East County Observer 10.13.2022

School official taps into information

Richard Tatem, who will be sworn into the School Board of Manatee County in Novem ber, needed a little education himself.

Tatem and his wife, Régine (above), attended a class for local policymakers that taught the interconnectedness of county water systems with a tour of waterways Oct. 5 that included the Manatee River.

The event was called “Mana tee County Water School: From Tide to Tap,” and was hosted by the University of Florida Extension Office. Those at tending met at the Riverhouse Waterfront Restaurant before attendees boarded a tour boat and headed out along the Manatee River.

Tatem said he felt the class intersected with his responsi bilities to ensure clean water inside the school system. He said a key takeaway was that lots of green stormwater infrastructure, which includes options such as pervious as phalt, swales, and rain gardens, can be achieved economically, which he called a “win-win.”

Students get glimpse at medical profession

Kate Tuchman and Tierney Thornhill (above), who are seniors at Lakewood Ranch High School, surprised nurses at Sarasota Memorial Hospital with breakfast on Sept. 25.

Tuchman and Thornhill, the co-presidents of the school’s Girls in White Coats Club, want ed to expose their club mem bers to women who work in the medical field while showing ap preciation for the nurses. The club hopes to inspire students to enter the medical field.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to show them how deep our appreciation is for how much they do for our community,” Tuchman said of the nurses.

Tuchman said the breakfast gave club members an oppor tunity to hear firsthand what it’s like to work in the medical field and see if they are inter ested in volunteering at the hospital.

Hurricane relief efforts continue

Myakka

taking her shot

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

Jay Heater

Karen Medford gives Pepe a hug before they embark on her first polo lesson at the Sarasota Polo Club in Lakewood Ranch.

Jay Heater

Jolene Bryant has helped Rebecca McCullough plan “Haunted Nights” at Herrmann’s Royal Lipizzan Stallions in Myakka City.

State considers minimizing voting restrictions

Hurricane Ian’s impact could hinder the voting process in Manatee County.

SWABY

In a visit to Bradenton on Oct. 5, Cord Byrd, Florida’s secretary of state, said Hurricane Ian will have an impact on the Nov. 8 General Election.

Byrd said he will visit the supervi sor of elections in all 67 counties to discuss the matter. Byrd met with Michael Bennett, Manatee County’s supervisor of elections, in Braden ton. Byrd said he is assessing wheth er or how the state could implement orders that would loosen certain voting restrictions to benefit those impacted by the hurricane.

“My goal, the state’s goal, is that every single voter who wants to vote has that opportunity,” he said. “We’re going to make sure that we have the means and resources in place to make that happen.”

Bennett said Manatee County is assessing the current situation but has received few phone calls from residents concerned about their ability to vote.

However, Bennett also said that in conjunction with the state, work is underway on a plan that would allow residents who have evacuated the area due to the storm, to receive vote-by-mail ballots at a different address than the one under which they are registered to vote.

Bennett said his office is still wait ing to hear from the state govern ment on whether this measure could be implemented.

If citizens have had a ballot already mailed to the address where they live that was damaged by the storm or that they evacuated, currently there is no way it can legally be forwarded to a new address or that a second bal lot can be sent.

Byrd said if a home or other loca tion has lost its mailbox, the ballot

will return to the Post Office for up to 10 days, where the voter can pick it up. After that, it is sent to the Super visor of Elections office, which will make an effort to contact the voter.

Bennett said there are poten tial problems with access to voting sites in the Myakka City area due to flooding. With a month before the election, Bennett said his office will reevaluate the situation closer to the General Election. If additional poll ing centers needed to be set up, it would be done at the discretion of the election supervisors of individ ual counties.

“They know their counties best, where their population centers are and how far it is for any one resident to drive to go to the polls,” Byrd said.

However, he said the supervisor’s actions would also be subject to

review by the state.

He said he would be open to exten sions of early voting, with election centers staying open from the start of early voting until Election Day, as has already been scheduled in Lee and Bay counties.

Byrd said residents can either vote by mail or vote early or on election day, and said he is working to ensure the state can perform the loosening of restrictions within as narrow a range as possible.

Among restrictions signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis is a twoballot limit on ballots delivered on behalf of another person, outside of one’s family.

Byrd said there were no plans to make exceptions to this rule.

“That’s an important election security measure,” he said.

This activity has been termed “ballot harvesting” by critics, who argue it makes discarding of ballots possible, while others have pointed to the rarity of such occurrences and the difficulty in voting its absence could pose to the elderly or disabled.

Among other examples of recent restrictions are requirements that voters request mail-in ballots once every two years instead of every four years, and restrictions on the abil ity to provide food or water to those waiting in line to vote.

Byrd said the state was “absolutely not” considering postponing elec tions.

“I can’t see any reason why we wouldn’t be able to do this, and that’s after visiting the counties that were hardest hit,” he said.

“The supervisors are very resil

ABOUT THE GENERAL ELECTION

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 Polls open: 7 a.m. Polls close: 7 p.m.

Early voting: Monday, Oct. 24 to Sunday, Nov. 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Voter registration deadline: Oct. 11

Deadline to request a vote by mail ballot: 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29

ient,” he said. “They’re a great group. They don’t complain. They just pull up their bootstraps and say, ‘We’re going to have an election,’ and get it done.”

He said a day earlier he had spo ken to Tommy Doyle, the supervisor of elections in Lee County.

“He said they’re in rough shape, but they seem to be moving forward,” he said.

Bennett said he was confident in the Myakka City area to be ready to vote as well.

“Those people are survivors,” Ben nett said. “They know how to make things happen.”

In creating emergency orders, Florida has the precedent of orders given in 2018 during the aftermath of Hurricane Michael by then-Gov. Rick Scott.

Those orders allowed election supervisors to designate alternative election sites, send vote-by-mail ballots to alternate addresses and deliver a vote-by-mail ballot to an elector’s immediate family member, among other actions.

Following Hurricane Ian, Byrd has already signed an emergency order that delayed the requirement for political candidates to present a campaign finance report from Fri day, Sept. 30 to Friday, Oct. 7.

Ian Swaby

Cord Byrd, the secretary of state of Florida, met with Michael Bennett, Manatee County’s supervisor of elections.

‘Myakka strong’ rings true

Even after suffering heavy damage, Myakka residents tried to help others in worse shape.

IN THE WAKE QUESTIONS

Weeks after Hurricane Ian, people still are searching for answers. Here are 10 frequently asked questions.

Q: If a tree falls onto a neighbor’s property, who is responsible for the damage?

A: The tree owner, but the owner needs permis sion from the neighbor to enter and work on the neighbor’s property.

Q: How long can people put debris on the curb for collection?

A: County crews will be collecting debris until it’s all cleared. It could take several weeks. An an nouncement will be made to notify residents of the deadline to have debris on the curb.

Q: How long will it be free to dump debris at the Lena Road landfill?

A: At least until Oct. 17. The demand will deter mine further extensions.

Q: What does the county do with the trees and natural debris that’s col lected?

A: The debris is ground into mulch and disposed of by contractors.

Q: What county resourc es were offered to those displaced?

A: Manatee County had temporary housing at John H. Marble Park. Only seven people used the facility, so the Red Cross closed it and transferred them to another facility.

Q: Where should people go for financial assis tance for damage and repairs?

A: FEMA and their own insurance agencies

Q: What should be done with the sandbags that were collected by busi nesses and homeown ers?

A: Keep the sandbags until next hurricane sea son in a secure, dry place. They also can be used in and around the house for landscaping or disposed of in trash curbside pickup. Sandbags should not be dumped at beaches or parks.

Q: Where can people who are displaced send their pets for a tempo rary home?

A: Friends, family or neighbors. After a hur ricane, shelters are inundated with animals and cannot be used as a temporary home.

Q: What is the plan to make up educational time that was lost due to schools being closed during the hurricane?

A: The School District of Manatee County plans to change the high school early release days sched uled for Dec. 20-22 to be full school days. The plan went before the School Board of Manatee County for approval Oct. 11.

Q: What happens to wildlife during a hurricane?

A: Just like people, animals attempt to find a place to hunker down. Wildlife Inc. brought in more than 150 animals after Hurricane Ian, including baby squirrels, opossums, skunks, rac coons and birds.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Kelly Strausbaugh couldn’t believe how many donated supplies were coming to the Myakka City Commu nity Center.

At least five trucks full of supplies made their way from Gene Witt Ele mentary School on Oct. 3.

Braden River Elementary School students and staff loaded a moving truck full of donations and sent it to the community center Oct. 5.

School after school in Manatee County collected donations from students and families Oct. 3-5 to send to Myakka City, the hardest hit area of the county by Hurricane Ian.

More than 16 schools in the county participated in the supply drive to show support for the Myakka com munity.

“That first day, I thought we were going to get a couple boxes here and there,” said Strausbaugh, who is the president of the Myakka City Ele mentary School’s Parent-Teacher Organization. “I’ve never seen so many donations. I cried all day.”

She cried, and worked. Straus baugh helped coordinate the supply drive.

As the weeks pass after Hurricane Ian, people affected by the storm might be thinking they will be for gotten. But organizations, schools and nonprofits around the greater Lakewood Ranch area still are work ing to not only support families in Myakka City but also throughout the southern part of Florida, which saw the worst of Hurricane Ian.

The initial supply drive in Myakka started after Carol Ricks, the prin cipal of Myakka City Elementary School, was checking with other principals in the School District of Manatee County.

She told them Myakka City was pounded by Hurricane Ian and some families lost everything.

Principals immediately started asking how they could help.

Strausbaugh credited Ricks’ rep utation for so many schools being willing to participate in the drive.

By the afternoon on Oct. 3, hall ways and covered walkways of B.D. Gullett, Gilbert W. McNeal, Free dom, Gene Witt, Braden River, Rob ert E. Willis elementary schools and more than a dozen other schools were filled with donations.

Families were donating water, clothing, nonperishable food, dia pers, toys and games, hygiene prod ucts and more.

The donations from the schools overwhelmed the community center so much, the Myakka City Commu nity Center had to ask for the schools to stop sending donations as of Oct. 5.

“Right now, what I’m trying to do is prioritize to find out who primarily needs it,” Ricks said.

The Myakka City Elementary School PTO has created a website with a form for Myakka City resi dents to share their needs as well as share what resources are available.

Any donations at the Myakka City Community Center that aren’t used by the Myakka community will be sent to Arcadia, Wauchula and com munities south of Sarasota.

HELPFUL HAND

Other organizations have been help ing with relief efforts as well.

Chris McComas, a co-founder of MVP Sports and Social, thought he would have to cancel his golf tourna ment Oct. 1, but when he found out the golf course at Legacy Golf Club at Lakewood Ranch didn’t have any damage from the hurricane, the tournament continued.

McComas decided to ask the 124 golfers and 20 volunteers participat ing in the tournament to donate sup plies and money for hurricane relief in Fort Myers.

The tournament brought in more than a truckload of supplies and $4,100. McComas donated the supplies to One Mission Disaster Response but is waiting to donate the money until he finds where the money is most needed.

