director and conductor credits. She’s usually in charge of many more instruments than just her own piano.
Bufford generously gives the members of her band a chance to shine and improvise. The chemistry between the three musicians and with Bufford is palpable. It’s clear that four stars are on stage and they all love what they’re doing.
As the creator of “Too Darn Hot,” Bufford ask her personal music director, Ian Herman, to do arrangements. She sent MP3 digital audio
files to Mingus, Steiner and Nix ahead of her arrival to prepare them for the FST show.
When she got to town, she and the band had two days to rehearse for “Too Darn Hot.”
“But we really needed a half-day because they were so prepared,” she says.
Sitting in FST’s Court Cabaret watching Bufford sing, shimmy and strut (“I don’t dance, really”) surrounded by her tight trio, it’s possible to go briefly back in time, to “when we were young,” to borrow the title of an Adele song in “Too Darn Hot.”
Isaac Mingus plays bass at Florida Studio Theatre’s “Too Darn Hot: Songs for a Summer Night.”
THIS WEEK
Even the best laid plans for adultery can go awry, especially when a scheming wife sees an opportunity for a little hankypanky of her own with her husband’s best friend. Written by Marc Camoletti (“BoeingBoeing”) and Robin Howdon, “Don’t Dress for Dinner” is a high-speed farce sure to shake anyone out of their summer torpor. Runs through Aug. 24.
IF YOU GO
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15
Where: FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. Tickets: $42 and up Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
THURSDAY
JAZZ THURSDAYS AT SAM: O SOM DO JAZZ
5:30 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free for members; $25 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Brazilian jazz group O Som do Jazz performs on the Marcy and Michael Klein Plaza at Sarasota Art Museum in the Jazz Thursdays series sponsored by the Jazz Club of Sarasota. The band’s frontman is David Manson, and its vocalist is Andrea Moreas Manson. The evening features extended hours in the galleries, Bistro and museum shop.
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.
Organized by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, the exhibition features 70 breathtaking works of birds in a variety of locales, including nature, the studio and the museum. The show is curated by William Ewing and Danaé Panchaud, the same team that brought “Flora Imaginaria” to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in 2022. The photos are displayed in the galleries of the Museum of Botany & the Arts and throughout the gardens, where some of the birds appear right at home. Runs through Sept. 14.
MONDAY
JAZZ JAM SRQ
5:30 p.m. at Selby Library, 1331 First St. Free Visit JazzClubSarasota.org.
Piano, bass and drum set are available at the free jam session open to professional and amateur jazz musicians. Sign up to play or just come to enjoy the music and people-watching.
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 combines 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.
A BAND CALLED HONALEE
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 Palm Ave. $39 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
The subtitle to Florida Studio Theatre’s last cabaret show of the summer season is “A Tribute to Peter, Paul and Mary … and Friends,” but any self-respecting folk rock fan can spot the play on words in the name A Band Called Honalee. ICYMI, it refers to the mythical land made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Puff the Magic Dragon.”
The incarnation of A Band Called Honalee appearing in Sarasota includes Brian Ott, a veteran of FST’s “59th Street Bridge,” who has been touring with the group since 2019. Also on stage are Michael Grieve, Geoffrey Neuman and Sigrid Wise. Runs through Oct. 26.
DON’T MISS PATTI SMITH: ‘A BOOK OF DAYS’
Give yourself a break from routine and make a right turn when you see the sign for Selby Gardens Historic Spanish Point while you’re driving south on Tamiami Trail. You’ll find an outdoor exhibition of large prints taken from poet/ rocker Patti Smith’s newly published bestseller “A Book of Days.” By displaying her photographs outdoors, Selby brings them into conversation with nature. But there’s more to see at Spanish Point, a 33acre campus that Marie Selby Botanical Gardens adopted in 2020. You’ll find a Butterfly House filled with live Florida species, gardens developed by Sarasota pioneer Bertha Palmer with a lovely pergola, Mary’s Chapel with an historic cemetery and an Indian burial grounds that dates back 2,500 years. Runs through Aug. 31.
IF YOU GO When: 10 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 17
Where: Selby Gardens Historic
range of aircraft
images A Band Called Honalee’s “A Tribute to Peter, Paul and Mary ... and Friends” plays
Theatre’s
Cabaret from Aug. 19 through Oct. 26.
