East County Observer 5.26.22

EAST COUNTY

Gone but not forgotten.

Observer

Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

PAGE 6

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

FREE • THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

VOLUME 24, NO. 28

YOUR TOWN

Signal costs won’t stop rising Manatee County explains costs that go into traffic signals. SEE PAGE 3

Ian Swaby

Color my world in Waterside Carol Botts said she loves things that are visually appealing, so she was right at home on the The Green at Waterside Place.

Botts was tossing colorful bocce balls during recreational league play and enjoying every moment.

“I always enjoy color in the things that I do,” she said.

Botts and her husband, Ron, live in the Shoreview community and drive their golf cart each Thursday to the field bocce event hosted by Lakewood Ranch Community Activities.

“It’s fun; anybody can tell you,” Carol Botts said. “It’s a little competition, and it’s an opportunity to socialize and exercise. Whenever we have an opportunity to do something here (at Waterside Place), we take advantage of it.”

Chris McComas of MVP Sports and Social introduced the league and runs it for Lakewood Ranch Community Activities.

Hello, world!

Braden River and Lakewood Ranch high school graduates look to their futures.

SEE PAGE 8

Liz Ramos

Braden River High School’s David Kochaniec is thrilled to have his diploma.

Courtesy photo

Students cook up monstrous donation Robert Sloman, assistant principal at Carlos E. Haile Middle School, wasn’t quite himself May 9.

Sloman dressed as Shrek from the Dreamworks movie to make and serve pancakes to Katelyn Reyes’ technology class as a reward for collecting 720 food items in a week for the school’s Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee food drive.

Reyes’ class chose Sloman’s costume because the students collected the most food items.

Haile Middle School students collected more than 2,500 items to donate.

No rain on this parade

A+E

Tribute to Heroes Parade returns to Main Street at Lakewood Ranch after a two-year absence.

SEE PAGE 23

An artful remembrance.

PAGE 12 Jay Heater

Grand Marshal Michael Kanter, owner of Lakewood Ranch Dental and a U.S. Army veteran, greets the crowd at the start of the Tribute to Heroes Parade.

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

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IAN SWABY

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Those attending the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation painted lady butterfly release May 17 in Lakewood Ranch said it was a touching moment that proved to be impactful for cancer survivors and those who helped others during cancer treatments.

The foundation had collected $25 donations to correspond with the 250 butterflies released at Silver Falls Park at Lakewood Centre.

Donations were made not only in remembrance of loved ones but also in honor of caregivers, physicians and nurses who had helped the donors.

Andrea Cirabisi, the client services manager for the foundation, said it was a beautiful tradition and a great way to honor those who have died.

Lynn Rasys, executive director of the foundation, said the event was held for the first time last year as a result of COVID-19. She said the foundation had sought a way to host an event that people could participate in online, if they desired, whether they had made donations or just wanted to view the event.

Rasys said that last year’s event resonated with the public because it was held in May, a time that includes Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, graduations and weddings.

“It was just kind of the perfect scenario,” she said. “We’re thinking it will be an annual tradition.”

She decided to hold the event after attending a golf tournament benefiting the foundation at the Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto. On that occasion, she said, butterflies were released, and she told the organizers that she would love to use the idea for the foundation as well.

Ian Swaby

“I was just so moved,” she said.

The butterflies were purchased from the Butterfly Release Co. in Sorrento. Kristie Teal, development and event manager with the foundation, transported them from the farm.

This year’s event was both a live and virtual event, with a handful of guests watching the release live.

After a poem reading by Business Development Associate Marjan Zaun and another by Teal, participants opened their envelopes and the butterflies were released.

Crawling out from within the envelopes and slowly stretching their wings, the butterflies took a few minutes to take flight and then slowly spread across the area.

“I’ve always loved butterflies,” said Debbi Petruzziello. “Because they change, they feel in step with the process of life. There’s beauty around you.”

Petruzziello’s husband, Michael Petruzziello, died in 2020 from cholangiocarcinoma and was a patient of the foundation. She said that the event was “a way to start the day honoring my husband and other cancer patients.”

Executive Director Lynn Rasys and Business Development Associate Marjan Zaun release the butterflies.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

lengthy process that involves data collection and analysis of several data sets, including traffic counts, turn movement counts, pedestrian traffic counts and a review of accident report histories. That all must be done before the project is sent to the Manatee County commissioners.

If the county shares an intersection with the state, such as on State Road 64 or 70, the Florida Department of Transportation must be included.

Clark said the average time to perform the analysis for a project in Manatee County is three to six months.

Much of the cost of such an analysis isn’t figured into the traffic signal’s budget because Manatee County employees often do part of the research work themselves. It is part of the job and therefore lands in the county’s operating budget.

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

TRAFFIC SIGNAL COMPONENTS

Section head It provides instructions to motorists using colors. Roughly $2,000 and up (all estimates are for unit only, no installation or wiring)

STEP TWO

Once the analysis is completed, a construction budget is planned and adopted. If approved by the Manatee County Commission, the source of funding must be identified. Then the project goes into the design phase. Clark said the typical design process takes an additional six to nine months. Three plan versions are reviewed at 30%, 60% and 90-100%.

Reviews include evaluations of roadway standards, signalization details, utility relocations, stormwater needs and land needs. Depending on the site, the project could be subject to delays caused by the number of lanes required, the location of pedestrian crossings, turn lane lengths, utilities being relocated, placement of fiber connections, land acquisition needs and coordination with FDOT. The survey and design phase (not counting the work done by Manatee County employees that is considered part of the operating budget) can cost approximately $150,000.

A 20% to 30% contingency rise in prices is built in since the projects could take a couple years to build.

“It is a good practice in the industry,” Clark said. “Is it enough?”

During the pandemic, the cost of some materials doubled. Even without a pandemic, the project sometimes can be delayed six to nine months if the acquisition of land doesn’t go smoothly. Material delays can lead to price increases.

Mast arm assembly Used to support traffic signals, signs, street lights and other traffic monitoring devices. Roughly $6,000 and up

Pull box An underground compartment where conductors are spliced or connected together. Roughly $1,600 and up

Photos by Jay Heater

Ogden Clark, strategic affairs manager of the Manatee County Public Works Department, stands next to a mast arm, pedestrian sign and pedestrian signal. All are important components of intersection traffic signals.

Traffic safety comes at a price Public’s investment into traffic signals is substantial.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

T

ime.

When we think about red lights — traffic signals in more appropriate vernacular — we think about time only in the short term.

Gosh ... that signal takes two minutes to change. That’s a long, long time.

We seldom think of traffic signals in the long term, but that is certainly appropriate when we think about their construction. It takes considerable time, sometimes a couple years or more, from the birth of a traffic signal idea until it begins controlling traffic at one of the neighborhood’s busy intersections.

The rush to meet the needs of county residents collides with supply chain shortages, huge increases in the price of construction materials and research that often can take a substantial effort to evaluate.

The price tag for a single intersection can be almost $1 million or soar above the $2 million mark. How, for goodness’ sake, can basically the cost of these mechanical lights run into millions?

Ogden Clark, strategic affairs manager of the Manatee County Public Works Department, agreed to discuss the cost of building traffic signals for an intersection in the Lakewood Ranch area, along with why costs of such a project have soared.

Clark loosely outlined the steps to constructing an intersection’s worth of traffic signals with some estimated costs. It should be kept in mind that this is a hypothetical

UP NEXT?

Here is the current estimated budget for traffic signals to be built at Lorraine Road and Players Drive (Manatee County currently is looking into a possible roundabout at that location as well) Design phase: $150,000 Land: $100,000 Construction: $1,250,000 Project management: $230,000 TOTAL: $1,730,000

intersection, and the price estimates are meant only to give residents an idea of the costs faced by the Public Works Department.

In reality, every intersection has its unique challenges, based on volume of traffic, homes near the intersection, businesses or schools in the area, pedestrian traffic, and light or heavy industrial uses for the roads involved.

Let’s start with a hypothetical intersection in a mostly residential area with a few businesses to cater to the residents and a school a few blocks away.

It all starts with the idea that traffic signals are needed.

STEP ONE

Clark said he often hears complaints about the time it takes for a traffic signal project to materialize.

One reason is that it starts with a

STEP THREE

Property acquisition on its own can vary from project to project. Clark said it sometimes can be an easy process when those who own the corners at an intersection are looking forward to the improvements. On White Eagle Boulevard, almost no land acquisition was needed for the traffic signal intersection projects at 44th Avenue and Malachite Drive.

In other projects, the owners do, indeed, know a strip of land might be necessary to complete the signal light work. The White Eagle Boulevard projects had zero budget for land acquisition. An upcoming project on Lorraine Road lists $100,000 for land acquisition.

Clark said in other projects, land acquisition can run as much as $250,000 per corner or more.

Electronic blank out sign Used to control traffic making a right turn. Roughly $800 and up

STEP FOUR

Clark said the project is advertised to possible builders for a set period of 30 days or another specified period.

Bids are collected, often based on the job being completed in either 180 days or 270 days, but bigger projects obviously accept bids for much longer lengths of time. The bids are collected and reviewed by the staff and engineers. The review process usually takes about a week and, once again, costs are absorbed by the county’s operating budget.

Pedestrian signal The numbers represent how many seconds are left to cross. The hand is a warning not to enter the intersection.

Roughly $800 and up

STEP FIVE

Time to go to construction. Some basic estimates include $600,000$700,000 for physical traffic signal components such as mast arms, span wires and the actual lights themselves. The cost includes installation. Fiber extension to connect the lights, sensors and cameras to the county’s network, along with all the hardware, and the ground work needed to install it, can run $500,000 or more, depending on the scope of the system. Actual road construction to alter lane alignments or add turn lanes can cost $300,000$500,000 per leg of the intersection (this amount includes the price of purchasing land).

“These are some of the reasons why traffic signals can lead quickly to a standard project cost of $2 million to $2.5 million and take nearly two and a half years from design to activation,” Clark said.

Section signal head Provides instructions to motorists using colors. Roughly $1,000 and up

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

that she has brought forward have some basis that require and deserve an investigation, unless there’s evidence to the contrary.”

Hopes’ contract was extended with an increase of salary to $215,000 through September 2023.

NEWS BRIEFS

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

Rezone sent to state for review

File photo

Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes’ contract has been extended.

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County administrator contract extended

A New Look,

A New Life Patient gets her life back after weight loss surgery

After

The Manatee County Commission voted 4-3 on May 24 in favor of extending the contract of Administrator Scott Hopes after voting against a motion to place Hopes on unpaid leave while claims that have arisen about him from the county clerk could be investigated.

Commissioners George Kruse, Vanessa Baugh, James Satcher and Kevin Van Ostenbridge voted against placing Hopes on unpaid leave, while commissioners Carol Whitmore, Reggie Bellamy and Misty Servia voted in favor. The vote to extend Hopes’ contract went along the same lines.

Kruse questioned the necessity of investigating any of the items raised in a letter from Clerk Angel Colonesso, who said Hopes has been mismanaging staff and abusing his office by doing things such as the unauthorized use of a county vehicle for personal use.

“I am not up here arguing with the clerk,” Kruse said. “I’m not here refuting what she believes within her letter. I’m arguing her letter is, in and of itself, dictating her view of policy and not allegations that warrant any kind of true investigation.”

Servia disagreed. “(The clerk of court) is charged with protecting the interests of the community, and she has the highest level of responsibility and diversity of functions of any elected official in Manatee County,” Servia said. “So, we must assume that the allegations

The Manatee County Commission voted May 19 to approve a request to transmit for state review a proposed rezoning of approximately 310 acres at the northwestern corner of the intersection of State Road 64 East and Dam Road in East County.

The property, currently classified as residential, of one dwelling unit/ acre, and mixed use community/ residential, of three dwelling units/ acre, was proposed for rezoning to urban fringe, which would open the entire property to development at three units per acre.

The transmittal passed on a vote of 5-1, with Commissioner Misty Servia absent.

Commissioner George Kruse offered the only dissenting vote.

He voted against the original development, which had its rezone request approved March 3 from general agriculture to planned development residential, which cleared the way for development of 706 residential units and 17,750 square feet of medical facilities.

Benderson buys Sarasota mall East Manatee County-based Benderson Development, the developer behind The Mall at University Town Center in north Sarasota County, has bought Crossings at Siesta Key for $25.1 million.

The mall, previously known as Westfield Siesta Key and Southgate Mall, is 439,958 square feet and sits on 26.97 acres. Its current list of tenants include Macy’s, CMX CinéBistro, Connors Steak & Seafood, Talbots, Loft and Chico’s.

The mall is located at 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, at the intersection with Bee Ridge Road. Shaun Benderson, the company’s vice president, said in a statement that “the mall complements our local holdings.”

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“This surgery helped me get my life back.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

Tara residents seek ‘calmer’ traffic Crosswalk and speed tables have slowed traffic, but residents want more help from Manatee County.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

E

ven though Manatee County has added speed-calming measures in Tara, some residents say they are fighting a losing battle when it comes to having safe roads in their neighborhood.

This comes after the county added a crosswalk with flashing beacons, as well as speed tables, at the intersection of Tara Boulevard and Tara Preserve Lane in The Preserve at Tara.

Mark Gough, who lives on Tailfeather Way in The Preserve at Tara, said in the two years he has lived in the neighborhood the speed of traffic has continually increased.

