East County Observer 9.22.22

EAST COUNTY

Observer

Lakewood Ranch’s weekly newspaper since 1998

YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

Back for more St. Patrick’s Day fun. PAGE 3B

FREE • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

VOLUME 24, NO. 44

YOUR TOWN

County invests in capital projects Commissioners will borrow money to accelerate 19 capital projects. SEE PAGE 4A

Courtesy photo

Blast from the past The key to senior Kayla Barbosa’s costume was a wig.

But not just any wig.

Participating in Lakewood Ranch High School’s “Blast to the Past” day on Sept. 14, Barbosa needed a wig a founding father would wear in the late 1700s. Her senior friend, Sienna Zwizinski, was dressing as a woman from the time, and Barbosa thought she could represent the same time period as a founding father. They carried around a copy of the Constitution (created in 1787) and the Declaration of Independence (1776).

“We both like history, so we thought it would be fun if we went way back,” Zwizinski said.

Throughout the day, Barbosa and Zwizinski looked for other students dressed in similar fashion for photos.

The dress-up day was part of a week of dress-up days for homecoming week Sept. 12-16.

LEGACY OF LOVE Humanitarian of the Year Bob Smith spreads his mission.

SEE PAGE 8A Jay Heater

Waterside of Lakewood Ranch’s Bob Smith has emphasized the importance of humanitarianism to his daughter, Amanda Tullidge Smith.

Ian Swaby

The perks of life in Waterside Justin Banister (above with Gibson Waugh), owner of O&A Coffee and Supply, said he met many customers at his downtown Sarasota location who were from the Waterside neighborhoods.

He wanted to move his business closer to them.

On Sept. 16, Banister realized his goal, opening an O&A Coffee and Supply at Waterside Place with an open house.

Banister said people drive longer distances for his coffee because of the quality. He said all his coffee drinks are carefully measured, resulting in low acidity that makes them consumable even by those with dietary restrictions. He said his staff members change their grind based on the type of coffee bean and the humidity levels currently in the air.

“Everything that we do is very scientific,” Banister said.

“We’re not a push button shop.

It’s all truly handmade.”

A+E

A tax masterpiece?

The 1-mill property tax referendum is providing $2.5 million for visual and performing arts programs.

SEE PAGE 3A File photo

Lola Johnson dances with the Braden River Dance Company during an ensemble performance to a remix version of “Into the Unknown.”

Love of art.

SEE PAGE 13A

2A

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Something smells in paradise Heat, frequent storms considered a contributing cause of stinky fish kills in the Lakewood Ranch area.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

I

t’s not a scene residents expect when they walk in paradise.

Ponds all over the region have experienced what scientists suspect are lower oxygen levels, leading to dead fish.

The Lakewood Ranch area is not immune to the problem.

Summerfield’s Mark Engel said he has seen dead fish along the shores of lakes in his community. He has lived in the home for several years and while there always were “pretty heavy duty” rains around this time of year that affect water oxygen levels, he had never seen an incident like this in the past.

A.J. Reisinger, an assistant professor of Urban Soil and Water Quality at the University of Florida, said Lakewood Ranch residents have been contacting his office about the issue.

He said pond sensors placed in Lakewood Ranch were showing evidence of fish kills in the area, and in the coming weeks, his staff would have more data on oxygen levels in the water, which will help them understand what is taking place.

He said the unclear boundary between natural and unnatural occurrences makes determining causes difficult.

“It’s a completely artificial ecosystem, but that doesn’t mean the processes occurring within it are not natural processes,” he said. “It’s hard to say whether it’s natural or not because everything is kind of influenced by human activities.”

He said what often causes fish kills is a lack of oxygen in the water, which itself can have a few different causes.

Weather impacts the ponds, and warmer water naturally holds less oxygen than cold water does.

However, that effect is increased if warmer temperatures are accom-

panied by growth of algae, as the decomposition process of algae absorbs the oxygen in the water.

Therefore, Reisinger said, a common pattern preceding fish-kill events is sunny days followed by storm events. The sunlight encourages algal growth, while storms bring in sediments that kill these algae, causing higher than normal levels of oxygen depletion.

Rainwater also can release nitrogen into the water that encourages further algal growth.

He said another factor in fish kills is the difference in temperatures between water on top and on the bottom of the lake in times of hot temperatures.

Water at the bottom, deprived of sunlight and with no algae or plants photosynthesizing in it, is devoid of oxygen. The lake remains stratified because of the lower density of the warm water, keeping it on top of the denser cold water.

When stratification occurs, the mixing effect of storm winds might spread the oxygen-deficient cold water throughout the pond.

However, Reisinger said not all causes or factors are necessarily natural. Fish kills can be caused by contaminants, such as fertilizers, that provide a nutrient-rich environment in which algae can grow and make their way into ponds.

He said one solution is to install aeration devices in ponds to mix the waters and prevent stratification.

He said for ponds that are less deep, fountains are a sufficient, albeit a costly, solution. While aesthetically pleasing, they also are serving the purpose of ensuring the water mixes with the air to provide oxygen, and they are able to serve a broad horizontal range of water.

He said for deeper ponds, devices called “bubblers” can be employed.

These devices have a pipe that sends

ABOUT LAKEWOOD RANCH OPERATIONS Residents of Lakewood Ranch (Summerfield, Riverwalk, Edgewater and portions of Country Club) can call Lakewood Ranch Operations to have a site cleaned after a fish kill Phone: 941-727-0899 Hours: Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

air to the bottom of a pond, where it is then released to bubble back to the surface, increasing air exposure at multiple depths.