Camp days come to a close
The summer camp keeps kids busy with sports, crafts, games, pool time and more.
Rhiannon Blaney, the senior program director of the Lakewood Ranch YMCA, said she has noticed a lot of gratitude from both parents and kids as the 10 weeks of summer camp are wrapping up the week before the start of school.
“We had parents give a pack of Gatorade to counselors, saying ‘Thank you so much for everything you’ve done this summer.’”
Traditional camps were split into five age groups: 5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11 and teens.
One of the camps for the last week revolved around training for an upcoming youth triathlon at the YMCA where the kids will bike, run and swim on Aug. 23.
Lakewood Ranch’s Brady Kerr is one of the kids who will participate. He said he is excited for the biking and running, but prefers swimming in a more casual setting.
“My favorite part is that I can do something fun with people my age,” Kerr said.
— MADISON BIERL
len, Fiona Reinhold, Alia Lascaibar and Nadiyah Aljukic attend the YMCA camp for 8- and 9-year-olds. They do a little bit of everything, including sports, crafts and games.
Parrish’s Abigail Demus and Lakewood Ranch’s Ellie Kil are long time campers at the Y. They like the aquatic camp, which allows for three hours a day in the pool.
William Rasulo and Grayson Blaney put their energy into soccer at the YMCA’s summer camp. Blaney calls it “fun soccer” when he plays at the Y.
Lakewood Ranch’s Milana Gittens, 8, gives Bradenton’s Olivia Medez, 8, a high-five after they play a game of “Try Not to Laugh” at the YMCA’s summer camp.
Lakewood Ranch 5-year-old Beckett Sage says his favorite part of camp is the toys, especially the cars. He hopes to become a race car driver.
Photos by Madison Bierl
Lakewood Ranch camper Nyle Super, 8, trains for the upcoming triathlon at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA that will occur on Aug. 23.
From dishwasher to owner
Owner Justin Boudreau is eager to perfect the menu at his new East County restaurant.
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
Lakewood Ranch’s Justin Boudreau was inspired at 4 years old to pursue the culinary arts when his mother, who was a waitress, brought him to work. He grew up in restaurants and eventually began working in them, going from a dishwasher to a chef.
Now, he is the owner of the new restaurant, Peppercorns Steak and Seafood on State Road 70 in East County.
“I get a certain enjoyment when somebody eats something I created and they think it’s absolutely amazing,” Boudreau said.
Boudreau said he had been driving by the site of his new restaurant,
which was previously an Applebee’s, waiting for the opportunity to make that spot his own. It was important to him to sell good food at an affordable price. The food and drinks on the menu range from $3.49 to $38.
“There’s a little more money in this area, so (competitors) try to rake in as much as they can,” Boudreau said. “I was like ‘Where is everyone else (who can’t afford the high prices) supposed to go?’”
Jeremy Wehr works as the general manager at Peppercorns. Wehr has been part of eight restaurant openings. Prior to taking his current job, he worked at The Café on St. Armands.
“Just listening to him (Boudreau) talk and hearing his passion for this concept was enough to drive me to step away from that group,” Wehr said. “I came here and buried myself in this because I believe in him so much.”
Wehr said there was a big buzz about the restaurant even before they opened. He estimated 20 to
Photos by Madison Bierl
Peppercorns Steak and Seafood General Manager Jeremy Wehr and owner Justin Boudreau said they have been overwhelmed and pleased with the amount of guests they have had thus far.
IF YOU GO
What: Peppercorns Steak and Seafood
opens Where: 7175 S.R. 70 E., Bradenton
Phone: 866-3011
Hours of operation: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
More information: Visit PeppercornsFL.com.
30 people a day entered looking for menus while they were doing construction.
Both Boudreau and Wehr described their 16-hour opening day, July 28, as chaotic.
Wehr estimated 200-300 customers per day have eaten at the restaurant.
Wehr said that with new restaurants, it takes time to get past the “growing pains” and figure out the best and most efficient way of operating. He said the team continues to rally together.
“Every day, we get better and we joke around, saying that should be our slogan,” Wehr said. “Peppercorns, every day we get a step better.”
Wehr said there have been days where Boudreau has come to the restaurant to prepare for the day at 3 a.m. and didn’t leave until midnight. Wehr said he has a feeling Boudreau will be at the restaurant seven days a week.
