Our readers have asked if we can make it even easier to have access to a copy of the East County Observer, so we have responded with more than 30 new racks and boxes throughout our East County circulation area.
You can now pick up a copy in Main Street at Lakewood Ranch (above in front of Village Bikes) and at Waterside Place.
Several communities that weren’t receiving home delivery now have a rack or box where they can pick up a copy, including Sweetwater, Lorraine Lakes, Del Web Catalina, Wild Blue, Aurora, Emerald Landing, Avalon Woods, Calusa Country Club, Stillwater, Palm Grove, Winward, Shellstone and Star Farms.
To find all the Observer rack locations, go to YourObserver. com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Rack Locations.”
this September for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The display, which pays tribute to Moore and other children affected by cancer, kicked off the month-long 2025 Gold Movement.
“When families see their fight reflected in the heart of Times Square and across global landmarks, they know they are not alone,” said East County’s Lisa Moore, Blaze’s mom and founder of the nonprofit Blaze of Hope. “And the world knows our kids matter.”
Superintendent incentives irk two board members
Laurie Breslin receives a $245,000 annual salary, but also has incentives for 90% graduation rates and earning an ‘A’ rating in the district.
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
The School District of Manatee County came to agreement with new Superintendent Laurie Breslin on an salary of $245,000 before Breslin was sworn in during the school board meeting Sept. 9.
Previous Superintendent Jason Wysong was making $244,000 when he was dismissed early this year.
Board member Chad Choate said the median salary for superintendents in Florida is $252,000.
Breslin’s contract includes incentives, such as “The superintendent shall receive a $10,000 annual salary bonus starting with the 202526 school year for achieving and/or maintaining an ‘A’ rating with the State Department of Education for the district and a separate $2,500 annual bonus for achieving a district graduation rate of 90% or higher as determined by the DOE.”
Breslin said those are obtainable goals.
“I feel very confident in our school district, from what I see happening in the classrooms and with the great teachers we have,” Breslin said. “We are in such a wonderful place here in Manatee County. We are doing great things, and we’ll continue to do that ‘A’ status, but more importantly, make sure that all of our children are safe and protected.”
The School District of Manatee is currently a “B” district with a graduation rate of 88%.
Choate said he sees it as if Breslin is the quarterback on a football team.
“You do have 10 other positions with you that are making things
happen, but that quarterback, Tom Brady, gets an extra bonus when he throws X amount of touchdowns and does X amount of this,” Choate said.
“That was my thought, to incentivize the leader to make sure that we’re doing exactly what we should be doing.”
School board member Richard Tatem said there is a substantial difference between private companies, like the owner of a football team, and a government organization, such as the school system. He said that the teachers are the ones who are there on the ground doing the work.
“It’s a perverse incentive to give the leader of a government organization paid by the taxpayers that kind of bonus,” Tatem said.
Tatem said a football organization is “a different animal.”
School board member Charlie Kennedy said the board approved a motion to authorize the chair to negotiate the superintendent con-
tract without the entire school board, and he, along with Breslin and their attorneys, decided that the performance-based incentive would be included.
“I’m uncomfortable with negotiating on the fly in the room or taking things out or adding things during the meeting,” Kennedy said.
Board Vice Chair Cindy Spray said she understands the board gave Choate the power to negotiate the contract, but recommended that a contract of this level of importance should be discussed before being brought to a vote in the future.
“I would like to remove (the bonus) because that’s what we’re paying the superintendent to do,” Spray said. “That is the goal of any superintendent to get us to an ‘A’ and get our graduation rate up.”
School board member Heather Felton agreed that going forward it would be good to discuss contracts before voting, as to not pull apart
the contract without the attorneys present.
Spray and Tatem voted to remove the performance pay incentive, but the remaining board members wanted it to be kept in the contract. They approved the original contract brought to the meeting in a unanimous vote.
Jack Lowrance is a senior at Lakewood Ranch High School and was present at the superintendent search meet and greet on Aug. 18, where he expressed his support for Breslin. He said the bonuses are overall beneficial to the district, but also understands that the teachers and students are who ultimately put in the work.
“Teachers are not paid nearly enough, and the quality of some teachers in our school system reflects that,” Lowrance said. “Teacher pay and superintendent pay aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. Any policy that incentivizes improvement in
CONTRACT HIGHLIGHTS
■ $245,000 starting salary
■ $10,000 bonus annually for achieving or maintaining an A district grade
■ $2,500 bonus for achieving or maintaining a graduation rate of 90% or higher
■ 30-day notice for firing without cause compared to previous 90 days
■ $650 monthly automobile allowance
For more information, the contract can be found on the Sept. 9 school board agenda on ManateeSchools.net.
the district is a positive for me.”
The contract began Sept. 9 and expires June 30, 2028, unless extended. The school board must make a decision on whether to extend it by March 31, 2028. The termination without cause was modified to just be a 30-day notice rather than the 90-day notice that was Wysong’s prior contract.
“Breslin stepped that down to 30 days notice so that is what I think is a show of good faith,” Kennedy said.
“She’s just here to work with us and work with this district, and is not asking for anything extra.”
The superintendent and school board will create “School District Goals” for each school year. The board shall evaluate the superintendent each year and make it a public document.
“She’s going to have great success. We all are,” said Kevin Chapman, the previous interim superintendent. “The board couldn’t have chosen a better superintendent.” Chapman served as the executive director of administration, or chief of staff, prior to being named interim superintendent. He is now the associate superintendent of administration and strategic engagement.
Madison Bierl
Laurie Breslin was officially sworn in as the superintendent for the School District of Manatee County on Sept. 9.
MANATEE MOVING DAYS
Director of Property Management provides a first look inside the new administration building at 9000 Town Center Parkway.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Cary Knight, director of Property Management for Manatee County, said the county was never in the market for a 100,000-square-foot building.
He and his team were scoping out buildings so they could move the Development Services department out of the county administration building downtown. After passing on a nearby property, the Realtor jokingly mentioned a building that just went up for sale across the street if the $6 million building they were standing in was too small.
Less than one year later, Manatee County is preparing to move Development Services and six additional departments to a second administration building in the heart of Lakewood Ranch.
The county closed on a two-story, 101,312-square-foot building at 9000 Town Center Parkway on Sept. 2 for $23.5 million. The total cost, including renovations and decor, is anticipated to be $34,832,903.
The Development Services team consists of under 150 employees. The new administration building can accommodate 600 employees, 300 on each floor.
About 550 county staff members will be transferred to the new building from Development Services, Public Works, Human Resources, Property Management, Financial Management, Government Relations and County Administration.
County Administrator Charlie Bishop, the three deputy county administrators and all seven commissioners will have offices in the building, but also keep their current offices at the administration building in downtown Bradenton. The commission chamber will also remain downtown.
Deputy County Administrator Bryan Parnell highlighted the land, in addition to the building, as an asset that would be hard to find anywhere else. With more than 11 acres, the property backs up to a preserve and provides 602 parking spaces.
The parking lot can accommodate employees and visitors.
Once up and running, residents will be able to apply for permits and pay utility bills at the administration building. Manatee 311 personnel will be stationed in the lobby, so residents can also report issues and make service requests in person.
THE MOVE Moving 550 employees takes quite a bit of coordination, but Knight is prepared with plans and a schedule. His enthusiasm for the project was evident when he asked, “Do you know Tom Gerstenberger?” Knight was standing in front of two empty cubicles, but already
imagining the collaborations that will inevitably take place once the building is occupied.
Gerstenberger is the Stormwater Engineering division manager. In the new configuration of cubicles, he will be working side by side with Hjalmar Pachas, the section manager for the Building and Facilities Technology department.
Knight waved his arms in front of a long wall opposite their work space to indicate where a row of TVs will be mounted.
Right now, Gerstenberger has people constantly stopping by his desk to look at different engineering models that after the move will be visible to everyone in his department and everyone in Pachas’ department, too.
“What this allows us to do is force those collaborations because they’re constantly next to each other,” Knight said. “When you think about hurricanes, people don’t talk about the good that comes from all the people going into that room (at the Emergency Operations Center) and sitting shoulder to shoulder and reacquainting.”
Close quarters also provide operational efficiencies, such as shared printers. The county leases its printers. The IT department is already working on a way to know which departments are printing what for accounting purposes, so the amount
FROM CHECKS TO TECH
As an electrical engineer who likes to build his own computers, Cary Knight, director of Property Management for Manatee County, is particularly excited about one “special space” inside the building at 9000 Town Center Parkway.
Former tenant TriNet offered human resources and payroll services, so there’s a large space on the first floor that was used for printing checks. The area is outfitted with industrial flooring and large work tables.
Knight already has the vision laid out in his head.
One side will be set up as a situation briefing room out of the movie “Top Gun” for the county’s drone pilots. The small room off to the side will be filled with 10 3D printers, and the work tables will serve the drone pilots and the IT department when they need to be hands-on.
The drone pilots won’t have to jam all their equipment into a cubicle when making flight plans, and the IT department will have a space to start customizing computers, which the county hasn’t done in the past. The room of 3D printers
bars and a mini cafeteria with a cafestyle seating area.
“It’s nicer than the typical government employee office space,” Knight said.
Tables, chairs, couches, computer monitors, screen projectors, microphones, light fixtures, shelving units, ping pong tables, foosball tables, a white noise generator and reclining chairs from the lactation rooms were all left behind by TriNet.
The IT department estimates that they inherited at least $100,000 worth of technology, and Knight estimates the cubicles alone would have cost the county about $4 million to purchase. They were customized with built-in power and adjustable desks.
There are also chairs and small file cabinets accompanying each cubicle. Knight said he found a few coffee stains that prove people used the space at some point, but outside of an examination, everything looks brand new. He estimates the furniture would have cost another $1.5 million.
The first floor only requires customization. For example, a window is being cut out of a wall where development services will be housed, so a cashier can take payments.
The second floor is currently occupied by the Federal Emergency Management Administration, which indicated it will be using its onetime option to extend its lease for three months.
of leases can be reduced.
The large meeting spaces that can accommodate Town Hall meetings, community workshops and employee training will cut costs, too.
Knight said a new employee is a certified trainer for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, so future training will be conducted in-house and save the county hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Employees will be moved over to the new building in waves, starting with the Property Management department as early as Oct. 31. Development Services and Public Works will follow because those departments will occupy the first floor, which is currently vacant.
TriNet, a human resources provider, was the prior tenant. However, Parnell said the company never returned to the building after employees began working at home through the COVID pandemic.
THE LAUNCH PAD
TriNet had redesigned the space in 2017 into what it called “the launch pad,” which was intended to promote productivity, culture and wellness in the workplace.
The space is centered with huge blocks of cubicles, but around the perimeters are break rooms, lounge areas, soundproof privacy pods, small meeting rooms, large conference rooms with partitions, coffee
That pushes the county’s move into the second floor out to Feb. 1, but Knight said the moment FEMA moves out, the crew will mobilize to the jobsite.
The most crucial task for Knight is ensuring that the staff can provide continuous service throughout the move, so he has to time things accordingly.
Human Resources can move at anytime, but Financial Management will be moved after next year’s budget season.
Employees in every department will pack up their desks on a Friday afternoon. Between Saturday and Sunday, their boxes will be moved so everyone can be back to work by the following Monday at noon.
Even after FEMA vacates, the second floor isn’t as move-in ready as the first floor. The east side of the second floor mimics the downstairs, including the cubicles, but the west side requires some reconfiguration and furnishings.
As to not disturb the first floor workers, windows will be popped out on the second floor so all the supplies and furnishings will be brought in and out on a lift.
County Administration and Government Relations will occupy the east side, and Human Resources and Financial Management will be the last departments to move in once construction is complete on the west side.
The goal is to have the building fully occupied by January 2027.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer Cary Knight, director of Property Management, can’t hide his excitement over Manatee County’s recent purchase of a second administration building at 9000 Town Center Parkway.
This meeting room is fully furnished with movable tables and chairs, along with projection equipment and microphones wired into the ceiling.
This is one of several dining areas in the new administration building.
SUPPLY
Mote SEA opens in early October
ERIC GARWOOD DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
The Mote Science Education Aquarium adjacent to Nathan Benderson Park is scheduled to open Oct. 8 with a sneak preview Oct. 6-7 for Mote members.
Admission prices listed on the Mote website include adult rates ($34 per person) and children’s rates ($26). According to a message from Mote, anyone interested in attending the grand opening must buy timedentry tickets in advance. Likewise, members wishing to attend the earlier “SEA It First” event must book ahead of time. Slots are limited to the number of people enrolled as part of memberships.
“Mote SEA is much more than just an aquarium; it stands at the intersection of paradigm-changing research, science education and community engagement,” said Michael P. Crosby, president & CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in a statement. “We envision a future in which tens of millions of visitors will experience the transformative power of learning and discovery, changing the way they think about our oceans, conservation and sustainable use.”
EAST COUNTY
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Mote’s origins date back 70 years to 1955, when marine scientist Eugenie Clark founded the one-room lab that later earned the moniker “Mote Marine Laboratory” after benefactor William Mote. From the early days, Clark placed a premium on philanthropy and community partnerships.
Built adjacent to Nathan Benderson Park and University Town Center, Mote SEA represents a stark contrast in the organization’s public-facing presence in the community. The $132 million facility on 12 acres alongside Interstate 75 received partial funding from tourism tax revenue and private donations. Sarasota County pledged $20 million to the endeavor, while Manatee County will give $5 million.
Inside, the building covers 146,000 square feet designed to showcase Mote’s science endeavors and also serves as an educational site for K-12 students in Sarasota, Mana-
■ Active-duty service members are admitted free with valid ID
■ Holders of reciprocal partnerships must present ID and member card to receive benefits
tee and surrounding counties.
