East County Observer 7.7.22

EAST COUNTY

Observer

Y camps go swimmingly

Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

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YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

FREE • THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

VOLUME 24, NO. 33

YOUR TOWN

Infrastructure vital despite cost Transportation projects take top priority in Manatee County. SEE PAGE 3A

Ian Swaby

New Crop ready for harvest Karen Odierna (above) is hoping for a smoothie transition.

She founded Crop Juice in Sarasota in 2013 and now is opening another store at Waterside Place to serve organic, vegan, and gluten-free products.

Odierna said she needed to get closer to Lakewood Ranch residents, who have been pushing her to do so.

“We wanted to be a part of this community for the people that are truly the Lakewood Ranch crowd,” she said.

Odierna noted that those with special dietary needs gravitate to her store.

Gianna Coluzzi of Greenbrook, who identified herself as a “crop juice lover,” said she loves the new convenience.

Odierna runs the store alongside her fiancé, Keith Campbell.

The store is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., much of which is during the farmer’s market.

COOL IDEAS Check out these 10 tips for places in East County to beat the heat.

SEE PAGE 8A

File photo

Lakewood Ranch’s Michelle Noel serves up a variety of flavors at Wicked Awesome Ice Cream Emporium for those looking for relief from the heat.

A+E Liz Ramos

Rain can’t dampen Music on Main Lakewood National’s Sal Piscitelli and his wife, Christine Piscitelli, wouldn’t let a little rain stop them from attending Music on Main July 1 at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.

“We were at home and saw (the sky) was clearing up so we decided to give it a shot,” Sal Piscitelli said. “What’s the worse that could happen?”

The couple grabbed an umbrella and found a bench and an awning outside Remy’s on Main.

“We’ve lived here 16 years, and we come (to Music on Main) as often as we can,” Sal Piscitelli said. “We love being outside, being around people and hearing good music.”

Jay Heater

New Goodwill Industries Manasota CEO and President Donn Githens joins with now retired Bob Rosinsky, the previous CEO and president, on Rosinsky’s final day July 1.

Much goodwill in 50 years A treasured employee leaves Goodwill, but a new leader emerges to lead the nonprofit. SEE PAGE 5A

Textile art looms over museum.

SEE PAGE 10A

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

ANOTHER PEARL

Anna Maria Oyster Bar locations Landside: 6906 14th Street West, Bradenton, FL Cortez: 6696 Cortez Road, Bradenton, FL Ellenton: 1525 51st Avenue East, Ellenton, FL Pier: Bridge Street Pier, Bradenton Beach, FL UTC: 5405 University Parkway, Unit 110, Bradenton, FL

Ian Swaby

John Horne, who is CEO of Anna Maria Oyster Bar, announced he will open a new restaurant in UTC in 2023.

Anna Maria Oyster Bar headed to UTC Restaurant CEO John Horne wanted to open a restaurant close to the Lakewood Ranch area.

feature a special visual of its own.

Those who go to the restaurant will witness the return of oyster shucking before their eyes. That once was a feature of the original location.

He said as soon as guests walk in the door, they’ll find staff members shucking oysters at a station that sets the backdrop for the experience, although the restaurant will offer a wide variety of foods, including non-seafood items, and not just oysters.

Shucking involves inserting a knife into the shell’s opening, at the hinge, twisting the knife to pry open the shell, and then guiding the knife through the inside of the shell to remove the muscles that attach the oyster to the top of the shell.

“I think everyone needs to learn how to shuck oysters,” said Horne, who said he has participated in oyster shucking competitions in the past.

“There’s an art to it,” he said,

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

A

fter opening his original Anna Maria’s Oyster Bar 25 years ago atop Bridge Street Pier on its namesake island, CEO John Horne began an expansion eastward.

He said for years — he can’t recall how many — he’s had his hopes set on the eastern portion of Manatee County. The window finally opened for him with an opening at University Town Center.

While the site may not feature a pier or a waterfront setting, Horne said his newest location, which is planned to open early in 2023, will

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explaining that shuckers must be careful not to break the shell in the process of shucking, littering fragments into the oyster. It’s all just torque, hitting the hinge.”

Horne said he still has scars on his palms from a time when he used to shuck oysters himself. He said these come from occasions when he was shucking about six oysters in a hurry. He said that in situations like this, “Sure enough, you put a knife in your hand.”

Horne also had one other piece of advice.

“The key is good gloves the oyster knife can’t penetrate,” he said.

Once the oysters have been shucked, they are on to the preparation stage.

The restaurant offers multiple ways to enjoy oysters — raw, tequila lime, Chipotle grilled, and Rockefeller. Horne encouraged guests to try the tequila lime oysters, stating it is an original recipe which includes

green onions, lime juice, and tequila poured over the oyster. When the dish is baked, the alcohol will be cooked out, with a tequila flavor remaining.

When the oysters arrive at the table, Horne said guests should know there’s a recommended way to eat them — by slurping them from the shell. “That’s the best way to eat the oyster.”

He said while the restaurant normally offers Gulf oysters, the UTC location will introduce new menu items for oysters from locations across the country, including the state of Washington and Chesapeake Bay, and even from Prince Edward Island in Canada.

“They’re completely different,” he said. “You’ll get different salinity, different sizes.”

While the selection will vary seasonally, options from outside the Gulf will be available every day, while Gulf oysters will remain the mainstay of the restaurant.

He said the restaurant usually obtains its oysters within three days from the time they were in the water.

He emphasized oysters comprise only about 10% of the restaurant’s menu.

Horne said the restaurant’s Danish Baby Back Ribs were “fall off the bone good.”

The key, he said, to successfully preparing ribs is starting with a quality product, but also devoting the time to preparation. He said that cooking the ribs slowly, on a low temperature, helps them retain their moisture. “It takes the half of the day to cook ribs,” he said.

Another dish he highlighted was the almond-crusted floun-

der, a fried flounder battered with crushed almonds and served with Amaretto butter. He also said the grouper, caught locally in the Gulf, is extremely popular with guests.

Other options include handhelds such as burgers, seafood sandwiches, and tacos; a raw bar with offerings like shrimp, sashimi, and tuna; steaks; bowls including pastas, soups and salads, and other items.

He said guests should be aware of the restaurant’s new Carolina Hot Chicken Sandwich. Panko-battered, tossed in mustard sauce, and topped with coleslaw, the sandwich, he said, provides “a little bit of a kick” and has been popular since its introduction around Memorial Day weekend.

However, Horne also said he aims to be conscious of the natural environment that makes possible the dishes he serves.

“Oysters are awesome,” he said.

“They’re one of the greatest natural water purification systems that we have.”

According to the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, oysters feed by filtering algae from the water, removing excess nutrients in the process; a single adult oyster can filter more than 50 gallons of water a day.

“You’ve got to look down the road,” he also said, stating it would be foolish for the restaurant to deplete the food supplies on which it depends.

He said it is important for restaurants to source products from responsible suppliers, something that is easy today, through internet research.

He said that good relationships with suppliers also allow him to know who the restaurant is ultimately purchasing from.

He said the oyster bar has been involved in an initiative with 11 other restaurants involving oyster restoration, although his restaurant has not resumed that activity since COVID-19. It involves the placement of used oyster shells into the wild, while planting oyster larvae on the shells.

While the larvae do not come to inhabit the shells, they do use them as a home, while constructing their own shells.

“There’s a lot of great restaurants in this area, and we’re just looking forward to being one of them,” he said.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

PROPOSED CIP Total Cost: 2.2 billion Number of projects: 576 Projects which required a funding increase: 264 Projects which did not require a funding increase: 312 CIP FUNDING AMOUNTS Transportation: $691,932,050 Parks and Natural Resources: $187,323,185 General Government: $67,915,994 Public Safety: $60,654,165 Libraries: $21,673,137 Technology: $3,790,000 Total: $2,166,485,372

Road budgets roll forward unstable, so we probably got a little bit ahead of the game,” she said.

Baugh said while building another span next to the Fort Hamer Bridge is not currently on the CIP, she said design work already has begun and eventually it will be added to the CIP.

addition had occurred during the presentation of the plan, a $30 million expense for upgrades due to the county parking garage, which has structural issues.

“Every time you go to renovate a building, you always find things you didn’t expect, and almost always the cost goes up,” Baugh said.

“It’s a living, breathing document,” Whitmore said. “We change it all the time — we find another project, and back another project.”

She said all changes to the CIP are implemented through public hearings.

NOT JUST ROADS

MAJOR LOCAL PROJECTS

Photos by Ian Swaby

Lorraine Road will be widened to four lanes between State Road 64 and State Road 70.

A 50% increase in some projects is written into the budget estimate.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

M

anatee County residents have made it known they want more and better infrastructure, and the county commissioners are determined to give it to them.

That directive can only be accomplished at a price. A big price.

County commissioners say the major road projects, discussed June 14 at a special meeting to discuss the Capital Improvement Plan for 2023 through 2027, are still in the works, but they are increasing by leaps and bounds every day. The proposed CIP was delivered to commissioners by interim Chief Financial Officer Sheila McLean. A final vote on the CIP will be taken in September.

District 5 Commission Vanessa Baugh said their path is set.

“We’re going forward,” Baugh said.

With growth continuing in the region, roads are needed to handle the population. But the cost of materials to build those roads and bridges is going to be bigger.

Interim Chief Financial Officer Sheila McLean explains the Capital Improvement Plan to commissioners.

AT WHAT COST?

“It’s probably larger than what we’ve had in the past,” Commissioner Carol Whitmore said in reference to the number of projects in the CIP. The five-year plan is updated each year based on commissioners’ priorities, and its purpose is to list all cases where $250,000 or more is needed for funding.

Among all the capital improvement projects, transportation is by far the most costly. Transportation in the CIP currently amounts to $691,932,050, followed by parks and natural resources at $187,323,185, general government at $67,915,994, public safety at $60,654,165, libraries at $21,673,137, and then technology at $3,790,000, for a total of $2,166,485,372.

Previous capital improvement plans were budgeted at $1,470,502,928 in 2021,$728,680,329 in 2020, and 484,007,903 in 2019.

At-large Commissioner George Kruse said when the CIP was revised two years ago, inflation rates were less than 1% and interest rates were less than 2%. Now, he said, those numbers have climbed.

County Administrator Scott Hopes said during the presentation that, therefore, a “rather aggressive” 50% inflation factor was added to the projects.

Whitmore said that as a result of inflation, the funds required for 264 out of 576 CIP projects had to be increased.

Kruse said the roads are essential for the infrastructure, and can’t be delayed.

He said the northern and eastern sections of the county will see the most new road development.

The plan is funded through a wide variety of means, with the majority of funds – 33.93 percent – being drawn from debt proceeds from general revenues. Following behind this

Vanessa Baugh, commissioner for District 5, highlighted roads and infrastructure as the dominant concern.

is facility investment fees at 17.4 percent, and then proceeds from utility rates at 14.69 percent.

Whitmore said the large number of projects results from the board’s decision to use bonds as well as lines of credit to finance much of the plan.

She said the line of credit was a decision that she had not seen pursued in the past, and would be kept open for future projects.

“I would say it’s a very conservative plan, during a very uncertain time right now, that can be very

EAST COUNTY’S BIGGEST THREE PROJECTS Lena Road Project: $7,960,050 future appropriation Lorraine Road Projects: $47,224,883 future appropriation Upper Manatee River Road Projects: $28,410,301 future appropriation

Roads aren’t the only concern.

Whitmore said it is important the plan is addressing public safety.

She said with the expansion of the population, public safety concerns have grown. She said public safety contains beach patrol, code enforcement, EMS, indigent care or jail medical, the Sheriff’s Office, and the jail, which averages about 1,000 inmates a day.

Some major public safety items include building an EMS base at Lake Manatee and a larger fleet service station on Lena Road.

Whitmore also said cybersecurity, which has recently become a county initiative, is also boosted by the technology initiatives of the CIP plan including replacements of software systems. She said it is important “because of what’s going all over the world.”

Thus far, no motions have been made by commissioners to add any material to the current five-year plan. Nonetheless, commissioners emphasized the plan was still open to revisions based on future events.

“I’ve learned after being here for so many years that just because something is in the budget today, doesn’t mean that you can’t do a budget amendment to change it in the future,” Baugh said. “You have to watch the market, see how things are going, and if you need to make a change up or down, then do so.”

Kruse said he expects to see a continued shift of priority in projects, rather than the addition of new projects.

“It’ll be a bigger board discussion of what truly are our priorities?”

Kruse said. “What are the most pressing projects that are necessary for the community we just need to do right now, whether costs are high or not?”

Commissioners noted that a major

Construction continues on the Lakewood Ranch Library on July 1.

The current “Big Six” set of projects includes three East County projects — Lena Road, Lorraine Road, and Upper Manatee River Road.

Lena Road road will be extended into a two-lane roadway from south of 44th Avenue East, to Landfill Road, so it will run from State Road 64 to State Road 70.

Changes to Lorraine Road include the widening a section to four lanes between State Road 70 and State Road 64, and the addition of traffic signals on Rangeland Parkway, 44th Avenue East, and Player’s Drive.

Upper Manatee River Road will be reconstructed and widened from two to four lanes, from State Road 64 to Fort Hamer Bridge. Greenfield Planation and Copperleaf will see intersection improvements. The bridges at Mill Creek and Gates Creek will be reconstructed while maintaining the same number of lanes.

Other East County projects on plan are the Lakewood Ranch Library, which is under construction and currentlyis set to open in mid-2023.

The expansion to Premier Park, set to include an aquatics facility, pickleball and racket courts, softball and baseball fields, an amphitheater, and more, is included in the CIP. Other initiatives are in the CIP to protect the Lake Manatee watershed, including repairs to the Lake Manatee Dam and purchases of land in the watershed. The plan will address needs including the reinforcement of the dam walls, the addition of a new embankment stability monitoring system.