“There’s enough traffic at that intersection there needs to be a fourway stop,” he said, adding that he recently was almost hit by a school bus when attempting to use the crosswalk on his bicycle. “Everybody’s in a rush. They’re distracted by something and not paying attention. Somebody’s going to get hurt.”

For Darby Connor, the speedcalming measures taken along Tara Boulevard in January are just one step of his mission. As chairperson of the community development district for The Preserve at Tara, he said unsafe driving in the neighborhood remains a big problem. He wants the county to put a four-way stop at Tara Boulevard and Tara Preserve Lane.

“People aren’t worried about the folks going 30 to 40,” said Connor. “It’s the people who are going 40 to 60.”

“Cars just fly by, and the roads are very curvy and very narrow,” Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said. “I don’t think we’re finished with what we need. I think we need to look at the fact that we have more people than we used to, and the

Ian Swaby

Darby Connor hopes traffic-calming measures will be added at the intersection of Tara Boulevard and Drewery’s Bluff.

road also sees more traffic.”

Lucy Kemp, who lives on Strand Circle, said the speed tables are just a partial answer to the problem. She said speeding motorists slow down quickly to go over the speed tables, but then race off.

“Anywhere on Tara Boulevard, if you’re driving at 30, they fly past you,” Kemp said. “And I don’t know what they can do to make that stop.”

Connor said he doesn’t want to see more serious accidents in the area.

He said accidents in the last year show the potential for something worse. In May 2021, a three-car accident took place at the intersection of Tara Boulevard and Drewery’s Bluff.

The accident damaged all three vehicles, flipping one upside down.

In July 2021, a speeding vehicle ran off the road and damaged a sign for The Preserve at Tara.

But the growing concern isn’t just for motorists or damaged property.

Connor said the increasing number of children in the area should be a concern. He said many children walk to and from Tara Elementary, and the children then must cross the inter-

section at Tara Boulevard and Tara Preserve Lane, aided by the flashing beacons.

He said traffic simply isn’t slowing down.

Connor and Gough said another flashing beacon should be added further north, at the intersection of Tara Boulevard and Drewery’s Bluff.

Connor said more traffic management is badly needed in that area, in which the road goes from a four-lane thoroughfare to residential.

“My recommendation is, give us what we always wanted: two cheap stop signs,” he said.

Tara Preserve resident Bud Rudin said the road has become similar to a race track, with motorists jockeying for position.

Connor and Gough said they hope the county becomes more involved in increasing safety in the area.

Gough said he is pushing for action to be taken and that he began working with the CDD to exert more pressure on the county.

“I don’t want to say they’re not being responsive,” he said. “They’re just being not as responsive as what

the community would like to see.

Obviously what they have done with the implementation of the crosswalks and then the speed humps has been huge. We live in a time where standards have to be modified to be effective for today’s life, and not the life that existed when those standards were designed.”

Bill Logan, the public information officer of Manatee County Government, said if residents have concerns about a roadway they can request traffic-calming procedures.

He said a homeowners association or local residents’ group can write a letter requesting traffic calming, and staff from the Traffic Management Division will review the area and meet with the group. Staff will then conduct a study and examine the results, reviewing the area again if measures are warranted.

The county’s staff will consult with neighborhood representatives and seek signed approvals from any affected homeowners. If support is indicated by at least 67% of homeowners, the measures will go to the Board of County Commissioners for review. If approved, the final designs can then be offered to the entity managing construction.

According to information provided by the public works staff at a May 17 meeting of the Manatee County Commission, the street must meet certain criteria to be eligible for traffic calming, which includes having a speed limit of 30 mph or less and being longer than 1,000 feet between stop signs, sharp curves and 90degree turns.

“That process is the best way to engage the best staffers to make the best studies to get to the best solutions for alleged problems,” Logan said. “If residents have reached out, there is no doubt that staff is studying the situation and will work to provide responsible resolutions.”

Baugh said stop signs aren’t likely to fix the problem in Tara, as drivers often ignore them. She said ideally a roundabout or roundabouts would be the best solution.

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

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METHODS OF TRAFFIC CALMING These were among the traffic-calming measures presented by Manatee County’s Traffic Management Division at the May 17 meeting of the Manatee County Commission.

Chicane: Alternating curves, or lane shifts, that require a motorist to steer back and forth instead of traveling a straight path Choker: A lateral horizontal extension of the sidewalk area into the street, resulting in a narrower roadway Diagonal diverter: A barrier placed diagonally across a roadway, blocking movement from either direction to make travel more circuitous Median island: A raised island located along the street centerline, narrowing the travel lanes Mini roundabout: Raised islands placed in unsignaled intersections Raised intersection: Flat raised areas covering entire intersections with ramps on all edges and covered in brick or other textured materials. Useful for high pedestrian crossing demand.

Speed cushion: Two or more raised areas placed laterally across a roadway with gaps between them to allow emergency vehicles to pass easily.

Speed hump: Rounded area of pavement often placed in a series Speed tables: Long, raised speed humps with a flat section in the middle and ramps on the ends Traffic circle: Raised islands placed in intersections, around which traffic circulates

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

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Jay Heater

Manatee County Detective Darryl Davis salutes the memorial honoring the 10 Manatee County law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

Police honor fallen heroes JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Painless!

It was a painful walk for Karen Clark and her daughter, Lindsey Post, during Manatee County Law Enforcement’s Memorial Service on May 19 in front of the courthouse in Bradenton.

Deputy Douglas Clark, who died Aug. 25, now has a plaque at the memorial with nine other law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty.

Karen Clark looked out at the 10 plaques that will forever honor those officers. “Isn’t it beautiful?” she said, holding back her emotions.

Both Karen Clark and Lindsey Post said they have been able to persevere over the past nine months because they have been embraced by the entire law enforcement community.

Douglas Clark, 67, died after contracting COVID-19. He had been overseeing inmate work projects on a road gang.

Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said it was a tragic death that shows the “hazard of the job” in a line of duty situation.

“In law enforcement, we can’t protect ourselves,” Wells said. “You have to perform. You have to do the

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job. That puts us at risk. We can’t always put on a hazmat suit when we are called.”

Douglas Clark was the first Manatee County law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty since Trooper Jeffery Young died Aug. 18, 1987.

The annual memorial service included remarks by Luis Laracuente representing U.S. Sen. Rick Scott’s office. Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown also spoke.

“There is no promise for any of us that when we leave home in the morning we will come back at night,” Brown said. “But the chance of not coming back skyrockets when you are a police officer. First responders run toward an emergency when the rest of us run away.”

Wells looked out at the family members of those who have plaques in the memorial.

“There is not a particular month or day that helps erase the hurt, the pain, the sorrow,” he said. “All I ask (the rookie law enforcement officers on hand) is that you serve the community the way these men and women served.”

Karen Clark was hugged by many of those in attendance after the event.

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

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Molding character LIZ RAMOS

Sarasota & Lakewood Ranch’s FAVORITE MED SPA

STAFF WRITER

T

his was no half-baked idea.

The 260 students in teacher Laura Victore’s ceramics classes at Lakewood Ranch High School created bowls to be sold to raise money to benefit Meals on Wheels Plus Manatee.

On May 3 at Lakewood Ranch High School, the students held an event to sell the bowls, while providing information about hunger statistics for Manatee County and Florida.

Maribeth Phillips, president and CEO of Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee, was thrilled when the students presented her with a $2,500 check.

“It was fun for it to be our last project (of the school year) because we were able to incorporate all the different techniques we learned over the year,” sophomore Ainsley Owens said. “We had total creative freedom over it.”

Owens said participating in the project makes her want to do more to support nonprofits like Meals on Wheels Plus Manatee.

Besides the monetary donation, the students also donated 25 ceramic bowls the nonprofit could use at its annual Empty Bowls fundraiser in the fall.

Phillips said she hopes that other high school ceramics classes start

Beauty is our Business

Liz Ramos

Sophomores Ainsley Owens and Ramzia Sorathia love being able to put their personal touch on the bowls they sold or donated to raise money for Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee.

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making bowls like Lakewood Ranch’s students to support Meals on Wheels Plus Manatee.

“I am in awe of their thoughtfulness, the research they did, and them coming up with these bowls and the whole concept of selling them to raise money for Meals on Wheels Plus,” Phillips said. “It’s just incredible. They are setting an example for all the other high schools because they look like they had fun with it, so they were having fun and doing something for a great cause.”

Phillips said the $2,500 the students raised will provide 2,500 meals to families across Manatee County.

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

Tears, but no fears

Braden River High School graduates throw their caps into the air.

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.”

Friedrich Hayek

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944 Publisher and President / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com Associate Publisher — East County Observer / Lori Ruth, LRuth@YourObserver.com

Photos by Liz Ramos

Excited for next chapter, graduates bid a fond farewell to high school.

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 / Shawn Candela, SCandela@YourObserver.com Editorial Designers / Melissa Leduc, MLeduc@YourObserver.com; 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

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

K

elly Smith-Williams, an anatomy and physiology teacher at Lakewood Ranch High School, had a difficult time holding back tears May 21.

She got to see students who were seniors for the last time during their graduation ceremony at LECOM Park.

Smith-Williams smiled as she looked at Lakewood Ranch High School’s Mike Mergina, the first person in his family to graduate high school, and Isabelle Sorensen, who is graduating a year early.

“It’s so emotional,” Smith-Williams said. “I’m incredibly proud of my students. I’m trying not to cry.”

While teachers and families had bittersweet feelings about the seniors moving on from high school, the graduates couldn’t wait to move their tassels from the right side of their caps to the left, signifying their completion of high school.

“I’m happy with the experiences I’ve had, but I’m ready to move on,” said Aldan Rossnagel, a Lakewood Ranch High School graduate.

Lakewood Ranch High graduate Esteban Perez-Martinez was proud to be accepting his diploma because he’s the first in his family to graduate from high school. He’s ready to start the auto repair program at Manatee Technical College.

Lakewood Ranch High graduate Joseph Puco said it felt great to graduate because he can’t wait to start at the University of Central Florida in August.

The Lakewood Ranch High seniors had to wait an extra day for the graduation ceremony because the School District of Manatee County moved it back a day due to the threat of rain May 20. The weather threat also caused the district to move Braden River High’s ceremony up a few hours on May 21.

Although the sky was cloudy May 21, both ceremonies went on without a drop of rain at the outdoor stadium.

The Braden River High students were just as excited as the Lakewood Ranch students to be moving forward with their lives.

Thomas Urrutia-Bravo said he was looking forward to taking the necessary courses to become a police officer and follow in the footsteps of his grandfather Eric Struble, who served with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Other students wore their emotions on their sleeves — literally.

They wore stoles and cords to show their high school achievements, display their heritage and exhibit their extracurricular activities.

Taily Williams, a Braden River High School senior, proudly wore a stole, bracelet and necklace with the Puerto Rican flag on each during her graduation. Williams said she wanted to represent her culture because she’s half Puerto Rican.

“It means a lot to me because I’m the only one to represent (Puerto Rico) in this way at graduation,” Williams said.

Braden River High graduate Tuleen

EAST COUNTY

Above: Lakewood Ranch High School’s anatomy and physiology teacher Kelly Smith-Williams is proud to see her students Mike Mergina, Isabelle Sorensen and Joseph Puco graduate. “I’m trying not to cry,” Smith-Williams said.

Left: Lakewood Ranch High School’s Ally Adamo uses some of her favorite Disney quotes to inspire graduates.

Digital Fulfillment Specialist / Emma Burke, EBurke@YourObserver.com Tributes Coordinator / Kristen Boothroyd, Tributes@YourObserver.com Director of Marketing / Robin Lankton, RLankton@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

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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 Above: Braden River High School’s Connor Snead and Tyjanay Burrell prepare to give their speeches.

Right: Hailey Mui is excited to start the next chapter of her life at Florida State University with a psychology major. She hopes to study in Spain.

Jibril was proud to wear her silver robe and black and maroon cord to show she’s in the top 4% of her graduating class.

“It feels like a great accomplishment,” Jibril said.

CEO / Matt Walsh Vice President / Lisa Walsh Chairman Emeritus / David Beliles 8130 Lakewood Main St., Suite D207 Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 941-755-5357

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

9

JAY HEATER

During final days, Tidewell walked beside her F or a June 2021 story in the East County Observer, Country Club’s Miriam Boots shared many of the intimate details of being the caregiver for her husband, Craig Boots, who was negotiating a Parkinsonism disorder.

She wanted to help others dealing with a similar situation, but eventually she faced an even tougher challenge.

Craig Boots, 77, died April 28.

As Miriam Boots began to plan a celebration of life ceremony at 11 a.m. June 4 at Harvest Methodist Church in Lakewood Ranch, she started to think about all she and Craig had been through and how those final weeks would have been unbearable if not for the support she received from Tidewell Hospice.

Miriam Boots was gracious enough to speak to me about that experience.

“I took care of him until I couldn’t anymore,” she said. “It is important to realize caregivers have got to take care of themselves, too. When I became ill, I realized we needed help.”

She stopped to point out that before Tidewell Hospice became involved, she was getting excellent help from a professional caregiver, Kenyan Smith of Smith Essential Homecare. One of the tips in the previous article I wrote with Miriam Boots was to find trusted help to give yourself a break when you are acting as a caregiver. Through the Neuro Challenge Foundation, she connected with Smith, who became more important as Craig Boots became more ill.

“She just helped me with so many decisions, and she became a personal friend,” Miriam Boots said.

“She helped us through the maze.”

