Incoming seniors at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy gathered for orientation Aug. 1. They received their class schedules and general information needed to start the new school year on a high note.
Seniors Julia Orlando, 17, and Diana Fisk, 16 (above) said they are eager to get started. Orlando looks forward to Senior Sunrise, when the senior class gathers early in the morning on the first day of school to embrace their final first day. Orlando wants to become a nurse.
Fisk is looking past her final first day in anticipation of finishing high school. She wants to begin her pursuit of a career as a pharmacist.
“We’re all getting through it together ... we’re not alone,” Fisk said.
Crackdown
cowboy beef shank that can feed up to four people. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Madison Bierl
Lesley Dwyer
Board to decide fate of new high school
Two options being studied for a high school at Rangeland Parkway and Post Boulevard in Lakewood Ranch, or a possible expansion at Braden River High, instead.
MADISON BIERL
The School District of Manatee County School Board members are pondering whether to build a new high school in Lakewood Ranch to keep up with population growth in East County.
High school capacities are measured by the Florida Inventory of School Houses, a data numbering system used by the Florida Department of Education, and Lakewood Ranch High School is over capacity at 105%. The district is in the process of rezoning, but even with rezoning, the population spike is expected to create capacity problems.
Interim Superintendent Kevin Chapman said this month will be key to finalizing a construction contract for a potential eighth high school in the district, which is being called High School AAA for the time being. If the board decides to move forward with it, High School AAA would be located on a 100-acre lot on Rangeland Parkway and Post Boulevard, near Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch. It could be open as soon as 2007.
During a workshop on July 29, the school board discussed two options for how the new high school could be built. Joseph Ranaldi, deputy superintendent of operations, presented the options.
Ranaldi described the first option as a “full traditional high school” with baseball, softball and football facilities with bleachers and concession stands. Ranaldi said it would be similar to Parrish Community High School in
ONE
terms of student stations and square footage. The first option would have 1,140 student stations and 205,000 square feet. The first option would cost approximately $149 million.
The second option for High School AAA brings the budget down to $107 million and the student stations down to 1,000. There would be no auditorium or traditional gymnasium, but those might be added later.
Ranaldi said some type of wellness center would be put in place to utilize some of the larger space.
The school board members leaned toward the idea of the second option, suggesting the new high school would be focused solely on academics. They are also open to exploring opening it as a charter school.
Derek Jensen, deputy superintendent of instruction, said not all students and families are looking for a
large and comprehensive high school experience.
“As we conceptualize what different models of this high school could look like at different price points, be it Lamborghini or Chevrolet, one of the things we explored was the idea of a strong, collegiate high school.”
Jensen said if they go with the collegiate high school idea, students could earn an AA degree at the same time as graduating from high school, which could produce credit toward higher education degrees.
School board member Charlie Kennedy said the idea of a school that is focused solely on academics, not sports and not the arts, is an exciting idea.
Sharon Scarbrough, executive director of secondary education, said sports might look different if the board decides to go with the second option.
Scarbrough mentioned golf and tennis as “smaller” sports they might want to offer. Scarbrough also
OPTION TWO
said some students could have the opportunity to participate in sports at other neighboring high schools. Ranaldi said there is the potential for a gymnasium to be “snuck into” the plans while staying under budget. If the board decides not to build High School AAA, a classroom addition at Braden River High School
would take place. Braden River High currently is over capacity at 103%. An addition would bring its capacity down to 83%.
Along with adding a classroom at a current grassy area, they would add restrooms in the cafeteria, as well. The budget for the addition would be $16.5 million which would add 400 student stations and 24,000 square feet.
If the board decides to do the Braden River expansion, the idea of High School AAA would not disappear, it would just be pushed back in the five-year plan. Board member Heather Felton is concerned that if they wait, it could end up costing more money.
“That concerns me that if we don’t go ahead and bite the bullet now, what is that bullet going to look like in three, four years?” Felton said. The school board will continue the discussion on the high school during the Aug. 8 workshop.
No longer the ‘road to nowhere’
The 44th Avenue extension project took over $268 million and 50 years to come to fruition but now is complete with its connection to Lakewood Ranch.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
AManatee County project that was imagined in the 1960s, added to the comprehensive plan in the late 1980s and began construction in 2013 is complete.
The final phase of the 44th Avenue extension will be open to drivers as of Aug. 9, just in time for the start of the new school year on Aug. 11.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Aug. 4 to celebrate the completion of the long awaited connection between Lakewood Ranch and Bradenton.
“We no longer have a bridge to nowhere,” said Dr. Bob McCann, District 5 commissioner and the ceremony’s emcee. “This extension represents years of planning, collaboration and dedication to improving mobility in Manatee County.”
McCann noted that the completed roadway is anticipated to relieve State Road 64 and State Road 70 of about 21,000 vehicles a day.
With a disclaimer that she’s not the Florida Department of Transportation, former District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh called the estimate of 21,000 vehicles conservative. She anticipates the number will be higher.
“(The extension) is going to be a huge success for Manatee County,” she said. “It’s a big road that we need to help the grid more successfully handle traffic.”
While invited, Baugh couldn’t attend the ribbon cutting ceremony. She will, however, be taking a drive over the interstate on Saturday when the extension officially opens to motorists.
THE LONG ‘ROAD TO NOWHERE’ Baugh was elected to the commission in 2012, just one year before work on the first leg of the extension began. She represented District 5 for over 10 years, and for the entirety of her term, “There was always something going on with 44th Avenue.”
Baugh said it took longer to build the extension than it took to build any other road in Manatee County. The project took continuous effort to make sure it kept moving forward.
The challenges and delays came in all forms — engineering, funding, right-of-way acquisitions, gopher tortoise relocations and working around bald eagles’ nests.
Baugh called the finished extension “a miracle.” Residents felt the same. They coined the extension “the road to nowhere.”
“People didn’t think that the Bradenton side would ever hook up to the Lakewood Ranch side,” Baugh said. “When I left the board (in 2023), I could see where it was crossing Interstate 75, and I thought, ‘Thank God, this is going to be finished.’”
Baugh credited two men outside of Manatee County for helping the extension reach the finish line — Rex Jensen, CEO and president of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, and Bill
As the District 5 commissioner, Dr. Bob McCann gets to cut the ribbon on 44th Avenue’s final phase.
Galvano, former president of the Florida Senate.
SMR built nearly all of 44th Avenue on the Lakewood Ranch side, east of the Rosedale Golf and Country Club.
“That’s all paid for by the development, so at no taxpayer expense outside of the people who are directly receiving that benefit in Lakewood Ranch,” said Laura Cole, senior vice president of Lakewood Ranch. “It’s a great example of public-private partnerships.”
The extension west of Rosedale cost the county over $268.1 million.
Baugh said the extension will be worth every dime once open, but it wouldn’t have been built without Galvano’s support because funding was the county’s biggest obstacle.
Galvano helped secure $20 million for the project during his time in the Senate. In 2020, commissioners voted to designate the section of 44th Avenue from U.S. 41 to Lakewood Ranch Boulevard as the Honorable State Senate President Bill Galvano Parkway.
While the board lobbied Galvano for his assistance, Baugh noted that he was born and raised in Manatee County, so the project was important to him, too.
The extension was so massive, it had to be phased, but as the phases moved forward, Baugh said the board had to keep coming up with “millions and millions of dollars.” The cost kept increasing as prices kept increasing.
Baugh remembered being commission chair and signing for a $390 million bond that was dedicated solely to transportation issues, and a chunk of it was earmarked for 44th Avenue.
“We were pretty much handling it ourselves; Manatee County paid for most of that road,” she said. “When you look at the size of the road and how many years it took to get done, it’s quite a feat for a county of our size.”
THE ‘BRIDGE WITH A PURPOSE’
One major engineering obstacle faced when planning to extend 44th Avenue was how to get around the interstate. The solution was to cross over it.
“The 44th Avenue Overpass, what I like to call ‘the bridge with a purpose,’ is truly unique,” said John Kubler, District 1 director of operations for the Florida Department of Transportation.
Kubler cited three reasons for calling the final phase of 44th Avenue unique.
One, the 380-foot-long bridge that passes over I-75 is just one part of a nearly two-mile-long project, from Creekwood Boulevard to Solutions Lane, that also passes over a lake at the Southeast Water Reclamation Facility and includes a roundabout at Lena Road.
Two, the segment required a substantial investment in terms of costs ($160 million) and collaborations. And finally, Kubler said the project reflects the best of what can happen
“This overpass creates a strong, safe link between Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch, two thriving and fast-growing areas.”
John Kubler, District 1 director of operations for the Florida Department of Transportation
when local government, FDOT and the contracting community come together with a common vision and mutual respect.
Kubler also noted the safety features the new roadway offers, including a divided median to help pedestrians and cyclists safely cross and fewer bottlenecks for drivers, which equates to “fewer crashes and maybe even a little less honking.”
The four-lane corridor also features sidewalks, dedicated bike lanes, multiuse trails and enhanced lighting.
“This overpass creates a strong, safe link between Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch, two thriving and fast-growing areas,” Kubler said.
“It’s the kind of project that shows what thoughtful infrastructure can do — connect communities, provide quality of life and get ahead of growth, instead of being overwhelmed by it.”
A LONG ROAD, INDEED
The extension of 44th Avenue East cost Manatee County over $268.1 million and took more than five decades to come to fruition.
1968
The project is included in the county’s Concept Development Plan.
1989
The project is included in the county’s Comprehensive Plan.
JULY 2013
Construction begins on Project 1, a one-and-a-half-mile corridor from U.S. 41 to 19th Street Court East.
MARCH 2015
Construction begins on Project 3, the 1.2-mile corridor from 30th Street East to 45th Street East.
NOVEMBER 2015
Construction ends on Project 1. The cost is $8.2 million.
JANUARY 2016
Construction begins on Project 2, the 1.62-mile corridor from 19th Street Court East to 45th Street East.
JANUARY 2018
Construction ends on Project 2. The cost is $11.9 million. Construction ends on Project 3. The cost is $10.4 million.
FEBRUARY 2018
Construction begins on Project 4, the 1.1-mile corridor from State Road 70 to 44th Avenue East.
MAY 2020
Construction begins on Project 5, the 3.27-mile corridor from 45th Street East to west of Interstate 75.
JUNE 2020
Construction ends on Project 4.
The cost is $9.8 million.
DECEMBER 2023
Construction begins on Project 6, the 1.9-mile overpass to Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.
AUGUST 2025
Construction ends on Project 5 and Project 6. Project 5 cost $67.8 million, and Project 6 cost $160 million.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Laura Cole, senior vice president for Lakewood Ranch Communities, and Commissioner George Kruse attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the final phase of the 44th Avenue extension project. Both Manatee County and Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, Lakewood Ranch’s parent company, contributed to the project.
The final leg of the 44th Avenue East extension project will open to drivers on Aug. 9.
Back to school in style
Bradenton resident Paulina Polinye, 6, said she is eager to make new friends and have new adventures when she starts school at Ballard Elementary School. To start the school year on a high note, she picked out her very own backpack full of supplies at the Stillpoint Mission backpack event July 28, at which 810 bags were distributed.