In June, visitors and volunteers began saying goodbye to Mote’s venerable City Island aquarium, which closed to visitors on July 6. From there, animals were moved across the 12-mile route to their new home. In addition to the moving process, the wildlife had to undergo a quarantine after being introduced to new habitats.
Much of Mote’s scientific work will continue on the bayfront campus, with public spaces reimagined. In 2019, Sarasota County and Mote agreed on a path forward that included tax funding and the purchase of the county-owned acreage for $100. Construction began in 2020.
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Courtesy image
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium is opening its SEA site in early October.
The Mote Science Education Aquarium has announced it will open Oct. 8
Does Manatee County need $1 billion in reserves?
Following three hurricanes in 2024, Manatee County has nearly $1 billion set aside for reserves in fiscal year 2026.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
During the latest in a series of budget meetings, Commissioner Jason Bearden had one major question for Chief Financial Officer Sheila McLean: Does Manatee County need a billion dollars in reserves?
“We have needs in this county; our residents are sitting in traffic,” Bearden said. “This is insane, and that’s why I’m going to be pushing to do something to figure out a way to release some of these reserves.”
McLean proposed $995,959,976 be set aside in the fiscal year 2026 budget at the Sept. 10 budget workshop. However, the final budget won’t be approved until a second public hearing Sept. 22.
“We try to keep at least 20% of the operating funds in the event of a catastrophic event or hurricanes,” McLean said. “It’s not a lot; 20% is only two months of operating costs.”
Bearden argued that the county has so much money piling up in reserves that putting 20% a year (about $105 million) into the general fund is no longer necessary and asked if other counties operate with such a high reserve.
Sarasota County’s 2024 Impact Report shows its reserves at $268.4 million with $140 million in the general fund, which is the least restrictive fund.
Commission Chair George Kruse pointed out the restrictions of spending down the majority of the money set aside in reserves.
“A lot of this money came for other places, and it came to do other things (than build roads),” he said. “It’s not fungible money that could be spent unless you want to go to the state and explain it, and they’re going to laugh you out of the room.”
Kruse called Bearden’s argument pandering to the people by cutting their taxes and simultaneously
TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE
Commissioners proposed a tentative millage rate of 6.5033 mills. The final adoption hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Manatee County Administration Building.
risking their future by gutting the reserves and praying a storm doesn’t hit.
The reserves are broken down into several categories. Only the general fund allows the flexibility to pay for operating expenses, such as salaries and utility bills, following a disaster.
The rest of the categories are earmarked for specific purposes, such as libraries and beach erosion.
Mike Meehan, a financial analyst and Manatee County resident, has been arguing that residents are overtaxed since before Bearden was elected.
He was in the commission chambers Sept. 10 asking commissioners once again to lower taxes and spend some of the reserves.
“Commissioner Bearden, you’ve got $790.2 million worth of reserves that you can do anything you want with,” Meehan said. “I’ve got the report (dated July 31) right here. I talked about this with the clerk’s office this afternoon, and they have backed up their numbers.”
Part of Meehan’s argument is that Manatee County needs to spend $493 million to be in compliance with Florida statutes, which state that the reserve for contingencies can’t exceed 10% of the total appropriations and the reserve for cash balances can’t exceed 20% of the total appropriations.
Kruse responded to Meehan by saying he was sure DOGE had duly
noted the county’s “year-over-yearover-year” violation of Florida statute.
REDUCED MILLAGE
By the end of the meeting, Bearden was able to move the needle by $3.7 million with a .05 reduction in the tentative millage rate.
He received help from Commissioner Bob McCann. Because McCann couldn’t give residents in his district a widened Lorraine Road, he insisted on giving them a tax break.
“I had one priority, and it got overruled by this board,” he said. “This is a property tax thing where we’re actually giving money back to constituents. You might not want to do that, but I definitely do.”
McCann was speaking directly to Commissioner Tal Siddique, who called the proposed .05 mill reduction “a token gesture” and was the only commissioner to vote against the tax cut.
Siddique had challenged his fellow commissioners to look at the capital improvement plan with “more cour-
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“We have needs in this county; our residents are sitting in traffic. This is insane, and that’s why I’m going to be pushing to do something to figure out a way to release some of these reserves.”
Commissioner Jason Bearden
age” and cut some high-dollar projects from their districts versus a cut that’s “not going to make a difference” in the budget.
A .05 millage reduction saves property owners $15 a year on a $300,000 home and rises or falls based on the home’s value.
“It might look small right now,” Bearden said, “but how many times have we cut taxes in the last four years?”
The millage was cut three out of the past four years — by .2 mills in 2021, .3 mills in 2022 and .15 mills in 2024. When adding another .05 mill to the equation, the savings on a $300,000 home comes out to $210.
Lesley Dwyer
Commissioner Jason Bearden wants money released from Manatee County’s reserves that are nearing $1 billion.
Manatee debates designer drug ban
Commissioners are undecided, but the sheriff and state attorney are in support of regulations.
LESLEY DWYER STAFF WRITER
Cierra Dusenberry used to watch teenagers and young adults spend up to $80 a day on 7-hydroxymitagynine, commonly known as 7-OH, a recently banned opioid.
Dusenberry is the assistant manager at Wild Smoke Shop on State Road 64 near Interstate 75. The shop sells cigars, vapes, hookahs and an array of cannabidiol products and other supplements, including kratom.
The recently banned 7-OH is a concentrated form of kratom, which is a native tree in Southeast Asia.
When consumed in low doses, the leaves produce stimulant effects. In high doses, the leaves can act as a sedative and “can lead to psychotic symptoms and psychological and
physiological dependence,” according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
In July, Dr. Marty Makary, commissioner for the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, said in a press release that 7-OH can be more potent than morphine and recommended it be classified as a Schedule I controlled substance.
In August, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued an emergency rule that made it illegal to sell, possess or distribute 7-OH in Florida. All products containing 7-OH were immediately taken off the shelves.
This month, Commissioner Amanda Ballard proposed also taking kratom and other “designer drug” products off the shelves in Manatee County.
Commissioners voted 4-3 at the Sept. 2 commission meeting to direct
staff to prepare a draft ordinance for the board to consider adopting.
Due to hesitancy from some board members, Ballard agreed to return with research studies and data on the effects of kratom to help better inform the commissioners when it comes time to vote next.
Sarasota passed an ordinance in 2014 that prohibits the sale and possession of “designer drugs,” which is a catchall for “any capsule, pill, powder, liquid, vegetative material, product or other substance, however constituted, including but not limited to any synthetic cannabis, substituted cathinone or kratom.”
Sheriff Rick Wells wrote a letter to Manatee County commissioners Aug. 22 urging them to adopt the Sarasota ordinance “in its entirety” to streamline enforcement and take a unified regional approach to combatting the problem.
“Kratom, along with a growing list of synthetic and designer substances, poses a significant threat to public health and safety,” the letter reads. “As a law enforcement professional, I have witnessed firsthand the impact these substances have on
individuals, families and our community.”
Wells’ letter said the drugs cause addiction and unpredictable psychoactive effects.
Wild Smoke Shop sells kratom in several forms — powders, capsules, shots and seltzers. Dusenberry said the red strain is for sleep and sedation. Other strains are marketed as focus-enhancing and energizing.
Kratom was restricted to individuals 21 and older in July 2023. Dusenberry started working at the shop earlier that year, so she’s seen two waves of people being forced to switch from 7-OH to kratom. She described the effect as a “tapering off.”
“The 7-OH was getting out of hand,” she said. “I was okay with (that ban).”
Of course, it did result in a loss of revenue for the shop. If commissioners decide to ban kratom, Dusenberry estimates additional losses of up to 35%.
Commissioner Bob McCann is also a former emergency room doctor. He said he didn’t see issues with kratom in the ER. He saw several fentanyl
SIDE-EFFECTS
This information is from the “Drug Fact Sheet” for kratom, distributed by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Kratom’s effects on the body include nausea, itching, sweating, dry mouth, constipation, increased urination, tachycardia, vomiting, drowsiness and loss of appetite. Users of kratom have also experienced anorexia, weight loss, insomnia, hepatotoxicity, seizure and hallucinations.
and heroin overdoses.
Because kratom is currently a legal substance, he voted to deny the pursuit of any regulations.
Commission Chair George Kruse also voted in favor of denial. He doesn’t want to restrict people over the age of 21, and he questioned why a local ordinance is necessary in light of the state’s recent actions of banning 7-OH, the concentrated derivative.
Ballard said law enforcement doesn’t have the testing equipment to determine whether a substance is 7-OH or kratom, so deputies are unable to effectively enforce the state law.
Ballard brought the issue to her fellow commissioners after a conversation with Judge Lon Arend, who has “significant concerns” about the impact kratom is having on the cases he’s seeing in drug court, specifically those of younger people.
Ballard said the Bradenton Police Department and the State Attorney’s Office are also in support of regulations.
“The ordinance in Sarasota has been in place for about 10 years; it’s battle tested,” she said. “It has done very, very well. I think it will go a long way in preventing some of these substances that are trying to be regulated at the state level, but what’s been done so far isn’t addressing the issue in a way that can be used at an onthe-ground level.”
A date has not yet been set for a final vote on the matter.
Courtesy image
Commissioner Amanda Ballard wants to prohibit the sale and possession of kratom and other synthetic drugs in Manatee County.
Lesley Dwyer
Kratom products are displayed in a case at Wild Smoke Shop off of State Road 64. Kratom can be bought in a variety of forms, from powders to drinks.
WHAT’S HOT IN MANATEE SCHOOLS
Students are served popular items, but with slightly different, and healthier, ingredients.
said the public tends to create an image of what food is being served at the schools.
Laura Rowe loves to cook, but she loves seeing the smiling faces of the students at Tara Elementary School even more.
She retired from working in a hospital and planned to work in a school’s kitchen for a couple of years. It was a job she didn’t think she would enjoy, but eventually she found a passion for it at Tara. Fourteen years later, she’s still at it.
“As we see the need for our children and our community, whether it be nutrition, a smile or a talk, we do our best to meet that need,” Rowe said of the school’s staff.
Regina Thoma, the director of Food and Nutrition Services for the School District of Manatee County, said on a daily basis, about 29,000 lunches, 17,000 breakfasts and 5,000 other meals and snacks are served districtwide.
The United States Department of Agriculture requirement is that students have to be served at least half a cup of fruit or vegetables, and two other food groups, to be considered a meal. Protein, grain and dairy are among the “other food groups.”
Skye Grundy, the supervisor of Student Nutrition for the district,
“They’re shocked that it’s all white meat, whole muscle chicken that we serve,” Grundy said. “It’s not chopped and formed. There’s no added stuff in it. Our burger patties are 100% beef with some seasoning in them. We try to have the best products.”
In addition to focusing on nutrition, the food service department works to keep up with trends when it comes to what students enjoy.
“We’re looking at doing a dill pickle pizza, because pickles are on trend right now,” Grundy said. “I’m not a pickle person, but pickles are on trend. Hot and spicy is always in with kids, even the little kids. We’re always trying to make sure we’re staying on trend.”
Thoma recalled when popular “Uncrustables”— premade frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches — became whole grain and changed the packaging to let people know. Students were no longer attracted to it. When the packaging changed again with “whole grain” in smaller letters, students started eating them again.
Other food products have altered packaging or ingredients to become more attractive to kids, or school officials who make healthy choices for them, as well.
“A thing for people to remember is even though we serve Domino’s pizza, it’s whole grain crust, low sodium and low fat cheese, low sodium sauce,” Thoma said. “A lot of the products you see in the grocery store have been customized to meet school requirements, but yet, the students still recognize and know them and they’re still a student favorite.”
Alanna Hall, a senior at Braden River High School, said the lunch room can get chaotic but she enjoys the time to chat with her friends. She said she enjoys the diverse array of options during lunch and noted her favorites are hot chicken wings and mac and cheese. She said some foods are there on a daily basis, while others items are switched out to offer variety.
“If you’re not feeling a certain
Tara Elementary School fourth graders Journie Blanding and Vivian dos Anjos both said their favorite part of the day is eating.
ON THE MENU
Here are some of the new menu items offered in School District of Manatee County cafeterias.
■ Fettuccine Alfredo
■ Taco Bites
■ Pot Stickers
■ Egg Rolls
■ Stuffed Crust Pizza
■ Ramen Bowls
■ Mojo Pork Bowl
■ Korean BBQ Beef
■ Alfredo Pierogies
■ Cuban Sandwiches
food, you can always do something that you’re used to like pizza, a burger or something like that,” Hall said. “I like when they change it up. I get a little bit of everything, so I don’t get stuck on the same thing and get burned out.”
The district is on a four-week menu cycle and has implemented a variety of new menu items this school year, including the Cuban sandwich.
Angel Iglesias, a junior at Braden River High School, said he enjoyed the Cuban sandwich.
“The Cuban sandwich reminded me of my grandma because they made it the same way she did — with love and passion,” Iglesias said. “It had the perfect amount of warmth.”
Freedom McDaniel, a junior at Braden River, said he and his fellow students often feel they are having the same thing on a regular basis because the cafeteria typically offers some kind of chicken item. He enjoys going through the potato bar and salad bar to build his own meal rather than getting a premade wrap or salad.
Abigail Insley, a junior at Braden River, said the staff provides a welcoming environment. She said the workers make jokes, are polite and take the students’ experiences and opinions into consideration.
“We all love what we do,” Thoma said. “We have regulations, and we have all these different things that we have to follow, but we still try to focus on customer service and making sure kids enjoy the experience of school meals.”