According to information provided by the University of Florida, plant barriers along the edge of a lake can also help prevent excessive nutrients from entering retention ponds, including through absorption of nutrients.

Tom Merrell, director of operations at the Inter-District Authority in Lakewood Ranch, said the issue of fish kills in ponds in the area is common. He said if residents have concerns about a fish kill, they should contact the operations department of the IDA. The IDA oversees Summerfield, Riverwalk, Edgewater, Greenbrook and portions of Country Club.

The authority’s contractor cleans fish kills as part of its contract and will also treat algae and ensure mechanisms for the outflow of water are functioning properly.

Natural processes can take care of these events as well.

Engel said Friday that after his observation of the fish kill five days before, nearly all of the fish are gone.

He credited the Town Hall with the cleanup, saying staff arrived to scoop out the fish.

He also noted many “vulture-type birds having a smorgasbord feast for a few days.”

At one point, he said he counted 26

Courtesy photos

Birds feast after a fish kill-off in the backyard of Lakewood Ranch’s Mark Engel.

Lakewood Ranch’s Scott Gruber says dead fish were lining the shores of a pond in Greenbrook Adventure Park.

vultures on the banks.

Esplanade’s Daniel Creek said he saw an increase in bird activity on a lake outside his home, although he is still not sure what to make of the incident.

“It was crazy the amount of activity I saw,” he said, saying birds swooped down, with some dead fish visible on the surface, although no massive fish kill was discernible.

Engel said although the situation was easily resolved, he was concerned about the cause of the event.

He said that while there are some plants currently around the edge of the lake on Clubhouse Drive that could provide a barrier, it is bordered mainly by grasses.

He said the issue needs to be investigated to find out whether it is nature or the work of humans.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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3A

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Art programs get a boost Teachers grateful for opportunities that additional millage will provide students.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

H

er drawing of Country Club East Park needed a little extra shading, and Brielle Redmond, a sixth grader at R. Dan Nolan Middle School, was working hard to accomplish it.

She used to play at that park when she was a student at nearby Robert E. Willis Elementary School, and now her ability to re-create the image has been bolstered with money from the 1-mill property tax referendum that was renewed with 69.27% of the vote in a special election in November 2021.

“My last art class was at Willis (Elementary), and we didn’t have the chance to learn advanced techniques,” Redmond said. “I can’t wait to work with clay and have a canvas to paint on.”

Wade Smith, Redmond’s art teacher at Nolan, said all of his students will have an opportunity to paint this year, compared to past years when he could only allow a few students to paint because of limited funding and supplies.

Smith has received $2,870 through the School District of Manatee County’s 1-mill property tax referendum.

Visual and performing arts programs across the district will offer more opportunities for students as a result of funding from the referendum.

This is the first school year visual and performing arts has been included in the referendum. Of the nearly $57.6 million the School District of Manatee County collected from the millage budget, $2.5 million will be allocated for visual and performing arts. “(The funding) allows us to build our current opportunities, then expand on those for our students,” said Laurie Breslin, the executive director of curriculum and assessments for the School District of Manatee County. “We truly believe the arts programs in schools allow us to develop that climate and culture that will allow students to come to school and love being there, love what they’re doing, stretch their curiosity and creativity and develop problem solving skills.”

IN THE CLASSROOM

Breslin said that in the first year of the millage funding, which expires June 30, 2025, the district is focusing on supporting the programs already in the classrooms by increasing enrollment in programs and ensuring classrooms are well-equipped to support instruction.

Liz Ramos

Brielle Redmond, a sixth-grader at R. Dan Nolan Middle School, gets a suggestion on her artwork from her teacher, Wade Smith.

MORE MONEY, MORE OPPORTUNITIES The School District of Manatee County provided examples of how the visual and performing arts funding from the millage is being spent in East County schools. $15,000: Lakewood Ranch High School band plans to use the funding for a marching band drill writer, music arranger and multiple marching band staff members to deliver instruction. $3,751: A Lakewood Ranch High School art teacher plans to use the funding for supplies, including acrylic paint, paper, canvases, watercolor paper and paint, drawing paper, charcoal paper, calligraphy pens and oil pastels.

File photos

Braden River High School sophomore Ezekiel Lopez strikes a pose while performing songs from “Chicago.” Braden River High’s theater department will benefit from the 1-mill property tax referendum.

MILLAGE ALLOCATIONS

$4,611: The R. Dan Nolan Middle School band plans to use the funding to hire group lesson teachers who have specific and specialized expertise teaching woodwinds, brass and percussion.

$57,569,264 Total

$29,360,325 (51%) Instructional staff

$2,870: An R. Dan Nolan Middle School art teacher plans to use the funding for supplies, including clay, glaze, sculpting tools, acrylic paint, canvas boards, watercolors and various types of paper.

$3,454,156

(6%) School administrators, deans, psychologists, social workers, nurses and others

$4,029,848

$1,163: A B.D. Gullett Elementary School music teacher plans to use the funding for 250 recorders for fourth-graders, folders, paper, crayons, a small and large parachute, plastic cups for lessons and classroom instrument repairs.

“We want to get all the tools those programs need and then year two, we hope that will then drive greater student enrollment and we’ll be able to bring more teachers into the schools specifically for the arts,” Breslin said.

Breslin said schools cannot expand programs or offer new programs until they have the equipment and student interest to do so.

“It’s getting the foundations ready and then we can grow,” Breslin said.

“It’s kind of like in a neighborhood when you put in the roads before you put in the houses.”

Breslin said having the necessary equipment and supplies for programs, such as instruments, clay, paint and paper, are crucial to ensuring quality programs.