“I was overwhelmed with emo tion and gratitude,” McComas said about the donations. “It was just an absolutely incredible show of kind ness from our community who were also dealing with the effects of the

HOW TO HELP

MYAKKA CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENT-TEACHER ORGANIZATION

n Visit MyakkaCityPTO.com to do nate.

n Monetary donations and gift cards are being accepted at the Myakka City Community Center, 10060 Wauchula Road, Myakka City.

LAKEWOOD RANCH COMMUNITY FUND

n The community fund is partnering with Lakewood Ranch Community Ac tivities to collect monetary donations. n Funds will be granted to nonprofits as they identify their needs to the community fund.

n Text 2022IAN to 41444 to give.

FLORIDA PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE NETWORK

n The organization supports commu nities throughout the state through disaster preparedness, response and recovery while working with the com munity, government and faith-based organizations.

n Email Fla.PDAN@PCUSA.org or call 483-0675

hurricane. Many had no power, no internet, no cell service, trees down, fences down and more.”

Lakewood Ranch Main Street, Lakewood Ranch Community Activities and the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund collected dona tions during Music on Main. Simi lar donations were collected at the Lakewood Ranch Farmers Market and Ranch Nite Wednesdays.

At the Myakka Family Wor ship Center, Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee volunteers and staff members were handing out meals for Myakka City residents. Differ ent meals were given depending on whether a family had power.

Besides meals, the nonprofit also distributed water, toiletries, Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer and bleach.

“We’re all about nutrition and feeding people, especially people in need, and there’s no better time than when you’re recovering from a hur ricane and people are desperately in need,” said Maribeth Phillips, presi dent and CEO of Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee. “I came out here on (Oct. 2) and some of the houses just looked like they were built around a lake; there was so much water. It’s still receding and some people are starting to get their power back, but it’s going to take a long time for peo ple to recover.”

Phillips said the church’s pastor, Lynn Howell, has been a great part ner, delivering meals to people in Myakka City who cannot make it to the distributions.

MYAKKA STRONG Howell said it’s been heartwrenching to see the families and the damage to their homes when he’s delivering meals.

“Everything they have worked hard for all their life is gone,” How ell said. “With (Hurricane) Charley, we thought we were affected, but all Charley did was knock trees down and make us be without electricity for 14 days. Ian affected us. The eye wall was so big, it just played havoc on everything. But our people are resilient, and they’re strong in their faith.”

MANATEE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION’S DISASTER RELIEF FUND

n The community foundation is matching donations with funds from the Bishop Parker Foundation n For more information, visit Mana teeCF.org/Donors/Support-OurCommunity-After-a-Disaster

VOLUNTEER FLORIDA

n Volunteer Florida will connect you with volunteer opportunities in the area and virtual opportunities. n For more information, visit Volun teerFlorida.org/Volunteer Connect

SUNCOAST BLOOD CENTERS n Donate at the Lakewood Ranch cen ter at 3025 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Suite 111, Bradenton n Call 866-972-5663 and press 1 to donate blood and press 3 to make a platelet donation.

NATE’S HONOR ANIMAL RESCUE n Animal shelters are being inundated with cats and dogs. n To donate cat and dog food, cat litter, snacks, water and more, go to Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue, 4951 Lorraine Road, Bradenton.

Strausbaugh and Howell said more often than not, the residents who needed help the most were the ones turning away donations in case someone else needed it.

Ricks and Strausbaugh said Myakka City has a saying, “Myakka Strong.” They said that after seeing residents coming together to help each other during the hurricane and its aftermath, the saying couldn’t be more true.

“Myakka can be overlooked,” Strausbaugh said. “We’re used to it. When the storm hit, we knew the county was making its way out here, but the boys that were clearing the streets were Myakkans. Those were Myakkans on the airboats rescuing people from their homes before the county got out here.”

Howell said Myakka is a commu nity of people that puts others first.

“As soon as the hurricane passed, everybody hit the ground saying, ‘What can I do to help somebody else get back up and running?’” Howell said. “I think the ability for people to help others takes their mind off their loss and their troubles. You can see there’s somebody worse off.”

Strausbaugh and Ricks said the numerous donations and support from the rest of the county came as somewhat of a shock because they say Myakka City often is overlooked.

“This is proof we have not been forgotten and everybody has just completely jumped in together to help,” Ricks said.

FEMA READY TO ASSIST

A Disaster Survivor Assistance team from the Federal Emergency Man agement Agency was at Myakka City Community Center Oct. 5 helping residents become registered to see what assistance they could get from FEMA.

Christina Andruss, a Disaster Survivor Assistance team lead, said teams like hers are usually the first boots on the ground within 24 hours of a disaster.

Andruss and her team were help ing residents register as many were still without power, internet access or cell phone service.

AVAILABLE RESOURCES

FOR RESIDENTS

Myakka City Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization

n The PTO has a form to help determine needs of community members.

n Visit MyakkaCityPTO. com

FEMA n FEMA might be able to help with temporary housing expenses, basic home repairs and more. Apply at DisasterAssistance. gov, use the FEMA app on your smartphone or call 800-621-3363.

Information FEMA will need: Address at the time of the disaster and current address; Condition of damaged home; Insurance information, if available; Social Security number; Multiple phone numbers; and Address to receive mail or email address to receive electronic notifications.

FOR BUSINESSES

Business Damage Assessment Survey

n The Florida Depart ment of Economic Opportunity and the State Emergency Response Team cre ated the survey that will allow the state to expedite recovery ef forts by gathering data and assessing needs of affected businesses. Results will be shared with federal, state and local agencies to imple ment relief efforts.

Small Business Administration

Economic Injury Disaster Loan

n Small businesses, small agricultural coop erates and most pri vate nonprofits can be eligible. For more infor mation, visit SBA.gov/ Funding-Programs/ Disaster-Assistance/ Economic-Injury-Disas ter-Loans

Small Business Administration Physical Damage Loans

n Homeowners, rent ers, nonprofits and businesses of all sizes are eligible to apply.

For more information, visit SBA.gov/FundingPrograms/DisasterAssistance/PhysicalDamage-Loans

Liz Ramos

Myakka City’s Lynn Howell, Kathy Howell, Meals on Wheels’ Maribeth Phillips, 10-year-old Liam Osteen, Sen. Jim Boyd, and Commissioner George Kruse hand out meals at Myakka Family Worship Center.

Commissioners line up against agritourism changes

County already has backed off a proposed requirement for a formal traffic study involving agritourism events.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Manatee County commissioners have been lining up in opposition to the county staff’s plan to add requirements to those who host agri tourism events.

The plan, which will be considered at an Oct. 20 hearing, would require those hosting agritourism events, such as Hunsader Farms’ Pumpkin Festival, to acquire temporary use permits and to conduct an informal traffic study for uses drawing 1,000 or more people.

Currently, farmers do not need to fulfill any requirements to convert their farm operations to host an agri tourism event as long as they do not add additional structures or tents for the purpose of accommodating the public.

District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh has been firm on her stance.

“I do not, and I will not, vote for something that hits our farmers who are just trying to make a few extra dollars,” Baugh said at a Sept. 22 Manatee County Commission meet ing, in which the latest draft of the staff’s proposal was presented.

Commissioner Carol Whitmore said it could be a financial burden on those attempting to host an agri tourism event if a traffic study is required.

Commissioner George Kruse said the 1,000-guest minimum for a per mit “seemed incredibly arbitrary.”

“A thousand people out at a notto-be-named family’s farm out west is meaningfully different from 1,000 people at a medieval fair or a differ ent place on (County Road) 675 that a family might own and have fall fes tivals,” he said.

Nicole Knapp, Manatee County Planning Section manager, said the department created the proposal as

EXAMPLES OF AGRITOURISM ACTIVITIES

n Educational tours (production of crops and livestock, food and beverage processing)

n Participation in the production of crops, animals, foods and beverages

n Pick-your-own produce locations; stands featuring agricultural produce

n Cultural tourism (historic farms, historic villages, museums of folk art and agriculture)

n Accommodation (farm stay, camp ing)

n Therapy (plant- or animal-assisted therapy, aromatherapy, apitherapy, goat yoga)

n Food and beverages (home meals eaten together with farmer’s family, picnics eaten in the fields)

n Recreation and sports (walks and hikes, horse back riding, sports requir ing a large space, hunting, fishing)

n Entertainment (parks and gardens, excursions and outings, petting farm, corn maze, hayride)

n Weddings

a reaction to language introduced in the 2016 state statutes that granted counties the authority to regulate “substantial offsite impacts” of agri tourism. The Planning Department reported to the commissioners that the proposed requirements do not violate the statutes.

Clarke Davis, deputy director of traffic management, told commis sioners the new requirement for an informal traffic study would be sim ple and would include a list of access points and expected numbers of people or cars per day to determine the need for off-duty law enforce ment officers to manage the traffic.

According to Knapp, a temporary use permit has a lower cost of $270, down from roughly $7,000 for a special-use permit, and can be pro cessed in less than 30 days because it does not have to be reviewed in a public hearing as a special use per mit does.

Commissioner criticizes use of density bonuses

George Kruse says density bonuses being approved by Manatee County are not fulfilling intended use.

After voting to approve a developer’s request for an increased density bonus just to the north of Lakewood Ranch on State Road 64, Manatee

County Commissioner George Kruse said at an Oct. 6 land use meeting that changes are needed.

Kruse said current county require ments force commissioners to approve development bonuses that are meeting parameters that basi cally favor attempts to build walk able communities, but he said that in reality, that goal is seldom realized.

“We hear these things like ‘Oh, this is mixed-use; it’s livable; it’s walk able,’” Kruse said. “‘People can work there and shop there, and they’re going to walk around a corner and get their eggs and their milk.’ That virtually never happens.”

Currently, county policy allows developments up to 20 dwelling units per acre, in cases where at least 75% of the project’s frontage borders an area considered a node of activity, which might include com mercial areas featuring shopping and services.

A developer can also designate 25% of dwelling units as affordable housing to achieve the same density increases.

During the meeting, Kruse and Glen Gibellina, a spokesperson for the affordable housing advisory board, took aim at the system.

The development being consid ered — it was unanimously approved by the commission — is a new apart

ment complex by Eastern Meridian Property Group, located just east of the Hide-Away Storage facility at the southeastern corner of Lorraine Road and State Road 64.

Philip DiMaria, a certified planner with the engineering firm KimleyHorn, called the project a differ ent type of addition to the area that would contribute to the diversity of housing options.

He said the planned amenities, which include a spa, fitness cen ter and yoga studio, would be “very high-quality,” while the environ ment would be “walkable,” featuring street trees for scenery.

The development is planned to include 350 multifamily units, as well as five commercial outbuildings.

The site, which is currently zoned in separate sections for general com mercial and general agricultural uses, is set to be rezoned to the cat egory Planned Development–Mixed Use. The rezone will raise the num

ber of allowed units from 84 to 208, and to 462 when the density bonuses are added.

Approved concurrently was a request to change the Future Land Use Category of the property from Urban Fringe-3 to RES-9 to allow residential development. DiMaria said this change would add addition al density, while limiting commercial uses to neighborhood-serving ones.

DiMaria said the change of cat egory would generate less traffic than what could originally have been drawn there.

He called the development an excellent fit for the surrounding area, noting features in the sur rounding area include a 7-Eleven to the northwest and a similar project at Uihlein Road to the southwest.