“I’ll get a little bit more work-life balance,” Boudreau said. “I know I’m asking so much of my people, I can’t expect them to do everything.”
Boudreau said it is a leader’s job to make sure all of their people have the tools they need to be successful and motivate them to do their best. He sees the whole person, not just an employee.
“From a business perspective, there’s a little hierarchical pyramid they always have with leadership executives on top,” Boudreau said. “I’ve always felt like flipping that upside down.”
“Our staff has a real passion to be here, a real drive,” Wehr said.
Wehr said it is not common to see a general manager rolling silverware or scrubbing the floors, but there are days he has taken on those tasks in order to send workers home to spend time with their families.
Peppercorns’ menu consists of appetizers, salads, burgers and sandwiches, desserts, steaks, fresh fish and more.
Wehr said the steak tips, which are unlike any food in the area, get delivered from Massachusetts on special order weekly. He said a lot of people tend to like rare or medium rare, but the steak tips aren’t designed to be eaten that way. He said medium is the ideal way for them to be cooked for the desired tenderness to come through.
“Our chicken tips are on the way; we’ve got 600 pounds of those coming within the next couple weeks,” Wehr said. “We definitely took pride in picking the right products for the feel we’re going for — an old-school, New England-style restaurant.”
Along with the steak tips, another signature item on the menu is the Peppercorn dressing. Wehr said he and Boudreau worked together to perfect it. He described it as a creamy ranch with Parmesan cheese and peppercorn with some secret ingredients mixed in.
The menu items have already been altered and added since opening and will continue to do so based on customer feedback. Boudreau said they don’t offer a fried chicken sandwich on the menu but have made one or two a day.
“I don’t want to just hear good things,” Wehr said. “I learn more from bad than I do from good.”
Wehr said that the coming weeks will be crucial to getting the service and food just the way he wants it.
The menu at Peppercorns Steak and Seafood has been altered since opening due to customer feedback. Pictured is the prime rib and rice.
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Lake Club home tops sales at $2 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in Lake Club topped the week’s sales at $2 million. Steven and Lori Valentino, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 8016 Bounty Lane to Maggie Ann Misch and Harry Francis Haring III, of Bradenton, for $2 million. Built in 2008, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,844 square feet of living area. It sold for $750,000 in 2010.
SHOREVIEW
Peter and Michelle Ross sold their home at 7864 Grande Shores Drive to Victor Feldbaum and Stacy Harold, of Sarasota, for $1.8 million. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,413 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,225,000 in 2021.
COUNTRY CLUB
Fred and Laurel Suess, trustees, of Beachwood, Ohio, sold the home at 6919 Winners Circle to Madeleine Griffin-Cone, trustee, of Brandon, for $1.53 million. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,920 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,925,000 in 2024.
Brandon and Jennifer Bloodsworth, of Sarasota, sold their home at 6914 Dominion Lane to Kevin Charles Maisch and Vicky Johnson, of Sarasota, for $1,385,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and is 3,086 square feet. It sold for $1,279,000 in 2022.
Robert and Theresa Moore, of Sarasota, sold their home at 7144 Ashland Glen to Cheryl Skead, of Fort Myers, for $1,275,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,687 square feet of living area.
Michael Shawn Stevens and Tina Marie Stevens, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6621 The Masters Ave. to William and Ellen Mary Rourke, of Chicago, for $930,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, three baths, and is 2,634 square feet. It sold for $1 million in 2023.
DEL WEBB
Marilyn Taksen, of Sarasota, sold her home at 17820 Waterville Place to Jose and Sharon Alvarez, trustees, of Bradenton, for $1,387,500. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three-and-two-half baths, a pool and 2,845 square feet of living area. It sold for $699,000 in 2020.
Rachael Kay Ginn, trustee, of Middleburg, sold the home at 17910 Waterville Place to Christopher Kevin Long and Elizabeth Aileen Long, trustees, of Bradenton, for $779,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,054 square feet of living area. It sold for $874,600 in 2022.
AZARIO ESPLANADE
Linda Allen, trustee, of Plainfield, Illinois, sold the home at 15817 San Lazzaro Ave. to James Frangos, of Buffalo, New York, for $1.28 million. Built in 2024, it has three bedrooms, three baths and is 2,421 square feet. It sold for $1,275,100 in 2024.