“You could have the best teacher in the room and talented students in the room, but if you don’t have the tools, you can’t make it work,” she said.

Smith said his students get bored with simply creating drawings. With new funding, he’s able to provide hands-on instruction in other art forms for each of his 80 to 90 students, including clay, acrylic paints, watercolor paints and more.

“They will get a shift from doing pencil drawing to more tactile, hands-on kind of projects,” Smith said. “They love it, particularly the students that aren’t really into art.

They don’t like to draw, but they might love clay, so that gets them excited about the class.”

Smith said the funding will allow visual and performing arts programs to provide “world-class education” to students. “(The funding) is validation for us with elective classes because we’ve been marginalized in the past, and the district has now sent a very strong signal that we are emphasizing the elective classes and we’re going to provide the funding,” Smith said.

With the funding, Smith plans to have his students create murals, participate in art shows and become more integrated into the community

(7%) Bus drivers, bus aides custodians, mechanics, food service workers and others

$1,151,385

(2%) Secretaries, school clerical staff, bookkeepers, cafeteria managers, registrars and others

$2,878,463

(5%) Paraprofessionals Lakewood Ranch High School junior Abby Newton plays in unison with others in the Indoor Percussion Ensemble. Lakewood Ranch High’s marching band program will receive $15,000 for its marching show and staff.

with art.

“It just makes it fun to come to work and to know that I have all the tools I need to teach these wonderful kids how to be great artists, how to be creative and to give them a break from the rigorous core curriculum,” he said.

AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL

Breslin said that at the district level, arts programs will be enhanced with a music library, equipment inventory and an events calendar.

The music library will allow all schools access to music that can be shared instead of individual schools purchasing their own music.

The district will provide funding for transportation to visual and performing arts events, whether it’s students performing at competitions or going to watch professionals perform at venues.

The districtwide events calendar will allow community members to know when and where student performances are happening.

“The students have the opportunity to shine, and our community members have an opportunity to see what their vote means and what that’s doing to grow our community,” Breslin said. “The most exciting aspect about this is it’s an opportunity for the schools to support the community and the communities to support the schools.”

The district also hired a visual and performing arts specialist to support programs throughout the district and a junior accountant to track and monitor spending, create purchase orders and distribute millage funding.

Another focus throughout the district will be building opportunities for greater arts alignment between elementary, middle and high school

programs.

“I was talking to a chorus teacher at Manatee High School, which has a tremendous program,” Breslin said.

“If we can capitalize on that and invite him to go and share his talent and the students’ talent with students at surrounding middle schools and elementary schools, students in younger grades can see opportunities they’ll have in high school.”

All visual and performing arts teachers will go through professional development, which Breslin said will help build collegiality among arts teachers across the district as well as help with recruiting teachers to the district.

CREATION OF MAGNET SCHOOLS

A goal of the district in the 20222023 school year is to create visual and performing arts magnet schools.

The district has selected Manatee Elementary School, Electa Arcotte Lee Magnet Middle School and Bayshore High School to become magnet schools.

District officials will work to develop a comprehensive K-12 plan for visual and performing arts for the three schools.

On top of creating magnet arts schools, Breslin said the district will work on facility improvements for the schools.

For example, Manatee Elementary has a theater that will undergo renovations, and in future years, the district will work on construction of an amphitheater to support Lee Magnet Middle School’s robust art programs.

“We know construction takes some time and you first have to get it approved by the board, so you’re not going to see those done in year one,” Breslin said.

$7,858,205

(13.65%) Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math as well as Career and Technical Education

$8,836,882 (15.35%) Charter schools

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

County borrows to move up projects Nine East County capital projects will be accelerated on Manatee County’s Capital Improvement Plan.

PROJECTS ON THE MOVE Manatee County commissioners will borrow $232 million to accelerate 19 infrastructure projects. Here are the projects in East County:

n Players Drive at Lorraine Road inter-

section improvements ($1,730,000)

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Caregiver CNA LPN

M

ajor road projects in East County and some facility additions to Premier Park will be happening earlier than planned as a result of the Manatee County commissioners borrowing $232 million for capital improvement projects.

The commissioners approved the county’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan on Sept. 13. The $232 million the county will borrow through bonds, which will be paid back at a 4.09% interest rate over the next 30 years, will accelerate 19 infrastructure projects in the plan.

In East County, road projects that will be accelerated include improvements at the intersection of Players Drive and Lorraine Road, a project on Lorraine Road between State Road 64 and 59th Avenue East, a Lena Road extension, a 44th Avenue East extension and a project on Upper Manatee River Road.

The Players Drive at Lorraine Road intersection improvements and work on the advanced traffic management system is planned to begin in October 2023 and end in December 2024.

The Lorraine Road project between S.R. 64 and 59th Avenue East, which will bring the road to four lanes as well as widen a bridge and add sidewalks, will begin in October 2023 and is expected to end in October 2025.

The Lena Road extension from S.R. 64 and State Road 70 will connect roadways south of 44th Avenue East to Landfill Road. It is undergoing design, permitting and land acquisition and is planned to begin in Octo-

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n Lena Road extension ($8,485,949) n Lorraine Road from State Road 64 to

59th Avenue East ($38,095,597) n 44th Avenue East extension ($33,095,597) n Upper Manatee River Road from State Road 64 to Fort Hamer Bridge ($22,650,301) n Soccer multi-purpose building at Premier Park ($1,498,410) n Stadium parking at Premier Park ($1,366,736) n Locker rooms at Premier Park ($3,595,704) n Swimming pool at Premier Park ($13,592,000)

ber 2023 and end in October 2025.