“If we can help them get off to a good start on day one and help them feel seen and equal among their peers, I think we set them up for a successful year,” said Joan Novak, a Lakewood Ranch resident and volunteer at Stillpoint Mission.
Novak is a retired school teacher who taught for 38 years, including 13 at Tara Elementary School. She recalled seeing her students bring supplies in plastic bags and watching their heads drop when they saw other children with backpacks.
“As former teachers, we know what they need,” said Sarasota resident Tina Backhus, who taught at Tara for 25 years. “Giving and sharing what we have is important.”
The bags are split into two categories — bags meant for elementary school aged children and those meant for middle and high school aged children. Backhus was in charge of the elementary bags, while Novak was in charge of the middle and high school bags.
In each backpack were the following items — folders, paper, pencils, glue sticks, colored pencils, crayons, rulers, pencil holders, tissues, pens, erasers and notebooks. For the elementary school bags, they also included a coloring book.
Bealls gift cards worth $35 were also included in the backpacks.
Parrish resident Myya McGriff said the event it helped her family a great deal. Parrish Community High student Monti Davis plans to use his gift card toward a pair of Adidas sneakers. Montiono and Montionna Bolden also planned to buy new sneakers.
Judy Balmer, a Lakewood Ranch
STILLPOINT MISSION SERVICES
Where: 1608 14th St. W., Bradenton Schedule: 9-11:30 a.m. Tuesdays for utility bill assistance, clothing distribution, used household item distribution; 9:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesdays for diapers and feminine hygiene items; 9-11:30 a.m. Fridays for food distribution
More information: Call 7486835 or email Info@StillpointMission.org.
resident and leader of the backpack event, said most families they serve have an average of three children in the family.
“It’s cute to watch them,” Balmer said. “It’s a serious shopping extravaganza.”
This year, she raised $13,450 from 42 donors, most of them personal friends. Nine of the 42 donors do not live in Manatee County.
For the third year in a row, they have received a grant from Walmart to go toward the purchase of backpacks and supplies.
Bealls Florida donated 1,000 backpacks to the event.
“The need is still there and it continues to grow,” Novak said.
Madison Bierl
Bradenton residents
Sandjina Alexis, 5, and Berline Valcius were thrilled to receive backpacks.
Manatee County buys Mixon property
The property will be purchased for $13.5 million and be developed into a living museum, a library and other public uses.
LESLEY DWYER
Janet Mixon said she and her husband, Dean Mixon, might have moved out of Florida if Manatee County didn’t purchase Mixon Fruit Farms.
“Dean could not have handled seeing everything bulldozed and made into condos,” she said.
Although the purchase of Mixon Fruit Farms was turned down by Manatee County’s Environmental Lands Program, Manatee County commissioners voted unanimously July 29 to purchase the property for $13.5 million.
The approval came exactly two years after Mixon Fruit Farms’ last day of business on July 29, 2023. The property was listed at $15.8 million in 2023.
By January
es
Director
2024,
Natural Resourc-
Charlie Hunsicker told the East County Observer that the property didn’t fit the criteria of the Environmental Lands Program.
To make it fit the program’s requirements, staff looked into restoring the creek on the property, but the cost was deemed too high.
The decision was a disappointment to the Mixons, so when another chance to sell to the county came along, the couple rallied public support and lowered their asking price to more than $2 million under the appraised value.
Residents signed petitions, emailed their commissioners, phoned into the meeting and showed up in person to support the purchase, which includes the 39-acre property, a pavilion, a 38,026-square-foot store and a 2,538-square-foot house.
“I appreciate you all investing in the people,” Elwood Park’s Janyel Taylor told the commission after the majority of commissioners made it known that they would be voting in favor of the purchase. “We need community infrastructure that supports careers, wellness and opportunities.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
To start, commissioners approved four full-time staff members to operate the facility — a program manager, event supervisor, park maintenance technician and custodian.
Molly White, director of Sports and Leisure Services, said staffing will cost just over $362,000 annually, along with another $100,000 in operating expenses.
There are also upfront costs, such as $58,000 for remediation. The remediation will be performed mainly where the citrus grove was located. Because of past pesticide use, some of the soil will be removed and disposed of off-site.
On the other hand, the farm will generate revenue as an event venue. Janet Mixon said events can bring in $350,000 a year.
They stopped booking events because of the pending sale, but the Mixons still get regular requests she’s happy to pass on to the county.
She and Dean Mixon are elated to have the county preserve the property that they’re willing to help out in any way they can.
“Use Dean’s knowledge of the farm and the property,” she said. “When they get into the educational stuff, I wouldn’t mind helping with some of that, either.”
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FUNDING
The purchase price of $13.5 million for Mixon Fruit Farms will be paid from the Manatee County’s reserves. The transfer will include an additional $100,000 of startup money. Because there are plans to convert the former store into a library, $2,089,094 will be taken from the library fund. The remaining $11,510,906 will be taken from the capital projects fund.
Florida, Big Waters Land Trust and New College of Florida.
Before the Mixons left the meeting, Hunsicker asked Dean Mixon where the best place to start planting would be, so Mixon marked it on a map for him.
Commissioner Amanda Ballard, who championed the purchase because the farm is within her district, wants to plant a heritage grove.
She described it as a living museum visitors can walk through. The trees will be accompanied by placards that tell the history of the citrus industry in Manatee County.
Elliott Falcione, director of the Manatee County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said “history ranks third in the eyes of the tourist.” The top two are “sugar white sand beaches and the uniqueness of the food.”
Falcione sees the purchase as an opportunity to promote agritourism in Manatee County. He threw out a range of opportunities including a permanent farmers market.
Ballard’s original plans laid out a weekend farmer’s market, a library in the store that will feature a commercial kitchen for educational classes and plots of land that can be leased to residents who don’t have land of their own but want to try farming.
Even before the purchase, Ballard had started to engage possible community partners, such as Fresh from
Madeline Tympanick, associate director of Employer Relations and Work-Based Learning at New College, said a partnership can provide additional opportunities for students and become a pipeline for local employment. Conversely, Ballard said long-term internships can provide the county with free ideas and manpower.
“I want immediate community involvement and buy in,” she said.
“The more quickly we can get diverse segments of the community excited and involved, the more successful this endeavor will be.”
Ballard plans to seek additional partnerships and meet with stakeholders at the farm over the next month.
Commission Carol Felts sees an opportunity for already established “truck farmers” to help get the farmers market up and running. Truck farmers grow crops that are loaded into their trucks and sold locally.
“They have the experience to produce off one acre of land,” she said.
As the commissioner representing the rural portion of the county, Felts also envisions the Mixon property promoting agriculture in East County. People would park at Mixon and take a trolley or bus out east for a farm tour.
Courtesy image
Janet Mixon thinks leaving the mural that was created in 2022 would be a nice homage to the farm’s roots. The artist, Chad Ruis, stands in front of his work.
Lesley Dwyer
Julie Busa (Janet Mixon’s daughter), Janet Mixon, Commissioner Amanda Ballard and Dean Mixon are all smiles on July 29. Manatee County commissioners voted unanimously to purchase Mixon Fruit Farms.
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JUVENILE CURFEW ORDINANCE
Electric bicycles that produce more than 750 watts of power are now prohibited on Manatee shared roads and pathways.
anatee County commissioners approved an ordinance
regulate the
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bicycles on roads, pathways, sidewalks, crosswalks and intersections in unincorporated Manatee County.
After several residents complained about teenagers taunting them and riding recklessly on electric bikes around the Lakewood Ranch area, Commissioner Bob McCann raised a motion that directed staff to draft the ordinance in May.
The staff returned July 29 with the Manatee County Pedestrian Safety Ordinance, which prohibits anyone under the age of 16 years old from riding a Class 3 electric bicycle on public roads, bicycle paths and shared use roads and pathways. Under Florida statute, there are three classes of electric bikes:
Commissioner Bob McCann has also laid out a plan to establish a curfew for residents under the age of 17 who have not been legally emancipated. Proposed hours for the curfew are from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from midnight to 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
McCann wants to implement the curfew to protect children from becoming victims of crime and engaging in risky or unlawful behavior. By establishing clear curfew hours, he said the county can support parents in setting boundaries, reduce the burden on law enforcement and foster a safer environment for the entire community.
The curfew will be discussed at the Aug. 5 commission meeting, but no action will be taken. Commissioners would have to first direct staff to draft an ordinance, and then vote on the ordinance.
■ Class 1: An electric bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and it ceases to provide
Electric dirt bikes have become a popular mode of transportation for Lakewood Ranch teenagers and a nuisance to some residents.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
assistance when the electric bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour.
■ Class 2: An electric bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the electric bicycle and it ceases to provide assistance when the electric bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour.
■ Class 3: An electric bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and it ceases to provide assistance when the electric bicycle reaches the speed of 28 miles per hour.
Many of the bikes teens have been spotted riding around the Lakewood Ranch area are electric dirt bikes. Depending on factors, such as the wattage, battery voltage, weight of the rider and terrain, some models of electric dirt bikes can exceed 70 mph.
The ordinance addresses wattage specifically. Bicycles that produce more than 750 watts of power are now prohibited on sidewalks, bicycle paths and shared roads and pathways.
It further adds that all mopeds, motorized scooters and electric bicycles are prohibited from traveling at a speed greater than 15 mph on sidewalks.
“I would have liked to be more restrictive under age 16 to require adult supervision at all times,” McCann said. “But (the ordinance) is pretty comprehensive and conforms to state statute.”
Randy Warren, public information officer for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, said MCSO hadn’t received the ordinance yet, but once an ordinance takes effect, deputies enforce it. Anyone found to be violating the ordinance can be cited.
Warren noted that enacting an ordinance is a process. Deputies and the public need to fully understand the changes before enforcement begins.
“The sheriff wants kids to be kids,” Warren said. “If we have to give multiple warnings, we will. Deputies often gain compliance with trafficrelated issues through education.”
Warren couldn’t speak to the cost of a citation yet, but Florida statute cites a range of penalties that start at $15 and max out at $250.
The estimated annual cost for the county is $15,000 to cover Code Enforcement officer training and enforcement, educational materials for public outreach and the administrative costs of processing the violations.
The ordinance does not only regulate kids. Once effective, any person over the age of 16 years old must operate an electric bicycle in designated bicycle paths when available. If the adult is accompanying a child under the age of 16, the ordinance allows for the adult to ride on the sidewalk so the adult and child are not separated.
As with motor vehicles, electric bicycles will be required to come to a full stop when approaching a school bus that has its stop sign displayed and cannot pass the bus until the stop sign is retracted.
Full stops are also required before crossing intersections, and the electric bicycle must yield to any vehicle already in the intersection.
The ordinance becomes effective as soon as it’s filed with the state, but as Warren said, enforcement will take time and residents will be educated and issued warnings first.
District 5 Commissioner Bob McCann acts on residents’ complaints by introducing a pedestrian safety ordinance that will regulate electric bicycles on public roads and sidewalks.
