East County Observer 10.6.22

Ravaged by the storm

Cool effort in Myakka City

Manatee County employee Angie Wilson (above) could have spent Oct. 1 in the comfort of her home following Hurricane Ian, but instead decided to comfort those in Myakka City.

Wilson had an ice machine in her Bradenton home that produces 700 pounds of ice per day. She and her husband, Scott Wilson, use the ice to hydrate employees of Scott Wilson’s lawn care business, GRO Green Lawn & Landscape Maintenance, as well as for their own hunting and fishing trips.

She went to the Myakka Community Center, scooping the ice into bags for those in need.

Ian Swaby

Ian Swaby

Veronica Young stands in front of her flooded home and pickup (left) at Singletary Road and Riverview Road in Myakka City in the wake of Cateogry 4 Hurricane Ian.

Courtesy photo

Overflow from the Myakka River floods Rose and Clyde Alstrom’s barn during Hurricane Ian.

Hurricane not rough on animal shelters

Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue and Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch make it through Hurricane Ian with limited damage.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Lakewood National’s Barbie Oster ling and Waterside’s Jill Hen nessey were busy picking up palm fronds and moving them to the edge of the Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue property so they could be taken away. Osterling didn’t have power in

her Lakewood National home and was looking for something to do. She decided to head over to Nate’s Honor to help with clean-up efforts Sept. 30.

“I said, ‘I’m going to Nate’s because it’s a happy place,’” Osterling said. “I got my cup of coffee, came here and whatever Rob (Oglesby) wants me to do, I’ll do it.”

Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue and the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch saw minimal damage after Hurricane Ian made its way through Lakewood Ranch and Myakka City.

Rob Oglesby, the nonprofit’s development director, said he wasn’t too concerned about how Hurricane Ian would impact the nonprofit’s facilities because the cottages and

new facilities are hurricane proof.

In the days leading up to Hurricane Ian, Nate’s Honor was able to find foster homes for 32 dogs and 15 cats.

Oglesby said that in the past, the property always would flood during heavy rains.

“I would have had my knee-high boots on and would have been going through about a foot of water hop ing the sump pumps were working if we still had power,” Oglesby said. “Those days are gone, thank heav ens.”

Nate’s Honor raised its property 2 feet with drainage. Hurricane Ian was a test to show whether the prop erty would flood. There weren’t any parts of the property that flooded except a puddle where a yard drain

BY THE NUMBERS

32Dogs Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue found foster homes for during Hurricane Ian

15Cats Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue found foster homes for during Hurricane Ian

Cats at Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch

Dogs at Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch

hadn’t been opened.

“They don’t open them until it’s sodded because they don’t want the pipes filled with mud,” Oglesby said. “If it was sodded, all that water would have gone into the drains.”

Nate’s had about 40 feet of white vinyl fencing knocked down, two trees were uprooted, two new cot tages that were under construction were destroyed and several downed palm fronds littered the grounds.

Oglesby said panels from the two cottages that were wrecked were sal vageable.

Damage to the property will not postpone the completion of Nate’s

$10 million expansion.

“Worst case scenario, we’ll just have two cottages that aren’t done when everything’s supposed to be (finished) in February,” he said.

At the Humane Society at Lake wood Ranch, Dani Ziegler, the non profit’s manager, said the house and shelter had limited damage, and they were without power and water. Some of the play yards were muddy and the pond was full.

“Other than that, we have, thank fully, minimal damage,” Ziegler said.

“We have some branches down and a few shingles on the roof are off.

Nothing major.”

When staff members walked through the doors Sept. 29, Ziegler said the 10 cats and 12 dogs at the shelter were thrilled to see them.

“It was such a relief,” Ziegler said. “I hated not being able to take them home with me. I went as soon as it wasn’t dark out and safe. The ani mals all made it through the storm just fine. They were very happy to see us and get all the love and attention.”

Ziegler said the nonprofit had a generator that could be used to turn fans on if power wasn’t restored.

The Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch closed to give the nonprofit time to fix the roof and clean up the grounds, but Ziegler said the non profit will reopen Oct. 7.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Rob Oglesby, Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue’s development director, says panels from the cottages that were wrecked by Hurricane Ian are salvageable.

A downed tree blocks the main walkway through Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue.

TWELVE HOURS OF TERROR

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Ashlee Middleton had no idea evacuating from her home near Siesta Drive in Saraso ta and sheltering in Myakka City during Hurricane Ian would lead to the most stressful 12 hours of her life.

She didn’t know Hurricane Ian had its eye on the home of her parents, Rose and Clyde Alstrom, on River Road.

11 P.M. SEPT. 28 AT THE ALSTROM HOME

Middleton and her husband, Ken Middleton, were able to finally get their children, 2-year-old Brooke and 4-year-old Liam, to sleep. She was feeling good about her decision to shelter in Myakka City because her parents had a generator and were far from the coast. Middleton’s family and her dad were joined by her uncle, Myakka City’s Brian Alstrom, as well as her brother, Billy Alstrom, who lived on Cortez Road by the bridge to Bradenton Beach and thought evacuating to Myakka City would be a good idea.

Power was crucial to the Middle tons because Brooke Middleton has cystic fibrosis and needed power to do physical therapy twice a day.

Middleton began getting nervous, though, as she heard parts of the alu minum roof being pulled from the home as the winds picked up. The children were awake again, and they all moved to a bathroom where she distracted them with videos on her phone.

“As a parent, it was very terrifying, but I knew my dad said we were safe and it wasn’t the actual roof coming off but the top portion,” Middleton said.

Middleton still decided to check things out and looked outside. Water from the overflowing Myakka River had come up to the barn, which was behind the house.

“My dad said, ‘It’s never flooded here, we’re not in a flood zone,’” Middleton said.

They all tried to get some sleep.

3 A.M. SEPT. 29 Middleton just couldn’t sleep. She looked outside toward the barn once again. In the barn’s faint lights, she could see the glistening water, which was surrounding her brother’s truck tires. She knew the water was getting close to the house. She woke up her father and brother.

3:30 A.M. SEPT. 29 Rose Alstrom, who was on vacation in North Carolina, received a call from Ashlee Middleton saying the house was surrounded by water.

“I was nervous,” Rose Alstrom said. “I started making calls to everybody we could think of. We called three fire rescues. I put a post on Myakka City 411 (on Facebook) for any local people with airboats, but the winds were still really strong.”

Panther Ridge’s Tiffany Sisk, who had never met the Alstroms or Mid dletons before, saw Alstrom’s post on Facebook and commented, “I don’t have a boat, but I’ve got a big truck, and I’m on my way.”

“I have my EMT license, so it was kind of an automatic response,” Sisk said. “If people are in need, I’m going to go.”

Middleton said she could tell her father was stressed.

“I said to him, ‘I’m getting scared; the water’s coming up a lot faster, isn’t it?’” she said. “He was like, ‘Yes, Ashlee.’”

Middleton knew her family shouldn’t wade through the water because no one knew if there were down power lines or even alligators.

The Alstroms decided to move all the vehicles to River Road, which was higher ground. They knew it was a risk, but without their vehicles and not knowing when someone could help them, they didn’t know how

they would make it out.

Meanwhile, Sisk ran into Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies in the field, who had boats and were trying to make their way to the fami ly. They were having trouble because of downed trees and power lines.

Sisk called Cody Duncan from Cody’s Tree and Debris to get a bull dozer. With his help, they slowly made their way down River Road.

7:15 A.M. SEPT. 29

Her father, brother, uncle and hus band were all outside on the road as the the water continued to approach the home. Deputies had contacted them by phone and told Middleton to dress her children in bright clothing and write her name and Social Secu rity number on everyone.