Other projects of significance for the East County include projects on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard such as the traffic light at Balmoral Woods Way and Water Lily Way, as well as a traffic signal at Clubhouse Drive.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

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fter two school years of all students receiving a free lunch at school if they so desired, students in the greater Lakewood Ranch-area will have to pay for lunch once again.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture made it possible for school nutrition programs to serve all students free lunch through waivers, but congress did not extend the waivers for the 2022-2023 school year.

As a result, the School District of Manatee County will have to charge for lunch again. Breakfast will continue to be free for all students across the district.

The School District of Manatee County has 25 sites, including traditional schools and charter schools, that qualify for the Community Eligibility Program, but none are in the Lakewood Ranch area.

Community Eligibility Program schools receive free breakfast and lunch every day without the need for free and reduced applications.

Regina Thoma, the director of the district’s food and nutrition services, said all the schools that are Title I schools are Community Eligibility Program schools.

“The USDA came out with the Community Eligibility Program several years ago because in that school community, there’s a very high percentage of families that would qualify,” Thoma said. “In order to reduce the administrative burden, they set a criteria. So if you know there’s a lot of students that receive (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits or (Temporary Assistance for Needy Family) benefits and are migrant or homeless, that school can qualify.”

“We want to make parents aware if their students don’t attend one of the Community Eligibility Schools they will have to go back to applying for meal benefits again,” Thoma said.

Students who receive SNAP, TANF, Medicaid or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservation benefits are automatically eligible to

File photo

BY THE NUMBERS 14% to 20%: Increase in food and supply costs 25 cents: Increase in lunch meals $2.75: New cost of lunch for elementary students $3: New cost of lunch for middle and high school students $2: New cost of breakfast for adults $4: New cost of lunch for adults

Barbara O’Brien, a food service worker at Braden River High School, refills the refrigerator before lunch begins.

receive free lunch without the need for a meal benefit application.

Other students who need free or reduced lunch can submit an application, which will be available July 5. Only one household application needs to be completed per family.

Thoma said applications should be submitted by the first day of school Aug. 10 so students will have free or reduced lunch once school begins, but applications can be submitted any time during the school year.

Students who are paying for lunch will see prices have increased by 25 cents to $2.75 per meal for elementary students and $3 for students in middle and high school.

Thoma said the last time the district raised prices of lunch was in 2019.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

Goodwill says new CEO is a bargain Donn Githens was tutored for a year to take over.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

F

ifty years ago, Bob Rosinsky decided to try a job at Goodwill while he was pursing a PhD in psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

He wanted to evaluate his life’s direction and Goodwill offered new territory for him.

“The first couple of weeks was a different experience,” said Rosinsky, who at 25 had never been surrounded by those who were born with a disability, or who had suffered through a tragic car accident, or who had been hooked on drugs or alcohol.

“I was seeing people who had bad things happen to them,” he said. “It gives you a different perspective on life.”

It was a perspective that was attractive to him in pursuing a career at Goodwill and eventually which saw him becoming president and CEO of Goodwill Industries Manasota in 2013.

“All the things that frightened me had gone away,” he said. “I didn’t see people with disabilities. I just saw people. After that I was enthusiastic.”

The enthusiasm continued through July 1 when he called it a career after 50 years.

Bradenton’s Rosinsky walked through the Bradenton store July 1 alongside Donn Githens who has taken over as president and CEO after serving under Rosinsky as director of operations.

“I’ve never felt Goodwill was work,” Rosinsky said. “I love what I do, and if this was my business, I would do it until I die.”

He said Githens is extremely qualified to take his place and he noted Goodwill Industries Manasota is positioned for success in terms of serving the community.

“When I took over our headquar-

Jay Heater

Bob Rosinsky said he felt confident leaving as president and CEO because Donn Githens will take over.

“Job creation has been our mission since 1902 and we have gotten here by being very agile. I’ve gone through depressions, and recessions, and we have survived and grown.”

— Bob Rosinsky

ters (near the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport). It was built in 1972 and it had more problems than we have time to talk about.

“This building was built in 2014.

This certainly is a better place and our financial position is much stronger than ever in our history. Donn will have a lot more options in strategic planning.”

Rosinsky, 73, said Goodwill did an excellent job of navigating the pandemic, keeping a core of its workers even when “Gov. Ron DeSantis closed Florida.”

“You need to have a board of direc-

tors willing to trust you to work through COVID,” Rosinsky said.

He also noted the $10 million donation in 2020 from MacKenzie Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

But most of all, he said Goodwill is in good hands.

“Donn is a good husband, a good father, a good son, a good brother, and a good friend,” he said. “He has tremendous expertise and he has a passion for what we do. He has an intuitive way of building teams and for encouraging them to produce outstanding results. He’s a wonderful human being.”

Two years ago Rosinsky suggested to the board that Githens should be groomed to take over. A year ago, the board decided Rosinsky would work his final year to prepare him for the job. Githens has worked for Goodwill since 2006.

“I was working in Tallahassee for Blockbuster as a regional manager,” he said. “My oldest son Tommy (now 16) was on the way. I had two offers

and one was from Goodwill. My Aunt Barbara (Shay) said, “Goodwill ... that’s what you have to do.”

Githens said his Aunt Barbara held a special place in his life so he followed her advice. He also said his grandmother, Brigid Shay, and grandfather, James Shay, lived in Middle Island, New York and worked collecting donations and items for a church. They set the tone.

He eventually moved to Goodwill in Atlanta and moved up as an executive.

Nine years ago, Rosinsky recruited him to the region and they immediately became friends. He has been the director of operations since 2015.

They have done much traveling together around the nation to improve Goodwill’s operations.

It is all work?

“When we travel, we hang out,” Sarasota’s Githens said. “We like to fish. He probably is my best friend and he has been a fantastic mentor.

We have great, spirited conversations on a lot of things.”

But even on a lake, the conversation turns to Goodwill.

“If we hook a fish, we talk about fish,” Githens said. “But then it’s, ‘Hey, what about this salvage thing?’”

Rosinsky said Githens will face new challenges in taking over, but the principles remain the same as when Goodwill was founded in 1902.

“I didn’t know the founder,” Rosinsky said with a laugh.

But he does know the mission after five decades.

“There is a lot of stuff going on in the world that makes us unhappy,” he said. “We can’t do much about it. But we can change one person at a time by loving them, giving them direction. It is Milieu therapy where the environment creates the cure.

The beauty is we really are working for the people who are working for us and with us.”

Githens said addressing the current challenges includes enhancing Goodwill’s social media.

“We have to be out in the community,” he said. “How do we get the

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THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

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CHANGE AT THE TOP What: Donn Githens has assumed the role of president and CEO of Goodwill Industries Manasota When: July 1 Serves: Sarasota, Manatee, Hardee and DeSoto counties Replaces: Bob Rosinsky, who has been president and CEO since and has worked for Goodwill for 50 years Giving back: Goodwill Industries Manasota has three community resource centers, and two American Veterans and Their Families program offices; and collected 212,436 pounds of food for local food banks last year Impact: In 2021, Goodwill Industries Manasota served 5,346 individuals, including 381 veterans; and also employed 700 workers of which nearly 70% had “self-identified disabilities or disadvantaging conditions” Waste not: Goodwill Industries Manasota diverted more than 57 million pounds of waste from area landfills

word out there? We’re going to teach you about Goodwill. We will have a monthly lunch and learn.”

He said Goodwill continues to outpace the minimum wage by $2 per hour for new employees. Those employees, though, can’t afford housing in the area and that is another challenge.

Rosinsky said Goodwill will find a way.

“The entire business retail environment will be more more difficult,” he said. “But we see opportunities to multiply and amplify everything Goodwill does,” he said.

“Job creation has been our mission since 1902 and we have gotten here by being very agile. I’ve gone through depressions, and recessions, and we have survived and grown.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

A show with pop

HAVE YOU MET

BOB?

Florida Studio Theatre show at Waterside Place features songs from the 1950s to now.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

When Caroline Saldivar hears Backstreet Boys, it reminds her of being a teenager, dancing in her bedroom and singing while using a hairbrush as a make-believe microphone.

Those memories come up when she’s watching Florida Studio Theatre’s performance of “Off the Charts!,” which Saldivar co-created.

“Off the Charts!” is a cabaretstyle show featuring four actors singing 20 songs that span from the 1950s to now.

“It’s a show that tracks the history of pop music,” Saldivar said.

“In addition to hearing some of our favorite tunes, we also get some context to how the music was made and how it impacted the music that came after it.”

Florida Studio Theatre will host a performance of “Off the Charts!” 7 p.m. July 9 at The Plaza at Waterside.

Audience members of all ages will be able to enjoy songs by famous artists including Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, The Beatles, Bruno Mars, Backstreet Boys and Taylor Swift.

“Music is a language in and of itself that sometimes we can discount, but it is actually very important to our growth and our connection with our elders and with our children.”

Saldivar and her co-creator, Sarah Durham, listened to the top 50 songs from every decade starting with the 1950s.

“We started to go out and handpick which songs speak to what that era was or who the big artists of the time were or what our culture in America was at that time,” Saldivar said. “It’s almost overwhelming to look at all the fantastic pop music that has existed.”

Saldivar loves seeing people of all ages dancing and singing along during the performance.

“It’s a celebration for us to get together again and share some live theater and music with audiences that might not have been to Florida Studio Theatre before,” Saldivar said. “Music has the power to make us feel something, bring us together and give us the freedom to sing and dance like nobody’s watching.”

Florida Studio Theatre’s “Off the Charts!” is touring around Sarasota and Manatee counties in parks, libraries and amphitheaters. Saldivar said touring the area started last year as a result of the pandemic.

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IF YOU GO

FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE’S “OFF THE CHARTS!” When: 7 p.m. July 9 Where: The Plaza at Waterside, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Sarasota Cost: Free Details: “Off the Charts!” is a cabaret-style show featuring four actors singing 20 songs that span from the 1950s to now. The show also includes context to how the music was made and how it impacted the music that comes after it. If it rains July 9, the performance will be 7 p.m. July 10 at The Plaza at Waterside.

Register: FloridaStudioTheatre.org/Charts-0

Gemma Vodacek and Harry Shaull give it their all during a performance of “Off the Charts!”

“We wanted to be sharing music and theater with our audiences again safely,” Saldivar said. “We found that when we went out to public places like parks and libraries that we were getting a new audience that hadn’t been to Florida Studio Theatre before. That brought our mission to life because the core point of our mission is to make theater accessible and affordable.”

Saldivar said touring the counties with a free show breaks down barriers such as distance or cost.

“Being able to get as close to where people live, give them an introduction point to theater is important,” Saldivar said. “We don’t need a lot to make a big impact. We need great performers, a small set, a sound system, and a show.”

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

MTC fasttracks grads into the workforce Dozens of Manatee Technical College students secured a job before they even graduated.

HATS OFF TO THE GRADS 533: MTC graduates from career and technical education programs 11: General Educational Development graduates 80%-100%: Job placement depending on the program Top five programs with largest number of graduates: Facials Specialty: 54 Practical Nursing: 51 Nails Specialty: 41 Welding Technology: 33 HVAC: 26

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

M

yakka City’s Annabel Larsen finished her Accounting Operations program on a Friday in March.

The following Monday, Larsen already was hard at work at her accounting job with Mercedes Scientific in Lakewood Ranch.

Larsen said being able to secure a job right after finishing her eightmonth program at Manatee Technical College was a blessing. She was hired after working at Mercedes Scientific as an intern while enrolled at MTC. “That was one thing I was kind of scared of because I have two young kids,” Larsen said. “I was blessed to have my husband who was able to financially support us while I was in school, but of course, I was ready and gung ho to start contributing again.

It made me feel so blessed that I got this opportunity and the internship, which in turn, brought me to my new career that I absolutely love.”

Many of the 533 students who graduated from Manatee Technical College June 29 were able to get jobs while enrolled in their programs at MTC, through MTC connections or after graduating.

Valerie Viands, the director of MTC, said each program has an advisory board made up of the college’s business and industry partners, and oftentimes, those partners will come to MTC before students graduate to recruit potential employees.

Viands said students have between an 80% and 100% job placement rate depending on the program.

“Our students finish a program,

Valerie Viands, the director of Manatee Technical College, hands Sarasota’s Jasmine Redding her diploma. Redding has a job with Nurse Core and plans to work part time for HCA Florida Blake Hospital or First Physicians Group.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Myakka City’s Annabel Larsen is able to start her second career in accounting after completing Manatee Technical College’s Accounting Operations program.

they end up with a certification or licensure and a job when they leave,” Viands said. “We’re proud of all of our students. They come here, they

develop a skill and then ultimately, they take that skill and become an amazing employee here in our community.”

Many students, such as Larsen and Bradenton’s Elias Castillo, remain in Manatee or Sarasota counties after they graduate to work at businesses in the area.

Before Castillo graduated, he had interviews with several companies including the company he works for now, which is Minuteman Press in East County.

“I felt I didn’t have to worry about looking for a job,” Castillo said.

“Honestly I owe a lot to my instructor because she helped me find these jobs and she reached out to these people for me. All I had to do was show up and present myself.”

MTC provided programs for students such as Bradenton’s Rebecca Sauerbier and Sarasota’s Alena Rigas to pursue their dream careers.

Sauerbier was able to get a job as a licensed practical nurse at Pines of Sarasota, which is one of the locations in which she completed her clinicals.

Sauerbier has wanted to be a nurse

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since she was a kid and after 10 years of being a stay-at-home mother, she said it was time to get back into the workforce.

“Having a program that was in the evenings and clinicals on the weekends made it so much easier for me to attain that goal,” Sauerbier said.

Rigas has wanted a career in dentistry since she was 8 years old and participated in a take your child to work day. She went with her mother, Lisa Rigas, who was working in a dentist’s office.

“They let me sit in the corner and watch all the procedures, and I didn’t faint,” Rigas said. “I always liked the environment and now I’m happy I get to be in it every day.”

