East County Observer 9.1.22

EAST COUNTY

Wellness on the way

Observer

PAGE 2B

Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

FREE • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

VOLUME 24, NO. 41

A turn for the better

YOUR TOWN

Ian Swaby

A peaceful slice of UTC

The University Town Center project is expected to enhance traffic flow and access to University Parkway.

SEE PAGE 3A

The sound of running water might be coming from a University Town Center Mall fountain instead of a brook, but it’s all quite natural to Lakewood Ranch’s Anna Evers.

Evers was participating Aug. 24 in Sunset Yoga on the Green, and she finds the location can double as a peaceful retreat despite the steady stream of shoppers in the background.

As someone who works at home, Evers said the yoga class gives her a chance to escape from the indoors.

“It’s relaxing,” she said. “You can hear the water falling in the background, and the music.”

Kelly Cornell, a social media coordinator for Benderson Development, said after the opening of The Green at UTC in October 2021, the company worked to add a range of activities for all ages. She said the company decided to always have yoga on Wednesdays.

More horsepower With new horses on the way, SMART can make a greater impact providing equine therapy to the community. SEE PAGE 8A Ian Swaby Liz Ramos Ian Swaby

Madie DuBuse, the Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy’s new equine manager, works with Arlon, the newest addition to the nonprofit.

A permanent home for IV hydration Jana Marra and Matt Malin of Elite IV Hydration said for them, the opening of the company’s first physical location Aug. 27 in Lakewood Ranch was not so much a celebratory gathering as another chance to serve the public.

The grand opening saw offerings of gifts and prizes, in addition to the administration of the company’s IV infusions, which include hydration and energizing formulas, by the two business partners.

Marra, a Lakewood Ranch resident, said after she founded the business two years ago as a mobile service, public interest grew. She sought out a brick-and-mortar location, as well as a business partner, with Matt Malin, also a resident of the area, joining the company.

The business is located at 9130 Town Center Parkway, Suite No. 103.

Lorraine Road rezone advances

Ian Swaby

Lorraine Road residents protest the proposed amendment onxxxx xxx Saturday, just south of University Parkway.

Sarasota County commissioners forward an amendment to the state to consider light industrial and office uses for Lorraine Road. SEE PAGE 6A

Cooper Creek Boulevard closures are in effect at the start of construction.

A+E Clean the closet.

PAGE 11A

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

“In this area, we have a large senior population.

People need to get to dialysis, to the doctor, to grocery shopping. They have had a horrible time finding reliable service.”

— Don Deibert

Jay Heater

Tara’s Bill Kaser and Esplanade’s Don Deibert have started Senior Rides Transport to help seniors.

Start your engines — again East County men start senior ride service after ITN Suncoast folds.

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SENIOR RIDES TRANSPORT Serves: Manatee and Sarasota counties Price: $2 pickup fee each way; $2.15 per mile; no tips are allowed Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Monday through Friday Who is eligible: Seniors 60 and

MANAGING EDITOR

With a fledgling nonprofit in their hands, Esplanade’s Don Deibert and Tara’s Bill Kaser sat around a dining room table and discussed their rules.

A year ago, the two men were volunteers for ITN Suncoast, a nonprofit that provided rides for seniors and those of any age who were vision impaired, until that Sarasota organization crashed in December. Deibert believes it was dissolved after getting too big, too fast.

Out of the flames came Senior Rides Transport, a new, similar non-

profit the two built pretty much with the help of a handful of volunteers. It was organized to serve the Manatee County and Sarasota County areas.

Sitting at Deibert’s home, they were discussing days of operation.

“Monday through Friday,” Deibert said immediately. “We don’t operate on weekends.”

over who are unable to drive or who struggle with feeling safe on the highway when they do. Also, those of any age with vision difficulties.

For more information, to be a volunteer driver, or to sign up for rides: Call 888-295-2376.

Kaser, who is a CPA when he isn’t volunteering, raised his hand in mild protest.

“The reality is, if we can do it, we will do it,” Kaser said.

While the two men can’t help to show their enormous goodwill, they understand to be successful they must “crawl before they can walk”

to set up a successful nonprofit that will survive the long term.

“Folks have this need,” Deibert said. “I have seen it during my time driving (as a volunteer). In this area, we have a large senior population, People need to get to dialysis, to the doctor, to grocery shopping. They have had a horrible time finding reliable service.”

They were both serving on the ITN Suncoast board of directors because they thought they were supplying that need. But the pandemic made people afraid to leave their homes and the nonprofit struggled.

Before the nonprofit dissolved in December, ITN Suncoast held a board meeting.

“At the board meeting, everyone was pushing to shut down the operation,” Kaser said.

He tried to build support to keep the nonprofit alive. Only Deibert was interested. After they made their plea with the other six board members, they finally decided to go their own way.

“They were buying vehicles outright, and you don’t need to do that,” Kaser said. “You can finance. And they were paying drivers as contractors and they didn’t have adequate insurance.”

Some of the former board members were worried about liability issues.

Kaser explained the volunteer drivers carry their own insurance and for Senior Rides Transport purposes, that is what is required by the state.

The two men opened Senior Rides Transport in March and have accumulated six volunteer drivers for routes. The umbrella organization,

ITN America, is dedicated to senior transport, and it continued to help the two former ITN Suncoast board members after they went out on their own, with things like software for scheduling drivers and appointments, and keeping a list of the riders.

Senior Rides Transport is a member organization, so those who want to purchase rides must be members and in the system. The dispatchers will know if the rider is using a wheelchair or a walker, or if they can get into a high vehicle, as well as other pertinent information. Deibert said most of their volunteers drive four-door cars, but they are open to using other vehicles if the riders can use them.

Senior Rides Transport has no paid employees, but Kaser and Deibert would like to see the day when they could buy vehicles that could be used by the nonprofit. They don’t want to go back to the days when ITN Suncoast hired contractors to cover the routes because volunteers couldn’t handle them.

Deibert said if they build slowly, they can build up their volunteer staff and continue to run the organization with no paid riders. Volunteers do receive 20 cents reimbursement per mile (although Deibert said many of them try to give the money back).

Riders do pay for rides, $2.15 per mile and a $2 pickup fee each day.

Kaser said the rates are typically a bit under what someone would pay for Uber, except riders receive door to door assistance and have their appointments locked into the system ahead of time.

Kaser, the treasurer, and Deibert, the chairman, do the dispatching out of their homes now, but eventually would like to have an office base for the nonprofit.

The two men started Senior Rides Transport with a federal grant of $15,000.

“All I keep hearing is how grateful everyone is,” Kaser said. “One gentleman said it would cost him $1,000 a month in insurance to drive a car. A woman told me she is afraid to drive the busy roads.

“Shutting down ITN Suncoast just didn’t sit well with me.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

STAFF WRITER

Construction on a project to add a roundabout and an extra eastbound turn lane on Cooper Creek Boulevard to University Parkway has begun.

RE

IAN SWABY

QUICK FIX

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onstruction on a Cooper Creek roundabout at the Shoppes at UTC has begun with the hope of smoothing out the congested traffic flow caused by people flocking to the retail area.

The project, which is targeted for a Nov. 4 completion, began Aug. 22 and will add an additional eastbound turn lane from Cooper Creek Boulevard onto University Parkway, as well as replace the traffic light just north of the Cooper Creek/University Parkway intersection with a roundabout. The construction also will prevent anyone coming out of the Shoppes at UTC at Tourist Center Drive (which is halfway between the new roundabout and University Parkway) from making left turns or crossing the roadway.

Marketing Director Julie Fanning said Benderson Development is managing and funding the project at an undisclosed cost, and working with Manatee County to promote the project.

“We’re experiencing delays, and we have new businesses along Cooper Creek Boulevard,” Fanning said.

“This will make travel smoother, and will definitely help with safety.”

Chad Butzow, the director of Public Works in Manatee County, said the project was important because the road was a “heavily commercial and an office use area.” “(UTC) is one of the most intense commercial use areas in the entire county,” he said. “Providing that increased access to University and I-75 is extremely important.”

He said work on such a project had never begun for lack of a feasible proposal.

However, he said an analysis of the area presented by Benderson Development in March 2022 included one step that hadn’t been considered — no longer allowing vehicles to make left hand turns or cross the street coming out of the shopping center from Tourist Center Drive.

“Frankly, no proposed solution would have worked until they agreed to close that access,” Butzow said.

Butzow said the project is multifaceted but called its “driving force” the addition of an additional eastbound turn lane onto University Parkway.

The intersection has posed difficulties for many drivers due to traffic backups. Butzow said drivers heading south on Cooper Creek Boulevard were encountering large backups trying to access University Parkway. Such backups further complicated the traffic situation at the traffic light where the roundabout is being installed.

Bill Logan, a public information officer for Manatee County, said frustrated drivers have caused a dangerous situation by taking risks when making left turns in that area.

He said fewer accidents are expected there after construction on the roundabout is finished.

Butzow said the new eastbound turn lane onto University Parkway will occupy an area that previously was a median.

Fanning said a new traffic light at the intersection will be added to accommodate the additional turn lane.

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Shoppes at UTC should get relief from Benderson Development-funded project.

E K BL VD.

Another roundabout rises in UTC area

Roundabout

TOURIST CENTER DR. Cooper Creek roadwork will be complete Nov. 4

IT U N I V E RS

Y PKW Y.

Mall at UTC

PROJECT TIMELINE

n Phase one, which began Monday, Aug. 24 and is expected to last 16 days, is the initial stages of construction on the third left turn lane at southbound Cooper Creek and University Parkway. n Phase two, which will start the first week of September and last about 17 days, includes the initial work on the roundabout. n Phase three, which starts in late September and will last about 21 days, is the completion of the roundabout including the removal of a traffic light pole and the implementation of curb lanes, asphalt, sidewalks and other features. n Phase four, which will begin at the end of October and end Nov. 4, is the completion of the turn lane, road striping and the addition of a third turn signal to signal pole.

Photos by Ian Swaby

Renna DiPillo is assistant manager of Three Dog Bakery at UTC. She believes the roundabout will provide better access to the shops.

The roundabout will become an important entry point into businesses such as T.J. Maxx, Tandoor Fine Indian Cuisine, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Rack Room Shoes, Pei Wei Asian Kitchen, and University Animal Clinic on the east side of the street, and LA Fitness and Courtyard by Marriott on the west side.

Butzow said people in the region are becoming less agitated by the introduction of roundabouts as they see how effective they can be.

An example, he said, is the public has seen how well the roundabout projects on State Road 64 near Lakewood Ranch have cleared up congestion.

Butzow said the roundabout will provide better spacing for those trying to enter or exit the roadway.

“The traffic light is somewhat of a misnomer as far as providing a gap (to enter or exit the roadway),” he said. “It’s a very small gap if there is one.”

That area has been somewhat nightmarish during busy holiday shopping seasons.

“Any area, especially this highly commercial an area, we know is pretty intense between Thanksgiving and just after January,” Butzow said. “We do expect congestion, but we expect it to flow very effectively.”

He said it will take time initially to

get used to the changes so he hopes drivers are patient.

“It’ll be confusing,” he said. “Use caution. Expect to spend a little extra time, because there’s a limited amount of room to work in.”

Butzow is optimistic the project will also benefit businesses in the area.

“When something is pleasant to deal with, they do more of it,” Butzow said of potentially shoppers and clients. “That’s the intention of the partnership with Benderson Development, to make coming to this location a more pleasant experience.”

In the case pedestrian traffic is impacted, alternate routes will be provided. All businesses in the area will remain open.

Expectations from individuals impacted by the project were mainly positive.

Parrish resident Gail Rhode, who works at Jo-Ann Fabrics, said the University Parkway-Cooper Creek intersection has been a “nightmare.”

“I just wait, and wait, and wait,” she said.

Recently, she said it took her four cycles of the light before she was able to turn onto University Parkway. She also said frustrated drivers making left hand turns out of Tourist Center Drive go forward whether cars are coming or not.

“They just put their blinkers on and expect someone to let them in.”

Although people often struggle learning roundabouts, she said “it will all work out.”

Vehicles will still be able to enter Tourist Center Drive by making a right turn, while southbound on Cooper Creek Boulevard.

“I was pretty excited for it,” Renna DiPillo, an assistant manager at Three Dog Bakery and Grooming, said about the project. “Benderson Development is always trying to help improve the shopping center for us to make easier access for people.”

She called the intersection “hectic,” and said many customers have mentioned the traffic left them “a little bothered.”

“I’m excited to see the response, and hope we get better recognition for all the awesome stores we have in here,” DiPillo said.

Marion Drummond, manager of Tropical Smoothie in The Shoppes at UTC, said she expects the road project to improve traffic flow in the area, but did not know whether to expect an increase in the amount of customers.

She said the business already receives a high volume of customers, but when it comes to increasing those levels, her main hope is that something else can be done to promote the northern areas of UTC. Butzow said the roundabout is not the last improvement expected in the general area of University Town Center, for a traffic light is set to be added at the intersection of Cooper Creek Boulevard and Honore Avenue, with completion between January and March 2023.