“That’s when I started to get very panicked,” she said. “It was scary. We had nothing there that I knew of at the time to float. The generator went out, so the kids and I were in total darkness. When I saw the cows and how deep they were in the water, I got really upset because I was afraid we were going to watch them drown.”

Middleton was relieved to see her father in his giant truck making his way through deep water toward the home. They all piled into the truck.

“The water was so deep it was coming in through all the doors of the truck,” Middleton said.

But they reached River Road, and they saw Manatee County Search and Rescue was finally able to make it to them along with deputies.

“We probably did things we should not have done to get out,” Middleton said. “But there’s a sense of peace that comes from seeing four Sheriff’s Office trucks, a boat and others. I’m so thankful.”

7:30 A.M. SEPT. 29

Although the Middleton family was safe in Middleton’s SUV on River Road, the obstacles just kept coming.

They started making their way down toward Fruitville Road when they saw a huge tree blocking the road with power lines surrounding it. They decided to turn back and try State Road 70. Unfortunately, they came to a bridge that was completely submerged and cars were stalling out as they tried to make it across. But their vehicle made it through.

“That was another one of those terrifying moments because we didn’t know where we were going to be safe outside of our car,” Middle ton said. “Fortunately, we made it through that area.”

The Middletons eventually made their way back to their home in Sarasota and found it was without power and their water was on a boil advisory, so they decided to stay with Ashlee Middleton’s grandmother, who lives in Sarasota and had power and internet.

Clyde Alstrom went home with Billy Alstrom to find Billy’s house on Cortez was not impacted by the storm.

10 A.M., SEPT. 29

Clyde Alstrom and Ken Middleton were able to go back to the Alstrom home in Myakka and found the water had stopped at the porch of the onestory ranch.

The barn was flooded, but the home was OK. Their cows were all alive and safe.

THE AFTERMATH

Middleton said she has peace now that she and her family are safe after 12 hours that were mentally and physically exhausting.

“I’m thankful for where we are now,” she said. “Going outside, it just seems like an average day. It just makes it seem like the experience was almost not real. It’s something I’ll definitely never, ever forget.”

Sarasota’s Ashlee Middleton and her family escaped flooding waters with the help of neighbors and emergency workers.

Courtesy photos

Sarasota’s Ken Middleton, his wife, Ashlee Middleton, and children, 2-yearold Brooke and 4-year old Liam, are grateful for everyone who helped them evacuate from Myakka City during Hurricane Ian.

The cows at Rose and Clyde Alstrom’s property in Myakka City wade through water as it approaches the home.

The water nears Rose and Clyde Alstrom’s Myakka City home during Hurricane Ian. Clyde Alstrom and his family were able to evacuate before the water got to the house.

Pounded by Ian’s fury

Some homeowners, ranchers and farmers had to wait for various res cue workers from Manatee County to save them from rising waters.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Most Manatee County residents breathed a sigh of relief after Hur ricane Ian passed because of lessthan-devastating damage.

But not those in Myakka City and its surrounding area.

The Category 4 hurricane, which relentlessly pounded the area Sept. 28-29, led to swollen rivers that swallowed homes, farms and live stock.

Perhaps the hardest hit was Dakin Dairy Farms, which had approxi mately 250 cows die in the flooding. That total was expected to climb higher as the days passed and an inventory could be completed. Dakin Dairy also had extensive damage to its barns.

“It’s just the stress of the animals that hurts more than anything,” said owner Jerry Dakin, who also said that he did not know whether rebuilding the business was an option because of inflation.

Waters from the Myakka River flooded Hidden River, just to the south of Myakka in Sarasota County. A levee broke on Oct. 1, leading to a wave of water hitting the residential community.

Hidden River resident Susan Kucia said she noticed rising waters Sept. 29, but everything became danger ous early Oct. 1.

Kucia found refuge on top of her golf cart. She called 9-1-1- and any one she thought might be able to help. She waited as the rising waters set off car alarms and began invading her home.

She said there was eventually 4 to 5 feet of water in her home, in which her possessions were drifting about.

THEY RISKED THEIR LIVES

Kucia said she was grateful for the bravery of the emergency workers, which included firefighters from the Sarasota County Fire Department and the East Manatee Fire Rescue, who swam through the rising waters she said contained alligators, snakes, and even bull sharks, to rescue her dogs and horses. They tied her horses

Courtney Dakin said more than 250 Dakin Dairy cows died in the storm and that total might rise even higher.

Myakka City residents hope to pull together after Hurricane Ian impacts.

Photos by Ian Swaby

“They jumped in and swam — unreal — in 7 feet of water with all of that in their way,” she said. “People risked their lives to save my horses.”

One of her dogs is still missing. Kucia’s horses are now being kept on a neighbor’s property, while the sev en dogs recovered are now boarded at an animal hospital. She has created a GoFundMe account, which she said is mainly for the care the animals will require.

Manatee County rescue work ers converged on the area as soon as heavy winds subsided the morning of Sept. 29, while the county set up rescue operations Oct. 1 at the Myak ka City Community Center on Wau chula Road. With nonprofit organi zations bringing supplies, residents were given water, food, tarps and other emergency supplies.

The county used drones flown by Airborne International Response Team to assess damage and identify those in dangerous situations.

WAITING FOR HELP

There wasn’t much the residents could do as they waited for help.

“We did a lot of praying,” said Myakka City resident Gail Nagy. “As the eye got nearby, all of a sud den, the wind and rain was pulled every which way. Upside down. Left. Right. And that lasted longer than I was expecting. There’s nothing you can do, so you just have to ride it out and pray for God’s mercy and grace.”

By Oct. 1, floodwaters from the Myakka River covered large swaths of the area, infiltrating homes and leaving some residents stranded on their property. The East Manatee Fire Rescue and Manatee Search and Rescue were involved in operations to transport residents along Taylor Road, as well as on Singletary Road, to safety.

Saddlebag Creek resident Regis Champ, who has lived in the area for two-and-a-half years, said the com munity had previously seen flooding from the creek, which flows along side the subdivision, but said it was the first time the waters had risen to nearly waist-deep heights, although they spared his home, which sits at a higher elevation.

He said fortunately all his animals survived, as he had built pallets, with hay on top, that kept his Nigerian Dwarf Goats above the water.

“This was catastrophic,” he said.

Manatee Search and Rescue employee Jared Leggett, a native of Bradenton, called the disaster one of the worst he had seen.

He said navigating the waters by boat was difficult, due not only to objects underneath including lawn decorations, but also to the fastmoving currents.

The county used drones flown by Airborne International Response Team, working alongside multiple fire departments including the East

Manatee Fire Rescue, which can employ techniques such as thermal imaging, to spot stranded residents.

Residents of Myakka City were uncertain about the future.

Resident Veronica Young said she didn’t know how she would deal with her uninsured home off Singletary Road, which was flooded with waistdeep water.

However, she said the family does have an RV and hoped her husband, Timothy Young, a well-known builder in Myakka City, would be able to complete the needed repairs on their home.

Warren Kelly, who lives near Wau chula Road, said his livelihood had been impacted by the destruction of his tool sheds, where he stores the tools he uses to work on bikes and cars. He said one of the two sheds was crushed, while another blew apart.

“It’s hard to say what we can do as a community because not everybody has the money,” Kelly said.

STICKING TOGETHER

However, residents said they believed they would hold strong.

Kelly said on Friday, he noticed that two trees, which had fallen in the road near his home, had been moved, apparently by neighbors.

“We’ve just got to stick strong because we are a little small part of the map in a big county,” said Kelly.

Courtney Dakin said the farm’s cleanup attempts had already seen assistance from family, friends and other members of the community.