Coming off a hospital stay of her own, Miriam Boots, with guidance from Smith, arranged for her husband to receive care at Windsor Reflections. She didn’t want to move her husband out of the home,

“but deep down, I think Craig knew I couldn’t do it anymore. I was tied to an oxygen machine.”

She called the staff at Windsor Reflections “tremendous” and said that along with Smith, they helped her as Craig Boots began to fade.

“You need that kind of help, and Windsor helped us to know what to do when,” Miriam Boots said. “Just as I was about to ask them about hospice, because I could see he was going downhill, they said to me, ‘It’s time.’”

Miriam Boots said she wants those going through a similar situation to know that Tidewell Hospice works with a facility such as Windsor Reflections, at your home or at one of their facilities. In this case, Tidewell Hospice personnel came to Windsor Reflections to care for Craig Boots.

She said right away Tidewell brought a hospital bed to Windsor Reflections for her husband.

They took over the administration of medications. They asked if she needed a chaplain, and when she told them her minister’s name, they went to him and asked him to visit, which he did.

While Miriam Boots spent most of her time at Windsor Reflections, she said Tidewell Hospice kept her informed about his condition whenever she couldn’t be there.

A check on Tidewell Hospice’s website provided this information about paying for hospice care: “As a nonprofit hospice, our mission is to ensure that everyone in our community needing hospice care receives it. Our services are covered

by Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, private health insurance and private pay. Through the community’s generous support to the Tidewell Foundation, we can help cover care and other essential needs for those having difficulty paying.”

So a little bit about Craig Boots, who was diagnosed with Parkinsonism in April 2020: He was born

Courtesy photo

Craig Boots of the Country Club was a Navy pilot who flew planes off of aircraft carriers. Boots died on April 28.

Nov. 4, 1944 in West Palm Beach.

He eventually graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in engineering. A lieutenant commander, he became a U.S. Navy aviator and flight instructor. He also flew planes off of aircraft carriers.

He put his engineering skills to use after the military, building agricultural machines and medical and municipal waste disposal systems.

He traveled the world to install those waste disposal systems.

He is survived by a son, Brian, and his partner, Julia Kunigan of Orlando. Miriam Boots asked that in lieu of flowers at the celebration of life service, people donate to “a charity close to your heart or simply do something kind for someone else.”

She never had to remind anyone at Windsor Reflections or Tidewell Hospice that there was a wonderful person inside the patient during his

final days.

“Those people show such kindness to people who are so helpless,” Miriam Boots said. “We don’t pay them enough. Every time I saw them, I was sure to express thanks.

“I was looking to these people who had dealt with this before.

Windsor people helped. Tidewell people helped. I took their advice.”

Tidewell contacted her and asked if she needed counseling. They stayed in contact with her to make sure she was doing well.

“They do prepare you for the end,” she said. “He was having a bad day on Good Friday, April 15. They told me that it looked like he was going downhill. He was in bed with labored breathing, but in the next few days, he was up walking again.

“The week prior to his death, he stopped eating and drinking. They told me, ‘Nobody knows when, but it

is coming.’ They told me make funeral arrangements. He died April 28.”

She said the final week before her husband died, she was at Windsor day and night. She would play music for him, including the Navy Hymn (“Eternal Father, Strong to Save”), which he always loved.

Despite his state, she said she knew the music gave him joy.

Without the professional help, Miriam Boots said the time would have been much more stressful, and she is convinced his passing wouldn’t have been as peaceful.

In the days following her husband’s death, Miriam Boots said she is coping. She said her wonderful neighborhood friends continue to uplift and support her. They will be at the celebration of life.

I asked for a little of what she would say.

“I wrote out my piece,” she said.

“I will say that Craig was the most kind, intelligent, gentle man I ever knew. We were married a week short of 32 years, and it was a blessing. I loved every moment with this wonderful man, who never raised his voice to me. He worked hard, and he always was calm.”

So, this chapter of her life has passed, and she gives this advice to those experiencing something similar: “Think the world of hospice,” she said. “They walk along beside you. I followed their lead, and they helped me with compassion.”

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

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The real roast beef?

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

A

s Jeff Doward grew his portfolio of restaurants after moving to Bradenton, he hoped to include a taste of his old home of Massachusetts.

Doward, the regional director of RAVentures Hospitality Group, found an answer in a familiar staple from his childhood on the outskirts of Boston. It was Kelly’s Roast Beef, a regional fast-food restaurant in Massachusetts.

“I’ve been going there as long as I can remember,” Doward said. “To take such an iconic brand and franchise it in Florida was just a great opportunity.”

Doward said his new home has so many Boston-area transplants that the restaurant will have an immediate following.

“We are excited to give some of those folks a taste of home,” he said.

The restaurant will be located at 5407 University Parkway in the building that formerly housed Sweet Tomatoes. The restaurant is scheduled for a mid-September opening.

Kelly’s has been featured on Rachael Ray’s Food Network show, on the PBS special “Sandwiches You Will Like” and in the movie “Good Will Hunting.”

Neil Newcomb, CEO of Kelly’s Franchising, said when the company saw continued success with the opening of a licensed location at Boston Logan International Airport in 2018, they began to consider franchising the restaurant outside of the state. They decided to test the Florida market.

The restaurant isn’t just roast beef sandwiches. Doward said he will be offering lobster rolls, scallops, clams, fish, salads and onion rings.

“We’ll have a little bit of everything for everybody,” he said.

Kelly’s bills itself as the creator of the roast beef sandwich, claiming that before the restaurant’s founding in 1951, the item had never been commercially available. The sandwich is said to originate from one night that founders Frank McCar-

Ian Swaby

Jeff Doward helped expand Kelly’s Roast Beef to its first location in Florida, at UTC.

Courtesy photo

Kelly’s signature item, the roast beef sandwich, is made with rare, slowroasted beef, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and American cheese.

thy and Ray Carey were working at a Revere Beach inn, the Paul Roger House. When a wedding at the venue was canceled, they decided to sell the beef cooked for the event on hamburger rolls.

Newcomb said nothing in the restaurant goes from freezer to fryer.

The restaurant will offer seafood imported from Massachusetts but might eventually switch to Florida seafood if the quality is similar.

“We’re going to find out,” Newcomb said.

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MAY 26, 2022

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

THE

ART MOURNING OF

Photos by Spencer Fordin

Art installations serve as a border between Patriot Plaza and the cemetery and describe acts of service over the life of the American military.

Sarasota National Cemetery’s Patriot Plaza provides visitors a place to sit down and reflect.

“What makes this unique is this was the first time ever in the United States that the federal government allowed a charitable foundation to use their money to pay for an enhancement on a national cemetery.”

— Linda Gould

“At the end of the presentation, they’re leaving to go to their bus and they thank you for doing the tour and everything,” says Gates. “These two girls as they walk away, they were saying, ‘No, you do it!’ I thought, ‘What are they up to?’

“Then they turned around in unison and said, ‘Mr. Gates,’ and they gave me a big ‘Ooooh-rah!’”

SPENCER FORDIN A+E EDITOR

I

t’s a shaded place of solemn reflection, bordered by palm trees and headstones and covered by steel and glass.

Sitting on a stone bench and shielded from the elements, you can block out the whole world for a few moments of respite.

Patriot Plaza, the 2,800-seat amphitheater at Sarasota National Cemetery, was built to be an oasis in a sea of grief. It was intended to honor veterans and celebrate their lives, and it was funded by philanthropy with art as a main ingredient.

The Patterson Foundation, a charitable organization endowed in 1997, funded Patriot Plaza with a $12 million budget plus $2 million for art. The plaza was later gifted and dedicated to the National Cemetery Administration. Linda Gould, a retired U.S. Army colonel and community consultant for the Patterson Foundation, says Patriot Plaza is the first of its kind.

“What makes this unique is this was the first time ever in the United States that the federal government allowed a charitable foundation to use their money to pay for an enhancement on a national cemetery,” says Gould. “There are enhancements on other cemeteries, but this was the first, and now it’s being replicated in Alabama and Georgia.”

Today, the American flag is visible from everywhere in the plaza, usually at half-staff.

Since Sarasota National Cemetery’s opening in 2009, 25,000 veterans have been laid to rest, and every weekday an average of 15 funerals takes place here. The cemetery has 16 employees who assist with

SAFE AT HOME

Tour guide Ed Gates stands in front of the flag and rostrum at Patriot Plaza.

administration and maintenance of the 295-acre facility, and around 30 volunteers help in interacting with the public.

The plaza also has a crew of tour guides who lead school groups around the facility and teach them about the art arrayed around it.

One guide, Ed Gates, says he loves the moment when he’s able to con-

nect with youngsters about the importance of service.

Gates, on a recent visit to Patriot Plaza, recounted his encounter with a pair of middle school kids.

He taught them some basic drill commands and the specific greetings for Marines and Army soldiers, but he wasn’t certain whether they had really grasped them.

Ellen Driscoll’s “Night to Day, Here and Away” mosaic, a 50-foot-long art piece, lines the bottom of the rostrum in Patriot Plaza.

Patriot Plaza, built by Hoyt Architects, opened to the public in 2014, a few years after the cemetery.

The east entrance to the plaza welcomes visitors with a pair of sculptures by Ann Hirsch, an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design.

The installation, titled “Home,” takes up the space on two curved walls that funnel you into the plaza; the sculptures are made of cast bronze and meant to evoke a bird’s nest.

On the north wall, two bald eagles sit on curved branches. An older eagle is sheltering and protecting a younger eagle that might be about to leave the nest.

On the south wall, there’s another nest of branches without birds. The south wall is emblazoned with a quote from Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address.

Both walls have branches from the artist’s native New England worked into the sculpture, and Gates explains how she created it.

“This is an art process that’s over 300 years old; it’s known as the lost wax process,” says Gates. “Picture a very large solid tube of hard wax. The artist basically chisels out the art piece from the wax. All the images and the delineations you see are in that wax.

“There’s a team of people that works with the artist when the artist has completed their work that essentially comes in with a molten metal they spray over the wax. Before the wax can start melting and destroying the art piece, the molten metal is SEE PLAZA, PAGE 14

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

The imposing “Guardian Eagles” sculpture watches over Patriot Plaza.

Plaza FROM PAGE 12

immediately cooled off with a misty spray of cold water. That’s a very old process, and it’s still used today.”

The same process was used to create the imposing sculptures at the west entrance to the plaza.

Pablo Eduardo, a graduate of Tufts University, sculpted two gigantic eagles to watch over Patriot Plaza.

The majestic birds of prey, 7 feet tall and 12 feet wide, are called the “Guardian Eagles.”

The sculptures are oriented sideways, which means that one watchful eye is pointed toward the plaza and the other is gazing out toward

the gravesites.

The seals for the five branches of the armed services — Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard — are emblazoned on the wall. Gould says the display will never change, regardless of what happens in the future.

“One of the questions we get from visitors quite a bit is that there’s now a sixth Armed Force with Space Command; will there be another seal added? The answer is no,” she says.

NIGHT TO DAY, HERE AND AWAY

When you’re seated in the amphitheater, your eyes are immediately drawn to the stone rostrum and 80-foot flagpole. But if you peer down toward the bottom of the stage, running left to right, you’ll see a beautifully colored mosaic.

The 50-foot-long piece titled

“Night to Day, Here and Away” is meant to remind visitors that they share the same sky with their loved ones who might be serving halfway across the world.

The artist, Ellen Driscoll, is a professor at Bard University in New York and weaved in both the everchanging horizon and symbolic emblems representing unit citations and medals.

You can find ribbons including the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart, the Silver Star and Bronze Star and others in the mosaic, and the mosaic also features laurel leaves and stars: blue for service members and gold delineating those who died in service.

The mosaic is especially meaningful to Gates and his wife, Nancy, who are Gold Star parents.

Their son, the late Russell J. Gates, was a Navy aviator who flew combat missions in the Persian Gulf War and died in October 2000.

Gates, after explaining some of the elements, eloquently describes the artist’s intent.

“If you notice starting over in the left here, look at the sky. It’s dark,” he says. “As you move to the center,

copenhagen imports

These floor plates at Patriot Plaza feature laurel leaves and pointed stars.

Courtesy photo

MEMORIAL DAY AT SARASOTA NATIONAL CEMETERY; MAY 2830, 2022

The east entrance of Patriot Plaza; note Ellen Driscoll’s mosaic spire on the left.

n Saturday, 5/28, 7:30 to 9 a.m. — Flags For Fallen Vets placement n Saturday, 5/28, 10 to 10:30 a.m. — Memorial Day Tribute at SNC Patriot Plaza n Sunday, 5/29 — No scheduled events n Monday, 5/30, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Holiday burial schedule n Monday, 5/30, 3 p.m. — Moment of Remembrance n Monday, 5/30, 5 to 6:30 p.m. — Memorial Day concert at SNC Patriot Plaza

it turns a lighter color. It’s daylight.

When you move to the right end of the piece of art, it’s dark again.

“We’re here; we’re a military family. We might have a son, a daughter,

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a sister or brother or uncle or aunt who is serving their country overseas. We get up in the morning; we have freedom. Possibly these people are defending freedom. They may have had a bad day. They may have had to fight in combat. ‘Night to Day. Here and Away.’”

Driscoll’s art piece also serves to balance the entire plaza. Her mosaic, which began life as a 15-foot watercolor painting, was also turned into a pair of 20-foot-tall spires. The spires repeat the theme but stretch the story upward.