He said as the road was the intersection of two thoroughfares, it was “only a matter of time” before a traffic light would be installed there.

Construction on the median begins on Monday, August 22.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

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All but one LWR Community Development District saw increases below 2% in residents’ fees.

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f residents of Lakewood Ranch’s five Community Development Districts have been worried about seeing their new CDD bills, they might be able to let out a sigh of relief.

Despite rampant inflation throughout the country, the Lakewood Ranch CDDs mostly will see raises on a par with other years.

According to Steve Zielinski, chief financial officer and chief operating officer of the inter-district authority, all Lakewood Ranch CDDs raised their residents’ assessments less than 2%, except for District 2, in which assessments rose an average of 5.6%.

Zielinski said over his nearly 15 years with the district, residents’ annual assessment increases have averaged approximately 2.9%.

The five Lakewood Ranch CDDs finalized their budgets in August.

Responsibilities of CDDs include maintaining roads, managing the irrigation pumping system, managing gate guards and transponders, and providing landscaping for roads.

CDDS TURN TO RESERVES

Board members pointed to substantial reserves in each district as the reason for low budget increases.

“Those reserves come in very handy for us,” CDD4 Chairman Mike Griffin said.

Griffin said originally that the districts did not maintain these reserves, but with the arrival of Zielinski, the management of the districts changed and became more comprehensive. Officials said residents appeared to appreciate the greater predictability these reserves brought to residents’ assessments.

“You want to avoid significant

DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S IN YOUR WATER?

LAKEWOOD RANCH CDD FEES Annual fees go into effect Oct. 1

CDD1 (Summerfield/Riverwalk Village) Total appropriations: $2,496,070 Average residential assessment (FY 2023): $1,279 Average residential assessment (FY 2022): $1,259 CDD2 (Country Club South/Edgewater Village) Total appropriations: $4,186,930 Total reserves: $325,000 Average residential assessment Average residential assessment (FY 2023): $2,316 Average residential assessment (FY 2022): $2,170 CDD4 (Greenbrook Village) Total appropriations: $2,564,230 Total reserves: $5,910 Average residential assessment (FY 2023): $1,436 Average residential assessment (FY 2022): $1,422 CDD5 (Country Club North) Total appropriations: $3,104,550 Total reserves: $400,000 Average residential assessment Average residential assessment (FY 2023): $3,232 Average residential assessment (FY 2022): $3,201 CDD6 (Country Club West) Total appropriations: $1,177,450 Total reserves: $245,000 Average residential assessment Average residential assessment (FY 2023): $2,572 Average residential assessement (FY 2022): $2,553

increases from year to year, and you want to have a static uphill climb that’s pretty much manageable and not noticeable by the residents,” Zielinski said.

District 6 Chairman James Rogoze said residents are most annoyed when they see unexpected raises

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

5A

that they weren’t prepared for. He said they have no problem managing their personal budgets when they can base their fees on clear, future expectations.

ROADS, LABOR COSTS UP

Summerfield and District 1 resident Fernando Marines said the neighborhood’s services are good in general.

“You always want it to be lower, of course,” he said of CDD fees. “I would need to know what it would be used for when it is raised. But the facilities are well maintained.”

Riverwalk’s Pamela Bender, who lives in CDD 1, said she loves the amenities and believes everything is beautiful. Her husband, Matt Bender, said the couple have not paid attention to what the fees are, as they do not find them notable.

“You’re not going to convince me the taxes are high,” he said. “We wouldn’t even know what the fee is, but it wouldn’t be higher than what we were paying in Illinois. It would seem like child’s play compared to that.”

Robert Heck, who lives in District 2, said the fees are too high. He also said the manner in which residents were billed did not adequately account for actual spending on water.

“Put a meter on everyone’s house,” he said.

Country Club and District 2 residents Moury and Amy Hill said the community could use some updating and that she would not be upset if costs were raised to create improvements.

“Roofs need to be cleaned, gutters need to be cleaned, and the clubhouse looks too 1990s,” she said.

Greenbrook and District 4 resident Tim Spranger said, regarding his district’s 1.02% increase in fees, “I don’t think there’s any reason for it to go up with the amount of people who live here. I’m not too happy, but at the same time, I’m not going to lose sleep over it.”

He said he felt the services the community was receiving were mediocre compared to the cost.

387812-1

RESIDENTS SPEAK

Steve Zielinski is chief financial officer and chief operating officer of the Inter-District Authority.

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The only district that saw greater than 2% increases in residents’ assessments was District 2, which oversees the southern areas of Country Club, as well as the Edgewater community, with a reach concentrated mainly south of The Masters Avenue.

Zielinski said residents’ assessments in District 2 rose roughly 5.6%.

He also called District 2 a complex and challenging area to cover, stating it is among the older communities in the area, which makes maintaining infrastructure more problematic.

He said the other major contributing factor was the IDA’s responsibility for roads in that district; the IDA manages roads in districts 2, 5, and 6, while the county bears responsibility in districts 1 and 4.

Peter Bokach, chairman of the board for District 2, said reasons for the increase included expansion of road reserves and increased funds for storm drains. He said during COVID-19, the district had backed off of maintenance of storm drains.

Bokach said he was glad to see reductions in costs in certain areas in which the district had taken initiatives, including the remote guard house system and irrigation. He said initiatives in soil moisture sensor systems, which cut off irrigation when sufficient moisture is detected in the ground, had enhanced control of water usage.

“Even with District 2 being a little

overburdened compared to other districts this year, it still has come in within the expectations of the service level we’re looking to provide at a reasonable price,” Zielinski said.

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THE EXCEPTION

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Officials cited roads and increasing salaries as major costs being driven up by inflation.

Zielinski said the CDDs spend more than a half-million dollars annually in road maintenance. He called the rise in costs of road projects “astronomical.”

The need to hire staff was also cited by multiple members.

Alan Roth, chairman of the board for District 1, said all the CDDs are having a hard time keeping manpower where it needs to be.

While residents have noted their appreciation for keeping the CDD increases to a minimum, they also deliver pressure to make sure everything looks the way it did 15 years ago.

“All of a sudden, they see this growth and maturity,” Zielinski said.

“We’re trying to make it as new as we possibly can and avoid being dated.”

Roth said many residents are not thrilled with aging of landscapes.

“We’re going to have to solve that somehow, and it’s our job to figure out how to do that with the minimum financial impact,” Roth said.

“There’s very few things that are more important than landscape.”

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

NEXT DAY

Lorraine rezone lives One more no vote would have killed any chance of industrial or office use on Lorraine Road.

OR

WE’LL PAY!

*

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

A

fter praising Lorraine Road residents for their class and patience during an Aug. 30 meeting, Sarasota County commissioners then voted to forward a move to allow light industrial and office uses that residents opposed between University Parkway and Fruitville Road.

With Commissioner Michael Moran absent, the Sarasota County Commission voted 3-1 to send the amendment CPA 2022-F to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity for review. If the state approves, the commission will vote in a tentatively scheduled hearing Oct. 25 whether to give the amendment final approval.

A 2-2 vote would have killed the amendment.

Commissioner Nancy Detert was the only no vote.

“Nothing is more important than your homestead,” Detert said after a stream of white-shirt clad Lorraine Road area residents from the Polo Club, Waterside and Windward pleaded with the commissioners not to make their stretch of Lorraine Road a Business Park Corridor that would allow landowners with 10 acres or more and access to Lorraine to apply for a rezone to allow light industrial and office uses.

“I tend to agree with the folks on Lorraine Road,” Detert said.

She said if industrial was in the area first, she would feel differently.

She also didn’t see where allowing light industrial would provide that many jobs, a main goal of a Business Park Corridor.

“Those aren’t even jobs for human beings,” she said. “They are robotic.”

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who opposed the amendment was Commissioner Christian Ziegler’s decision to send the amendment to the state. Ziegler said he was against any zoning change on Lorraine between University Parkway and Fruitville Road even though he favored such development on the amendment’s other targeted area, Lorraine Road from Clark Road to State Road 681.

Ziegler said when the amendment comes back from the state, he would ask that the northern stretch of Lorraine Road be taken off the amendment for the final vote.

Commissioner Ron Cutsinger said every day Sarasota County has to turn down companies that want to buy land in Sarasota and that the focus should be diversifying the economy.

Commissioner Alan Maio was in favor of the rezone, saying he had to take into consideration the entire county.

“We have 450,000 people here,” he said. “We have to plan for all of that.”

After filling the streets along Lorraine Road on Saturday in protest, the southern Lakewood Ranch residents showed up to speak to commissioners at the meeting. One by one, they

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

malls, 35-foot high buildings along Lorraine Road. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever,” said Polo Club resident Jeremy Whatmough, a resident of the Polo Club since 2003.

However, the environment was also a major concern of residents.

Colleen Blumenthal, who owns an organic farm in the area, said she decided to bring her concerns forward to the public as the environmental impacts of the industrial or high-intensity use in the area might damage her ability to provide produce.

“I think the residents here have really bought into a lifestyle,” she said. “This entire road is residential, with supportive uses, and all the commercial is concentrated in the major arteries.”

“Who really suffers is the wildlife,” said Whatmough. “They’re gone.

And often they’re not even removed; they just are expected to vanish.”

O’Donnell said the county needs to preserve green areas so there will be “oxygen to breathe.”

“You can’t just real concrete over every bit of grass just because a few developers are going to profit,” she said.

Obringer said the area had been transformed into to a “beautiful preserve with lakes and nature” from a previously industrial area of mining operations.

“I’d hate to see it revert back to that,” he said.

Residents also expressed a wish to protect the use of the road itself.

“I believe that Lorraine Road, which is a beautiful road, should be protected as a north south thoroughfare that is primarily residential in use,” said Bales, who said many residents need to use I-75 “almost” as a local road.

“If you add in all of the new homes, all of the schools, the Publix, and then you add on light industrial, it’s just overwhelming that road, and it’s gonna be an extreme hazard for all the residents,” said Porter.

Vic Obringer, who helped rally Lakehouse Cove residents, said it was important for residents to stop the amendment at the meeting. He said if the amendment were to go to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, it would almost certainly pass.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

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gave public comment at the meeting with about 20 residents showing they opposed the amendment.

“It’s frightening to think about how dramatically our lives will change,” said Karen O’Donnell, a resident of the Polo Club of 20 years who said she remembers a time before Lorraine Road was built, and the development of Lakewood Ranch was far from its present size.

“People enjoy that little drive,” she said of that stretch of Lorraine Road.

“It’s a moment of solitude and solace.”

Other residents echoed her concerns about the future of the area, and many said the business corridor might remove the reason that they had come to that area in the first place.

“When we moved into the area, this wasn’t even considered. It was just thrown upon us,” said Waterside resident Donna Bailey, who just moved into the area in April.

Cara Clarke, a resident of three years at Lakehouse Cove in Waterside, said she liked the surrounding areas of Waterside because they were rural in nature. “It’s family oriented.

And big trucks and an elementary school — it just can’t be a good combination.”

O’Donnell said many residents had checked the county’s Comprehensive Plan prior to moving into the area, specifically to make sure that the kinds of uses being promoted were not allowed.

She said she has encountered many individuals who own homes or are ready to close on homes.

“They’re just devastated,” she said. “People are just so upset, and I really hope the county commission takes us off the table today, because I feel so sorry for all those people that have made a million dollar investment to live the beautiful lifestyle that has been offered here.”

Residents also pointed to traffic as a major concern.

O’Donnell said that in summer, cars are already backed up north of Lorraine Road in the mornings, attempting to get south to work.

She said the county should redirect its efforts into long-term planning, other than putting “fuel on the fire” of transportation problems.

“There is no need for any development, with light industry, strip

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

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 Publisher and President / Emily Walsh, EWalsh@YourObserver.com Associate Publisher — East County Observer / Lori Ruth, LRuth@YourObserver.com

Instructors Ilee Finocchiaro, Lisa Morningstar and Terri Arnold are equine specialists in mental health and learning at SMART.

A STABLE ENVIRONMENT SMART works to grow its herd so it can provide services to more clients.

IF YOU GO

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

A

lthough Arlon is 11 years old, a mature age for a quarter horse, he is about to be showered with toys and games.

It’s not that the staff at Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy near Myakka City expect its newest addition to be playful. It’s a much different purpose.

Quarter horses tend to be skittish, and horses at SMART need to be calm as they become part of the therapeutic horse-related programs that provide services to children and adults with special needs.

Instructors will desensitize new horses using those different toys and games. For example, to help Arlon, who arrived in August, adjust to his new environment, he will be taken into an arena and have some different toys tossed at him. The goal is for him not to react.

SMART instructor Terri Arnold already has created a special bond with Arlon and has learned more about his personality.

“He’s very curious,” she said.

“He’s willing, calm and very good natured.”

The calm and good natured parts made him an excellent candidate to make an impact at SMART. Arlon’s arrival coincides with the arrival in September of two Icelandic horses, which tend to be on the smaller side in terms of horses. That will bring SMART’s total to 19.