The 44th Avenue East extension, which will be from 44th Avenue Plaza East to Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, is part of the ongoing work to connect 44th Avenue East to Cortez Road in west Bradenton. Construction on the extension is ongoing and is planned to be completed in December 2025.

Upper Manatee River Road between State Road 64 and Fort Hamer Bridge will be widened and undergo intersection improvements. The project is planned to begin in October 2023 and end in October 2025.

Other projects in East County that will be accelerated are facility additions to Premier Park.

Premier Park will have a soccer multipurpose building, stadium parking, locker rooms and an Olympic-sized pool.

Construction on the soccer multipurpose building is planned to

EAST COUNTY

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begin in October and be completed in December 2023, while work on the stadium parking and locker rooms are ongoing and planned to be completed in February 2023.

The 10-lane lap pool will have a shallow area for swim lessons and other fitness activities as well as starting blocks, lane lines, in-pool and deck lighting, deck seating, shade structures and water heating, cooling and filtration systems. The project is planned to begin in May 2023 and be completed in May 2024.

Commissioner James Satcher said he was not concerned that bonds for capital projects could result in an increased cost to taxpayers, because of inflation driving up the debt that would be owed.

“I’m not a big fan of bonds, but when we have a 4% bond during 9%, inflation, and these are roads that we’re going to be driving on for the next 20 or 30 years, I think in this limited situation; bonds were the right move for the county,” Satcher said. “We can’t afford to sit back and wait another five to 10 years to start these projects. Our people need traffic relief now.”

At-large Commissioner Carol Whitmore also said she is “always fearful” about constant inflation and was concerned about going into debt through bonds for the Capital Improvement Plan. She said the board was adamant about funding these projects, and she wanted to work with other members.

She said the growth in the county was unprecedented and citizens expected action by commissioners.

“We would have many, many disappointed citizens if we didn’t fund the infrastructure because of how hard it is to get around the county,” she said. “You kind of don’t have a choice.”

She said when the county took out the loans, the low rates were “unbelievable,” and the decision was made at the right time.

The $1.2 billion Capital Improvement Plan allocates $435 million to transportation projects, $132 million to parks and $48 million to public safety projects.

The plan also includes amenities at Premier Park, which include a county service center, Lakewood Ranch Library, remote parking, pickleball and racquetball courts and a main-

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

BUDGET BREAKDOWN n Capital Outlay: $279,611,251 n Public Safety: $242,401,912 n Physical Environment:

$220,074,126 n Other: $98,524,570 n General Government: $96,257,537 n Public Transportation: $69,272,031 n Human Services : $36,599,848 n Culture & Recreation: $29,678,310 n Net budget: $1,072,419,585 n Gross budget: $2,358,762,650

Ian Swaby

The Lakewood Ranch Library is under construction and is expected to be completed in 2023.

tenance building.

The 50,000-square-foot Lakewood Ranch Library is under construction and expected to be completed in September 2023.

The budget for fiscal year 20222023, also passed on Sept. 13, and set aside high levels of funds for infrastructure.

Commissioners unanimously approved a net budget of $1.07 billion for fiscal year 2022-2023, an increase from last fiscal year’s $932 million budget.

The budget invests prominently in capital assets at $279.6 million, with public safety second in priority at $242.4 million.

“I just want to say, and I think the majority of commissioners would agree, that you all have done a fabulous job on the budget this year,” District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh told county staff, including Interim Chief Financial Officer Sheila McLean.

The budget seeks to fulfill a greater workforce demand by funding 55 newly created positions, which include 17 library staff positions for the Lakewood Ranch Library, five emergency telecommunicators, six positions in the Development Services Department and two guardian ad litem positions including a case manager and an attorney.

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The widening of Lorraine Road is among the projects being accelerated as part of the county’s capital improvement plan.

Also included in the budget is an addition $3 million for cybersecurity initiatives and the full funding of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office $172 million budget.

“We can’t do everything everybody wants, but when you look at where the money goes, one of the most important, if not the most important, is our sheriff,” Baugh said. “With the population growth we’ve seen, it’s been very important to make sure they are funded.”

Satcher applauded the range of services and projects included in the budget.

“We haven’t had any significant drop in services, and we’re still able to get the roads moving and still able to fund the sheriff,” he said. “So that absolutely is a huge accomplishment.”

Some commissioners expressed concerns that the reduction in property tax rates of 0.30 mills, which brings the countywide operating milage rate to 6.2326.

One mill is equal to $1 in property tax per each $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. With the decrease of 0.30 mills, a household assessed value of $350,000 would result in

MILLAGE RATES n General fund: 4.7942 n Transportation: 0.4036 n Library: 0.2475 n Parks: 0.3040 n Children’s services: 0.3333 n Environmental: 0.1500 n County-wide operating millage (total of above): 6.2326 n Unincorporated Municipal Services Taxing Unit: 0.6109 n Palm-Aire Municipal Services Taxing Unit: 0.2546 RESERVES n Contingency: $40,992,377 n Salaries: $17,914,033 n Cash balance: $468,862,732 n Capital: $105,433,564 n Total: $633,202,706

$105 in annual savings.

District 4 Commissioner Misty Servia said while the use of some reserves gave her “heartburn,” based on her conversations with staff, it was expected that funds rolling into the current budget would provide a comfortable level of surplus.