Rigas accepted a position at Dr. Glori Enzor’s private practice in Sarasota after completing MTC’s Dental Assisting program.

“I’m looking forward to building patient relationships and learning from her because she’s also one of two dentists in the state that do forensic odontology,” Rigas said. “I’ll be able to go with her to the morgue and help identify people for families that have been in car accidents and stuff like that, which I didn’t know was even a thing until I was there.”

MTC gives people, like Larsen, an opportunity to start new careers.

Larsen had worked in medical assisting for 10 years but when the pandemic hit, she didn’t want to continue in the field. Her desire to get back to work brought her to MTC’s Accounting Operations program.

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THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

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“Of course it’s not going to start you for a position as CFO, but because the teacher is so well versed in the accounting role, she was able to teach us the full accounting cycle,” Larsen said. “Even though you’re going to be starting in an entry level position, you understand the full process of the accounting cycle and that gives you a broader mindset of why you have to do things the way you have to do them.”

Larsen is working at Mercedes Scientific part time but hopes to move to a full-time position working in the accounts receivable and accounts payable departments.

Sarasota’s Jasmine Redding was working for the City of Sarasota as an administrative assistant for the code compliance department before she decided to switch gears and enroll in MTC’s Practical Nursing program to help her 6-year-old son, Carmello, who has special needs.

“The program, I can honestly say, was definitely life changing,” Redding said. “When I was young, I didn’t think this would be the field for me, and (my son) completely changed that. I feel more prepared for him and his future.”

Redding is working for NurseCore to help support her son and also plans to work part time at either HCA Florida Blake Hospital or First Physicians Group.

A benefit of enrolling in MTC programs is the length of the program. Castillo’s program only took 10 months.

“In the timeframe of 10 months, I’ve learned as much as some of my friends that are in universities for design,” he said. “The pace we went worked well for me, and I gained the skills and knowledge to be able to go out and do things on my own now.”

Several students said their courses have prepared them to enter the workforce.

“You can’t compare the amount of love these teachers had poured into us to make sure we were prepared for being out in the real world,” Sauerbier said. “(Becoming a licensed practical nurse) is the most exciting thing I can imagine. I cannot even believe I’m here today. It’s been the longest and shortest year of my life, but it’s just the most overwhelming feeling.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

TIME TO POOL THE COOL RESOURCES

EAST COUNTY

“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

Ten ideas to melt the summer heat in East County.

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

LIZ RAMOS | STAFF WRITER

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

A

lthough Florida is known for its constant sunshine and warm temperatures, sometimes it’s not always fun in the sun when the temperature is in the 90s and the heat index is even higher.

Lakewood Ranch’s Jeff Davis brought his wife, Jackie Davis, and two sons, 7-year-old Jojo Davis and 11-year-old Jeffrey Davis III, to Lakewood Ranch Cinema to get away from the heat without having to drive to the beach.

“It’s an easy and convenient way to cool off,” Jeff Davis said. “It’s a nice place to wind down, and sometimes the kids get bored inside (the house).”

Check out these 10 places to beat the heat in Lakewood Ranch.

WHAT’S TO COME Manatee County and Lakewood Ranch-area organizations and businesses are working on finding other ways for people to get out of the summer heat.

A $400,000 splash pad is being built at John H. Marble Park. It will be approximately 4,000 square feet and is projected to be complete in September.

At Nathan Benderson Park, a $40 million boat house and indoor sports event center is on the way.

Premier Park will provide new amenities for the community, including an aquatic complex that will be the first of its kind in Lakewood Ranch.

Manatee County plans to build a 25-yard, 10lane lap pool along with a shallow area. The park also will include the new Lakewood Ranch Library.

POOLS

Whether it’s diving into the pool in the backyard or splashing around the pool at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA or John H. Marble Aquatic Center, heading to the pool can be a great way to cool off.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Lakewood Ranch’s Brady Keusch loves swimming during camp at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA. Victor Klein, an employee at Lakewood Ranch Cinema, prepares popcorn for a customer.

JOHN H. MARBLE AQUATIC CENTER Where: John H. Marble Aquatic Center, 3675 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton Hours: Lap swimming 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; Family swim 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays Cost: $2 daily pass per individual; free for children under 6 months old; membership is $16.05 per month More information: Visit MyManatee.org or call 745-6030 LAKEWOOD RANCH YMCA The pool only is available to YMCA members. Memberships range from $27 per month for youth ages 13 to 18 to $80 per month for a family.

Where: Lakewood Ranch YMCA, 5100 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch Hours: 5 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 5 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Fridays; 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays; 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sundays More information: Visit ymcaswfl. org or call 798-9622

MOVIE TIME

Get out of the heat for 90 minutes or more by going to see a movie in an air conditioned theater at Lakewood Ranch Cinema.

LAKEWOOD RANCH CINEMA Where: 10715 Rodeo Drive, Lakewood Ranch Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. weekdays and 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekends Cost: $7 for children; $10 for adults; $6 for members More information: Visit FilmSociety.org

ICE CREAM

Palm Harbor’s Melissa Fiffer and Parrish’s Eileen CaoiliTan enjoy ice cream from Kilwin’s.

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 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

Whether it’s the classic flavors of chocolate or vanilla or trying dozens of other flavors, ice cream will be a refreshing break from the summer heat.

D’LITES SHOPPE Where: 8209 Natures Way, Suite 107, Lakewood Ranch Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; noon to 8 p.m. Sundays More information: Visit DLitesShoppe.com or call 362-2006 BIG OLAF CREAMERY Where: 8151 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch Hours: Noon to 9 p.m.

Sundays through Thursdays; noon to 10 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays More information: Visit BigOlafLWR.com or call 907-0151 WICKED AWESOME ICE CREAM EMPORIUM Where: 4122 Lakewood Ranch

Blvd., Bradenton Hours: Closed Mondays; 2-9 p.m.

Tuesdays through Thursdays; 1-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 1-8 p.m.

Sundays More information: Visit WickedAwesomeIceCream.com or call 345-4755 KILWINS Where: 1561 Lakefront Drive, Suite 107, Lakewood Ranch Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; noon to 10 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sundays More information: Visit Kilwins. com/WatersidePlace or call 3587444

GET CREATIVE

When Lakewood Ranch’s Mae Bloom walks into Arts A Blaze on Main Street at Lakewood Ranch, she feels a rush of cold air from the air conditioning.

“It’s so nice to come here and not have to worry about the sun or the humidity,” she said.

ARTS A BLAZE Where: 8111 Lakewood Main St., Lakewood Ranch Hours: noon to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturdays; noon to 6 p.m. Sundays Details: Choose a piece to paint out of the more than 500 pieces to choose from, select the colors and paint the project. The project will be glazed and fired before you pick it up in a week.

More information: Visit ArtsABlaze. com or call 306-5840

ESCAPE ROOM

Spend an hour in an air conditioned room trying to solve puzzles and find clues to successfully escape.

PREMIER ESCAPE ADVENTURES Where: 7369 52nd Place E., Bradenton Hours: Closed Mondays; 1-9 p.m.

Tuesdays through Thursdays; 1-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Cost: $30 per person Details: There are five themed rooms for four to eight people to solve puzzles and find clues in order to escape within 60 minutes.

More information: Visit PremierEscapeAdventures.com or call 3631443

JUMPIN FUN INFLATA PARK Where: 7321 Trade Court, Sarasota When: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Fridays; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Satur-

days; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays; Toddler time is 9-11 a.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays Cost: $14.95-$22.95 for people older than 5 years old; $9.95 for children 5 years old and younger Details: Enjoy 15 interactive elements covering 15,000 square feet in the largest inflatable adventure park in the country.

More information: Visit JFIPark. com or call 388-5867

THE MALL AT UNIVERSITY TOWN CENTER

Get ready to shop until you drop.

The Mall at UTC offers more than 20 dining options and dozens of stores to shop. UTC also offers events, including the weekly Summer Fun Club until July 21.

Where: 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays More information: Visit MallatUTC. com or call 552-7000

Director of Advertising / Jill Raleigh, JRaleigh@YourObserver.com Sales Manager / Penny Nowicki, PNowicki@YourObserver.com Regional Digital Director / Kathleen O’Hara, KOHara@YourObserver.com Senior Advertising Executive / Laura Ritter, LRitter@YourObserver.com Advertising Executives / Richeal Bair, RBair@YourObserver.com; Beth Jacobson, BJacobson@YourObserver.com; Jennifer Kane, JKane@YourObserver.com; Honesty Mantkowski, HMantkowski@YourObserver. com; Toni Perren, TPerren@YourObserver. com; Brenda White, BWhite@ YourObserver.com Classified Advertising Sales Executive / Lexi Huelsman, LHuelsman@ YourObserver.com Sales Operations Manager / Susan Leedom, SLeedom@YourObserver.com Sales Coordinator / Account Manager Lori Downey, LDowney@YourObserver.com Digital Fulfillment Specialist / Emma Burke, EBurke@YourObserver.com Tributes Coordinator / Kristen Boothroyd, Tributes@YourObserver.com Director of Marketing / Robin Lankton, RLankton@YourObserver.com 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

BRADEN RIVER LIBRARY

Whether it’s quietly reading a book, or participating in the dozens of programs The library can be a place to stay out of the sun.

Where: 4915 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton Hours: Closed Sundays and Mondays; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesdays and Fridays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays More information: Visit Manatee.

PolarisLibrary.com or call 727-6079

SWIMMING HOLE

Take a walk down the red trail at Rye Preserve and it’ll lead you to a swimming hole to cool off.

Where: Rye Preserve, 805 Rye Wilderness Trail, Parrish Hours: Sunrise to sunset More information: Visit MyManatee.org or call 776-0900

DEFY

Defy gravity and have fun jumping, spinning, and flipping at DEFY. Where: DEFY, 7385 52nd Place E., suite 29, Bradenton Where: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays Cost: $21.99-$27.99 for people 5 years old and older; $16.99-$22.99 for children ages 3 and 4; free for children 2 years old and under with paid adult admission More information: Visit Defy.com or call 900-4484

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SIDE OF RANCH

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

9A

JAY HEATER

New site deals with distressing topic W hen Waterside Place’s Nancy Castro embarked on her latest nonprofit adventure, she found her daughter and son weren’t all that interested.

They always had helped with the other endeavors when they could, but this was different.

This one was about death.

Considering Catalina, 21, and Colin, 20, have other more pressing concerns, it is not a big surprise.

But at 53, Nancy Castro wouldn’t seem to be at an age to be thinking about the Big D either.

“I was the executor for my parents,” Castro said. “And I am a planner. I need to be prepared.”

Castro began to wonder if most people truly were ready in case their spouse or significant other died.

“The resources are disjointed,” she said. “From my perspective, those resources are not good enough.”

With that in mind, Castro decided to put together a workshop for those at Harvest United Methodist Church. One of the parishioners who attended was Mote Ranch’s Dennis Larson.

At the time, Larson’s wife of 58 years, Olive, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. They learned a lot about being prepared, but when Olive died in March 2019, Larson realized he could have been even more prepared.

Immediately after Olive’s death, Larson thought he should cancel the phone that she used for her business. But as he started to cancel some of her other business affiliations, he found he needed two types of identification for her, one of them being her phone.

He experienced another nightmare trying to cancel or transfer Olive’s credit cards. They also had split many of the responsibilities around the house, and he wasn’t very familiar with her’s.

And passwords? Forget about it.

Jay Heater

Nancy Castro and Dennis Larson have started End of Life Ready to help people deal with the many problems that follow the death of a spouse or a significant other.

As time began to pass, Larson felt a calling to help others in some way.

He had an idea.

He went to Castro for help. Could they design a website where people could go for free to prepare for the death of a spouse or significant other. Although Castro never thought her workshop at Harvest United would amount to anything more, she agreed.

In April, End of Life Ready (EOLready.org) was born.

For free, anyone can go to the website and read through the nine chapters of information. The site offers quizzes on all the chapters, and all a visitor to the site needs to do is print or download them. No personal information is gathered or

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kept on the site.

The site goes through personal finances, legal planning, home management, and even the spiritual and grieving process.

There could be more in the future.

“We’re open to adding chapters,” Castro said. “I didn’t want to have a maintenance chapter, but Dennis wrote that one all himself.”

Even though Castro had no plans to take her initial workshop any farther than the church, Larson said she is the genius behind the operation. Larson is the founder, CEO and president and he is footing the bill for all the website costs.

Castro is the vice president. They both gave a tip of the hat to fellow Harvest United parishioner

Judy Boehm, who helped create the website and who now is a board member.

Castro, who works as an administrative assistant at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, said she always has loved to give back to the community. Both Nancy and her husband George, who used to own the Paradise Dental business, are U.S. Air Force veterans.

Larson, who is 82, retired in 2008 after working most of his life in the “data.com” business. He had been working as a vice president of manufacturing operations in the Washington, D.C. area for a company at made modems. He and Olive had five children — Matthew, Steve, John and Eric Larson and

Denise Fox. Although Castro said most people understand the value of being prepared for the death of a loved one, she said they simply don’t put the time into doing it. One of the beauties about End of Life Ready is that you can read as much or as little as you want or take as few or as many quizzes as you like.

She said there is little doubt you will come upon some information you haven’t considered.

She said one of her favorite chapters is what to do with the remains.

Larson likes the information about maintenance and electronics. He said you might find you don’t know anything about your household sprinklers or your stereo system. He also said the bill paying and insurance information is vital.

“You have to understand if you are not ready, you will be doing all this at the worst time of your life,” he said. “Our hope is that couples will do this together.”

The website debuted in June and Larson and Castro hope it draws readers from all over.

“People don’t want to talk about death,” Larson said. “But none of us are getting out of this. The odds also are strong that one of you will die before the other. You split responsibilities now, and then ‘Boom!’ Now you are a survivor. Do you know how to do the things your partner did?

“I felt I received the call to do this mission. I needed to commit to it, and now I am willing to do whatever it takes.”