“Remember,” says Gates, “that artist started with a 15-foot watercolor. Every one of these little glass pieces was manually inlaid. Needless to say, it took some time.”

There’s also another feature near the rostrum that draws a lot of attention: a five-pointed star called a Berghaus Star Projection that signifies the worldwide reach of the U.S. military. There’s a star on the map to pinpoint Sarasota and one for Washington, D.C., where the commander in chief resides.

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WITNESS TO MISSION

Photos by Spencer Fordin

design, says Gates.

“We live in an unfinished world.

We still have work to do to be perfect,” says Gates. “Every one of the tablets has one section that looks like it’s been ripped. It’s not perfect.

“We’re imperfect. That’s the empathy the artist is conveying.”

Top: The “Testimonies” exhibit pays tribute to soldiers and their service.

Above: A quote from President Abraham Lincoln greets visitors to Patriot Plaza.

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The north pedestrian path to the plaza features a monument highlighting the many ways ordinary people have experienced service over the course of American history.

The exhibit consists of a series of 22 marble plinths, each containing a photograph and brief description of service.

The 49 photos arrayed throughout the installation address military themes such as conflict, technology, burial rituals and celebrations.

Interestingly, if you stand between plinths, you can see service experiences from different eras.

One plinth, for example, is of a soldier wearing an ancient prosthetic device, and the one facing it shows a modern version.

That exhibit was designed by artist Larry Kirkland, as was the “Testimonies” exhibit that lines the pedestrian path. Each of the 16 8-foot-6inch-tall marble slabs contains a service-related word and personal testimonial from service members or family members of service members.

The slabs are all unfinished; in some cases they have a jagged edge to them or perhaps look like they’ve been through a battle. That’s all by

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

THIS WEEK THURSDAY

SUITCASE FULL OF BLUES: JIMMIE MCFADDEN 8 p.m. at Fogartyville, 525 Kumquat Court $12 members, $15 nonmembers Visit WSLR.org/Fogartyville Fogartyville is getting down to the nitty gritty. Jimmie Fadden, a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, is bringing his blues ensemble to Fogartyville. Fadden plays drums and harmonica, and his Suitcase of Blues band includes guitarist Al Fuller and bassist J.P. Coley. Come out and hear crack musicians with decades of touring experience.

WORLDS: A PART 6 p.m. at Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, 400 Palmetto Ave., Osprey $5, registration required Visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org Hermitage fellows Pauchi Sasaki and Monica Youn are poised to give you an inside look at their creative process. Sasaki, a composer, is working on an original opera inspired by NASA’s mission to transport the first woman to the moon, and Youn, a poet, is the winner of the Poetry Society of America’s William Carlos Williams Award.

WINE & DESIGN 5:30 p.m. at Creative Liberties, 901B Apricot Ave. $10 per project Visit CreativeLiberties.net Do you have art you’re working on? Do you need a helping hand or studio space in which to create?

If so, Creative Liberties has got an opportunity for you. Join Barbara Gerdeman and Elizabeth Goodwill in their collective studio space for wine, light bites and the chance to follow your muse.

FRIDAY

JESSICA KIRSON 6:30 and 8:50 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. $25 Visit McCurdysComedy.com Jessica Kirson is renewing her vows to always be silly. Kirson, the host of the Disgusting Hawk podcast and Relatively Sane podcast, brings her breathless brand of comedy to the McCurdy’s Comedy stage. Runs through May 29.

IN THE ROUND: MAY INTENSIVE 7 p.m. at Sarasota Contemporary Dance Studios, 1400 Blvd. of the Arts $20 Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance.org The participants of the SCD Summer Intensive program will take on the choreography of several rising practitioners of the craft, including Laura Chambers, Rachel Eurom, Hannah Thompson and SCD Company member Xiao-Xuan Dancingers. The Sarasota Contemporary Dance company might even wind up taking some of these performances and polishing them for a performance at the Cook Theatre in October. There will be a virtual showing of the performance on Saturday.

SATURDAY ST. ARMANDS FINE ART FESTIVAL 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Armands Circle Park Free Visit ParagonFestivals.com.

It’s an outdoor bazaar full of fine craftsmanship made all over the country. St. Armands Circle Park will be the scene of an outdoor gallery full of painting, sculpture, jewelry, photography and more. The festival will run Sunday at the same time.

PATRIOTIC POPS AND FIREWORKS 7:30 p.m. at CoolToday Park, 18800 W. Villages Parkway, Venice $31-$56 Visit VeniceSymphony.org.

It’s a Memorial Day celebration and commemoration with the Venice Symphony. Put your hand over your heart as music director Troy Quinn leads the orchestra in a concert of patriotic songs as a salute to veterans in and out of the community.

Rockapella, a world famous a cappella group, will be the orchestra’s special guest.

‘THE LITTLE MERMAID’ 5 p.m. at Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave. $25-$60 Visit InternationalBalletOfFlorida.org Come see the timeless story of “The Little Mermaid” conveyed by the classic choreography of Vadim Fedotov. The International Ballet of Florida presents the show, full of beautiful costumes and scenery, with a host of performers from around the world. Rebecca Kimsey, an IBF student since age 11, will perform as the Sea Witch.

MURDER MYSTERY TROLLEY: WHO KILLED THE CIRCUS QUEEN? 7:30 p.m. at Discover Sarasota Tours, 1826 Fourth St. $50 Visit DiscoverSarasotaTours.com If video killed the radio star, then who killed the Circus Queen? That will be the challenge presented to guests as they participate in an interactive theatrical performance that will take them to many local circus locations. You can be part of the production and receive a costume and script upon arrival.

ISABEL ANCHIN BECKER 2-4 p.m. at Arts Advocates Gallery, 3051 S. Tamiami Trail Free Visit ArtsAdvocates.org Isabel Anchin Becker, a veteran of quilting and sewing, is creating art out of fabric, thread and a sewing machine. Her works will he admired for much of the next month as part

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Stand among the sunflowers and watch as 3D brushstrokes fill the canvas from floor to ceiling.

IF YOU GO When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Aug. 5 Where: Starry Night Pavilion, 195 University Town Center Drive Tickets: $29-$84 Info: VanGoghSarasota.com

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OUR PICK

TUESDAY LAUGHING MATTERS: PARANOIA ON PARADE 6 p.m. at John C. Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $34 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org Do you have your laughing shoes on? The cast of Florida Studio Theatre’s Laughing Matters brings you a topical musical sketch comedy show full of laughs from the world and everyday Sarasota situations.

Nick Anastasia, Richie McCall, William Selby and Jenna Cormey bring the funny in this sketch show written

by Rebecca Hopkins, Kevin Allen, Sarah Durham, Stephan deGhelder, Tony Hendriks and Jim Prosser.

This show, the sixth variation on Laughing Matters, is to run until June 12, and it might be a year or two before Laughing Matters returns.

FLOWERS, POETRY AND LIGHT Patti Smith just can’t quit Selby Gardens.

The celebrated poet, author and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has twice visited the exhibit devoted to her early career work and love of the late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, and she’s signed on to be an artist in residence with the botanical garden.

Smith is the first artist in residence designated by Selby Gardens and will return to play shows in 2023 and 2024.

But the exhibit will not still be up when she next returns.

Flowers, Poetry and Light will run through June 25, so get out there and see the floral displays inspired by Smith’s words and music and by Mapplethorpe’s unparalleled artistic eye.

IF YOU GO When: Runs through June 25 Where: Selby Gardens, 1534 Mound St. Tickets: Free with museum admission Info: Selby.org

WEDNESDAY ‘COASTAL IMPRESSIONS’: PAINTINGS BY SHARON LENNOX WOELFLING 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach Free, visit IslandGalleryWest.com Cool blues are on the itinerary at Island Gallery West, where Sharon Lennon Woelfling is showing her paintings inspired by the shapes and colors of the West Coast of Florida.

Woelfling is Island Gallery West’s featured artist for June, and her collection will be displayed until June 30. The artist will be present at the exhibit from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 2 to answer questions about her art and creative process.

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ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT

Photos by Spencer Fordin

This armadillo lizard is known for rolling into a ball to protect itself, and the CT scan shows the animal’s bony armor plates.

Let there be light The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature is showing visitors how science and technology have brought researchers new insight into the natural world.

SPENCER FORDIN A+E EDITOR

Y

ou’re drawn to the vividly colored image from across a room, and you need to move closer to understand what you’re seeing. Just like that, the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature has pulled you into an exhibit that feels more like an art gallery than science education.

The exhibit, dubbed “Picturing Science,” is a collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History in New York and allows visitors to see the many ways that the application of light and technology have changed what scientists know

These biofluorescent images of coral allow zoologists to study the pattern and function of fluorescent proteins.

about the world.

Visitors will learn about scientific imaging technologies such as electron microscopes and CT scanning and see how researchers use those developments to shed light on everything from chemical composition of meteorites to the dental structure of

a long-extinct rodent.

Hillary Spencer, CEO of the Bishop, says most of the displays arrived on loan intact from the Museum of Natural History, but the curators in Bradenton have utilized their own artifacts and equipment to add even more heft to the exhibit.

“They’re a really great partner,” says Spencer, who previously worked at the Museum of Natural History.

“It’s been really easy to get these assets from them and really easy to get feedback on what we’re doing.

We also get great planetarium content from them, too.

“They really encourage us to expand the story so it fits our audience. We’re encouraged and allowed to add objects, to add our own research, to add our own collections to the research they do.”

The exhibit, which will be on display for the rest of the year, is the opening salvo in The Bishop’s “Year of Light,” a themed series of collections designed to celebrate the institution’s 75th anniversary.

When you enter the room, you’re immediately greeted by a number of brightly colored displays. There’s a prominent one displaying the path of a fish’s circulatory system and another showing enlarged images of scorpions.

As you make your way around the room, you’ll learn about biofluorescence in corals and the microscopic features of insect anatomy.

“You can come in and enjoy it for the beautiful images, and you see the merging of science and art,” says curator Tiffany LaBritt. “But if you want to take it to the next level and learn something deeper and under-

Scientists can use an electron microprobe to determine the mineral composition of meteorites that fall to Earth.

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The exhibits also show the inner skeleton of an armadillo lizard, which is known for rolling itself into a ball as a method of protection from predators. And there’s another display that shows the minute differences in anatomy between yellowjackets, hornets and wasps.

On yet another wall, there’s a stark and arresting image of an extinct rodent’s teeth produced by scanning electron microscopy.

You’re peering into the mouth of a mouse that’s been gone for 16 million years, but it looks more like a rocky outcropping.

“Once you get that level of detail, you go, ‘Whoa,’” says LaBritt of the entrancing black-and-white imagery. “It’s one of those images where if you didn’t know what you were looking at, you might think it was an alien landscape.”

On and on the exhibit goes, alternating between studies of anatomy and discoveries from outer space.

Spencer says the Bishop is working toward a pair of complementary goals: to be a thought leader in research and science education but also to be a fun place where people can have a nice day with their family.

The “Year of Light” continued in April with a photography exhibit by local photographer Scott Odell entitled “Illumination: Seeing Beyond the Shell,” and the planetarium anticipates hosting infrared images from NASA’s recently launched James Webb Space Telescope this fall. And thanks to the partnership with the Museum of Natural History, “Picturing Science” kicks it all off.

“I think we all agreed this was a great place to start, and we could use the stories that are told in this gallery to help inform the stories we tell to our tours and to our field trips,” says Spencer. “We’ll have eight different installations throughout the year using light in one capacity or another for joy and discovery and wonder, but also just to get people to look at our collections in new ways.”

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stand the scientific side of it, you can do that, too.”

LaBritt gestures to a display of a knife inside a leather sheath that has shrunk over time. The knife cannot be taken out, she says, without damaging the sheath.

So what did scientists do? They took a CT scan that allowed them to examine it without breaking it, and that technology revealed an intricate pattern of Arabic lettering on the edge of the blade.

“You protect the integrity of the object,” she says. “But you still find out what’s going on with it and see some of those extra details that might have been lost to time.

“Otherwise, you may have had to damage the object.”

The same thing is true of meteorites and fossils. Prior to advancements in technology, you probably wouldn’t be able to analyze the layered chemical composition of a meteorite without slicing it open.

Now, thanks to the advent of the electron microprobe, scientists can agitate the atoms on the surface of the space rocks and learn exactly what they’re made of.

Consider the case of an extinct primate’s brain. The exhibit includes an image of a 2-inch skull of a primate that existed about 20 million years ago and is the only one of its kind ever discovered.

And because the researchers did not want to damage the object, they used a CT scanner to peer inside and learn about the anatomy of an animal that has been gone a long time.

“You can kind of judge from the outside of a skull — especially a primate — the size of their brain,” says LaBritt. “But in order to really understand the size of it, in the past you’d have to use destructive methods to basically cut the skull open.

“With something rare like this extinct animal, you don’t want to have to do that. So they were able to CT scan it, which allowed them to see the size of the braincase and also figure out how well they were able to walk bipedally.”

Think about that for a second. Let that marinate.

Just by taking a scan of a 2-inch skull, scientists were able to determine how well a tiny monkey that hasn’t existed for 20 million years was able to walk on its own two feet.

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Long voyage a triumph Beloved Coach Angela Long has high hopes for the future of Nathan Benderson Park’s four dragon boat teams.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

1

Braden River High sophomore quarterback Nick Trier threw two touchdowns May 20 in the Pirates’ 14-12 home spring game win against Pinellas Park High.