ISLES
Jill McCoy O’Connor sold the home at 8050 Redonda Loop to Dean and Cynthia Petersen, of Bradenton, for $1,255,000. Built in 2023, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,226 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,438,900 in 2023.
RIVERWALK RIDGE
Bradley Ryan and Donna Fuore Ryan, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 7034 Honeysuckle Trail to Debra and Robert Lobue, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.15 million. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,235
square feet of living area. It sold for $392,000 in 2010.
MARLOW
Janet Lambright, trustee, sold the home at 7214 Marlow Place to David Doyle, of Birmingham, Michigan, for $1.04 million. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,251 square feet of living area.
BRADEN RIVER LAKES
Richard and Elizabeth Bowden, of Sarasota, sold their home at 4844 14th Ave. E. to Braden Beach Properties LLC for $1,025,000. Built in 1996, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,010 square feet of living area. It sold for $975,000 in 2024.
GREENBROOK
Jeffrey Grinnell and Cristina DeCelestino, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 13414 Goldfinch Drive to Ryan and Kristen O’Connor, of Bradenton, for $985,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and is 3,795 square feet. It sold for $590,000 in 2018.
Harry and Janet Lotozynski, of Pittsburgh, sold their home at 14150 Cattle Egret Place to John Reilly Ferguson and Sarah Ferguson, of Lakewood Ranch, for $530,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths and is 2,081 square feet.
PRESERVE AT PANTHER RIDGE
John Dale Rumble and Debbie
Louise Rumble, of Peoria, Arizona, sold their home at 22209 Deer Pointe Crossing to Joshua Hertz and Rachel Picon-Hertz, of Bradenton, for $975,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,964 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.02 million in 2023.
WATERBURY GRAPEFRUIT
Dale Roberson, of Lakewood Ranch, and Susan Sorbo, of Citrus Springs, sold their home at 5949 225th St. E. to Joshua and Martha Yoder, of Bradenton, for $955,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and is 3,192 square feet.
COUNTRY CLUB EAST
Jeffrey and Bonnie Glazer, of West Hartford, Connecticut, sold their home at 7336 Haddington Cove to Daniel and Shawna Basch, of Bradenton, for $950,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,083 square feet of living area. It sold for $675,000 in 2018.
GREYHAWK LANDING WEST
Brian and Lauren Holyk sold their home at 308 Chantilly Trail to Suzie Wilson, of Bradenton, for $950,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,642 square feet of living area. It sold for $671,500 in 2017.
WINDING RIVER
John and Susan Wildrick, of Dover, Delaware, sold their home at 14210 Ninth Terrace N.E. to Dominic Louis Sorrentino Jr. and Jeymie Janafer Sorrentino, of Bradenton, for $933,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,657 square feet of living area. It sold for $899,000 in 2021.
POMELLO PARK
Clifford and Lindsay Powell, of Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania, sold their home at 7310 201st St. E. to Panther 7310201 LLC for $885,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,685 square feet of living area. It sold for $900,000 in 2021.
WOODLEAF HAMMOCK
Eduardo Xiomar Martinez and Amanda Martinez, of Bradenton, sold their home at 1907 Woodleaf Hammock Court to JDAY Enterprises Revocable Trust for $800,000. Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 2,333 square feet of living area. It sold for $616,000 in 2021.
ROSEDALE HIGHLANDS
Gregory Alaimo, trustee, and Yingchun Zuo, of Scottsdale, Arizona, sold their home at 5304 96th St. E. to Stephen Roddy, of Bradenton, for $780,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and
2,562 square feet of living area. It sold for $560,000 in 2016.
COUNTRY CREEK
Jeffrey and Jerilynn Chapin, of Bradenton, sold their home at 15107 Third Drive E. to Jaden and Nicole Ghylin, of Bradenton, for $715,000. Built in 1999, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,888 square feet of living area.
ARBOR GRANDE
Jon Castro and Heather Kacos, of Sarasota, sold their home at 12232 Perennial Place to Joseph Michael Moran and Cindy Lynn Moran, of Lakewood Ranch, for $670,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,346 square feet of living area. It sold for $450,100 in 2019.
LORRAINE LAKES
Kelsey Paige Messina, of Tampa, sold her home at 5117 Marina Basin
Court to James and Kathleen Anne Barnes, of Ocean View Delaware, for $650,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 1,840 square feet of living area. It sold for $555,800 in 2022.