“This is an amazing community that we have out here,” said Dakin. “We’ve already seen so much sup port.”

“Everybody will help each other as they can,” said Nagy. “People put out ‘I need hay’, or ‘I need a new feed for the animals, does anybody have any?’ and usually somebody can supply it.”

“I hope we never have to go through anything like that again. I don’t wish it upon anybody, anywhere, ever,” Myakka City’s R.J. Douglas said. “We’ll all pull together and help each other, and get it back to the way it was. That’s the way it always has been, and the way it’ll always be.”

Saddlebag Creek resident Regis Champ stands in the water that flooded his home.

Hurricane leaves SMART unstable

Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy is in need of funds and volunteers to repair damages from Hurricane Ian.

RAMOS

With an estimated $75,000 worth of damage due to Hurricane Ian, the Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy might have been blown right out of business.

Rebecca Blitz, the executive director of SMART, is worried her nonprofit doesn’t have the funds to repair the damage.

“If we do not receive funding, we will not be able to help the com munity anymore,” Blitz said. “We are desperate for community sup port now more than ever. We might have to re-home horses or rethink what we do here. We finally made it through the pandemic. We had all the programming starting. The place looked incredible. We were ready and then boom! Here comes a Category 4 hurricane.”

Blitz drove up to Sarasota Mana tee Association for Riding Therapy on Sept. 29, but she wasn’t ready for what she was about to see.

She had waited until there was enough light to navigate the roads the morning after Hurricane Ian swept through Myakka City.

As she went down the driveway, all she could see were downed and uprooted trees, and debris every where. Two tall trees were uproot ed and they brought up part of the driveway when they fell. Large branches were on the ground.

Blitz breathed a sigh of relief when she saw all horses were safe after she had to keep them in the pastures during the hurricane. Blitz said it was safer for the horses to be in the pastures rather than the barn, which

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

n Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy always is looking for more volunteers, especially to help after the nonprofit was hit hard during Hurricane Ian.

n To volunteer, visit SMARTRiders. org/volunteers. For questions, contact Volunteer@SMARTRiders.org.

n As SMART works to repair damages from Hurricane Ian, Rebecca Blitz, the nonprofit’s executive director, said SMART could use donations.

n To donate, visit SMARTRiders.org/ Donate-Now.

Sterling relaxes in his stall after a stressful night in the pasture during Hurricane Ian.

is at least 35 years old.

“We didn’t know what we were going to get,” Blitz said. “It was a complete relief to see that our horses were safe and nobody was injured. It was just overwhelming relief.”

Once staff wrangled the horses

Gayatri

back into their stalls, Blitz said it didn’t take long for the horses to fall asleep after the stress of the hurri cane.

“They’re exhausted,” she said. “They literally went inside, laid down in their shavings and went to sleep.”

The hard work continued for staff and volunteers after seeing all the damage that was done on the prop erty.

Besides several large trees being uprooted and the debris being scat tered throughout the property, Blitz said there was roof damage and broken fences. She said a waterline below the arena burst, causing water to bubble through the ground.

A lanai on one of the buildings was severely damaged. A large tree was uprooted and tore through the lanai, which cracked the concrete floor.

As of Sept. 30, SMART still didn’t have electricity, which meant the nonprofit couldn’t get a pump work ing to provide water. Blitz said they have enough water to last until Oct. 5.

Stacey Volpe, the volunteer coor dinator for SMART, remained hope ful.

“We’ll get through this,” she said.

Blitz said SMART is hoping to start programming in January with new partnerships with area nonprofits, but the facilities need improvements before those programs can start.

With the damage from Hurricane Ian, Blitz said those plans could be scrapped.

In the meantime, staff estimated SMART would be closed for pro gramming for about two weeks as long as the nonprofit received fund ing to cover the cost of repairs, and volunteers helped to clear the prop erty of debris and downed trees.

Parrish’s Corinne Adams, who has been volunteering at SMART since 2014, was one of about eight volun teers helping clear the facilities Sept. 30.

Adams said seeing all the damage and debris was overwhelming.

“Thank God all the horses were safe because the rest can be dealt with,” she said. “I knew it would happen because there are so many old trees on the property, but I didn’t expect this much.”

Before Hurricane Ian made its way through Florida, the SMART staff members were hard at work prepar ing for what was to come.

“It was all hands on deck,” Blitz said.

Staff gathered enough feed and hay to last two weeks and scrubbed all trash receptacles and filled them with water. They put the hay and water in different locations in case one was damaged.

Blitz and SMART staff braided tags into the horses’ manes and tails in case they escaped the property.

Lakewood Ranch’s Joerg Nietschmann is one of about eight volunteers helping to clear debris by cutting large branches into smaller pieces so they’re easier to move.

Frame

Photos by Liz Ramos

sign

The driver of this pickup must have missed

IAN ADDS UP TO DESTRUCTION

Snapshots from Ian’s impact on East County.

Two days after Hurricane Ian had devastated the immediate area, Jennifer Welde spent Sept. 30 swinging a sledge hammer, try ing to tighten down straps being used to pull a fence on the property upright.

Welde is the daughter of Monica Wel de, who owns the Bearadise Ranch Bear Preserve in Myakka City.

The fence borders a lake and play area for the bears and obviously needed to be repaired as soon as possible. Although trees were down all around the prop erty, the welcome barn was damaged, and a fence around the house’s patio was destroyed, the damage was mini mal compared to the flood damage that plagued many of the local residents, some who lost their homes.

During the worst of the storm, Jenni fer Welde thought they would be blown away, too.

“It was terrifying,” she said.

Years from now, residents of Manatee County are likely to describe Hurricane Ian as a “near miss,” unless you hap pened to be living in the Myakka City area.

When Manatee County Commission er Vanessa Baugh arrived at the Myakka Community Center on Oct. 1, where the county was organizing relief efforts, she went to a back room where they had set up television screens to watch drones fly over the area to check damage while searching for those in need.

“They put a drone in the air and we did that,” she said. “What choked me up most was seeing the water, and just the tops of homes and not knowing if anyone was in them, whether we would have a whole family of fatalities.”

Baugh said as of Oct. 3 every flooded home in Myakka City had been checked and emergency workers reported no fatalities.

Dr. Russel Vega, the medical examiner for District 12 (which includes Manatee County) confirmed two storm-related deaths on Oct. 3 that could be attrib utable to Hurricane Ian. However, the county didn’t release information about what caused the deaths.

Despite the tragedy, Baugh said she saw inspirational moments as well.

“What struck me the most is a posi tive thing, that the community has joined together trying to help each oth er, to make sure we all are OK.”

Baugh was at the Myakka Community Center where the county was organiz ing relief efforts.

“They were giving out baby formu la, diapers, batteries, propane tanks, tarps, ropes, ice, water ... the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, area restaurants, Meals on Wheels,” she said. “All this was brought to Myakka. Truckloads of ice. There are still people out there sur rounded by water, with no power.”

The focus now is cleaning up the mess and helping those most affected.

“We have to make sure we get them on their feet,” Baugh said. “We have mil lions upon millions of dollars of dam age.”

Although Myakka City was crushed by the storm, most of the Lakewood Ranch area suffered only minor, although expensive, damage.

On Sept. 29, as Hurricane Ian moved toward central Florida, Main Street at Lakewood Ranch shop owners were cleaning up.

Joann Kavanaugh, the owner of Arts A Blaze, was sweeping out a small amount of water that had covered the floor of her business.

She said her business suffered almost no damage and would be open Sept. 30.

“We lost a box of envelopes,” she said.

Carson Sirek, 3, wonders how he is going to get to the playground at Greenbrook Adventure Park.