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MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
Photos by Madison Bierl Laura Rowe has worked in the Tara Elementary School kitchen for the past 14 years. She loves to cook and said it is a blessing to see the smiling faces of the students each day.
Abigail Insley, a junior at Braden River High School, said she gets a salad from the salad bar nearly every day.
The
Summer heat drives us crazy in Lakewood Ranch
If the summer of 2025 becomes known as the Summer from Hell in Manatee County, it has more to do with politics than temperature.
Let’s do a quick recap of the departure from common sense before hoping that fall brings cooler heads.
CAN’T WE JUST HIDE?
Our Manatee County commissioners decided to take a low profile, canceling an Aug. 21 Commission meeting in which they were going to vote on issues that might have been perceived to violate Senate Bill 180 that prohibits local governments from adding “more restrictive or burdensome” amendments to its comprehensive plan or land development code.
But the reason for the postponed vote went far beyond doing some research to see where the county would stand so it wouldn’t be sued.
Commissioner George Kruse wanted his fellow commissioners to know that Gov. Ron DeSantis might actually replace commissioners who pushed forward with the citizen’s desires to impose stricter wetland buffers, give strength back to the Future Development Area Boundary, and impose up-to-date impact fees.
If DeSantis has made it known that he will replace country commissioners or other local officials who might challenge the vague language in SB 180, wording that only was added to the bill to appease builders and developers, then he is the one who should be replaced.
I have been a huge backer of DeSantis during his time in office, but these are clear bully tactics. If the threat of replacing local officials is false, DeSantis needs to step to the plate and say so. So far, we only have heard him pledge support for SB 180 because of its much needed hurricane recovery implications. However, the wording added to the
bill that robs municipalities of local rule should be changed to reflect that only areas that were affected by hurricanes are impacted.
Imagine the surge in popularity DeSantis would gain by just coming out and saying “We have some work to do to define and tweak this bill,” along with “I am not going to replace your local politicians because they disagree with me.”
It would only take 10 minutes and a couple newspaper reporters. As it stands, this could serve as a defining moment in DeSantis’ future.
Consider that Republican-rich Manatee County is a stronghold for the governor, but the voters were very clear about the direction they wanted when they turned over the makeup of the Manatee County Commission in the 2024 election. If the governor does, indeed, suspend
a local politician that you put into office, and then replace that person with someone who lost in the election, would you feel betrayed?
Manatee County has joined a lawsuit to challenge SB 180. Jamie Cole, a partner at the Fort Lauderdale law firm of Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman, is filing the lawsuit on the basis that SB 180 is unconstitutional because it imposes a blanket prohibition on the exercise of home rule authority over land use and zoning matters.
SELL YOUR CAR, BUY A BIKE
You might have trouble driving around East County, but your tax dollars are going toward a plan to build a better trail system. You can always bike to work, or run.
During a Sept. 3 workshop that discussed the future of the Manatee County Trailways Master Plan, Kruse said it was time to shift focus from building more new roads for $8.5 million a mile and complete the trail system that was first introduced in 1999.
Yikes.
What is this fascination with trails? Please give me roads that work.
Let’s focus on trails after we figure out the Lorraine Road disaster. And how about finishing Lena Road?
In June, as commissioners were working on the budget for 2026, Lorraine Road was listed as one of the top priorities. District 5 Commissioner Bob McCann said at the time that if they need to take money from all the other road projects in the district to fund Lorraine Road, then that’s what they need to do. How soon they forget. It appears the Lorraine Road widening project, which is crucial, is being pushed off into the future. That, of course, shoves traffic down to White Eagle Boulevard and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. Perhaps the commissioners don’t drive.
GO AHEAD, SUE US. I DARE YOU
It sure seemed like Commissioner Bob McCann in August was daring Lakewood Ranch residents to sue the county because they might have had their right to due process denied when it came to county officials striking a deal with Schroeder-Manatee Ranch to build a roundabout at University Parkway and Deer Drive/Legacy Boulevard.
The entire soap opera played out until county commissioners finally voted 4-3 to move forward with the deal the county struck with SMR last November.
“People in Lakewood Ranch are not without means,” McCann said during the Commission meeting. “They have legal means, too, where they can be just as devastating as developers.” Kruse questioned whether McCann was daring the public to basically sue themselves.
You would think Manatee County has enough worries about getting sued these days without a double dare from a commissioner.
NO MONEY FOR ROADS, $30 MILLION FOR MEMORIAL
It appears commissioners still intend to go forward with a veterans memorial on a 24-acre site at 5431 Buckeye Road in Palmetto. So here’s an idea, take the $30 million you plan to spend on this bad idea, and put it toward Lorraine Road widening. Or perhaps commissioners could consider not spending another dime on any park until they finish the one sitting in the middle of Lakewood Ranch — Premier.
LET’S GO CRAZY
In the words of Prince, who just happened to have been born on the exact same day as I was (a little Observer trivia for you), this summer was the time for “Let’s go crazy.”
Besides the above mentioned issues, commissioners have county
staff members drawing up curfew rules for kids 16 and under in unincorporated Manatee County and they have talked about the agenda’s “consent tool” as if it was a devious way for their fellow commissioners to slide projects through unnoticed. As far the curfew goes, please leave that up to the parents. We don’t need more government. And if something slides through the consent agenda unnoticed, it is because commissioners aren’t doing their job.
DOES SHE HAVE AN AGENT?
When I saw Laurie Breslin’s contract as the new supervisor of the School District of Manatee County, I thought she had hired a sports agent.
Certainly, it’s a big job and $245,000 seems in line with the task.
But bonuses to be an A district ($10,000) or for graduation rates 90% or higher ($2,500)? Is this the NFL?
Being a homegrown talent, I wish Breslin would have told her lawyer to back off the incentives and the $650 a month auto allowance. I do believe she has a true passion for the job, but I wish she would have considered how her employees who are making a quarter of her salary will feel about those incentives, and how hard they will have to work for her to get them.
Jay Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.
File photo
Commission Chair George Kruse has been met with many challenges in a strange, hot summer.
Let traffic engineers do their job with a roundabout
I have lived in the Country Club since 2012 and believe the paid traffic engineers in Manatee and Sarasota counties have made good attempts to address the growing traffic in our area. I remember when residents were upset about the planned diverging diamond intersection at UTC and the roundabouts on Cattlemen.
When I drive to the mall now, the only traffic backups are at the stoplights, as the roundabouts and diverging diamond keep the traffic moving. But that’s just my observations — read studies about roundabouts and you’ll find they improve safety and flow of traffic. This government reference (Highways.Dot.gov/Safety/ProvenSafety-Countermeasures/Roundabouts) says (they lead to a) 82% reduction in fatal injury crashes. Please let the traffic engineers do their paid jobs and consider helping them by not focusing on NIMBY requests.
From that view, I have three additional suggestions to address traffic at the Legacy/University intersection and one request for Market Street.
Reopen the Balmoral entrance (to the Country Club) during normal business hours. A guard is already being paid to sit and tell people to turn around and drive 3 miles and seven stoplights to use the Legacy entrance on University Parkway. The backup on University Parkway did not become so
noticeable until that Balmoral entrance was closed during morning service vehicle hours. Allow everyone to exit at any exit with a stoplight from within the Country Club. All county residents paid for the new stoplights at Players/Lorraine and Balmoral/ Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. And there are also stoplights at Masters/Lorraine and Legacy/University. Drivers are registered when they enter at the two manned entrances and there are cameras already in use to track gate damage. Allowing people to exit at all stoplights would reduce traffic inside the Country Club trying to find an exit and waiting at the Legacy/University exit.
Look at your own travel and try to combine trips. Do you really need to drive to the grocery store every day, or make separate trips to the grocery store and the doctor’s office on the same day?
When Manatee County employees start working at the new (administration) building on Town Center Parkway, I hope the traffic engineers are planning to turn the funky intersection at Market Street and Vision Drive into a real roundabout before the traffic really backs up with employee commutes.
Let’s be considerate citizens and consider the needs of all residents, as well as the vendors trying to get to their next jobs when making traffic changes.
CAROL LUCAS
LAKEWOOD RANCH
What happened to local government rule?
Wait ... What?
After reading Jay Heater’s Side of Ranch column (State’s special interest favoritism plagues Manatee, Sept. 4) about our commissioners’ struggle to keep the wetland buffers that we the people want, I’ll admit I’m confused.
The governor and his cronies/ campaign contributors can suspend or even replace our elected commissioners? What happened to the will of the people and local government rule?
What makes this even more surreal is that most of us in Manatee County voted for both our Republican governor and a Republican committee. It’s almost as if Tallahassee listens to campaign contributors instead of the people. Say it ain’t so Gov. DeSantis.
We should all thank Jay Heater and the East County Observer for keeping us informed about this issue while making the complex understandable. As well as Commissioner George Kruse for striving to make our voices heard.
JACK JERNIGAN
LAKEWOOD RANCH
SEND US YOUR LETTERS
Have something to tell us? Send your letters to Jay Heater at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.
Farmers Market tries to hold No. 1 standing
The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch is trying to hold onto its standing as the state’s top market. America’s Farmers Market Celebration once again is ranking the nation’s top farmers markets based on public voting.
For the past two years, the Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch, known for its variety of vendors, local produce, artisan goods and live music, has been voted the top market in Florida.
As of last week, the local market held the No. 3 position in the nation, trailing the top spot by fewer than 200 votes, according to a Lakewood Ranch Communities’
release. To vote for the Lakewood Ranch market, go to VoteLWR.com and enter your name and email, and submit your vote. Each email address gets one vote. The deadline for voting is 5 p.m. Sept. 30.
LWRCF opens ticket sales for fundraiser
The Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation has opened ticket sales for its Soirée at the Ranch, one of the foundation’s biggest fundraisers with proceeds going to area nonprofits. It also marks the final event of the LWRCF’s 25th anniversary year and will serve to honor the 2025 C. John Clarke Humanitarian Award. The award recognizes an individual whose commitment and dedication exemplify service to the local community. The event runs from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 13 with tickets at $250 per person.
The evening will begin with a cocktail hour and a silent auction, followed by dinner. A live auction will be held following dinner.
The Soirée at the Ranch is sponsored by the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, Lakewood Ranch Communities, Robert Toale & Sons, Williams Parker, Pineapple Kitchen, Sarasota Memorial, and Carr Riggs & Ingram.
To purchase tickets for the event, go to LWRCF.org or call 2086799.
File photo
The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch runs every Sunday at Waterside Place.
BROCK’S TO-BOO LIST
October is a busy month for Krista Brock, owner of Oh What Fun Party Co. The small business is providing photo ops for some of the biggest Halloween events in Sarasota and Manatee counties, including Boo Fest in Lakewood Ranch.
Brock will be decorating the breezeways on either side of Lakewood Main Street. One side of the street will be themed after the movie “Hocus Pocus” with a graveyard, fog machine and spooky lighting.
The other side will be Scooby-Doo themed.
“There might be a mystery machine where you pretend you’re driving,” Brock hinted.
working with Krista (Brock), we knew we had found a true visionary,” said Marnie Buchsbaum, director of marketing for Nathan Benderson Park. “What makes Krista so special, though, is how she combines that incredible talent with a genuine warmth and commitment to her clients.”
Brock doesn’t advertise. Her business is strictly word-ofmouth, and she describes her work ethic as “not for everyone.”
She answers calls no matter the time of day. She learns how to use new power tools if that’s what the job requires. And while she has two part-time helpers, she still lugs plywood and sandbags in 90-degree heat to set up the photo ops.
Her life is one big party EYE ON BUSINESS
Oh What Fun Party Co. is a small business with some big clients.
As a single mother, Lakewood Ranch’s Krista Brock was hesitant to step off the corporate ladder for financial reasons. She was managing all six Starbucks locations inside the Tampa International Airport, but was furloughed during the COVID pandemic. With so much time at home to “make things,” Brock’s roots as an art teacher began nudging her in a new direction. She started Oh What Fun Party Co. in 2021 with a shop on Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade goods. Brock designed and sold simple, do-it-yourself fringe backdrop kits that anyone can assemble
for a party. She also started planning small parties, all the while hanging onto the security of her day job.
Up to two years ago, Brock had never even held a power tool. Now, she owns two types of saws — jig and circular — and knows how to use them both skillfully. Brock has built Oh What Fun to include large scale photo ops and party planning.
For a small business that’s only been in operation full time since the start of 2024 when she finally took the leap off the corporate ladder, Brock has landed some big clients, including Benderson Development, Lakewood Ranch Community Activities and Manatee County.
Brock didn’t have any connections. She saw a poster while walking around University Town Center that was seeking vendors for its night market.
She didn’t have anything to sell at the time because she was focused
on building the party planning side of Oh What Fun, so she set up a photo op instead.
The market’s theme was Christmas in July. Brock showed up with a 4-foot flamingo in a Santa hat and gave away balloons. She didn’t book any parties, but the photo op was a hit.
The following year, Brock was hired to decorate UTC’s Christmas in July Night Market and added a bigger and better photo op that incorporated props and a pineapple Christmas tree.
The following month, she was invited back again to create a photo op for UTC’s end of the summer luau, and Oh What Fun’s momentum started to build.