ROSEDALE
S&N Coastal Construction LLC sold the home at 8771 52nd Ave. E. to Laura and Brian Grahme, of Bradenton, for $645,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,902 square feet of living area. It sold for $265,000 in 2001.
Madison Bierl
This Shoreview home at 7864 Grande Shores Drive in Waterside sold for $1.8 million. Built in 2018, it has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,413 square feet of living area.
FAST BREAK
11,
Former Lakewood Ranch baseball player Colton Gordon was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land by the Houston Astros on Aug. 11 to make room on the roster for Christian Javier, who was activated from the injured list. Gordon has pitched in 14 games for the Astros this season, starting 13 of them with a 4-4 record, a 5.27 ERA, a 1.46 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings. “He did a really good job,” Astros manager Joe Espada said, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. “The plan for him is just to go down there and continue to get built up. Right now, we’ve got these starters coming back, so there wasn’t a spot for him in the rotation. (He needs to) go down there and work on some things that we want him to work on and just keep building in case we need him in late August or September.”
… The regular season begins for East County high school volleyball teams on Tuesday, Aug. 19. Lakewood Ranch will play Parrish Community at home that day at 7 p.m. Braden River will play at Manatee on Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. and at Venice on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. Another game matches Out-of-Door Academy against host Palmetto on Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.
… The Lakewood Ranch football team announced the addition of offensive line coach Brad Seaton on Aug. 9. Seaton played offensive tackle at Villanova University before he was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft (236th overall). Seaton, who is listed at 6-foot9, 330 pounds on Pro Football Reference, went on to join the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a member of the teams’ practice squads, before retiring in 2022.
A bold move
Edouard Chaput moved from Quebec to Bradenton with the hope of improving his chances to earn a football scholarship.
VINNIE PORTELL STAFF WRITER
Imagine you’re a high school student who has spent your entire life in the same place, around the same people, doing the same things.
Now imagine how difficult it would be to give all of that up to chase a dream before it’s time to go to college.
For quarterback Edouard Chaput, it wasn’t much of a decision to move from Quebec, Canada, to Bradenton in July to play football for The Outof-Door Academy in his senior year.
“I had it in mind that I was going to leave,” Chaput said. “It’s hard. It’s hard to leave all of my friends back there, but it’s part of the process, and I’ve made some new friends here, too. I’ll be fine.”
One reason that decision was made easier is that playing football in Canada isn’t nearly the same as playing it in Florida. Another reason is that it’s easier to be noticed by college recruiters in the U.S. than it is in Canada.
In Canada, football is a secondary sport to hockey, and the rules are entirely different. Those rules include having 12 men on the field for offense and defense and players starting to run behind the line of scrimmage to gain a head start.
After growing up playing hockey, Chaput found himself drawn to football, even though he described it as a sport that “some of the guys play in the fall,” in Canada.
By now, Chaput has become a student of the game.
He roots for the New England Patriots, and pays close attention to other teams, as well, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team he’s becoming a fan of as a Floridian.
When it comes to individual players, Chaput compares himself to a younger Bo Nix, the quarterback of the Denver Broncos.
“I’m not the biggest. I’m not the strongest. I’m not the fastest. My mind, my intelligence and my understanding of the sport help me and my game. That might be my biggest strength.”
Edouard Chaput
“I’m an all-around quarterback,” said Chaput, who completed 46 of 77 passes for 509 yards and six touchdowns in five games last season for Seminaire Saint-Joseph de TroisRivieres. “I’m not the biggest. I’m not the strongest. I’m not the fast- est. My mind, my intelligence and my understanding of the sport help me and my game. That might be my
Though transitioning to football in the United States might seem like a hurdle to overcome from an outside perspective, it might be easier for Chaput than some might think. He will now have to deal with one fewer defender and will be playing alongside a team full of players and coaches whose dedication and experience are hard to come by in Quebec.
And even though Chaput’s first language is French, he grew up learning English in school, and already has grown accustomed to using it as his primary form of communication.
“It’s weird at first, for sure,” he said. “It’s something I have to get used to, but since my English is pretty good, it’s not that bad. I still speak French with my family and with my friends back home, so I still speak French with them, but here, it’s something I have to get used to.”