Whitmore said she would have preferred a millage decrease of 0.20 over 0.30. She said too many funds were being removed from reserves, and she hopes the reduction in reserves would not prove problematic in the case of an unforeseen disaster next hurricane season.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

ELMAC’S CRITERIA FOR PRESERVATION ECOLOGICAL QUALITY – quality of species or habitat, degree of alteration or degradation, level of restoration required RARITY OF SPECIES OR HABITAT – uniqueness, number of threatened, endangered or species of special concern supported IMPORTANCE TO WATER RESOURCES – protection of or degradation to potable water supply or aquatic environment CONNECTIVITY – proximity to existing conservation lands or planned corridor size of connection

Photos by Ian Swaby

For more information visit MyManatee.org,

Debra Woithe is liaison for ELMAC, and Charlie Hunsicker is natural resources director for Manatee County.

Conservation efforts continue The Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee plans to have recommendations for land purchases to commissioners by November.

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Staff of the Environmental Lands Management and Acquisition Committee (ELMAC) said they are diligently working toward utilizing the $50,000 in funds they were provided by the Conservation and Parks Projects Referendum passed in November 2020.

Responsibilities of the largely volunteer-staffed committee, which was established in 1993, have always included offering conservation recommendations to Manatee County commissioners, but this is the first time the committee has been provided with a dedicated funding source.

The referendum issued up to $50 million in bonds, repaid by a .15 mill ad valorem tax, for the acquisition of lands the committee recommends, if they are approved by county commissioners.

Debra Woithe, ELMAC’s liaison with the public and only paid staff member, said the organization is now getting closer to being able to utilize the funds. She said in a special work session in November, ELMAC will be ready to present its findings to the commission.

Charlie Hunsicker, natural resources director for the county, said it will likely be spring 2023 before commissioners can act on those recommendations and buy

properties, due partly to the arrival of new commissioners in November, whom he said will have other priorities as they begin their terms.

INVESTIGATING PROPERTIES

Hunsicker said the committee’s recommendations are focused purely on the environment, different from what commissioners would receive from land developers, who would be the alternative recommenders of properties.

“We’re lucky that we’re working with very geologic criteria, not market criteria,” Hunsicker said.

“Our geologic criteria are water, soil, which provide habitat for important plants and animals of Florida ... It doesn’t matter who owns it or where it is. We would go after it for no reason other than species protection.”

Woithe said thus far, 79 properties have been nominated as potential recommendations to commis-

sioners. Of that number, 75 meet ELMAC’s basic natural resource criteria. Out of that number, 66 have owners who are interested in selling, and nine are being reviewed and prioritized by ELMAC for recommendation.

Woithe said site visits, a required step in the process, have been performed for about 10 properties thus far.

The amount of properties eventually acquired will be determined by the limits of funds.

Anyone, including members of the public, can use a form provided on MyManatee.org to nominate properties.

ELMAC Chairperson Scott Tussing said properties range widely in location, from the far reaches of the county to the beach.

“We’re looking at coastal environments, wetlands, uplands, prairies and all sorts of other things,” he said.

Current properties ELMAC has prioritized in or near the East County area are 948 acres in the Myakka City area between Wauchula Road and Pine Level Road and 38 acres just north of the Manatee River currently owned by Gospel Crusade Inc.

A database online at MyManatee.org provides information on all properties under consideration, as well as nominated properties.

Tussing said a January update of the ELMAC ordinance, which designated the committee as the one specifically authorized to determine spending of the $50 million, allowed the committee to begin examining properties.

Tussing said that after changing its focus to the properties themselves around May 2022, the organization is moving “diligently,” although appraisals and environmental surveys involved in the investigative process consume significant amounts of time.

Woithe said the committee currently meets once every two months but might consider monthly meetings as needed.

Although Tussing is responsible for overseeing the meetings and operations of ELMAC, he attributes the successful creation and execution of its processes to Woithe.

Woithe’s responsibilities include contacting property owners to determine their interest. She said when she cannot reach an owner, ELMAC sends a letter with a check box that allows them to provide a “yes” or “no” statement.

Only in the case that a willing seller exists does ELMAC reveal to the public that a property is under consideration.

Woithe said there are multiple facets to working with property owners. Owners might have multiple relatives who must all be contacted.

Agreements must be reached, for instance, when an owner wishes to stay on the property for the remainder of their life, before it is sold.

There is also legal paperwork to fill.

Woithe also fulfills other responsibilities such as administering public meetings, building the dashboard for viewing the properties, and developing information to present to ELMAC members and commissioners.

Tussing said the process consumes not only time but funds as well.

“Fifty million (dollars) sounds like a lot of money,” he said. “But with the cost of acreage these days, it’s not going to go as far as people think.”

He said the organization must choose carefully what properties it recommends.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

7A

Exclusive OPHTHALMOLOGY Lakewood Ranch’s

PRACTICE

Staff said the nature of properties investigated by ELMAC varies widely, as do the criteria that are considered.

Woithe said nominated properties vary in their attributes, but staff only consider those of substantial size.

She said factors considered include the acquisition cost before the appraisal, the cost of maintenance, and the availability of public access for paddling, hiking, riding horses, hunting or other activities.

Tussing said other factors include connectivity to other environmental lands for the sake of wildlife and people, the ability to maintain or supplement flora and fauna and the ability to preserve water and keep it cleaner.

Also considered are long-term management costs, for trails and facilities will be installed. Woithe said while Manatee County will be

VOLUNTEERS

County staff said the volunteer base of the board is functioning robustly.

Although the county advertised five volunteer position vacancies in August, with the position of an environmental group member still vacant, Woithe said these vacancies were related to expiring terms, as well as one staff member leaving the county.

“Right now, I think people are more than willing to be involved,” Tussing said. He said the public perceives the committee’s goal as important, and it has been receiving numerous applications.