Of the 19, three are mostly retired, only helping out in capacities where they don’t have to be ridden.

The addition of the three horses comes at an important time for the nonprofit, which is grieving the death of three of its retired horses recently. When horses serve at SMART and they retire, they are

Courtesy photo

Kani Schram, Arlon’s owner, was a volunteer for SMART before starting her freshman year at the University of Florida, where Arlon was bred as part of the university’s veterinary program.

File photos

Magic was a beloved horse at SMART and the inspiration for one of the nonprofit’s programs.

allowed to live out their lives at the ranch. They earn celebrity status.

Magic (age 27), Jazz (29) and Carly (36) all died in August.

Magic, who was blind, was the inspiration for the nonprofit’s Horse Sense Literacy Program. The program is designed to increase children’s desire to read by introducing and teaching children to Magic and having them read “Magic: One SMART Horse.”

“They touched thousands of lives,” Blitz said. “They were the key part of programming.”

Being kind to the retired horses means SMART often retires them when they could still carry on tasks.

But that doesn’t happen, and therefore emphasizes the need to keep building the herd.

“We don’t want to overwork our horses,” said Ilee Finocchiaro, a certified therapeutic riding instructor for SMART. “That’s a big priority of ours. Having the extra horses on property makes it a lot easier on the herd and for us as well.”

With the three additional horses, Rebecca Blitz, executive director of SMART, said the nonprofit will be able to take on about 40 more clients as a result.

SMART currently has a waitlist with 17 people hoping to receive therapeutic therapy and participate in SMART’s programs. Every additional horse reduces that waitlist.

“This is an opportunity for us to be able to help the community,” Blitz said.

Among SMART’s clients are individuals with disabilities, veterans, students and breast cancer survivors.

Finocchiaro said it takes a lot of conditioning to get horses ready for the therapeutic riding aspect of what the nonprofit provides.

Instructors do groundwork and simulation lessons to get the horses adjusted to the clients mounting the horses in different ways, such as using a lift.

SMART PROGRAMS n Horse Sense Literacy n Adventures in Learning n Reins of Hope n Veterans n Therapeutic Horseback Rid-

ing

“There’s a good month or so that goes into conditioning with them before we even consider using them for any lessons,” Finocchiaro said.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do, so it’s about taking it at their pace and never forcing them to do anything they might not be comfortable with.”

Working with unbalanced riders can actually affect a horse’s own balance and motion so the horses must be prepared for some unfamiliar situations. SMART often has someone walking on the sides of the horses and a horse leader walking along with a rider and the horse.

“The ultimate goal is keeping everything safe,” Arnold said. “It’s all about safety for the riders, and the horses because they’re our partners.”

Now with three instructors who are certified as an Equine Specialist in Mental Health, along with other staff members and its volunteers, SMART can combine those numbers with the additional horses to assist more clients.

Along with Arnold and Finocchiaro, SMART’s other Equine Specialist in Mental Health is Lisa Morningstar.

Because SMART is a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International center and the nonprofits’ three instructors are Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning certified, the nonprofit will be able to host training for anyone who wants to become Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning certified.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE Where: Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy, 4640 County Road 675 E., Bradenton When: 11:30 a.m. Sept. 3 Details: Celebrate the lives of Carly, Jazz and Magic.

In-memory donations can be made at FlanzerTrust. org. Select Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy as the recipient.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

SIDE OF RANCH

|

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

9A

JAY HEATER

New schools continue to be growing topic The big question is when to forge ahead with new schools in a slowing real estate market.

a bold and innovative move.

However, in 2022, such a school is not on Sarasota County Schools’ five-year capital plan, according to Jody Dumas, the COO of the district.

Dumas said Asplen still has such as school on his radar, but whether it will be K-12 or something else remains to be seen.

“He is aware of the vision,” Dumas said.

Meanwhile, an elementary school is scheduled to be built on Lorraine Road in Waterside, but on Sarasota County Schools’ five-year capital plan, it isn’t scheduled to break ground for four years.

Dumas stressed that a school in the Corporate Park could be quickly added to the five-year capital plan and the already scheduled elementary school on Lorraine Road could be moved forward if needed.

Hopefully they have that meeting scheduled next week.

“The school in the Corporate Park was a great idea,” Asplen said.

“Now we want to see what that would look like. We also have to understand what is going on (in that area). We need a crystal ball. How many students will we get?”

The Sarasota school district’s research has estimated an additional 4,262 students from the currently scheduled major construction in the area. But how fast they will arrive is debatable.

Keep those portables warmed up.

Back in Manatee County, Saunders and her board have more practice dealing with Lakewood Ranch and its developer, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, and therefore might be characterized as being more aggressive than Sarasota County when considering

Photos by Jay Heater

Cynthia Saunders leads a fast-growing School District of Manatee County, which just topped 52,000 students.

new schools. Not many districts in the country need to base growth estimates on the No. 1 multigenerational-selling, masterplanned community in the nation, but Manatee County has Lakewood Ranch.

Manatee’s district took a swipe at providing needed desktops by building Parrish Community, but that one already is scheduled for additions as the land around it turns into another Lakewood Ranch, at least in terms of exploding growth.

It only makes sense that those living on the south side of the Manatee River might eventually be sent back to Lakewood Ranch High while Parrish Community draws from the north side.

With property to spare for new schools in the Lakewood Ranch area, including a 102-acre site near Premier Sports Campus, the Manatee district’s toughest decision has been when to pull the trigger. A new K-8 school is on the way on Academic Avenue off Uihlein Road in Lakewood Ranch,

Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Brennan Asplen isn’t sure what kind of school will be built in the Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park.

but no decisions have made on building a high school.

Manatee County’s own research shows growth can top 30,000 homes in the county over the next six years.

It will be an interesting next five years as leaders of the two counties try to figure this all out, and we will have a ring-side seat. From there, it would seem aggression is the order of the day, with recent history dictating the action. Do you see Lakewood Ranch, Parrish or Waterside Place slowing in growth?

Keep building those schools, and soon.

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

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o me, it’s the most interesting race in East County, and it is not political in nature.

It’s the race to build schools.

On Aug. 24, the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance put the two superintendents of the school systems of Manatee and Sarasota counties together at the Grove in Lakewood Ranch and allowed them to discuss their districts.

Cynthia Saunders (Manatee) and Brennan Asplen (Sarasota) spent an hour talking about their accomplishments and the future.

While that took awhile, the conversation came around to new schools, a topic just about everyone knows is important in the region because people have been arriving in Florida at the speed of the California Gold Rush.

If you live in the Waterside at Lakewood Ranch neighborhoods that reside in Sarasota County, your ears probably perk up when people talk about new schools. If you have school-aged children, you might be a bit worried, because there are none in Waterside.

Call the race “Growth” in the No. 1 car vs. “New Schools” in the No. 13. Growth is racing to the lead and the No. 13 car, well, it’s just having all kinds of bad luck.

Sarasota County Schools — and the School District of Manatee County for that matter — is in a bind because it is limited due to

growth and building rules set by the Florida Department of Education.

The process includes projecting the number of students in the district expected over the next five years.

The projections, though, are created by the DOE. Simply put, the state is trying to figure out if all the students are going to have a seat when the music stops. And if they don’t, is it only a temporary condition? That can be tough when you are trying to factor in inflation and the real estate market. Can you adequately calculate growth in an area that has bucked the national trend when it comes to growth? Do you need to be cautious when you can’t be sure what the national economy is going to do, or what party might be in charge in two years?

It makes a lot of sense because the DOE doesn’t want a bunch of empty schools in case people decide Florida isn’t so great and they want to move to, say, Georgia. Or if people no longer have the money to buy their Florida dream home.

Moving cautiously would be the norm for most communities, but in our neck of the woods, it leads to a lot of portables on school campuses.

Both school districts are working hard to come up with the right formula, but this isn’t an exact science.

In 2019, then Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Todd Bowden, who stepped down in November 2019, was still in charge as his district planned various ways to deal with growth in the eastern part of the county. One way was to buy 60 acres just east of Interstate 75 and south of University Parkway to host a K-12 magnet school. It was

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

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Cileone Jewelers specializes in estate and antique jewelry as well as bridal and custom. The store also specializes in high-end watches such as Rolex and Patek Philippe.

The store has targeted an early 2023 opening.

Platinum Palm Properties expects to open in January with more than 30 agents. Williams Parker, Sarasota’s largest and oldest law firm, expects to open in spring 2023.

Other recent openings at Waterside Place include O&A Coffee Supply, Crop Juice, and Bay Area Aesthetics.

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The Realtors Association of Sarasota and Manatee have noted that inventory of homes continues to rise while closed sales at down in the region.

The association said record high prices and rising mortgage rates have led to inventory rising and sales falling.

Single-family sales in Manatee County decreased by 22.2% as compared to July a year ago to 567 sales. Condo sales decreased by 20.9% to 204 closed sales. In the same period, single-family sales dropped 23.1% to 678 sales, while condo sales dropped 24.5% to 289 closed sales.

On the last day of July, the two counties had 4,315 active listings, a 143.7% increase from July 2021.

MANATEE COUNTY BOOSTS EMS PAY

Emergency medical technicians will receive $46,500 to $67,000 annually, charge paramedics get $57,300 to $80,200 annually and specialty paramedics earn $60,200 to $84,200 annually.

“We are pleased to provide competitive compensation and benefits for these important firstresponders,” Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes said in a release. “Keeping these well-trained and talented employees here to protect and serve Manatee County is vital.”

RETAIL DEVELOPMENT BREAKS GROUND Construction has begun on a 10,000-square-foot retail flex development in Bradenton.

A group of local investors behind the $1.5 million development began work Aug. 5 on the 1.4-acre property just off State Road 64 and Interstate 75. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

When complete, the center will include 360-degree access, roll-up doors and yard space, according to Ian Black Real Estate, which handled the sale and will manage leasing. It also will have 1,000 square feet of office space.

The Sarasota real estate firm said tenants will be able to customize the space to meet their needs, opening it up to a wider pool of potential users.

Matt Kezar, a broker with Ian Black, said there is a “high demand for this type of property, particularly with yard space, to serve local tenants such as plumbers and electricians.”

“Vacancy rates in the retail flex space are incredibly low and the available inventory is often older space that needs updating.”

The investors, 620 Partners, bought the property at 620 67th St. Circle E. for $360,000.

Manatee County EMS employees have received a pay hike after negotiations with the county and union representatives.

The raises went into effect Aug. 27.

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SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Cleaning the Closets The Asolo Repertory has accumulated more props and costumes than it knows what to do with over the last half-century, and now it’s trying to inventory them all.

SPENCER FORDIN A+E EDITOR

T

The Asolo Repertory Theatre spent this summer in the early stages of an inventory process that could take years.

“We have all of the raw materials. And that’s usually the reason for me saving something if it has the potential.

But that’s, of course, what every single hoarder says.”

— David Covach

he curtain is down and the seats are empty. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing going on at the Asolo Repertory Theatre.

The summer has been a busy time of preparation for upcoming shows, and it’s also provided a chance for Asolo Rep to come to grips with its overflowing supply of props and costumes.

David Covach, Asolo Rep’s costume shop manager, has been presiding over a digitization of the company’s wardrobe holdings so they’ll have a permanent record of what exists in their closets.

It’s like your own personal spring cleaning, but only if you had more than 70,000 items of clothing.

Asolo Rep’s warehouse-like Koski Production Center — which was originally a Wilson Sporting Goods distribution center — houses decades’ worth of clothing worn in various productions, and Covach has to keep mental inventory of items he hasn’t used for decades.

“We’ve got every single corner legally that the fire marshal will allow me to cram with something,” says Covach. “There are some costumes in our stock made by artists 60 years ago that are still hanging there and haven’t been used for 60 years.”

Think about it.

The Asolo Repertory Theatre has put on countless shows over the decades. And if there’s a potential use for a costume down the road, it hasn’t thrown it out.

Covach and his assistant have had the hard job of keeping all of that in their mind. That means vintage suits and dresses and denim distressed in every form and fashion.

Do we have a pink frock from the 1940s?

Yes, Covach might say, but then he’d have to go and find it.

So this summer, he assembled a four-person team to begin digitizing their inventory.

One person would bar code the item, and another would write down a description. A third person would photograph the item, and then a fourth would do the data entry.

If the clothing were related, they’d be entered in together.

“This summer, I had hoped that we would get close to 20,000 items in, being the first year,” said Covach. “We didn’t have quite as much time as I thought we’d have, and we didn’t have quite as many people as I thought.

Once we got into the job, it takes much longer to do than I ever thought. We ended up probably inputting about 3,000 pieces.”

That’s a lot of clothing. But what does it represent in the grand scheme of things?

“Oh my god, it’s a drop in the bucket,” says Covach. “That’s like one row in our stock.”

The interesting part is that Covach is in the process of creating more costumes.