BY THE NUMBERS

As Hurricane Ian passed through Manatee County, it left devastation in its wake, even if it wasn’t as terrible as counties to the south. Here is a look at the hurricane’s impact in Manatee County. (Numbers as of Oct. 3)

Deaths in Manatee County attributed to Hurricane Ian

Category hurricane of Ian when it hit Manatee County

Feet that the Myakka River crested on Oct. 1 at Myakka River State Park (flood stage is 7 feet)

Seven-day rainfall total, in inches, for the county’s Myakka City main tenance yard from Sept. 24-30

Damage in millions of dollars to Manatee County commercial properties (90% of surveys completed as of Oct. 3)

Schools in Manatee County that transformed into shelters

76Damage in millions of dollars to Manatee County homes (90% of sur veys completed)

82Maximum wind gust measured Sept. 28 at Sarasota-Bradenton Interna tional Airport

100Measured mph of the wind in Duette Sept. 28

104Traffic signals in Manatee County that were not functioning or dam aged (of the 232 maintained by the county)

Homes in Manatee County that suffered major damage

Number of lift stations in Mana tee County not functioning at

Parrish’s Trece Campbell leaves the shelter at Braden River High.

some point during the hur ricane (of 738 lift stations overall)

Calls came into 9-1-1 in Manatee County from Monday through Sunday

Peace River Electric Co operative customers without power in Manatee County and nine other counties it serves during or in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian

Mana tee County residents ordered to evacuate Zones A and B during Hurricane Ian

Florida Power &

Light customers in Manatee County who were without power during or in the after math of Hurricane Ian

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Nobody was going to be walking the trail at Heron’s Nest Park in Lakewood Ranch following Hurricane Ian.

7.6billion gallons released at the Lake Manatee dam since the morning of Sept. 30

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This

floodwater in the Summerfield village of Lakewood Ranch.

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Manatee River Road in East County.

Angel flies through the storm at Bearadise

With the winds of Hurricane Ian sweeping over Beara dise at more than 100 mph late on Sept. 28, Monica Welde went outside her Myakka City home to check on her beloved eight bears.

Before she could get to the bear house, the winds had ripped open the two large barn doors on her Welcome Barn, which contains her gift shop, snack bar and memora bilia.

Those barn doors had been secured by three heavy metal slats, which rested in brackets on either side of the doors. The slats horizon tally crossed the doors at the bot tom, middle and top on the inside of the barn. And yet, the wind lifted them right out of their brackets.

Welde’s adult daughter, Jennifer Welde, ran from the house to help her mom as the contents inside the Welcome Barn started to blow out the doors. The winds, though, were too strong and dangerous, and the two women fought through it back to the house, without managing to close those barn doors.

Monica, Jennifer and Jennifer’s 6-year-old son, Bjorn Thomas, sat in their home, feeling helpless.

“Everything was flying out (of the Welcome Barn), but we were getting blown away,” Monica Welde said.

The night simply wouldn’t end as Welde, watching the clock tick away each minute, worried about her bears.

“We were hearing noises on the roof,” she said. “I thought we were going to lose it. All I could do was pray.”

Finally, the sun peaked through enough to bring daylight to Beara dise. Welde raced to the bear house, which her late husband, Johnny, had constructed mostly out of con crete. The house and her bears were just fine.

Filled with emotion, she walked back toward her house, which sits a couple of hundred yards from the

surprise, her roof only had minor damage.

“The gutter was torn off, and it was hitting the side of the house,” she said of the noises she had heard hours before. “The rest of the roof was intact.”

As she walked the perimeter of the home, she noticed something white in the grass underneath her bedroom window. She walked to it.

It was a porcelain angel that was part of a floral arrangement sent to Johnny’s funeral in 2017. She kneeled to pick up the angel, seeing that it had not been damaged by the storm, and she burst into tears.

All she thought about was how this angel had to be a sign from Johnny.

Her husband, who was com pletely healthy at the time, told her three years before his death that they would never grow old together. He had a premonition he would be

a heart attack in his sleep in 2017 at the age of 60.

“But he said ‘I always will watch over you, the kids (Jennifer and Johnny Jr.), and the bears,” Welde said.

After his funeral, she took the porcelain angel, and the sympa thy cards she had received at the funeral, and packed them together in a box. She put the box in a store room in her Welcome Barn.

Somehow, in the worst of the hurricane, the angel had flown out of the store room, out of the Welcome Barn and out of the box. The opening of the barn doors faces away from the house, which was about 75 yards away, so the angel had to make a left-hand turn before landing under Welde’s bedroom window.

How could that be?

“It’s kind of a miracle if you believe in that stuff,” said Welde,

who was raised Catholic.

“I believe.”

Three days later, Welde was in her Welcome Barn, checking for dam age. The gift shop was full of black dirt from the neighbor’s farm. Some of her cherished memorabilia, such as a Disney poster for the movie, “The Incredible Journey” that featured her late black bear Carroll, was on the floor, the glass frame shattered and the poster having suffered water damage. For much of the memorabilia, it was a complete

A photo of Carroll with Lucille Ball survived and still hung on the wall, alongside of a rare poster of the movie “Man’s Favorite Sport?”

Welde explained that movie, which starred Rock Hudson, featured Carroll riding a motorcycle that was operated by remote control.

With damage all around her, she could smile.

“First and foremost, I am grateful we survived this,” she said. “Some were not so fortunate. This is all repairable.”

She already had canceled several upcoming tours, and she needed to clean the gift shop as soon as possible to host Halloween Tours at Bearadise. The fences on the perim eter of the property and around the bear habitats had been crushed by falling trees. Like many in Myakka City, Bearadise had no power.

But like many in Myakka City, help was on the way.

Big Cat Habitat’s Clayton Rosaire came with a crew and machinery to clear fallen trees away from the fences. A truck from Arkansas Power and Light was working on nearby power lines. A disaster relief hub was set up at the Myakka Com munity Center.

Most of the work at Bearadise Welde said can be accomplished by her family, which includes her son Johnny Jr., who was out of town during the hurricane. She said if anyone wants to help, Bearadise is

in need of sawdust and dog food (for the bears) that includes Monkey Crunch (the bears like it), and sweet potatoes.

Better yet, her bear Bruno, an 8-foot-tall, 750-pound Syrian brown bear, is in the final four of the America’s Favorite Pet competi tion that presents the winner with a $10,000 check. It would be a wind fall for Bearadise’s cleanup efforts.

Go to AmericasFavPet.com/2022/ bruno-3 to vote.

Welde laughs when she considers Bruno’s main competition is a sing ing donkey. It feels good to laugh after a hurricane.

She talked about others in the area, such as those at Dakin Dairy, which had more than 250 cows per ish in the storm.

“It is heart-wrenching,” she said. “I’ve been here 42 years and I’ve never seen anything like this.”

She credits her late husband for getting her family and their 15-acre ranch through the storm.

“My husband was a heck of a welder and builder,” she said. “The outbuildings are mostly concrete walls. They all are intact.”

Welde was asked if she will con tinue to run Bearadise after another disaster.

“We have too much history here,” she said. “I will take care of these bears until they pass away. They aren’t props. They are family.”

Besides, she has magic, now sit ting on a shelf in her home, for all to see.

A porcelain angel.

Jay Heater

Jay Heater is the managing editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at JHeater@ YourObserver.com.

Monica Welde shows a porcelain angel that flew from her Welcome Barn to a spot under her bedroom window during Hurricane Ian.

Liz Ramos

Shelters provide emotional support

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

East County’s Marlene Pell has been living alone since her husband, Wil liam Pell, died in April.