Tussing said the board’s number of seats increased from about 12 to 17 since the referendum. In 2021, the board moved to revise many positions to district-specific seats.

He called its staff “very well rounded.”

“There is a lot of site expertise and a lot of knowledge bases to draw from, to make better decisions,” he said.

Conservatory Park in the University Park area is among the lands acquired by the county in the past and offers a viewing area for the nearby lake.

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CRITERIA FOR PRESERVATION

responsible for a majority of the costs, it is possible there will be partnerships involved with other organizations on the maintenance of certain properties.

“Luckily, working for this board of county commissioners, our mission is pretty pure,” Hunsicker said.

“We’re trying to find the best scrub jay habitat – can you believe it? We’re trying to find the best growing-all habitat. We’re trying to find the best property that will keep our drinking water clean.”

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Although commissioners previously expressed concern that announcements of properties under consideration would drive up land prices, ELMAC has a mechanism to prevent this from occurring: the county will pay no more than the appraised value of a property.

Woithe said normally there will be two appraisals performed. If the results fall within 20% of one another, the county will offer the average price. If they are further apart, a third appraisal will be performed.

She also said sometimes landowners have an incentive to sell due to IRS tax benefits for conservationrelated sales.

8A

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Waterside of Lakewood Ranch’s Bob Smith will be honored as the Humanitarian of the Year by the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund on Oct. 27 at Esplanade Golf and Country Club.

CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT MANAGING EDITOR

A

fter years of selfless dedication to helping those who are less fortunate, Lakewood Ranch’s Bob Smith confessed he had an ulterior motive.

“I am trying to buy my way into heaven,” Smith said with a laugh as he talked about his selection as the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund’s C. John A. Clarke Humanitarian of the Year for 2022. “I try to carve out time to do some good work because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t like my chances (of getting into heaven).”

Gene Tischer, who is president of the board for Stillpoint Mission of Bradenton, likes Smith’s chances when he arrives at the pearly gates.

“I just hope I can grab his shoestrings on the way up,” Tischer said.

Since 2012, Smith has organized an Appeal for Stillpoint Mission, which raises funds for a nonprofit that feeds and clothes the “poorest of the poor.” Through 11 years, that appeal has resulted in $235,818, including $63,035 in 2022. Besides collecting funds, Smith has worked at the mission, handing out food and clothing.

“He is humble and he is not trying to grab any credit,” Tischer said.

“What he does is no benefit to him, and he doesn’t mind giving his time.

Sometimes he would come down here and grab a bucket and mop because we needed the floors cleaned or he would hand out items. He is as hands-on as he possibly could be.

“There always is a big smile on his face, and it makes us feel like he is glad to be here, like it’s a privilege for him. When he is here, he is present, and my heart is with him. He has been a wonderful source of encouragement and support over the last decade-plus, and without his commitment, we couldn’t have delivered the amount of supplies that we have to our clients.”

Stillpoint, which has received several grants from the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund, was founded in 1998 by Franciscan Sister Nora Brick, who also in 1995 founded Project Light, a program to teach English to those who need help with the language. Smith volunteered as a teacher for 11 years, through 2017.

“I had retired and I was settling in,” said Smith, who moved to Lakewood Ranch with his family in 2002.

“I was on the golfing, eating, wine tasting, sitting on my butt, merrygo-round. It took me five years to stumble across Stillpoint Mission and Project Light. I was able to hook on to something.”

Jay Heater

For 11 years, Lakewood Ranch’s Bob Smith has organized a Stillpoint Mission Drive.

Smith notes the 2022 total of $63,035 can buy 315,175 pounds of food. Here are the totals:

He met Sister Nora Brick in 2012 and found a calling. He asked her how she obtained funding for the mission and she said, “God provides.”

“That’s all good,” Smith remembered thinking, “but you have to do a little on your own.”

He immediately started an email campaign, mostly among his golfing buddies, to raise funds for the mission. It grew from there.

Smith, who will be presented the award at the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund’s Wine & Giving event at 6 p.m., Oct. 27 at Esplanade Golf and Country Club, will have his name added to the Humanitarian of the Year plaque near the fountain on Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.

He appreciates all the attention of the award, but he said one gift rises above all else.

His daughter, Amanda Tullidge Smith, wrote his nomination letter to the Community Fund board.

“Of course, most daughters think the sun rises and sets on their father, but I can truly say that my father backs up this opinion with his words and actions,” Tullidge Smith wrote in her letter. “From an early age, he taught me that to whom much is given, much is expected. We were lucky enough to live a comfortable life in a Wisconsin suburb, but in many ways over the years he would teach me about the responsibilities we have to others. As a child, he would take me with him to the Waukesha Food Pantry, where he served as a board member. Together, we would stock the shelves or we would go door to door soliciting donations. For my birthday, he encouraged me to solicit donations for the food pantry rather than gifts from my classmates. He

Courtesy photo

Bob Smith presents a $39,000 check to Stillpoint mission Treasurer James Keiner and Board President Gene Tischer in 2021.

also served as a board member of the City of Hope, which raised funds for cancer research. He did all of this while raising a family, attending our church, working as a solo practitioner real estate attorney in his own firm, serving on the Wisconsin State Bar and coaching my T-ball and basketball teams.”

When Smith, who turns 74 the day he receives his award, talks about his daughter’s letter, he chokes up.

“Her letter ... it’s one of the crowning achievements in my life,” he said.

“To have my daughter look back and say, ‘He was a pretty cool guy.’ I can die a happy man because I know what my daughter thinks.”

Tullidge Smith, an attorney, took her father’s lessons to heart, serving six years on the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund board, often alongside her mom, Julie Smith.