He recently spent $20,000 on fabric for the 2023 production of Three Musketeers, which hasn’t been performed by Asolo Rep

Photos by Spencer Fordin

Costume shop manager David Covach is presiding over the Asolo Repertory Theatre’s attempt to inventory all of its wardrobe items.

since 1995. Covach’s team will make dozens of costumes for the venerable classic, even though they still have stuff lying around from the last time they performed it.

Is there irony there? Not really, says Covach. Even if it’s the same show, a director may want to see a completely different aesthetic.

Costumes are sized precisely for the actor that wears them, so they may not have utility to ever be used again for the next cast. If that’s the case, then why are they hanging onto 60 years worth of clothing?

“It may not be relevant,” Covach says. “But if we can make it look different or add a different feather, it’s gonna save us $150 here or there. We have all of the raw materials.

And that’s usually the reason for me saving something if it has the potential. But that’s,

of course, what every single hoarder says. ‘I’ll do something with it some day.’

“I can tell you that every single costumer that I’ve ever met has that mentality. They will save three beads in a Ziploc bag.”

Covach says he expects the inventory process to take a number of years, and he’s not going to inventory every single sock and shoe.

Year by year, though, he wants to get a better picture of everything he has on record, not just in his mind.

“My job before the internet was 10 times worse,” he says. “Or 10 easier because you just went to Jo-Ann’s and got it. If it wasn’t at Jo-Ann’s, the show didn’t have it.”

SEE CLEAN CLOSETS, PAGE 12A

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

12A

The Koski Production Center includes tools of many varieties, and it’s basically a shop class on steroids.

Photos by Spencer Fordin

Bill Atkins is hard at work constructing a boat for a future production.

Clean closets FROM PAGE 11A

PROP DEPOT

copenhagen imports

If there’s chaos in the clothing aisle, it’s every bit as wild in the props department.

Production manager Mike Rodgers recently led the Observer on a tour of the facility, and workers were toiling to create sets for Opera Colorado.

One worker sat inside a boat as he built it out, and others were busy reupholstering furniture.

It can take a year for a set to go from concept to reality, says Rodgers, and that furniture is frequently custom-made for a particular production. But still, the Asolo Rep keeps rows and rows of couches, chairs and other furniture items.

“My boss likes to say that it’s orga-

39th Labor Day

nized like Walmart; there’s a chair aisle, a couch aisle, a toaster aisle,” says Rodgers. “It would take probably years to get it all digitized and catalogued. And tracking it would still be a nightmare.”

For now, the staffers are on the honor system, he says. Put everything back where you found it.

Frank Paul, Asolo Rep’s senior property master, spent the time during the COVID-19 shutdown trying to familiarize himself with everything in the inventory, and he estimates it will be a six- or eight-year project to make a detailed list.

“You can’t put a barcode on a fork,” he says. “We have vases and forks and cutlery and dishes for days. I mean, there are just so many things that are parts of so many things. We have lamp parts, I can’t put a barcode on a lamp part. When I started with Sweeney Todd, I took two coffee cans and two gooseneck lamps, and I

made train lanterns out of them.

“Now, I don’t have two gooseneck lamps or two coffee cans; I have two train lanterns I may never use again.”

Paul says he’ll never know everything that’s in the inventory, but he wants to make sure that if he lets another organization borrow something that he has a perfect record of what’s gone out the door. So they take pictures and they make a list, and then they make a packet both for themselves and for the organization borrowing the items.

Part of his job, says Rodgers, is taking the set and making it exactly like the director wants it. That could mean taking an old prop and turning it into something new, or it could mean making something smaller or putting wheels on it.

That process is never-ending, and it could literally be an ongoing concern all the way until the opening curtain. That’s why it helps to have a

large treasury of things, because you never know what will come in handy next.

Down the line, when the next phase of the Koski Center expansion happens, Covach’s clothes will be moved to a different space.

Paul is already eyeing those rows and hoping he’ll get to place more props in them.

“David was like, ‘What are you gonna do with all that space once all the costumes move out?’” says Paul.

“We’re gonna get more stuff. I don’t have to play Jenga down here. I feel like that game Parking Lot where you like take this and move it over here so that you can get the thing behind it, then you have to move that back into that spot so that you can pull it out.”

Asolo Rep doesn’t just create sets for its own productions; it also contracts to make sets for other companies.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

13A

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

Shaking stigma Jesse Clark was distressed by the way media portrays Black subjects. So he created art of his own.

IF YOU GO

JESSE CLARK: EVERGLOW When: Exhibit runs through Sept. 30; Artist talk at 6 p.m.

Sept. 15 Where: Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail Tickets: Admission to the gallery is free; registration for the artist talk is $5 Info: ArtSarasota.org.

SPENCER FORDIN A+E EDITOR

S

arasota has been both Jesse Clark’s muse and his springboard into the world of photography.

Clark, who grew up in Lakeland, can recall his earliest days with a camera, and he fondly remembers trips to Sarasota with his father and photographing landscapes.

Now, as a senior at the Ringling College of Art and Design, Clark has bigger ambitions, and he’s hoping his art will help to change the way society perceives people of color.

“I fell in love with photographing the sunset. That became my introduction to photography,” says Clark.

“It wasn’t really until I got to Ringling that I learned photography could be a tool not just to capture the world around me, but change the world around me as well.”

Clark’s latest work, entitled “Everglow,” is a series of staged photographic works that will be exhibited at Art Center Sarasota for the entire month of September.

The exhibit — and much of Clark’s work in his young career — explodes out of his burgeoning social consciousness.

Thematically, you’ll see lots of pastels and floral images juxtaposed with Black male models, and Clark says that’s no less than an attempt to rewire the way we see society portrayed in media.

“In television and movies, the Black man is usually an aggressive character, a criminal or maybe a jock,” he says. “How do we show them in different ways, something that’s more truthful and essentially

JESSE CLARK

more human? Flowers always have this idea of peace and softness.

That’s what I want to show. I see myself as a soft, young Black man.

I have the strength to do everything else, but I’m not an aggressive trope that television likes to show.”

Clark says he grew up in a family of musicians and was encouraged to think creatively from an early age.

He first started expressing himself through painting, which gave him the tools to think about color and composition as a photographer.

He studied visual art at the Harrison School for the Arts in Lakeland before enrolling at Ringling, and that’s when he really started getting deeper into photography. Clark credits his professors for helping him think about creating themes with his art, and he says the Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative gave him an early assist in displaying his work.

“I couldn’t have done this alone,” he says. “There’s a lot of people before me that paved the way just so I could create the work that I want to create. I’m trying to also pave the way for others that come after me.

This is stuff that I would’ve liked to see more of when I was younger.

I want to produce that for the next generation as sort of a role model to look up to.”

Clark’s oeuvre isn’t just any old point-and-shoot.

He says his photographs always start from an image in his head, and he studiously writes it down when he has an idea he’d like to pursue.

Then, from there, he has to figure out how to put his idea into motion.

That means thinking not just about the model but about the lighting, the location and the costuming to boot.

“With ‘Everglow,’ I had the idea of what I wanted already laid out in my mind,” he says.

“If I’m trying to create these narratives, I have to find just the right people for these images. The right locations, the costuming, and that kind of curates together in itself.”

Clark’s work was first exhibited at Art Center Sarasota in February as part of a show with the Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative entitled “Visions in Black,” and that’s where the seeds of “Everglow” were sown.

Kinsey Robb, the executive director of Art Center Sarasota, was taken with his work, and she says that his vision is mature for an artist of his age and experience.

“I think what separates a great artist from lots of other artists is a sense of purpose,” she says. “Consistency, and also being able to kind of strike a

Photo courtesy of Jesse Clark

Clark’s “Everglow” compositions burst to life with pastels and floral imagery.

chord with the viewer.

“To be able to look at his work and see a thesis without it being explained is pretty remarkable. It’s an identity he knows within himself and his artistic practice, which sometimes takes decades to find.”

Clark says he’d like to pursue a career as a fine art photographer, and he’s excited about using his skills in some form or fashion after graduation. But his message is one that he hopes will resonate.

Clark says he’s thankful not just for the chance to show his work but

for a chance to interact with the public and tell them about it.

He’ll be part of an artist’s talk Sept.

15 at the Art Center, and he hopes to underline some of his themes in person.

“I think I’m excited to be able to have the artist’s talk and give a little more insight and background to those pieces,” he says.

“It really creates that dialogue so people that are outside the Black community can have a little more of an understanding of what those themes and symbols are in the work.”

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The exhibition will include new works being exhibited for the first time, including art created with members of the Sarasota community during Scrollathon.

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Steven and William Ladd: Lead With a Laugh

Steven and William Ladd create collaboratively, pulling from childhood stories and shared experiences to transform materials, such as textiles and beads, into microcosms of memory.

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

THIS WEEK THURSDAY

FRIDAY

ROB LITTLE 7 p.m. at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. $25 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

FRESH FRIDAYS — AMERICAN ROUTES 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at North Palm Avenue by Art Ovation Hotel Free Visit Did-Sarasota.com/FreshFridays.

Don’t confuse this comedian with Rich Little. Rob Little, a big act in the world of comedy, has been working standup clubs around the country for more than 20 years, and he made his way into the living rooms of people all across America with his work on “The Best Damn Sports Show Period.”

Tampa-based band Southbound 75 will be the musical guests for this block party in the downtown arts district, and the theme will be Americana covers and originals. You’ll hear a little bit of blues, rock, country and pop, but perhaps most importantly, you’ll have an opportunity to party and to partake in food and beverages from multiple vendors.

MUSIC ON MAIN: FREQUENCY M 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 8100 Lakewood Main Street Free Visit LakewoodRanch.com.

Lakewood Ranch sees your downtown block party and raises you with Music on Main. Frequency M will be the featured band at the Lakewood Ranch block party, and this month’s philanthropic beneficiary will be Birds of Paradise Sanctuary. Get your groove on and leave some room for food vendors, beer trucks and sponsor booths.

SATURDAY

MEET THE ARTIST: SHIRLEY RUSH DEAN Shirley Rush Dean is Island Gallery West’s Featured Artist for September, and you’ll be able to view her work all month. But if you want the opportunity to meet the artist and ask her questions, you’ll have a great chance to do that on Sept. 7. Dean, a former professor at the University of Maryland, mainly works in acrylics, and she’s a signature member of the Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society.

IF YOU GO When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 7

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CORA MARSHALL: IN AND OUT OF TIME 2-4 p.m. at Arts Advocates Gallery, Crossings at Siesta Key Mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail Free with museum admission Visit ArtsAdvocates.org.

Cora Marshall, an artist and educator who earned a doctorate at New York University, will be displaying her work from Sept. 3 through Sept.

24 at the Arts Advocates Gallery.

Marshall, whose work centers on contemporary African American artists, has shown her body of work all over the country and even as far away as Ghana.

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FARMERS’ MARKET AT LAKEWOOD RANCH 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1561 Lakefront Drive Free Visit LakewoodRanch.com.

Shop local. Eat local. Waterside Place is the stage for a group of more than 90 vendors selling organic produce, flowers, speciality spices and rubs, honey, bread and much more. There will be food trucks if you’re not just shopping for ingredients to cook at home, and you’ll find products that you won’t find stocked on the shelves at supermarkets.

MONDAY FREE MONDAYS 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road Free Visit Ringling.org.

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IF YOU GO When: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., Sept. 3 Where: Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Tickets: Free for members, $20 non-members Visit: SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

Come see the great artistic treasury that the Ringling Museum has to offer, and leave your wallet in your pocket. The Ringling opens the

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Where: Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach Tickets: Free Visit: IslandGalleryWest.com.

CREATE 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at ArtCenterManatee, 209 Ninth St. W., Bradenton Free Visit ArtCenterManatee.org.

ArtCenter Manatee’s open show, Create, will be on display through the end of the month, and the first-place winner will be awarded a $1,500 prize. Rachel Stewart, a visual artist and educator, will serve as the juror. The exhibit will have an official opening reception between 5-7 p.m. on Sept. 8.

GALLERY TALK: STEVEN AND WILLIAM LADD They’re brothers who have turned their family memories into a collaborative art exercise.

Come down to the Sarasota Art Museum and listen as Steven and William Ladd talk about their “Lead With a Laugh” exhibit. The Ladds build their art around a three-pronged discipline that encourages them to collaborate, to be focused and to do what they love. The Ladds’ exhibit will run at the museum from Sept. 4 all the way through Feb. 5, 2023, so you’ll have time to see it.

HIGHLIGHTS TOUR 11:15 a.m. at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Free with museum admission Visit SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

Did you ever wish that you could tour an art museum with a curator?

Wish no more. The Sarasota Art Museum leads guided tours of its exhibitions twice a week, and you have a chance to tag along on Wednesdays and Fridays. You’ll learn about the themes and concepts that guide each exhibit, and you’ll learn about the ties that bind them together.

But most importantly, you’ll have a chance to interact with art and you’ll have a knowledgable guide to answer every question.