Commissioners work toward budget approval, millage rate
Manatee County property values were anticipated to grow by 10%, but only grew by 7.09%.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Manatee County Commissioners
Jason Bearden and Bob McCann attempted to lower the tentative millage rate by .05 mills at a special work session July 31, but the final vote was 4-2 against the measure. Instead, commissioners set the maximum rate at 6.08, which is the current countywide operating millage rate. Millage is the tax rate applied to a property’s assessed value. However, there’s still a chance residents could receive a tax break because the budget and millage won’t be finalized until September, and McCann said he will suggest $3 million worth of budget cuts to make up for the failure to lower the millage rate by .05 mill.
The final rate will be approved Sept. 22 after another work session
“We’re not getting money from the state. I think at a later date we could revisit bringing those (grant writing positions) back, but it’s a way to fill at least part of that hole without cutting the clerk.”
Commissioner Amanda Ballard
STAFFING COSTS
By cutting 24 proposed positions, across nine departments, Manatee County CFO Sheila McLean was able to cut more than $3.6 million out of the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget. Here’s a look at some of the proposed salaries (including benefits):
Probation officer for Community & Veterans Services: $85,687
division manager for Development Services: $178,567
Sept. 10. When commissioners reconvene in September, they can set the millage lower than 6.0826, but not higher.
A .05 cut to the millage would save homeowners $15 annually on a $300,000 home and $22.50 on a $450,000 home. Commissioner Amanda Ballard likened the .05 reduction to a “political show” and said commissioners could do a much better job for people by making “real cuts.”
During the session, Chief Financial Officer Sheila McLean presented commissioners with the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget and the final certification of assessed property tax values, issued July 1 by Property Appraiser Charles Hackney. Property values, estimated to grow by 10%, only grew by 7.09% countywide, resulting in a loss of approximately $15 million in the budget.
“(The reduction) truly has been unprecedented for Manatee County,” McLean said.
In response, McLean presented reduced budgets in the departments that are supported by those taxes.
Over $3.6 million will be saved by eliminating requests for 24 new fulltime positions, three of which were for library assistants at the Lakewood Ranch Library. When commissioners decided to nix Sunday library hours during the last budget work session in June, the measure saved over $550,000 by cutting nine additional proposed staff positions.
Some projects in the Capital Improvement Plan were also reassessed as priorities have shifted.
Because the county is purchasing a second administration building in Lakewood Ranch, focus was shifted away from renovating a building on 63rd Avenue East for the Community and Veterans Services Department.
Renovations to the administration building were initially estimated to cost more than $4 million. They’re now estimated at $500,000.
Defunding improvements to 59th Street from Cortez Road to Manatee Avenue took over $51 million out of the CIP, while an over $24 million combined substation for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Medical Services to be built on Lena Road was added.
Plans for Lakewood Ranch Park were also reprioritized. The nearly $1 million destination playground slated for the park was removed from the list of capital projects. Restrooms and two turf fields, at an approximate cost of $4.7 million, are now listed as future projects with no start dates attached.
LEGISLATIVE CHANGES
Two legislative changes are affecting the county’s budget, as well.
Starting Oct. 1, House Bill 7031 will repeal the 2% state business rent tax and the 0.5% local option on commercial leases. McLean said the county’s impact is a $4.2 million
TRIM NOTICES
Manatee County commissioners approved a tentative millage rate of 6.0826, so Truth in Millage notices can be issued to residents in August. TRIM notices inform property owners of their taxable values, the proposed millage rates, the taxes that are being proposed by community taxing authorities and the time and location of public meetings where the proposed taxes will be discussed. If residents disagree with the assessed value for the property, they can file a petition with the Value Adjustment Board within 25 days of when the TRIM notice was mailed. Petitions require a $15 filing fee. For more information, email VAB@ManateeClerk.com or call 741-4058.
reduction in the local sales tax.
Florida Statute 197.319 allows for homeowners, who suffered catastrophic loss from a hurricane that deemed their homes uninhabitable for more than 30 days, to receive refunds on their property taxes.
McLean said Manatee County issued 6,000 refunds that equate to $6.8 million in FY 2025. That loss is shared with the school board, so the county’s impact is $3.4 million. McLean noted that the $3.4 million is not final because the tax collector said there are more refunds coming.
“I’m hoping for the best and accounting for the worst,” she said.
To make up for the losses, McClean asked the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Clerk of Court to reduce their budgets by 3%.
A 3% reduction in the Manatee County Sheriff’s Budget equals about $8 million. The same reduction in the clerk’s budget equals about $300,000.
Clerk Angel Colonneso noted that her office’s budget represents less than 1% of the county’s overall budget.
Commission Chair George Kruse said the county could find $300,000 someplace else.
Ballard suggested the funds come from two grant writing positions within the Government Relations department because “appropriations are a zero sum gain” right now.
“We’re not getting money from the state,” she said. “I think at a later date we could revisit bringing those (grant writing positions) back, but it’s a way to fill at least part of that hole without cutting the clerk.”
Commissioners voted to only reduce the sheriff’s budget.
The $2,544,174,572 budget that was proposed July 31 is approximately $6.7 million higher than the budget that was recommended in June. However, the sheriff’s budget reduction is not included in that number because the 3% cut required commission approval first.
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Lesley Dwyer
Manatee County CFO Sheila McLean presents a new budget proposal July 31.
Joyous day for Manatee, but more drama on the way
So there they were, dignitaries, officials, city staff members and politicians, sitting on an expensive bridge over a reclaimed lake at the Southeast Water Reclamation Facility.
It was Aug. 4, and Manatee County was celebrating the opening of the final segment of the 44th Avenue East Extension, which hooks up the road from just west of Interstate 75 to Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. A major piece of the puzzle was getting over the reclaimed lake.
The finished product will be heralded as a connector from Lakewood Ranch all the way to Anna Maria Island, which of course, it isn’t really.
Close, but not quite.
When you get on 44th Avenue now, starting on Aug. 9, it will take you from Bourneside Boulevard in Lakewood Ranch all the way to west Bradenton, where you can then take Cortez Road (which on maps doubles as 44th Avenue but indeed is Cortez Road) the rest of the way to Anna Maria.
The good news, which absolutely is worth celebrating, is that a project more than 50 years in the making is finally complete, and an estimated 21,000 vehicles a day will be taken off State Road 70 and State Road 64 every day. Way to go Manatee County.
An estimated 36,000 vehicles a day now will be using 44th Avenue, which is a kind of a good news/ bad news revelation. I guess if those 36,000 vehicles are spread out through the day, that’s smooth sailing. But forgive me if I don’t worry about the west end of the road where the two westbound lanes turn into one about a half mile before we arrive at Cortez Road.
Being a Lakewood Ranch guy, you wouldn’t think I would be worried about the other end of the road. The fact is that I will be a heavy user of 44th Avenue because I spend a lot of time in Cortez and at the beach.
The 44th Avenue extension absolutely will make my life easier not having to fight my way down S.R. 64. Hooray! That’s great as long as that failure to finish the job on the west end doesn’t cause jams in the future.
Over the decade I have lived in Lakewood Ranch, I can’t tell you how many times I have sat around the pool in my neighborhood and listened to friends explain how they never went to the beach because it was too far away.
I always laughed then, thinking it was silly that a 30- to 40-minute drive would keep anyone from enjoying one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. After Saturday’s opening of the extension, saying the beach is too far away will be downright hilarious.
For those of us who live in Lakewood Ranch and the surrounding area, this should have been a perfect day of celebration. And yet, things were a little off.
Although it was 8 a.m. when the press conference started, standing on the pavement under the blistering sun made it feel like 100 degrees. The chairs were facing west, which is where the podium was placed, and not far in the background down 44th Avenue, was, of course, a new roundabout at 44th Avenue and Lena Road.
So fitting.
The pavement wasn’t the only thing simmering. The Manatee County Commission and Schroeder-Manatee Ranch are headed toward a confrontation Aug. 7,
when District 5 Commissioner
Robert McCann will push his fellow commissioners to cancel the construction of a roundabout at University Parkway where Legacy Boulevard and Deer Drive meet.
If you pay attention to the commission’s actions, you know that SMR was moving forward with planning and purchasing the raw materials to build the roundabout there after signing a contract with the commission in November, before newly elected commissioners took office. After McCann took his seat, he said his constituents began making it clear to him they didn’t want a roundabout at University Parkway, and he started the move to cancel the project.
This has created tension between Manatee County and SMR, which over the past quarter-century have had a beneficial relationship that has led to many public-private partnerships.
On what should have been a “drinks-all-around” kind of party, there was tension hanging over the 44th Avenue extension celebration.
No SMR representative was invited to speak at the podium, even though the Lakewood Ranch developer was a major player in the 44th Avenue extension.
After McCann finished thanking everyone else who had a hand in the project, the last person he recognized was SMR President and CEO Rex Jensen. It was awkward.
Throw personal feelings aside between McCann and Jensen, there should have been the overriding realization that if it wasn’t for Jensen and SMR, there wouldn’t have been any need to lengthen 44th Avenue.
Speakers talked about how the 44th Avenue extension is all about bringing Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch together as a combined community. Now the question is whether the University Park roundabout issue will drive a wedge between SMR and the commission.
As a taxpayer in Manatee County, I hope the commissioners fully research the consequences of cancelling the contract with SMR. If major funds are required to com-
pensate SMR, should we as taxpayers be agitated? Are the wasted tax dollars worth this squabble? Citizens in Manatee and Sarasota counties have been complaining about roundabouts for years, and yet they are all over the darned place. Would one more make a difference, especially when the county’s staff recommended the roundabout as the safer, more efficient alternative for that spot?
In a few days we will know whether the 44th Avenue extension will be the perfect way for commissioners to come to Lakewood Ranch to celebrate more successful projects, or if it just provides a faster way to get out of town.
at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.
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Lesley Dwyer
Jay Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him
District 72 Rep. Bill Conerly, FDOT’s John Kubler, Commissioner Bob McCann, Commissioner George Kruse and former Commissioner Carol Whitmore handle ribbon cutting duties for the 44th Avenue Extension on Aug. 4.
need
fees Jon Mast’s comments that impact fees won’t remedy the county’s current problems because they only cover new improvements are laughable. As he says, impact fees only cover new homes and their impacts.
I agree, if you add 2,500 new homes, they will impact the need for new roads, libraries, schools, police, fire and ambulance services, etc. That’s why they are “impact fees” and that’s why they are needed. If the new home owner doesn’t pay them, existing homeowners will have to pay them.
KEVIN KUMANGA
LAKEWOOD RANCH
UTC could use another entry way
I enjoyed your article (“Is a traffic apocalypse nearing at UTC?” Jay Heater, July 31). Years ago, I was teaching applied engineering at Braden River High School. I still teach technology education there. One of my kids asked the question that went like this, “Mr. Frank, why can’t southbound traffic on I-75 simply go over the University Parkwayarea overpass and then on to an exit ramp into the rear of the mall?”
Think about it. An interesting question, yes?
JOHN FRANK
LAKEWOOD RANCH
Give me a yard waste plan
What is the intent of Manatee County’s revised plan for yard waste collection?