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

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JULY 7, 2022

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

These cone-shaped structures are part of the Coombs piece called “Oshun’s Glory.”

A FINER THREAD Katrina Coombs is making art with her head, her hands and her heart, and she’s exploring what it means to be a woman and a mother in society piece by piece.

SPENCER FORDIN A+E EDITOR

K

atrina Coombs isn’t trying to be provocative. She’s just taking the results of her introspection and turning them into fine art.

Coombs, a Jamaica-based textile and fiber artist, has a debut exhibition at the Sarasota Art Museum entitled “I M(O)ther,” and her pieces invite you to consider subjects that aren’t everyday conversation.

Coombs tackles birth and death, sexuality and the menstrual cycle, and she wants to examine maternal identity and what it means to be a woman in the world. But the works are subtle, and sometimes only hint at deeper meaning through their title or materials.

“One of the most beautiful things about the works themselves is that I’m not directing it toward a specific issue and forcing that issue,” she said. “I am simply giving you my truth as it is, as raw as it may be or as pure as it may be. You can take it or you can leave it. But it’s neither here nor there, because it is who I am. This is who I am. And I love it.”

Coombs uses a variety of methods to create her pieces.

Photos by Spencer Fordin

Katrina Coombs stands beneath Prolapse, a piece at her new I M(O)ther exhibit at the Sarasota Art Museum.

Coombs tackles both the male and female gaze with “The Beauty Between Her Thighs.”

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This piece is entitled Seed II and is made of coiled mixed fibers and amethyst.

Some of them are done by hand, while others are created with the help of a floor loom. She began her mastery of textile art through macrame while in high school, and she later progressed to the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica.

Eventually, she earned a masters in fine art from Transart Institute via the University of Plymouth.

In many ways, she’s creating the very methods by which her art will be conveyed.

“I’ve been fascinated with the medium and I’m always constantly exploring new techniques,” she says of her artwork. “A lot of times, it’s an exploration of the material. What can I do with it? Can I build a form with it? Or do I stay on a two-dimensional plane? For me, it’s about the textures, about the form and the thickness as well as the colors.”

As you walk around the exhibit, you can’t help but notice the many different styles. Her piece “Oshun’s Glory,” inspired by Yoruban culture and also by the death of her grandmother, consists of several coneshaped knit structures protruding from the ceiling.

There are other pieces that resemble rich tapestries, and one that could be a coffee table centerpiece.

The unifying element — beyond the themes connecting them — is the literal thread, and Coombs estimates that it could be as many as thousands or millions of strands.

So what’s her studio look like?

Are you imagining an explosion of fabric? Coombs said that her material lives in a finely sorted and colorcoded cupboard in her home studio.

“I’m a neat freak,” she said.

“There’s a lot of structure in the space, but sometimes it does become a chaotic space of thread.

“I just throw the threads on the ground and process through them to select and get my palette through.

I do a lot of sketches, both on paper but also with the material. A lot of it is just me exploring what the material can do in small bits.”

Coombs, at root, is fascinated by the ways the human body is constantly evolving and by the apparent contradictions contained in some of their very basic functions.

She gestures at her work “Her Constellation,” a vertical wall piece with hand-woven mixed fibers and beads. The piece’s coloring starts with lighter yellow threading near the top and red tasseled fringes toward the bottom, and it’s imbued with a deeper meaning.

“The woman’s body,” she says, “You’re born with thousands of eggs within you that are constantly combusting before they even go to the fallopian tube to then kind of form and cause the process of the menstrual cycle. It’s just amazing how the body transforms. You’re not even realizing it, but you’re creating life and also you’re taking life.

“There’s constant destruction

Katrina Coombs stands with her piece “As It Breathes, Life is Taken.”

that’s happening within the body but then also there’s constant healing.”

That’s also the theme of “As It Breathes, Life is Taken,” a horizontal hand-woven piece with mixed fibers and cowrie shells. Here, Coombs is referencing the many ways we perceive the maternal figure both as a symbol of value and of spirituality.

“A lot of the work is really on identity and maternal instincts and the maternal figure literally and metaphorically,” she says. “But also even just rights of passage of a girl going into adulthood.

“I brought in the cowrie shells because universally it has this element of currency. But it also represents security. It represents the womb. It represents authority as well as position in society. Within this piece, there’s a right of passage once a girl sees her first cycle. She’s now garnered with beads around her waist, and the cowrie shell is also used as that.”

Some of the pieces are literal, and some are figurative.

Coombs addresses the male and female gaze with an eye-catching piece entitled “The Beauty Between Her Thighs,” and she confronts loss and tragedy with her works entitled “Prolapse” and “Lost Souls Not Forgotten.”

Coombs says all of her pieces have

they’ve developed over years.

She worked on them, put them down, worked on other things and came back with fresh fingers.

Rosie Gordon-Wallace, the founder of Miami-based Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator, has worked for decades to discover artists in the Caribbean and beyond. GordonWallace met Coombs when she was still a student, and she’s seen her work develop over the last 15 years.

There are many great textile artists, says Gordon-Wallace, but what separates Coombs from the rest is her ability to take relevant complex themes and turn them into art.

“I admire her ability to do a body of work around a personal narrative with boldness,” says Gordon-Wallace. “That is unique, because the subject she’s talking about — loss and spirituality, memory and joy — are probably not seen in this genre of work in the same sentence.

“And we live in Florida. In this time, when our government is making all of these different suggestions around the body of women, it is wonderful to see an artistic outcome with labor and material that everyday people can enjoy. That’s the draw.”

IF YOU GO

I M(O)THER: THREADS OF THE MATERNAL FIGURE When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday (runs through Oct. 13) Where: Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Tickets: Free with museum admission Info: SarasotaArtMuseum.org

been inspired by her life, except Prolapse, which was inspired by one of her closest friends.

Her art has helped her recover from the loss of a child, and it’s helped her better understand who she is and where she’s come from.

“It’s how I process my life,” she says.” It’s how I move through everything that is going on with me. But it’s not even so much about healing.

It’s really for me about celebrating at this point. Because even with the loss, it has made me who I am as a woman. It has given me the opportunity to explore so much. I have been able to build myself as a woman.”

The creative process differs with each piece. For some, says Coombs, the hard work was done in hours or a week. And for others, she says,

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THIS WEEK FRIDAY HD AT THE OPERA HOUSE: IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT 7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $22 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

They call him MISTER TIBBS. The late, great Sidney Poitier stars as a Philadelphia police detective who gets involved in a Mississippi murder investigation in the racially charged climate of the Civil Rights movement. Rod Steiger won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a smalltown police chief, and the film also won for Best Picture.

PLAY READING: THE SUFFRAGETTE’S MURDER 3 p.m. at Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave. $10 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Here’s your chance to support a work that’s still in the early stages of development. The Suffragette’s Murder is a drama centered in 1857, and it’s billed as part comedy and part protest. Sandy Rustin is the playwright, and she recently scored a hit by writing the book and lyrics for “American Girl Live,” which toured 47 cities across America.

will run all the way through August 13. Clown college graduate Chris Allison has the hard job of entertaining the audience and stitching the show back together between acts.

SATURDAY TRIBUTE TO THE ONE HIT WONDERS 7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Classic Car Museum, 5500 N. Tamiami Trail $25 (including first beverage) Visit SarasotaCarMuseum.org.

Jonathan Elgart is the guest performer, and he’ll be playing songs more successful than the Edsel.

Each of these songs were a hit for a performer who never had a hit again, and you’ll have a chance to hang out around cars that represent the best and most interesting engineering in the history of the industry.

SUNDAY HD AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘FALSTAFF’ 1:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $22 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

BLUES BROTHERS SOUL BAND 7 p.m. at Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave., Venice $35-$50 Visit VeniceTheatre.org.

This soul band is a tribute to Dan Akroyd and the late John Belushi that will have you foot-stomping and dancing along to some of the most familiar songs in the soul and R&B canon. Grab your sunglasses and your half-pack of cigarettes, because it’s dark and the Blues Brothers are ready to hit it.

SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bayshore Road $18 adults, $12 children 12 and under Visit Ringling.org It’s a feast for the senses and show for all ages. The Summer Circus Spectacular brings a roster full of acrobats, balance artists and contortionists to this one-hour show, which

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1734 South Tamiami Trail Venice, FL 34293 941.493.7441

Karla Pirona’s “Southgate” won first prize at the Art Center’s Faces and Places exhibit.

Here’s a Verdi opera unlike any you’ve seen before. This production is a reimagining of the venerable classic by Calixto Bieito that sees the opera as a satire of entertainment and modern society. This opera ran at the Staatsoper Hamburg in 2020, and it features standout performances from Ambrogio Maestri in the title role and Maija Kovaleska as Alice Ford.

FREE SECOND SUNDAYS 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

Do you like museums? Do you like museums even more when they’re free? Sarasota Art Museum is opening its doors to the public and inviting them to take in all the museum’s exhibitions plus a few fun activities of the day. Ringling College faculty member Eszter Sziksz will be on hand for a tutorial on a photographic printing technique from 2 to 4 p.m.

OUR PICK

BERLIN WALL ART AUCTION Now’s your chance to own your very own piece of history. Alexander Solotzew and several other artists have taken their time to paint on authentic concrete remnants of the Berlin Wall, and 15 of the artworks are up for auction. Solotzew’s piece is entitled “Pontius Pilate: The Face of Dictatorship,” and is rendered in his trademark swirling color patterns.

IF YOU GO When: 6 p.m. Friday, July 7 Where: Art Ovation Hotel, 1255 N. Palm Ave. Tickets: Free Info: Visit Solotzew.com.

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MONDAY FACES AND PLACES 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail Free Visit ArtSarasota.org.

Come see the best in art that Sarasota has to offer. Art Center Sarasota’s regional juried show, Faces and Places, is on display through August 6. Amanda Cooper, chief curator of the Morean Arts Center in St. Petersburg, served as the juror for the show, and Karla Pirona took first place for her oil painting entitled “Southgate.”

ART AND BACKSTAGE TOUR 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail $15 Visit VanWezel.org.

Have you ever wondered what happens behind the curtain at the Van Wezel? Now’s your chance to find out. The Van Wezel offers a monthly tour of the artwork on display and the backstage portion of the arena that visitors seldom see. Get a glimpse of the orchestra pit, the dressing rooms, the rehearsal rooms and the ropes and pulleys that aid in moving sets.

TUESDAY ROCK AND ROLL REIGNITED 7:30 p.m. at John C. Court Cabaret, 1265 First St. $36 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

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It’s the roots of rock and roll brought forward into the new generation.

Sit tight and sing along as Jared Mancuso and Nick Gallardo bring you the music of Buddy Holly, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and more. Mancuso and Gallardo created the show, and they’ll be joined on stage by Aurora Dubois and Mike Gallardo. Runs through Aug. 7.

WEDNESDAY ‘LOVE, LINDA’ 7:30 p.m. at Studio 1130, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail $26.50 Visit ThePlayers.org.

This is a one-woman show starring Colleen Buchmeier that centers on the love and music of Cole Porter. Buchmeier stars as Linda Lee

IF YOU GO When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, July 8 Where: Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Tickets: Free with museum admission Info: Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

Thomas, Porter’s muse and wife, in this song-and-dance vehicle of the hitmaker’s career. This Wednesday performance is a preview; the show’s actual run will go from July 14 through July 24.

Fri & Sat JULY 15TH JULY 16TH

‘MAYTAG VIRGIN’ 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Keating Theatre, 1241 N. Palm Ave. $25-$36 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org

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I M(O)THER Jamaica-based textile artist Katrina Coombs doesn’t just want you to appreciate her work. She wants you to consider the place of women in contemporary society around the world. Coombs uses her weaving skills to address topics like identity, the maternal figure, ancestry and security. The exhibit will be on display at Sarasota Art Museum until Oct. 2.

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Visitors experiencing Katrina Coombs’ I M(O)ther: Threads of the Maternal Figure at Sarasota Art Museum, Photo: Daniel Perales

ringling.org

A passion for fiber, thread, and fabric becomes a quest to understand the conflicting roles of women in our society.

Maternal Figure

This exhibition is co-organized by the Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator and Sarasota Art Museum.

5/22/22 — 10/2/22

Funding provided by The Ringling Museum General Fund and the Peter and Mary Lou Vogt Exhibition Fund.

Paid for in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax Revenues.

Linda Stein (American, born 1943), Profile Solid 383.033 (detail), 1975. Acrylic on paper, 7 1/2 × 9 in. Gift from The Raymond Learsy Collection, 2021, 2021.41.8 380824-1

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Let there be lasers What’s better than listening to your favorite music? Adding the bonus of laser lights, that’s what.

SPENCER FORDIN A+E EDITOR

I

t’s just like listening to your favorite artist at home.

Except there’s a laser.

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature has been hosting Laser Light Nights this summer, a production that brings streaming music and dazzling lights to its planetarium three nights a week.

There’s an incredible array of acts involved, and you can see psychedelic stalwarts such as Pink Floyd or even bubblegum pop artists such as NSYNC and Bruno Mars.

This reporter, a child of the 1970s, chose the masters of thunderous percussion and primal wailing, Led Zeppelin, for his close-up experience with the indoor fireworks.

It’s hard to imagine a better choice. From the moment the music starts to the moment you file out exhilarated, the lasers etch out pulsing patterns and figures and never take a second to breathe.

They intensify in speed and color to the pace of the music, and with Led Zeppelin, that means a wild ride.

How does it all work?

The Bishop Museum leases cutting edge projectors from a company named Laser Fantasy that has been doing these shows for decades.

They warn you, before the show starts, that lasers are potentially dangerous and to stay seated.

Why? Because the shows are conducted with Class IV lasers, which can blind a person instantly.