Events at UTC led to events at Nathan Benderson Park, which led to events for U.S. Rowing and one of Brock’s designs being reviewed by the U.S. Olympic committee in 2024. Brock was asked to design a pho-
Instead of one photo op, Brock is creating a series of photo ops for Boo Fest. Stopping points will be staggered through each breezeway, but that’s not all Brock has in store. Get your phones, cameras and creepy smiles ready, here’s the Oh What Fun lineup of Halloween photo ops:
■ Goblin Gathering at G.T. Bray Park from 4-8 p.m. Oct. 17
■ Frightfully Fun Trick or Treat Halloween Event at the Mall at UTC from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 18
■ Boo Fest on Main Street at Lakewood Ranch from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 24
■ Trick or Treat on the Lake at Benderson Park from 5:30-8 p.m. Oct. 28
to op that talked about the Olympics stop in Sarasota for the U.S. Rowing Trials before moving onto the Paris games. Brock, who spent the first five years of her career as an art teacher, still can’t believe she made something for the Olympics, but if party planning were an Olympic sport, Brock would be a gold medalist. “From the moment we started
“What makes Krista so special, though, is how she combines that incredible talent with a genuine warmth and commitment to her clients.”
Marnie Buchsbaum, director of marketing for Nathan Benderson Park
“I live and breathe this business,” Brock said. “Aside from my son (Aiden Brock), this is what I live for. I get excited when someone contacts me about a proposal or a huge community event. It fuels me.” Brock is still expanding the business. She’s started making signs and banners for Nathan Benderson Park and offering destination celebrations for visitors staying in hotels and Airbnb accommodations.
It’s a concierge service that will stock the fridge, decorate the room and even fill the pool with floats before check-in.
Oh What Fun also offers rentals, such as lawn games, marquee lights and a kissing booth. It also offers Brock the security she was once afraid to give up.
Lesley Dwyer
Krista Brock is the artist behind this football photo op at The Green at UTC.
Kudos from Yale
MADISON BIERL STAFF WRITER
During Addison Shea’s freshman year at Lakewood Ranch High School in 2021, teacher Samantha Biggs was walking around her AP Human Geography class checking out her students’ work. She discovered that Shea was doing math. Biggs’ assignment concerned a topographic map, which displayed a mountain from above. The lesson was about the mountain and no math was required, but Shea had decided to go above and beyond the class assignment.
“I pulled out my ruler and I was trying to find proportions (of the mountain),” Shea said. “If I could find how long it was, I could determine the scale. It was fun to work through it.”
Biggs knew at that moment Shea was gifted. Shea went on to graduate in May before heading for Yale University to begin the current semester.
“Everyone can look at her (Shea) on paper and say she’s smart, but she’s just so much more than just being smart,” Biggs said. “What I’ll remember is that Addison is a person, a whole student, and not just the smart kid who went to Yale.”
Shea realized that Biggs was more than just a teacher, too.
The Yale Office of Undergraduate Admissions announced Biggs had earned a 2025 Yale Educator Award that is presented to 87 educators across the world. To receive the award, an instructor has to be nominated by a Yale student. Shea nominated Biggs.
Shea said her time with Biggs was an instrumental part of her journey to Yale and she could not have gotten there without her.
“Mrs. Biggs was just an incredible instructor during my time at Lakewood Ranch High School,” Shea said. “She was both an incredible teacher as well as just an amazing human being.”
Biggs taught Shea in two different classes: AP Human Geography — which Biggs described as structured and content driven — and AP Seminar, which was student led.
“Addison was very data driven, so I knew how she was thinking,” Biggs said. “I was able to help her look at it, from a different lens than she typically would have. The other part about Addison that I super value is with her being so smart and brilliant, she’s also kind and a giver, and super hands-on with her friends and her peers.”
“She (Biggs) showed me the impor-
YALE EDUCATOR AWARD
“The Yale Educator Recognition Program recognizes outstanding educators from around the world who have supported and inspired their students to achieve at high levels.
Matriculating students are invited to nominate high school educators, and a committee composed of Yale admissions officers reviews the nominations individually and designates recipients. Of this year’s 302 nominees, who represent 38 states and 22 countries, 61 teachers and 26 counselors were selected to receive the award.”
To learn more about the award or see the other recipients, visit Admissions.Yale.edu/ Educator-Award.
tance of looking at the political lens as well as the economic ... as well as the scientific and the cultural,” Shea said. “It was just being able to see a problem from so many different facets, and formulating a solution from so many different angles.”
Shea said she valued how Biggs did more than teach, taking the time to ask her how things were going, such as after her track meets.
Biggs said she appreciated that an institution such as Yale recognizes the work instructors invest in their students.
“I wasn’t working toward this award,” Biggs said. “This award found me.”
Although she appreciates the kudos, she said it doesn’t change anything for her. She will continue to do exactly what she’s always done, just with a new plaque on her desk.
“There’s 55 other people at the school that could have been recognized, as well,” Biggs said.
Biggs is now an assistant principal, but her entire 11-year teaching career has been at Lakewood Ranch High.
Madison Bierl
Samantha Biggs, an assistant principal at Lakewood Ranch High School, was one of 87 educators across the country to receive the 2025 Yale Educator Award.
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
As European settlers arrived in North America from the 15th to 19th centuries, they confronted an Indigenous world where women often served as political leaders, healers and negotiators. But women were mainly assigned the duties of childrearing, farming, cooking and sewing.
Men’s work was primarily hunting, trading, leading religious ceremonies, educating the next generation of warriors and fighting enemies.
The beaded wampum belts that Native Americans gave as gifts and to encourage other tribes to join their military campaigns were made by women, as was apparel fashioned from animal hides and decorated with beads and feathers. Creating these goods was referred to as “women’s work.”
As colonists introduced woven cloth and blankets to the New World (along with firearms, metal tools and alcohol), tribes began incorporating them into their cultural traditions. Women began fashioning distinctive patchwork skirts and creating designs still used on modern-day Pendleton blankets.
Once the U.S. government confined nomadic Native American tribes to reservations and the wars between settlers and Indigenous peoples ended around 1900 after four centuries, Native culture didn’t cease to exist. Making and selling jewelry, pottery, paintings and other art became a way for tribal members to celebrate their heritage as well as earn money.
Thanks to the efforts of the Smithsonian Institution, which opened the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., in 2004, and other museums such as the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, Native American the evolution of “women’s work” is widely recognized as art.
Some tribes, enriched by gambling revenues from casinos on their reservations, built their own museums to honor their heritage. One of the largest is the Mashantucket Pequot Museum in Connecticut, with more than 300,000 square feet.
Modern-day collectors have followed in the footsteps of George Gustav Heye, who used his collection of 800,000 Native American artifacts to found the Museum of the American Indian in New York in 1916. Today, prominent Indigenous art collectors include John and Susan Horseman, Judith Lowry and Brad Croul and J.W. “Bill” Wiggins.
In the 21st century, one could argue there is greater appreciation than ever for contemporary art created by tribal members, especially women. It is against this backdrop that The Ringling presents “Ancestral Edge: Abstraction and Symbolism in the Works of Nine Native American Women Artists.”
The exhibition, which opened Sept. 13 and runs through April 2026, is the brainchild of Ola Wlusek, curator of contemporary art at The Ringling. Wlusek spearheaded the groundbreaking 2023 exhibit, “Reclaiming Home: Contemporary Seminole Art,” which marked the first time that The Ringling presented the work of Indigenous Florida artists in its massive galleries. Five years in the making because
Women’s work gets its due
IF YOU GO
“ANCESTRAL EDGE: ABSTRACTION AND SYMBOLISM IN THE WORKS OF NINE NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN ARTISTS”
When: 10 a.m.
Where: The John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, 5401 Bayshore Road
Tickets: Free with $25 admission; Mondays Visit Ringling.org.
Kiana Bell’s “Basket Full of Flowers” is one of several sweetgrass baskets in The Ringling’s “Ancestral Edge”
members of the federally recognized Seminole and Miccosukee tribes and artists with mixed heritage.
Some of it was loaned by the AhTah-Thi-Ki Museum on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, which also lent advice on the dazzling, multimedia exhibition. Other works were loaned by the Eiteljorg, the Museum of American Indian Arts and Culture, and Santa Fe’s IAIA Museum of Contemporary Indian Arts.
“Reclaiming Home” featured more than 100 pieces, including several large installations, by 12 artists whose works were spread throughout the cavernous Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing. There are some large-scale pieces in “Ancestral Edge,” but the all-female exhibition in The Ringling’s Keith D. Monda Gallery for Contemporary Art is not as ambitious as “Reclaiming Home.”
CREATING CONTEMPORARY WORKS FROM TIME-WORN TRADITIONS
Wlusek was still working with installers during a recent interview, but she estimated the number of works in “Ancestral Edge” to be somewhere between 30 and 40. The nine artists represented come across
The Ringling’s ‘Ancestral Edge’ exhibition showcases Native female artists.
Image courtesy of Kevin McConnell
Artist Marie Watt stands underneath “Sky Dances Light: Revolution VII,” a mobile of tin jingles on loan to The Ringling from the Gochman Family Collection.
Courtesy images
Dyani White Hawk’s “They Gifted: Day” and “They Gifted: Night” have been acquired by The Ringling for its permanent collection.
A CROSS-CULTURAL CRUSADER
Ola Wlusek was born in Krakow, Poland, moved to Canada and earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and art history from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.
Wlusek moved to England to earn a master’s degree in contemporary art theory from Goldsmiths’ College, University of London. After graduating, she returned to Canada, where she was curator of contemporary art at the Ottawa Art Gallery in Ontario from 2011-15 and later public art program coordinator for the city of Calgary in Alberta.
Wlusek joined The Ringling in 2018, with the help of a $5 million donation from Keith and Linda Monda, who endowed her contemporary art curatorship and donated art by Teo Gonzalez, Yayoi Kusama, Beverly Pepper and Richard Serra.
As a curator and in her research, Wlusek has focused on developing new curatorial strategies and methods for exploring non-Western, Indigenous and comparative approaches to art.
Some of Wlusek’s travel and research for “Reclaiming Home” was underwritten by a curatorial research fellowship she received in 2021 from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
As contemporary curator at The Ringling, Wlusek enjoys being able to juxtapose exhibitions of non-Western, contemporary art such as “Reclaiming Home” with the museum’s collection, dominated by large-scale Renaissance and Baroque paintings acquired by founder John Ringling, the circus magnate.
the country.
There is one artist featured in “Ancestral Edge” who was also showcased in “Reclaiming Home.”
She is Elisa Harkins, a multimedia artist, musician and curator of Cherokee/Muscogee/Creek descent who lives and works on the Muscogee Reservation in Oklahoma.
Harkins uses electronic music, dance and visual art to preserve and disseminate tribal traditions. At The Ringling, you can hear Native songs that Seminoles sang to console themselves as they traveled the “Trail of Tears” along with other tribes who were forcibly relocated from their homelands in the southeast United States to Oklahoma.
Harkins makes videos of Native singers and recorded in sheet music the songs that were handed down through generations. She also taught herself to sew so she could create patchwork fabric used for Seminole skirts. “I like the fact that while the patchwork is quite accomplished, it’s not perfect. You can see that it’s not machine-made,” Wlusek says.
When you first walk into The Ringling’s Monda Gallery, you are greeted by Marie Watt’s shimmering installation, “Sky Dances Light: Revolution VII.” The thousands of tin jingles in the piece resemble the small metal cones sewn into Native American costumes worn for ceremonial dances and powwows. The artwork was loaned to The Ringling from the Gochman Family Collection.
“Many of the artists in this show are skilled in community-based arts and crafts and have incorporated these into their work,” Wlusek says.
One of the artists that Wlusek is most excited about is Dyani White Hawk. Her silkscreen prints, “They Gifted (Day)” and “They Gifted (Night),” were recently acquired by The Ringling for its collection.
The companion works, created in 2024, are based on Lakota symbology and motifs found in the tribe’s beadwork and quillwork. According to the artist’s statement, they “explore the potential to communicate the powerful concepts of balance and interconnectivity, including to one another, the land, and all forms of life.”
Indigenous artists are based on longstanding traditions such as weaving. Among them are Kiana Bell’s ornamented sweetgrass baskets, on loan from the Ah-Tah-ThiKi Museum. Born in Oklahoma, Bell now lives in Hollywood, Florida, where she has been inspired by her cultural roots and Florida’s lush landscapes to create her baskets.
Chitimacha/Choctaw artist Sara Sense also builds on weaving with “Brooklyn Alligator,” a threedimensional artwork fashioned from photographs, not something you see every day, even in a museum. The diamond print seen throughout is inspired by crushed sea grapes, a fruit that is native to coastal Florida. The title of the photo-weaving references both Florida’s gators and the Brooklyn Museum’s collection of Chitimacha baskets.
Blankets are another recurring motif in “Ancestral Edge.” These seemingly mundane items are fraught
with pain for some Native Americans because they symbolize the loss of lands unwittingly traded away and gifts accepted to seal treaties that were later broken.
Nevertheless, Native Americans took the colonists’ blankets and incorporated them into their culture. Blankets and hides, symbolizing Native hunting practices that produced not only food, but clothing, can be seen in several artworks on display in “Ancestral Edge.”
One is Natalie Ball’s mixed media tapestry, “Playing Dolls,” on loan from the Rubell Museum in Miami.
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, she traveled far from home to earn numerous academic degrees, including a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Indigenous, Race & Ethnic Studies and Art from the Uni-
versity of Oregon, a master’s from Massey University of New Zealand focused on Indigenous contemporary art and an MFA from Yale. Ball returned to her ancestors’ homeland of Oregon/Northern California to raise her three children. She serves as an elected official on the Klamath Tribal Council in addition to creating her massive mixed-media wall hangings. What Wlusek found particularly rewarding about curating “Ancestral Edge” was learning how much new indigenous art is being created right now. “Most people, when they think about contemporary art, they think about works going back to the 1970s, but some of the art here was created last year,” she says.