However, Gibellina criticized the density increase, noting the unit prices, which ranged from $1,295 to $8,432 a month.

Gibellina asked commissioners not to grant a density increase for a project he said would not fulfill the purpose of doing so.

He said he did not see its benefit to a region that needed housing for young professionals, teachers, first responders and healthcare workers, and called instead for studio apart ments and one-bedroom apart ments.

“I don’t see it, and you shouldn’t see it either,” he told commissioners.

According to the applicant’s pre sentation, the property would have contained some one-bedroom apartments, in addition to two- and three-bedroom apartments.

Gibellina proposed a rule that would allow developers who did not want to build affordable housing to obtain a density increase at a cost of $25,000 per unit, with the coun ty then able to use those proceeds to purchase affordable housing in another area.

“We’ve been giving bonuses out

ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT

Developer: Eastern Meridian

Property Group Current Zoning: General Commercial/General

Proposed: Planned Development–Mixed

Acres multifamily:

Acres commercial:

Total acres:

Planned amenities:

studio,

like candy,” Gibellina said. “It’s time to draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough, they’re not enti tled to it unless the county and the citizens get something back.”

Despite voting in favor of the project, Kruse agreed with Gibel lina’s comments, including his calls for a fee for developers, while calling for the county’s requirements to be changed.

“People use the mixed-use (desig nation) to get around having to build workforce housing,” he said, stating that he had been pushing for this to be changed since he was elected in 2020.

Kruse said the construction of 116 workforce housing units would have provided enough density bonuses

to allow 346 additional units on the property, only slightly less than the planned 350.

He said therefore, large numbers of affordable housing units were being sacrificed.

Kruse said prior locations in the county that had been purported to provide mixed uses were not fulfill ing their intended purpose.

He said one example was Sum merhouse Apartments along State Road 64 in Lakewood Ranch.

“Sure, if you need lotto tickets or anything of that nature, you’ve got the Circle K,” he said. “But I don’t think that was the intent when it was presented. Nor is that the intent here.”

Commissioner Carol Whitmore said she does not believe any chang es need to be made for how density bonuses are granted. She said the market had shown a demand for multifamily dwellings.

“With all due respect, we have many young people moving into this town, and they do not want a house,” she said.

Whitmore said it was too early to claim that certain areas will not serve the mix of uses they were promoted as providing.

“Infrastructure follows rooftops,” she said.

“Whether we love it or hate it, development is creeping into East County, because (the western part of) the county is saturated and full.”

Ian Swaby

George Kruse voices his opposition to the requirements for density.

File

The

Hide-Away

Charter’s upper school comes into view

Lakewood Ranch Charter’s freshmen have input into the upper school’s construction.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

From the window of Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy’s “Freshmen Village,” students are able to see their future being built before their eyes.

Construction is ongoing on the upper school, which will have both middle and high school students, and is positioned next door to the lower school on White Eagle Boule vard.

In the K-12 charter school’s first year, the school has been home to students in kindergarten through sixth grade, as well as ninth grade.

The charter school has made sure to include the thoughts and ideas of the freshman class when consider ing how to shape the upper school’s future.

Litton Gabrielson, president of the freshman class; Jeffrey Crabtree, vice president; and treasurer Gracie Smith have worked together to listen to what their fellow students want to see in their new 75,000-square-foot building.

“It’s exciting to wonder what our future will be,” Crabtree said.

Gabrielson said he wanted to become president of the freshman class to help make Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy an “awesome school” and help students develop their own leadership skills.

“It’s awesome that we’re the first kids to come through,” he said. “Everyone’s open to hearing our opinions and what we want, which you usually don’t get. The student council here is involved.”

Crabtree said it’s important for the school’s leadership to take students’ opinions into consideration when developing the upper school because if they have a voice in what can hap pen, they’ll take more ownership and pride in their school.

ABOUT LAKEWOOD RANCH PREPARATORY ACADEMY

Grades: Kindergarten through 12th grade Ages: 5-18

Opening date for upper school: August 2023

Current enrollment: 740 students Enrollment once all grades are on campus: Approximately 1,965 students

Location: 5550 White Eagle Blvd., Bradenton

But with the opportunity to pro vide input also comes pressure to make sure the right decisions are made, the students said.

“When you think about the next 10 years, the decisions we make could affect future students,” Gabrielson said.

In September, Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy shared a ren dering of the upper school.

Once the upper school opens in August 2023, the charter school will have grades kindergarten through seventh grade on campus, as well as ninth and 10th grades. The following year will add eighth and 11th grade, with high school seniors joining the next year.

Cheryl Cendan, the principal of the upper school, said the two-story building will have a more “secondary school feel to it” and not include the learning villages the lower school has developed.

“The classrooms are definitely more what you would think of in a traditional high school but with flex ible seating,” Cendan said.

Cendan said construction of the upper school is on time, with tilted walls expected to be up by the end of October.

The freshmen leaders said their classmates would like to see the upper school have a gym, weight room and theater, as well as a bigger variety of clubs and sports, including a football team.

Students also would like to see lockers and vending machines.

Cendan said although the school won’t have lockers, which is a norm at many schools in the area, the new building will have a gym, sci ence labs, locker rooms, a black box theater, tennis courts and a football field.

There also will be outdoor patio seating for students to enjoy lunch.

In terms of clubs and activities, Crabtree would like to see a safety

patrol started at the school, and Gabrielson hopes to start a Family, Career and Community Leaders of America chapter. Smith would like to see a Health Occupations Students of America chapter.

Cendan said a pre-health club will begin in the second quarter of this school year.

In terms of a football team, Cendan said it could take a few years to build a varsity team as the school fills out the rest of its grades. The school is applying to the Florida High School Athletics Association to be sanc tioned.

Although freshmen haven’t com plained about taking classes in the lower school, Cendan said it will be good for them to have their own space next school year.

“Kids are adapting to the space here, and they have been very good

AIMING TO MAKE BREAST CANCER SURGERY EASIER

ASK THE DOCTOR...

DAVID W. DEXTER , MD, FACS General Surgeon Lakewood Ranch Medical Group

What Are the Advantages of SCOUT Versus Wire Localization?

Surgeons at Lakewood Ranch Medical Group were amongst the first in the Manatee and Sarasota County areas to use the Savi Scout® wire-free radar localization system during breastconservation surgery.

What Is the SAVI SCOUT® Wire-Free Localization System?

SCOUT assists surgeons to precisely locate breast abnormalities during surgical procedures. It is FDA cleared and a preferred alternative to the older technique of wire localization. The system works by using non-radioactive, radar technology to provide real-time distance measurement guidance during breast surgery. The ability to precisely locate tumors can increase the probability of complete cancer removal and can reduce the likelihood of needing follow-up surgeries.

Additionally, SCOUT provides surgeons with the ability to strategically plan incisions resulting in less tissue removal and better cosmetic outcomes.*

Lakewood Ranch Prepara tory Academy’s leadership is taking into consideration what students want to see in their upper school. Here’s a few items on their wish list: n Gym n Theater

Weight room n Football field

Safety patrol n Family, Career and Com munity Leaders of America chapter

Health Occupations Students of America chapter

leaders for the littles, but it’s nice for them to have their own space and for them to be able to feel their adoles cence and express themselves,” she said.

For example, as the school focuses on mental health, the freshman class had a presentation on suicide pre vention and students put a poster about it in the hallway.

Cendan asked students to move the poster into the freshman vil lage so younger students wouldn’t be exposed to non-age-appropriate topics. Once the upper school is built, older students will have the freedom to post anything that is school and age appropriate.

Although the older students will be in a different building, Cendan said school leadership will continue to work toward having opportunities for the older and younger students to work together.

This year, the freshmen have vol unteered to arrive early on campus every day to walk the elementary students to their classrooms, giving the students chances to build rela tionships.

“It’s the cutest thing,” Cendan said.

“When (the freshmen) go in the cafeteria for lunch, the third-graders are there, and the third-graders will come up and hug the ninth-graders, and the ninth-graders ask how their days are going.”

Meet Dr. Dexter Manatee Physician Alliance

David W. Dexter, MD, FACS

Board Certified in General Surgery; Fellow in the American College of

General Surgeon

We are pleased to introduce David W. Dexter, MD, FACS, the newest surgeon to join Manatee Physician Alliance.

The mainstay of treatment, until recently, has been wire localization to pinpoint a tumor.  Historically a thin, hooked guidewire was placed by a radiologist through the skin and into the lesion. The surgeon then used the wire to help guide the removal of the tumor.  The wire was usually placed immediately prior to the surgical procedure. This required a high degree of coordination between radiological and surgical schedules and created the potential for procedural delays. Once placed, women would have to wait with one or more wires sticking out of their breasts, which could be uncomfortable and could result in displacement of the wire. Finally, the ideal skin entry site for the wire was often distant from the ideal location of the skin incision increasing the potential for less-than-optimal cosmetic outcomes.

Dr. Dexter is board certified in General Surgery and a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons. He will be seeing both elective and acute care general surgery patients at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. He performs all aspects of general surgery, but has particular skills in minimally invasive and daVinci® robotic surgery.

In addition to using the SAVI SCOUT system in the management of breast cancer Dr. Dexter and Alexa Kinder, PA-C also treat common breast conditions such as fibrocystic breast changes, palpable breast masses, nipple discharge, and breast pain. Call 941-254-6767 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Dr. Dexter earned his medical degree from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University College of Medicine in Syracuse. He completed his General Surgery Residency at the Wright State University and Wright-Patterson USAF Integrated Surgical Residency in Dayton, Ohio. He also served on active duty as a General Surgeon at Wright-Patterson U.S. Air Force Medical Center. Dr. Dexter comes to our area after serving as a Trauma and General Surgeon in Erie, Pa., for 20 years. He is excited to bring his experience and enthusiasm for Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery to the Lakewood Ranch Community.

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Dexter or learn more about Lakewood Ranch Medical Group by calling 941.254.6767.

With SCOUT the reflector that localizes the tumor can be placed up to 30 days prior to surgery, simplifying surgical scheduling for both patients and physicians. The SCOUT reflector is not visible, does not restrict patient’s daily activities, and is removed at the time of surgery.

*Individual results may vary. For language assistance, disability accommodations

notice, please visit our website.

the

Source: [1] Cox CE, Russell S, Prowler V, et al.

Nonpalpable

the Location

2016;23(10):3168-74.

a

Liz Ramos

Freshmen Alessandro Marciales and Ciara Charles are excited to be at their new charter school in Lakewood Ranch. The freshmen class can look forward to being in a new building next year when the upper school building opens.

BooFest returns to Main Street

After two years of a scaled-down BooFest, Main Street returns as the host.

Main Street at Lakewood Ranch will once again be filled with ghosts, goblins, princes and princesses during BooFest Oct. 28. The annual Lakewood Ranch Community Activities’ Halloween event was held on Main Street at Lakewood Ranch until the COV ID-19 pandemic forced the organi zation to scale down its events.

In 2020, BooFest was limited to 250 people at Premier Sports Cam pus, and last year, it was combined with the Lakewood Ranch Farmers Market with far fewer participants.

Aliye Presley, the communications coordinator and executive assistant for Lakewood Ranch Community Activities, said after seeing how many people went to BooFest at the farmers market, the organization knew the community was ready for the event to be back to its “former glory” on Main Street.