Chaput’s bold decision to take a chance that the Thunder could wind up being as beneficial to him
as he is to his new team.
The Out-of-Door Academy moved Nate Strawderman from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator this offseason, and he said one of his top priorities is to throw the ball more often.
Last season, ODA finished with an 8-1 record and ended its season one game short of playing in the state championship despite passing the ball 72 times the entire season.
With record-breaking running back Allen Clark back for his senior season, a varied offense could make the Thunder much more unpredictable — and better — this fall.
“I have a belief system that I like to do anything out of everything, and I don’t want anything to be expected,” Strawderman said. “I think what we did last year worked really well. We had to adapt to our personnel, but when you start to get a great group of athletes who are versatile, who can throw the ball, catch the ball and run the ball and block, you want to utilize all of those weapons, so how do you do that? You put yourself in a situation where you run a lot of different formations with a base set of plays and different motions. We don’t want anyone to know what we’re doing.”
Along with Chaput, ODA also gained quarterback Jaxon Lawhun, a junior who transferred in from Braden River.
Though Chaput and Lawhun competed for the starting position this fall, Strawderman said the team has plays designed for both quarterbacks to be on the field at the same time — adding a layer of unpredictability to the offense.
If everything goes according to plan, both parties can succeed, with Chaput earning an opportunity to play football in a college in the United States and the Thunder winning games.
“My team goal is to win a state championship,” Chaput said. “I want to win it all.”
Courtesy image
Former Lakewood Ranch High pitcher
Colton Gordon was optioned to Triple-
A on Aug.
but could return to the Houston Astros later this season.
New ODA quarterback Edouard Chaput hopes to win a state championship and earn a college scholarship in his senior season this fall.
Edouard Chaput throws a pass during an indoor practice at The Out-ofDoor Academy.
Thunder quarterback Jaxon Lawhun will be on the field this year alongside Edouard Chaput, adding a hard-to-predict wrinkle to the team’s offense.
Photos by Vinnie Portell
Key Mustang seniors embrace final title shot
With three talented seniors leading the team, the time is now for the Lakewood Ranch High girls volleyball team to add some titles to its trophy case.
The Mustang players said they had a subpar effort in a district championship loss to Parrish Community last season, and they’ve spent the offseason feeling they let themselves down.
This time around, the team’s top seniors — Ava Collins, Kora Yanes and Julia Vendramini — are setting out to play each match as if it’s their last.
Lakewood Ranch High coach Jessica Leupold is hoping for a very special year.
The fourth-year coach has had this group for all four years of their high school careers and has watched them improve.
Following a 7-16 season in 2023, Lakewood Ranch improved to 15-9 last fall, but fell flat in the postseason in a 3-1 district final loss to Parrish and a 3-0 regional quarterfinal loss to Charlotte.
“It’s a bit of a sore subject for the girls, and rightfully so,” Leupold said of the district championship loss. “They said, ‘We’ve learned from the past and we’re not making our same mistakes again.’ We were not communicating and we were not covering when we played them in the district championship.
“We went into it with the wrong mentality,” Leupold said. “This time, that mentality of ‘We don’t have to work as hard as we should,’ hasn’t shown yet. Every day, they’re in here working super hard, and that’s a strong point for them.”
Though Collins, Yanes and Vendramini are talented players with college potential, only Yanes has considered playing at the collegiate level.
Collins and Yanes are the team’s outside hitters who can put away points, and matches.
Last season, Collins and Yanes
were the Mustangs’ only two players with 65 kills or more, and they’ll be relied upon to have a repeat performance.
Setting them up is Vendramini, who has developed a close relationship with her two hitters over the past four years.
“I can give Ava literally anything, a high ball, a low ball, and she can put it down,” Vendramini said. “Kora is versatile with where she can place the ball. Her set might need to be a little more on-point, but she can put it wherever she wants on the court.”
Beyond the stats, the time this team has spent together has started to have an effect.
Bonding moments — through long practices, team camps, hard-fought wins and emotional losses — have brought the players
together, and made it easy for them to welcome newcomers.
Lakewood Ranch added a pair of transfer players, sophomore Adalynn Lund from Wisconsin and Lylah Hatfield, a local homeschooled student.
The team went to a camp at the University of Florida this summer and spent every minute with each other, from breakfasts and lunches and on-court training to hanging out in each other’s dorms in the down time.