Ola Wlusek
Courtesy images
Natalie Ball’s massive mixed media tapestry, “Playing Dolls,” is on loan to The Ringling from the Rubell Museum in Miami.
FST promotes two artistic team members
Florida Studio Theatre has promoted Catherine Randazzo to associate producer from associate artist and has added literary manager to Nancy Rominger’s title of artistic associate.
“Catherine and Nancy are both extraordinary leaders and artists. Their combined vision and expertise will keep FST at the forefront of producing work that matters,” said FST Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins in a statement. “It is a joy to see our artistic staff continue to grow — both personally and professionally. As they flourish, so too does the theatre and its audience. Together, we expand and evolve as FST enters its second half-century of serving Sarasota.”
A graduate of Otterbein University in Ohio, Randazzo was production coordinator of the now-defunct Golden Apple Dinner Theatre in Sarasota for seven years and taught dance at the State College of Florida before joining FST in 2014.
As associate artist at FST, she has served as an in-residence director, professional actor, teaching artist and literary manager.
Randazzo’s directing credits include winter cabarets, summer mainstage and cutting-edge Stage III productions as well as countless new play workshops. She is also the line producer for FST’s popular Summer Cabaret Series and has
been instrumental in bringing new acts to Sarasota. In her new role as associate producer, Randazzo will continue to serve as lead director of FST Cabaret, while working closely with Richard Hopkins on the management of FST’s artistic programming. She will also remain an active in directing, acting and mentoring within the company. “FST is more than a theater to me: It’s a creative home,” said Randazzo in a statement. “I’m honored to step into this new role and continue working alongside Richard and our artistic team to produce theatre that speaks to our community in meaningful ways.”
Rominger joined FST in 2024 following 12 seasons at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, where she served as associate artistic director.
She was previously director of the Southern Writers Project, where she directed a new play program focused on stories by Southern playwrights, Southern topics and the African American experience.
At FST, Rominger has directed Stage III productions including “Shedding a Skin” and the current mainstage production “Don’t Dress for Dinner.”
Rominger adds the responsibilities of literary manager, a role previously held by Randazzo. She will now oversee FST’s literary office and new play development program, collaborate with playwrights, train and supervise literary interns, provide dramaturgical research, support cabaret development and lead audience engagement initiatives.
“New work has always been at the heart of my artistic journey,”
Rominger said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to build on FST’s legacy of championing new plays and voices. I look forward to nurturing the kind of theatre that sparks dialogue and truly resonates.”
With their promotions, Randazzo and Rominger buttress FST’s capacity to develop new works and produce programming for its 225,000 annual attendees. Together, they will help guide the theater’s next chapter of growth, ensuring that FST continues to produce programming that both challenges and entertains, FST said in a statement.
ANCESTRAL EDGE
Abstraction and Symbolism in the Works of Nine Native American Women Artists
THROUGH APR 12
Courtesy images
Catherine Randazzo
Nancy Rominger
FST cabaret takes a nostalgic time trip to the land of folk music
A Band Called Honalee invites audiences to sing and remember when the times were a-changin’.
MARTY FUGATE THEATER CRITIC
“ABand Called Honalee” is a magical, musical time trip at Florida Studio Theatre. The golden age of American folk is its temporal destination. The show’s packed with great tunes by “Peter, Paul and Mary ... and friends” — but it’s not a musical.
“A Band Called Honalee” is a real band. Its musicians aren’t singing actors playing the parts of fictional characters or legends from the past. Here, they get to be themselves. And this show is their concert.
Brian Ott, Michael Grieve and Sigrid Wise take the spotlight on the FST cabaret stage. They’re an insanely talented trio. Ott and Grieve play dual lead guitars. All three sing. This lineup echoes Peter, Paul and Mary — without being an imitation. The band’s three rotating bass players stay outside the spotlight. (Bassist Bill Swartzbaugh performed on my night.)
A Band Called Honalee is the brainchild of Aaron Gandy. This music supervisor and producer (he spent nine years as assistant music director for Broadway’s “The Lion King”) created the band to keep the spirit of the 1960s folk revival alive. Evidently, he succeeded. Wise, Ott and Grieve don’t approach folk music like a dusty
IF YOU GO
‘A BAND CALLED HONALEE’
When: Through Oct. 26
Where: Florida Studio Theatre’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 N. Palm Ave.
Tickets: $37-$42
Info: Visit FloridaStudioTheatre. org.
artifact from the past. While they respect the folk tradition, they’re not slavishly deferential. They’re not a by-the-numbers tribute band serving up nostalgic fan service. They’re a trio of 21st-century folk musicians. They play from their hearts — and love what they play. They’re the real deal. Folk music was hopeful in the early 1960s. The first act hits the right optimistic note. That resonates with the nostalgic crowd — who get permission to sing along. The band opens with the hardhitting “If I Had a Hammer.” Pete Seeger and Lee Hays wrote this song in 1949; Peter, Paul and Mary performed it at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 during the “March for Jobs and Freedom” and it became an anthem of the civil rights movement, whose fellow travelers were often fans of what’s called “roots music” today — folk, gospel and blues.
Contrasts, October 12, 4:00 pm
Grammy Lifetime Achievement winner Nicholas Eanet with Jungeun Kim, Natalie Helm, and Bharat Chandra performing works by Schubert, Dvorak, and Bela Bartok’s Contrasts, which was commissioned by Benny Goodman. Legacy, October 19 & 20, 4:00 pm
Celebrate the dedication of Dr. Joseph Holt as a star of Sarasota’s music scene for the past 16 years. Holt, Daniel Jordan, and Christopher Schnell present an all-Russian program exploring composers’ responses to Soviet oppression.
The Queen’s Six, October 28, 7:30 pm
They performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and now return to Artist Series Concerts after a sold-out concert in 2023. Their vast repertoire promises a memorable evening of royal fun!
Images courtesy of Sorcha Augustine
Michael Grieve, Sigrid Wise and Brian Ott are A Band Called Honalee, appearing at Florida Studio Theatre’s Goldstein Cabaret through Oct. 26.
“Hammer” is followed by another song of freedom — Bob Dylan’s pre-electric “Blowing in the Wind” (1962). The band’s guitars are acoustic but plugged into amps with suction-mics. Grieve points to the amps, and makes a joking aside about Dylan’s electrification, a controversial transition recently mined by Hollywood in the Oscar-nominated film “A Complete Unknown.”
After these initial political power ballads, the pendulum swings to the personal. Ott jokes that Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Lemon Tree” is “about unrequited love — and the ingredients of lemonade,” before launching into the bittersweet song, one of the lesser-known numbers in the band’s repertoire.
The Mamas and the Papas’ “I Dig Rock and Roll” (1967) is flavored with chart-topping snippets and gentle mockery of rich rock stars and their commercial compromises. (Wise winks on the line: “But if I really say it, the ra-di-o won’t play it.”)
One medley includes The Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreaming” (1965) and The Beatles’ “Drive My Car” (1965). Wise’s sweet soprano rings out on “Both Sides Now” (1967). She never falters on Joni Mitchell’s high-wire act made famous by Judy Collins.
Grieve and Ott stand in for Simon and Garfunkel on “The 59th Street Bridge Song.” They get the whole crowd feeling groovy. Ott knows a little something about feeling groovy since he was recently on stage with FST’s cabaret, “59th Street Bridge” celebrating the music of Simon and Garfunkel and others.
“Leaving on a Jet Plane” (1969) was a hit for Peter, Paul and Mary — and a career boost for the songwriter, John Denver. The trio’s “Puff the Magic Dragon” (1963) sheds a tear for childhood’s end. (And gave the band its name.)
After 1965, the ’60s counterculture hit the downhill slide. Folks
across America were feeling less upbeat as American involvement in Vietnam escalated. Folk musicians were no exception. The second act reflects that vibe.
Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” (1963) celebrates the future victory of civil rights and the triumph of youth culture — and snarls at present-day resistance. Stephen Stills’ “For What It’s Worth” (1966) looks back in anger on LA’s Sunset Strip curfew riots. Young people marched, cops cracked heads, Peter Fonda got arrested and the authorities stripped the Sunset Strip’s clubs of youth permits.
When the public square becomes a battle zone, it’s easy to turn inward — which many did in the late 1960s. (Don’t protest, party! Or feel sorry for yourself.) A Mamas and Papas medley reflects that inward turn, weaving together “Monday, Monday” (1966), “Go Where You Want to Go” (1965) and “I Saw Her Again” (1966).
John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery” (1971) looks homeward with sweet sadness. (Wise sweetly shares with the audience that she and Grieve were married in Montgomery, Alabama.)
When the streets get ugly, running away is another option. Two traveling songs evoke that breathless, homesick flight. Elizabeth Cotton wrote “Freight Train” in 1904. Her sad escape struck a nerve in the 1960s — when thousands fled their parents or the draft.
Hedy West’s “500 Miles” (1961) was a Peter, Paul and Mary hit — and another homesick odyssey.
The show’s last two songs are defiantly hopeful. Blind Willie Johnson’s “If I Had My Way” (1927) references Samson’s last stand. (Samson got a buzz cut. Like most longhairs, he took it badly.) Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” (1940) stakes a claim on the whole country. It’s all home. Why run?
Sigrid Wise let the audience know she and fellow band member Michael Grieve got married in Montgomery, Alabama, when they sang John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery.”
THIS WEEK
THURSDAY
KICKOFF PARTY FOR 2025
MODERN WORKS FESTIVAL
6 p.m. at Urbanite Theatre, 1487 Second St. $32 for individual play readings; $5 for students; festival pass $99 Visit Urbanite Theatre.com.
Urbanite Theatre kicks off its sixth annual Modern Works Festival celebrating female playwrights with a party in its black-box theater downtown. The party is for festival passholders only. Tickets for staged readings of the three plays in competition (Stacey Isom Campbell’s “1999,” Jenny Stafford’s “Ahoy-hoy” and Sarah Cho’s “Screen Time”) can be purchased separately. This year’s keynote speaker, National New Play Network Executive Director Nan Barnett, takes the podium at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 19. Festival runs through Sept. 21.
Stand-up comedian Jason Salmon is well known to those who like to watch their comedy online. The Texas native is bringing his “Biscuits and Gravity” tour to McCurdy’s. Salmon honed his comedy chops performing for U.S. troops in Europe and Afghanistan. He has graced the small screen in such shows as “Orange is the New Black” and “30 Rock” and received acclaim for his previous album, “Force of Nurture,” which debuted at No. 1 on iTunes. Runs through Sept. 21.
‘GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL’
7:30 p.m. at the Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton $34.50 Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.
Looking for a few laughs? We’ve got just the show for you — Manatee Players’ “Gutenberg! The Musical!” The musical-within-a-musical follows two driven writers’ efforts to produce a Broadway show about the inventor of the printing press that requires the actors to play multiple roles. Runs through Sept. 21.
FRIDAY
‘NUNSENSE’
7:30 p.m. at Venice Theatre’s Raymond Theatre, 140 Tampa Ave. W., Venice $40 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.
Join Mother Superior Sister Mary Regina and the rest of the nuns as they stage a madcap variety show to help defray the cost of funerals
OUR PICK
‘I’M GOING TO MARRY YOU, TOBEY MAGUIRE’
Billed as a “Y2K farce,” “I’m Going to Marry You, Tobey Maguire” follows a starstruck teenager, played by Jamie Saunders, who kidnaps her heartthrob, the star of “SpiderMan,” played by Tom Horton. In the play, Mark-Alan does double duty as a poster of Tobey Maguire, which comes to life, and Brenda, a nosy real estate agent. Runs through Sept. 21.
IF YOU GO
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18
Where: Dingbat Theatre Project, 7288
S. Tamiami Trail
Tickets: $30; students $10 Info: Visit DingbatTheatre.org.
after a culinary disaster. “Nunsense” began as a line of greeting cards before becoming an Off-Broadway musical in 1985 that has since morphed into a global comedy phenomenon. Murray Chase directs Venice Theatre’s production, which features choreography by Vanessa Russo and music direction by Donna Smith. Runs through Oct. 5.
‘A BAND CALLED HONALEE’
7:30 p.m. at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1239 Palm Ave. $39 and up Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.
The subtitle to Florida Studio Theatre’s cabaret show of the summer season is “A Tribute to Peter, Paul Mary … and Friends,” but any self-respecting folk rock fan can spot the play on words in the name “A Band Called Honalee.” ICYMI, it refers to the mythical land made famous by the children’s song “Puff the Magic Dragon.” The incarnation of the Band Called Honalee appearing in Sarasota includes Brian Ott, a veteran of FST’s “59th Street Bridge,” who has been touring with the group since 2019. Also on stage are Michael Grieve, Geoffrey Neuman and Sigrid Wise. Runs through Oct. 26.
SUNDAY
‘ART DECO: THE GOLDEN AGE OF ILLUSTRATION’
11 a.m. at the Sarasota Art Museum campus of Ringling College, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free for museum members; $20 Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.
The Sarasota Art Museum celebrates the 100th anniversary of the exposition that kicked off the Art Deco movement. More than 100 eyecatching posters from the Crouse Collection as well as industrial furniture, home furnishings and other objects loaned by the Wilsonian-Florida International University are on display. In addition to consumer products, there are
DON’T MISS
‘CASA HAVANA’ WITH TANIA VERGARA
Tania Vergara, founder and artistic director of Endedans Contemporary Ballet, presents “Casa Havana.” Set in modernday Cuba, the piece tells the story of three siblings and their mother. The mother is anguished by her fear of the government and worries her children could be punished for making their views known. But it is a son who chooses to leave that is the source of true heartbreak.