“I’m looking forward to being able to take over the whole street and being able to fill it up,” Presley said. “It’ll be great to see all the festivities, being able to decorate the street and have all the vendors we want to have. There’s something about that Main Street vibe. It’s just perfect.”

Presley said there will not be a cap on the number of people who can attend BooFest, which is free to the community. She expects Main Street at Lakewood Ranch to be filled with thousands of people as it was preCOVID-19.

A stage will be at the end of the street for performances by dance groups and other entertainment. Vendors will line the streets and pass out candy for kids to trick-ortreat. There will be a bounce house and other kids attractions. To top it all off, there will be food and dessert trucks.

“We want to make it fun and

IF YOU GO BooFest

When: 6-9 p.m. Oct. 28

Where: Main Street at Lakewood Ranch, 8100 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch

Free

Highlights: Enjoy trick-or-treating at the various vendors lining the street.

be entertainment,

There

More

engaging,” Presley said.

Costumes are highly encouraged for the family friendly event. There will be a costume parade for chil dren to participate in where they’ll show off their costumes as they walk across the stage at the end of the night.

“(The costumes are) one of my favorite parts,” Presley said. “Those are the memories that stick in my head.”

File photo Lakewood Ranch’s Carrie McQueen dresses as Cruella de Vil, and her daughter, Jaden, dresses as Celia Facilier for BooFest. McQueen has been dressing as Disney evil queens — such as Ursula and Maleficent — for years.

A RIDE FULL OF PRIDE

Instructor says Karen Medford aces her first polo lesson despite never having ridden a horse.

It was a somewhat simple ques tion, but Karen Medford was hav ing trouble with the answer.

Ashlie Osburg, a polo instruc tor who works out of the Sarasota Polo Club, asked Medford if she ever had ridden a horse.

The local business owner was about to embark on her first polo lesson at age 48, and she certainly didn’t want Osburg to think she was a wimp.

Medford shook her head “yes.”

Osburg, who was getting two horses ready for the lesson, looked back at her. That “yes” sounded a bit like “maybe, possibly, perhaps.”

Does going around in circles at a county fair count?

Medford smiled, then changed her answer.

“No,” she said softly.

Osburg was prepared for a “no” answer as one of the horses she sad dled was a 14-year-old Argentine thoroughbred named Pepe.

“He’s got more ‘whoa, than go,’” Osburg said. “He always wants to stop and he is super pokey. But he will do anything you ask.”

It was a perfect choice since a polo lesson can be tough if the student isn’t comfortable on a horse.

Medford was a bit nervous, but even more determined. She and her husband, Rich Medford, have proven their determination, building Sirius Day Spas into a thriving business in Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota. That success is even more impressive considering the young business had to survive COVID-19 when people weren’t wanting to be close to oth ers in a spa setting.

Since they opened their Lakewood Ranch Sirius Day Spa four years ago, the Medfords have purchased season tickets to the Sarasota Polo Club, lov ing the tailgating atmosphere during a season that lasts from December through April.

Medford developed an apprecia tion for the skills of the polo players, who would routinely lean over in a parallel line to the ground as their horse continued forward at a gal

lop. They would swing their wooden mallet and crush the ball, sending it 50 yards down the field.

Medford wanted to know the dif ficulty in performing such an artistic maneuver.

So here she was, exploring a new athletic path.

As Osburg had her trying on hel mets, Medford’s daughter, Ava, kept a watchful eye on her.

“She isn’t afraid of anything,” Ava Medford said of her mom.

Whether Medford has a little dare devil in her, Osburg goes through the regular routine for a rookie, which is safety, safety, safety.

After Medford found a nice fit with a helmet, Osburg had her come to a spot in front of the stalls, where she had placed some toy horses. She started pushing them around, show ing Medford the correct positions she needed to take to play the game.

Medford knew things were getting serious, so she handed her cell phone to Ava. She climbed a three-step booster and threw her leg over Pepe. Osburg mounted Fish, a 15-year-old quarter-thoroughbred mix who she said was “super steady and calm.”

She brought Medford over to a small corral where they practiced starts, turns and stops. Osburg also took Medford through beginner les sons on how to swing a mallet.

After 15 minutes, they headed to a polo field, where, in a very slow walk, Medford experienced hitting a polo ball for the first time. A pair of plastic cones were set up to simulate a goal, and Osburg led Medford around the field until Medford would have the opportunity to nudge one between the cones.

“Goooooaaaaalllll.”

All during the lesson, Medford’s distinctive laugh echoed over the empty polo fields, which won’t be packed with players until Decem ber. Osburg was laughing as well, enjoying Medford’s passion and her desire to learn everything as fast as possible.

While Osburg doesn’t allow many of her inexperienced riders to trot during the first lesson, she was impressed with Medford’s ability to pick up the basics so well. So there

IF YOU GO

POLO LESSONS

Where: Sarasota Polo Club, 8201 Polo Club Lane, Lakewood Ranch

Instructor: Ashlie Osburg

Lessons: Call Osburg at: 630360-0441

Cost: $200 per hour

When: Osburg begins lessons Dec. 1

More information: Go to SarasotaPolo.com

they went across the field, Fish lead ing the way and Pepe close behind at a slow trot.

“She is very athletic,” Osburg said of her student, who blushed with pride at the comment.

An hour’s lesson had come and gone, and the two women headed back to the stables, chatting all along the way.

“Oh my gosh, it was like ... exhila rating!” Medford said as she dis mounted Pepe. “It took me a minute to get a feel for the horse, but after a little time, we were synchronized. Ashlie is such an amazing instructor. She is patient and she hones in on all the minor details. She knows if your finger is in the wrong place.”

With her heart racing and ten sion in her arms from trying to guide Pepe, Medford said it was an impres sive workout.

Osburg has seen it so many times, someone at middle age or older who believes they are too old to learn polo. After one lesson, they want more.

As soon as she hit the ground, Medford proclaimed that she wanted more lessons, to get closer to play ing the game recreationally, perhaps with a group of friends.

“It is such an incredibly beautiful sport, and I have an admiration for those individuals who play it,” she said. “Absolutely, I would recom mend this to my friends.”

Osburg has students as young as 6 and as old as 74.

Those who want a first lesson can simply show up after making an appointment. Osburg takes care of all the “dirty work,” providing and caring for the horse.

The lesson was over, but Fish and Pepe were given treats by Medford and her daughters, Ava and Mya, and already Medford was thinking about her second lesson.

This one would be different, though.

When she is asked if she ever has ridden a horse, the answer will be

Publisher and President / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com

Associate Publisher — East County Observer / Lori Ruth, LRuth@YourObserver.com

Executive Editor and COO / Kat Hughes, KHughes@YourObserver.com

Managing Editor / Jay Heater, JHeater@YourObserver.com

Sports Editor / Ryan Kohn, RKohn@YourObserver.com

Staff Writers / Liz Ramos, LRamos@YourObserver.com; Ian Swaby, ISwaby@YourObserver.com

Digital & Engagement Editor / Kaelyn Adix, KAdix@YourObserver.com

Copy Editor / Gina Reynolds Haskins, GRHaskins@YourObserver.com

Senior Editorial Designer / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com

Editorial Designer / José Valle, JValle@YourObserver.com

A+E Editor / Spencer Fordin, SFordin@YourObserver.com

Black Tie Editor / Harry Sayer, HSayer@YourObserver.com

Director of Advertising / Jill Raleigh, JRaleigh@YourObserver.com

Sales Manager / Penny Nowicki, PNowicki@YourObserver.com

Regional Digital Director / Kathleen O’Hara, KOHara@YourObserver.com

Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter, LRitter@YourObserver.com

Advertising Executives / Richeal Bair, RBair@YourObserver.com; Beth Jacobson, BJacobson@YourObserver.com; Jennifer Kane, JKane@YourObserver.com; Honesty Mantkowski, HMantkowski@YourObserver. com; Toni Perren, TPerren@YourObserver. com; Brenda White, BWhite@ YourObserver.com

Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Lexi Huelsman, LHuelsman@ YourObserver.com

Sales Operations Manager / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com

Sales Coordinator / Account Manager Lori Downey, LDowney@YourObserver.com

Digital Fulfillment Specialist / Emma Burke, EBurke@YourObserver.com

Tributes Coordinator / Kristen Boothroyd, Tributes@YourObserver.com

Director of Marketing / Robin Lankton, RLankton@YourObserver.com

Marketing Specialist / Melanie Melone, MMelone@YourObserver.com

Director of Creative Services / Caleb Stanton, CStanton@YourObserver.com

Creative Services Administrator / Marjorie Holloway, MHolloway@ YourObserver.com

Advertising Graphic Designers / Luis Trujillo, Taylor Poe, Louise Martin, Shawna Polana

Digital Developer / Jason Camillo, JCamillo@YourObserver.com

Director of Information Technology / Adam Quinlin, AQuinlin@YourObserver.com

Chief Financial Officer / Laura Strickland, LStrickland@YourObserver.com

Controller / Rafael Labrin, RLabrin@YourObserver.com

Office and Accounting Coordinator / Donna Condon, DCondon@ YourObserver.com

Observer Media Group Inc. is locally owned. Publisher of the Longboat Observer, East County Observer, Sarasota/Siesta Key Observer, Palm Coast Observer, Ormond Beach Observer, West Orange Times & Observer, Southwest Orange Observer, Business Observer, Jacksonville Daily Record, LWR Life Magazine, Baldwin Park Living Magazine and Season Magazine

CEO / Matt Walsh

Vice President / Lisa Walsh

Chairman Emeritus / David Beliles 8130 Lakewood Main St., Suite D207 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941-755-5357

Ashlie Osburg and Karen Medford go over polo positioning with toy horses before

Polo instructor Ashlie Osburg says she has students from age 6 to those in their 70s.

Photos by Jay Heater

Karen Medford gives Pepe a thank you pat after her first polo lesson at the Sarasota Polo Club in Lakewood Ranch.

“Oh my gosh, it was like ... exhilarating! It took me a minute to get a feel for the horse, but after a little time, we were synchronized

Alliance volunteers struck by sense of urgency

Patrick Larivaud was going at a NASCAR pit crew pace, snapping the cans of food in front of him into bags, then pushing the bags onward in assem bly-line fashion.

The sense of urgency was high, which was appropriate since Larivaud and other volunteers from the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance were tasked Oct. 7 with packing up food so Meals on Wheels

Plus of Bradenton could deliver them to one of its hurricane relief stations. These particular bags were going to Pride Park in Bradenton.

While that area might not have suffered as much damage as com munities to the east, it did lose power, meaning the residents might also have been cut off from their food supply.

Larivaud, who also was repre senting his employer, Kitchner

Benefits of Lakewood Ranch, did stop to catch his breath, and then looked around the warehouse at the many shelves stocked with food. It appeared to be a kind of Sam’s Club for those in need.

“It is one of those things where I never realized how much people needed,” Larivaud said. “These people put out a lot of food.”

And that’s the point of Alliance Gives Back.

The annual event matches Alli ance members with area nonprofits for a three-day period in October, this time Oct. 6-8. Alli ance President and CEO Brittany Lamont said the goal is to bring her members awareness of the missions of local nonprofits.