When Hurricane Ian was making its way toward Florida, she decided to evacuate to Braden River High School so she wouldn’t be alone dur ing her first hurricane.

“I felt the Lord wanted me there,” the 82-year-old Pell said. “I had never been through a hurricane, and I didn’t want to be in a place that could get destroyed. I knew it could be dangerous to stay.”

Pell was one of more than 800 res idents who found shelter at Braden River High School, which was one of 17 schools opened as shelters during Hurricane Ian. The high school also was one of four schools to be pet friendly, and it served to keep more than 200 pets safe.

By 9:30 a.m. Sept. 29, only about eight evacuees were left at the shel ter, with most of them waiting for transportation to be able to return to their homes.

Cynthia Saunders, the superin tendent of the School District of Manatee County, was assigned to Braden River High throughout the hurricane. She said the school had minimal damage from the hurricane

with some trees being knocked down along with the loss of power around 5:30 a.m. Sept. 29.

“We were very blessed,” Saunders said. “When you think that at one point the projection was heading toward Manatee, we’re so very for tunate we were able to escape it. Our hearts certainly go out to those in the Fort Myers area. There’s others that were far more devastated than we are.”

Parrish’s Trece Campbell was grateful for all the staff at the shel ter. She and her family decided to evacuate Sept. 27 because they did the same when Hurricane Irma hit in 2017.

Campbell said Hurricane Ian wasn’t as scary as Hurricane Irma, but she was still nervous. Being sur rounded by her family and other evacuees helped ease any anxiety.

“We were all together and at peace,” she said.

Campbell was able to stay in con tact with neighbors in Parrish who told her they still had power and suf fered little damage.

Bradenton’s Tyler Bindley evacu ated to Braden River High because he was in Zone A, the first area in which Manatee County issued a mandatory evacuation.

“It was nice to have coffee the whole time,” he said.

Braden River High’s Rebecca Aus terman, Prine Elementary’s Scott Flynn, Lakewood Ranch High’s Mike Staker and Jeannie Galindo, and Superinten dent Cynthia Saunders care for evacuees at Braden River High School.

East County EYE ON THE HURRICANE

THE EAGLES’ TREE HAS FALLEN IN LAKEWOOD RANCH

For years, people with cameras set up across from Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church on White Eagle Boulevard to take photos of the majestic bald eagles who made the tallest tree in front of the church their home.

Then came Hurricane Ian.

After the Category 4 hurricane went through the area Sept. 27 and early Sept. 28, the tree toppled.

It still is only leaning as the adjacent trees are keeping it from falling all the way to the ground, but it is likely to be cut down soon as the top half of the tree hangs over the main entrance to the church.

Most of the existing nest already had been blown away, for mating eagles won’t begin building new nests for another few weeks when the mating sea son begins in October.

The nest made headlines in 2017 when construc tion crews building the church’s new 21,060-foot building had to stay 100 feet away from the nest at all times. During nesting season, from Octo ber through May, crews had to stay more than 330 feet from the nest. The guidelines have been established by the United States Fish and Wildlife Services.

The new church opened in April 2018.

— JAY HEATER

NEIGHBORS COME TOGETHER IN MILL CREEK

Bradenton’s Amanda Lewis woke up Sept. 29 to find her truck had been hit by an uprooted tree in her father’s Mill Creek driveway.

Lewis and her father, Bob Lewis, were able to safely get the truck out from under the tree with minimal damage.

Amanda Lewis said she and her father heard a larger tree down the street when it hit the ground, but they had no idea about the tree in their front yard until a neighbor notified Bob Lewis about it.

“I got kind of anxious because I didn’t

know how damaged my vehicle was,” Amanda Lewis said. “I was happy it didn’t hit my dad’s house.”

Residents all around Mill Creek were spending their morning of Sept. 29 clearing trees and debris.

Amanda and Bob Lewis, with the help of neighbors, had been trying to cut the tree that had just barely missed Bob Lewis’ neighbor’s house since 8 a.m.

“We’re all trying to get it done,” Amanda Lewis said. “Our neighbors and everyone have been awesome. It’s

that kind of community. I actually grew up on this street. This is my childhood house, and we have amazing neigh bors.”

Bob Lewis said he was blessed that his property had only minimal damage. Once he was done clearing his property, he said he was going to help his neigh bors with anything they needed.

— LIZ RAMOS

HURRICANE IAN UNABLE TO SCARE EVERYONE

In the days leading up to Hurricane Ian, Mill Creek’s Kyle Cross focused on get ting his 3-year-old son, Nick, excited for what was to come.

Cross didn’t want Nick Cross to be scared, so they talked about how there was going to be a lot of wind, rain and the possibility of losing power. Most importantly, they would be safe.

“I just kept telling him it’s going to be fun,” Cross said. “He got all excit ed about it. He kept looking out the window and saying, ‘The hurricane is here.’”

Although Cross’s home lost power and the pond behind his house had elevated levels of water, he was happy to see no damage had occurred to his home, besides a few pieces of fence being torn down.

“I honestly wasn’t too worried about it,” Cross said. “I brought everything from outside indoors through my garage. I just wish we didn’t lose power, but it wasn’t too bad. I’ve been through all of them, (Hurricane) Charley, (Hur ricane) Irma, the rest of them.”

After ensuring his home was free of damage, Kyle and Nick Cross went across the street to help neighbors who had an uprooted tree almost hit the home next door.

SILVER STAR RESTAURANT COMES THROUGH FOR THOSE IN NEED

TWO DAYS AFTER OPENING, RV PARK SLAMMED BY IAN

Although Linger Lodge RV Park didn’t sustain any extreme damage, it did take a serious hit. The RV Park had been closed for two years due to reconstruction and upgrades and had just opened on Sept. 25. The restau rant had reopened Aug. 5.

Much of the fencing around the RV park had been blown away and two huge trees fell down. The lower half of the campground was completely submerged.

A big tree fell on the restaurant, although the damage, yet to be assessed, appears to be minimal.

“It’s going to be a lot of work,” said Freidrich Hoffel ner, who manages the RV Park. “But this happens when you live in Florida. Everything can be repaired.”

He was thrilled the new clubhouse and pool cage were not damaged.

His wife, Ruth Hofer, who manages the Linger Lodge restaurant, said an inspection would have to be done on the restaurant before it could reopen.

With most of Myakka City out of power after Hurricane Ian, a local restaurant served hot meals for several hours Oct. 1.

Using an outdoor grill and food donated from Gordon Food Ser vice, Silver Star East was able to provide a meal for anyone in need.

Waves of Myakka City resi dents turned out, taking home hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, snacks and soft drinks.

“We just put together what ever we could with no power, no water, no nothing,” said Vicki Krone, who co-owns the restau rant with her sister Toni BevierSapp.

She said she found herself on the verge of tears seeing how residents who came to help came together to make the event hap pen.

“They will not stop thanking us,” she said of the meal recipi ents.

Sarasota’s Casey Thompson, a caterer with the restaurant, said she wanted to help, for she felt guilty because of how dry and safe she had managed to stay.

“I have my family, and then I have my Silver Star family, and they’re all amazing,” she said.

Krone said Rohrer’s Sep tic Tank and Tractor Service pumped the sewer system, allowing guests to use the rest rooms.

“It’s awesome,” said Myakka City’s Bert Culbertson, who took away a meal. “I know God will bless them as they are blessing the community. They are blessed to be able to do this.”

— LIZ RAMOS

Liz Ramos

Mill Creek residents work together to cut a tree that was uprooted and almost hit a house because of Hurricane Ian.

Liz Ramos

Mill Creek’s Kyle Cross helps his neighbor Bob Lewis cut a tree. Cross says after he saw there was no damage to his home, he started helping his neighbors clear their properties.