Laser Fantasy’s website cautions that “it’s important to treat high powered lasers like power tools,” and in this case, that means not peering into the projector. The Bishop Museum has blocked off certain seats in which an extremely tall person might be at risk, and they urge visitors with epilepsy or conditions triggered by intense sensory experiences to take caution.

But for everybody else, it’s just a rollicking good time with a rock-

Courtesy photos

Laser Fantasies has pre-programmed laser shows for many of your favorite artists.

Bruno Mars is one of the contemporary acts who gets a laser light treatment along with classic rock favorites.

and-roll playlist.

The Laser Zeppelin show hits all the highlights you might expect, exploring both the explosive and cathartic aspects of the music but also the slow and romantic side.

You’ll hear Robert Plant shrieking like a banshee on “D’yer Maker,” and you’ll ride along with Jimmy Page as he plays out the guitar lines to “Black Dog” and “Whole Lotta Love.”

John Bonham’s propulsive drumming on “Rock and Roll” gets its own laser light solo. Do you think you’re getting out of this room without hearing “Stairway to Heaven?”

Not this time, pal. Don’t make me tap the sign.

Don’t blink, because you might miss an interesting detail.

The planetarium seats recline all the way back, and the lasers play all over the curved dome ceiling.

They move in patterns, drawing shapes that repeat in different sizes, colors and proportions.

It’s eye candy of the very best kind and it isn’t all abstract art.

You might see Led Zeppelin’s trademark dirigible in some songs, or you might see a petaled flower or an intricate animal drawn.

If you see an Elton John show?

That probably means that you’ll see pianos and tiny dancers, and also maybe a Rocket Man? I don’t know. I’m speculating.

But here’s what we know for sure.

Laser Light Nights are scheduled to run through Aug. 13 at the Bishop, and they’re shown on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

There’s an artist and a light show for every rock and pop taste. The Bishop Museum has multiple evenings scheduled to play the Beatles, and there’s also nights with Prince and David Bowie.

Do you like high volume? AC/DC and Metallica are primed to assault your eardrums. There are Van Halen shows and Nirvana shows, not to mention Aerosmith and U2 shows.

Laid-back Bob Marley gets a chance at a laser show, and so do Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters.

The audience, your fellow travelers, are with you all the way, clapping at the end of some songs and singing along with others. You’re all taking the same visual journey, but without the deafening crack of fireworks or the interminable line to move out of the parking lot.

There’s one final fringe benefit.

The next time you play your favorite artist, you may find the lasers are forever imprinted upon your imagination.

Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road, and hello, Laser Light Show.

IF YOU GO

LASER LIGHT NIGHTS When: 7 and 9 p.m.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday through Aug. 13 Where: Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 Tenth St. W in Bradenton.

Tickets: $15 Info: BishopScience. org

Love, L inda Music & Lyrics

Arrangements & additional musical

Cole Porter

Gary William Firedman

Book

Stevie Holland with Gary William Firedman

July 13-24, 2022 the timeless music and lyrics of Cole Porter weave through the compelling narrative of Linda Lee Thomas, the Southern beauty who was the driving force behind the legendary songwriter

the

by Douglas Gearhart

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July 29-31, 2022

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2020 winner

manager

JUNE 7, 2022

— Lakewood Ranch High golfer Parker Severs SEE PAGE 17A

HIGH

SPORTS

“It’s fun to play with friends, and it’s just yourself doing all the work.”

5

1

Former Lakewood Ranch High softball player McKenzie Clark, who is playing for the Lakewood Ranch Rodeo of the Florida Gulf Coast League this summer, went 2-4 with a home run and two RBIs June 29 in the Rodeo’s 8-0 road won over the Square Up Academy Pioneers.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Danny Markulic started bowling with MVP Sports and Social three years ago and has since purchased a custom bowling shirt and a bowling glove to be one of the crowd. Markulic said he hopes the Lakewood Ranch area gets a center soon.

2

Former Braden River High strength coach Richard Lansky was named the High School Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year

by The National Strength and Conditioning Association on June 28. Lansky spent the past four years with the Pirates but will coach at Manatee High in the fall.

3

Patty Sellner (34) won the Nine Hole Women’s Golf Association Individual Low Net event held June 30 at Palm Aire Country Club’s Lakes course.

4

Erv Heyde (39) won the Men’s Golf Association Stableford event (individual points scoring) held June 29 at University Park Country Club.

5

Pam Ellis (33) won the Women’s Golf Association Best Nine event (individual low net) held June 28 at University Park Country Club.

HAVING A BALL PAGE 16A

Can you spare some lanes?

MVP Sports and Social provides an outlet for bowling fans despite the long drive to Bradenton’s Bowlero center.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

F

or Lakewood Ranch’s next big entertainment project, will a developer strike with a bowling center?

MVP Sports and Social has offered a bowling league for its athletes since 2017. The league, held on Friday nights, has become a big hit for the organization with more than 720 people participating since its inception according to cofounder Chris McComas.

It’s not strictly a league consisting of Lakewood Ranch members, but a good number of participants are from Lakewood Ranch, where you can live, work and play — unless you are a bowler.

It speaks to bowling’s popularity that so many Lakewood Ranch residents travel to Bradenton’s Bowlero, which is approximately 15 miles away, to participate in McComas’ league. It can take anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes depending on the traffic conditions.

Yet Lakewood Ranch residents keep signing up.

Ed Kelly is one of them. Kelly, 57, said he has played in MVP’s league for three years and does not plan on stopping. Despite not considering himself to be much of an bowler — his average score is around 135, he said — he has purchased his own bowling bag and ball.

“I’m a big competitor,” Kelly said.

“Even though this league is just for fun, I can compete against myself.

I get to see friends. It’s just a good

THE SLOW LANE

Many Lakewood Ranch residents love bowling, but the accessibility of the region’s bowling alleys make it difficult to participate.

Here is a breakdown of Sarasota-Bradenton’s bowling alleys and their distance from Lakewood Main Street.

Time estimates are taken from Google Maps under normal traffic conditions.

Sarasota Lanes: 9.7 miles, 20 minutes Bowlero (Bradenton): 15 miles, 27 minutes AMF Gulf Gate Lanes (Sarasota): 15.3 miles, 24 minutes

night out.”

Kelly said he started bowling back in the 1980s but fell out of the sport for most of his adult life. He had so

much fun competing in MVP’s other sport he decided to pick up bowling again. He has not not looked back — and if there was a bowling alley closer to his Lakewood Ranch home, he would play even more often.

“The only negative (to the league) is the drive,” Kelly said. “It is a pain in the butt. I’m an active person. I organize cornhole games and bocce games and pickleball. My friends are active. I can see them wanting to play if it was closer.”

Riva Das and Danny Markulic are a married couple from Lakewood Ranch. They, too, have been bowling with MVP for three years as a way to meet new people and have a few drinks each week. On June 24, Markulic, 40, was bowling in a custom shirt and with a bowling glove in his right hand. He has embraced the sport, all but the drive he has to take to play. Das, 36, was not bowling with him on this particular day, only talking with friends. She is pregnant with the couple’s first child, who is due in October.

The couple has developed such a love of bowling that when deciding where to hold a gender reveal party, there was only one logical answer — Bowlero.

“Bowling has kind of become our thing since we started with the league,” Das said. “It’s an activity we can enjoy together and share with our friends. It was unique and so fun to do the reveal that way.”

Das said the Bowlero employees spray painted the couple’s pins blue for the occasion. Das and Markulic are having a boy.

Their love for the game is obvious, and they are thankful for Bowlero’s help with the party, but Das and Markulic said they would prefer to have a bowling option closer to home.

“I would probably go every night if it was there,” Markulic said. He was joking, but his sentiment was real.

Markulic said the sport is tough to beat in terms of low-key nighttime activities to do when you need to relax.

“Let’s go throw a couple balls, let’s have a couple drinks, let’s hang out,” Markulic said. “It’s like going to a diner for coffee talk. Except you’re bowling.”

The dream of a bowling alley closer to Lakewood Ranch is not strictly hypothetical. Locals have hoped that projects such as the East District of The Mall at University Town Center will consider a bowling center. So far, none of the plans have come to fruition, but Lakewood Ranch bowling fans remain hopeful that the idea won’t be thrown in the gutter forever.

Lakewood Ranch’s Ed Kelly finishes off a spare at Bowlero in Bradenton during MVP Sports and Social’s Friday night bowling league.

Ed Kelly said he likes to compete against himself while bowling — and he would likely do it more often if a bowling facility came to Lakewood Ranch.

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PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

Columnist aces good time at PopStroke Best score is chicken flatbread after the round on the putting course.

N

ot even a deluge could ruin my PopStroke experience.

PopStroke Entertainment Group, a brand of golf putting courses and restaurants, opened its Sarasota-Bradenton location April 28 at the Mall at University Town Center. The chain is co-owned by Greg Bartoli and Tiger Woods’ TGR Ventures.

The main hook of the chain, besides the baseline appeal of putting, is that each location features courses designed by Woods’ TGR Design team. The Sarasota location actually has two courses, the Tiger Black course is touted to be for the whole family while the Tiger Red course is a more difficult layout.

I hadn’t been to the location since it opened so I wanted to fix that and get a sense of how it plays. It’s $25 for an individual all-day pass (with various discounts for kids, senior citizens, veterans and large groups).

Going with a friend on June 26, I learned this bit of advice before arriving. Do not put PopStroke’s address into your phone’s map app of choice. In both my and my friend’s experience, doing so will take you back to the northern entrance of the Mall. Instead, keep your phone in your pocket and follow the signs lining the Mall’s roundabouts. If you are driving south on Cattleman Road, that means taking a left at the third roundabout. If you are driving north on Cattleman Road, it means taking a right at the first roundabout.

Once we were inside, the process was easy. We picked up our passes, then were handed a signature Bridgestone golf ball (which we

Ryan Kohn

The East County Observer’s Ryan Kohn celebrates after sinking a putt at PopStroke. The putting and dining experience opened at The Mall at UTC in April.

were allowed to keep) and we chose our putters.We walked outside and our day started. We elected to play the Tiger Red course first.

The PopStroke experience was a bit choppy. We decided to play straight through the course’s 18 holes, but other groups — who had

presumably been there much longer than us — were walking around and playing specific holes, getting in line behind whoever was currently playing the hole. Both strategies are valid at PopStroke.

I shot 55 on the first 18, which was 10 over par, but this was less

because the course is hard than the fact I am a horrific putter. I have little control over my speed of a putt, and pace is key. The putting courses at PopStroke do not rely on cartoonish, miniature golf features like windmills or moats. It’s a more realistic feel of being on an actual green.

The Tiger Red course’s 18 holes have greens, and for those who stray, roughs and “sand traps.”

There is no actual sand in the sand traps, but they still are hard to get out of nonetheless. My favorite hole was No. 18, a longer, winding hole that lets you put some oomph behind your putt — as long as you avoid the sand traps to the left of the hole. It was one of four holes I birdied.

The good news is anyone reading this will likely be able to beat my score. I do a golf-related activity maybe once a year. My friend, who golfs five or six times a year, finished two over par, a much more respectable score.

My score was also dragged down by the rain, which I mentioned above. It started as a drizzle but turned into a full-fledged storm by the time our 18 holes were up. We were soaked, but it was a lot of fun and I’m glad the PopStroke staff lets groups play through the rain if they so choose.

Once we finished the Tiger Red course, we decided to test the restaurant section of the venue.

PopStroke has a full kitchen and has different menus for its firstfloor restaurant and its rooftop bar. We sat in the restaurant and watched other groups tackle the courses in the rain. and I ordered the BBQ chicken flatbread for $14.

My friend ordered the chicken tenders and fries entree for $15. Both of us thought our meals were well worth the price.

In addition to lunch and dinner,

PopStroke offers a substantial ice cream selection as well as multiple bars located inside the restaurant, on the roof and on the course.

Groups can even have drinks delivered to them on the course, though we did not try this. We were playing fast and were not waiting behind another group, so there was hardly time to stop and have a drink.

After eating, we attempted to play the Tiger Black course to compare it to Tiger Red, but after one hole the rain came down harder than before — and brought thunder and lightning with it. We decided to call it a day. In retrospect, this may have been a good thing. It gives me a reason to return.

Whether PopStroke’s brand of putting is worth the $25 entrance fee is likely going to vary from person to person. Where I personally think PopStroke shows its value is when combined with a larger outing.

I could envision myself gathering with friends on a fall Saturday, playing a few rounds in the early afternoon before heading to the bar to watch the day’s biggest college football games while having a beer or three, and then heading back out on the course again. It turns a typical get-together into something special.

Don’t be intimidated by PopStroke’s more realistic version of mini-golf. Bring the right group of friends or family and you are in for a good time, no matter your putting skill level — or mine.

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

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

Parker Severs is a rising sophomore on the Lakewood Ranch High boys golf team. Severs won the 13-15 division of the Florida Junior Tour Royal Palm Open (72-71—143) held May 7-8 at Royal Palm Golf Club in Naples, then won the same division of the FJT Palm Harbor Open (70-69—139) held May 14-15 at Palm Harbor Golf Club in Palm Coast.

When did you start playing golf and when did you start taking it seriously?

I started five years ago and started taking it seriously three years ago.

What do you like about golf?

It’s fun to play with friends, and it’s just yourself doing all the work. You have no one else to help you really.

What is your best skill as a golfer?

Probably my driver, I hit it pretty good.

What have you done recently to improve?

I’ve been working on my consistency with my overall game and working on my putting a lot.

What is the best movie/TV show you have recently watched?

I like to watch hockey and golf mostly. I don’t watch a lot of TV. What is your favorite school subject (and why)?

I guess English. I like my teacher (Michael Wood). He made it fun and easy.

Which superpower would you want to have?

Reading people’s minds would be fun.

BUSY BEE TUTORING

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Parker Severs

If you would like to make a recommendation for the East County Observer’s Athlete of the Week feature, send it to Ryan Kohn at RKohn@ YourObserver.com.

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What are your hobbies outside of golf?

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What is your favorite golf memory?