Before Hurricane Ian hit, Lamont said a record 200-plus volunteers were signed up for more than 30 projects. However, many of the nonprofits lost power and couldn’t host volunteers at this time, so the scope of the project became a bit smaller.

It didn’t mean it was less impor tant.

Tidewell Hospice used its Lake wood Ranch Business Alliance volunteers to help pack food to send to counties to the south that were devastated by the hurricane.

All Faiths Food Bank needed the volunteers to help it send food to Fort Myers. Meals on Wheels Plus has been overwhelmed with calls for help.

Meals on Wheels Plus President and CEO Maribeth Phillips has been going to the Myakka City area to hand out supplies with her team members.

“What I saw was such devasta tion,” Phillips said. “The houses looked like they were built inside a lake. It is so heart wrenching.

“But I do feel the community has come together. The show of support is remarkable and it makes me proud to be part of this com munity.”

Phillips looks forward to the time every year when the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance sends vol unteers to her nonprofit.

“We have done it for several years now,” Phillips said. “And the need now is more than ever with the hur ricane.”

Once volunteers are part of the Meals on Wheels’ mission, Phillips said they often return for more vol unteer hours. Whether they come back or not, they “spread the word about the services we offer.”

“This just opens my eyes,” said Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance volunteer Annemarie Graff of Bank

OZK. “We were going to do the hay maze (at Nathan Benderson Park), but they had flooding. This is a bet ter calling.”

She called the Alliance Gives Back event a wonderful way to connect with those in need.

“People want to help, but they don’t know where to begin,” she said.

When the six Alliance volunteers arrived at the Meals on Wheels complex, they were given a quick tour before they were put to work.

Cindy Sloan, who manages Meals on Wheels’ Food Bank of Manatee, said the brief tour gives volunteers a feel for the scope of the operation.

“They can see they are making a difference,” Sloan said. “And at this time, a ton more help than normal is needed.”

Ali Marks of Zollinger Media tion of Sarasota was all smiles as she packed food as part of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Group.

“I just love this, doing volunteer stuff,” she said.

She quickly added that she had no idea that Meals on Wheels Plus had such an impact on the county.

Lamont said she was glad the Alliance could plant the seed for Marks and others to volunteer in the future.

For 14-year-old Cooper Hodg son, it was his first look at Meals on Wheels Plus in action.

“I had heard of them once in a while,” he said.

Now he knows.

Larivaud looked back at the other volunteers and smiled.

“This is the community helping out,” he said. “It is so cool to see.”

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

Jay Heater

LWRBA volunteers Patrick Larivaud, Cooper Hodgson, Ali Marks, Jenna Nelson, Duette Hart and Annemarie Graff worked a shift at Meals on Wheels Plus during the event Alliance Gives Back..

IF YOU GO

Putts for Mutts and Racquets for Rescues tournaments

What: Fundraiser for the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch

When: Golf tournament at 9:30 a.m.; tennis tournament at 1:30 p.m.; evening dinner reception at 5 p.m.

Where: Golf tournament and evening dinner reception at Ritz-Carlton Members Club, 14605 70th Terrace E., Lake wood Ranch; tennis tourna ment at Lakewood Ranch Country Club, 8488 Legacy Blvd., Lakewood Ranch Price: $250 for golf and dinner; $125 for tennis and dinner; $95 for evening dinner reception only For more information and to register: Visit HSLWR.org.

Having fun the humane way

Tournaments support the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch.

Dogs and cats at the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch always have time to play.

On Oct. 17, it will be a chance for those who support the shelter to do the same.

The nonprofit is hosting its annual Putts Fore Mutts and Racquets for Rescues tournaments.

Rebekah Boudrie, the tourna ment’s co-chair, expects between 200 and 225 people to participate in the Putts Fore Mutts and Racquets for Rescues tournaments.

“It’s very motivating and encour aging to see the community come together and fundraise for helping the voiceless,” Boudrie said.

Boudrie said the tournaments are the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch’s biggest fundraisers of the year.

“We’re completely dependent upon fundraisers such as this, as well as private donations,” Boudrie said. “It’s so important because we don’t get any sort of government help or anything of that nature. We’re com pletely dependent on our donors and events to keep the wheels moving. All our dogs and cats at the shelter are depending on us to make this a mind-blowing success.

Boudrie said Manatee County animal shelters are “busting at the seams” with owner surrenders, strays and pet overpopulation as a

result of families surrendering ani mals due to returning to work after the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and rent increases.

“We pull from our local animal services and animal shelters here to help ease the burden from these entities,” she said. “It’s so important. It’s saving lives. It really is.”

All funds raised during the tourna ments and reception will go toward paying for the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch’s dog and cat food, medical bills, housing, and staff sal aries. The funds will help with the nonprofit’s ability to take in more animals.

Some funds will be needed to repair the shelter roof, which lost some shingles during Hurricane Ian.

Golfers will check in at the RitzCarlton Members Club for a round of golf in a scramble format with four

Daisy greets guests to the Humane So ciety at Lakewood Ranch’s 2021 Putts Fore Mutts and Racquets for Rescues tournaments.

players.

The tournament will give golfers an opportunity to play on a course that Boudrie said has a three-year waiting list to join as a member.

“It’s a nice opportunity for golf

ers to play a course that normally is unattainable to play,” she said.

Boudrie said the tournament also includes tennis because it’s another avenue for people to participate and raise money for the shelter.

Tennis tournament participants will play at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Tennis Club.

After a day of playing golf and ten nis, participants will gather at the Ritz-Carlton Members Club for a helicopter drop, auction, and dinner reception. There will be a DJ, raffle sales and golf ball sales.

“I’m looking forward to the cock tail dinner reception because that’s when the sun starts going down. Everybody’s relaxed and enjoying themselves and having a great time,” Boudrie said. “Everybody has such a great time while raising money for a great cause.”

During the reception, Lakewood Ranch’s Grayson Tullio will give a testimony.

Tullio, who suffers from Duch enne Muscular Dystrophy, adopted his dog, Panda, from the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch. He also volunteers for the nonprofit.

“He’s a huge, huge dog lover,” Boudrie said of Tullio. “He will be talking about how the Humane Soci ety had helped him emotionally. He knows our dogs better than anybody. It’s really amazing. He watches our website like a hawk every single day to see what new adoptables we have, he asks questions about them and then he tries to help place them.”

A few of the dogs that are available for adoption at the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch will be at the reception.

Boudrie said the nonprofit has to wait to see which ones will be at the event in case the dogs they were planning to have at the event are adopted before Oct. 17.

Before dinner begins at the recep tion, guests will be able to view auc tion items as well as watch Sarasota artist Tom Runthz paint a dog por trait upside down. The painting will later be auctioned off.

“It’s just unbelievable how good he is and how talented he is,” Boud rie said.

File photos

Lakewood Ranch’s Gene Storm, Emily Storm and Bee Storm love the painting they purchased at a Humane Society of Lakewood Ranch fundraiser because it looks like their family dog, Stella.

THERE ARE S OME T HINGS YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON

To all the physicians and nurses, clinicians, technicians and support staff who stayed at their posts throughout the storm, away from their families and loved ones, we thank you.

Although words may sometimes fail us , you never have .

THANK YOU TEAM SMH

Wildlife take different approaches to extreme weather

Extreme weather has long shaped our region and affected its inhab itants. Indeed, hurricanes are part of the natural environment to which native wildlife have adapt ed. Like us, animals must actively respond to avoid the injury, death and destruction storms bring.

Many animals can sense the large decreases in air and water pressure caused by extreme weather events. In response, some leave before storms hit, but most shelter in place. Smaller birds and mammals might hide out in thick underbrush or other vegetation, while other spe cies, such as woodpeckers and rac coons, take shelter in tree cavities. Birds that roost on branches, such as crows and cardinals, have toes that literally lock around a branch when they rest or sleep. Thanks to this adaptation, they choose a thick tree branch close to the trunk on the most protected side and literally go into lockdown until the storm is over. American alligators and turtles also hunker down, albeit deep in their aquatic habitats.

Research suggests that whitetailed deer take a different approach to storms.

They actually increase their movements dramatically, possibly to avoid falling trees or windblown vegetation. Like many land animals, they seek higher ground (including human-made structures) to limit their exposure to flooding.

Rising waters from storms also force underground dwellers, such as burrowing owls and gopher tor toises, to seek shelter in unusual spots. And widespread flooding, as is being experienced in our region, often results in wildlife showing up far from their homes.

Overall, most native species typi cally rebound quickly after storms,

PARK CLOSED

Myakka River State Park is ex periencing historic flood levels, with high water levels expected in the park for a while. The park is closed to the public until further notice. For updates, please visit FloridaStateParks. org/Parks-and-Trails/MyakkaRiver-State-Park.

and some even benefit from a newly created or restored habitat. Howev er, many animals who do survive are displaced, and storms often change the availability of their food sources. Unfortunately, endangered wild life, such as manatees, typically

fare the worst during and after a hurricane. And the major flooding and extreme winds associated with intensified weather systems due to climate change have the potential to devastate entire ecosystems. To help wildlife, we can report injured and displaced animals after storms and support habitat conservation and protection efforts as much as pos sible.

Friends of Myakka River exists to support Myakka River State Park and the Wild and Scenic Myakka River. Together, we’re protecting and shar ing Myakka’s Magic, to the benefit of future generations, and our own. Fol low us @FriendsofMyakkaRiver

COMMISSIONER’S DUI PRETRIAL CONFERENCE POSTPONED

Jeffrey Haynes, the attorney for Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse, was granted a post ponement of the Oct. 11 pretrial conference concerning the State Attorney’s charge of driving under the influence against Kruse.

On June 22, the State Attorney’s Office filed one count of driving under the influence against Kruse involving an April 20 one-car crash on GreyHawk Boulevard in East County. Kruse has entered a plea of not guilty.

Twelfth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Erika Quartermaine resched uled the pretrial conference to 9:15 a.m. Nov. 8. Quartermaine said she was targeting January or February for the start of a trial. She said she would schedule a trial date during the Nov. 8 pretrial conference.

The case has been pushed back multiple times. Jacqueline Steele, the 12th Judicial Circuit Court judge originally assigned to the case, recused herself on July 14. Previous postponements moved the pretrial conference from Aug. 2 to Aug. 16, and then Aug. 16 to Oct. 11.

Haynes requested the latest con tinuance, stating the case involved a large amount of discovery for a first-offense DUI charge and that he had not yet had a chance to review all evidence.

Haynes said he plans to visit the office of prosecutor Darlene Ra goonanan to compare evidence and ensure his material is complete.

He said it was difficult to view videos through the portal the court system was using to share them. He said he had one video left to view and would watch it at Ragonnanan’s office, although he did not believe it would contain any evidentiary value.

MORE HURRICANE RELIEF SUPPLIES AVAILABLE

The Food Bank of Manatee will make more Hurricane Ian relief supplies available Oct. 14 from 3-5 p.m. at the Myakka Family Worship Center, 33420 Singletary Road, Myakka City.

Quantities are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, firstserved basis.

“We are so thankful for the tre mendous support from our commu nity that is making it possible to pro vide free food and household items,” said Maribeth Phillips, the president and CEO of Meals on Wheels Plus, in a release.