2

Lakewood Ranch High junior running back Kevin Everhart ran for two touchdowns May 19 in the Mustangs’ 28-26 home spring game win against Osceola High.

3

Charles Faber sank a hole-in-one May 20 on the No. 13 hole at Lakewood Ranch Country Club’s Royal Lakes course. Faber used a 5-hybrid on the 171-yard hole.

4

Former Lakewood Ranch High pole vaulter Karen Lyvers, a junior at Wichita State, finished sixth in the women’s pole vault (12 feet, 0.5 inches) at the American Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships held May 13-15 at Wichita State.

5

Matthew Brodsky, Dean Miller, Matt Kluding and Merle Kalkwarf (117) won the Men’s Golf Association’s Best Ball Shamble event May 18 at University Park Country Club.

ODA LOSES SEMI. PAGE 25

T

he woman in the neon green hat always gets out of the boat first.

She walks off the dock and toward Nathan Benderson Park’s finish tower stairs, where she grabs a bottle of water. Then she positions herself facing the boat she just left, ready to give each of its paddlers a high-five and a bright smile for a job well done. She then huddles the team, teaching a few lessons for next time, before getting ready to do it again with her next boat.

Angela Long, the head paddling coach at Nathan Benderson Park, followed this routine throughout the 2022 Sarasota International Dragon Boat Festival at the park May 21.

The event acted as both a celebration of the sport and a warmup for the 2022 International Dragon Boat Federation Club Crew World Championships, which the park will host July 18-24.

Whether the spectators realized it, the event was a showcase for Long’s coaching ability. In less than a decade, she has been the dragon boat program’s leading driver, taking its teams to heights unimagined when the program began. Of course, those heights can be measured by more than paddling victories.

Long, 53, started her dragon boat career in unorthodox fashion. In 2013, Nathan Benderson Park was planning for the 2014 International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission Dragon Boat Festival, an elite international competition. It was the first of its kind to be held in the United States and the first worldclass competition at the then-freshly constructed park. The festival was planned by Kim Bonomo, a Miami resident and breast cancer survivor active in that community statewide.

Bonomo didn’t want the Sarasota area to host the event without having a team of its own competing, which would help with the promotion. She turned to another active member of the breast cancer survivor community for help: Long.

Diagnosed with breast cancer at 35, Long volunteered with several nonprofits and belonged to a support group that was mostly made up of younger people. She was a natural choice to co-found the team, except for one small problem.

Long didn’t know anything about paddling.

“I had a lot on my plate at the time, but I wanted to help,” Long said. “I said I would get it going for the festival. I would hold a meeting and see what happened. I had heard about dragon boating a little bit from other survivors and had seen some photos, but I had never been in a boat. Basically, that decision changed the rest of my life.”

Long helped organize the team but was not its coach, only a paddler. The new team, named Survivors in Sync, or SIS, began by practicing with the Tampa Pink Dragon Ladies, who helped SIS get organized as a nonprofit able to collect money for the festival. Then 2014 came, and the festival went off without a hitch.

That could have been the end of the

Angela Long prepares to race with Survivors in Sync at the 2022 Sarasota International Dragon Boat Festival. Long, who helped found Survivors in Sync in 2013, took over Nathan Benderson Park’s entire paddling program in 2021.

RESULTS ARE IN n The Survivors in Sync (SIS) breast cancer survivor team won all three of its events, taking the cancer survivor division of the mixed 500-meter race (2:34.92), mixed 200-meter race (1:00.84) and 2,000-meter grand final (12:54.11). n The NBP Dragons community team, competing in the sport’s senior divison, finished second in the 500-meter race (2:18.21), 200-meter race (54:41 seconds) and 2,000meter grand final (10:49.15). n The NBP Warriors all-cancer survivor team won the allcancer survivor division’s 2,000-meter grand final (13:57.70) and finished second in the mixed 500-meter race (2:39.98) and mixed 200-meter race (1:03.44). n The NBP Veterans won all of its races in the veterans division, taking the 500-meter race (2:23.41), 200-meter race (57.06 seconds) and 2,000meter grand final (11:53.85).

For full race results, visit Mldb. gwnevents.com/sarasota and click “Sarasota 2022” under the race results section.

team, but no one wanted to see it end.

Bob Whitford, then the park manager, was named the team’s head coach.

Long remained a paddler, at least at first. Long said she quickly learned how to steer so the team could still practice if Whitford was busy.

As the park grew, Whitford became busy more often. Long transitioned into something of a permanent coach, though she would occasionally hop in the boat to paddle during festivals. Long said there was no one moment or reason that made her want to become a coach; it was simply what the team needed. She would do anything for the members of that community, she said.

“We are truly a family,” Long said.

“Everyone has their stories, their reasons of why they are here. To provide this opportunity for them to get on the water and leave whatever they have going on (in their lives) on the shore, it can change people’s lives. It gives people a purpose. It is something to plan for, something to work for, something to hope for. That’s why I do it.”

Long started coaching for good reasons, but that didn’t make the actual job any easier. She said paddlers would ask her what they were doing wrong, and she’d respond with, “I don’t know,” because she didn’t.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

She was an inexperienced paddler herself. Over time, her technical discernment as a coach improved thanks to attending clinics and watching other coaches she invited to practices as guests. But even when she was guessing at solutions, she won over her paddlers with her warm disposition and passion for helping.

Laura Richards, a breast cancer survivor, joined SIS in 2014 after driving past Benderson Park during the IBCPC festival and being blown away by the sea of pink tents lining the grounds. Richards and her husband, Scott Richards, moved to Lakewood Ranch from Boston following Richards’ breast cancer treatments.

They realized life is short, Richards said, and wanted to spend the rest of it living and having fun.

In that spirit, Richards tried dragon boat racing and clicked with it instantly. It was heartening to be surrounded by so many other survivors, she said. SIS gave her an outlet to meet people with similar stories while staying active. Even though Richards joined with no dragon boat experience, she said, Long helped make the sport seem easy.

“She broke it down completely,” Richards said. “She’s serious about the sport, which I appreciate as an athlete, but she’s also compassionate and positive and knows her stuff.

Her whole aura is easy to warm up to — and she has a tough job. She does a great job of putting friendships and problems aside and always concentrates on the whole team. She’s positive to everybody. She’s just a good person, and that counts for a lot.”

Richards said one of Long’s best traits is her lack of ego. Richards said Long tells her teams to stay humble no matter the result of a race and practices what she preaches, always being gracious toward other teams.

Thanks to the culture Long helped instill, Richards was able to find a group that made her move to Florida SEE SPORTS, PAGE 22

Angela Long gives highfives to her NBP Dragons paddlers after getting off the water during the 2022 Sarasota International Dragon Boat Festival.

Long was named the head paddling coach at Nathan Benderson Park in 2021.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

PROSE AND KOHN

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

21

RYAN KOHN

Semi tough loss for Thunder I

t is always tough to watch a team lose a big game due to self-inflicted wounds.

That was the kind of day ODA pitchers had in the team’s 5-2 state semifinal loss to North Florida Christian. Three Eagles runs stemmed from preventable misfires.

Thunder senior Josh Cone had an easy first inning but walked four straight batters to begin the second.

Two more runs scored that inning, but it was the four walks that set the table.

In the fourth inning, Cone threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt at first base that let a runner on third base score. Cone was replaced by junior Luke Geske, who got out of the inning unscathed, but in the fifth, Geske made the same mistake, throwing away a pickoff attempt and letting a runner on third score.

Eliminate the four-straight walks and the poor pickoff attempts and it’s a tight game. But ODA Head Coach Mike Matthews and his players know that’s how baseball goes. Matthews gave credit to the Eagles for taking advantage of ODA’s mistakes.

“I’m proud of my guys for the way they fought,” Matthews said.

“It was a great season. We just came up a little short.”

It’s an especially tough ending for Cone, the left-handed senior who has been steady for the Thunder throughout his career, starting (and winning) last year’s state title game and carrying a 2.48 ERA this season. Asked about what happened in the second inning, Cone did not mince his words or make excuses.

“I just didn’t hit my spots,” Cone said. “I mean, it was too many walks. It helped them take the advantage early.”

Cone will rebound. He has signed with the University of South Florida and will play for the Bulls next spring. Hey, coming within two wins of back-to-back state titles is something that a lot of high school

Photos by Ryan Kohn

ODA players clap for a seventh-inning rally against North Florida Christian that never came. The Thunder lost 5-2 to the Eagles in the state semifinals.

players wish they could experience.

The question is, can ODA make it two-out-of-three state titles next season? The Thunder has a chance.

Geske, a University of Miami commit who held a 1.48 ERA this year, will be a senior anchor on the pitching staff. Only two pieces of the team’s state semifinal lineup will graduate. Admittedly, they are key pieces, in left fielder Logan Tribble, who hit .321 with seven extra-base hits despite playing through a back injury late in the year, and shortstop Aidan Marino, the team’s do-everything leadoff man who hit .427 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. Losing them will hurt, but the other seven hitters will return, including junior Jack Hobson, who led the team with six home runs and 34 RBIs, and Giovanni Giuliani, who hit .387.

Next year’s team will have more experience than this year’s team, and this year’s team did darn well.

But ODA wasn’t the only local team with a big game.

win of the season, a program record.

As Mustangs Coach T.J. Goelz predicted a round earlier, Lakewood Ranch did have to win a close game to advance. The Mustangs, who normally blast teams with their prolific offense, proved they can win in other ways.

“How crazy is this?” Goelz said.

“We’re 28-2 and headed back to states. All along we kept telling them the details were going to come into play. The thousands of ground balls they take, the communication (in the field), all of that. We executed good defense when we needed it, and Ella (Dodge) made big pitches when she needed to.”

Western will likely start freshman pitcher Ali Solo against the Mustangs. Solo is 11-6 and has a 1.42 season ERA — good numbers, but not elite, especially against Western’s relatively weaker schedule.

The Mustangs have faced better pitchers than Solo and feasted. I will not be surprised if they do so again.

A rematch with Lake Brantley on May 28 in the state championship

MUSTANGS CHASE SOFTBALL TITLE

Ten minutes north up Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, the Lakewood Ranch High softball team isn’t ready to think about 2023. The Mustangs (28-2) have unfinished business in 2022, as they will face Western High (16-8-1) in an FHSAA Class 7A state semifinal at 12:30 p.m. May 27 at Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont.

It is seemingly a favorable draw for the Mustangs, since the other semifinal game sees Park Vista (225) face Lake Brantley (24-4) , which beat Lakewood Ranch twice during the regular season.

Lakewood Ranch advanced with a 2-0 win over visiting Newsome High (24-4) May 20. Junior Cassidy McLellan had a fifth-inning RBI single for the Mustangs, and senior Taylor Shepherd added an RBI single in the sixth inning. It was sophomore pitcher Ella Dodge who stole the show, holding the Wolves scoreless by scattering five hits and walking none. It was Dodge’s 23rd

Lakewood Ranch High sophomore pitcher Ella Dodge set a program record with 23 wins this season. Dodge shut out Newsome High in the team’s 2-0 regional final win.

game would be one for the ages. It would be a poetic end to the season, as Goelz has repeatedly reminded his team that its record is actually “28-Lake Brantley.”

They can have the two regular season wins, Goelz said, since one win in the title game is what Lakewood Ranch wants. Unlike ODA, Lakewood Ranch will lose most of its production after this season. This is the last hurrah for the core that turned the Mustangs into state champions. So, no matter the opponent, the Mustangs are determined to leave Clermont with a second state championship.

Ryan Kohn is the sports editor for the East County Observer. Contact him at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.

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Angela Long steers the Survivors in Sync dragon boat team to a win in the mixed 200meter race (1:00.84) at the 2022 Sarasota International Dragon Boat Festival.

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immediately worth it. Richards had such a good time on the water, she said, that she convinced Scott Richards to join the community team.

Now both enjoy their time on the water together.

Under Long’s leadership, SIS thrived, not only growing in numbers but in competitiveness. In 2018, SIS traveled to Florence, Italy, for the IBCPC festival, where it finished fourth overall out of 125 teams. The success and recognition SIS found at the event motivated Long to reach for more of it — and showed Benderson Park the potential that area paddling teams have.

In 2021, Long was named the park’s head paddling coach. She now oversees SIS, the NBP Warriors allcancer survivor paddlers, the NBP Dragons community paddlers and the NBP Veterans paddlers. Long has high expectations for her teams and individual rowers.

Beth Turconi, of Sarasota, has been paddling in the Benderson Park dragon boat programs for six and a half years. When Turconi joined the program on the community team, it struggled to fill all 20 seats in a given boat; now there are approximately 130 paddlers in the program.

Long was not the team’s coach then, but Turconi said Long made her feel like a superstar all the same.

When Long found out Turconi was gunning for a spot on Team USA’s International Dragon Boat Federation World Championships team in 2019, Long went out of her way to mentor her.

“I made the team because of her help,” Turconi said. “She’s discerning and fair. Her integrity is beyond compare. It is easy to want to do better for her. She inspires the best in us because she is kind. She is not hotheaded. She is not impulsive. She takes her time, thinks about things and is a real pleasure to paddle for.”

After Turconi found out she made the team, she arrived at practice to find a laminated sign on her designated seat in the community boat.

The sign read, “Team USA sits here.”

Long and the rest of the coaching staff had everyone cheer for Turconi, who was moved by the gesture.

“The fact she is now my coach, I feel like I won the lottery,” Turconi said.