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

14A

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

15A

Cora Marshall will be displaying her work from Sept. 3 through Sept. 24 at the Arts Advocates Gallery.

doors to both its art museum and bayfront gardens free of charge every Monday, allowing you to take in the museum’s latest exhibitions. But if you want to visit Ca’ d’Zan, that will still require an admission price.

TUESDAY SIMPLE BAKING 6 p.m. at Publix Aprons Cooking School, 2875 University Parkway $55 Visit ApronsCookingSchool.Publix. com.

Aprons Cooking School says it all in their program entry for this event: “It’s simple. It’s baking. Baking is simple.” Let the experienced chefs teach you the science of baking, and you’ll make dishes such as an apricot galette, a summer berry cobbler, an anise and almond biscotti and a

When there’s a cost-of-living crisis, healthy food can be the first to go.

chocolate crème brûlée. Bring your best attention span but also your best appetite, because you’ll be eating the things you make and taking home whatever’s left over at the end.

WEDNESDAY ANDY HENDRICKSON 7 p.m. at McCurdys Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. $25 Visit McCurdysComedy.com.

Help your neighbors balance things out.

Give this underachiever a break.

Hendrickson, who built his career as a comedian and actor in New York, is now based in Los Angeles and bringing his brand of funny to audiences all around the country. His comedy CD, “Underachiever,” was released in 2012 and includes his signature takes on not just wine tastings but also Starbucks and Tootsie Pops.

To support our produce program, visit

allfaithsfoodbank.org 941.379.6333

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

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LAKEWOOD RANCH 7339 Edenmore Street Laura Stavola

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COUNTRY CLUB EAST $1,095,000 941.447.4875

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SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

Classifieds 13B Games 12B Real Estate 7B Sports 9B Weather 12B

YOUR NEIGHBORS “Classroom training is a great way to get acquainted, build your confidence and remove the blinders.”

JOIN THE COMPUTER CROWD

— Lee Kotwicki

SCF of Lakewood Ranch wants people to know they are not alone when it comes to struggling with computers.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

I

nstructor Gretchen Miscik can tell when one of her students comes through her door at State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota and is afraid.

One of the first lessons comes immediately.

“You are not alone.”

Miscik teachers Computer Basics classes with other classes in SCF’s Hands-on Computer Classes program.

“When people come to the class, I find that usually they have been thinking about taking a class for a while,” Miscik said. “But many people come in with a fear. It stems from their assumption that they are the only person who does not know how to use a computer.”

Lee Kotwicki, the director of Workforce Training for SCF Manatee-Sarasota, said anyone 18 and older is eligible for the Computer Basics class but noted that most tend to be 40 and above. Younger people usually have grown up with computers and certainly don’t need the Computer Basics class. The class does land a lot of seniors along with middle-aged adults who might have had an occupation where they never needed to use a computer.

COMPUTER LEARNING WITH CLASS What: Hands-on computer classes Who: The State College of Florida In East County: 7131 Professional Parkway, Lakewood Ranch Times: Classes run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on various dates Fee: $129 per class Register, or more information: SCF.edu/ComputerTraining or call 363-7203 Did you know?: One-on-one training is available for $85 an hour with a minimum of two hours booked. Must go to the campus for the training

Miscik said her students sometimes feel inferior to start because everyone seems to know more about computers than they do. They often make self-derogatory remarks about themselves. She said it’s like they are wearing blinders.

“It’s like any other skill,” Miscik tells her students. “Listen, if you wanted a new toilet installed, you wouldn’t call a plumber and apologize and feel embarrassed that you didn’t know how to do it yourself.

You know that the plumber got the training.

“It is the same with computers.

The people who use computers every day started somewhere.”

Kotwicki said Miscik has been teaching computers for SCF for eight years and has been involved with computer education for much longer. Kotwicki said she gets all positive feedback from Miscik’s Computer Basics class.

“It’s absolutely, very basic, like ‘What is a mouse?’” Kotwicki said.

“Gretchen says, ‘This is your filing cabinet. You create a document and put it into the filing cabinet.’

She makes it so it is not all new and overwhelming.”

Kotwicki is trying to get out the word about SCF’s computers classes and other lifelong learning programs to help people in the community who might not think they are eligible to take classes at a college. Besides Computer Basics, SCF has computer classes in PowerPoint (levels 1 and 2), Word (levels 1 and 2), Outlook, and Excel (levels 1, 2, 3 and 4).

There are no prerequisites, so people don’t need a high school diploma or any other kind of degree.

While the college draws mostly from Manatee and Sarasota counties for its programs, there are no residency requirements.

Classes run one six-hour day (they break an hour for lunch) at a cost of $129. Upcoming Computer Basics classes at the Lakewood Ranch campus run Sept. 24 and Nov. 29.

Miscik and Rose Devine, who has taught in the program for 20 years, are the main instructors, although Kotwicki has two other instructors available if needed.

Kotwicki said it is common that students will take a level 1 course and come back for level 2 or 3.

384614-1

Jay Heater

Lee Kotwicki, director of Workforce Training for SCF Manatee-Sarasota in Lakewood Ranch, hopes more local residents take advantage of various computer classes.

Those who take the classes will learn tips, tricks and shortcuts from Miscik and Devine that, even if they are familiar with computer use, might be new to them.

“They know it inside and out,” Kotwicki said of her instructors.

“They truly are experts.”

Although Devine used to teach Computer Basics, Miscik handles that duty most of the time now. She tries to immediately put her students at ease.

“Classroom training is a great way to get acquainted, build your confidence and remove the blinders,” Miscik said. “Once you have a basic understanding, you can build upon that knowledge base with confidence.”

She remembered one student in her 40s who said she wasn’t having any luck finding a job and thought better computer understanding might help.

“She was waiting on tables but wanted an office job,” Miscik said.

“But when she saw ‘computer skills’ listed in the job requirements, she discarded that as an option.”

In just three hours, Miscik said she already was feeling more comfortable. She said that woman’s energy was contagious and spread through the room. By the end of the day, students were asking about Word and Excel classes. That particular woman came back and took a World class, and had landed a new job before she returned for an Excel class.

Miscik tells her students not to try to memorize everything they are learning in Computer Basics. She said a lot of the class is about exposure, having students learn “what they don’t know.” It’s a first step. The basics of how Windows works is covered along with computer terminology. She said learning the language is so critical but if you don’t, it’s easy to become lost.

Kotwicki has seen seniors from the community who were given a computer by their kids and they didn’t even know how to turn it on. She said many of the computer class students fit into either seniors or those applying for new jobs.

Kotwicki said the class sizes, especially in the Computer Basics class, tend to be small and can go as low as two students and as high as 12. Those who don’t feel comfortable in a group setting can sign up for one-on-one computer instruction and can raise their own topics. Those classes cost $85 an hour with a minimum of two classes scheduled. One-on-one classes must be taught on campus and are taught on the individual’s computer.

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

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Dr. Connor Wolfe says he is happy for more room in his new office.

Wellness Way clinic expands on the Ranch

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to 3,800 square feet, up from 1,200, and offers enhanced views of Lake Osprey outside the windows lining its walls.

Dr. Connor Wolfe, who co-owns the Lakewood Ranch branch of the clinic with Dr. Rachel Glubiak, his fiance, said the organization had

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

3B

NOW 941-499-7171 ACCEPTING NEW www.Wellnessah.com FURRY PATIENTS PUBLIX PLAZA 8322 Market St, LWR 34202

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let you know why they are doing what they do. They always look to see if there’s some other source for a problem.”

Sheena Works, a social media manager for the practice, said she initially became involved with it as a patient in late 2020, calling it “amazing.”

Sarasota’s Robynn Bachmann said the clinic helped her with her autoimmune disease after she had COVID-19 and was also excellent for her children, who are at an age where they are “growing — falling out of trees and off bikes.”

Crop Juice owner Karen Odierna pours a drink for Sarasota’s Giovanni Meschino, a fan of juicing.

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signed a lease on the space a year and a half ago after moving into the original space, seeking a different environment from that of a traditional medical office, which he called “cold” and “closed-off.”

“This space provides significantly more room for events and allows us to get the community involved,” he said.

Wolfe also noted new features in the facility, including its infrared sauna booth and two extra doctor’s offices to accommodate future staff expansions.

Glubiak said further events that would be hosted in the area would include women’s wellness nights.

They both are holistic practitioners who are trained in the nervous system and physiology of the human body.

She also said the event was a chance for participants to learn about opportunities for a healthy lifestyle. Through the food and refreshments offered by Crop Juice and Fresh Kitchen, the clinic hoped to provide an example of the area’s healthy dining options.

Attendees praised the new space and were looking forward to receiving the clinic’s services in the new location.

“I love the location. I love the expansion,” said Sarasota’s Giovanni Meschino, a patient with the clinic.

“The staff is friendly, and they always

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

FRIDAY, SEPT. 2

MUSIC ON MAIN Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. Music on Main features the band Frequency M, a top 40 cover band that will keep you dancing in the street.

At the opposite end of the street will be a DJ that will spin cool tunes as well. As always, the free block party features food vendors, beer trucks, sponsor booths and plenty of kids games and rides. Proceeds from the File photo event will benefit Birds of Lakewood Ranch’s Amber and Mike Manfredi and Lora Paradise Sanctuary. and Matthew Sevarino enjoy food and drinks at Music

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“AS A PILATES INSTRUCTOR, A SUCCESSFUL REPAIR FOR MY BADLY DAMAGED ROTATOR CUFF WAS CRUCIAL FOR BOTH MY CAREER AND MY ABILITY TO CONTINUE ENJOYING A VERY ACTIVE LIFESTYLE. I AM THRILLED TO REPORT THAT I HAVE FULL USE OF MY RIGHT SHOULDER AND AM PAIN FREE.” - Susan Landsman

on Main.

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA Runs from 6-9 p.m. both days at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Singer Mylon Shamble will provide the live music on Friday. On Saturday, musician/ singer Kimi Tortuga provides the entertainment. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 3

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.

Meet at the base of the finish tower.

For more information, go to 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.

INTRODUCTION TO PICKLEBALL Begins at 8:30 a.m. at 5350 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch.

Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosts Introduction to Pickleball,

a free clinic taught by certified instructors. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

YOGA FLOW Begins at 9 a.m. at Bob Gardner Community Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. Yoga Flow with Sound Meditation is offered

by Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. The class is open to those 18 and older and is free to Lakewood Ranch residents or $10 for nonresidents. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

FAMILY KICKBALL Begins at 10 a.m. at Bob Gardner Community Park, 2710 White Eagle Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. Family Kickball is hosted by Lakewood Ranch Community Activities and is open to children and adults seven years old and up. The event is free for Lakewood Ranch residents and $10 for nonresidents.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 4

FARMERS MARKET Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place at Lakewood Ranch. The Farmers Market will run year round every Sunday. Vendors will be offering food and produce. For information, go to MyLWR.com.

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FRIDAY, SEPT. 2 AND SATURDAY, SEPT. 3

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COMMUNITY

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

BRADENTON 8435 Lindrick Lane 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 4,893 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4539533 $3,550,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 14710 Leopard Creek Place 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,559 Sq. Ft. Heather Sniffen 941-720-1526 A4541963 $1,100,000

BRADENTON 14205 Flat Woods Terrace 6 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,899 Sq. Ft. Stacy Hanan 941-266-0529 A4538218 $1,095,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6427 Moorings Point Circle 202 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,232 Sq. Ft. Stacy Liljeberg & John Garmong 941-544-6103 A4545667 $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 8076 Royal Birkdale Circle 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,811 Sq. Ft. Stephen Strong 941-201-9662 A4544793 $950,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 13651 American Prairie Place 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,017 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4541881 $925,000

BRADENTON 3911 Plumosa Terrace 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,820 Sq. Ft. Kim Galway & Jody Shinn 941-462-9895 A4538211 $900,000

BRADENTON 5614 Cloverleaf Run 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,395 Sq. Ft. Christopher Van Vliet & Jamie Van Vliet, PA 941-993-7087 A4545363 $899,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7806 Troon Court 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,951 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4541261 $850,000

PARRISH 14711 20th Street E 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,336 Sq. Ft. Victoria Beckham 941-544-6734 A4544314 $775,000

BRADENTON 231 Dahlia Court 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,587 Sq. Ft. Fran DeDona & Pam Goodwin 941-812-5023 A4544972 $699,900

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7349 Wexford Court 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,562 Sq. Ft. Stacy Haas 941-587-4359 A4543823 $675,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6819 Bay Hill Drive 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,147 Sq. Ft. Nicole Ryskamp 941-807-1766 A4542225 $675,000

BRADENTON 12726 Coastal Breeze Way 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,766 Sq. Ft. Mackenzie Longueuil & Pat Mudgett 941-961-4023 A4540776 $649,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 8483 Frangipani Terrace 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,524 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio 941-685-8420 A4541270 $598,800

BRADENTON 839 Rosemary Circle 4 Beds 2 Baths 1,832 Sq. Ft. Debbie Vogler 941-705-3328 A4538958 $579,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6113 35th Court E 4 Beds 2/1 Baths 2,697 Sq. Ft. Jefferson Payne 857-350-0089 A4533196 $575,000

BRADENTON 4911 Torrey Pines Run 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,702 Sq. Ft. Stephen Strong 941-201-9662 A4545664 $539,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 4506 Bedford Court E 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,706 Sq. Ft. Sharon Ingram 941-224-6447 A4545255 $479,000

BRADENTON 11933 Brookside Drive 4 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,936 Sq. Ft. Christopher Van Vliet & Jamie Van Vliet, PA 941-993-7087 A4538878 $475,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 5702 Garden Lakes Palm 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,531 Sq. Ft. Diane Fogo Harter 941-445-2431 A4544471 $425,000

PARRISH 11903 Major Turner Run 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,548 Sq. Ft. Jamie Van Vliet & Christopher Van Vliet 941-993-8996 A4545142 $425,000

BRADENTON 12215 Trailhead Drive 3 Beds 2/1 Baths 1,511 Sq. Ft. Christopher Van Vliet & Jamie Van Vliet, PA 941-993-7087 A4544483 $419,000

BRADENTON 5304 72nd Street E 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,867 Sq. Ft. Chris Baylis 941-735-4713 A4543048 $415,000

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

BRADENTON 115 65th Street Court NW 5 Beds 3 Baths 2,968 Sq. Ft. Patty Brooks 941-545-1194 A4534150 $1,399,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 7504 Coventry Court 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 3,870 Sq. Ft. Jamie Van Vliet & Christopher Van Vliet 941-993-8996 A4544241 $1,350,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home in Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Joseph and Erin Camacho, of Bradenton, sold their home at 16303 Baycross Drive to Nathan and Paula Ayala, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2.7 million. Built in 2016, it has five bedrooms, four-anda-half baths, a pool and 5,079 square feet of living area.