For years, homeowners have placed yard debris at the curb for pickup. Landscapers often leave small loads at the homeowners’ curbs for pickups in order to save them time and expense for transporting to the dump sites. Under the revised plan, landscapers shall be facing severe increased costs for loading and
for transporting yard waste. Additionally, time-wasting queues at the dump site will create increased costs of business which will be passed onto the homeowner. While the county might save money, the taxpayers will be plagued with ever-increasing disposal fees. Worse, illegal dumping is likely to increase. Are you aware of all the yard debris currently that falls off landscapers’ vehicles onto our highways? Expect it to get a lot worse.
Manatee County’s plan seems designed to decrease its collection expense at the expense of its taxpayers. Homeowners are going to experience a huge inconvenience disposing properly of their yard waste. Increased fees for yard waste removal might become intolerable, and the volume of yard waste road debris will increase dramatically, as landscapers hurriedly pile on loads to save time.
Illegal dumping might increase as well. Already, the traffic flow through many neighborhoods is impaired by landscaping vehicles due to narrow streets and illegal parking by their vehicles. This is going to become more of a problem as many more trips to the dump become necessary, leading to increased traffic congestion. It will be a safety issue.
Perhaps, Manatee County should raise revenue in another more productive manner and continue to provide the service that its residents require. Only Manatee County and its contractors are able to remove yard debris expeditiously and at an affordable rate.
ORVAL STUCKEMEYER BRADENTON
SEND US YOUR LETTERS
Have something to tell us? Send your letters to Jay Heater at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.
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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
FOR THE BIRDS
An eye-catching exhibition of bird photography lands at Selby Gardens.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Arecent survey revealed that 160 species of birds can be found at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in downtown Sarasota. But that count took place before the installation of “The High Life: Contemporary Photography and the Birds,” an exhibition of 70 photographs of birds in myriad locales, from the jungle to the museum.
No doubt there is some overlap between the live species at Selby’s 15-acre campus overlooking Sarasota Bay and those in “The High Life,” but in the exhibition you’ll find feathered friends and foe that you’ll never see in Sarasota, including a New York City pigeon and a Miami rooster.
The birds that have landed at Selby Gardens with the photo exhibit can be found in a museum painting, a canal boat and even on a lady’s hat. There was no requirement the winged creatures in the photos had to be alive in the show organized by the Minneapolis-based Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography.
When Jennifer Rominiecki became CEO and president of Selby Gardens a decade ago, she moved to convert the botanical garden, which houses the world’s largest scientifically documented collection of living orchids, to a “living museum” model. By adding art exhibits and live performances, Selby has more than doubled its number of members and visitors.
Since 2021, Rominiecki has been assisted in that mission by David
Berry, a Ph.D. who spent 10 years at The Ringling before joining Selby as chief curator. Selby recently wrapped an elaborate tribute to George Harrison that featured “horticultural vignettes,” memorabilia and music in honor of the former Beatle’s dedication to gardening.
“George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life,” the ninth annual installment of the Jean and Alfred Goldstein exhibition series, ran from February to June. It was the latest blockbuster in the series to draw hordes of visi-
tors and garner international press.
A SLOWER PACE FOR SUMMER SHOWS Selby’s summer shows like “The High Life” tend to be more low key. They give locals a chance to enjoy Selby with out jockeying for position for tourists taking selfies. Hot weather can be off-putting in the summer, but some of the exhibit’s most dazzling prints, including Junji Takasago’s “Heav
enly Flamingos,” are inside the airconditioned Museum of Botany & the Arts.
Whether you’re a tourist or a local, make it a point to get to Selby Gardens right when it opens at 10 a.m. for a lovely stroll around the grounds. Some views are obscured by construction, as Selby works on its Phase Two expansion and recovers from last year’s hurricanes, but “wayfinding” (museumspeak for figuring out where to go) is clear and unobstructed throughout the exhi-
IF YOU GO
‘THE HIGH LIFE: CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE BIRDS’
When: Through Sept. 14
Where: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St.
Tickets: $28; $23
online Info: Visit Selby.org.
Joseph McGlennon’s 2021 photo “Pollen 1” is part of “The High Life” exhibition at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Photos by Matthew Holler
The bird in Anne Morgenstern’s 2014 photo “Untitled” looks right at home among the tropical setting of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Karen Knorr’s 2001 photo “In the Green Room” is on display outside at Selby Gardens.
Monica Roman Gagnier
Cheryl Medow’s 2014 photo “White Ibis with Fish” overlooks Sarasota Bay in “The High Life” exhibition at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Photography fans and Selby Garden habitués may remember a 2022 summer show called “Flora Imaginaria: The Flower in Contemporary Photography.” The display of flower photographs was also organized by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography.
William Ewing and Danaé Panchaud, co-curators of “The High Life,” also formed the curation team behind “Flora Imaginaria.”
Ewing joined Rominiecki at Selby on a recent Friday to talk about how “The High Life” took flight. (Reader advisory: Birds seem to lend themselves to corny word play, inviting a writer to get carried away on flights of fancy.)
Even Ewing couldn’t resist getting in on the act, noting that the executive director of the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Todd Brandow, is a former Minneapolis resident who spends a lot of time in Lausanne, where the American nonprofit has an office, but lives in Ibiza, Spain.
“He flies back and forth, and he has a high life because he’s always in the air, trying to sell our shows all around the world,” Ewing quipped at a preview of the photo exhibition to appreciative laughter.
“The High Life” draws from the work of several types of photographers, Ewing says. They include those who have done bird projects and then moved onto other areas of interest, say urban warfare, and
those who specialize in birds.
Among the latter group are those who capture images of birds in nature. These intrepid shooters spend hours “waiting in camouflage getting eaten alive by mosquitos” until they get the right shot, Ewing says. The other type of bird specialists bring their subjects into the studio.
The studio photographers often mix fashion and birds, Ewing says. That’s because human beings have been adorning themselves with plumage for as long as they’ve been around, even driving several species of birds to extinction during the Victorian era, when feathers were much in demand for hats.
“I’m not a bird person myself,” Ewing says, noting that in his native Britain they’re called “twitchers,” so he was coming at the subject cold.
When he started doing research, Ewing found bird photography wasn’t as common as he first assumed, for a variety of reasons, including lack of interest and difficulty capturing images of creatures that camouflage themselves and are perpetually in motion.
RESPECT WAS A LONG TIME COMING
Ewing cited the American landscape photographer Eliot Porter as a pioneer in the field of capturing birds on film, a practice he dedicated himself to on a regular basis
in the middle of the 20th century. Porter’s 1943 exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, “Birds in Color: Flashlight Photographs,” is considered to be the first important solo show by a photographer of birds. Ewing noted that the documentation for the show was quite apologetic, along the lines of “some people might think this is a silly topic.”
But thanks to Porter, bird photography finally gained respect. In the past 30 years, the genre has exploded, Ewing says, thanks to young photographers and advances in digital technology that allow lensmen (and women) to instantly see whether they got their shot.
The field has also been fueled by the realization that birds aren’t as plentiful as they used to be. In 2019, a Cornell University study found that the American bird population has declined by 3 billion, or 30%, since 1970 because of ecosystem changes.
Amid the rising interest in bird photography, co-Curators Ewing and Panchaud had no trouble finding an assortment of arresting images.
“The High Life” exhibition at Selby was edited down from a book created in conjunction with the show. Published by Thames & Hudson, “Aviary: The Bird in Contemporary Photography” is a hardcover book with 223 color illustrations. It sells for $65.
“What’s fun from my point of view is figuring out what photographs work in two very distinct environments,” Berry says, since part of “The High Life” is inside the Museum of Botany & the Arts while other large-scale prints have been installed outside.
All “High Life” photos are covered with a protective coating that picks up reflections. This can be frustrating to the amateur photographer trying to capture the show’s images, particularly outside, where shadows of foliage and clouds turn up in the frame. My photos looked OK on my cellphone, but when I viewed them on my computer screen, I could see a faint reflection of myself in nearly all of them. Suddenly, $65 for the companion book didn’t seem like much at all.
Sarasota Ballet School names new principal
The Sarasota Ballet School has named Alberto Blanco its new principal, succeeding Jennifer Welch Cudnik, who has moved on after two years to join the Kansas City Ballet School.
A former professional dancer and dedicated teacher, Blanco brings both artistic passion and educational expertise to his new role.
The Sarasota Ballet School is the official school of the Sarasota Ballet, offering dance training to students ages 3 and older at all skill levels. The school uses the American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum, which emphasizes a program in strong technique, musicality and dancer health.
Blanco is an ABT-certified teacher. At Sarasota Ballet School, he will apply his expertise across all levels, utilizing the ABT National Training Curriculum.
“We are thrilled to welcome Alberto as our new principal,” said Christopher Hird, Sarasota Ballet’s education director, in a statement.
“He shares our commitment to high-quality training and our core values, and I have every confidence that the school will thrive under his thoughtful leadership.”
He noted that Blanco worked closely with Welch Cudnik.
Commenting on his new role, Blanco said in a statement, “I strive to encourage a love for dance in my students, while nurturing focus and dedication in a supportive environment.”
In the announcement of his promotion, Sarasota Ballet underscored its commitment to excellence, inclusivity and developing well-rounded dancers.
Sarasota Opera taps Arthur Bosarge
Sarasota Opera has named Arthur Bosarge as artistic administrator. He most recently served as chorus master and director of the Apprentice Artists Program.
In his new position, Bosarge will manage the casting, scheduling and artistic planning for Sarasota Opera productions and artist training programs. He will collaborate with Artistic Director Victor DeRenzi and General Director Richard Russell on long-term artistic goals and strategic initiatives.
“Stepping into a new role at a familiar place is exciting. Along with Maestro DeRenzi, Richard Russell and our incredible staff, I’m honored to be a part of continuing the level of artistic excellence that Sarasota is known for,” Bosarge said in a statement.
A native of Fairhope, Alabama, Bosarge joined Sarasota Opera in 2022 as assistant conductor for “Il matrimonio segreto.” The following year he served as assistant conductor for the company’s fall concert, “The Music of Giacomo Puccini,” and assumed the role of director of the Apprentice Artists Program and chorus master.
In that position, Bosarge prepared the company’s chorus for a variety of productions and helped develop apprentice artists from across the country who train and perform with the company.
Bosarge’s background in opera includes both musical and administrative experience. Prior to joining Sarasota Opera, he held music staff positions at Utah Festival Opera, Opera Southwest and Opera Birmingham.
Bosarge holds degrees from University of Alabama and Mannes College of Music in New York.
Monica Roman Gagnier
“The High Life” co-curator William Ewing and Selby Gardens CEO and President Jennifer Rominiecki explain the origins of the exhibition.
Arthur Bosage
Alberto Blanco
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR
11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Road
$20 adult; $15 child Visit CircusArts.org.
It’s last call for Circus Arts Conservatory’s annual Summer Circus Spectacular at The Ringling’s Historic Asolo Theater, a jewelbox venue that elevates any event. This thrilling, 60-minute circus of fresh new acts is perfect for people of all ages with short attention spans. There’s room for walkers, strollers, wheelchairs, you name it — but please arrive early so ushers can store them. Make it a circus day by adding a ticket to The Ringling’s famed Circus Museum for just $5 on the day of the show. Runs through Aug. 9.