As the park’s dragon boat program continues to expand, Long said she finds herself doing more delegating and coaching other coaches in the program how to handle the crews.

Long plans to continue steering the program’s future.

“I never imagined my life would look like this,” Long said. “Even after I started paddling, to be honest, I thought I would be part of this for a little while. I never projected into the future. But I love it. I think this is where I am meant to be.”

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MAY 26, 2022

YOUR NEIGHBORS Left: Gill Ruderman and Herman Martinez carry the banner for VFW Braden River Post 12055.

Right: Harvey Goldberg says he loves Florida because the residents treat veterans so much better than in other places.

He said such was the case at the Tribute to Heroes Parade.

Below: John Skeen, a 103-year-old World War II veteran of the Army’s 70th Infantry Division and bronze star medalist, was honored with a ride.

SALUTE TO HEROES

Photos by Jay Heater

After three of four parades were canceled by rain or the pandemic, Tribute to Heroes returns.

Dave Daily, grand marshal of the 2019 Tribute to Heroes Parade, leads the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. Daily represents VFW Post 12055.

A

rmy veteran Harvey Goldberg stepped away from the buffet line May 22 at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall with his plate overflowing and a big smile.

He had come to enjoy food donated by McGrath’s Irish Ale House, Ed’s Tavern, Main Street Trattoria and Remy’s to honor veterans before the Tribute to Heroes Parade at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.

More than 100 veterans enjoyed the meal.

“I moved here six years ago from California,” said Goldberg, who lives in Del Webb at Lakewood Ranch. “There is a huge difference how people respect ex-military here. People go out of their way to be nice to veterans.”

While several military veterans rode in vehicles during the parade, the 80-year-old Goldberg walked the parade route down Lakewood Main Street with many other veterans. Those who rode included two 100-yearold-plus World War II veterans.

It was the first Tribute to Heroes Parade since 2019; the past two were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2018 Tribute to Heroes Parade was wiped out by rain, and that seemed a possibility earlier on Sunday, but the possible thunderstorms forecast for the region never materialized.

Dr. Michael Kanter, owner of Lakewood Ranch Dental and a U.S. Army veteran, was the parade’s grand marshal.

“This is a great event honoring vets, so this is a real honor,” Kanter said.

379183-1

— JAY HEATER

Above: The Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch was represented in part by Jeff Bell, Mark Midyett, Joyce Bordao and Chuck Glazerw.

Left: Two-year-old Jayda Brown of Parrish was loving the first parade of her life.

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

MYAKKA CITY 3005 233rd Street E 4 Beds 3/2 Baths 4,164 Sq. Ft. Chris Baylis 941-735-4713 A4510152 $5,800,000

SARASOTA 8188 Grande Shores Drive 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,797 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4532966 $1,795,000

MYAKKA CITY 25008 67th Avenue E 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,510 Sq. Ft. Chris Baylis 941-735-4713 A4534475 $1,700,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7410 Mizner Reserve Court 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,648 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941-685-8420 A4534317 $1,590,000

BRADENTON 115 65th Street Court Nw 5 Beds 3 Baths 2,968 Sq. Ft. Patty Brooks 941-545-1194 A4534150 $1,500,000

PARRISH 16003 39th Glen E 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,225 Sq. Ft. Laura Navratil & Mary Pat Pihl 941-806-7436 A4532572 $1,295,000

BRADENTON 2112 51st Street W 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,805 Sq. Ft. Jodene Moneuse 941-302-4913 A4529879 $998,000

SARASOTA 125 Shady Parkway 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,179 Sq. Ft. Stuart Lawrence & Laura Lawrence 941-894-4001 A4534164 $699,900

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home in Country Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Marco Madrid, of Sarasota, sold his home at 12527 Highfield Circle to Kelly Wenzel and Albert Anthony Wenzel, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.07 million.

Built in 2006, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,658 square feet of living area. It sold for $915,000 in 2021.

COUNTRY CLUB

Laguna Properties LLC sold the home at 7431 Greystone St. to Joseph Carubba, trustee, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.05 million. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,167 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.05 million in 2021.

Adam and Sheila Getzels, of Edgewater, sold their home at 13646 Legends Walk Terrace to Scott and Veronica Coffey, of Cary, Illinois, for $1,844,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and is 3,597 square feet. It sold for $560,000 in 2011.

Mark and Christine Tuchman, of Bradenton, sold their home at 13875 Wood Duck Circle to Joseph Picariello and Karen Reinthaler, trustees, of San Ramon, California, for $836,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,578 square feet of living area.

It sold for $435,000 in 2008.

Soft Rush LLC sold the home at 6468 Blue Grosbeak Circle to David Andrew Proudfoot and Anele Proudfoot, of Lakewood Ranch, for $700,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,911 square feet of living area. It sold for $370,000 in 2021.

Smith, of Port Charlotte, sold their home at 5119 97th St. E. to Michael and Jennifer Finn, of Bradenton, for $760,000. Built in 2005, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,387 square feet of living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2020.

William Jenkins, of Bradenton, sold the home at 6360 Robin Cove to Toai Doan, trustee, of Saratoga, California, for $424,000. Built in 2003, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,275 square feet of living area. It sold for $370,000 in April.

BRADEN RIVER LAKES

RICHMOND PARK

COPPERLEFE

LAKE CLUB

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL

Gregory and Tracey Pope, of Lexington, Kentucky, sold their home at 7713 Cavendish Cove to Lisa Steenbarger, of Bradenton, for $1,425,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,467 square feet of living area.

It sold for $733,000 in 2020.

Michael and Jayne Nolan, of Bradenton, sold their home at 7241 Whittlebury Trail to Peter Kratochvil and Lydia Maria Kratochvil, of Bradenton, for $1,362,500. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and is 2,555 square feet. It sold for $781,400 in 2020.

Norman and Diane Cohen, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 14647 Newtonmore Lane to Melroy and Demetra Patterson, of Lakewood Ranch, for $977,500. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and is 2,291 square feet. It sold for $545,000 in 2017.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

Jared and Tara Motzenbecker, of Sarasota, sold their home at 9979 Cherry Hills Ave. Circle to Thomas Ralph Terhorst and Nancy Futch, of Woodbury, Minnesota, for $1.3 million. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,097 square feet of living area. It sold for $696,700 in 2017.

Irma Byrd sold the home at 9812 Royal Lytham Ave. to Adam Kardys, of Bradenton, for $560,000. Built in 2002, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 2,142 square feet of living area. It sold for $270,000 in 2014.

WINDING RIVER

Jean Ann Ohler, trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 14111 Ninth Terrace N.E. to Reace Williams and Kimberly Ashton, of Bradenton, for $1.27 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,394 square feet of living area.

Liz Ramos

This County Club home at 12527 Highfield Circle sold for $2.07 million. It has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,658 square feet of living area.

Kevin and Deborah Bell, of Parrish, sold their home at 6127 Blue Runner Court to Jiri Vanicek, of The Czech Republic, for $560,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and is 1,678 square feet. It sold for $327,300 in 2006.

Michael Kirby, of University Park, sold his home at 8026 Collingwood Court to Ronald Edward Albert and Janet Ann Albert, of University Park, for $1.1 million. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, three-anda-half baths, a pool and 2,958 square feet of living area. It sold for $960,000 in 2006.

COUNTRY CLUB EAST

MAY 9-13

Matthew and Lora Sevarino, of Bradenton, sold their home at 13335 Swallowtail Drive to Steven Ray Green and Renee Vanwinkle Green, of Mason, Ohio, for $1.2 million.

Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,720 square feet of living area. It sold for $465,000 in 2009.

Aaron Gorvine and Lauren Barnholdt sold their home at 7116 Presidio Glen to Helaine Ashton, of Lakewood Ranch, for $796,000.

Built in 2010, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,926 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2012.

JMTD LLC sold the home at 17012 Verona Place to Andrew and Melissa Romine, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.7 million. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,629 square feet of living area.

It sold for $954,200 in 2021.

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

GREENBROOK

Ann Marie Reed, of Palmetto, sold the home at 4830 14th Ave. E. to Ocean Rock Properties LLC for $750,000. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,786 square feet of living area.

Rogelio Javier Figueroa and Kelly Marie Figueroa, of Bradenton, sold their home at 11420 Autumn Leaf Way to Prem Kumar Bansal and Anita Bansal, of Ellicott City, for $740,000. Built in 2018, it has three

bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,455 square feet of living area. It sold for $352,300 in 2018.

CENTRAL PARK

John Frank Voler and Melissa Ann Voler, of Reinholds, Pennsylvania, sold their home at 12413 Tranquility Park Terrace to Paul and Patricia Gamsby, of Bradenton, for $730,000. Built in 2014, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,844 square feet of living area.

TARA

John and Lucy Golden, of Bradenton, sold their home at 6437 Stone River Road to Grigory Rubshtein and Liliia Umberova, of Bradenton, for $621,000. Built in 1989, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,119 square feet of living area.

It sold for $292,000 in 2018.

In with the new

Lech Zychlinski sold the home at 5515 Arnie Loop to John Darling and Lori Petersen, trustees, of Bradenton, for $1,028,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,390 square feet of living area. It sold for $550,000 in 2018.

NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION

BRIDGEWATER

Robert Karl Andersen and Elaine Frances Andersen, of Newport, Vermont, sold their home at 5622 Nectar Cove to Brian and Dianne Maher, of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, for $929,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and is 2,381 square feet. It sold for $467,100 in 2016.

Longboat Key

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HERITAGE HARBOUR

Einar and Linda Thodal-Ness, of Stockholm, Sweden, sold their home at 7318 Heritage Grand Place to Charliene and Linda LemonSteiner, of Bradenton, for $925,000.

Built in 2010, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,573 square feet of living area. It sold for $540,000 in 2014.

Downtown St. Petersburg

Rick and Darlene McLean, of Ontario, Canada, sold their home at 8819 River Preserve Drive to Stephen and Jennifer Ayers, of Edgewater, Maryland, for $838,500.

Built in 2009, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,222 square feet of living area. It sold for $343,000 in 2012.

400 Central | 727.209.7848 | From the $1MM’s | Call for appointment. | Residences400central.com 2 UNITS LEFT

POLO RUN

Lisa Nummi, of Bradenton, sold her home at 6543 Rosehill Farm Run to Robert Wayne Brouillette and Judith Dianne Brouillette, trustees, of Bradenton, for $790,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and is 2,287 square feet. It sold for $420,000 in 2019.

Downtown Sarasota

The Collection | 941.232.2868 | From the $2MM’s | Call for appointment. | thecollection1335.com

DESOTO LAKES

Nancy Bossov, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 5115 Canterbury Drive to Sasa Petric and Emanuela Joann Petric, of Stow, Ohio, for $760,000. Built in 1977, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,168 square feet of living area. It sold for $325,000 in 2019.

ROSEDALE HIGHLANDS

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ADAM HUGHES

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

REAL ESTATE

Country Club home tops sales at $2.07 million

|

MichaelSaunders.com/New-Homes | 844.591.4333 | Sarasota, Florida Prices as of February 2022.

Licensed Real Estate Broker

25

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

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Myakka City Elementary students earn a Fearless Flores show.

IAN SWABY

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Fifth grader Ziana Flores already knows where she’s headed in life: into the family business of stunt performing.

During a May 18 performance by Fearless Flores at Myakka City Elementary, she had the chance to awe her friends with a look at her not-soordinary passion.

“It was fun to show my friends what I do outside of school,” the 11-year-old Flores said. “They thought it was cool.”

Fearless Flores performed at the school as a reward to students who had met at least 75% of their academic goals. The performance also honored the achievements of the school as a whole.

Heather Rivero, a student support specialist at the school, said the school held events each quarter to celebrate the progress of students in areas including math, reading, PE and behavior according to the standards of PBIS (positive behavior interventions and support).

She said 291 students met their requirements.

“I think we ended up being short of Popsicles,” said school Principal Carol Ricks. “So it sounds like more students ended up meeting their goals than expected.”

The event was significant not only for the students but also for the Flores family, since all of their children, including 19-year-old Volorian Flores and 24-year-old Cyndel Flores, have attended Myakka City Elementary.

“It was such an experience,” Volorian Flores said. “Coming here as a kid, going to school every day, and then performing shows on the weekend, all I wanted was to do a show at my school, impress all my friends.”

“It was neat, because I remember

Ian Swaby

being here in fifth grade and wanting to do it,” Cyndel Flores said.

“This was something we want to do not just for the school, but for us. We don’t have any more siblings.”

Two shows were performed, one for kindergartners to second graders and one for third to fifth graders.

The event began with a plate-spinning act by Volorian Flores. Aiming to spin nearly 20 plates on various poles placed across the length of the audience, he invited the students to participate by pointing out whenever a plate began to slow and wobble.

At the center of the show was the Globe of Death, a spherical steel cage in which motorcycle riders loop through the inside horizontally as well as vertically.

The number of motorcycles inside increased to two and then to three, with a finale that involved Ricardo, Volorian and Cyndel Flores circling the inside of the globe in perfectly synchronized paths.

Ricardo Flores said he loves the shows for kids because they scream and holler.

“I love to get them up and get them going, let them use their outside voices, burn off some of that energy,” he said.

Cyndel, Ziana and Ricardo Flores prepare for the show.