LAKE CLUB

Craig and Kathryn Henely, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 16252 Daysailor Trail to Daniel and Deborah Kelley, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2,570,500. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,962 square feet of living area.

David Choate and Susan PattersonChoate, of Albany, Kentucky, sold their home at 7928 Matera Court to John and Shelly Corey, of Bradenton, for $1,785,000. Built in 2021, it has three bedrooms, three-and-ahalf baths, a pool and 2,727 square feet of living area.

LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE

Robert and Sarah Puls, of Sarasota, sold their home at 8092 Grande Shores Drive to 8092 Grande Shores LLC for $1,625,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,718 square feet of living area. It sold for $799,600 in 2019.

RIVERDALE REVISED

David and Mary Anne Pogan sold their home at 3615 Fourth Ave. N.E. to Shawn and Charlotte Sullivan, of Bradenton, for $1.44 million. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,007 square feet of living area.

Valentyna Petersen, of Brooklyn, New York, sold the home at 4531 Third Ave. Drive E. to Jeffery and Loraine Frazier, of Bradenton, for $610,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,620 square feet of living area. It sold for $255,000 in 2012.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE

Sherry and Marsha McMullin sold their home at 1023 Kestrel Court to Tony and Sarah Hoskins, of Waterford, Wisconsin, for $1.33 million.

Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,791 square feet of living area. It sold for $495,200 in 2012.

Marcelo Santos Oliveira and Cristiane Oliveira, of Fort Lauderdale, sold their home at 5225 Tidewater Preserve Blvd. to Martin Weber and Marcella Gay Everett-Weber, of Bradenton, for $1,075,000. Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,249 square feet of living area. It sold for $555,000 in 2020.

INDIGO

Bryan and Lauren Cardillo, of Bradenton, sold their home at 13326 Indigo Way to Patricia Lynn Bradbury and David Joseph Beesley, of Bradenton, for $1.05 million.

Built in 2021, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,740 square feet of living area. It sold for $617,500 in 2021.

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL

Shaun Gerhard Kolke and Sarah Kolke sold their home at 17604 Hickok Belt Loop to Christopher Mancinone, of Bradenton, for $960,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,027 square feet of living area.

It sold for $481,700 in 2020.

GREENBROOK

Christopher Scott Gore, of Bradenton, sold the home at 13304 Swallowtail Drive to Cem and Fatima Onus, of Lakewood Ranch, for

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

AUG. 15-19

$950,000. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,036 square feet of living area. It sold for $375,000 in 2014.

CENTRAL PARK

Andrew and Amy Morrow, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4646 Balboa Park Loop to Michael Simos and Roberta Daar, of Lakewood Ranch, for $910,000. Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,771 square feet of living area.

Michael Holland and Karrie Thrall, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 4650 Claremont Park Drive to Cara Farrell, of Lakewood Ranch, for $570,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,148 square feet of living area. It sold for $365,000 in 2020.

MOORINGS AT HERITAGE HARBOUR

Golda Sheppard, of Newfoundland, Canada, sold her home at 704 Moorings Way to Edward Chalanick, of E. Greenbush, New York, for $900,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,359 square feet of living area. It sold for $515,000 in 2017.

MALLORY PARK

Michael and Karie Ashford, of Roswell, Georgia, sold their home at 12321 Portsmouth Terrace to Jeremy and Kristin McParlan, of Bradenton, for $885,000. Built in 2019, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 3,048 square feet of living area. It sold for $476,900 in 2019.

RYE WILDERNESS ESTATES

Christopher and Brikeda Lambert, of Bradenton, sold their home at 16614 Sixth Ave. E. to Joseph and Julie Pepe, of Bradenton, for $800,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,560 square feet of living area.

It sold for $580,000 in 2021.

Courtesy photo

This Lake Club home at 7928 Matera Court sold for $1,785,000. It has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,727 square feet of living area.

Riviera Cove to Sheila Uhl, of Lakewood Ranch, for $599,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,957 square feet of living area. It sold for $440,900 in 2006.

STONEBROOK AT HERITAGE HARBOUR

Thomas and Sybil Reitnecht, of Bradenton, sold their home at 8628 Stone Harbour Loop to Nelson and Vilma Iglesias, of Bradenton, for $580,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and 2,909 square feet of living area.

It sold for $334,000 in 2015.

ESPLANADE

Maureen Custer and Lori Kays, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 5133 Savona Run to Debra Helene Hacka, of Lakewood Ranch, for $570,000. Built in 2014, it has

two bedrooms, two baths and 1,700 square feet of living area. It sold for $300,300 in 2014.

SUMMERFIELD

Carolina Barrante, of St. Pete Beach, sold her home at 12206 Hollybush Terrace to Kevin and Audra Barnes, of Lakewood Ranch, for $569,000. Built in 1996, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,945 square feet of living area. It sold for $303,000 in 2017.

DEL TIERRA

Amy Sork Law, of Seminole, sold her home at 15535 Rose Grove Drive to Gabriela Perez Pedrianes, of Bradenton, for $525,000. Built in 2016, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,685 square feet of living area.

It sold for $269,800 in 2020.

In with the new

GREYHAWK LANDING

Dennis and Sandra Klimek, of Gainesville, Georgia, sold their home at 12427 Natureview Circle to Patricia Brown and Daniel Foulks, of Bradenton, for $730,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,393 square feet of living area. It sold for $364,200 in 2005.

NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION

MILL CREEK

Charles Whitfield Jr. and Chelsea Whitfield, of Bradenton, sold their home at 615 133rd St. E. to Christina and Eduardo Cordero, of Bradenton, for $720,000. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,298 square feet of living area. It sold for $350,000 in 2016.

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

RIVER CLUB SOUTH

Mary Ellen Murphy, of Lakewood Ranch, sold her home at 10050 Glenmore Ave. to Val and Josephine Mikesell, of Bradenton, for $700,000. Built in 1999, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,176 square feet of living area. It sold for $355,000 in 2007.

Downtown St. Petersburg

PALM AIRE AT SARASOTA

Marian Aubry, of Bradenton, sold her home at 5774 Timer Lake Drive to Blake Vaczi and Aubrey Hudson, of Sarasota, for $675,000. Built in 1981, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,675 square feet of living area. It sold for $385,000 in 2018.

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

FAIRWAY LAKES AT PALM AIRE

William Donald James sold the home at 7417 Fairlinks Court to Daniel Wilson and Traci Marie Baker Wilson, of Sarasota, for $665,900. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,835 square feet of living area. It sold for $500,000 in January.

Downtown Sarasota

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

WATERCREST

Phyllis and Robert Hemler, of Bradenton, sold their Unit 403 condominium at 6474 Watercrest Way to John Swisher Jr. and Cheryl Lavene, of Lakewood Ranch, for $641,000. Built in 2006, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,742 square feet of living area. It sold for $315,000 in 2013.

COUNTRY CLUB

Robert Yarish sold his home at 7419

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

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

373604-1

ADAM HUGHES

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

REAL ESTATE

Lake Club home tops sales at $2.7 million

|

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

Licensed Real Estate Broker

7B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

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8B

SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

SPORTS

“If you’re not having fun (playing a sport) then it’s not worth it.”

— Braden River High’s Courtney Kawcak SEE PAGE 11B

Fast

Break

File photo

Lakewood Ranch High senior Addy-

son Bruneman will be on the move after the season. Check out where in the Fast Break.

A

fter writing nearly six years’ worth of High 5 moments, it was time for a change. Say goodbye to those and say hello to our new three-dot section, a throwback to the days of Herb Caen and Walter Winchell. … While the Out-of-Door Academy started its 2022 football season with a 28-0 win over host Berean Christian on Aug. 27 and Lakewood Ranch had its game cancelled Aug. 25 due to lightning, Braden River elected to take its seasonal bye in the first week — an interesting strategy, and one that worked well during the Pirates’ 9-2 season in 2021 … The Pirates will kick off their season this week with a home game against Palmetto High (1-0) …

When ODA picked up the win in its football opener, it was the first win under new Head Coach Rob Hollway and the program’s first regular-season win since Oct. 11, 2019, a 39-7 stomping of Carrollwood Day. … Is your putter up to par?

Put your skills to the test at Tiger Woods’ PopStroke Tour Championship, coming to the putting course’s University Town Center location Oct. 2628 … There’s a team tournament with a purse of $100,000 and an individual stroke play tournament with a purse of $25,000 for all the PopStrokes combined. Spots for both are limited, so register soon at PopStroke.com/PCT if interested. ... Lakewood Ranch High senior shortstop, Addyson Bruneman, committed to play softball at the University North Florida on Aug. 22. The Ospreys are building a solid core for a team outside a power conference, led primarily by former Mustangs. Catcher Grace Hogie, second basemen Kelsey Vogel and infielder Taylor Shepherd all will be freshmen, and Bruneman will join them in 2023-2024.

Courtesy photo

Felipe Baffico Balharry

MAJOR STARS PAGE 10B

File photo

Lakewood Ranch High’s Kevin Everhart falls forward for extra yardage in a 2021 game against Cardinal Mooney High. Everhart is expected to be the Mustangs’ workhorse in the rushing game.

Lightning cancels Mustang’s thunder Running back Kevin Everhart scores for Lakewood Ranch before season-opener canceled by lightning in first quarter.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

I

t didn’t take the entire first quarter Aug. 25 for Lakewood Ranch High senior running back Kevin Everhart to make an impact.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have any more time.

The Mustangs’s season-opener against visiting Lemon Bay was canceled because of lightning. The game was delayed approximately 90 minutes before the decision to cancel the game. The contest will not be made up as Lakewood Ranch had standardized testing Aug. 27 and Lemon Bay’s next game is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 1, making a Monday game impossible.

Everhart, a 5-foot-10, 190-pounder who racked up 931 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2021, scored the game’s only touchdown before the lightning on a bruising 2-yard run.

It won’t count in the stat book, but it was another sign that Lakewood Ranch’s ground game can lead the team to success.

Lemon Bay went 9-1 in 2021, while Lakewood Ranch went 3-6. Less than one quarter of play doesn’t prove anything definitive about either team, but the Mustangs did hold the Manta Rays scoreless on two drives while putting a touchdown on the board. Everhart was not surprised the Mustangs started fast against a team that was 9-1 a year ago.

“We’re a good team,” Everhart said. “We expected to go out and take the lead on them. We’re going to beat some big teams in the 941 (area) this year.”

His confidence was buoyed by the team’s performance in its preseason Kickoff Classic game against Dunedin High, when the Mustangs went

on the road and pushed the Falcons around to the tune of 49-6.

Everhart ran for three touchdowns in that game.

If the Mustangs are going to keep that success going into the regular season, he’s going to be a large part of it. The Mustangs had a quarterback battle this offseason which, based on the half-quarter played against Lemon Bay, was won by junior Clayton Dees.

In the short period of time, the Mustangs’ passing game already had connected on a few big plays, including a 31-yard completion from Dees to junior Nick Sinacore, but it’s obvious the Mustangs consider Everhart to be the workhorse, something he had no problem with last season when he averaged 7.1 yards per carry.

Everhart would have been likely to gain 1,000 yards rushing in 2021, but the Mustangs’ final game against Booker was canceled because of inclement weather. Despite similar circumstances against Lemon Bay, Everhart said he’s determined to hit the milestone this season after spending all offseason thinking about it.