Me and my dad (Barry Severs) won the father-son tournament at our country club (Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club).

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YOUR NEIGHBORS Fireworks on the Lake at Nathan Benderson Park again drew thousands of spectators.

Clara Ramos and Elaine Reinhardt of University Park, and Ken Soileau from Tampa, get ready for the fireworks.

Photos by Ian Swaby

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The Publix 4-Miler begins at Nathan Benderson Park on July 3.

6-year-old Hayden Grubb, 4-year-old Hunter Grubb, and Lauren Grubb, of Bradenton, participate in an arts and crafts workshop.

The Derek Lersch Band shows some patriotic spirit.

Sarasota’s Pedro and Angela Orjuela dressed for the occasion.

Tomia Austin, Mark Ansley, and Austin’s mother Marsha Page enjoy the VIP area as the fireworks are about to launch.

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ireworks on the Lake hadn’t even ended July 3 and University Park’s Mike Giles was looking forward to next year’s event.

“I do think every year it gets better and better,” Giles said about the Nathan Benderson Park event, which had the Sunset Auto Group as its main sponsor. “A lot of good selection here. I liked the venue this year, the bands are really good, the people seem to be having a good time, and of course the fireworks were fantastic.”

Sarasota County Commissioner Ron Cutsinger, who is also on the board of directors of Nathan Benderson, summed up the event by saying, “This sets the tone for the Fourth of July.”

Nathan Benderson Park Conservatory CEO Stephen Rodriguez said it was another example the park is more than a rowing facility.

“Most people know about us as a rowing facility, but we’re really a community park,” Rodriguez said. “We have so many people in the community volunteer, come out and watch events, and use the park.”

The evening included food trucks, activities and inflatables for kids, and a VIP lounge at the Benderson Family Finish Tower. It concluded in a fireworks show.

Panther Ridge’s Iris Boccarossa said Fireworks on the Lake is a yearly tradition for her and that her 15-year-old daughter, Jessica, couldn’t wait to attend.

Also part of the event was the 2022 Publix Fireworks 4-Miler, which was won

by Lakewood Ranch’s David Proudfoot.

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“I love that we get to go into the pool a lot,” Smith said about the camp. “We get to swim and jump off the (diving) boards.”

The YMCA was buzzing with the specialty camps it provides. Outside the YMCA, a group was participating in the flag football camp. At Lakewood Ranch High, children were participating in the traditional YMCA camp where they were spending time reading and doing arts and crafts.

While aquatics camp was happening at pool, the Y’s Kids Gone Crafty specialty camp was inside.

Lakewood Ranch 8-year-olds Mia Morgan and Emma McGlaughlin focused on wrapping yarn around popsicle sticks.

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Jackson Smith and Mateo Petrelli watch as Tristan McGlaughlin carries the ball toward the middle of the field in flag football.

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FRIDAY, JULY 8

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Dr., Lakewood Ranch. The music group Side Car Duo will provide the live music on Friday as those who visit Waterside Place enjoy sunset views of Kingfisher Lake, fun at the hub’s small parks or dining at the various restaurants.

For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

SATURDAY, JULY 9

REC DAY Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. Nathan Benderson Park hosts Rec Day, which offers participants the chance to try stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, canoes, fishing and more.

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NathanBendersonPark.org. The fee is $10 per person or $5 for an adult who brings a child. The event is free for children 6 and younger. Fishing licenses are required for all participants who choose to fish.

SATURDAY, JULY 9

OFF THE CHARTS Begins at 7 p.m. at The Plaza at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch, Florida Studio Theatre’s “Off the Charts!” brings its traveling, free entertainment to Waterside Place.

“Off the Charts!” is a cabaret-style show featuring four actors singing 20 songs that span from the 1950s to now. The show also includes context to how the music was made and how it impacted the music that comes after it. If it rains July 9, the performance will be 7 p.m. July 10 at The Plaza at Waterside Place. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13

BINGO 4 ALL Begins at 10 a.m. at the Greenbrook Adventure Park, 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosts bingo for all ages in a relaxed out-

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THURSDAY, JULY 14

FREE MOVIE Begins at 8 p.m. at Waterside Place, 7500 Island Cove Terrace, Lakewood Ranch. “Clifford the Big Red Dog” will be shown at Waterside Place.

The free, family event is hosted by Grace Community Church. Seating is available on a first-come, firstserve basis. Bring a blanket and/or lawn chairs. Concessions available from O&A Coffee and We B’ Poppin Popcorn and Kettle Corn. Face painting will be available from 7-9 p.m. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

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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 year round 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 www.MyLWR.com.

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

5B

PET PICS Have photos of your four-legged family members? We want to see them! Share them at YourObserver.com/contests/petpics to be published online and for a chance to see them in print!

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6B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

NEIGHBORS NOTES

PAY LESS TO SELL YOUR HOME Only 2-4% Commission

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Jared Salzman REALTOR 941-718-1770 savewithjared.com

LARGEST SELECTION OF FANS ANYWHERE! TRADITIONAL

MODERN

CONTEMPORARY

LARGE FANS

WHEN YOU THINK FANS THINK DAN’S! Design Your Own Fan Parts & Services Available Courtesy photos

The Lemur Conservation Foundation in Myakka City announced the birth of a red ruffed lemur. The species is critically endangered.

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Another baby at Lemur Conservation Foundation The Lemur Conservation Foundation in Myakka City announced the birth of a red ruffed lemur May 21 to parents Aviavy and Hazo.

Red ruffed lemurs are considered a critically endangered species.

It was the third lemur born at the facility this year. It was the 14th red ruffed lemur born in the 26-year history of the reserve.

For more information and updates on the lemur infants, go to LemurReserve.org.

According to a release, “The Lemur Conservation Foundation is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the primates of Madagascar through managed breeding, scientific research, education, and art.”

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All Friends Network hosts event

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Bradenton

The All Friends Network of Lakewood Ranch, which has a mission to help adults with disabilities to find friendship, is hosting a trip to Tropicana Field for the Baltimore Orioles-Tampa Bay Rays game 4:10 p.m. July 16.

All Friends founder Trevor Kelliher said the Rays have donated 40 tickets for the outing. Call Kelliher at 508-272-2307 for tickets and information or email him at Trevor@ AllFriendsNetwork.org.

“We would love for you to come, enjoy a day of making new friends, building lifelong friendships and enjoying a day at the park,” Kelliher said.

www.DansFanCity.com

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&Nature

2022-23 PHOTO CONTEST

A R E F L E C T I O N O F N AT U R E ’ S B E A U T Y

Building professionals host fundraiser The Young Building Professionals and the Professional Women in Building will host a Stuff the Backpack event 6 p.m. July 14 at Gold Coast Eagle Distributing, 7051 Wireless Court, in Lakewood Ranch.

The backpacks, which will be full of school supplies, will be in support of the Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota County.

Those who attend are asked to donate school supplies or gift cards.

Items requested include composition books, folders, pens/pencils/ markers, glue sticks, tissues and hand sanitizer.

Those who can’t attend can send donate by contacting Rebecca Nardella at Rebecca@ms-bia.org.

The event is free to attend

Local students earn degrees, awards Peace River Electric Cooperative’s charitable foundation announced it has presented $102,000 in college scholarships to 20 students at 11 area high schools. Among the East County students who earned scholarships were Liam Wilford of Braden River High ($8,000); Lakewood Ranch High’s Zachary Geiger ($4,000), Sara Hutchinson ($4,000), Nicole Hyer ($4,000), Lexington Kahler ($8,000), Sam Leavy ($4,000), Kelsey McLeod ($4,000), Hannah Pruszinske ($4,000) and Cabriell Suazo-Gracia ($4,000); and The Out-of-Door Academy’s Samantha Malcolm ($8,000).

East County’s Ethan Robotham earned Dean’s List recognition at the University of Central Florida and also was hired to become a learning assistant in calculus for the department of mathematics and statistics.

He is majoring in electrical engineering with a minor in mathematics.

East County’s Logan Frasier earned a bachelor of science in business administration, team and project management from Bryant University of Smithfield, Rhode Island. ... East County’s Eric MacKowski earned a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice at the University of Hartford of West Hartford, Connecticut. ... Lakewood Ranch’s Kayla Smullen earned a degree in communications and East County’s Madeleine Antonelli, earned her degree in intelligence and national security studies at Coastal Carolina of Conway, South Carolina. ... East County’s Melina Pulos earned a degree in liberal arts at the University of Iowa. ... East County’s Fumiko Brinkmeier earned a PHD in education, Lakewood Ranch’s Sam Car-

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University of Harrisonburg, Virginia. ... East County’s Melanie Inman was named to the Dean’s List at the University of Rhode Island. ...

East County’s Mackenzie Hamilton and Olivia Sand earned Dean’s List recognition at Samford University of Birmingham, Alabama. ... East County’s Logan Frasier was named to the Dean’s List at Bryant University of Smithfield, Rhode Island. ... East County’s Gabe Holton and Bailey Koenig were named to the Dean’s List at Wheaton College of Illinois. ,,, East County’s Christian Sachs was named to the President’s List at Freed-Hardeman of Henderson, Tennessee.

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

“AS A PILATES INSTRUCTOR, A SUCCESSFUL REPAIR FOR MY BADLY DAMAGE ROTATOR CUFF WAS CRUCIAL. I AM THRILLED TO REPORT THAT I HAVE FULL USE OF MY SHOULDER AND AM PAIN FREE SO I CAN CONTINUE TO ENJOY MY VERY ACTIVE LIFESTYLE” - Susan Landsman

MTC student Vincent Manzano placed first at the 2022 SkillsUSA Championships in 5-Axis CNC Milling, college division.

MTC students win national awards Manatee Technical College student Jesus Capriles earned a first-place award in Dental Terminology in the collegiate division of the 2022 HOSA International Leadership Conference in Nashville, June 22-25.

MTC had another champion as well as Vincent Manzano took first in 5-Axis CNC Milling in the college division of the 2022 SkillsUSA National Championships in Atlanta, June 20-25.

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ryer earned a bachelor of sciences in mathematics and physics and Lakewood Ranch’s Alfred Stein V earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science at Ohio University of Athens, Ohio. ... Lakewood Ranch’s Hannah Heidkamp (bachelor of science degree in athletic training) and Olivia LaFemina (bachelor of science), and East County’s Olivia Kaszubski (bachelor of arts), Joshua Lambert (master of business administration) and Madeline LeZotte (bachelor of arts in communications) earned degrees from the University of Alabama. ... East County’s Ainsley Harrison (bachelor of science), Alexandra Fallacaro (bachelor of science in criminology and criminal justice), Gabriella Desautels (bachelor of arts in psychology), Leah Bridgham (bachelor of science in nursing), McKenzie Mazzella (bachelor of arts in communication media and culture), Paige Lanter (bachelor of arts in biology), and Shannon Buckley (master of science in criminology and criminal justice), and Lakewood Ranch’s Connor McNally (bachelor of science in Cybersecurity), Leah Daniels (bachelor of science in applied sociology), Marisa Skertich (bachelor of arts in advertising and public relations), Samantha Milazzo (master of science in accounting), and Sydney Paukert (bachelor of arts in art therapy) all graduated from the University of Tampa.

East County’s Hunter Stroble was named to the dean’s list at Lincoln Memorial University of Harrogate, Tennessee. ... Lakewood Ranch’s Natalie Robson was named to the Dean’s List at York College of Pennsylvania. ... Lakewood Ranch’s Samantha Rydberg earned Dean’s List recognition at the University of Iowa. ... East County’s Anna Babayan and Cara Baroncini and Lakewood Ranch’s Kayla Smullen were named to the Dean’s List at Coastal Carolina University of Conway, South Carolina. ... East County’s Samantha Kelly, Emily Letterle, Logan Mikolasik and Nolan Mikolasik were named to the Dean’s List at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. ...

East County’s Sophie Preston was named to the Dean’s List at Miami University of Oxford, Ohio. ... East County’s Jillian Santiago was named to the Dean’s List at James Madison

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A Huge Thank You to our SPONSORS: Lakewood Ranch + MyLWR.COM Lakewood Ranch Community Activities + Herald-Tribune | LocaliQ

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

BRADENTON 20706 79th Avenue E 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 5,077 Sq. Ft. Chris Baylis 941-735-4713 A4531620 $3,500,000

TERRA CEIA 109 Michiana Drive 2 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,818 Sq. Ft. Debbie Vogler 941-705-3328 A4527498 $1,999,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 17012 Verona Place 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,629 Sq. Ft. Deborah Angelo O'Mara 941-730-0777 A4535097 $1,899,000

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

SARASOTA 7754 Holiday Drive Cathy Palmer 941-920-2247 A4538801 $1,300,000

PARRISH 16003 39th Glen E 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,225 Sq. Ft. Laura Navratil & Mary Pat Pihl 941-806-7436 A4532572 $1,195,000

BRADENTON 7312 19th Avenue NW 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,160 Sq. Ft. Lynne Callahan 941-720-3278 A4538467 $1,100,000

BRADENTON 3712 Plumosa Terrace 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,980 Sq. Ft. Judy LaValliere 941-504-3792 A4539713 $1,050,000

BRADENTON 5016 Mangrove Point Road 4 Beds 2 Baths 1,838 Sq. Ft. Kathy Valente & Gregory Zies, LLC 941-685-6767 A4538298 $995,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 8431 Sailing Loop 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,395 Sq. Ft. Laura Navratil & Mary Pat Pihl 941-806-7436 A4539340 $879,000

SARASOTA 4640 Friar Tuck Lane 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,299 Sq. Ft. Terri Thacker 941-376-1955 A4538450 $855,000

BRADENTON 12417 Perennial Place 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,068 Sq. Ft. Carroll Couri 813-727-1630 A4539264 $775,000