‘TOO DARN HOT: SONGS FOR A SUMMER NIGHT’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $39 and up
Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Songstress Carole J. Bufford easily skips eras and genres in this showcase of stories and songs featuring the months June, July, August and September. Whether she’s singing songs made famous by Janis Joplin or Randy Newman, she leaves the audience with something they never knew before. What’s more, her cool costumes evoke everything from flappers of the 1920s to the neo-swing era of the 1990s. Runs through Sept. 14.
Ethan Jack Haberfield and Alice M. Gatling star in “Dorothy’s Dictionary,” which runs through Aug. 10 at Florida Studio Theatre.
FRIDAY
CLASSIC MOVIES AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘CHINATOWN’
7 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $12 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
With mass media fragmented into a million different TikToks, podcasts and Substacks, it’s hard to find a universal cultural reference these days. But if you’ve ever wondered where the catchphrase “Forget it, Jake. It’s just Chinatown,” comes from, here’s your chance to find out. Along the way, you’ll learn about heat, thanks to the sizzling chemistry between Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in a glamorous neo noir set in Los Angeles before the advent of air conditioning. Robert Towne won an Oscar for his screenplay, brilliantly directed by Roman Polanski.
‘CABARET’
7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 1130 $35; student $15
Visit The Players.org.
Beat the summer doldrums with “Cabaret,” Kander and Ebb’s sexy, scintillating musical set in Weimar Germany. There’s lots of naughty fun and games to be had at the Kit Kat
OUR PICK
JAZZ HAPPY HOUR
Join Kevin Çelebi and his fellow musicians in the band Harmonic Sanity for a program of lush horn harmonies and deep grooves as they skillfully blend jazz, funk and R&B. Joining Çelebi, who plays trumpet and flugelhorn, will be Aaron West on alto sax, Bob Miner on tenor sax, Greg Nielsen on trombone, Stretch Bruyn on piano and keyboards, Todd Jefferis on bass and Michael Washington on drums. Somewhere, Chuck Mangione is smiling.
IF YOU GO
When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13
Where: Selby Library, 1331 First St.
Tickets: Free with registration Info: Visit SarasotaMusicArchive.org.
Club, but the men in uniform have a sinister agenda stashed up their Nazi sleeves. Director Brian Finnerty brings the tale of Sally Bowles and her fellow performers to a round stage.
‘DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER’
8 p.m. at FST’s Gompertz Theatre, 1265 First St. $42 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
Even the best laid plans for adultery can go awry, especially when a jealous wife sees an opportunity for a little hanky-panky of her own with her husband’s best friend. Written by Marc Camoletti (“Boeing-Boeing”) 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.
SATURDAY
PATTI SMITH: A BOOK OF DAYS
10 a.m. at Selby Gardens Historic Spanish Point, 401 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey Included with $20 admission Visit Selby.org.
Selby Gardens collaborates with poet and musician Patti Smith, its artist-in-residence, on an outdoor exhibition of large prints taken from her newly published bestseller, “A Book of Days.” By displaying her photographs outdoors, Selby brings them into conversation with nature. Runs through Aug. 31.
SUNDAY
HD AT THE OPERA HOUSE:
HANDEL’S ‘THEODORA’
1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $20 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.
The Royal Opera gives Handel’s opera a modern-day makeover in this production starring Julia Bullock, Joyce DiDonato and Jakub Jozf Orlinski. Directed by Katie Mitchell, “Theodora” retains the original English libretto by Thomas Morell as it follows a religious fundamentalist’s plan to destroy
DON’T MISS
‘DOROTHY’S DICTIONARY’
Alice M. Gatling stars as Dorothy, who introduces a troubled teen, played by Ethan Jack Haberfield, to the healing power of books. Directed by Kate Alexander, the tale explores memory, identity and how relationships can transform our lives. Runs through Aug. 10.
IF YOU GO
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7
Where: FST’s Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave.
Tickets: $42 and up Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
the Roman embassy. The feminist interpretation features scenes of sexual violence and themes of terrorism, so it’s not recommended for the faint of heart. Opera buffs will delight in the depth and beauty of its ensembles, duets and arias.
MONDAY
‘NEWISH JEWISH PLAYS’
7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Jewish Theatre, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Unit 1130 $20 Visit SarasotaJewishTheatre.com.
The third of three readings of “Newish Jewish Plays,” Gary Morgenstein’s “A Black and White Cookie” tells the story of a conservative black newsstand owner in New York City facing a huge rent hike. A longtime customer who is a Jewish Communist persuades him to fight back, and an unlikely friendship is forged. Directed by Diane Cepeda.
TUESDAY
‘LILLIAN BLADES: THROUGH THE VEIL’
10 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College,1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free for museum members; $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Award-winning artist Lillian Blades invites visitors to get lost in her first solo museum exhibition at Sarasota Art Museum. Her installation of “veils” 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.
Image courtesy of Sorcha Augustine
Courtesy image
Kevin Çelebi
Learning to ‘make something out of nothing’
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Today, Gee’s Bend quilter Loretta Pettway Bennett has enough money to buy new fabric for her creations, but it just wouldn’t feel right. That would be against the tradition of the isolated Alabama hamlet whose quilts have become world famous.
Adds her fellow quilter Louisana Bendolph, “When we were growing up, we didn’t know what recycling was. We just knew how to make something out of nothing.”
Bennett and Bendolph came to the Sarasota Art Museum on Aug. 2 for an artists talk moderated by SAM Associate Curator Lacie Barbour that was attended by about 200 people.
Bennett and Bendolph’s works are part of SAM’s exhibition, “Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press,” which runs through Aug. 10. The traveling exhibition was organized by Bedford Gallery of Walnut Creek, California, and was curated by Carrie Lederer.
A selection of Gee’s Bend quilts, including some made by Bendolph’s mother-in-law, Mary Lee Bendolph, are part of the wide-ranging exhibition that also includes fine-art prints, magazine covers, four mixedmedia sculptures and a basketball pyramid installation.
The Bendolphs and Bennett were invited to the Paulson Bott Press in Berkeley in the early 2000s, where their creations were transformed into graphic prints. This required considerable adjustment on the part of the quilters.
Instead of assembling quilts, often with the help of friends and neighbors, over a long period of time, they were required to produce small-scale works called “maquettes” relatively quickly. But they made it work.
Quilts have been made by Black women in Gee’s Bend since before the Civil War, but they burst onto the art scene in 2002, when the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, organized a traveling exhibit that made its way to the Whitney Museum in New York later that year.
In 2006, the U.S. Postal Service issued 10 commemorative stamps featuring quilts made from 1940 to 2001 by African American women from Gee’s Bend, including Mary Lee Bendolph.
Although the Gee’s Bend quilts sometimes incorporate patterns used in traditional quilts such as “housetop” and “log cabin,” they typically have asymmetrical designs that have been improvised, making them closer to art than handicrafts.
Even after slavery ended, most of the inhabitants of Gee’s Bend grew
up picking cotton under the hot sun, a job that began in childhood.
“Everyone had to work on the farm,” says Bennett. “No one was excluded. When I was little and I couldn’t pick cotton or chop cotton, I had to carry water to the one who wanted to drink.”
Sewing quilts from worn-out clothes and remnants left over from sewing homemade clothes was a matter of necessity, Bennett told the SAM audience, because the homes weren’t heated.
“Even though I hated picking cotton, now I can open a book and look at a museum wall and see that same cotton I hated to pick,” Bendolph said.
“I should have been grateful for my homemade dress, but I wanted one from the store,” she continued. “I didn’t like patches, but now people go to the store and buy jeans with holes in them,” evoking laughter from the audience. “Everything that was hard then was getting us ready for today, to appreciate what a rag can do.”
GOING FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE
Although they were designed by one person, the quilts would be sewn by an assortment of girls and women, who would move from house to house for quilting bees over the course of the blanket’s construction.
The pieces used in the quilts were cut out during the harvest, which the quilters call the “lay-by season.” They were put aside until the quilts were assembled during the winter, when women would bring their children to the quilting bees if they weren’t old enough for school.
Quiltmaking was a form of socializing and the end results were often bestowed as gifts before there was a brisk commercial market for the Gee’s Bend quilts, which today can sell for thousands of dollars.
Despite their busy lives with family and lecturing, both women say they continue to stitch their quilts by hand. When they teach younger members of their families to quilt, even crooked stitches are left in.
Perfection isn’t the goal; preserving family and community legacy is.
Although they appeared relaxed in front of an audience, both Bennett and Bendolph both described themselves as reluctant speakers and travelers. “I’d rather be at the gynecologist than where I’m sitting right now,” quipped Bennett, drawing a big laugh from the mostly female attendees of the SAM talk.
Bendolph said her aversion to travel had to do with “marrying a military man,” leading to the family being uprooted or being separated from her husband while he was overseas.
But Bennett and Bendolph say they owe it to the artisans who came before them to make public appear-
Gee’s Bend quilters share their stories at Sarasota Art Museum.
ances, sign books and answer questions about Gee’s Bend quilts.
“Who am I to say I don’t want to go?” Bendolph asked rhetorically.
Bendolph described a childhood cut off from the outside world and having little awareness of what was going on around her. “We didn’t know who Dr. King was when he came to Gee’s Bend,” she says.
Born in 1960, Bendolph was just a child when Martin Luther King took the ferry across the Alabama River to speak at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in February 1965. He encouraged members of the congregation to travel to the Wilcox County seat and register to vote.
After a flurry of Black voter registrations, local authorities suspended ferry service to Gee’s Bend, whose official name is Boykin. It was not reinstated until 2006.
Bendolph says years of having to forage for materials for her quilts has made her “a bit of a hoarder.” Her home in Gee’s Bend is packed with fabric scraps, discarded clothes and old sheets, which are used for the backing of the colorful quilts.
She also collects old sewing machines, most of which don’t work. Bendolph leaves them outside on tree stumps, she said, creating an art installation of sorts in the town, which today has fewer than 300 residents.
Despite the collectors devoted to Gee’s Bend quilts, the younger generation isn’t as interested in painstakingly piecing together scraps of fabric as their elders were. There are too many high-tech distractions. But Bennett believes they will return to the tradition of quiltmaking.
“It’s in our blood,” she says. “We’ve got to pass it on. We must share it.”
IF YOU GO ‘PERSONAL TO POLITICAL: CELEBRATING THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS OF PAULSON FONTAINE PRESS’ When: Through Aug. 10 Where: Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $20 Info: Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
Monica Roman Gagnier
Loretta Pettway Bennett, Lacie Barbour, Sarasota Art Museum associate curator, and Louisiana Bendolph
Mary Lee Bendolph’s 2005 quilt “Strips and Strings” is on display at the Sarasota Art Museum through Aug. 10.
Gee’s Bend quilter Mary Lee Bendolph’s Untitled Maquette, 1935
Images courtesy of Ryan Gamma
Back to school bonanza
After games and a scavenger hunt at the Back to School Bash on Aug. 2, Sonja and Dillan Evans said their children Alex, 8, Layla, 6, and Navani, 4, were worn out.
At booths spread throughout the Mall at University Town Center in Sarasota, parents and children who attended the event could add to the students’ supplies. The Evans family covered a lot of ground.