He has also used this offseason to attend camps and perform for college coaches, something he had not done in previous years.

“That changed my perspective on things,” Everhart said. “I used to think I was an easy four- or five-star player. Then I got to these camps and I realized how many great players there are across the country. There is a lot of competition. I still think I’m a great player, but I realized I needed to keep working.”

At each camp, Everhart said, he would ask the running backs coach what specifically he needed to improve on. The most comKevin Everhart sneaks across the goal line in a 2021 game against Cardinal Mooney High.

Everhart said he believes this year’s team is ready to play with the area’s top teams because of its leadership.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

NEXT GAME What: Cardinal Mooney High (1-0) at Lakewood Ranch High (0-0) When: 7 p.m. Sept. 2 Last week: Lakewood Ranch’s game against Lemon Bay High was canceled because of lightning; Cardinal Mooney High defeated Booker High 10-9 at home Mustangs player to watch: Senior running back Kevin Everhart, who ran for 931 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2021 Cougars player to watch: Junior wide receiver Griffin Gisotti, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the team’s win against Booker

mon answers were little things like sprinting through the end of each play (even if he doesn’t have the ball) and breaking an extra tackle or falling forward to gain precious yardage.

Everhart has gone to work on those areas of his game and he believes they will pay off in 2022.

While he has improved, Everhart knows he can’t win games on his own.

He said he’s excited for the public to see his teammates’ improvement as well. He mentioned Brian Areco, the team’s senior left guard. Everhart said Areco was good at opening holes last season as a junior but has become stronger this year as a senior and is now capable of tossing opponents around.

Everhart also gave a shoutout to junior Nathan Smith, a defensive tackle/end who he expects to be one of the team’s sack leaders thanks to his power and size (Smith is 6-foot1, 240 pounds).

Lakewood Ranch High senior running back Kevin Everhart said his goal is to break the 1,000yard mark this season — and 20 touchdowns would be nice, too.

10B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

Mustang golfer leads local fall athletes

A

lthough football season officially began this week, to me it seems like the official start came a month ago.

I’ve written about the new season for four straight issues of this paper.

Of course, football is my favorite sport to watch as a fan and one of my favorites to cover, so that’s OK. But the other fall sports deserve recognition as well.

So here is a look at the nonfootball sports as they begin their seasons as well.

eighth in the 200 yard freestyle (1:40.21) at the 2021 FHSAA state meet in Class 1A. Baffico Balharry also made waves this summer when he represented Chile at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest. Expect his senior season to be his best after his offseason experience.

It might be a slower year in the pool for the other East County teams. At Lakewood Ranch, the only swimmers to qualify for the 2021 state meet — boys swimmers Dimiter Zafirov and Frank Runge — have graduated. Only one Braden River High state qualifier returns, girls swimmer Sydney Koshinski, a sophomore.

GOLF STANDOUT

One of East County’s top athletes seems primed to make an impact early in the 2022-2023 season.

Lakewood Ranch High boys golfer Parker Severs is one of the most talented in the area. He tied for 23rd out of 96 golfers in Class 3A at the Florida High School Athletic Association state tournament in 2021 as a freshman (77-76—153) and he spent the high school offseason getting even better.

Before the high school season began, he tied for 11th (70-78-78— 226) at the Florida State Golf Association Boys’ Junior Championship, held July 6-8 at Seminole Legacy Golf Club and Golden Eagle Golf and Country Club in Tallahassee.

He also won two straight Florida Junior Tour events, first the Royal Palm Open (72-71—143) at Royal Palm Golf Club in Naples on May 7-8, then the Palm Harbor Open (70-69—139) at Palm Harbor Golf Club in Palm Coast on May 14-15.

Lakewood Ranch boys golf coach Dave Frantz said Severs will be the team’s No. 1 golfer this season. The Mustangs finished 13th at the 2021 state tournament but graduated Jack Burbee, perhaps the team’s most consistent golfer last season, and lost Jaxon Brown, a talented sophomore, to IMG Academy. As a result, the team likely will not have the depth it had in 2021.

Severs, though, gives the Mus-

CROSS COUNTRY

Parker Severs will be the top golfer at Lakewood Ranch High this season.

Severs won medalist honors (70) at the John Ryan Invitational to start the season.

tangs a high-end talent that will help keep the team in contention.

His talent was on display at the season-opening John Ryan Invitational, held Aug. 22 at Capri Isles Golf Club in Venice. Severs shot a 70 and took medalist honors while the Mustangs finished second as a team, 11 strokes behind Gulf Coast High. The next highest Mustangs finisher, junior AJ Hovermale, shot a 75 to finish tied for seventh.

Here’s an area outlook for the fall.

GOLF

On the girls side of the sport, the Mustangs return all four of their golfers from the team that finished tied for 13th at last year’s state tournament. Lauren Hosier and Jessica Kobetitsch, who shot 157 and 159 at the tournament respectively, are both seniors and should ensure that

File photos

Marissa Krone is a junior girls golfer at Parrish Community High but lives in the East County area. This season, she’ll be joined on the team by her sister, freshman Maya Krone.

the Mustangs get back to the state tournament again in 2022.

At Parrish Community High, the Bulls graduated East County golfer Tabitha Hanely, who was the area’s top girls golfer in 2021, but will be led this season by East County golfers — and sisters — Marissa Krone, a junior, and Maya Krone, a freshman.

VOLLEYBALL

In 2021, Braden River High won its district for the first time since 2010. In 2022, the Pirates return the majority of their core players aside from outside hitter Sierra Arnsperger and defensive specialist Morgan Pogoda, who graduated.

Braden River is a threat to repeat as district champion and perhaps make an even deeper postseason run. Through two matches this season, the Pirates have swept Parrish

Community High 3-0 and taken Cardinal Mooney High — perennially a state-contending program — to its limit, losing 3-2 with an 18-16 final set. If a loss is ever an encouraging sign for a program’s season outlook, it’s that one.

Lakewood Ranch should have a solid season thanks to senior Andrea Dietz, a North Florida commit, while The Out-of-Door Academy has started 2-0 under secondyear coach Lisa Godwin, sweeping both of its opponents.

Volleyball might turn out to be one of East County’s sports of strength this season.

SWIMMING

In the pool, East County should be led by The Out-of-Door Academy senior boys swimmer Felipe Baffico Balharry, who finished seventh in the 100 yard butterfly (49.11) and

The Lakewood Ranch girls squad, which finished third in the state in 2021, loses the majority of its top runners from a season ago, including sisters Grace and Hailey Marston. Sophomores Olivia Spiegel and Addison Shea and junior Maeve Ingham will need to take some forward steps if Mustangs will have a chance to get back to the state meet.

None of the other East County teams, boys or girls, should be state contenders in 2022, but an interesting athlete to watch is The Out-ofDoor Academy girls runner Bailey Fulk. She finished 51st (22:14.90) at the 2022 Babe Zaharis Twilight Challenge in Tampa on Aug. 26.

I know 51st might not seem that impressive. But Fulk is a seventh grader competing at the varsity level.

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

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

Courtney Kawcak is a senior setter on the Braden River High volleyball team. Kawcak had 48 assists, 19 digs, 16 service points and three aces in the Pirates’ first two games (1-1) of the 2022 season and in 2021 helped the Pirates win their first district title since 2010.

When did you start playing volleyball?

When I was 11 years old. My older sister (Ashley Hagood) played volleyball, and I wanted to try it for myself.

What is the appeal to you?

I love the energy of volleyball. Everybody gets excited. Everybody has fun. If you’re not having fun (playing a sport) then it’s not worth it.

What is your best skill?

I mean, it’s probably my position, setting. Outside of that, it’s keeping the team alive. Everybody gets in their own head at some point. You need to get them out of it. If you don’t, your team won’t (mentally) be there.

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Courtney Kawcak

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.

What have you been working to improve?

It’s been my health. As soon as fall practices started, I got sick. I had three different types of strep. I was completely out for a week-and-ahalf. I had to focus on the mental side of the sport and stay in the game. I’m back playing now but I’m still trying to get my body used to things. I’m a bit weak and have to get my volleyball muscles back, especially in my shoulder. It’ll take a little while, but I’ll get there.

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It was (Aug. 25). We played Cardinal Mooney High at home. We actually lost 3-2, but it was a great match.

Everybody had fun and our student section was amazing. We played our hearts out and it was a blast. I don’t want to speak for the rest of the team, but that match gave me a ton of confidence in us. Everything feels better than last year already. We’re going into every match with that confidence now.

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WEATHER

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST THURSDAY, SEPT. 1 High: 90 Low: 73 Chance of rain: 58%

FRIDAY, SEPT. 2 High: 91 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 58%

SUNRISE / SUNSET Sunrise Sunset Thursday, Sept. 1

7:08a

7:50p

Friday, Sept. 2

7:09a

7:49p

Saturday, Sept. 3

7:09a

7:48p

Sunday, Sept. 4

7:10a

7:46p

Monday, Sept. 5

7:10a

7:45p

Tuesday, Sept. 6

7:11a

7:44p

Wednesday, Sept. 7

7:11a

7:43p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, SEPT. 3 High: 92 Low: 75 Chance of rain: 42%

SUNDAY, SEPT. 4 High: 92 Low: 74 Chance of rain: 50%

Shellie Robin took this photo of a Gulf fritillary raised in her own butterfly garden in Del Webb of Lakewood Ranch.

Sept. 3 First

Sept. 10 Full

Sept. 17 Last

Sept. 25 New

RAINFALL Monday, Aug. 22

0.18

Tuesday, Aug. 23

0.03

Wednesday, Aug. 24

0

Thursday, Aug. 25

0

Friday, Aug. 26

0.23

Saturday, Aug. 27

1.55

Sunday, Aug. 28

0.05

*Rainfall totals from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport

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.

YEAR TO DATE: 2022 32.68 in.

2021 38.02 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2022 8.89 in.

2021 9.33 in.

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celebrity cipher 116 Speaks hoarsely 117 Surgical tube 118 “The jeans that built America” 119 ___ the room

©2022 Universal Uclick

ACROSS 1 Squeezing snakes 5 Salad whose ingredients are often plated in rows 9 Not quite right 14 Trusty 19 Aloha Tower’s island 20 State known as the Mother of Presidents 21 Still asleep 22 Like a wintry landscape 23 Relay race 101?

25 Rugby 101?

27 Spread, as sunscreen 28 Japanese herb 29 Gem with bands 30 Prefix for “grace” 31 Dream sleep letters 33 Clog or wedge 34 Slimy crawler

36 Cheerleading 101?

40 Apt rhyme for “masquerade” 43 Budget-friendly lodging 44 “___ I do that?”

45 Word after “flat” or “curling” 46 Aptly named spinoff of Uno 47 Agonizing, so to speak 48 Double Dutch 101?

52 Squeaked (by) 53 + 55 Supply-and-demand subj.

56 Cheer for FC Barcelona 57 Passing thing 58 Singer India.___ 59 Noodle once delivered by bicycle

59 “Ish” 60 Greek celebratory shout 61 Where to jot things down 62 Four letters in “volleyball” 63 In ___ (harmonized) DOWN 64 Angry review 1 Marsh 65 Pineapple producer 2 Stick in the water?

66 “Euphoria” role for 3 “Eureka!”

Zendaya 4 Got by (on) 67 Kid-lit horror franchise 5 Word that bookends “Cold 70 Unit in a class Stone” 71 “Old MacDonald” refrain 6 “Well, shucks!”

72 Beginning stage 7 Cinnamon-flavored gum 73 Vanquish, as a vampire 8 Unhappy fan’s sound 74 From the top 9 Tunneling insect 75 Birth certificates, e.g.

10 ___ pork (Chinese dish) 76 Reach via helicopter 11 “Let’s open the windows!” 77 Request with a tight 12 Comedian Essman deadline 13 Pampering places 78 “Later skater” 14 Psychedelic initials 79 Nu metal band whose 15 Traveling for business, name sounds like a crop in a way 80 No longer asleep 16 “The Hunger Games” 81 Word after “chocolate” reader, typically or “kale” 17 Not quite right 82 “Barbie” role for Ryan 18 Minnesota WNBA squad Gosling 24 Dutch beer brand 84 “Keep ___ Weird” (Texas 26 Nibble at tourism slogan) 30 Gossiped 90 Hot dog, in diner lingo 89 One may be raised in 61 Certain salamander 32 Early PC software 91 Examine thoroughly surprise 63 Bowling 101?

33 Lays down a lawn 92 Some grandpas 91 Archery 101?

67 Places to exercise 35 Hit the runway 93 Revenue source for a 95 Bed you may climb up to 68 Part of UAE 36 One with sticky fingers newspaper 69 On the ___ (on unfriendly 96 Rightmost computer 37 Fictional chocolatier 94 Stinging weed menu heading, often terms) Willy 96 Was fed up 97 Lines of credit?