BRADENTON 2301 64th Street W 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,477 Sq. Ft. Fran DeDona & Pam Goodwin 941-812-5023 A4535719 $750,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6406 Watercrest Way 302 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,917 Sq. Ft. Stuart Lawrence 941-894-4001 A4538694 $725,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 15642 Sacile Lane 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,533 Sq. Ft. Barbara A Milian, PA 941-504-0660 A4535785 $599,000

BRADENTON 839 Rosemary Circle 4 Beds 2 Baths 1,832 Sq. Ft. Debbie Vogler 941-705-3328 A4538958 $599,000

BRADENTON 2525 Avolet Court 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,926 Sq. Ft. Carroll Couri 813-727-1630 A4532679 $575,000

BRADENTON 11933 Brookside Drive 4 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,936 Sq. Ft. Christopher Van Vliet & Jamie Van Vliet, PA 941-993-7087 A4538878 $539,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 5007 28th Court E 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,678 Sq. Ft. Pamela Miller 614-632-2801 A4524632 $499,000

SARASOTA 6941 Mystic Lane 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,649 Sq. Ft. Gregory Zies & Kathy Valente 941-779-3081 A4539331 $429,000

BRADENTON 6411 Grand Estuary Trail 201 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,297 Sq. Ft. Debbie Vogler 941-705-3328 A4539153 $349,999

SARASOTA 7266 Eleanor Circle 102 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,212 Sq. Ft. Ray Rausa 941-228-7614 A4535536 $343,900

SARASOTA 5818 Lockwood Ridge Road Denise Gagne 941-400-6358 A4523594 $300,000

SARASOTA 189 Oak Hill Drive 5 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,024 Sq. Ft. Christopher Van Vliet & Jamie Van Vliet, PA 941-993-7087 A4532208 $299,000

BRADENTON 8456 Lindrick Lane 4 Beds 4/1 Baths 4,369 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas & Adam Cuffaro 941-587-4359 A4538235 $3,495,000

BRADENTON 677 Regatta Way 3 Beds 3 Baths 3,045 Sq. Ft. Sandi Dietrich 941-704-0697 A4537935 $2,350,000

SARASOTA 3537 Founders Club Drive 3 Beds 3 Baths 3,544 Sq. Ft. Richard Hearn 941-313-1591 A4535534 $2,300,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM 379148-1

8B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

REAL ESTATE

Concession home tops sales in first half of 2022

Courtesy photos

ADAM HUGHES RESEARCH EDITOR

H

ome values in East County spiked to alltime highs during the first six months of 2022. Here are the top 10 home sales with the Concession leading the way with the top three most expensive homes.

sold the home at 4219 Hawk Island Drive to William Caine Jr. and Tammy Caine, trustees, of Bradenton, for $3.8 million. Built in 2007, it has five bedrooms, five-and-two-half baths, a pool and 5,842 square feet of living area. It sold for $3.25 million in 2021.

POMELLO PARK

Real Estate Dealers LLC sold the home at 7935 213th St. E. to Thomas Gentile and Gabrielle Odierno, trustees, of Bradenton, for $3,675,000. Built in 2002, it has five bedrooms, seven-and-a-half baths, a pool and 6,812 square feet of living area. It sold for $812,000 in 2019.

Robert and Beth Ryan, of Sarasota, sold their home at 16216 Clearlake Ave. to Rod and Ashley Stuckey, of Fayetteville, Georgia, for $3.1 million. Built in 2012, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,879 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.6 million in 2020.

CONCESSION

UNIVERSITY PARK

Cynthia Hill, of Sarasota, sold her home at 20910 Parkstone Terrace to Jamie Worden, of Lakewood Ranch, for $4 million. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,082 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.05 million in 2017.

CONCESSION

Ricky Bob Crittenden and Corinne Shirley Knibbs sold their home at 8415 Broadstone Court to Steve Saslow, trustee, of Bradenton, for $3.8 million. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,189 square feet of living area.

RIVERDALE

C. Michael and Kathy Verble, trustees, of Asheville, North Carolina,

Chad and Shari Boschele, of Myakka City, sold their home at 23206 67th Ave. E. to Juan Agustin Garcia Argibay and Silvana Perego, of Bradenton, for $2.9 million.

Built in 2017, it has five bedrooms, three-and-two-half baths, a pool and 5,174 square feet of living area.

It sold for $775,000 in 2018.

Stephane and Delphine Nadal, of Surfside, for $2,825,000. The first property was built in 2007, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,501 square feet of living area. The second property was built in 2007, it has one bedroom, one bath and 2,040 square feet of living area. They sold for $1.05 million in 2018.

POMELLO PARK

David and Frances Thompson, of Norman, Oklahoma, sold two properties at 7520 213th St. E. to

This home at 8499 Lindrick Lane in the Concession sold for $7.98 million.

It was the top selling home in East County during the first six months of 2022.

In with the new

LAKE CLUB

Tappan Real Estate Investors II LLC sold the home at 8499 Lindrick Lane to Milibay LLC for $7.98 million. Built in 2010, it has six bedrooms, eight-and-three-half baths, a pool and 15,077 square feet of living area.

CONCESSION

POMELLO PARK

NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Sandra and William Ruppert, trustees, of Longboat Key, sold the home at 7420 Mayfair Court to Blair Weigel, trustee, of Bradenton, for $2,995,000. Built in 1998, it has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 6,808 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.95 million in 2003.

Longboat Key

The Residences at the St. Regis | 941.213.3300 | From $2.4MM to $10.9MM | Call for appointment | SRResidencesLongboatKey.com NOW TAKING CONTRACTS

LAKE CLUB

David Weza and David Leier, of Osprey, sold their home at 8372 Catamaran Circle to Nathan and Paula Ayala, of Bradenton, for $2,965,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,160 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $1,949,000 in 2020.

Downtown St. Petersburg

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The explosion in home values in East County was led by This home at 8499 Lindrick Lane in the Concession which sold for $7.98 million.

373596-1

Sales galleries open and available for virtual or in-person presentations.

Virtual home tours | OnDemand local experts | Interactive site and floorplans

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

Licensed Real Estate Broker

9B

10B

WEATHER

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST THURSDAY, JULY 7

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: 93 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 60%

FRIDAY, JULY 8 High: 93 Low: 7767 Chance of rain: 41%

SUNRISE / SUNSET Sunrise Sunset Thursday, July 7

6:40a

8:28p

Friday, July 8

6:40a

8:28p

Saturday, July 9

6:41a

8:27p

Sunday, July 10

6:41a

8:27p

Monday, July 11

6:42a

8:27p

Tuesday, July 12

6:42a

8:27p

Wednesday, July 13

6:43a

8:27p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, JULY 9 High: 92 Low: 77 Chance of rain: 48%

SUNDAY, JULY 10 High: 91 Low: 77 Chance of rain: 48%

July 13 Full

July 20 Last

July 28 New

Aug. 5 First

RAINFALL Monday, June 27

2.27

Tuesday, June 28

0.38

Wednesday, June 29

0.07

Thursday, June 30

0.04

Friday, July 1

0

Saturday, July 2

0

Sunday, July 3

0

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

Darlene Edelman took this photo while kayaking on the Braden River.

YEAR TO DATE: 2022 17.99 in.

2021 20.03 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2022 0 in.

2021 1.72 in.

The Observer’s

Weather ENTER: &Nature

Sponsored by

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383367-1

2022-23 PHOTO CONTEST

A REFLECTION OF NATURE’S BEAUTY

celebrity cipher

DOWN

©2022 Universal Uclick

ACROSS

35 One sticking with the program?

1 Big name in beer 37 City SE of Brasilia 6 Grease job 39 Morsel in a pod 10 Vegan protein 40 Bay Area, perhaps, on a 14 Gobbled down California map 19 Wrench type 41 Unknown, on a TV 20 Words after “cash” or schedule “check” 42 “Disgusting!”

21 Spilled salt, some say 45 Hole puncher 22 Zeal 46 Opposed to 23 Zookeeper’s danger48 “___ you miss me?” ous job 49 Now’s counterpart 25 Sci-fi travel device 50 Bathroom, at Oxford 27 Droops 51 Pieces of Hanukkah gelt 28 Crucial 54 Notably private type of 29 Wedding site financial institution 30 Have your time in the 56 Come next sun 31 Change, like a password 57 Taxing duty 59 Similar 33 Syrup source

60 Sharp-eyed birds 61 Snack bar food?

63 Australian wild dogs 65 Downfall 68 What the starred Down clues’ answers stand with, given the letters added to their tops and bottoms 70 Donkey’s noise 74 Clickable symbol 75 “___ so fast!”

77 Prez from 1861-65 78 Syrup source 80 Planetarium roof 81 11/, in a date (Abbr.)

82 Attach a button, e.g.

83 Get off an email list, briefly 85 Hack (off) 87 Golfer Michelle ___ West

88 Name hidden in “read between the lines” 89 Falcon’s claw 91 Sure to get 93 Nuts ___ bolts 94 Kuwaiti bills 96 In a perfect world 100 “Yeesh!”

102 Letters on a phone’s 4 button 103 “Roots” writer 105 Slime 106 Like a hairdo that sticks out 108 Fully prepared 109 Annoying lecture 112 Exfoliation destination 113 Somebody ___ (another’s) 115 Legendary sprinter

1 Friends 2 Et ___ 3 *Swaps political favors –> Certain lists of links 4 Pick up on 5 It goes “Kaboom!”

6 *Knockoff –> Constraint 7 Part of CPU 8 Powder cleanser maker 9 Canterbury’s country 10 Added up 11 Folded egg dish 12 Pool surface 13 *Attempt that almost fails –> Bringing to light 14 Many years ___ 15 Engine booster 16 *Hawaii’s billboard ban, e.g. –> Field involving wills 17 Great Basin natives 18 Nonkosher meat 24 Body lotion brand 26 Deep-space vehicles 32 Orthodontic separators 34 Letter within “upsilon” 36 Wailing spirit 37 Wrath 38 Lottery player’s joyous cry 43 Policy expert 44 Chinese pans 47 West Coast burger chain, casually 49 Interlaces 52 Began enjoying a feast 53 Mope

54 Onion covering 55 ___ on a true story 58 Clear wrap brand 59 Four-vowel farewell 62 Virgil hero 64 “Fiddlesticks!”

65 Enjoyed a feast 66 Lettuce hazard 67 *Piece of a complex machine –> Going-away celebration 69 Core group?

71 *”Terrible idea!” –> “Is this better?”

72 Essential ___ acids 73 Like an untidy bed 76 Word after “snowy” or “night” 79 E.T. of ‘80s TV 82 *Discover suddenly –> First of three calls 83 *Like Atlantis, in legend –> Stamped officially 84 *”Ode” subject in a 1967 hit –> “Uptown Girl” rocker 86 *Perfection is its enemy –> Soup brand 90 Hinge application 92 Dec. 31 95 Tuna in poke 97 Application file extension 98 “Bingo!”

99 Lass’s brother, say 101 Reaction to a punch 103 Supermarket freebies 104 Translation of “oui” 106 Outpouring 107 Church official 110 Vietnamese, e.g.

111 Bunch of, informally 112 Stuff in a goody bag 114 Reindeer relative 116 Pi doesn’t have one 118 Too curious 120 Gloomy ___ 122 Favorable vote 123 Remind too much 124 Rocksteady precursor 126 Text-scanning tech

“EKRIW CKR CRZ RFJ PZHWNWZHWZMW GWUPWLWH UPGWJES ER GW EKW IWMJWE RB KXNNPZWII.” – URFPI H. GJXZHWPI

“FIMUGYAXY NE VCY KRENO ZMBIARVNMI MZ VCY BINPYTEY. YPYTDVCNIX NE ZNTEV KREYA MI EMJYVCNIX KYNIX FIMUI.” – TRLLYT TSR

“BPOSDBA DH CPLOS WPLU OSXB GXFASOUL. DO DH HOLUBAOS OP GXFAS XBN OP XJXBNPB PBUHUGY, OP JU – YLDNX TXSGP

GDASO.” © 2022 NEA, Inc.

Puzzle Three Clue: D equals Y

Owens 117 Great weight 119 Mars, for the Romans 121 Rests against 125 Sees right through 127 Harmonize 128 Traveled through rapids, perhaps 129 Broad ties 130 It really blows 131 Permitted 132 Country known for its fjords

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: D equals Y

EARN YOUR STRIPES by Alan E. Wallis. Edited by David Steinberg

Puzzle One Clue: S equals Y

crossword

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

©2022 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

7-7-22

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

11B

LY !

E T A I D E M M I CALL A R E L IM IT E D A P P O IN T M E N

TS

THIS SOUND CHANGES

EVERYTHING “YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A GENIUS TO

SAVE THOUSANDS ON THE WORLD’S BEST HEARING AID”

THE SOUND THAT WILL CHANGE

HEARING AIDS FOREVER

BEFORE YOU BUY A HEARING AID

TRY

ABSOLUTELY FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

NO COST, NO OBLIGATION!

SEE INSIDE FOR SPECIAL OFFER SOUTH CAROLINA LICENSE NUMBERS: HTP-1029, HTP-1024, HTP-1031, HTP-1023, HAS-0573, HAS-0642, HAS-0637, HAS- 0638, HAS-0633

GEORGIA LICENSE NUMBERS: HADS000995, HADS000996, HADS001001, HADS001003

384058-1

AT OUR 5 DAY SPECIAL EVENT JULY 11 - JULY 15

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

RECHARGEABLE HEAR ALL DAY ON A 30-MINUTE CHARGE

R E NEV

E G N CHA RIES E T T A B !

N I AGA

has the lowest power consumption of any rechargeable hearing aid, so you get a full day of the most advanced hearing and streaming sound without worrying about running out of power!

TOTAL CONTROL

Control hearing for ANY ENVIRONMENT with your smartphone!