IF YOU GO
When: 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20
Where: Sarasota Contemporary Dance Home Studio, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts Suite 300
Tickets: $25-$30
Info: Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance.org.
posters for automobiles, train and ocean travel, as well as sports competitions that reflected a growing love of speed and luxury in spite of the Great Depression. Through March 29, 2026.
CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER EVENSONG: ARVO PART CELEBRATION
5:15 p.m. at Church of the Redeemer, 222 S. Palm Ave. Free Visit RedeemerSarasota.org.
Church of the Redeemer will honor the birthday of Estonian composer Arvo Part, who turned 90 on Sept. 11, at its Sunday Evensong. Celebrating the minimalist composer in a church is fitting since his music is partly inspired by Gregorian chant. Even if you’ve never heard of Part, you’ve no doubt heard his music. In recent years, he has rivaled Hollywood’s John Williams as the living composer whose works are most frequently performed.
Courtesy image
Tania Vergara, founder of Endedans Contemporary Ballet, presents her work, “Casa Havana,” at Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s home studio on Saturday, Sept. 20.
Image courtesy of Adrian Van Stee
Tom Horton and Jamie Saunders star in “I’m
Going to Marry You, Tobey Maguire,” which runs through Sept. 21 at Dingbat Theatre Project.
YOUR NEIGHBORS
PASSION FOR PINK
Men Wear Pink makes a fashion statement to support the American Cancer Society.
Justin Whitman, in his baby pink Vine-
yard Vines shirt, danced on stage at the Mall at University Town Center in honor of his late sister, Alicia Shekerd, who died in June at the age of 32 of stage four metastatic breast cancer.
Holding a pink rose in his hand, he made his way into the crowd, moving toward his mother, Leslie Whitman, who has a tattoo in honor of Alicia, with the breast cancer symbol and the dates her life began and ended. They shared a hug, with tears in Leslie’s eyes.
“Justin and his family are here in her memory and supporting her tonight,” said Allison Imre Perkowski, who acted as the master of ceremonies for the Men Wear Pink Fashion Sept. 13.
research is needed and better treatments are out there.”
Jason Francey attended the event while thinking of his mother, Dawn, who had breast cancer in 2020. After she had a double mastectomy, Jason stayed to care for her.
“There’s so many different people who are affected, and I’m glad to see that there’s a male presence that supports it,”
Jason Francey said.
“It’s an amazing group of guys, and many of them have been doing it for years,” said DeeAnne de Spirlet, senior development manager of American Cancer Society. “We have veterans and we’ve got newbies, but some people have been doing it for five, six or seven years.”
Men Wear Pink is a national campaign with the goal to raise funds and awareness to help in the fight against breast cancer. As a nation, they raised over $11 million.
The Sarasota-Manatee team contributed more than $255,000.
American Can-
— MADISON BIERL
Photos by Madison Bierl
Sammy Lynch has been an ambassador for Men Wear Pink for seven years. He is wearing a Robert Graham limited edition jacket called the “Grand Entrance.”
Frank Padur chose to be part of the Men Wear Pink fashion show in honor of family members who have died from cancer or who are battling it.
Lakewood Ranch residents Monique Govostes and Jane Bruyer attend the Men Wear Pink event at The Mall at University Town Center on Sept. 13.
Men Wear Pink attendees Jason Francey, Samantha Slechta, Kevin Thompson and Rendy Francey enjoy a moment together before the fashion show.
Jonathan Marsh lost a grandfather to liver cancer and an uncle to leukemia, so he supports Men Wear Pink.
Blake Fitzpatrick is a Men Wear Pink co-chair alongside Joy Mclean. He sports a rose suit from Men’s Warehouse.
COMMUNITY
YOUR CALENDAR
THURSDAY, SEPT. 18
THROUGH SUNDAY, SEPT. 21
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), David Fowler (Friday), Reverend Billy (Saturday) and Santiago (Sunday). All the music this week is free. For information, go to JiggsLanding.com.
SATURDAY. SEPT. 20
MUSIC AT THE PLAZA
Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Doug Burns plays Americana and country to entertain the Waterside Place crowd in the free music series. For information, go to WatersidePlace.com.
ROOFTOP YOGA
Begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Lakewood Ranch Library, 16410 Rangeland Parkway, Lakewood Ranch. Adults (18-and-older) can participate in the Rooftop Yoga program. The donation-based group class is designed to inspire and invigorate. Beginners are welcome, along with those who have experience. The workout focuses on balancing effort and ease through breath work and postures. Those who participate are asked to bring a yoga mat. For information, go to MyLWR.com.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 20 AND SUNDAY, SEPT. 21
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 Rich McGuire on Sunday.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 21
FARMERS MARKET
Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch, which was voted as the top farmers market in Florida for the second year in a row in 2024, will run year-round every Sunday. Vendors offer seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bak-
BEST BET
FRIDAY, SEPT. 19
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
Begins at 6 p.m. at 1560 Lakefront Drive, Waterside Place. The Sailor Circus Academy is the featured performer in the free Sights and Sounds series event. The academy will present a display of various circus acts. Limited seating is available so feel free to bring a lawn chair. No outside food or drinks are permitted. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.
ery goods, jams and pickles, among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. For information, visit MyLWR.com.
YOGA IN THE PARK Runs 8-9 a.m. at Waterside Park, 7301 Island Cove Terrace, Sarasota. Start the morning off with gentle yoga with lake views. For information, go to LakewoodRanch.com.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24
MALL WALKER CLUB
Begins at 9 a.m. at the Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota. Anyone is welcome to join the Mall Walker Club that is sponsored by the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. Those joining can then follow a regular routine of walking the mall one hour prior to regular mall operating hours. This is a free, individually paced program that encourages members to live healthy, active lives. For more information, go to MallAtUTC.com.
Photo courtesy Cliff Roles
Giving back tastes good
Both skills and memories are made at Pineapple Kitchen on Lena Road.
Lakewood Ranch’s Stacy Quaid learned to craft slices of salami into the likeness of a rose, and Sarasota’s Rachel Crauwels learned how to ice a cupcake so it looks like a bunny butt, something that still makes her giggle.
Both women are involved with the local nonprofit Manasota BUDS (Bringing Up Down Syndrome) — Crauwels because she has Down syndrome and Quaid because her daughter Ella has Down syndrome.
Crauwels and Quaid have attended cupcake and charcuterie workshops at Pineapple Kitchen that were set up by Manasota BUDS. On Sept. 13, they returned
to the group as volunteers.
Jenny and Mike Schenk, owners of Pineapple Kitchen, hosted a Harvest Open House and free tasting event. Samples, such as the apple fritters, could be purchased and brought home to bake.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit Manasota BUDS, which provides services and social activities to children and adults with Down syndrome in Manatee and Sarasota counties.
Jenny Schenk said they host some type of community event once a quarter. Each event benefits a local nonprofit. Past recipients include Feeding Empty Little Tummies and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
— LESLEY DWYER
ADVERTISEMENT
September marks National Vascular Disease Awareness Month, a time to focus on conditions that often go undiagnosed, including chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Affecting the veins in the lower legs, CVI is four times more common than arterial disease and can have a significant impact on a person’s comfort and mobility.
CVI occurs when the valves in leg veins stop working properly, causing blood to pool instead of circulating back to the heart. Over time, this can lead to symptoms like leg heaviness, swelling, visible varicose veins, cramping, restlessness, and even skin changes or ulcers. While these issues are sometimes dismissed as cosmetic or age-related, they are signs of a progressive medical condition.
The good news is that CVI is treatable, and early detection is key. Thanks to advances in vein care, treatments today are minimally invasive and typically require little to no downtime.
Florida Lakes Vein Center (FLVC) in Lakewood Ranch is taking an active role in educating the community and offering screenings and treatment options throughout Vascular Disease Awareness Month. As part of its free vein screening, the team uses ultrasound technology to quickly check for venous reflux, which is the underlying cause of CVI. This initial screening takes just 10 to 15 minutes. If reflux is detected, patients then undergo a comprehensive, one-hour bilateral ultrasound to map all the veins in both legs before any treatment is recommended.
“We want people to understand that they don’t have to live with the pain or discomfort caused by venous disease,” says Sara Roberts, Regional Director at FLVC. “We’ve seen patients regain their quality of life, from better sleep to more energy just walking around.”
One patient, unaware that his varicose veins were linked to fatigue and leg heaviness, described his post-treatment experience as life-changing. Another shared how the treatment eased his restless legs so much that he could finally sleep peacefully, and so could his wife.
As part of this month’s efforts, FLVC is offering free vein screenings and encourages the community to take advantage of educational resources, blogs, and a quick online screening tool at floridalakesveincenter.com or itsanoveiner.com.
As one grateful patient said, “Thank you for not just the aesthetic improvement but for reestablishing my quality of life.”
Jenny and Mike Schenk are husband and wife and co-owners of Pineapple Kitchen.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Sarasota’s Maria Oxyuk and Wellen Park’s Halyna Stavynoha and Yuliya White attend the Harvest Open House on Sept. 13.
Pineapple Kitchen hosts a free tasting event Sept. 13. This is a beer cheese mac and cheese.
Rosedale’s Rita Beaird brings her friend Frankie.
Palmetto realtors Paul and Ann Hockenbury are leaving with apple butter.
PET PICS
SOMEONE
Goldendoodle Harley, from River Club, adores Airedale Sally.
Soap stars get spooky
Over 100 soap opera fans attend the event at Lakewood Ranch Country Club to meet their favorite stars supporting Samantha’s Friends.
LESLEY
DWYER STAFF WRITER
Ahuge fan of the soap opera
“General Hospital,” Kim McBroom traveled about five hours from Whigham, Georgia, to Lakewood Ranch to meet her favorite stars.
So why did Lakewood Ranch become soap opera central on Sept. 14?
Soap opera stars just happen to be huge fans of Lakewood Ranch resident Samantha Bozza.
The leading men and women who star in dramas like “Days of Our Lives” and “The Bay” are better known in Lakewood Ranch as “Samantha’s Friends.” Bozza, along with her mother Alice, operate the Samantha’s Friends nonprofit that supports organizations that provide service dogs to individuals in need. On Sept. 14, Samantha’s Friends hosted the Haunted Mansion brunch at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club.
While Samantha’s Friends has
been hosting galas for 31 years, the Bozzas are not the founders.
Edward Perley founded the nonprofit. At the time, Perley was living in New York and working on Wall Street.
He was on vacation in Florida when he read a newspaper article about Samantha Bozza. In 1993, at 15 years old, she had a brain aneurysm caused by an arteriovenous malformation.
Perley experienced the same type of aneurysm at the same age, so he held the first fundraiser in Bozza’s honor in New York City in 1994.
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, Perley asked Alice Bozza if she and Samantha wanted to take over hosting the galas in Lakewood Ranch.
“Samantha said, ‘Of course,’ and I said, ‘Of course not,’” Alice Bozza said. “Guess who won?”
The all-volunteer organization puts its funds toward small, local charities that train and board service animals.
This year’s recipients are Donte’s Den, Canines for Heroes and Valor
ABOUT THE NONPROFIT
Samantha’s Friends. Visit SamanthasFriends.org.
Mission statement: To assist other philanthropic charities with the main focus on service canines helping individuals challenged by disabilities as well as canine shelters for deployed military, senior citizens and other individuals unable to care for their animals.
Service Dogs.
Mark Laflamm, founder of Canines for Heroes in Sarasota, said one dog can cost up to $20,000 to purchase and train, but he sees remarkable turnarounds when veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder receive a dog.
Laflamm’s chosen breed is Belgian Malinois because they’re so commonly used by the military, but he also takes that one step further.
Laflamm has a breeder in Alabama who trains dogs for scent tracking. Before a PTSD attack hits, a scent is released that the dogs can pick up to help alleviate the severity of the attack.
The attacks come in many forms — difficulty concentrating, angry outbursts and a racing heart are just a few symptoms. One recipient couldn’t keep a job because his attacks came so regularly, but after three months, he was able to return to work full time with his dog.
Stories like that are what keep the Bozzas in constant party-planning mode.
“This is my life,” Samantha Bozza said. “I’m able to dress up and feel like I’m doing good in this world to
give to these charities.”
She’s also turned friends into family.
Jordi Vilasuso, who played Tony Santos on “Guiding Light” and is now starring in “The Bay,” an Emmy-winning digital series, estimates he’s been traveling back and forth to Lakewood Ranch twice a year for about 10 years.
Vilasuso gets invitations to attend fan events and fundraisers but said Samantha’s Friends is always a priority because the Bozzas treat him like family.
Kyle Lowder, who starred on “Days of Our Lives” and “The Bold
and the Beautiful,” called Alice Bozza his second mom.
“She’s one of my favorite people in the world,” he said. “And the people who show up to these events are great people. They’re here for their charity and to donate their time and money. Their attitude is so great it makes it easier for us.”
The stars didn’t just sign autographs, they sang, danced, told jokes and asked trivia questions.
Next year’s fundraisers are already planned for May and September. The themes are The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Arabian Nights.
Photos by Lesley Dwyer
Kim McBroom is a huge “General Hospital” fan. Cynthia Watros plays the role of Nina Reeves.
Jordi Vilasuso, who played Tony Santos on “Guiding Light,” hits the runway.
Samantha Bozza is serenaded by Bradford Anderson, who played Damian Spinelli on “General Hospital.”
It was a fun night that carried an Oscars theme, but the money raised for the Manatee County Medical Society Foundation was no joke.
A sellout crowd of 280 attended the Manatee County Medical Society Gala on Sept. 13 at Grove, and those who attended dressed to the hilt to walk the red carpet. The money raised from the event went to scholarships and the Physician’s Wellness Program.