The Food Bank of Manatee is a Meals on Wheels Plus program.

Phillips said a cooperative effort with Mosaic Florida Operations, the Manatee Community Foundation, the Steve and Natalee Herrig Family Foundation and Senator Jim Boyd’s Office made the donations possible.

MYAKKA CITY PARKS REMAIN CLOSED

While most Manatee County beach es and parks were reopened Oct. 7 in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Crane Park and Myakka Community Park in Myakka City continued to be closed.

Crane Park continues to see some flooding, while Myakka Community Park is being used as a relief staging area.

In a release, Manatee County also noted some trails in Rye Preserve remain closed due to high water or debris. The effort to clear trails should be complete by next week.

An exploration beyond the pavement.

Miri Hardy

According to native American folklore, white ibis are last to shelter before storms and first to emerge afterwards, thus symbolizing both danger and optimism.

Jay Heater

Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse’s DUI pretrial hearing is postponed until Nov. 8.

Fast Break

The return of high school football Oct. 7 after a week off courtesy of Hurricane Ian was good for only one area team. The Out-of-Door Academy, which now sits at 6-0 after hitting the road for a 29-16 win over Bell Creek Academy (1-5), has had its best start to a season in program history. The team’s Oct. 14 home opponent, Cocoa Beach High (4-1), looks to be its toughest test. Win, and there’s only a road game against Bra denton Christian (2-4) on Oct. 21 between the Thunder and an undefeated regular season. The game starts at 7 p.m.

… After taking a 20-14 half time lead on the road against Manatee High (5-1) Oct. 7, the Lakewood Ranch High football team (4-2) failed to hold onto it. Head Coach Rashad West said he liked his team’s effort, but he was also frustrated. “We didn’t come here to just lead or win the first half,” West said. “The goal was to win the game. We gave it all we had. We just came up short.” The team will have another chance to prove itself against a historically strong program when it plays host to Palmetto High (2-3) Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.

… A trio of East County swim mers who attend Bradenton’s Southeast High won races at the Manatee County Swim Meet held Oct. 7 at Manatee High. On the boys side, junior Denis Jones won the 500-yard free (4:59.07) and the 200yard free (1:54.44) while junior Nicholas Sevarino won the 200-yard individual medley (2:16.32). On the girls side, junior Abby Hite won the 100yard breaststroke (1:08.50) and the 100-yard free (54.65).

DUKE LANDS ANOTHER KRUG

FAST FACTS

AVA KRUG Sport: Tennis Class: 2024

Class ranking: 10th, per the Ten nis Recruiting Network

Commitment: Duke University

Favorite food: Acai bowls

Favorite TV show: “Grey’s Anatomy”

Favorite school subject: History

Favorite hobby: Playing ping pong

Favorite vacation spot: Hawaii

Dream superpower: Being in multiple places at once

Best advice: You can never ask too many questions

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

The Duke University tennis program has added another Krug.

Lakewood Ranch’s Ava Krug, the granddaughter of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame broadcaster and Lakewood Ranch resident Dick Vitale, committed to Duke for women’s tennis on Oct. 3. Krug, an academic junior, will join the Blue Devils in 2024.

Colleges cannot contact recruits directly until June 15 of their junior academic year. When it became time for Krug’s recruiting season earlier this year, colleges reached out to her at midnight to earn her attention. As of Oct. 7, Krug is the No. 10 player in the national Class of 2024, according to the Tennis Recruiting Network, which also calls Krug a five-star blue chip player.

After taking official visits to Duke, Texas, Florida, Virginia and North Carolina, Krug’s commitment to Duke ended months of stress. She said she feels comfortable becoming a Blue Devil in every aspect, which includes tennis but extends to the classroom.

“The program that (Head Coach) Jamie Ashworth has created there is amazing,” Krug said. “Everyone strives to be better. It is a great atmo sphere. Everyone thrives athletically and academically. I’m excited to be a part of it.”

At Duke, Krug will be reunited with her brothers, Jake and Connor Krug, who play for the Blue Devils men’s tennis team. Ava Krug said her brothers have relayed how posi tive their experience in the program has been, which helped with her decision, but was not the differencemaker. Krug said she’s making this decision for herself. She said Duke is the place that gives her the best chance to advance her career.

Becoming a college athlete is something Krug has always want ed, in part because she grew up in a family of such athletes, even outside of her brothers. Her mother, Sherri Vitale Krug, played tennis at Notre Dame, as did her aunt, Terri Vitale. Her father, Thomas Krug, was a quarterback for the Fighting Irish and started the 1996 Orange Bowl against Florida State. Her cousins, the children of Terri Vitale and Chris Sforzo, are athletes, too. Sydney Sforzo plays tennis at Notre Dame, and Ryan Sforzo plays lacrosse for the Irish.

The biggest thing Krug learned from her family, she said, is how to be goal-oriented.

“It keeps you motivated,” Krug said. “There are a lot of ups and downs in tennis. Having goals in sight is something that can get you through the hard times. My fam ily and my coaches make for a great support system. Knowing that peo ple have your back is a big deal.”

Krug has earned her lofty status despite playing the 18th most diffi cult schedule in the country, accord ing to the Tennis Recruiting Network. That includes many events outside of the United States, such as the 2022 Roland Garros (French Open) Juniors in May, as well as premier American events like the U.S. Open Juniors in New York in September. Krug said playing such an intense schedule allows her improve her skills as well as gain perspective on how players from different countries approach the game.

Playing an international schedule has forced Krug to deal with offthe-court adversity quicker than she would have otherwise. Being in a foreign place, eating unfamiliar food, playing on uncommon court surfaces and dealing with jet lag have

forced her to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.

“You have to be prepared for any thing,” Krug said.

Krug practices with her personal coach, Mauricio Hadad, from 7-10 a.m. each day. Krug then works on her fitness for an hour before return ing home to eat and rest. From 3-4 p.m. she’ll get in another practice, and then it is time for schoolwork.

Krug attends online classes through Laurel Springs School.

Then comes dinner and relaxation.

Krug said her on-court practices vary from day to day, with Hadad giving her the freedom to assess what she needs to improve. During morning practice on Oct. 3, she focused on her forehand the whole time, getting the tiniest details of her shot right.

It is the work Krug does on those details that will determine where she goes from here. Krug said her focus now is preparing herself for college tennis, and once she arrives in Dur ham, her focus will be on being the best Blue Devils player she can be.

“I definitely want to play pro ten nis,” Krug said.

“It is something I have aspired to do. My coaches believe I can get there, so we’ll see.”

“Run your race. It applies to life as much as it does to running.”

File photo

The Out-of-Door Academy football Head Coach Rob Hollway.

Ava Krug will join her brothers Jake and Connor Krug, in the Blue Devils’ tennis program.

Courtesy photo

Lakewood Ranch’s Ava Krug said she is excited to join the Duke tennis program for both the university’s athletics and academics programs.

File photo

Lakewood Ranch’s Ava Krug, who is headed to Duke University to play tennis, is ranked No. 10 in the Class of 2024 by the Tennis Recruiting Network.

Tree damage par for the course

Some area golf courses were spared major damage, but clearing trees could take weeks.

Rick Nelson had some extra chores to do.

Nelson, a co-owner of Heritage Harbour Golf Club and Eatery, was on the course Oct. 1 mowing the grass on various holes following Hurricane Ian’s arrival on Sept. 28. When Nelson arrived at the club on Sept. 30 to check the dam age, he was relieved to find that aside from a lot of palm fronds spread everywhere — the club has 500 palm trees — and a handful of nonpalm trees down on the sides of the course, things were in good shape.

The storm had an effect on all the golf courses in the East County area, but perhaps no course was hoping to be spared as much as Heritage Har bour. The club’s golf course has been undergoing $2 million in renovations since May 2, and Nelson said before Hurricane Ian’s arrival that he was worried about the storm’s potential to slow down the project. Thankful ly, the already completed work was still intact after the storm.

“Doing something like this, you’re always at the mercy of Mother Nature,” Nelson said. “I was pleas antly surprised (with the level of damage). You feel bad saying you lucked out when places like Sanibel (Island) are devastated, but we did.” Nelson and Heritage Harbour put out a call for volunteers Sept. 30 to assist with the cleanup. Nelson said approximately 15 people answered the call. By the end of the day, the palm fronds were gone and Nelson could get back to what he’s done for months — getting ready for the course to reopen.

Nelson said the course’s bunkers are scheduled to get touched up in two weeks and get more sand. As for Nelson himself, he’s spend

ing upwards of 10 hours a day cut ting grass and spraying the course to eliminate weeds.

Nelson said the course’s front nine holes are on track to reopen by Nov. 1, with the back nine following a few weeks later.

“I was surprised how popular the course was (in the past) with the condition it was in,” Nelson said. “People enjoy this course. Now, to bring it back to life, I think people are going to love it.”

Not every course was quite as lucky. Palm Aire Country Club’s head golf professional Jay Seymour said his club lost 80 trees across its Champions and Lakes courses, many of which were large pine trees. The Lakes course took the brunt of the fallen tree damage, Seymour said. Getting rid of the trees is an ardu ous process, one Seymour said will require weeks to complete. The club also suffered some minor structural damage to its fencing around its ath letic center and pool.

Seymour said the back nine holes on the Champions course was set to reopen Oct. 10.

“The course’s other nine holes will hopefully open later in the week,” he said. “The Lakes course will possibly not open until the end of the month.”

Other courses back open include Rosedale Golf and Country Club, which reopened Oct. 6.

University Park Country Club is also open. The course suffered mini mal damage from the storm accord ing to head golf professional Ashley Hayden, just some debris that was easily cleaned.

The club reopened the week of Oct. 3, with Patrick Doherty, Ran dy Holden, Martin Seffrin and Joe Helewicz (57) winning a Men’s Golf Association shamble event on Oct. 5, among other results.

That’s all normal. What was unique about University Park’s Hurricane Ian experience is what happened before its arrival. When preparing for the storm, Hayden took it upon himself to give the club’s constitu ents a laugh in an attempt to calm their nerves.

Hayden filmed a video showcas

ing how to play golf in bad weather. At least, that was the initial idea. Throughout the video, Hayden’s tips were progressively more ridiculous, including using a kayak in lieu of a golf cart.

The video, uploaded to YouTube on Sept. 27, was filmed in Hayden’s front yard during a stretch of rain. He holds an umbrella to keep him

self semi-dry — though with the wind blowing the rain sideways, it was not effective.

“I’ve just started doing a video blog for the club’s weekly Friday email,” Hayden said. “Usually it is about a rule of etiquette or some thing like that. I just took it a little farther (before Hurricane Ian) and had a little fun.”

Ryan Kohn

Heritage Harbour Golf Club co-owner Rick Nelson said Hurricane Ian brought a lot of palm fronds to the course, but the ongoing $2 million renovations were not affected.

Palm Aire Country Club head golf pro Jay Seymour said the club’s Cham pions course would reopen its back nine Oct. 10, with hopes to re open the rest of the course later in the week.

Jay Heater

Jonathan Leatt

Jonathan Leatt is a sophomore on the Lakewood Ranch High boys cross-country team. Leatt finished second (17:38.90) out of 70 runners in the high school boys division of the Bradenton Runners Club XC Invitational, held Oct. 8 at GT Bray Park.