70 Sign of summer 38 Elite NFL athletes 99 Go a few rounds 98 Metric ___ (2,205 73 Mama’s boy, say 39 Trendy 100 Adidas competitor pounds) 74 Isn’t equivalent?

40 ___-Apple juice 102 Burnable data holders 99 Twirled 76 Quickly escape 41 Feature of the Pan(Abbr.)

77 Something straight from 101 Digital birthday greeting theon’s roof 104 Remote batteries 103 One of 1,665 in the Eiffel the horse’s mouth 42 Sixth sense, briefly 106 Hard H.S. courses Tower 78 Football 101?

45 Wall St. launch 107 Winter hrs. at UCSF 105 Weightlifting 101?

83 Takes a break 48 Tinted 108 Animal in a slippery 85 Encouragement to a drag 108 Marathon 101?

49 Skewered dish simile 112 Make hyped queen 50 Volunteer’s offer 109 Seven-time Emmy 113 Reacts to yeast 86 Has to repay 51 Sagging cheek nominee Issa 114 Baker who mentored 87 Casual greeting 54 Sass 110 Country south of Can. Stokely Carmichael 88 Sydney citizen, e.g., 58 Casino convenience, 111 Homer’s neighbor 115 Simplicity informally briefly

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

“K VZC’H OGJI GCP LFMIU, RINGFUI K SZFMV ZCMP RI RLIGTKCD HOIW, UZ KH’U G SGUHI ZX HKWI.” – XGUOKZC KNZC KLKU GAXIM

“UYG ZXAWT’J HXDJNWC GTJNE UYG’AW HXDJNWC XJ CXFT NT SYLHEWJW MNEWTSW FNJZ PGCCZNMJ LYTVM.” – SXLWDYT CNXO

“DV JBH LENY DK PEDZP LHAA CZG DJ’K KEWHJBDZP JBCJ BCK ICAMH LDJB KEWH WHCZDZP JE DJ, DJ PDIHK XCFY C – NDFBCNG PHNH

AEJ.”

Puzzle Three Clue: V equals F

BAD SPORTS by Rebecca Goldstein. Edited by David Steinberg

Puzzle Two Clue: V equals K

crossword

Puzzle One Clue: T equals K

Sarasota

387845-1

STOP BY ONE OF OUR SHOWROOMS TO SEE OUR COLLECTION OF PERGO® EXTREME™ LUXURY VINYL - WHERE TOUGH MEETS TASTEFUL

© 2022 NEA, Inc.

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

©2022 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

9-1-22

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

Autos Wanted

DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon

CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

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

Merchandise Wanted

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! 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

Pets

Want Some Mad Money?

AKC REG 1st shot dewormed tails docked, 2 black males 1each black, reverse brindle females vet approved $850 (828) 289-9531 marysboxers

YourObserver.com/RedPages

KING QUILT Set. Navy/white as new, with 2 new pillows. $45. 3 pair ladies Romy as new, 11 wide. $20 each. 941-927-3805

Sporting Goods

PORCELAINS FOR-SALE. Standing Christ at "The Last Supper" $150. "Prayer Before Battle" $50. (941)739-1510 SIGNED HUMMELS: Signs of Spring, $65. Dancing Girls, $50.

Good Friends, $45. Singing lesson, $40. (941)739-1510 TELESCOPIC GUTTER cleaner, $10. Antique travelers trunk, $50.

Pick, wooden handle $15. Antique universal food grinder #2, $15.

941-228-9467 WI-FI RECORD player (ION brand) w/dust cover, Like new.

Plays 78 & 45 RPM records, $75.

Vintage clear glass pudding cups.

(12) $20. 941-780-8514

Announcements RIVERVIEW HIGH Class of 1970 Reunion October 21-22, 2022 For information Contact Norm 813-389-3962

Autos Service

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

CEMENT MIXER: Used twice, Harbor Freight. $269.99 new. See Picture. $110. (941) 720-5655 Sell Your Item for Free! $200 or less

auto

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

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

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.

REAL LOCAL STUFF HERE!

www.YourObserver.com/RedPages

Vacation/ Seasonal Rentals 1BR/1BA 1350 Main St, in heart of Downtown Sarasota. Beautiful 3rd floor, turn key, furnished condo in upscale building overlooking main street. Amenities include: concierge, reserved in-building parking, pool, fitness center, and more. Available for seasonal rental starting September 1 through month of April for $4000/mo. Includes all.

Call George: 516-993-3324.

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.

Want Some Mad Money?

Advertise your business or service in the Observer

RED PAGES

Sell Your Item for Free! $200 or less

CALL TODAY 941-955-4888

PERSONAL CAREGIVER & Private Care •Prepare a care plan •Assist with basic needs •Light housekeeping •Monitor medications as well as scheduling all appointments •Short or long term care avail •Transportation provided

Cleaning

YourObserver.com/RedPages

10 years experience Excellent local references Call Deb McDonald (941)549-2261 RETIRED NURSE: 68 years young. Honest, hard worder.

Cook, clean and care, companionship and more.

Excellent local references.

941-402-3487

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

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

This week’s Crossword answers

BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service

by Maria. Residential. Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References.

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

Painting Advertise your business CARLO DATTILO Painting or service&ininsured. the Observer Licensed Interior/ Exterior painting including drywall repair and retexturing.

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

Honest TODAY & reliable.

CALL Free estimates. 941-744-1020.

941-955-4888 35+ years experience.

RED PAGES

TIME2PAINT EXTERIOR/ INTERIOR/DECK/DRIVEWAY/P ORCH/PATIO. (941) 685-3777

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “I don’t have any rules, because I would only be breaking them, so it’s a waste of time.”

Fashion icon Iris Apfel Puzzle Two Solution: “You haven’t partied until you’ve partied at dawn in complete silence with Buddhist monks.”

Cameron Diaz Puzzle Three Solution: “If the work is going well and it’s something that has value with some meaning to it, it gives back a lot.”

Richard Gere

This week’s Sudoku answers

©2022 Universal Uclick

941-251-7916, Ext 1

SEARCH the RED PAGES for GREAT DEALS To place an ad

Call 941-955-4888

©2022 NEA, Inc.

BREAKFAST HANGING designer light fixture $25, like new. Very nice. Liquor (cordial) glasses (12) $15. 941-780-8514

15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN

real estate

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

First 15 words .................. $ 17.50 per week Each add’l word ........50¢

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! YourObserver.com/RedPages

You’re only cheating yourself.

Items Under $200

RED PAGES AD RATES

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

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

941-955-4888

peekers’ place

stuff

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

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

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

941809-3660, 941-809-3662.

We’ll SWEEP youfeet! off your feet!

We’ll SWEEP you off your

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

redpages@yourobserver.com • yourobserver.com/redpages

home services

RED PAGES

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

Doors

Health

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

Sliding Glass Door Repair

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE”

941.650.9790 941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com

386625

Owner /Insured Operator Insured

387268

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

Let Gulf Coast Estate Auctions organize & hold an estate sale for you.

gulfcoastestateauctions.com • Free Consultations 941-274-6537

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

Golf

5-Star Rated

Clock Repair

Christo’s Clock Repair

CHASE COURNAN

(941) 704 - 7512

cwccustomscarts@gmail.com

4630 5TH ST W BRADENTON

2007 Whitfield Park Ave Sarasota, FL 34243

“IF IT DOESN’T TIC, TOC TO ME.”

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

GOLF CART

Home Services

LITHIUM B AT T E RY

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

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

REPAIR

386851

HoHoBuysCars.com

Are You Having Dryer Difficulties?

CONVERSION

L B S G

I F T K L U E T O P E A K ENERAL R

I T O T E R EPAI

S H S R

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

Residential

941-773-0875 • 941-9325505

Don Christo, Sr., Horologist

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

Irrigation

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

Pegatronics.com

ED’S RAIN MAKER IRRIGATION IRRIGATION (941) 725-8100 REPAIR edsrainmakerirrigation@gmail.com MAINTENANCE Insured

Call to reserve your ad space: 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

941-735-3362

Landscaping & Lawn

Servicing LWR, Parrish and NE Bradenton

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

You Get NOW Protection!

$47

Custom Granite Services, llc

PER MONTH*

Ticks, Fleas, Fire Ants, Chinch Bugs, Mole Crickets, Grubs, Sod Worms and more. PLUS - Fungus & Weeds and Premium Fertilizer.

166554

lawn & pest control, llc.

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

New Customers Only

941-400-4912

*For average size lawn of 5000 sq. ft.

Larger lawns slightly more.

Licensed & Insured

CustomGraniteServicesLLC@gmail.com 387270

e You We Mak

386627

387269

FULLY INSURED

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL

Advertise as low as $85 per week.

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

CJ COOLEY OWNER/OPERATOR

Doors

CALL BEFOREYOU YOU FALL CALL BEFORE FALL

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

GRAB BARS GRAB BARS COMPLETE INSTALLATION PACKAGE

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

DRGRABBARS.COM

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

386852

FREE IN-HOM ESTIMATEE S

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

941.966.0333

Call us today! 941.628.8579 www.ezslider.com

249 235 235

$$

$

Window Repairs • Sliding Glass Door Repairs Sliding Glass Door Deadbolts

387265

Commercial

YOUR BUSINESS

Computer

PROUD!

941-705-5468

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

GROW

CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT

387683

DR. DAVID CIFRA, DC

ESTATE SALES • DOWNSIZING SENIOR TRANSITIONS • ONLINE AUCTIONS

WE COME TO YOU

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

Board Certified in the specialty of non-surgical spinal decompression

Gulf Coast EstatE auCtions

FAST • EASY • SAFE

941.270.4400

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

Estate Sales

SELL YOUR CAR!

387688

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224

YoderAluminum.com

Auto Service

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

387252

Dustin Yoder

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

387681

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

Dustin Owner Yoder/ Operator

Do You Have Neck or Low Back Pain?

Do You Want To Avoid Surgery?

387504

Aluminum

387684

|

387685

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

387272 364556

14B

Call John 941.377.2940

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

www.showerandbathsarasota.com

CREATE BUZZ!

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

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

Plumbing

Building & Roofing Contractor

RELIABLE • INSURED

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

387686

941-920-8221 Professional Services

954-1878 (cell) 780-3346 941-725-4344 FREE ESTIMATES

COMPLETE BATHROOM REMODELING No Sub-Contractors!

Dustyn McCauley

One Day Bath!

PAVERS & TRAVERTINE

6771 Professional Pkwy., Suite 101 Sarasota FL 34240

ALL YOUR PAVER NEEDS

Pool Decks . Driveways Patios . Paver Repairs @gulfcoastexteriorsolutions Walkways admin@gesfl.co | gespavers.com

Call today

813-551-7504

Licensed & Insured

Rescreening & Repairs

BILL STEINER

Owner, Sales and Installer

385720

386628

Sun City Center Resident

bciacrylic.com

Landscaping & Lawn Windows

GARDENS BY ALLISON

Res./Com.

No Job is too Small!

387687

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

Allison J. Abizaid, M.A.

Personal Gardening Services | Designer

Eldridge Re-Screen

UNIQUE PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING SERVICES

Licensed

Complete Interior & Exterior Painting

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

386853

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

NEED HELP?

Find local business and service professionals in the Observer Red Pages.

YourObserver.com/RedPages

“No Job Too Small”

Insured

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

Satisfaction guarantee Satisfaction Guarantee Pool cage Restoration/ Rescreening specialists Manufacture and Workmanship Warranties specialty screens / screw replacement / paint Doors and more!

Manufacture and workmanship Warranties

(941) 345-5264

STUFF

found here.

The Red Pages is the perfect store to buy and sell locally! You’ll find a wide selection from antiques to furniture to condos!

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

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

ows

150

$

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

941-270-1561 941-345-5264

25

STANDARD WINDOWS

386630

Painting

Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

UP TO

387262

387276

941.400.0431

gbyallison@yahoo.com gardensbyallison.com

Lic./Ins.

indow & Pressure Clea W t e nin s wn as Sunrise Win g o n k Sun y l r e d

SPECIAL 00 5

$

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

Purified water window cleaning available!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

Find anything in the RED PAGES

941-955-4888

387279

387275

Screening

387278

387274

GULFCOAST EXTERIOR SOLUTIONS

Tub to Shower Conversion!

Local business, lower prices

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

386621

941-626-3194

Licensed & Insured

• Luxurious Acrylic, many styles and colors • Mold and Mildew resistant, no grout to clean • Member of South Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce • General Contractor and State Licensed CRC133256

15B

Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

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

GLENN KROECKER

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

Roofing

Mark’s Plumbing Service

THE GRAB BAR GUY

|

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

P.S. The Key to Your Real Estate Success OVER $67 MILLION

PENDING AND SOLD IN 2022

HOLLY PASCARELLA, PA 941.225.3218 Holly.Pascarella@CBRealty.com

TOP 1 % OF AGENTS

IN MANATEE AND SARASOTA COUNTIES

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

600+ HOMES

SOLD lN LAKEWOOD RANCH

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

CONTACT US TODAY to Discuss Your 2022 Homeownership Goals

379774-1

16B