Along with the scavenger hunt, the event included stage performances by the Sarasota Ballet and Dynasty Dance Clubs.
With their shopping complete, Sonja Evans said she can’t wait for the new school year to begin for her children.
“I love seeing what new stuff they learn at school,” Sonja Evans said. “They’re mesmerized, saying ‘Guess what I learned at school today?’ It’s a different feeling.”
— MADISON BIERL
Photos by Madison Bierl
Bradenton’s Clayton, Ashton and Preston Nicholson show off the free backpacks with school supplies they received during the Back to School Bash at the Mall at UTC on Aug. 2.
Sarasota’s Cambria Fugleberg, 1, dances along with performers on stage during the Back to School Bash at the Mall at UTC.
Sarasota residents Rickie Riddle VI, Paitynn Riddle and Rickie Riddle V each receive a free backpack at the Back to School Bash presented by Florida Kid Care.
Dance instructor Anton Shurhot and dancer Elizabeth Morgan perform during the Back to School Bash on Aug. 2 at the Mall at UTC.
Venice resident Novella Whitt’s favorite animal is a unicorn, so getting her face painted like one was a no-brainer during the Back to School Bash at the Mall at UTC on Aug. 2.
Sarasota resident Dana Crispin and her 4-yearold son, Zayden, pose with Dora from “Dora the Explorer” and Valerie Frizzle from “The Magic School Bus.”
Ranch connection
he possibilities at Music on Main continue. Originally from Kentucky, Brandy Britton lived in Lakewood Ranch for less than a month when she attended her first Music on Main in August 2023. At the event, she was recruited by the Bradenton Woman’s Club. Now, she’s a member of the club and volunteers at Music on Main when the club gets a space.
“Joining the club was exactly what I needed,” Britton said. “It’s helped me to engage in and learn about Bradenton and Manatee County, not just Lakewood Ranch.”
The club had a prize wheel set up at Music on Main. Kids could win bubbles, school supplies and snacks, but the top prize was a VIP day pass to Sky Zone, a trampoline park in Sarasota.
Lakewood Ranch’s Micaela Vaysheleoym, 10, couldn’t believe her eyes when the wheel landed on Sky Zone. First, she asked if she’d really won a pass to Sky Zone. When it was confirmed that she did, the jumping up and down commenced.
The next Music on Main is scheduled for Sept. 5. Babyl will be playing old school rock and soul music.
— LESLEY DWYER
Mary and Bob Roby and Leader stroll Main Street during Music on Main. Leader is the third puppy they’ve raised for Dogs Inc.
East County’s Kim Harris and Jan Altenbach set up their chairs every month to enjoy the live music at Music on Main.
Lakewood Ranch’s Bradley Condon, 9, barely hangs onto a mechanical bull during Music on Main on Aug. 1.
Lakewood Ranch’s Brandy Britton is a member of the Bradenton Woman’s Club. She was recruited at a Music on Main event in 2023.
Mike Packer, Vaugh Packer, Joni Roland and Janie Gibbons head to Grove for a cocktail during Music on Main. Madeira Beach’s Roland is visiting her friends, who live in Lakewood Ranch.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Blazing a trail through adversity
‘Rising Above Adversity: Healing and Nurturing your Inner Child’ documents Arelis Calkins’ personal struggles and how she overcame them.
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
Now 50 years old, Lakewood Ranch resident Arelis Calkins thought back to a time when she was 14, living in La Romana in the Dominican Republic. She remembered the screams of people in her neighborhood, “He’s going to kill him. He’s going to kill him!”
They were talking about a 34-yearold man, Felix, who had been stalking Calkins. Felix, who had a machete, was looking for Calkins’ boyfriend, 18-year-old Benedito.
Benedito had a knife himself; he wanted to protect Calkins. Benedito eventually confronted and killed Felix, then disappeared, never to see his girlfriend again.
It is just one of the major traumas Calkins endured in the early part of her life. She tells the story in detail in her new, self-published book “Rising Above Adversity: Healing and Nurturing your Inner Child.”
Calkins said the book explores the impact of childhood trauma on adult life and how early experiences can shape a person’s behavior, relationships and well-being. She talks about the impacts while documenting her
own experiences. She writes about the importance of understanding the past in order to navigate the present and future.
Calkins said she grew up “dirt poor,” in a home with no electricity, no running water and many times, no food. By candlelight, she found her passion of writing.
She wrote “Rising Above Adversity” entirely by hand, and she is holding on to the manuscript as a keepsake. She calls it “an unedited version of her thoughts.”
Although it is her first published book, she has been writing since she was a child, through journaling and recipes.
“It took me about two years and two months to finish writing (“Rising Above Adversity”) because it’s such a real life story,” Calkins said. “It’s my entire life story, starting from my mother’s womb all the way up until five months ago, when it was published.”
Calkins had a difficult relationship with her mother, who nearly decided to abort her because she already had seven children. Calkins said she was abused child who almost was given away at 7 years old.
She said she was so abused on a
regular basis she didn’t understand if she was being loved or abused. She said she has come to an understanding of the situation over the years.
Lakewood Ranch resident
Calkins sees life as a beautiful thing, despite traumatic experiences. She shares stories and advice in her book “Rising Above Adversity.”
When she first started to write her life story, Calkins said she initially wanted to write anonymously. But self-healing eventually allowed her to no longer be embarrassed about
Photos by Madison Bierl
Arelis
“We need to learn how to have the connection between the mind and the heart, because sometimes we’re walking around making decisions with just our minds or just our hearts.”
Arelis Calkins
her up upbringing. She became willing to speak her mind.
“I needed to become a survivor,” she said, noting that feeling like a victim wasn’t serving any purpose.
Calkins advises it is important to embrace and break through trauma, so you don’t turn to drugs, alcohol or other unhealthy coping mechanisms. She said she came to the realization that she didn’t have to remain in a bad emotional place.
“It’s so amazing to see the birds flying and the sea,” Calkins said. “I don’t care what it is — it’s just beautiful to be alive.”
She studied psychology in the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States in 2000. Her studies weren’t accredited in the U.S., and when she arrived, she didn’t speak English. She used her psychology lessons in her personal life and tried to help people she has met along the way.
“It’s very important for us to understand what happened to us in life so we know how to go about treating ourselves and others,” she said.
Calkins said that unprompted, people have shared their life stories with her because she has a way of making people feel comfortable. She said not long ago she went for a hair appointment that ended up lasting two-and-a-half hours.
“I was there to give a little wisdom if I had it at the moment,” Calkins said. “Sometimes, (the hairdresser) got me emotional. I was teary-eyed.”
In 2023, Arelis married David Calkins, who also acts as her manager by handling emails and phone calls and planning events.
David Calkins said he had his own childhood traumas that were still affecting him.
“After reading (‘Rising Above Adversity’) over and over, I started healing certain things and learn-
‘RISING ABOVE ADVERSITY’
A Barnes and Noble review by Sneha_ sood states:
“This book is a heartfelt and compassionate companion for anyone carrying the weight of childhood pain. Arelis Calkins shares her personal journey and others’ real-life stories with raw honesty, making readers feel seen and understood. What sets this book apart is how clearly it explains the hidden ways childhood trauma can affect us as adults — from people-pleasing to poor boundaries— without being overwhelming. With gentle wisdom and practical steps, Calkins offers hope, encouragement, and a path toward emotional healing. It’s a must-read for anyone ready to begin or continue their journey toward self-love and inner peace.” Vist ArelisCalkins.com.
ing how to forgive certain things from my past,” David Calkins said.
Arelis and David now are co-writing a book about relationships.
“We need to learn how to have the connection between the mind and the heart, because sometimes we’re walking around making decisions with just our minds or just our hearts,” Arelis Calkins said. “We don’t take the time to connect the two, so we get into wrong relationships.”
Arelis Calkins has other projects on the horizon, as well.
“I’ve been writing a cookbook my entire life without knowing,” Arelis Calkins said. “I’ve already had it written.”
David Calkins said it would be impossible to know his wife had to overcome many childhood traumas.
“She’s definitely the happiest person I’ve ever met in my life, and it’s contagious,” David Calkins said.
“Life is too short to be miserable.”
Calkins says it is important to work through childhood trauma to live healthy lives as adults. Her book discusses her own personal trauma and how people can heal through psychology and spirituality.
YOUR CALENDAR
COMMUNITY
THURSDAY, AUG. 7 THROUGH
SATURDAY, AUG, 9
A TASTE OF MAIN STREET
Runs at various times at participating restaurants at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. A Taste of Main Street offers prix-fixe menus, where multicourse meals are offered at a set, predetermined price at participating restaurants. Wine pairings, specialty cocktails and unique dishes will be part of the event. Brunch-lunch, two-course specials will be offered for $25, while threecourse dinners will be available at either $35 or $45. For more information, contact the participating restaurant. Those are Casa Maya Mexican Restaurant, Remy’s on Main, The Peculiar Pub, Percoco’s Pizza and Pasta, Twisted Pit BBQ, Station 400, Paris Bistro and Ed’s Tavern. For more information, go to MyLWR.com or contact a participating restaurant.
THURSDAY, AUG. 7 THROUGH SUNDAY, AUG. 10
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 Al Fuller (Thursday), Flip Flop Dave (Friday), Mike Sudderth (Saturday), and Flip Flop Dave (Sunday). All the music this week is free. For information, go to JiggsLanding.com.
FRIDAY, AUG. 8 AND SATURDAY. AUG. 9
MUSIC AT THE PLAZA
Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Rock/pop cover artist Frankie Lombardi takes center stage Friday to entertain the Waterside Place crowd in the free music series, while cover artist Ektor Keys entertains the crowd on Saturday with his mix of saxophone, keys and vocals. For information, go to WatersidePlace.com.
SATURDAY, AUG. 9
CARS AND COFFEE
Runs from 8-10 a.m. at the Mall at UTC, east side parking lot near Dillard’s. Sarasota Cars and Coffee, powered by Gettel Automotive and presented by Omni Energy, returns
BEST BET
FRIDAY, AUG. 8
MOVIE IN THE PARK
Runs from 7-9 p.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch. The Movie in the Park series returns with a free showing of “Shrek.” Grace Community Church will give a free Sissy Dog from the Dawg Pound to the first 215 people who attend. Seating is available on a first-come, firstserved basis, so bring a blanket or lawn chairs. Concessions available from We B’ Poppin’ Popcorn and Kettle Corn. Inflatables for the kids will be available beginning at 7 p.m. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.
to a spot near PopStroke. The event features hundreds of cool cars, live music and complimentary coffee from Mademoiselle Paris and Chickfil-A, along with energy drinks from Omni Energy. Parking is first-come, first-served. No advance registration is required. For more information, go to MallAtUTC.com.
SATURDAY, AUG. 9 AND
SUNDAY, AUG. 10
MUSIC AT THE LODGE
Runs 6-9 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday at Linger Lodge, 7205 85th St. Court E., Bradenton. Linger Lodge’s live music schedule includes the Schmitz Brothers on Saturday and Scotty Yates on Sunday.