“They’re amazing people and they meshed well with everyone,” Yanes said of the new players.
“We’re a very welcoming group, so we’re all good friends now. No one is singled out.”
Leupold said that on- and offcourt chemistry has shown in practice, and has surprised even her.
MEET THE MUSTANG SENIORS
Lakewood Ranch will be powered by Collins, Yanes and Vendramini this fall and each senior brings a unique skillset to the court.
Collins: The team’s leader in kills last season with 228 (3.4 per set), Collins is the Mustangs’ put-away player.
“At one point in the season, for a good three-week period, Ava was ranked in the top 300 in the nation for kill percentage,” coach Jessica Leupold said. “If I want someone to put the ball down, I’m going to tell my setter to get the ball to Ava. It doesn’t matter if she’s front row or back row, she’s going to put it down.”
Yanes: A skilled indoor and beach volleyball player, Yanes is the only Mustangs senior who is pursuing a volleyball career at the collegiate level. She recorded 218 kills last fall (3.3 per set), and her presence forces opponents to respect another hitter beyond Collins.
Vinnie Portell
That has led her to believe that this year’s group can be “great,” which to Leupold means winning a district championship and making it deep into the regional tournament.
“The chemistry the girls have is beyond anything I’ve experienced,” Leupold said. “They are one. They are in tune on and off the court, which makes the team that much better.”
Vinnie Portell is the sports reporter for the East County Observer. Contact him at VPortell@ YourObserver.com.
“Kora is right now in the recruiting process,” Leupold said. “She’s also looking to be recruited for beach (volleyball), and she has the potential, and she wants it bad, so she’s going to push for it.”
Vendramini: Despite starting volleyball late (in 2020), Vendramini has developed into the team’s top setter and has learned the tendencies of Collins and Yanes to help unleash their full potential. She dished out 476 assists last fall.
“Julia is very good about building chemistry and timing with every hitter that she has,” Leupold said. “Every single set, she’s getting feedback and making adjustments. She’s starting to make a lot smarter decisions as a setter, knowing who to set in what situations. She’s going to be instrumental in this team too.”
Lakewood Ranch volleyball seniors
Julia Vendramini, Kora Yanes and Ava Collins are aiming for a district title in their final season together.
YOUR CALENDAR
THURSDAY, AUG. 14 THROUGH
SUNDAY, AUG. 17
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), Casey (Saturday), and Santiago (Sunday). All the music this week is free. For information, go to JiggsLanding.com.
FRIDAY, AUG. 15 AND SATURDAY. AUG. 16
MUSIC AT THE PLAZA
Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Americana/country music artist Doug Burns takes center stage Friday to entertain the Waterside Place crowd in the free music series while country, rock and soul performer Jesse Daniels entertains the crowd on Saturday. For information, go to WatersidePlace.com.
SATURDAY, AUG. 16
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 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.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS STAND UP PADDLE
Runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. Special Olympics Florida is hosting the 2025 State Stand Up Paddle competition. The event features 155 athletes competing at various distances. For more information, call BJ Mealy at 352-933-3720.
SATURDAY, AUG. 16 AND SUNDAY, AUG. 17
MUSIC AT THE LODGE Runs 6-9 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday at Linger Lodge,
BEST BET
SUNDAY, AUG. 17
FARMERS MARKET
Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch, which was voted as the top farmers market in Florida for the second year in a row in 2024, will run year-round every Sunday. Vendors offer seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles, among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. For information, visit MyLWR.com.
Rich McGuire on Sunday.
SUNDAY, AUG. 17
YOGA IN THE PARK Runs 8-9 a.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Sarasota. Start the morning off with gentle yoga with lake views. For information, go to LakewoodRanch.com.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 20
MALL WALKER CLUB
Begins at 9 a.m. at the Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota. Anyone is welcome to join the Mall Walker Club that is sponsored by the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. Those joining can then follow a regular routine of walking the mall one hour prior to regular mall operating hours. This is a free, individually paced program that encourages members to live healthy, active lives. For more information, go to MallAtUTC.com.
7205 85th St. Court E., Bradenton. Linger Lodge’s live music schedule includes the Divebombers on Saturday and
NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH
PASSION PLAY by Zhouqin Burnikel, edited by Jared Goudsmit
By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past
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