Smith credits his wife’s and daughter’s work with the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund for inspiring him, and he also gives a nod to former Lakewood Ranch Community Fund board member Diane Brune (the 2018 Humanitarian of the Year), Lakewood Ranch Country Club General Manager Wayne Piazza and John Clarke and Tischer for their inspiration.

“It’s wonderful,” Brune said of Smith receiving the award. “People know Bob personally shows up to help. You can see him tying shoes on little girls (at Stillpoiint), and he is so fun to work with. He shows us what service and dedication really are.”

When Smith was looking for a place to retire, he said one factor for choosing Lakewood Ranch was Clarke’s founding of the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund.

“I had looked from Marco Island to north Tampa, and I thought Lakewood Ranch was the best,” Smith said. “John Clarke got the first (Humanitarian of the Year) award, and there was a lot of publicity around him. It was all about what a good, vibrant community Lakewood

Ranch has and that the Community Fund would get people together to do good things.”

He also talked about what being a humanitarian means to him.

“It means that you consider the welfare of others instead of concentrating on yourself,” he said.

While attending the University of Wisconsin, Smith said he took a series of humanities classes that impressed upon him what it means to be human.

“It was the most formative thing in my life,” he said. “It taught me to have an appreciation for liberal arts, which almost is banned now.

It taught me that it’s a big world out there and to look beyond your nose, to see and understand what is going on. Because I had such an appreciation of the humanities, I was duty bound to pass that on in whatever way I could.”

He is proud that he and Julie have passed the commitment to Amanda.

One highlight for Smith in raising Amanda was when the family went to a City of Hope convention at the Beverly Hilton in 1994. They were part of a big reception where they were to present a check raised by their chapter. Bob and Julie sent Amanda up to the stage to present the check, and they let the master of ceremonies know it was Amanda’s 6th birthday. More than 1,500 people sang “Happy Birthday” to her.

It was a lesson that altruism can have some perks.

Along with the work have been many memorable moments. Bob and Julie were invited to the wedding of a Haitian man who was a Stillpoint client. He was grateful because Bob Smith helped him earn his U.S citizenship.

Smith emphasized that retired folks around Lakewood Ranch can join the humanitarian effort, even if they have health issues.

“I have diabetes and a hearing aid,” he said. “I can still function.

“I want to get into heaven.”

Here are the winners of the C. John Clarke Humanitarian of the Year Award: 2010: Stuart Roth 2011: Bob and Billie Delany 2012: Lou and Ann Marie Marinaccio 2013: Col. John Saputo 2014: Robert Rosinsky

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His daughter’s nomination letter presents Lakewood Ranch’s Bob Smith with one of the most cherished moments of his life.

JAY HEATER

EAST COUNTY

2015: Lee Wetherington 2016: Don and Vanessa Baugh 2017: John Fain and Angela Massaro-Fain 2018: Diane Brune

2019: Joseph and Barbara Najmy 2020: No winner due to pandemic 2021: Lakewood Ranch Medical Center 2022: Bob Smith

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

JAY HEATER

Rosedale residents struggle with Lena Road extension

W

hen you want to appreciate the master-planned community of Lakewood Ranch, you only have to look for nearby areas that, well, aren’t quite as masterplanned.

Of course that is to be expected because most areas don’t start with 50 square miles all controlled by the same company.

Those pesky plots of land twist and turn and their borders don’t lend themselves to perfect planning.

Take, for instance, Rosedale’s current clash with surrounding roads.

Go back 30 years and I am sure it all seemed very simple. You had a major highway being established north and south in Interstate 75, a nice, straight, four-lane thoroughfare in State Road 70 that went east and west and a fancy community that fit into the entire picture like the piece of a puzzle.

Rosedale’s main entrance released onto S.R. 70, and residents could pour out onto that road and with a right-hand turn, you were right to I-75 and access to the entire region.

No worries.

I wonder, however, if anyone did a flyover?

Years ago, I had read a story about the late Dean Lesher, who owned Lesher Communications and a bunch of newspapers, doing a flyover of the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area when he was deciding where to build his media empire. He looked at all the roads and how they converged and then imagined how other roads would emerge around the major highways.

He was a smart guy, and he built his business accordingly.

I am sure Rosedale’s planner, Robert Hunt, looked at the available land here and considered how everything would develop inside its borders. It is, indeed, beautiful. But who, ultimately, is responsible for the roads around it?

Most people likely would say that responsibility falls on Manatee County.

It all becomes an issue now that Manatee County is planning to connect the two lengths of Lena Road that has its southern and northern lengths separated by approximately a half-mile of privately owned land.

Once accomplished, Lena Road will effectively become a frontage road or a service road for I-75, which is important in allowing local traffic to flow when the interstate clogs.

However, that complicates matters for Rosedale residents, who are worried that turning Lena into a frontage road is going to greatly increase traffic overall, especially truck traffic. The biggest problem becomes Rosedale’s main entrance on S.R. 70.

That intersection has a signal light that allows Rosedale residents to go either east or west on S.R. 70, or go straight across from Rosedale’s entrance (a very short 87th Street East) to Ranch Lake Boulevard and the shopping area that includes Walmart. It all would have worked perfectly, except for that little strip of road between Rosedale and the interstate — Lena Road.

When Lena Road — the section that runs north from S.R. 70 — was a nothing road that nobody cared about, it didn’t matter that it would be impossible to make a left-hand turn where it intersected with S.R. 70. Again, nobody cared. Like a homeowner doing his own electrical work, a jerry-rigged course would send motorists traveling south on Lena to make a left-hand turn just before S.R. 70, on 54th Drive East, a route that put them right in front of Rosedale’s main entrance, clashing with the traffic coming out of that neighborhood.