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26

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

SUNDAY, MAY 29

FARMERS MARKET Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place at Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch will run yearround every Sunday. Vendors will be offering seafood, eggs, meats, dairy products, pastas, bakery goods, jams and pickles, among other items. Other features are children’s activities and live music. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

FRIDAY, MAY 27 THROUGH SUNDAY, MAY 29

NCAA ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS Begins at 8 a.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. The NCAA Division I, II and III Rowing Championships will bring the best women’s collegiate rowers in the country to Nathan Benderson Park.

The field for the championships has not yet been determined. Tickets can be purchased at ChampionshipRowing. com or by calling 870-7444. Prices vary depending on age and package. For more information, visit NCAA.com or NathanBendersonPark.org.

CAREER FAIR Runs from 3-6 p.m. at Manatee Technical College, 6305 E. S.R. 70, Bradenton. Manatee Technical College and CareerSource Suncoast are hosting a career fair and open house on the MTC Main Campus.

To register, go to CareerSourceSuncoast.com.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4

ZUMBA CLASS Begins at 10 a.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. The class meets at the base of the finish tower. The class costs $5. For more information, visit NathanBendersonPark.org or call 358-7275.

MONDAY, JUNE 6 THROUGH FRIDAY, JUNE 10

KAMP KODIAK Runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at Bearadise Ranch Bear Preserve, 6908 245th St. E, Myakka City. Bearadise Ranch hosts Kamp Kodiak for children ages 7-11. Campers will enjoy bear education, crafts, outdoor activities and games and special speakers. The cost is $300 for the week or $75 per day. For information, call 322-2462.

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MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT Begins at 5 p.m. at the Sarasota National Cemetery, 9810 S.R. 72, Sarasota. The Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble will perform during a special Memorial Day Ceremony.

The free event includes posting of the colors by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office color guard and guest speaker Rep. Fiona McFarland, District 72. Note: A previous announcement that U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan would speak was incorrect.

Musical selections include “Semper Fidelis March,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “National Emblem March,” “Shenandoah,” “This Is My Country,” “America the Beautiful,” “Stars and Stripes Forever” and “God Bless America.”

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MEMORIAL DAY CUP SOCCER Begins at 8 a.m. at Premier Sports Campus, 5895 Post Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The Chargers Memorial Day Super Cup is a U9-U19 youth soccer event hosted by the Chargers soccer club. The event is free for spectators. For more information, visit ChargersTournaments.com or call 804-443-7207.

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

RemembeRing Those Who seRved

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SATURDAY, MAY 28 THROUGH MONDAY, MAY 30

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© 2022 Lakewood Ranch. Product, pricing and amenities subject to change without notice.

28

WEATHER

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST THURSDAY, MAY 26

Submit your photos at YourObserver. com/Weather.

All submissions will be entered for the 2022-23 Weather and Nature photo contest. In February 2023, you will vote for your favorite photo, and the submission with the most votes will win a $500 gift card.

High: 92 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 16%

FRIDAY, MAY 27 High: 89 Low: 73 Chance of rain: 44%

SUNRISE / SUNSET Sunrise Sunset Thursday, May 26

6:36a

8:17p

Friday, May 27

6:35a

8:17p

Saturday, May 28

6:35a

8:18p

Sunday, May 29

6:35a

8:18p

Monday, May 30

6:34a

8:19p

Tuesday, May 31

6:34a

8:19p

Wednesday, June 1

6:34a

8:20p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, MAY 28 High: 88 Low: 71 Chance of rain: 40%

SUNDAY, MAY 29 High: 88 Low: 70 Chance of rain: 38%

June 14 Full

June 20 Last

June 28 New

July 6 First

RAINFALL Monday, May 16

0

Tuesday, May 17

0

Wednesday, May 18

0

Thursday, May 19

0 0.01

Friday, May 20 Saturday, May 21

0

Sunday, May 22

0

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

Patrick Cummings got this close-up pic of an alligator and babies at Waterside in Lakewood Ranch.

YEAR TO DATE: 2022 7.26 in.

2021 8.89 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2022 1.63 in.

2021 0.07 in.

The Observer’s

Weather ENTER: &Nature

Sponsored by

YourObserver.com/contests KITCHEN | CABINETRY OUTDOOR PAVERS

382262-1

2022-23 PHOTO CONTEST

A REFLECTION OF NATURE’S BEAUTY

celebrity cipher

©2022 Universal Uclick

ACROSS

30 Tolkien trilogy, for short 33 Not bad, but not great 1 Former Iranian rulers 36 Currency in Iran 6 Healthy sprout source 37 Crisp set in a den 13 Evolutionary time 39 C + 4-Down? periods 42 <p>Code that this clue 17 Cardinal sin of broadsuggests</p> casting 45 Fit for the job 19 Event where alumni 47 Strongly advised mingle 48 Cookie since 1912 20 Poke around 49 Lead-in to “zone” or 21 C + 117-Down? “centric” 23 Tech support whiz 50 Flexible 24 CBS franchise with a 52 DOJ org.

Vegas sequel series 55 PC key for vertical 25 Dole (out) scrolling 26 Something to look 58 Like a jacket’s lining through?

60 “Me too!”

27 Plaster mural 28 Number puzzle invented 62 Name within “Nevada” 63 Meeting, informally

by Tetsuya Miyamoto

65 Request permission for 68 Exam for a future atty.

69 C + 13-Down?

75 Flower ___ (wedding figure) 76 Menzel who voiced Elsa in “Frozen” 77 Region 78 Item for steering a gondola 80 Hard to approach 82 Homes made of snow 85 Beleaguer 87 Taxpayer’s ID 88 County for Disneyland ... or much of Disney World 92 Camper’s place 94 ___ eagle 95 Quick on your feet 96 Shrunken body of water

at the edge of Kazakhstan 99 Golden rule word 100 C + 84-Down?

104 What a hitchhiker wants 106 Sworn statement 107 Caesar’s accusation 108 Mice move all over them 110 Filmed again, as a scene 114 Bewhiskered sea creatures 116 Rodent of the Chinese zodiac 118 Teen outbreak 120 Gorilla, e.g.

121 Actress Knightley of “Anna Karenina” 122 C + 46-Down?

“L ASJC HI EJFTC MGJ ITDJSMN FLPJ. ... L MGLPV LM RXOJ RJ KMSTPAJS XK X IJSKTP, LM EHLFM RN YGXSXYMJS.” – UHKMLP ELJEJS

“L WJPO BYXO DWO ROZD L UJX BY, JXB ROOX LX DWO ROZD L UYSEB RO LX YX DOEOPLZLYX -- MLDW DWO ROZD TOYTEO.”

– NJIH RSINWYCC

“PYEVS TGWGUG GWU GKSBETG UEU WCJ DSTCKS CWS TCRWJBF, PS DSTGKS VEIS JPC DBCJYSBX PYC VENS EW JYS XGKS URAVSH.”

– KEIS KFSBX

Puzzle Three Clue: A equals P

56 Take advantage of 57 Annoyance for a princess 59 Of birth 61 Flamenco cry 64 Comp ___ (coder’s subj.)

66 Raises a glass DOWN 67 Adjective for us 1 Smell or sight 70 Middle Eastern grp.

2 Didn’t leave standing 71 Kristen of “Bridesmaids” outside 72 No longer neutral?

3 Fruit drink suffix 73 Bench press unit 4 Caused damage to 74 “On the Road” narrator 5 Introduction to an hom- 75 It cost 21-30 cents per age? gallon in the 1920s 6 Noah’s vessel 79 Fresh attempt 7 ___ & Perrins steak sauce 81 Curmudgeon, maybe 8 Solemn service 83 Tennis star Naomi ... or 9 Raggedy Ann’s brother her Japanese birthplace 10 “In this way” 84 Prepared, as a pan 11 Friend’s opposite 86 Borders on 12 At least one 89 Ceremonial acts 13 Joined, as a contest 90 Very much 14 Cute mistake 91 Egg holder 15 S.F.’s region 93 Fish in an unagi roll 16 Sewing kit cylinders 95 Became attached 17 Daisy or Donald 97 Current to avoid 18 Decay 98 “His ___” (Michael 20 Drill sergeant’s title, Jordan nickname) perhaps 100 Swindled 22 Pixar picture 101 Place to grab a bite 27 Smithy’s furnace 102 What has you covered?

29 One of the Kardashians 103 Nat who led an upris31 Midwestern airport near ing in 1831 Midway 105 Lacking strength 32 2007 Heisman Trophy 109 Rested on a bench winner Tim 111 Frequent hangout 34 Egg in a fertility clinic 112 Pundits’ newspaper 35 Belgrade resident pieces 38 Be in the running 113 Julia’s “Ocean’s Eleven” 40 “Mmm, scrumptious!” role 41 Pronoun for Supergirl 115 “Far out!”

42 Sincere desire 117 Like fine wine 43 Difficult endeavors 119 X, in Greece 44 “Transformers” villain 122 NYC-to-Ocean City dir.

46 Went hastily 123 Single or double brew 51 Jet-black (Abbr.)

52 Product line?

124 Convent member 53 Excessively 125 Way finder, briefly 54 Like bodybuilders 126 Not strict

127 Made a boo-boo 128 Go faster 129 Oahu and others 130 Like some hair or T-shirts 131 Game officials?

132 Racy messages

By Luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present.

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

Puzzle Two Clue: M equals W

NOW C HERE by Zachary David Levy. Edited by David Steinberg

Puzzle One Clue: D equals V

crossword

© 2022 NEA, Inc.

sudoku Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

©2022 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

5-26-22

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

29

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30

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

31

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

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BOYNTON BEACH 561-619-9274 4739 N Congress Ave (In between Dollar Tree and Fon Shan Chinese)

JUPITER 561-529-3011 6725 West Indiantown Rd Bay 39 (In Jupiter West Plaza)

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Authorized

5.0

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

RED PAGES INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon

MOVING SALE: 5 piece master, 3 piece spare, recliner sofa, swivel rocker, glass top dinette set, coffee and 2 end tables, samsung smart tv wall unit. No pets or smoking. All items are as new.

Prefer to sell as entire package.

Asking $12,000. Call for photos/ inspection appt. 330-770-5346

General Merchandise OIL PAINTING on canvas.

Original by Jesus Bacci. 5’ tall x 3.5 ft wide. Everglades scene.

941-524-1996

stuff

Merchandise Wanted BUYING BASEBALL card collections! Looking to free up space and make $$? Need to sell sports cards? Collector looking to expand collection.

Pay top dollar. Text/call 941 548 6492 with photos.

SENIOR LOOKING to purchase precious metals, diamonds, time pieces, coins, jewelry, antique and estate jewelry, and collectors plates. Personal and confidential. Please call Marc: 941-321-0707.

Sporting Goods

ADVERTISE YOUR MERCHANDISE with the total value of all items $200 or less in this section for FREE! Limit 1 ad per month,15 words or less. Price must be included next to each item. No commercial advertising.

Ad runs 2 consecutive weeks in 1 Observer.

Call 941-955-4888 Or Email ad to: classified@yourobserver.com (Please provide your name and address) Or Online at: www.yourobserver.com Or mail to: The Observer Group 1970 Main St. - 3rd Floor Sarasota, Fl 34236 BABY ITEMS- Bassinet $40.

Graco Double Stroller $40.

Ingenuity 3-in-1 High Chair $40.

LWR area, east of 75.

Jas-s1028@outlook.com CHINA CABINET walnut, modern design with glass shelves. FREE. 618 304 4977. Leave a message TEETER HANG-UP device.

Inversion Board. Brand new. $175.

941-524-1996 VINTAGE FRIGIDAIRE 1940’s Refrigerator, works. $50.

(941) 720-5655

Beach’ N Rides Electric Bike Shop eBike Sales and Rentals Ride easy on an eBike with as much exercise or assistance as you want. Leave traffic and parking problems behind!

13 models available.

Daily and weekly rentals available We also repair other Brands Open 10 to 5 daily except Sundays and holidays 12208 Cortez Road, Cortez, FL

941-251-7916, Ext 1

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! 941-955-4888

Condos/Apts. for Rent

BE YOUR Own Boss! As Low As $ 800.00 Down. We Get You Clients! We Have Accounts Now! (941) 907-3200 www.cleaningbutlers.com

LUXURIOUS CONDO on Anna Maria Island For Rent - Upgraded granite/strainless kitchen.

Incredible water views through floor length windows. Waterfront patio, luxury furnishings, 2BD/2BR, king bed. Pool, tennis, walk to the beach. Private carport.

Monthly rent May-November.

Owner/renter. Flexible terms.

570-239-0431 marketreps@aol.com

RED PAGES AD RATES First 15 words ................. $ 17.50 per week Each add’l word ...... 50¢

Autos Wanted

15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN

CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

Color background: $ 5 per week Ad border: as low as $3 per week

SELL YOUR STUFF HERE! Advertise items less than $200 for FREE!

PLACE YOUR AD: Call: 941-955-4888 Email: RedPages@ YourObserver.com Online: YourObserver.com /RedPages

WE BUY cars. top $$ paid for your vehicles.

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

YourObserver.com/RedPages

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

Call 941-955-4888 or visit YourObserver.com/redpages

Advertise as low as $17.50 per week!

941-955-4888

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! SELL YOUR STUFF HERE!

PERSONAL CARE GIVER- Private care: Meal preparation, errands, shopping, and more.

Affordable hourly rates, available weekdays, weekends, and holidays.

Minimal shift 5 hours can also provide overnight care.

Temporary or long term care.

Over 10+ years experience.