GRANDCHILDREN’S PRECIOUS VOICES

DINING OUT WITH FRIENDS

DRIVING IN THE CAR

YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW

SOUTH CAROLINA LICENSE NUMBERS: HTP-1029, HTP-1024, HTP-1031, HTP-1023, HAS-0573, HAS-0642, HAS-0637, HAS- 0638, HAS-0633

IMPORTANT INFO AT WORK GEORGIA LICENSE NUMBERS: HADS000995, HADS000996, HADS001001, HADS001003

384059-1

12B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

13B

REMOTE PROGRAMMING Have a PROFESSIONAL in your pocket!

TELECARE

allows for remote programming through tele-audiology.

We can adjust & program your Hearing Aid from the safety and comfort of your own home!

CONNECTIVITY

Connect, IN STEREO to all of your devices!

SMARTPHONE

TELEVISION

COMPUTER

CAR

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY AT OUR

MONDAY, JULY 11 THROUGH FRIDAY, JULY 15 SOUTH CAROLINA LICENSE NUMBERS: HTP-1029, HTP-1024, HTP-1031, HTP-1023, HAS-0573, HAS-0642, HAS-0637, HAS- 0638, HAS-0633

GEORGIA LICENSE NUMBERS: HADS000995, HADS000996, HADS001001, HADS001003

384060-1

5-DAY SPECIAL EVENT

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

5-DAY SPECIAL EVENT MONDAY, JULY 11 THROUGH FRIDAY, JULY 15

Call Today for a FREE Evaluation & Trial at this Event!

No Cost.

No Obligation.

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!

ABSOLUTELY FREE FOR 30 DAYS!

NO COST, NO OBLIGATION.

INTRODUCTORY OFFER

Call today for your FREE TRIAL APPOINTMENT!

55% OFF!

WE PROVIDE THESE FREE SERVICES

Real Ear Measurements allow the clinician to measure and record the patient’s hearing aids’ performance while they are actually being worn.

FREE

HEARING AID CHECK UP

It is important to have your hearing checked at least once a year.

Our Video Otoscope can detect if ear wax may be the reason you are experiencing hearing difficulty.

FREE

HEARING EXAM & CONSULTATION! NO OBLIGATION!

FREE

VIDEO EAR SCAN MAKES SURE IT’S NOT EAR WAX

WE FIT & SERVICE ONLY THE WORLD’S BEST HEARING AIDS

Authorized

Dealer

OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF OF DOCTORS OF AUDIOLOGY & LICENSED HEARING AID SPECIALISTS

Elite Hearing Centers of America

Rated

ALL LOCATIONS CDC COVID COMPLIANT

OVER 50 LOCATION NATIONW S IDE

OPEN NOW: SARASOTA 941-210-4310

2807 University Pkwy In Publix Plaza at University Walk

!

BRADENTON 941-201-6076

DELRAY BEACH 561-501-4392 4900 Linton Blvd #3 (In between Poppies Restaurant and Kristi Cleaners)

ROYAL PALM BEACH 561-631-8757 11985 Southern Blvd (Publix at Crestwood Square - next to Carter Healthcare)

(Bradenton Pain and Wellness Center)

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)

2001 Manatee Avenue E. Ste 104

SOUTH CAROLINA LICENSE NUMBERS: HTP-1029, HTP-1024, HTP-1031, HTP-1023, HAS-0573, HAS-0642, HAS-0637, HAS- 0638, HAS-0633

GEORGIA LICENSE NUMBERS: HADS000995, HADS000996, HADS001001, HADS001003

384061-1

14B

Made for where you live. Here!

RED PAGES INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

Cleaning

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon

CLAUDIA C. Cleaning Services.

Experienced, dependable, and ready to begin!

Residential.

Excellent references.

941-773-6895.

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages

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..

Antiques/ Collectibles

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

FIND IT IN THE RED PAGES

GULF BREEZE HAVANESE Have puppies for sale. Ready for a forever home, vaccinations up to date. Call for updated pictures.

941-451-9410

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE!

941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

FOR SALE: 2 New, Slim Cut, suits, Grey, Tiger of Sweden 38 & Blue Trussardi, 40, $100 each.

(941)504-0165 GENERAL ELECTRIC GE 25 Cu.Ft. side-by-side refrigerator/freezer. Water/ice in door. Excellent cond. Selling for kitchen reno. $199 (941)350-6354

OIL PAINTING 'Macaw Scarlet Parrots'. $100. Coca Cola 1937 Ford steel pick-up truck. 1/18 scale/mint in box. $35.

941-776-0034 Room Divider, Chinese, Black Lacquer, 4 panels. $200 (941)544-4485 SPECIALIZED MOUNTAIN bike, mens. Hardrock FS 21 speed, ex. cond. $199 941-914-1498 TOYOS TIRES (4) Size is 225-55R-19. V. good condition, no flats, $60 for all 4. 941-914-1498 TV MOUNT Sanus ALT 1 $30, Floral Duvet Bundle set (Full) $60 Email greytreelane@outlook.com

Sporting Goods

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

A POWERFUL COMBINATION 941-955-4888

YourObserver.com/RedPages

Autos Service

FAMILY SECURITY DRIVER 941-735-4732.

Ask for Eddie.

Many years experience with rock stars, wild teens, children, elderly, and foreign families.

Feel safe, Be safe 24/7 Licensed and Legal.

Autos Wanted CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

SELL YOUR STUFF HERE! 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages STORAGE FACILITY Boat/ RV/ Trailer. Secure facility, low monthly rentals, Clark Rd area.

941809-3660, 941-809-3662.

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

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

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.

Available July and August 2022, June to December 2023.

Owner/renter. Flexible terms.

570-239-0431 marketreps@aol.com

Adult Care Services 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.

POST YOUR AD WITH EASE

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.

Puzzle One Solution: “Those who won our independence believed liberty to be the secret of happiness.”

Louis D. Brandeis Puzzle Two Solution: “Knowledge is the basic foundation of the universe. Everything is first based on something being known.”

Rapper RZA Puzzle Three Solution: “Nothing is worth more than laughter.

It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light.”

Frida Kahlo

This week’s Sudoku answers

©2022 NEA, Inc.

www.braziliancleaningbymk.com

SEARCH the RED PAGES To place an ad

Call 941-955-4888

CALL TODAY CALL TODAY 941-955-4888 CALL TODAY 941-955-4888 941-955-4888

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers

Cleaning

for GREAT DEALS

RED PAGES RED RED PAGES PAGES

©2022 Universal Uclick

YourObserver.com/RedPages

BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service

by Maria. Residential. Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References.

Free Estimates. Reliable. Lic./Ins. 941-400-3342.

Advertise your business Advertise Observer or service inyour the business Advertise Observer or service inyour the business or service in the Observer

This week’s Crossword answers

You’re only cheating yourself.

Pets Items Under $200

IN PRINT AND ONLINE

peekers’ place

SENIOR LOOKING to purchase precious metals, diamonds, time pieces, coins, jewelry, antique and estate jewelry, and some collectors plates. Personal and confidential.

Please call Marc: 941-321-0707

Condos/Apts. for Rent

home services

Merchandise Wanted

RED PAGES

Painting

auto

stuff

Emiline’s Antique Mall July Firecracker Sale 35 dealers with antiques & unique gifts ideal for any occasion.

Each dealer will have special pricing for July. Register for the $100 gas card drawing.

1415 10th St West Palmetto, FL 941-729-5282 Monday-Saturday 10-5 Sunday 12-5

real estate

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

The The The CRYSTAL CRYSTAL CRYSTAL CLEAR CLEAR CLEAR choice! choice! choice!

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

Auto Service

Doors

Home Services

Sliding Glass Door Repair

SELL YOUR CAR!

Are You Having Dryer Difficulties?

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

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

FAST • EASY • SAFE

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

WE COME TO YOU

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE” New Deluxe Rollers Will Make Your Doors Roll Better Than Ever Call Mark 928-2263 proslidingglassdoorrepair.com

5-Star Rated

383879

HoHoBuysCars.com Beauty

Gulf Coast Estate Auctions 384837

ESTATE SALES • DOWNSIZING SENIOR TRANSITIONS • ONLINE AUCTIONS

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

384252

We get you the highest rate of return on your items gulfcoastestateauctions.com • Free Consultations 941-274-6537

AMANDA

Irrigation

Furniture Sales & Repairs Cushions • Slings • Re-powdercoating

Health

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

4630 5TH ST W BRADENTON

“IF IT DOESN’T TIC, TOC TO ME.”

Servicing LWR, Parrish and NE Bradenton Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT

941-773-0875 • 941-932-5505

Custom Granite Services, llc

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224

Don Christo, Sr., Horologist RED PAGES Bring Results | 941-955-4888 Computer

Recognized Among the Best Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Physicians in America

941-400-4912

CustomGraniteServicesLLC@gmail.com

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

384255

Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

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

Pegatronics.com

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

CALL BEFOREYOU YOU FALL CALL BEFORE FALL

GRAB BARS GRAB BARS

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

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

Find anything in the RED PAGES

941-735-3362

249 235 235

$$

$

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

941-955-4888

Landscaping & Lawn

941.966.0333 LIFETIME GUARANTEE • LICENSED • BONDED • INSURED COVERAGE AREA: RANCH TO S. VENICE COVERAGE AREA:LAKEWOOD PARRISH TO NORTHPORT

NO MORE TICKS, FLEAS OR WEEDS! $10 off

Family Owned and Operated • Commercial & Residential • Weed Control • Fungicide • Tree & Shrub Treatment • Fertilizing • Insecticide

Any Treatment Dry Or Liquid New Customers Only

Free

Weed & Crab grass Control

www.FGLAWN.com | 941-404-6601

$47

New Customers Only

Ticks, Fleas, Fire Ants, Chinch Bugs, Mole Crickets, Grubs, Sod Worms and more. PLUS - Fungus & Weeds and Premium Fertilizer. *For average size lawn of 5000 sq. ft.

Larger lawns slightly more.

GLENN KROECKER

Licensed & Insured

954-1878 (cell) 780-3346 384259

Doors

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

Licensed & Insured

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

Call John 941.377.2940

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

www.showerandbathsarasota.com Landscaping & Lawn

Window Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Repairs Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts

GARDENS BY ALLISON No Job is too Small!

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

Call us today! 941.628.8579 www.ezslider.com

Allison J. Abizaid, M.A.

Personal Gardening Services | Designer

941.400.0431

384256

FREE IN-HOM ESTIMATEE S

DRGRABBARS.COM

THE GRAB BAR GUY

PER MONTH* 166554

lawn & pest control, llc.

You Get NOW Protection!

383890

You We Make

383673

CJ COOLEY OWNER/OPERATOR

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

384839

384249

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

FREE PICKUP / DELIVERY • FREE ONSITE QUOTES

Christo’s Clock Repair

384840

384838

941-504-0903

Clock Repair

ED’S RAIN MAKER IRRIGATION

Patio Furniture Repairs.com

424-333-0713 | rockstarmobilehair@gmail.com www.rockstarmobilehairsalon.com

384250

384254

FULLY INSURED

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL

Furniture Repair

PROUD!

Commercial

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

Estate Sales

SERVING YOU IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME

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

941-705-5468

384845

941.270.4400

Residential

384841

|

384842

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

384258 364556

16B

gbyallison@yahoo.com gardensbyallison.com

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

Painting

Rescreening & Repairs

Building & Roofing Contractor

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

383891

• Aluminum, Vinyl, & Wood Soffit & Fascia Repair & Installation • Roofing Repair & Installation • Metal Roofing & Tile Roof Repair Specialists 384844

Personal Services

Bisson Roofing Inc.

Power Washing $100 COUPON

$100 COUPON $100 COUPON

384299

$100 COUPON $100 COUPON

FREE INSTANT ESTIMATES when you Call RICK for SCHEDULING

Res./Com.

Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

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

383581

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

Specializing in Reroofs and Repairs FREE Estimates • 30 Years Experience

www.bissonroofing.com

25

UP TO

STANDARD WINDOWS

ows

150

$

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

CREATE BUZZ! Advertise your business or services in the Red Pages.

$100 COUPON

Rescreening & Repairs

384247

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

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

941-345-5264

Windows

384257

384843

941-920-8221

941-CLEAN IT 2 5 3 - 2 6 4 8

383585

Roofing

RELIABLE • INSURED

House Washing, Roofs, Screen Cages, Pavers, Driveways and Walkways.

Insured

383583

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

$100 COUPON $100 COUPON

“No Job Too Small”

941-270-1561

Mark’s Plumbing Service

PRESSURE WASHING

Screening

Call 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

Doors and more!

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.

Made for where you live. Here!

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

5

$

specialty screens / screw replacement / paint

RED PAGES

SPECIAL 00 senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

Purified water window cleaning available!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

384261

384246

Plumbing

WE ARE THE SOFT WASH PRESSURE WASHING PROS

941-626-3194

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

Eldridge Re-Screen Licensed

SOFT WASH

17B

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

Complete Interior & Exterior Painting

$100 COUPON

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

Roofing

UNIQUE PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING SERVICES

$100 COUPON

|

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2022

YOUR REAL ESTATE EXPERIENCE

LISTINGS

JUST LISTED

LAKEWOOD RANCH COUNTRY CLUB 6704 The Masters Ave

JUST LISTED

ROSEDALE 9613 53RD Terrace East

SOLD AT 111% OF LIST PRICE

COUNTRY CLUB EAST 15906 Kendleshire Terrace

JUST SOLD

COUNTRY CLUB EAST 14914 Castle Park Terrace

Offered at $899,000

Sale Price: $2,215,000

Offered at $825,000

Sale Price: $1,150,000

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE LISTINGS, SCAN THIS QR CODE.

Our Experience is Your Best Asset Contact us Today to Discuss Your 2022 Homeownership Goals HOLLY PASCARELLA, PA 941.225.3218 Holly.Pascarella@CBRealty.com

KATINA SHANAHAN, PLLC 941.702.0437 Katina.Shanahan@CBRealty.com

KENNETH SHANAHAN, PLLC 941.702.0443 Kenneth.Shanahan@CBRealty.com

379766-1

18B