Jay Heater Eagles used the tall tree in front of Our Lady of the Angels for years to build nests, but the tree fell during Hurricane Ian.

Jay Heater

Freidrich Hoffelner, who manages the Linger Lodge RV Park, stands next to the flooded lower half of the camp ground. The RV Park opened Sept. 25 after two years of renovations.

Ian Swaby

Silver Star owner Vicki Krone and caterer Beth Culbertson served the Myakka community.

NEIGHBORS LEND A HELPING HAND

When Dakin Dairy saw significant losses following Hurricane Ian, including about 200 cows as well as damage to its farm buildings, it wasn’t long before friends from the community arrived to assist with the situation.

Mill Creek’s Michelle Crane and her daughters, Kaylee and Ashley Crane, were among those helping clean up the pieces of the metal barn roofs the hurricane left strewn about, including in places where they might pose a hazard to the 5,000 cows on the property.

Michelle Crane said the farm’s owner, Jerry Dakin, had helped her children with raising animals of their own in the past.

Sarasota’s Donna Stevens, another helper, said she wanted to help support her friend Jerry Dakin and also to give back to a business she said filled an important need in the community for local dairy products.

“Jerry is an incredible person,” Stevens said. “He does so much for the com munity. If we can give back, I’m here. This is our food source. We have to protect it, and we have to know that somebody good is in charge of it.”

FALLEN FIG LEAVES RIVER CLUB WOMAN MISTY-EYED

The tree she planted as a seedling 23 years ago was on its side, a victim of Category 4 Hurricane Ian early Thursday morning.

River Club’s Marilyn Blazakis looked down at the fallen ficus fig as if it was a family member.

“It was the tree of the neighbor hood. I planted it when it was this big,” she said, holding her hands apart about a foot.

Fortunately, the big tree on her front lawn didn’t fall toward her house.

“Thank God we were so fortunate,” Blazakis said.

Her neighbors, Dede and Fred Nel son, also were fortunate as huge trees covered their lawn but didn’t hit their home.

An East Manatee Fire Rescue crew was busy cutting up a tree that was blocking the Nelsons’ driveway.

Dede Nelson complimented Bat talion Chief Charles Reid for coming so quickly.

The winds ripped apart the yard of East County’s Bob Bower master, who

west of Linger Lodge.

Seven or eight trees were either totally knocked over or snapped in half.

Bowermaster pointed at a huge oak tree limb that fell just by his front door.

“My wife (Michele) and I were standing right here last night talking, and we went into the house,” said Bowermaster as he stood next to the big limb. “As soon as we went in, this fell.”

Bowermaster, who has lived there since 1988, believed a small tornado hit his street because all the trees and limbs that fell look like they had been twisted off. Manatee County did not report a tornado.

As far as the Braden River that runs alongside his home, he said he wasn’t worried about rising water, saying the river rose much higher during other hurricanes.

Bowermaster said he didn’t worry about all the cleanup work that was facing him.

“I don’t work,” said the disabled Vietnam veteran and U.S. Marine who holds a Purple Heart. “I’ve got nothing else to do. This is like physical therapy.”

— JAY HEATER

—

— IAN SWABY

Ian Swaby Mill Creek’s Michelle Crane lifts up a piece of rooftop at Dakin Dairy.

Jay Heater River Club’s Marilyn Blazakis stands in front of the ficus fig tree she brought from Ohio and planted as a seedling 23 years ago. Hurricane Ian took it down. She says it was the “neighborhood tree.”

Jay Heater

East County’s Bob Bowermaster and his wife, Michele, were close to being hit by the huge fallen limb just outside his front door.

IAN WELCOMES UNDETERRED SUMMERFIELD FAMILY TO FLORIDA

For Summerfield’s Kayleen McDon ald and her family, riding out Hurri cane Ian was like camping.

Kayleen McDonald, her hus band, Trevor McDonald, and chil dren, 17-year-old Clara McDon ald, 15-year-old Annie McDonald and 7-year-old Nolan McDonald, moved into their Summerfield home only three days before Hurricane Ian powered through Florida.

Trever McDonald said they didn’t have furniture, only a couple of mat tresses for everyone.

When the power went out and they ran out of TV shows and movies they had downloaded on Netflix, Kayleen McDonald said the family had to depend on card games to entertain everyone.

“It wasn’t much different than when we were that age with what we did for entertainment when you couldn’t go outside,” Kayleen McDonald said.

Hurricane Ian was the first hur ricane the McDonalds experienced. Kayleen McDonald said the biggest challenge was informing family out

of state that they were safe and didn’t need to evacuate.

“A lot of our family from other parts of the country were worried because they were seeing kind of the most catastrophic part of what was happening on the news, and they were concerned,” Kayleen McDon ald said. “We stuck with trying to listen to local news and local advi sories, and we felt Manatee County knew how to guide everybody to do the right thing. We now kind of feel like we know the drill.”

After a few days of stress preparing and then experiencing the hurricane, the McDonald family pulled over on the side of State Road 70 near Uihlein Road to fish.

“We fish here quite a bit, but the water got a lot taller after the storm, so we thought we’d see how things are now,” Kayleen McDonald said. Annie and Clara McDonald both said being able to go fishing after being stuck indoors without power was relaxing.

— LIZ RAMOS

Liz Ramos

Summerfield’s Clara McDonald, Trevor McDonald, Nolan McDonald, Kayleen Mc Donald and Annie McDonald take a moment to relax after the stress of Hurricane Ian by going fishing on the side of State Road 70.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

THESE GIRLS KNOW THE DRILL

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

In some ways, it was a punch that punctuated Riley’s Rebuilds’ ascension into the world of rebuilt carburetors.

Sure, Lakewood Ranch’s Riley Schlick-Trask already had shown she had the skill and work ethic to build her own small business from scratch. Paired with her father’s car enthusiast mechanical skills, and his insistence she earn the money to buy her own first car, Schlick-Trask embarked on a successful endeavor, rebuilding carburetors in her Bridge water garage at the age of 14 to earn those funds.

While most teens might turn to the service industry to find a job, she had been under the hood with her dad, Dane Schlick, since she started handing him tools at age 3. Over the years, she became more involved. If her dad, who has a collection of clas sic cars that include his favorite 1957 Chevy Nomad, was too big to get to a spot underneath the car, she would do it.

So when it came to finding her first job, she started looking around at car parts. After seeing a pile of used car buretors, she felt she could quickly become an expert at repairing them.

And she did.

She collected old carburetors, which regulate the fuel and air ratio for internal combustion engines, for either free or up to $50, and sold them for $200 or much more. With her father agreeing to a match any thing she earned, it was only a mat ter of months before she found a “rat-infested,” 1995 Jeep at Ander son RacePark in Palmetto to buy for $2,500.

“It was a nasty blue,” she said. “But it had a roll cage.”

The roll cage came at the insis tence of her parents, Dane and Kara, who wanted her to buy something big and slow that had a roll-bar. With her dad’s help, they spent about $500 on parts, did the mechanical work, including a new transmission, to get it running, while a friend helped them repaint it.

Life was good for Schlick-Trask, who figured she could go back to concentrating on her competitive soccer, surfing and academics (a perennial honor society member). Rebuilding carburetors was profit able, but it would have to wait.

Then came the punch.

As her parents feared, it didn’t take

long for Schlick-Trask to get into an accident, in this case rear-ending her friend’s 2012 Honda Accord. An angry Dagny Van Aken socked her.

Van Aken, who attends Saint Ste phen’s Episcopal School of Braden ton with Schlick-Trask, said her aggression was deserved since her friend had “crushed my surfboard,” which was connected to the back of the car.