References available. No new faces, one consistent caregiver.

COVID Negative.

Call Kati: 941-536-7706.

Auto Transport SHIP YOUR car, truck or SUV anywhere in the United States.

Great rates, fast quotes. Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

Cleaning ARELIS CLEANING Services Inc. Residential & Commercial cleaning, powerwashing and interior/exterior painting.

Licensed, bonded & insured.

941-822-4114

BUY STUFF HERE! YourObserver.com/RedPages

BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service

by Maria. Residential. Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References.

Free Estimates. Reliable. Lic./Ins. 941-400-3342. www.braziliancleaningbymk.com

Homes for Sale LONGBOAT KEY Incredible views Private boat dock Pet friendly condo Owner/agent $650,000

Buy or Sell with Brooke O’Malley as your Realtor, and CLUB REALTY will Pay your title insurance.

Call 941-726-2677.

This week’s Crossword answers

CLAUDIA C. Cleaning Services.

Experienced, dependable, and ready to begin!

Residential.

Excellent references.

941-773-6895.

Painting CARLO DATTILO Painting Licensed & insured. Interior/ Exterior painting including drywall repair and retexturing.

Wallpaper installation & removal, pressure washing. Residential & commercial, condos. Honest & reliable.

Free estimates. 941-744-1020.

35+ years experience.

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “I grew up below the poverty line. ... I think it made me stronger as a person, it built my character.”

Justin Bieber Puzzle Two Solution: “I have done the best I can do, and been in the best I could be in on television -- with the best people.”

Gary Burghoff Puzzle Three Solution: “While Canada and America did not become one country, we became like two brothers who live in the same duplex.”

Mike Myers

This week’s Sudoku answers

©2022 Universal Uclick

TREASURES found here.

Looking for something?

Your lucky discovery is closer than you think.

GARAGE SALE

The Lake Club LWR 4 bed 4.5 bath Pool/Spa Dazzling with upgrades 2.5 Million

YourObserver.com/RedPages STORAGE FACILITY Boat/ RV/ Trailer. Secure facility, low monthly rentals, Clark Rd area.

941809-3660, 941-809-3662.

Items Under $200

Business Opportunities

Adult Care Services

©2022 NEA, Inc.

The Observer will be The Observer will be CLOSED Monday, May 30th CLOSED Monday, May 30th for the for the Memorial Day Holiday. We will Memorial Day Holiday. We will reopen Tuesday, May 31st at reopen Tuesday, May 31st at 8:30am.

8:30am.

Call 941-955-4888 Call 941-955-4888 To Place Your Ad To Place Your Ad

Garage/ Moving/ Estate Sales

auto

CLASSIFIED ADS CLASSIFIED ADS Deadline Friday, May 27th, Deadline Thursday, May 26th, 2:00pm.

2:00pm.

VIOLINO RECLINER Black Leather, Contemporary. Excellent, $199 (941) 720-5655

You’re only cheating yourself.

for June 2nd edition

Items Under $200

peekers’ place

MEMORIAL DAY MEMORIAL DAY EARLY DEADLINES EARLY DEADLINES for June 2nd edition

real estate

The East County Observer reserves the right to classify and edit copy, or to reject or cancel an advertisement at any time. Corrections after first insertion only. *All ads are subject to the approval of the Publisher. *It is the responsibility of the party placing any ad for publication in the East County Observer to meet all applicable legal requirements in connection with the ad such as compliance with towncodes in first obtaining an occupational license for business, permitted home occupation, or residential rental property Notice: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis..

jobs

Service Directory - Friday at 3PM • PAYMENT: Cash, Check or Credit Card

home services

Made for where you live. Here!

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

Aluminum

Doors

Irrigation

Sliding Glass Door Repair

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE”

Dustin Yoder

941.650.9790 941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com

382460

Owner /Insured Operator Insured

New Deluxe Rollers Will Make Your Doors Roll Better Than Ever Call Mark 928-2263 proslidingglassdoorrepair.com

IRRIGATION (941) 725-8100 REPAIR edsrainmakerirrigation@gmail.com MAINTENANCE Insured

381324

“Specializing inin6” Gutters” “Specializing 6” Seamless Seamless Gutters”

Dustin Owner Yoder/ Operator

ED’S RAIN MAKER IRRIGATION

YoderAluminum.com

Servicing LWR, Parrish and NE Bradenton

Furniture Repair

Auto Service

Custom Granite Services, llc

Furniture Sales & Repairs Cushions • Slings • Re-powdercoating

381780

941-504-0903

FAST • EASY • SAFE

FREE PICKUP / DELIVERY • FREE ONSITE QUOTES

WE COME TO YOU

941-400-4912

Health 5-Star Rated

382453

HoHoBuysCars.com Beauty

CustomGraniteServicesLLC@gmail.com

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

381310

941.270.4400

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

Patio Furniture Repairs.com

SELL YOUR CAR!

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

GRAB BARS GRAB BARS

381779

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

www.rockstarmobilehairsalon.com Clock Repair

Christo’s Clock Repair

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

The Only Thing You Have To Lose ... Is The Pain!!

Home Services

GLENN KROECKER

941-773-0875 • 941-932-5505

Take a simple test to see if your vent is clogged. Unhook your dryer vent & compare drying time.

Residential

941-705-5468

Commercial

Pegatronics Computer Instruction and Repair It’s Easier Than You Think!

Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

Pegatronics.com

382472

GARDENS BY ALLISON No Job is too Small!

Call or text: 941-900-8111 | Email: Newparrishfl@gmail.com

Design • Garden Beds Landscape • Courtyards Clean-Up • Makeovers Weeds • Trimming

NEED HELP?

Allison J. Abizaid, M.A.

Find business and service professionals in the Red Pages.

YourObserver.com/RedPages

941-735-3362

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

Landscaping & Lawn

381658

Learn Computer Basics Phones/Tablet Help Apple & Microsoft Problems Solved On-Site and Off Much More! Call Today!

Call John 941.377.2940

www.showerandbathsarasota.com

FULLY INSURED

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL

Licensed & Insured

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS

381308

Specializing in Cleaning Exterior Home, Windows, Roofs, Solar Panels, Driveways, Sidewalks, Garbage Cans and Gutters. Paver Sanding and Sealing.

Computer

381307

381326

• Dryer hot but clothes still wet after (1) drying cycle?

• Dryer gets hot to the touch or doesn’t heat up at all?

Don Christo, Sr., Horologist

Personal Gardening Services | Designer

941.400.0431

381309

Doors

DON’T let your PATIO DOORS be a DRAG or your WINDOWS be a PANE!!

Window Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Repairs Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts

Call us today! 941.628.8579 www.ezslider.com

381325

954-1878 (cell) 780-3346

Are You Having Dryer Difficulties?

CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT

Hardware Repair Virus / Malware Cleanup Software & Printer Install New Computer Setups New Purchase Consults Seniors & Beginners

DRGRABBARS.COM

THE GRAB BAR GUY

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

“IF IT DOESN’T TIC, TOC TO ME.” 382207

LIFETIME GUARANTEE • LICENSED • BONDED • INSURED COVERAGE AREA: RANCH TO S. VENICE COVERAGE AREA:LAKEWOOD PARRISH TO NORTHPORT

University Health Park 2415 University Parkway Bldg. 3, Suite 216 Sarasota, FL 34243

4630 5TH ST W BRADENTON

INCLUDES22MOEN MOEN STAINLESS INCLUDES STAINLESS STEEL STEELANTI ANTISLIP SLIP CONCEALED PEEN CONCEALED SCREW GRAB BARS (16”BARS & 24”)(16” & 24”) SCREW GRAB

941.966.0333

381313

424-333-0713 | rockstarmobilehair@gmail.com

249 235 235

$$

$

Recognized Among the Best Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Physicians in America Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

AMANDA

CJ COOLEY OWNER/OPERATOR CALL BEFOREYOU YOU FALL CALL BEFORE FALL

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

SERVING YOU IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME

381784

|

380532 364556

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

FREE IN-HOM ESTIMATEE S

gbyallison@yahoo.com gardensbyallison.com

Painting

UNIQUE PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING SERVICES Complete Interior & Exterior Painting

Homes - Driveways - Sidewalks - Tile & Shingle Roofs - Pool Cages & Decks

FREE ESTIMATES - Call Joel, Owner 30 Years Exp. Cell 619-405-7650 Home/Office 941-758-4840

382456

34

RIGHT ON TARGET Advertise your business, starting at only $85 per month.

OBSERVER RED PAGES

Call 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

Personal Services

Rescreening & Repairs

|

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

35

Screening

Eldridge Re-Screen 382210

941-270-1561

Find anything in the RED PAGES

Roofing

Plumbing

Mark’s Plumbing Service

941-955-4888

Bisson Roofing Inc.

Small plumbing repairs. Replace toilets, faucets, water filters, water softeners and repair leaks.

RELIABLE • INSURED

Windows

Specializing in Reroofs and Repairs FREE Estimates • 30 Years Experience

941-920-8221

Rescreening & Repairs

Res./Com.

941 - 748 - 7400 RC0067420 • Lic. & Ins. Owner Supervises Every Job

Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

STANDARD WINDOWS

Building & Roofing Contractor

381785 specialty screens / screw replacement / paint

CREATE BUZZ!

Manufacture and workmanship Warranties

(941) 345-5264

HEROES found here.

Relax. You’ve got better things to do.

Find a professional here in the Red Pages.

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

Call 941-955-4888 or visit YourObserver.com/redpages

5

$

382209

Advertise your business in the Red Pages. Call 941-955-4888

Doors and more!

140

$

SPECIAL 00

941-626-3194

381311

941-345-5264

ows

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

• Aluminum, Vinyl, & Wood Soffit & Fascia Repair & Installation • Roofing Repair & Installation • Metal Roofing & Tile Roof Repair Specialists Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

25

UP TO

www.bissonroofing.com

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

• Pool Cage Restoration • Rescreening Specialists • Specialty Screens • Paint • Doors and more!

Satisfaction guarantee Satisfaction Guarantee Pool cage Restoration/ Rescreening specialists Manufacture and Workmanship Warranties

Lic./Ins.

& Pressure C Window lean t e s ing n s a S u n u n w r o i s n e k Wind S erly

381312

381504

Insured

382208

“No Job Too Small”

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

Purified water window cleaning available!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

381323

381315

Licensed

36

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2022

AUCTION HOUSE

C A R S A R T

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s largest, most trusted and dynamic marketplace for art and luxury.

D I A M O N D S

Exceptional Diamonds. Curated by Sotheby’s.

LONDON HONG KONG NEW YORK. SOTHEBYSDIAMONDS.COM

W I N E

THE CHOICE WHEN SELLING PRECIOUS ASSETS—INCLUDING YOUR HOME

SARASOTA 3736 Meridale Road Joel Schemmel

OLD FOREST LAKES 3230 East Forest Lake Drive Maureen Morris & Matthew Morris

123 Confidential Street Thomas Netzel & Sandy Gillette

$1,250,000 941.539.0633

12728 Fontana Loop Bridgett Tackett-byzewski

$799,000 941.228.7356

6603 Oakland Hills Drive Gloria Bracciano

SHOREVIEW AT WATERSIDE $2,375,000 941.962.5867

7804 Grande Shores Drive Charles Totonis & Joe Harris

$2,195,000 941.524.8299

$890,000 941.780.0462

LAKEWOOD RANCH

STONEYBROOK COUNTRY CLUB 8963 Whitemarsh Avenue Ken Ipox

5308 Hunt Club Way Vittoria Rutigliano

$2,475,000 941.447.4875

LAKEWOOD RANCH

OAKLEAF 4753 Old Stone Road Helena & Per Nordstrom

7513 Greystone Street Laura Stavola

SILVER OAK $2,499,000 941.350.0807

SARASOTA

LAKEWOOD RANCH $12,000,000 941.587.4894

$714,500 941.993.7279

RIVER CLUB $725,000 941.730.1999

BOCA ROYALE 11216 McDermott Court Debbie Sugden

9617 Governors Club Place Place Pat Mcmillan

$1,426,000 941.544.4538

SUMMERFIELD VILLAGE $625,000 941.223.9363

11824 Winding Woods Way Robyn Sadlo

$579,000 941.812.4219

View a rea list ings

23 CONTEMPORARY TOWNHOMES

It’s Better

uptown

Situated in Sarasota’s uptown, Premier on Main boasts 23 contemporary townhomes.

Priced from $1,195,000, these four-level residences offer a sophisticated, modern sanctuary near the city’s captivating arts and cultural district.

2191 Main Street, Sarasota, FL 34237 | 941.920.1500 | TheFrankLambertTeam.com

WORTH MORE

SARASOTA - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000 SARASOTA

VENICE | 941.412.3323

LAKEWOOD RANCH | 941.907.9541

Contact us for a confidential consultation PremierSothebysRealty.com LONGBOAT KEY | 941.383.2500

RENTALS | 941.203.3433

Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, - DOWNTOWN | 941.364.4000 VENICE | limited 941.412.3323 LAKEWOOD RANCH 941.907.9541 LONGBOAT KEY | 941.383.2500 RENTALS | 941.203.3433 but not to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include|approximations.

All information is deemed accurate.

382004-1

your home has never been

The

OASIS at Lakewood Ranch

Luxury Apartment Homes

LIVE YOUR OASIS

The

OASIS at Manatee River

Luxury Apartment Homes

Luxury Apartment Homes

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www.OasisAtLakewoodRanch.com

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