When did you start running?

I started when I was in fourth grade. I would run with my family at local races like the Boo Run. I was not competitive with it, but I did enjoy it. Once I joined running teams in middle school and high school, my competitive levels rose.

Do you prefer cross-country or track and field?

I like track more because there is more variety in the races. My favor ite is the mile run. It’s not as long as a 5K, but it’s still a distance race.

Why do you run cross-country?

It’s a good way to stay in shape. I like being fit. I also like feeling ac complishment, and cross-country is a great chance to keep setting your personal record time, since there are fast courses and slow courses and your times vary.

What is your favorite course to run?

I like the North Port High course because it is the fastest course, so you can get a PR easily there. I also like Holloway Park in Lakeland even though it is a slower course. It’s hilly but it is pretty.

What are your goals?

My current goal is to go sub-17 minutes. My PR is 17:38 right now. I run at North Port on Saturday (for the Tri-County Championship) and I think I have a shot to do it since the course is fast. I just have to run hard at practice this week and not skip anything.

If you would

to make

East County Observer

Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Ryan Kohn at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.

What is your favorite memory?

My favorite times are always recov ery runs with my teammates. We run as a group and try to go to different

Sometimes we run to Publix and back and sometimes we run on a trail, but it’s always as a team.

What is your favorite food? I love my dad’s (Mark Leatt) fried rice.

What are your hobbies?

I play soccer both for the school and for Braden River Soccer Club.

Which superpower would you pick?

Super speed, which would help me in cross-country a lot.

What is the best advice you have received?

Run your race. My dad tells me that all the time. It applies to life as much as it does to running. Don’t get distracted by what other people are doing. Just do the best you can do.

Finish this sentence: “Jonathan Leatt

ATHLETE

David G.

Lakewood

Medicine.

Undergraduate: Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

Undergraduate: Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL

NOW

College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton,

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton,

State University College of Medicine, Internal Medicine Residency, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Sarasota,

State University College of Medicine, Internal Medicine Residency, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Sarasota,

Florida State University College of Medicine, Internal Medicine Residency, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Sarasota, FL

Board of Internal Medicine

Jessica Kassover brings to Intercoastal Medical Group at the Lakewood Ranch

office

wealth

in Internal Medicine.

YOUR NEIGHBORS

NEVER ALONE

The day Del Webb’s Sandy Pavlat was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 was the scariest day of her life.

“You’re just in a daze,” Pavlat said.

Although she’s now in remission, Pavlat still gets nervous when she goes into the doctor’s office for a mammogram, worried the cancer has returned.

The Del Webb Breast Cancer Walk-athon on Oct. 8 reminded Pavlat she’s not alone as there are other survivors in the community as well as residents who are fighting cancer.

Del Webb’s Kathi Ferullo said the walk-athon is a chance for survivors to celebrate and be together with those who know what they’ve been through.

Ellen Lotz, president of the Del Webb Women’s Club, which hosted the walk, said the more than 325 people from Del Webb and nearby neighborhoods partici pating in the walk were walking for those in the community who are fighting breast cancer or who are survivors.

“Walking for members of our commu nity makes it more fulfilling for us,” Lotz said.

On top of the walk, the club hosted a wine tasting Oct. 12 and will host a live auction and chance auction Oct. 20 as well as a “sweet ending” event at Nor man Love Confections at University Town Center Oct. 25.

— LIZ RAMOS

Del Webb’s Sandy Pavlat and Kathi Ferullo are breast cancer survivors. Pavlat says the walk reminds her she’s not alone.

Del Webb’s Jane Zislin and Ellen Lotz are instrumental in the planning of Del Webb Women’s Club’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month events, including the walk-a-thon.

Del Webb’s Sherry Maloney, who is a breast cancer survivor, walks with Isles at Lakewood Ranch’s Caitlin Buchanan and 8-year-old Paige Buchanan. “It’s nice to see everyone come to gether to support a good cause,” Maloney says.

Del Webb’s Eddie Abdenour and Joe Mazzarese love the walk-a-thon and enjoy supporting a good cause.

Del Webb’s Robin Rothman gives it her all during the warmup.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Del Webb’s Victoria Minni, Steve Calobong, Debbie Johnston and Jim Flood celebrate finishing their walk.

HEALING

MUSIC

The event was a chance for

East County residents to relax after Hurricane Ian, as well as support those most impacted by the storm.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Amidst the entertainment and ener gy of Music on Main Oct. 7, the sub ject of Hurricane Ian still was fore most on everyone’s mind.

According to Lakewood Ranch Community Fund Board Member Keith Pandeloglou, all proceeds generated from beer and wine sales at the event were donated to hurri cane relief.

“Seeing the generosity of our community never ceases to amaze

me,” he said. “We’ve never had an event like this, in terms of sales. I think the mission really was not lost upon people.”

Lakewood Ranch Community Activities and Lakewood Ranch Communities partnered with the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund to raise funds for hurricane victims.

Pandeloglou, who is the executive director of Lakewood Ranch Com munity Activities, said all those organizations will continue to collect funds for hurricane relief.

Although he had yet to count the total revenue from the event, Pan deloglou said the event had sold out of every beer on tap, as well as every last packaged beer and wine. He said he was also encouraged by the suc cess of a supply drive hosted by the Lakewood Ranch Information Cen ter for hurricane relief.

Many attendees who were less impacted by Hurricane Ian said they attended Music on Main to let loose after their own experiences with the storm.

Sarasota’s Pam Willington, attending with her husband, Tom Willington, called the event a chance to take a break from cleaning up debris in their yard.

“We love it. We come here as much

Photos by Ian Swaby

Judit Maldonado and Trevor Bystrom provided live music as part of Trevor Bystrom Band.

we can,” she said.

East County’s Maguire Fraatz, an audio engineer at the event, said he never had seen a bigger crowd at Music on Main.

“Everyone is jamming and having fun,” Fraatz said. “It’s good to see everyone’s doing all right, because everything has been pretty rough here. It’s a chance for them to relax and have a drink for a little bit.”

However, not everyone had a storm experience they could easily forget.

Just before the hurricane’s impact, Russell and Jeri Shawl had evacuated from their home two miles from the coast of Fort Myers to stay with Jeri Shawl’s parents, Joe and Rita Suarez, in Lakewood Ranch.

“It’s amazing that such a short distance away, life is going on as nor mal,” said Russell Shawl.

The couple had returned to Fort Myers for a period after the storm, due to their medical careers, and Jeri Shawl called the sights she wit nessed “a war zone.”

She said at the same time Lake wood Ranch residents were lining up for coffee at Starbucks, people in Fort Myers wandered through the streets with bags that contained all their belongings.

“It’s very humbling to see so many people from all over helping,” Shawl said.

“I think it’s important to go to any location to help with the communi ty,” said Nicole Hackel of Lakewood

Ranch Communities. “It’s nice to see the community coming together.”

Lakewood Ranch Community Fund Executive Director Adrienne Bookhamer said that while the Lake wood Ranch area was very fortunate, this was not the case further south and east.

“It’s a great way for us to get our name out and let people know we’re here to help nonprofits,” she said. She said she found the results encouraging, with plenty of people coming to the tent to ask questions, as well as lots of drop-offs of items.

Lakewood Ranch’s Lindsey Minick receives a sample of Salt Tequila, which she says tastes “amaz ing” and “like chocolate,” from Myakka Valley Ranches’ Brittany Hinkle.

Lakewood Ranch’s Johna Cooper and 8-year-old Coy Cooper reach the end of a Jenga game.

PET PICS

IT’S

DON’T HIDE

is

and

you are over 50, you may be experiencing bulging veins in your legs. This is the start of vein disease (varicose veins) and it affects more than 40 million Americans. Less than 1% seek treatment

means, it leads to more serious

Vein Center

Scary moments before Halloween

IF YOU GO

HAUNTED NIGHTS

Where: Herrmann’s Royal Lipizzan Stallions, 32755 Singletary Road, Myakka City

When: 7-10 p.m. Oct. 14-15, Oct. 21-22, Oct. 28-29

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

The plastic skeletons sitting at vari ous spots around the ranch Oct. 10 at Herrmann’s Royal Lipizzan Stallions in Myakka City probably would have enjoyed a good horror show.

They would have gotten one, too, if Rebecca McCullough, the ranch’s owner, surrendered to the various calamities heaped upon her.

McCullough had scheduled a day of work Oct. 10 setting up the “Haunted Nights” Halloween tour that is scheduled to begin Oct. 14. However, that work day had to be postponed.

Standing a few hundred yards from her home, which was flooded by Hurricane Ian after its roof was ripped off, McCullough was stand ing in a covered area, her 5-year-old mare Raven hooked up to an IV. The evening before, Raven came down with a serious case of colic.

Colic involves abdominal pain, which often can be caused by a blockage in the gastrointestinal tract. McCullough spent all night at Raven’s side, making sure she stood the entire time so she wouldn’t rip out the IV.

Although McCullough wasn’t sure what caused the colic, she said it sometimes can be caused by stress or a change in routine. Raven has expe rienced both in the past week.

Hurricane Ian obviously supplied lots of stress, along with the physi cal damage it caused. More than 30 trees went down all over the 10-acre ranch, and many of those took down portions of fence. One huge pine still blocks the main driveway.

Get

Admission: Free (but donations are appreciated)

Fun for all: A walking tour of famous Florida haunts is set up for those 11 and older, while a family friendly “Dead and Breakfast” will entertain the younger guests with vampires, witches, pirates and fortune tellers. Closed-toed shoes and bug spray are recommended

More information: HerrmannsRoyal Lipizzans.com/events

Of the two main pastures and two paddock areas, only one pasture cur rently is in use. The others had gap ing hopes in the fence.

The one serviceable pasture could only be used because huge trees blocked the holes in the fence.

With only one pasture, McCullough has had to alternate her horses’ time there, thus the change in routine.

Despite the adversity, McCullough was looking forward to her first “Haunted Nights,” which she has started as a way to bring some addi tional revenue for Herrmann’s Royal Lipizzan Stallions, which has 12 stal lions and six mares on the ranch.

McCullough has run the ranch since her mom, Gabby Herrmann, died in March 2021. She has experi mented with ways to bring in extra income to keep a family tradition alive, a tradition that started in Myakka City in 1962.

She said her mom never was a big fan of Halloween and never liked the idea the decorating the ranch with skeletons and scary props. McCullough, on the other hand, had

It was a dark and stormy night ... before the Halloween event at Herrmann’s Royal Lipizzan Stallions.

all kinds of Halloween decorations and props she would put around her house every year.

Her neighbor, Jolene Bryant, has been volunteering around the ranch and she shares a love of Hallow een with McCullough. She decided to give McCullough a push toward hosting the event.

Bryant, who makes cow whips, dog leashes and reins by hand, said her mind simply embraces Hallow een events.

“I think, ‘What can we put in a witch’s room?’ or ‘I bet Dracula would have something like this.’”

Bryant was at the ranch Oct. 10 helping out in any way she could.

“Everything was right on track (for the Halloween event) before the hurricane, which now has slowed us down,” she said. “But we have ral lied.”

