E A ST COUNTY
H O ME
Observer
YOUR HOME + GARDEN AUGUST 2016
Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998
HOME RESOURCE GUIDE COASTAL CHICSECTION INSIDE SPECIAL
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
Three homes that will float your boat. PAGE 16
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FREE THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016
VOLUME 18, NO. 38
FEEL LIKE A MILLION BUCKS
YOUR TOWN
New luxury homebuilders concentrate efforts on Lakewood Ranch. SEE PAGE 3
Courtesy photo
Food fight
Stock Development opened its first model home in Country Club East in May, and sold it in one day for $1.1 million, fully furnished.
Pam Eubanks
YOUR VOTE: 2016
Manatee County Commission, District 5. SEE PAGE 8
Manatee County School Board, District 3. SEE PAGE 9
More Potter, please You might love ‘Harry Potter.’ But does his story inspire you enough to write your own?
A+E
Pam Eubanks
For chef Mark Majorie, seafood is more than a passion. It’s a way of life. INSIDE
Victoria Wittner plans to complete six more Harry Potter-inspired novels to coincide with the original seven-book series.
East County resident and chef Christopher Covelli doesn’t shy away from a culinary challenge. In fact, he took on a special one, showcased on “Beat Bobbly Flay” Season 10. The show aired Aug. 11. For a shot at Flay, Covelli had to beat fellow competitor Mark Gaier. Ultimately, Geir’s meatballs earned him a chance to compete against Flay, but Covelli’s attitude won over the crowd. “I have no regrets,” said Covelli, who currently is senior chef instructor at Toscana Saporita Cooking School in Lucca, Italy.
PAM EUBANKS SENIOR EDITOR
A
t first meeting, Victoria Wittner’s obsession with Harry Potter was subtle. Yes, she was wearing a scarlet-colored T-shirt, but that could have been a coincidence. Her bedroom decor was simple with a few movie posters — primarily of “Hunger Games” — adorning the wall and including a neatly made, twin-sized bed with a brown, scarlet and gold comforter. The bedroom walls were painted gold, and an oval wooden-framed mirror boasted an image a friend painted for her of the Gryffindor crest — the emblem of Harry Potter’s dorm within the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. (Its colors are gold, scarlet and brown). Yes, she has witch’s cloak in in her closet. Yes, her eyes light up at the mention of Harry Potter. However, her knowledge of the seven-book series doesn’t truly come to light until she delves into disSEE POTTER PAGE 4
File photo
Rosenda Calloway drops off $30 worth of groceries.
Can-do attitude Rosenda Calloway hopes others embrace “Thankful Thursdays.” Calloway joined supporters of The Food Bank of Manatee Aug. 4, as host Goodwill Manasota and radio station 92.1 CTQ partnered to restock the shelves of The Food Bank of Manatee in a “Thankful Thursday” promotional event. Donations are down 72% compared with January. “If you pick something to give thanks for every Thursday, think about how much change you can make,” Calloway said while carrying in $30 worth of groceries. The benefit generated more than 1,000 pounds of food, meeting The Food Bank’s July 22 challenge for businesses and clubs to each collect 1,000 pounds of food or raise $1,000 to restock the food bank’s shelves.