Dr. Kinga Porter, the president of the Manatee County Medical Society, said stress and burnout are real issues facing doctors and those in the health care industry, which are reasons the wellness program is important.
Porter also said the event acts as a networking opportunity because of the area’s growth.
above the rest by pulling the best of the best from Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and the Theory of Multiple Intelligences.
We emphasize individualized instruction and incorporate authentic experiences which include fine arts, earth science, cultural events, and so much more.
“We have a lot of new providers,” Porter said. “People don’t know each other.”
Event Chair Cassandra Hafner helped set the tone with an Oscar’s-style red dress by Marchesa.
“I wanted something red and dramatic,” she said. “I enjoy being a party planner.”
— JAY HEATER
Photos by Jay Heater
Dr. Connor Sweeney and Farrah Sweeney walk the red carpet at the Manatee County Medical Society Gala on Sept. 13.
Event Chair Cassandra Hafner and Manatee County Medical Society President Kinga Porter set the tone for the gala with dramatic red dresses.
Dr. Amir Boubekri brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Lakewood Ranch I office a wealth of knowledge and experience in Orthopedic Medicine.
Undergraduate: University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Medical School: University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL
Residency: Orthopedic Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL
Fellowship: Shoulder and Elbow Fellowship, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Certification: Board Eligible, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Hospital Affiliations: Sarasota Memorial Hospital; Sarasota Doctors Hospital; Lakewood Ranch Medical Center
Isven Chavez, Karen Chavez, Leigh Tesar and Michael Tesar look forward to the night’s activities at Grove Ballroom on Sept. 13.
Rob Tonova, of Clearwater, worked the Manatee County Medical Society Gala as the DJ.
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center CFO Renee Shopoff and Philip Smith support the fundraiser Sept. 13.
Wild Blue home tops sales at $3,613,900
ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR
Ahome in Wild Blue at Waterside topped the week’s sales. SDWB Waterside LLC sold the home at 1162 Blue Shell Loop to Marsha Katz, trustee, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, for $3,613,900. Built in 2024, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,452 square feet of living area.
AZARIO ESPLANADE
Dennis Patrick Cameron and Sandra Rose Cameron, trustees, of Newton, Massachusetts, sold the home at 3564 Santa Caterina Blvd. to David Michael Mannes and Melissa Nicole Dushane, of Owings Mills, Maryland, for $1,625,000. Built in 2023, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,041 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.75 million in 2024.
Jaikishen Vasudevan Koranchath and Smriti Jaikishen sold their home at 15610 San Lazzaro Ave. to James and Michele Triantos, of Bradenton, for $1.57 million. Built in 2024, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 3,080 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,582,000 in January.
COUNTRY CLUB EAST
Richard and Jessica Blank, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 7634 Windy Hill Cove to Erika and Nathan Upchurch and Karen Lofgren, of Bradenton, for $1.6 million. Built in 2020, it has five bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,791 square feet of living area.
Ruthann Paul-Suess, of Tampa, sold her home at 15520 Castle Park Terrace to Michael Kemsley, of Lakewood Ranch, for $877,500. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,432 square feet of living area. It sold for $484,200 in 2018.
Joan Shuster, of Sarasota, sold the Unit 15-D condominium at 7387 Divot Loop to Donald and Doris Johnson, of Sarasota, for $810,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,332 square feet of living area. It sold for $715,000 in 2022.
ESPLANADE
William Allen Finley and Shelley Finley, of Dublin, Ohio, sold their home at 13208 Malachite Drive to Mark Bucci and JoAnn DrummondBabbie Bucci, trustees, of Wilmington, Delaware, for $1.43 million. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,841 square feet of living area. It sold for $812,700 in 2016.
LAKEWOOD NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
Christopher Mancinone and Catherine Jean Vieira sold their home at 17604 Hickok Belt Loop to Janet and Steven McCue, of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, for $1 million. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,027 square feet of living area. It sold for $960,000 in 2022.
MALLORY PARK
David and Caroline Glickman, of Bradenton, sold their home at 3431 Chestertown Loop to Andrew Thomas Bucknell and Michelle Louise Bucknell, of Bonita Springs, for $920,000. Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, three-andtwo-half baths, a pool and 3,413 square feet of living area. It sold for $705,100 in 2020.
BRADEN WOODS
Nicholas and Vicki Zec, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6706 88th St. E. to Jennifer and Jeffrey Gallagher, of Bradenton, for $809,300. Built in 1986, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,874 square feet of living area.
Samuel and Mary Iacovelli, of Ona, sold their home at 9007 63rd Ave. Drive E. to John and Melissa Lee, of Bradenton, for $618,500. Built in 1985, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,095 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2018.
Nancy Strasser, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 6011 91st St. E. to Catherine and Joshua Messenger, of Bradenton, for $460,000. Built in 1986, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,534 square feet of living area. It sold for $104,000 in 1990.
DEL WEBB
Donald Langro and Denise Anna Langro, trustees, of Saint Johns, sold the home at 17229 Hampton Falls Terrace to Kenneth and Cynthia Davis, trustees, of Caledonia, Michigan, for $785,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,974 square feet of living area. It sold for $495,300 in 2019.
Gillian Levy sold the home at 7409 Chester Trail to Ellen Fink and Herbert Wolloch, trustees, of Bradenton, for $555,000. Built in 2018, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,832 square feet of living area. It sold for $378,100 in 2018.
RIVERDALE REVISED
Matthew Liwski, of Bradenton, sold his home at 4708 Clipper Drive to David Kronk Jr. and Damian Rodriguez, of Bradenton, for $775,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, four baths and 2,106 square feet of living area. It sold for $700,000 in 2021.
HAMPTON GREEN
Stephen and Kathy Luc, of Carmel, Indiana, sold their home at 7952 Hampton Court to Kelly Buckner, of University Park, for $690,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,989 square feet of living area. It sold for $625,000 in 2023.
BROADMOOR PINES
Patricia Comstock, of Springfield, Illinois, sold her home at 7804 Broadmoor Pines Blvd. to Kevin Brinkworth, of Sarasota, for $680,000. Built in 1986, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,549 square feet of living area. It sold for $425,000 in 2014.
GREYHAWK LANDING WEST
Katia Adams, trustee, of Mauro Pires sold the home at 1017 Siberian Glen to David Berry and Nicole Blakeley, of Bradenton, for $673,000. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,203 square feet of living area. It sold for $460,700 in 2018.
HPA Borrower 2017-1 ML LLC sold the home at 815 Rosemary Circle to Joseph and Barbara Rooney, of Bradenton, for $499,900. Built in 2014, it has five bedrooms, three-and-ahalf baths and 2,810 square feet of living area. It sold for $390,000 in 2017.
MISTY OAKS
Justin Tallo, of Cortez, sold his home at 6107 Misty Oaks St. to Callum and Laura Crawford, of Sarasota, for $660,000. Built in 1987, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,005 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2017.
WATERLEFE GOLF AND RIVER
CLUB
Alan Hewitt and Jo Ann Miller, of Bradenton, sold their home at 608 Misty Pond Court to Michael and Geraldine Ruffino, of Bradenton, for $610,000. Built in 2000, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,420 square feet of living area. It sold for $575,000 in 2022.
Stuart and Beth Katz sold their home at 9635 Discovery Terrace to Michael Cagno and Sharon Danielle Cagno, of Sparta, New Jersey, for $505,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,864 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 2008.
HARMONY
Michael and Sonya Zarkhin sold their home at 5240 Bentgrass Way to Alan Hewitt and Jo Ann Miller, of Bradenton, for $608,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,029 square feet. It sold for $525,000 in 2021.
Madison Bierl
This Wild Blue at Waterside home at 1162 Blue Shell Loop sold for $3,613,900. Built in 2024, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,452 square feet of living area.
COPPERLEFE
Charles Richard Johnson and Kathryn Diane MacDougall, of Bradenton, sold their home at 10905 Copperlefe Drive to Phearun Johnny Pov and Leann Pov, of Bradenton, for $595,000. Built in 2019, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 3,257 square feet of living area. It sold for $378,000 in 2019.
COACH HOMES AT LAKEWOOD
NATIONAL
Brent and Shelley Spivak sold their Unit 2122 condominium at 5921 Wake Forest Run to Edward and Cathy Hayes, of Warwick, New York, for $565,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,108 square feet of living area. It sold for $610,000 in 2021.
CRESSWIND
Charles Bradley Jr., of N. Charleston, South Carolina, sold his home at 5219 Barnett Circle to Douglas and Cindy Dollarhide, of Lakewood Ranch, for $540,000. Built in 2022, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,671 square feet of living area. It sold for $551,600 in 2022.
HIDDEN OAKS
Glen and Sherry Kelley sold their home at 12809 Seventh Ave. N.E. to Daniel Joseph Cullen and Heidi Marie Cullen, of Bradenton, for $535,000. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,012 square feet of living area. It sold for $275,000 in 2014.
NAUTIQUE AT WATERSIDE
Terri and Joshua Maurice, of Sarasota, sold their home at 7352 Cabin Lane to Talley Thompson, of Sarasota, for $530,000. Built in 2024, it has three bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths and 1,912 square feet of living area.
EAGLE TRACE
Dr. Bryant is a board-certified plastic surgeon with fellowship-training in both microsurgery and craniofacial reconstructive surgery. He offers the most advanced approaches to breast reconstruction including microvascular reconstruction. He also specializes in reconstruction from head to toe for patients of all ages, including oncologic reconstruction, lower extremity reconstruction and limb salvage.
Board
: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery by American Osteopathic Board of Surgery Medical School : Oklahoma State University, Tulsa, OK
Residencies: Oklahoma State University Medical Center, Tulsa, OK; Beaumont Health, Farmington Hills, MI
Fellowships: Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC; Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,182 square feet of living area. It sold for $347,400 in 2018.
GREENBROOK
Paul Zook and G. Christopher Bowers, of Sarasota, sold their home at 6305 Golden Eye Glen to Matthew Hester, of Lakewood Ranch, for $515,000. Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,073 square feet of living area. It sold for $454,900 in 2006.
STONEYBROOK AT HERITAGE
HARBOUR
Jaime and Desiree Planinsek sold their home at 8223 Haven Harbour Way to Christopher Michael Holmes and Brandy Jo Holmes, of Thornton, Colorado, for $509,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,963 square feet of living area. It sold for $340,000 in 2020.
CARLYLE AT THE VILLAGES OF PALM AIRE
Carolynn Capabianca, of Wood Ridge, New Jersey, sold her home at 5091 Creekside Trail to Michael Aronica and Michael Aronica Jr., of Sarasota, for $480,000. Built in 2003, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 2,157 square feet of living area. It sold for $340,000 in 2021.
ROSEDALE
Jules Brownell and George Stroberg, of Arvada, Colorado, sold their home at 8706 52nd Drive E. to James Saneholtz, of Bryan, Ohio, for $480,000. Built in 1995, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,521 square feet of living area. It sold for $525,000 in 2022.
Mary Jane Rahrig, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 5308 88th St. E. to James Borycens and Sonia Castillo, trustees, of Bradenton, for $470,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,099 square feet of living area.
Andre and Halina Savrimoutou, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 12614 Lake Silver Ave. to James and Marlene Minardi, of Bradenton, for $525,000. Built in 2018,
HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS
Storm Ready, Comfort Steady
When hurricane season approaches, the uncertainty can be stressful. Homeowners want to feel confident they’ve done everything possible to prepare their property and protect their families. That’s where Aqua Plumbing & Air comes in. With more than 50 years of experience serving Southwest Florida, the company focuses on helping residents take smart, practical steps: before, during, and after a storm.
“Aqua’s got your back,” says Andrew Freitas, Aqua’s General Manager of Residential Service. His team’s expertise spans HVAC, plumbing, electrical, water treatment, and backup power generation. From installing and servicing whole-home generators to offering comfort protection plans and 24/7 emergency response, Aqua helps keep essential systems functioning when families need them most.
Preparation doesn’t stop at storm supplies. Regular maintenance is one of the best ways to prevent problems. “During routine AC service, we inspect all the main components,” Freitas explains. “If we notice a part starting to fail, we can fix it before it becomes a bigger problem.” That kind of proactive care saves homeowners from costly diagnostic fees and the frustration of being without air conditioning in Florida’s heat.
The same approach applies to water heaters. “When we flush and inspect your water heater, we can see inside in ways homeowners can’t,” Freitas says. “That lets us catch wear or potential failure before it leaves you without hot water.”
Plumbing is another area where small problems can turn into big headaches. “During a safety inspection under sinks and throughout your plumbing, we look for tiny drips or other issues that could grow,” says Charlie Stephens, Operations Manager for Plumbing Service. “Identifying them early prevents bigger repairs and helps protect your home.”
Aqua also understands that recovery matters just as much as preparation. After a storm, power may be out and systems may falter, but its experienced crews are ready to respond quickly and restore essential services. Through the Aqua One maintenance agreement, homeowners receive discounts, priority scheduling, and even pre-storm safety inspections.
“It’s called preparedness for a reason,” says Stephens. “We want to make sure families are ready before the storm and taken care of after.”
SPORTS
FAST BREAK
Grant McCray, a 2019 graduate of Lakewood Ranch High, threw a 101.7 mph outfield assist for the San Francisco Giants on Friday in their 5-1 extra-inning victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. His laser from deep right field to third base — cutting down Ben Rortvedt — marked the hardestthrown outfield assist for the Giants in the Statcast era, dating back to 2015. McCray was a defensive replacement late in the game, and his throw helped keep the game knotted at 1-1 in the top of the 10th, putting San Francisco in position to walk it off in the bottom of the frame.