SUNDAY, AUG. 10
FARMERS MARKET
Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. For information, visit MyLWR.com.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 13
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS Begins at 6:30 p.m. at 7500 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch. Enjoy big band classic music as the Suncoast Swing Band takes center stage. The 18-piece band will be play music from the 1940s through the 1980s, including hits from Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, and Patsy Cline. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.
Azario home tops sales at $1.7 million
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in Azario Esplanade topped the week’s sales. Gator Bite LLC sold the home at 3568 Santa Caterina Blvd. to Josephine Shinn, of Bradenton, for $1.7 million. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,101 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,189,400 in 2023.
LAKEWOOD NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
Mary and Aldo Servello, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5622 Arnie Loop to Brian and Jennifer Reilly, of Lumberton, New Jersey, for $1.2 million. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,273 square feet of living area. It sold for $650,000 in 2018.
CENTRAL PARK
Brandon and Jennifer Hirons, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4706 Balboa Park Loop to Joseph and Lindsey Lussa, of Bradenton, for $1.13 million. Built in 2015, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,263 square feet of living area. It sold for $683,900 in 2015.
Kelli Healy and Crystal Brennan, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4831 Boston Common Glen to Brian Darby and Sonja Llanes Darby, of Bradenton, for $657,500. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,451 square feet of living area. It sold for $294,400 in 2011.
Corey and Ashley Schmitt, of Union, Kentucky, sold their home at 12237 Longview Lake Circle to Daniel Joseph Marzouk and Carly Rachel Zenker, of Bradenton, for $535,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,865 square feet of living area. It sold for $445,000 in 2021.
BRIDGEWATER
Thomas and Maureen Reed, of Bradenton, sold their home at 13823 Swiftwater Way to Ari and Brooke Ariel, of Centreville, Virginia, for $877,500. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,381 square feet of living area. It sold for $521,900 in 2017.
TIDEWATER PRESERVE
Kelly Renee Murray and Craig James Murray, of Bradenton, sold their home at 932 Mangrove Edge Court to Gregory Sharpe and Danielle Martineau Bell, of Bradenton, for $793,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,420 square feet of living area. It sold for $565,000 in 2020.
SWEETWATER
Michelle Arena, of Parrish, sold the home at 17441 Savory Mist Circle to Mary Shaffer and Terry Deane Shaffer, of Pittsburgh, for $765,000. Built in 2024, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,333 square feet of living area. It sold for $739,400 in 2024.
BROADMOOR PINES
James and Valerie Introne sold their home at 7917 Broadmoor Pines Blvd. to Barry and Elaine Hausmann, of Sarasota, for $750,000. Built in 1987, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,869 square feet of living area. It sold for $485,000 in 2013.
ARBOR GRANDE
Michael and Anne-Marie Monderer, of Nokomis, sold their home at 12022 Medley Terrace to Patrick and Elizabeth Robinson, of Bradenton, for $740,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, four baths and 3,571 square feet of living area. It sold for $549,000 in 2018.
UNIVERSITY PARK
Cynthia Kettles sold her home at 7408 Oak Run Lane to Erika Cook, of Sarasota, for $735,000. Built in
1987, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,530 square feet of living area. It sold for $265,000 in 2002.
UPPER MANATEE RIVER ROAD
John and Natalka Eisch, of Parrish, sold their home at 11651 Upper Manatee River Road to PJL Property Holdings 2 LLC for $700,000. Built in 2022, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,835 square feet of living area.
HERITAGE HARBOUR
Timothy and Rhonda Graham, of Sarasota, sold their home at 8911 Heritage Sound Drive to Matthew and Aimee Myers, of Bradenton, for $665,000. Built in 2008, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,052 square feet of living area. It sold for $415,000 in 2019.
Maria Russo, trustee, of West Greenwich, Rhode Island, sold the home at 6524 Willowshire Way to Hugo Lopez and Lucille KirkLopez, of Bradenton, for $450,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 1,836 square feet of living area. It sold for $315,000 in 2018.
LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE
Charles Arena, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 8112 Slipway Drive to James and Patricia Grady, trustees, of Sarasota, for $657,000. Built in 2023, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,900 square feet of living area. It sold for $721,600 in 2023.
Barbara Glynn Kuesters, trustee, and Eckhard Heinrich Kuesters, of Sarasota, sold the home at 8192 Sternway Road to Konica Singla and Rajan Gupta, of Sarasota, for $645,000. Built in 2024, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,784 square feet of living area. It sold for $521,000 in 2024.
RIVER PLACE
Deborah Czajkowski sold the home at 6977 74th St. Circle E. to Robert Leon Conley and Sharon Antoinette Bent-Harley, of Atlanta, for $630,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and is 3,113 square feet. It sold for $394,000 in 2008.
GREENBROOK
William Cecil Ruble III and Suzanne Pitts Ruble, of Glen Allen, Virginia, sold their home at 13811 Nighthawk Terrace to Samuel Johnson and Cassandra Fiorenza, of Lakewood Ranch, for $629,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,392 square feet of living area. It sold for $692,000 in 2022.
Carolyn Schwarzbauer, of Lakewood Ranch, sold her home at 6357 Royal Tern Circle to Angela and Brandy Kimbrough, of Lakewood Ranch, for $612,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,380 square feet of living area. It sold for $430,100 in 2005. Cody and Bali Carson, of Nokomis, sold their home at 14315 Tree Swallow Way to Carmen Marie Hemesath, of Bradenton, for $410,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,534 square feet of living area. It sold for $270,000 in 2016.
DEL WEBB
Colleen Dufek and Lorri Ann
Lefevers sold their home at 17440 Hampton Falls Terrace to Albert and Debbie Ann Renzoni, of Bradenton, for $560,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,349 square feet of living area. It sold for $405,400 in 2018.
MOTE RANCH
Nikola Stepanovic, trustee, of Anja Jevtic, of Tarpon Springs, sold the home at 5750 Carriage Drive to Jay and Erin Jurkovich, of Sarasota, for $550,000. Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,807 square feet of living area. It sold for $445,000 in 2021.
MILL CREEK
William Duda, trustee, sold the home at 13511 Fourth Plaza E. to Bradley and Clare Lord, of Bradenton, for $536,000. Built in 1987, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,321 square feet of living area. It sold for $399,000 in 2005.
CARRIAGE RUN AT UNIVERSITY PLACE
Jay Thomas Jermo, trustee, of Novi, Michigan, sold the home at 7424 Sea Island Lane to Carl Orlof Lambert II, of Bradenton, for $515,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,603 square feet of living area. It sold for $237,000 in 2011.
CREEKWOOD
Erin Shrimpton, trustee, sold the home at 5110 76th St. E. to Colin Tang, of Vienna, Virginia, for $500,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,687 square feet of living area. It sold for $240,000 in 2017.
Anthony and Shawna Aviles, of Philadelphia, sold their home at 4615 73rd St. E. to Alexis Jo
Madison Bierl
This Azario Esplanade home at 3568 Santa Caterina Blvd., sold for $1.7 million. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,101 square feet of living area.
Real estate
FROM PAGE 23
Snowbarger and Brandon Michael Snowbarger, of Bradenton, for $415,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,844 square feet of living area. It sold for $276,200 in 2016.
WINDWARD
Neal Communities of Southwest Florida LLC sold the home at 2329 Blue Mahoe Lane to Galilee Gardens South LLC for $442,700. Built in 2024, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,527 square feet of living area.
ROSEDALE GOLF AND TENNIS
CLUB
Charles and Paula Hyatt, of Lindenhurst, Illinois, sold their home at 8782 49th Terrace E. to Arthur and Jean McKee, of Clermont, for $440,000. Built in 2001, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,586 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2020.
CROSSING CREEK
Joseph Petty, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, sold his home at 6914 45th Terrace E. to Russell Dozeman, of Bradenton, for $435,000. Built in 2008, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,052 square feet of living area. It sold for $213,800 in 2008.
STONEYBROOK AT HERITAGE
HARBOUR
Shannon Murray sold her home at 8640 Stone Harbour Loop to Kelly Christine McCarty, of Bradenton, for $407,500. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,991 square feet of living area. It sold for $300,000 in 2019.
TERRACE AT TIDEWATER
PRESERVE
Janice Hedrick and Sherri Nunnery sold their Unit 421 condominium at 1010 Tidewater Shores Loop to Laura Martinage, trustee, of Deering, New Hampshire, for $385,500. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,302
square feet of living area. It sold for $228,000 in 2019.
EAGLE TRACE
Dolores Aspiazu Morales, trustee, of Castro Valley, California, sold the home at 2070 Crystal Lake Trail to Laraliz Franulovic Malonson, trustee, of Naples, for $380,000. Built in 2015, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,439 square feet of living area. It sold for $255,900 in 2017.
BRADEN RIVER LAKES
Robert Proudian, of Venice, sold his home at 4811 14th Ave. E. to Casey Willis and Frances Maire Willis, of Bradenton, for $376,000. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,512 square feet of living area. It sold for $260,000 in April.
PERIDIA
Timothy and Nancy Scott, trustees, sold the home at 4729 Peridia Blvd. E. to Erin Shrimpton, trustee, of Bradenton, for $370,000. Built in 1990, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,442 square feet of living area. It sold for $255,000 in 2019.
HARMONY
Bridget Anne Brenny, of Tampa, sold her home at 11831 Brookside Drive to John Burkholder and Valery Michelle Burkholder, of North Port, for $345,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,926 square feet of living area. It sold for $260,000 in 2017.
RIVER SOUND
Baohua Yuan and Lingli Xie sold their home at 1430 Blue Horizon Circle to Eric Meinheit, of Bradenton, for $340,000. Built in 2010, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,112 square feet of living area. It sold for $380,000 in 2021.
SPORTS
FAST BREAK
The Major League Baseball trade deadline worked out in Grant McCray’s favor. The former Lakewood Ranch High baseball player has been called up to the San Francisco Giants following the team’s trade of outfielder Mike Yastrzemski to the Kansas City Royals. McCray was called up to the big league club on Aug. 1 and played in each of the next three games, going 2-for-9 with one run, a triple and an RBI. It’s McCray’s second stint at the MLB level following a late-season call-up to the Giants in 2024.
... Former Lakewood Ranch pitcher Colton Gordon struggled in his last two outings with the Houston Astros. Gordon (4-4) allowed four runs on six hits over five innings in a loss to the Athletics on July 27 and allowed six runs on seven hits to the Boston Red Sox in a loss on Aug. 2.
... Out-of-Door Academy senior football player Dylan Walker announced Aug. 14 that he is committed to play football for Washington and Lee University of Lexington, Virginia..
... Lakewood Ranch High class of 2025 graduate Parker Severs finished tied for 33rd in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, a United States Golf Association event that took place July 21-26 at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas. Severs shot a 73-70 (1-under par) in the two-day event.
... High school preseason Kickoff Classic games start Aug. 15. Lakewood Ranch will host Newsome at 7 p.m. The Newsome Wolves, a team from Lithia, finished 8-4 this past season and made it to the Class 7A Region-2 semifinals. Braden River will host Osceola at 7 p.m. The Osceola Warriors of Seminole went 5-5 last season and missed out on the regional playoffs. Out-of-Door Academy will host Halifax Academy at 7 p.m. The Halifax Academy Knights of Daytona Beach were a 5-4 team in 2024.