A stand of trees fell on an area that was originally scheduled to be part of the “Haunted Nights” walk ing tour, so that had to be detoured. McCullough had planned to charge a $10 admission fee for the tour, which will highlight infamous Florida hauntings, such as the Flagler train as it tries to survive the Labor Day hurricane of 1935, the doomed flight 401 and the little girls who haunt the St. Augustine Lighthouse.

Bryant would have been work ing on a new course, but then Raven became ill.

“Life stops when you have a horse you can’t turn loose,” she said.

Her mother, Shirley Bryant, was holding onto Raven as she took the IV. Shirley Bryant grew up with Gab by Herrmann.

“I just love horses,” she said.

Jolene Bryant said that although they are tired, the Halloween event setup would be ready for the Oct. 14 opening night.

She noted that the storm even pro vided lots of wood for a fire ring at the event.

McCullough said a Halloween event just made sense to her.

“There used to be something like this at the elementary school 20 years ago,” she said. “In New Eng land, anyone who has a 5-acre plot puts on something like this.”

She thanked the community for helping out the ranch and noted that donations have helped her buy new sections of fence. She will rebuild the fence herself with the help of volun teers. She said anyone who would like to donate some time with heavy equipment would be much appreci ated.

She is hoping “Haunted Nights becomes a yearly event, without the hurricane.

“We will get our feet wet,” she said. “And we have to see how the horses respond. There will be a lot of loud music.”

an appointment online:

call

More Than A PLAN

IT’S A PROMISE.

does more than provide your family with

mind.

making a promise to keep them free of future financial burdens and the responsibility of carrying out rushed arrangements during their time of remembrance.

more than 30 years, the Toale Brothers family has helped people make their choices now, so those decisions

fall

their families later.

a plan and a promise for your loved ones.

start

us

Jay Heater Sydney McCullough makes no bones about saying “Haunted Nights” will be a fun event.

Upper Manatee River Road home tops sales at $900,000

Ahome on Upper Mana tee River Road topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Chealsye Bowley, Deanna Bowley and Christina Bowley, of Fort Collins, Colo rado, sold their home at 11661 Upper Manatee River Road to Steven Pimlott, of Bradenton, for $900,000. Built in 1955, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 3,646 square feet of living area. It sold for $150,000 in 1991.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

Jeffrey Goodman and Sharon Bolan, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 14545 Whitemoss Ter race to Lawrence and Beth List, of Lakewood Ranch, for $850,000. Built in 2013, it has three bed rooms, two baths, a pool and 2,464 square feet of living area. It sold for $447,900 in 2013.

WILTON CRESCENT

Mark and Kathy Creighton, of Stow, Ohio, sold their home at 7829 Wil ton Crescent Circle to Timothy and Dolores LaBeau, of Milford, Michi gan, for $850,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,227 square feet of living area. It sold for $505,000 in 2018.

RIVA TRACE

James Moffa and Christine Bur ton, of Amston, Connecticut, sold their home at 7816 Rio Bella Place to Mary Harman, of Bradenton, for $715,000. Built in 2013, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,958 square feet of living area. It sold for $416,300 in 2013.

ARBOR GRANDE

Ronald and Janice Miller, of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, sold their home at 2512 Starwood Court to Robert and Cathy Ready, of Braden ton, for $675,000. Built in 2017, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 2,112 square feet of living area. It sold for $389,000 in 2018.

LAKE VISTA RESIDENCES

Carolyn Webster, of Sarasota, sold her Unit A-301 condominium at 7804 Lake Vista Court to Regina Shtirmer, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $565,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths and 2,138 square feet of living area. It sold for $514,100 in 2006.

ROSEDALE ADDITION

Adam and Beth Ann Frack, trustees, sold the home at 10319 Marbella Drive to Tammy Zelinger and Rob ert Zelinger, trustees, of Bradenton, for $549,900. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 1,840 square feet of living area. It sold for $359,800 in 2021.

MARINELAND

Andrew and Glenda Matheson, of Mayo, Ireland, sold their home at 6826 68th Ave. E. to Maria Van Brown and Matthew Brown, of Bra denton, for $535,000. Built in 2003, it has one bedroom, two baths and 1,570 square feet of living area. It sold for $300,000 in 2014.

SUMMERFIELD

Melissa and Maurice Everett, of Boca Raton, sold their home at 6462 Golden Leaf Court to Kayleen and Trevor McDonald, of Lakewood Ranch, for $510,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,953 square feet of living area. It sold for $330,000 in 2020.

Benjamin and Laura Zink, of Lan caster, Pennsylvania, sold their home at 11223 Parkside Place to Arthur Doherty Jr. and Arthur Doherty III, of Lakewood Ranch, for $490,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,572 square feet of living area. It sold for $279,000 in 2018.

Michael Marzella and Jennifer Sierra, of Sarasota, sold their home at 12519 Rockrose Glen to Brandon and Ofelia Youngblood, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, for $420,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,757 square feet of living area. It sold for $225,000 in 2014.

BACCIANO AT ESPLANADE

Richard Fembleaux and Dianna Henderson, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 203 condominium at 13720 Messina Loop to Elizabeth Johnson, of Bradenton, for $490,000. Built in 2019, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,528 square feet of living area. It sold for $301,000 in 2021.

GREENFIELD PLANTATION

Cory and Jennifer Westphal, of Parrish, sold their home at 809 Tallgrass Lane to Charles and Kelly Wine, of Bradenton, for $475,000. Built in 1998, it has three bed rooms, two baths, a pool and 1,466 square feet of living area. It sold for $254,900 in 2018.

PALM AIRE

Tina Lorraine Fuller and Kevin Hunter Fuller, trustees, sold the home at 8405 Palm Lakes Court to Cotswold Homes LLC for $470,000. Built in 1991, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,329 square feet of living area. It sold for $155,000 in 1998.

COUNTRY OAKS

Robin Negron and Steven Negron, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4910 81st Ave. Terrace E. to Clinton and Elizabeth Cochran, of Sarasota, for $472,000. Built in 1986, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,558 square feet of living area. It sold for $150,000 in 2015.

COACH HOMES AT RIVER STRAND

Joanne Welch Tocco sold the Unit 9301 condominium at 6907 Grand Estuary Trail to Tracy and Bruce Maloney, of Bradenton, for $467,500. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,786 square feet of living area. It sold for $272,300 in 2016.

BRADEN RIVER LAKES

Rachel Giuly, of Valdosta, Georgia, sold her home at 1206 50th St. E. to Donald Francis Pond III and Kelli Pond, of Bradenton, for $450,000. Built in 1993, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,080 square feet of living area. It sold for $185,000 in 2010.

TERRACE AT LAKEWOOD

NATIONAL

Kenneth Colbert sold his Unit 1541 condominium at 18008 Gawthrop Drive to Tal and Adela Scheer, of Sparta, New Jersey, for $445,000. Built in 2021, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,142 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,500 in 2021.

RIVER ISLES

Hattie Properties LLC sold the home at 4309 Lemonwood Circle to Michael Mailloux and Kathleen Weber, of Bradenton, for $370,000. Built in 1977, it has three bedrooms,

two baths and 1,804 square feet of living area. It sold for $290,000 in March.

WILLOWBROOK

Frank Salomone, of Daytona Beach, sold his Unit 504 condominium at 8606 Majestic Elm Court to Patrick and Tracy Doran, of Lakewood Ranch, for $335,000. Built in 2007, it has three bedrooms, two-and-ahalf baths and 1,388 square feet of living area. It sold for $171,000 in 2007.

CYPRESS STRAND

Christopher and Carol Buffardi, of Red Bank, New Jersey, sold their Unit 37-202 condominium at 7071 Strand Circle to Richard Hall, of Bradenton, for $331,500. Built in 2004, it has two bedrooms, two

baths and 1,368 square feet of living area. It sold for $186,000 in 2004.

HARMONY

James Robert Maxa and Deborah Maxa, of Sarasota, sold their home at 5725 Silverbridge Trail to SN Florida II LLC for $455,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,904 square feet of living area. It sold for $287,700 in 2019.

In with the new

BEST BET

SATURDAY, OCT. 15-SUNDAY, OCT. 16 PUMPKIN FESTIVAL

Runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hunsader Farms, 5500 C.R. 675, Bradenton. The 31st annual Hunsader Farms Pump kin Festival begins its three weekend run with a crafts show, live music and shows, lots of pumpkins, games, hay rides, pony rides, a corn maze, scare crow displays, food, a petting zoo, the big train ride and more. Admission is $15, and free for children under 10. The event is cash only, although some ven dors will accept cards. For a list of live entertainment and more information, go to HunsaderFarms.com. The event continues Oct. 22-23 and Oct. 29-30.

mended only for those 13 and older.

Admission is free, although dona tions are requested. Concession and carnival game prices vary. The event is cash only. Walking tours take 15 to 20 minutes over uneven ground. Closed-toed shoes and bug spray are recommended. The event continues Oct. 21-22 and Oct. 28-29.

A family friendly Dead and Breakfast will be offered for younger guests, where vampires, witches, pirates and fortune tellers go for a little rest and relaxation. For more information, go to HerrmannsRoyalLipizzans.com/ events.

SUNDAY, OCT. 16

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 www.MyLWR.com.

MONDAY, OCT. 17

PUTTS FOR MUTTS

COMMUNITY

THURSDAY, OCT. 13

FRIDAY, OCT. 14 AND SATURDAY, OCT. 15

HAUNTED NIGHTS

Runs from 7-10 p.m. at Herrmann’s Royal Lipizzan Stallions, 32755 Singletary Road, Myakka City. Join those at Herrmann’s Royal Lipiz zan Stallions for a walk through some of Florida’s more infamous hauntings. Hear the last whistles of the Flagler train as it tries to survive the Labor Day hurricane of 1935, walk among the debris in the field of doomed flight 401, try to sign on at Ed “Butcher” Watson’s Everglades farm or play hide-andseek with the little girls who haunt the St. Augustine Lighthouse. It also includes a troupe of wayward clowns. Walking tours are recom

Begins at 9:30 a.m. at the RitzCarlton Members Club, 14605 70th Terrace E., Lakewood Ranch. The Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch hosts its annual Putts for Mutts golf tournament. The price is $250 for golf and dinner. An evening dinner reception costs $95 for dinner only at the Ritz-Carlton Members Club. A corresponding tennis tournament is held the same day beginning at 1:30 p.m. at Lakewood Ranch Country Club, 8488 Legacy Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The tennis tournament costs $125. A helicopter ball drop is held at the evening reception. For more information or to register, go to HSLWR.org.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19

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. Pets are wel come; no coolers or outside food or beverage allowed. For more informa tion, go to WatersidePlace.com.

File photo

THURSDAY, OCT. 13

High:

FRIDAY, OCT. 14

Thursday, Oct. 13 7:28a 7:02p

Friday, Oct. 14 7:29a 7:01p

Saturday, Oct. 15 7:29a 7:00p

Sunday, Oct. 16 7:30a 6:59p

Monday, Oct. 17 7:30a 6:59p

Tuesday, Oct. 18 7:31a 6:57p

Wednesday, Oct. 19 7:32a 6:56p

MOON

SATURDAY, OCT. 15

SUNDAY, OCT. 16

High:

rain:

cipher

GARAGE SALE

Items Under $200

Merchandise Wanted

Sporting Goods

Adult

Services