Ryan Waldschmidt hit a grand slam and solo home run Sunday for the Amarillo Sod Poodles — the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks — in their regular-season finale, a 14-10 loss to the Midland RockHounds. The 2021 graduate of Braden River High is batting .289 this season with a .419 on-base percentage, and was recently named the Texas League’s Player of the Month for August. Now a 22-year-old outfielder, he enters the postseason with 140 hits, 18 home runs and 78 RBIs in 2025 as the No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
… The Out-of-Door Academy girls’ volleyball has won seven of its last eight matches. Last week, the squad fell to Saint Stephen’s Episcopal 3-2 but cruised to commanding 3-0 defeats of Admiral Farragut and Sarasota Military Academy. Freshman Alex Beasley, senior Ella Kwon and sophomore Bertie Bryson lead the attack this fall with 136, 88 and 63 kills, respectively. Sophomore Isla Paterson tops the team with 145 digs, while fellow sophomore Emmy Coachys leads all teammates with 284 assists.
… It was rough sledding for the three active area football teams in Week 4, as Parrish Community (3-1), Lakewood Ranch (2-2) and Braden River (2-2) all lost on Sept. 12.
“I want to be one of the best receivers to go to this school. I want to break records this year.”
— The Out-of-Door Academy’s Brady Cleveland SEE PAGE 32
Adversity strikes, but Pirates persevere
The Braden River High volleyball team used a six-match winning streak to get back on track after a rash of injuries.
JACK NELSON SPORTS REPORTER
Injuries befall every team at one point or another. For those who lack the depth necessary to adjust, such adversity can cause high hopes to come crashing down.
For the Braden River High girls volleyball team, injuries have not been few and far between.
The players’ injuries have included a torn ACL, a torn meniscus, a broken foot and a concussion, all in the early stages of the season. That forced coach Matthew McElhiney to put his athletes at different positions, no matter how steep the learning curve.
“When you lose four players, you have players playing different roles,” he said. “It just takes time for them to understand the speed of the game, and the requirements, the expectations, positioning and situations.”
Nearly a month into its fall schedule, the Pirates (7-5) have rebounded from those early season obstacles. The team dropped three of its opening four matches, but from Sept. 4 through 12 and rattled off six victories in a row before losing twice in a tournament Sept. 13.
During the winning streak, Braden River surrendered just one set, outscoring opponents by a commanding 15-1 in combined sets.
“(Coach McElhiney) made it known that he believed in us, and that there was potential for us to definitely finish out those (losing) matches,” said Chloe Pogoda, a senior outside hitter. “Carrying that confidence into our next few games helped us finish those last few points and do what we needed to do to get those wins.”
Entering 2025, the program lost the bulk of its attacking production with the graduations of Baylee Hinkle and Jaliyah Elder. Those two accounted for 238 kills in 2024, per MaxPreps, or 42.8% of the team total.
Rose Reece, who topped the squad with 180 receptions last season, and blocks leader Morgan Beane (42), both graduated as well. Despite an 8-16 regular season last
IF YOU GO
NEXT UP FOR BRADEN RIVER GIRLS
VOLLEYBALL
Who: Braden River hosts Bradenton
Christian When: 7 p.m. Sept. 18
Where: Braden River High School
said. “With new roles and untested players, I personally wasn’t sure what we were going to look like. The thing that I’ve noticed early on this season is our serving, serve receive and our defense have been really good.”
Multiple players have embraced playing in more positions, including outside/middle hitter Molly Lynch, the only freshman and one of just two underclassmen on the varsity roster.
Pogoda shifted from just playing front row to playing back row as well for this campaign. Senior Ashlynn Henry, meanwhile, had her role switched from just playing back row to also playing up front as an outside hitter.
“We’re a less experienced team all the way around, and we’ve lost a lot of seniors, but everyone kind of accepted that challenge and worked together to achieve the common goal,” Pogoda said. “From top to bottom, we knew we needed to be the best we could be.”
After sweeping Manatee in the season opener, Braden River lost to Venice, Port Charlotte and Riverview as the calendar turned from late August to early September.
The Pirates took host Port Charlotte, the reigning 5A state semifinalist, to a fifth set. They just couldn’t close it out.
Ryan Kohn
Matthew McElhiney has been the head coach of the Braden River High indoor volleyball team since 2011.
year, Braden River qualified for the FHSAA Class 5A state tournament thanks to its strength of schedule, and ultimately fell in the regional quarterfinals.
There are reasons for optimism this season.
Senior middle blocker/outside hitter Molly Horalek and Pogoda are back as crucial contributors from last season’s team. They had 94 and 87 kills as juniors to rank third and fourth, respectively, among all Pirates.
“On paper coming in, we had a lot of unproven players,” McElhiney
Junior outside hitter Ashlyn Collins (left) gets in position for a pass as junior outside hitter/opposite Olivia Salgado (right) watches from the back row.
So when Braden River trailed by 11 points in the second set of its Sept. 8 rivalry match against Lakewood Ranch, the Pirates stayed persistent.
“We were having those conversations inside the huddle, ‘Hey, we’ve got to close this out. We’ve got to find a way — no matter what — to find a way to get it done,’” McElhiney said. “It was good to have (the players) have that conversation.”
Persistence has paid off in a big way. The squad has nearly matched its win total from all of last season with nine contests still remaining.
The Mustangs were the only opponent to win set from the Pirates during the six-match winning streak, as all five other triumphs were sweeps.
Defeats of St. Petersburg (7-3) and Lakewood Ranch (10-5) were the highlights of the resurgent stretch, with Horalek averaging nearly 10 kills per match.
Pogoda has been a key player, as well.
“I’ve tried my best to keep every ball in the court and just elongate plays,” Pogoda said. “We have a very scrappy team, so I think just extending those rallies has allowed everyone the opportunity to (win points).”
That three-match skid is comfortably behind them.
The Pirates have overcome four lost players — and a losing start — to get where they are now.
Braden River, which was scheduled to play The Out-of-Door Academy on Sept. 16 at the East County Observer’s deadline, next hosts Bradenton Christian 7 p.m. Sept. 18.
Image courtesy of S.F. Giants Lakewood Ranch High baseball alum
Grant McCray is known for his speed and defense. He had a big outfield assist for the Giants on Sept. 12 in a win over the Dodgers.
Photos by Jack Nelson
Chloe Pogoda gets into her stance during practice Sept. 11. She has helped her team win six of its last eight matches.
This CEO unleashes the Thunder
Rob Hollway dons darkly tinted sunglasses as he checks out the sun-soaked, Outof-Door Academy campus in Lakewood Ranch.
His go-to shades are complete with a neck strap, for those times when the sun doesn’t shine so bright.
Thunder logos embroider his hat and polo shirt in a manner that screams school pride. His outfit appears carefully coordinated, featuring some combination of navy, blue and white. Even the lanyard and whistle adorning his neck fit the color scheme.
His brand-positive attire might be comparable to something a mascot would wear, but he’s not here to entertain. Hollway is here to work. Rarely does he casually stroll The Out-of-Door Academy grounds. More often than not, he’s on a mission from place to place as the associate athletic director and football coach.
“I want to be here forever,” Hollway said. “My kids are in first grade, and I’ve got to find a way to stay long enough for them to coach me. I’m here because it’s not the easy path — it’s a worthy path.” He looks comfortable where he is, at the helm of a football program that’s blossoming because of him. It’s a program that, not so long ago, was in dire straits.
Before Hollway’s arrival, the Thunder went winless after players quit, forcing a premature end to the 2021 season. He recruited talent from all over campus — beginning with the ODA baseball team, the 2021 FHSAA Class 2A state champion. His hope was to bring the school’s best athletes to the football field.
Results were immediate, and overwhelmingly positive in his first year. His rag-tag team of not-sofootball players put together a 9-1
record and reached the then-SSAC Class 5A state semifinals. Hollway guided his players to a whole new level a year later, claiming the then-SSAC Class 4A state championship in 2023. Last fall, defense shined like never before, as the group allowed the fewest points per game in program history en route to a state semifinals berth.
“The biggest thing was changing the culture and making football fun,” Hollway said. “That’s why we’re here — to play with our best friends and have a great time and beat our rival. So I invested in having fun, and I think that’s attracted a lot of kids to the program.”
Success is palpable in the present. ODA football enters its Friday battle
with Sarasota Christian at 3-1 and with fresh legs coming off its bye week.
The group has clobbered teams in victory, outscoring Halifax Academy, Cambridge Christian and Saint Stephen’s Episcopal by a staggering 111-7 combined. In defeat, its lone result came 27-20 against reigning SSAA Class 2A state champion Santa Fe Catholic.
But “The Hollway Effect” has yielded far more than big numbers on the scoreboard.
It also attracted an eight-deep staff of assistants, including associate head coach/offensive coordinator Nate Strawderman, defensive coordinator Zach Hammond and director of recruiting and football operations Josh Medeiros. Mike Zaloga, a former scholarship player at New Hampshire, is back in the trenches and coaching the Thunder’s offensive line.
Shaping the perfect staff can be a grueling process, and for Hollway, it took years to find those who align with his vision. But he’s assembled the dream team that can properly prepare ODA football for Friday, and hopefully, many more Fridays to come.
“I always say, ‘Get the right people on the bus, and get them in the right seats,’ and that took some time,” Hollway said. “It’s nice to watch practice in the individual periods and watch us getting actively better.”
A staff loaded with football minds coaching the positions they once played has also eased the day-today operations for Hollway. He doesn’t need to have much of a say in playcalling — at least, not as much as he has in the past.
There’s beautiful freedom in not stressing about all those finite playby-play details. Make no mistake, he’s very much involved, but he’s also happy to sit back and trust his assistants to
tackle problem areas as they arise.
Hollway has more time to put his players under a magnifying glass, finding ways to get the guys involved who deserve to be involved. On a roster of 45 kids — constrained by the private school’s smaller enrollment — that’s something he thinks about more often than most.
For the first time in a long time, the staff backing him and the player success in front of him has Hollway feeling the way every head coach should feel.
The program feels like his. It feels like home. And if things keep going the way they’re going, this is a home he can inhabit for as long as he desires.
“I don’t ever feel like when we walk away from a game, that we didn’t put enough in,” Hollway said. “I really feel like I’m the CEO of the program.”
His love for the role is evident in the smiles he flashes in the hallways during school days. It’s evident in the way he parades up and down the sidelines, watching the program grow into something greater with each victory.
But it can also be seen during those moments when he sits back and allows his assistants to course correct, keeping the faith in both them and his players as proponents of this thriving new era in ODA football history.
After all, Hollway himself is thriving like never before.
Courtesy image
Rob Hollway smiles as he oversees an Out-of-Door Academy football practice. The coach and associate athletic director helped the Thunder to the fewest points allowed in program history this past season.
Jack Nelson
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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Brady Cleveland
Coaches once tried using Brady Cleveland at quarterback and running back during his middle school days. Neither of those, though, caught on. He was meant to be a pass catcher. Cleveland, a sophomore wide receiver/defensive back, has been featured heavily in The Out-of-Door Academy’s 3-1 start with 314 yards on 13 receptions. He has scored six touchdowns.
When and why did you start playing football?
I started playing football in kindergarten with flag football. I just wanted to play because it was always on in the house. My dad’s (Austin Cleveland) a huge fan of football, so I wanted to start.
How did you gravitate to wide receiver?
I played flag (football) all my life, and I started (tackle football) in sixth grade, so that was a big jump. I was always a receiver, but then when I was in sixth grade, they put me at quarterback. Then in seventh grade, I started getting running back reps — in eighth grade, too. But when I came to high school, I started working (at) receiver again. It’s always been my dream to play receiver in college.
What’s been the highlight of your season so far?
Probably that first game when I had four total touchdowns, pret ty crazy. Going from not getting the time I wanted ... I worked for it, and then I showed out.
What’s been your most humbling moment as a player?
Probably not playing as much as I wanted. I came out of eighth grade thinking I was super good, but then I came to high school and realized that it was the real deal and I had to work.
What’s one quote you live your life by?
“Make your own luck.” My family and I go by
Dr. Kansara
at Coastal Eye Institute, is a leading expert in the field of ophthalmology, specializing in:
• Glaucoma Management & Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Procedures
• Micro-Incision Cataract Surgery
• Routine Eye Care
Whether you’re seeking
Don’t miss this
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that. My dad has it tattooed on his arm. “There’s no luck, you’ve got to make it.”
What are your goals for your sophomore season with The Out-of-Door Academy? I want to be one of the best receivers to go to this school. I want to break records this year. I just want to keep getting better.
If you could meet any professional athlete, who would it be and why?
One hundred percent, Josh Allen. He’s my role model. He was always doubted in his life. I just model after him, because he’s such a good leader and a great guy.
If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?
Probably to Turks and Caicos. That place just looks amazing. The water looks great. Jet skiing.
If you were stuck on a desert island with only one item, what would you bring and why?
Football. You could entertain yourself with it. Throw it up, throw it off anything. And I love football.
Finish this sentence. Brady Cleveland is ... Undeniable.
NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH
HIGH DRAMA by Michael Schlossberg, edited by Jared Goudsmit
By Luis Campos
Ken and Katina were the only agents that followed up on my initial house search trip to the area. They listened to what my requirements were and then provided me with a list of possibilities that matched my list of needs. On my second visit to Florida, Ken showed me several homes, and when I found the perfect one, he helped me put a strong offer together which was accepted. With Ken and Katina as my agents I knew they were working for me and really cared that I find the right home in the correct location. I highly recommend them to be your real estate agents of choice.