“We are going to prove people wrong. We’re going to show people who Braden River is.”
—
Transfers reshape
East County football
Lakewood Ranch High hit hard with the loss of seven talented transfers.
Keeping track of high school football players isn’t easy.
Players transfer from school to school every year, and the ripple effect can have championship-changing consequences.
Several players have transferred in and out of East County schools since the football season ended this past November.
With preseason Kickoff Classic games set for Aug. 15, fans should know where these players have gone and how it affects local teams.
These are the main transfers that have taken place this past offseason:
LAKEWOOD RANCH
The Mustangs finished with a winning record (6-4) this past season, but have lost several players via graduation and transfer, and none have transferred into the program.
The losses have mounted on offense, with playmakers leaving at every position.
Quarterback Liam Fernandez left for Southeast High. Receivers Trenton and Cade Huffman moved to Riverview. Running back Colton Dempsey, receiver Viktor Monoki and athlete Jayden Rivers transferred to Sarasota. Starting tackle Luke O’Brien transferred out of the program, as well.
That leaves just one player — senior tight end Cooper Orzel — as the only returner who scored a touchdown this past season.
Dempsey’s departure might sting the most. The senior running back ran for 1,015 yards and scored a team-high 13 touchdowns last season. Coupled with the graduation of Cullen McRae II (233 yards rushing and seven touchdowns), the Mustangs will have lost two of their most dynamic players.
Lakewood Ranch was a run-heavy team and will likely have to be again this season with its quarterback and most of its receivers now playing elsewhere. Finding a player to fill the void left by Dempsey and McRae II will be paramount to the team’s success this fall.
EAST COUNTY FOOTBALL TRANSFER TRACKER
TRANSFERS IN
■ Quarterback Louisen Desinor (Southeast to Braden River)
■ Quarterback Jaxson Lawhun (Braden River to ODA)
■ Quarterback Edouard Chaput (Seminaire Saint-Joseph to ODA)
ers, linebacker Storm Hense, whom Grain called the team’s best defensive player, transferred to Manatee High in July.
Transfers haven’t been all bad news for Braden River, however.
The Pirates added quarterback Louisen Desinor from Southeast this past spring. Desinor threw for 1,877 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore with the Seminoles, and he threw for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s spring game against Mariner.
Though the loss of Hense will hurt the defense, the Pirates have several playmakers on both sides of the ball back and should be in line for a much better season than last year’s 2-7 campaign.
THE OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY
The Out-of-Door had an undefeated regular season last fall and fell one game short of playing in the Sunshine State Athletic Association 5A state championship game.
Some talented players remain.
The defense returns linebacker Aiden Getschow, who made the second-most tackles on the team last season (55), and cornerback Ka’Marion Jones, who had six interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
Orzel, who is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, spent the spring learning the linebacker position so his talent can be utilized on both sides of the ball.
If Lakewood Ranch can piece together an offense and lean on its veteran leaders on defense, another winning season isn’t out of the question.
BRADEN RIVER
The Pirates have been on the wrong end of transfers the past two years. It lost longtime coach Curt Bradley ahead of the 2024 season, and then lost his successor, longtime offensive coordinator Eric Sanders, just a month into his tenure.
Then, eight impact players left for other schools, as well.
Though second-year coach Jason Grain has slowed the exodus of play-
Many of the team’s best players are back this year for their senior season, and the team did not lose any impact players via transfer.
Quarterback was the one position that was a question coming into the year, and the Thunder might have found their answer.
Quarterbacks Jaxson Lawhun (Braden River) and Edouard Chaput (Canada) transferred into the program this summer.
Lawhun attempted just five passes last year as a sophomore with the Pirates, completing one for a fiveyard touchdown. Chaput, a senior, completed 46-of-77 passes for 509 yards and six touchdowns in five games at Seminaire Saint-Joseph in Quebec this past season.
ODA found success despite not having much of a passing game last season, with seven players combining to attempt just 72 passes across nine games.
However, coach Rob Hollway said the team intends to pass more often this fall, and an improved aerial attack — combined with a star-studded senior class — should put ODA in contention among the best in its class.
Braden River High’s Louisen Desinor SEE PAGE 28
Image courtesy of S.F. Giants
Former Lakewood Ranch baseball player Grant McCray was called up to the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 1.
File photo
ODA quarterback Josey Rubinstein attempted just 30 passes as a senior in 2024. The Thunder are planning on leaning more into the passing game this year, with two transfer players to lead the passing game.
Vinnie Portell
Local sports fans should check out these key games
Rivalries, playoff hopes and talented teams make for a season full of
Each year, the East County high school sports scene has intense games, rivalry matchups and season-swinging outcome games. With the fall season beginning Aug. 11, fans can mark down these games as can’t miss opportunities in the coming weeks and months. Here are some games area sports fans should check out this fall:
BRADEN RIVER HIGH HOSTS
PALM HARBOR UNIVERSITY IN VOLLEYBALL (AUG. 12, 5 P.M.)
The Braden River High volleyball team lost its first six matches of this past season before rounding into form, winning eight of its final 19 matches.
This year’s team will have a tough test right away, and it should give fans an idea of how good the Pirates can be.
The Pirates host Palm Harbor University, a team that finished last year with a 17-4 record and was ranked as the No. 48 overall team in the state.
If Braden River wins, it could be a match that propels the Pirates to a great season.
LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH
HOSTS PARRISH COMMUNITY IN VOLLEYBALL (AUG. 19, 7 P.M.)
Not only are Lakewood Ranch and Parrish Community rival schools, but this year’s matchups carry some additional weight.
Judging by last year’s results, the Bulls (14-8) and Mustangs (15-9) are headed into this season as top contenders for the Class 6A District 11 championship. The two teams split last year’s
home-and-home, with Lakewood Ranch winning the first meeting 3-0 and Parrish winning the second 3-1.
An early win in this year’s matchup would give the victor a significant upper hand in the district, and who doesn’t love a good rivalry?
ODA HOSTS IMAGINE SCHOOL OF NORTH PORT IN VOLLEYBALL
(SEPT. 2, 7 P.M.)
The ODA volleyball team graduated just two seniors this past year following a 5-8 season and returns 10 players from last year’s roster.
This season, the Thunder will play in a three-team district that includes Bradenton Christian (1710) and Imagine School of North Port (2-11).
With Bradenton Christian left off this year’s regular-season schedule, three matches against Imagine School will determine the Thun-
der’s district seeding. The first meeting comes on Sept. 2 and will set an early tone for ODA’s postseason positioning.
BRADEN RIVER HIGH HOSTS
LAKEWOOD RANCH IN FOOTBALL
(SEPT. 5, 7 P.M.)
Rivalries take on an added level of passion on the football field, which makes Braden River and Lakewood Ranch’s annual meeting a mustwatch.
The Mustangs pummeled the Pirates 41-3 in last year’s meeting, but Braden River is now in its second year under coach Jason Grain and has added an experienced quarterback in Louisen Desinor.
After losing in blowout fashion last fall, the Pirates will have a chance to reset the narrative in this early-season matchup that could prove pivotal for both teams.
ODA HOSTS SAINT STEPHEN’S IN FOOTBALL (SEPT. 5, 7 P.M.)
The Out-of-Door football team finished 8-1 this past season and is returning many of its top playmakers, but it only plays three home games, which makes each one a can’t-miss affair.
Playing Saint Stephen’s adds even more intrigue.
The two rivals play for the Headmaster’s Cup, and players take the game seriously.
ODA won last year’s meeting 12-2, and those in attendance could be treated to another close game this time around. If fans miss this game, they’ll have to wait until Oct. 10 for another Thunder home game.
BRADEN RIVER HIGH PLAYS AT SOUTHEAST IN FOOTBALL (OCT. 17, 7 P.M.)
It will be a bit of a reunion on both sides of this game.
Former Pirates coach Curt Bradley is now at Southeast and will face his old school for the first time.
New Braden River quarterback Louisen Desinor transferred from Southeast this past spring to join the Pirates.
This game is scheduled in an awkward spot for Braden River — sandwiched between its only two district games — and could prove to be crucial to bolster its regional ranking at the end of the season.
LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH HOSTS PARRISH COMMUNITY IN FOOTBALL (OCT. 24, 7 P.M.)
This game has it all.
Not only are the Mustangs and Bulls rival schools, but they also play in the same district.
The Mustangs lost last year’s meeting 35-0 and will be eager for a second chance to be competitive.
To top it off, the timing of this game means that it could be a must-win for Lakewood Ranch’s postseason hopes, putting the stakes as high as possible.
ODA HOSTS SEFFNER CHRISTIAN (OCT. 10, 7 P.M.)
This is the third and final home football game for ODA this season, and could be one of the best games of the season.
Seffner Christian went 6-3 this past season and had a highpowered offense that averaged 27.5 points per game.
Last year, the Thunder defeated the Crusaders 36-14, and ODA should be well tuned by this point in the season.
Lakewood Ranch football coach Scott Paravicini is aiming to lead the Mustangs to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 14 years.
Vinnie Portell
Lakewood Ranch’s Tommy Bowdre fights through Braden River tackles after losing his helmet this past year.
intrigue.
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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Louisen Desinor
Louisen Desinor doesn’t shy away from a challenge. The junior quarterback helped lead Southeast High to a 5-5 record last year, but transferred to Braden River High this past spring to take over a team that is coming off a 2-7 season. Desinor has been the starting quarterback since the spring, and he’s confident that he can help lead the Pirates to a turnaround.
When and why did you start playing football?
I started playing football when I was 6 years old. At first, I was playing basketball. I didn’t really play football, but then I started flag (football). It was just something about the quarterback position that I loved.
What has been the most memorable part of your time with Braden River?
The most memorable moment would be how everyone bought in. After a 2-7 season, the kids were down. They weren’t as high-spirited as they are now. I feel like we’re bringing energy to the team because we have something to prove.
What is your favorite all-time football memory?
I played for a Little League team, and there was this team, the Bradenton Gladiators. They were good, and every year, my team could not beat them. One year, we played them next to the YMCA at the (East Manatee) Bulldogs field. We played them and that was probably the best game we played all year. We ended up beating them, and I felt like that was a great accomplish ment. That showed through adversity, you can accom plish anything as long as you keep your mind on the prize.
What makes you confident in this year’s Pirates team? It’s the mentality. We have something to prove.
If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to VPortell@YourObserver.com.
We’re going to have doubters regardless, but like my coach (Jason Grain) says, it’s Braden River vs. Braden River. It’s us vs. us.
What has gone right for you personally this offseason? Leadership. It’s about being a leader to the fellas and bringing that mindset to work each and every day.
What is your favorite meal? Chicken Alfredo. I eat it at home.
If you’re not playing football, what are you doing?
I’m working out at home, getting some throws in or conditioning, whatever it may be, and then I’m watching film.
Who is your favorite football player and why?
My favorite football player is Cam Newton. He’s very different, and that’s what I’m trying to be. I don’t want to be like everyone else. I want to be unique in my own way that nobody has seen.
Finish this sentence. Louisen Desinor is … An outstanding leader and a unique young adult.
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