Schlick-Trask laughs about the incident now with kind of a “I deserved it,” mentality, but it did change her direction. Suddenly she needed to raise $7,000 in car repairs. So why not expand the carburetor rebuild business?

It was obvious if she needed a crew, why not enlist her friends who mostly were working minimum wage jobs. And why not include Van Aken, whose toughness under fire was apparent? Consider Schlick-Trask is a 6-foot goalie who is athletic and also has competed in wrestling and jiu jitsu.

Van Aken was working at Subway at the time, but quit when she found rebuilding carburetors for her friend was more lucrative.

Now in business for three years, the 17-year-old Schlick-Trask has four employees, all her friends, in Van Aken, Catie Burgess, Elaine Zdancewicz and Amelia Sabo. All are Saint Stephens students except for Zdancewicz, who attends Lakewood Ranch High.

It’s strictly an all-girls operation, since the boys who have visited have tended to slow down the process.

“These are all good girls, hard workers,” Dane Schlick said. “And the girls can make as much money, or as little, as they want.”

Currently, the girls spend at least two nights a week working together. There are three basic jobs — break ing down the used carburetors, soda blasting them clean and then rebuilding them. Schlick-Trask assigns the tasks.

Actually, Zdancewicz said she is the “oddball” in the group as she only has rebuilt three carburetors. She handles the media responsi bilities, editing YouTube videos and Facebook posts. All the girls are seniors except for Zdancewicz, who is a junior.

None of the girls expects to build carburetors, or to be auto mechanics, as their primary job in the future. But it’s good money now.

Schlick-Trask will take business classes at Connecticut College, where she said she will continue on rebuilding carburetors as a side job.

“I wanted to be a lawyer,” she said. “But I have dyslexia, and I didn’t want to read all day.”

While she might not be an auto mechanic as a main job, from it she has learned public relations, accounting, business and more.

Schlick-Trask says her rebuilt car buretor business has generated so much interest in social media that she receives inquiries on her work from all over the world.

“I was getting marriage offers,” she said of the interest. “I’ve been offered cows and chickens.”

Putting together carbs is a healthy diet for four teen girls with Riley’s Rebuilds.

Photos by Jay Heater

Riley SchlickTrask works on rebuilding a carburetor in her fam ily’s garage in Lakewood Ranch.

Amelia Sabo, Catie Burgess, Riley Schlick-Trask, Dagny Van Aken and Elaine Zdancewicz make up the crew at Riley’s Rebuilds.

“These are all good girls, hard workers. And the girls can make as much money, or as little, as they want.”

— Dane Schlick

Special delivery

When UPS Store owner Mike Hornyak found that his employ ees put a high priority on adopt ing rescue pets from Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue, he had an idea for the grand opening of his store Sept. 24 at 14621 S.R. 70 in Lakewood Ranch.

Three puppies — Champ, Patches and Ginger — were on the site when the grand opening got underway, all eligible for adoption.

Hornyak said Nate’s Honor holds a special place in his heart and he wanted to help the nonprofit.

Rob Oglesby, development director for Nate’s Honor, said Hornyak’s thoughtful ness was appreciated.

“We always try to work for the lo cal community,” said Oglesby, who said Hornyak is “part of the family” at the shelter.

Although Hornyak’s UPS Store has been open since February, he said the grand opening celebrated its completion. Supply chain issues had prevented the ac quisition of certain items and he said the store didn’t even have a sign above the doors for the first two months.

“Now everything is falling into place and the wheels are turning,” he said. “So it’s like, OK, let’s do this now.”

— IAN SWABY

Choosing

FL

David

Raghu Pulluru,

Sabrina Hornyak and her son, 12-year-old Cal lum Clippard, hold Patches and Champ.

Polo Run’s Heidi Oleska meets Champ at the new UPS store in Lakewood Ranch.

Photos by Ian Swaby

The UPS Store on S.R. 70 in Lakewood Ranch invited Nate’s Honor puppies to its grand opening.

IT’S READ EVERYWHERE

Headed

WITH THE OBSERVER: Pam and Russell Hyatt visit the site of the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, with the East County Observer

Celebration of Hispanic heritage

L

isa Clayton watched as her grand children, Marley Miller and Lee Miller, participated in a school activity that had them practicing how to say colors in Spanish.

William H. Bashaw Elementary School families were able to participate in dances and arts and crafts, enjoy food from three food trucks and listen to fifth graders present reports on famous Latinos during the school’s Hispanic Heritage Festival on Sept. 22.

“I’m looking forward to learning some thing new, trying out some of the food, lis tening to great music and exposing them to new things,” Clayton said of Marley Miller, who is a third grader, and Lee Miller, who is 4.

Christina Evans and her fourth grader Eli Evans had fun dancing to “Los Ma chetes.”

“It was the first time ever that I did that dance, “ Christina Evans said. “We’ll have to practice that at home.”

— LIZ RAMOS

First grader Wyatt Olah is happy how his skull craft came out.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Christi Welch decorates a skull craft with her third-grader, Aubrey Welch. Aubrey Welch says she couldn’t wait to see what the food trucks had to offer.

Fifth

Kindergartner

Third

Marley

and

brother,

Country Club East home tops sales at $2.28 million

Built in 2000, it has three bed rooms, three baths, a pool and 2,765 square feet of living area. It sold for $410,000 in 2012.

A

home in Country Club East at Lake wood Ranch tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Kevin Thomas Fitzgerald and Vicki Lynn Fitzgerald, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 16504 Kendleshire Terrace to Erik and Lori Harpsoe, of Bradenton, for $2.28 million. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,000 square feet of living area. It sold for $1,005,600 in 2019.

LAKE CLUB

Karl and Kirstina Ordetx, of Sara sota, sold their home at 7951 Matera Court to Edward Carlstrom, of Sarasota, for $1.95 million. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,938 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.05 million in 2019.

COUNTRY CLUB

Robert and Sharon Girard, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 6914 Dominion Lane to Brandon and Jennifer Bloodworth, of Lake wood Ranch, for $1,279,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,086 square feet of living area.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Robin and Heather MacDonald, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 14639 Castle Park Terrace to Denise Huyser, trustee, of Lake wood Ranch, for $1.25 million. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,673 square feet of living area. It sold for $655,000 in 2018.

Kelly Conklin-Penwell, of Key West, sold her home at 14910 Castle Park Terrace to Thomas Looney and Teresa Looney, trustees, of Ridge field, Connecticut, for $1.15 million. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,795 square feet of living area. It sold for $975,000 in 2021.

DEL WEBB

David and Susan LaGosh, trustees, of New Port Richey, sold the home at 6827 Gosport Cove to Vickie Lee Craun, trustee, of Battle Ground, Washington, for $1,193,000. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,488 square feet of living area. It sold for $509,100 in 2017.

ESPLANADE

Jane Kusnir, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 13904 Messina Loop to Robert Edward Dunphy and Sharon Ann Dunphy, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, for $1.1 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,359 square feet of living area. It sold for $460,000 in 2017.

Steven and Sami Salvatori, trust ees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 13135 Sorrento Way to Robert and Kathy Maehling, of Bradenton, for $1.05 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,380 square feet of living area. It sold for $602,700 in 2017.

ROSEDALE ADDITION

Jacqueline and Thomas Rogers, of Bradenton, sold their home at 5014 Tobermory Way to James and Melissa Jones, of Bradenton, for $857,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,379 square feet of living area. It sold for $468,000 in 2018.

EDGEWATER

Robert and Kathy Maehling, of Bradenton, sold their home at 8107 Waterview Blvd. to Norman Olmstead and Sharon Patterson, of Lakewood Ranch, for $850,000.

MALLORY PARK Natalie and Taylor Gilsinger, of Parrish, sold their home at 11424 Golden Bay Place to Nicholas and Sarah Morley, of Bradenton, for $825,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 3,142 square feet of living area. It sold for $550,000 in 2021.

Robyn Allan Myers and Deirdra Myers sold their home at 11914 Blue Hill Trail to Zack Allen Taake and Amanday Lyn Taake, of Bradenton, for $789,900. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,854 square feet of living area. It sold for $474,900 in 2019.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE

Tony and Sarah Hoskins, of Water ford, Michigan, sold their home at 1105 Bearing Court to Jeremie Dale Price and Melissa Dawn Price, of Ringgold, Georgia, for $720,500. Built in 2016, it has three bed rooms, two baths, a pool and 1,980 square feet of living area. It sold for $520,000 in 2020.

WOODBROOK

Purchasing Fund 2020-1 LLC sold the home at 4538 Cedar Brush Ter race to Dana Carol Bettge, of Sara sota, for $682,700. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,248 square feet of living area. It sold for $670,000 in July.

WATERLEFE

Kelly Prather, Kristi Custer and Matthew Nessetti, of Bradenton, sold their home at 704 Foggy Morn Lane to Richard Frank Rohrer and Regina Rohrer, of Bradenton, for $650,000. Built in 2001, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,003 square feet of living area. It sold for $295,000 in 2014.

VIRGINIA WATER

Paul and Maxine Smith, trustees, sold the home at 6701 Virginia Crossing to Ulf Lennart Stridh and Mary Elizabeth Beirne, of Armonk, New York, for $630,000. Built in 1995, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,242 square feet of living area. It sold for $282,000 in 1997.

ARBOR GRANDE

Raymond and Kim Poulin sold their home at 12421 Perennial Place to Glenn and Theresa Gauvin, of Acton, Maine, for $625,000. Built in 2020, it has two bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 1,901 square feet of living area. It sold for $625,000 in June.

CROSSING CREEK

Elliott and Robin Varon, of Bra denton, sold their home at 4858 68th St. Circle E. to Marcos and Lillane Campos, of Bradenton, for $611,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,014 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2017.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

George Francis and Rachel Taylor, of Bradenton, sold their home at 10126 Glenmore Ave. to Stanley and Edith Gontarek, of Bradenton, for $600,000. Built in 1999, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,963 square feet of living area. It sold for $374,900 in 2007.

ROSEDALE

James and Melissa Jones, of Braden ton, sold their home at 8605 53rd Place E. to Thomas and Jacqueline Rogers, of Bradenton, for $600,000.

Built in 2000, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,823 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in 2021.

Darlene Parker, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 8709 52nd Drive E. to Gary and Susan Hall, of Braden ton, for $515,000. Built in 1994, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,490 square feet of living area. It sold for $331,000 in 2021.

COACH HOMES AT RIVER

STRAND

Timothy Mark Larson and Lisa Larson sold their Unit 4503 condo minium at 415 Winding Brook Lane

Club

at

four-and-a-half

to Marsha and Frankie Vincent, of Bradenton, for $570,000. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,108 square feet of living area. It sold for $238,000 in 2011.

CENTRAL PARK John Egnot, of Knoxville, Tennes see, sold the home at 4734 Clare mont Park Drive to Christine Sue Meier, of Bradenton, for $530,000. Built in 2012, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,863 square feet of living area. It sold for $260,000 in 2013.

Jhon Manuel Bossa-Conrado and Mariela Mercedes Lizcano Angarita, of Bradenton, sold their home at 11107 Encanto Terrace to Nicole Kurz, of Lake Suzy, for $425,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,311 square feet of

Terrace sold for $2.28

and 3,000 square feet of

living area. It sold for $255,000 in 2018.

ROSEDALE HIGHLANDS

William Roger Pike, of Newfound land, Canada, sold the home at 9735 53rd Drive E. to Richard Gallant and Arleen Jane Gallant, of Seekonk, Massachusetts, for $525,000. Built in 2006, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,633 square feet of living area. It sold for $275,000 in 2010.

GREENBROOK

Margaret Bennett, of Georgetown, South Carolina, sold the home at 6344 Golden Eye Glen to Brian and Heather Baty, of Bradenton, for $524,900. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,034 square feet of living area. It sold for $189,000 in 2008.

In with the new

has

This

COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, OCT. 6

CASUAL CORNHOLE

Begins at 10 a.m. at Waterside Place. 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Join Lakewood Ranch Com munity Activities for a fun, casual game of cornhole in the park right next to Good Liquid Brewing. The event is free for Lakewood Ranch residents and $20 for nonresidents. To register or for more information, go to MyLWR.com.

FIELD BOCCE

Runs from 11 a.m. to noon at Waterside Park, 7500 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch. Learn the basics of bocce and enjoy a game in Waterside Park. The event is free for Lakewood Ranch residents and $10 for nonresidents. To register or for more information, go to MyLWR. com.

SUNDAY, OCT. 9 FARMERS MARKET

Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lake front Drive in Waterside Place, Lake wood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch will run year-round every Sunday. Vendors will be offer ing seafood, eggs, meats, dairy prod ucts, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

YOGA IN THE PARK Begins at 9 a.m. at Waterside Place Park, 7500 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities offers yoga that is free to residents and $10 for nonresidents. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12

RANCH NIGHT WEDNESDAYS

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. Live music, food trucks, a market with rotating vendors, a mo bile bar and a recreational cornhole league highlight this crowd favorite event. Pets are welcome but no coolers or outside food or beverage allowed. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

BEST BET

FRIDAY, OCT. 7

MUSIC ON MAIN

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. Music on Main features the Trevor Bystrom Band, which will play calypso, reggae, Latin and blues music. At the opposite end of the street will be a DJ that will keep you dancing with today’s Top 100 hits. As always, the free block party features food vendors, beer trucks, sponsor booths and plenty of kids games and rides. Proceeds benefit Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

BINGO FOR ALL Begins at 10 a.m. at Greenbrook Adventure Park, 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosts Bingo. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19

REC DAY Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Na than Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. Nathan Benderson Park hosts Rec Day, which offers participants the chance to try stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, canoes, fishing and more. Meet at the base of the finish tower. For more information, go to Na thanBendersonPark.org. The fee is $10 per person or $5 for an adult who brings a child. The event is free for children 6 and younger. Fishing licenses are required for all partici pants who choose to fish.

File photo

THURSDAY, OCT.

High:

FRIDAY, OCT.

Thursday, Oct.

7:24a

Friday, Oct. 7 7:25a

Saturday, Oct. 8 7:26a

7:26a

Sunday, Oct.

Monday, Oct. 10 7:27a

Tuesday, Oct. 11 7:27a 7:04p

Wednesday, Oct. 12 7:28a

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, OCT.

High:

SUNDAY, OCT.

High:

RAINFALL

Monday, Sept.

Tuesday, Sept.

Wednesday, Sept.

Thursday, Sept.

Friday, Sept.

Oct.

Oct.

celebrity cipher

By Luis Campos

real esta te

Condos/Apts. for Sale

auto

PENTHOUSE

hom

serv ice s

Adult Care Services

four community pools, kayak and paddleboard launches, outdoor grilling, lounging cabanas, playgrounds, splash pads, event

activities and more!

perks at the adjacent

77 Marina, Compass Hotel, and Floridays Wood Fire Grill & Bar.

rental income

No CDD. Schedule showing or video preview any time. Kim Jatich, Broker-Owner, QUARTZ COAST REALTY INC $1,650,000 (941) 504-3874

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