The traffic headed down 54th Drive East would then dodge cars coming out of Rosedale to make a right turn onto 87th Street East to access the stop light on State Road

70 to make that cherished left-hand turn.

When Lena Road was a nothing road, it only led to occasional dodgeball interactions in front of the Rosedale main gate. Now? Yikes.

Rosedale residents are afraid making Lena Road a S.R. 70/S.R. 64 connector is going to lead to a daily bumper cars ride in front of their main gate.

The staff at Manatee County Public Works appreciates those concerns. Unfortunately, they have inherited a rather impossible situation because nobody understood the importance of a frontage road back 30 years ago.

The distance between the existing traffic signal at S.R. 70’s intersection with Ranch Lake Boulevard/87th Street East is too short to put in another traffic light at S.R. 70 and Lena Road.

Somebody should have done a flyover years ago, noticing that Lena Road eventually would become a key thoroughfare. Redesigning that entire stretch of road would be a huge financial burden for taxpayers.

Through all this, Manatee County’s Public Works department deserves high marks for not burying its head in the sand. Ogden Clark, the county’s strategic affairs manager for Public Works, met with Rosedale residents on two days this past week via Zoom to discuss Lena Road and keep them informed.

“We had a good meeting,” said Rosedale’s Fred Booth. “We came away from it thinking they want to work with us.”

Booth, who said the 14 Rosedale HOA presidents were among those on the call, said there was a mutual agreement that the “sky is not falling” and to be focused on things that can be done.

He said Rosedale residents were hoping the county would put a traffic light at the intersection of Lena Road and S.R. 70, but they realize

File photo

Rosedale Golf and Country Club resident Fred Booth said Rosedale maintains 87th Street East and residents would be upset if cement trucks use the entrance to get to State Road 70.

now that isn’t possible.

Residents, though, continued to voice their concern about traffic buildup in front of their main entrance.

“They probably are sick of hearing it,” Booth said of the county staff members. “They are aware of our concerns.”

Booth said other concerns are excessive noise from increased truck traffic and similar traffic problems at Rosedale’s north exit/ entrance on 44th Avenue. Those are concerns that could have solutions.

The residents have been pushing for weight limits on stretches of Lena Road that could limit heavy truck traffic. They believe a traffic signal at their gate on 44th Avenue will be important.

“The new (Robert Toale & Sons’ Celebration of Life Center) is open right there, and a lot of other businesses are coming,” Booth said. “It’s going to be crazy.”

Booth said residents were informed the Lena Road sections wouldn’t be connected until the 44th Avenue extension was com-

plete, most likely in 2025. So there is time to consider options. The current Manatee County plan does not call for a signal light, which would cost approximately $2 million, at Rosedale’s northern entrance on 44th Avenue.

“He told us to keep pushing for that signal light because it makes sense,” Booth said of Clark. “We will continue to do that.”

Manatee County also is devoting space on its website (MyManatee.org/Lena) to keep residents informed about upcoming projects.

Booth said it helps.

“They have told us that if we have concerns, to please call,” Booth said.

“It calms the nerves.”

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

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Unique Realtors UNIQUE REAL ESTATE FIRM

Photos by Liz Ramos

Heidi Gillen and Melody Filewich sell Lakewood Ranch High School Marching Mustangs merchandise during a football game. Merchandise is one way band parents raise money for the school’s band program.

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IF YOU GO See Braden River and Lakewood Ranch high schools’ marching bands perform at football games and competitions.

Lakewood Ranch High School will host the Music in Motion Regional Competition Oct. 22 at the high school.

Braden River High School Marching Band of Pirates and the Marching Mustangs will compete at this event.

Both bands also will be competing at the Florida Marching Band Championships state championship Nov. 19 and Nov. 20 in Fort Lauderdale. For more information, visit FMBCstate.com.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

ARC TEAM

Nicole McCoy and Joanne Burden, parents of students in Lakewood Ranch High School’s marching band, remember anxiously awaiting the news.

Officials were getting ready to announce the five bands that would make the finals of the 2019 Florida Marching Band Championships.

“This one just stuck with me because it was Lake Howell (High School) that made sixth,” McCoy said. “When they said, ‘Lake,’ you could see all the kids inhale and their bodies tensed up. It’s the emotion that they get ... that we get.”

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The parents were cheering every bit as loud as the kids when it was announced that Lakewood Ranch High placed fourth and would compete in the finals. The band went on to place third overall in its division at finals.

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Lakewood Ranch and Braden River high school marching bands will have fundraising opportunities throughout the season.

LAKEWOOD RANCH HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING MUSTANGS n Car wash Sept.

24 at Ace Hardware, 2401 Lakewood Ranch Blvd, Lakewood Ranch n Fundraising day Oct. 3 at Truman’s bar and Grill, 11161 State Road 70, Bradenton n Donate to the band’s December trip to the Sugar Bowl at LakewoodRanchBands. org/Trip BRADEN RIVER HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND OF PIRATES n Fundraiser from 5-9 p.m. Oct. 11 at Chipotle, 11715 State Road 70 E., Lakewood Ranch n Quarter Auction at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 10 at Braden River High School, 6545 State Road 70 E., Bradenton n To donate to the band, visit BRHSBands.org/Donations

Just as the students do, parents put in hundreds of hours of volunteer work supporting the bands and share the same emotional roller coaster ride as the students.

“I’ll be honest, there’s some weeks that I work more on band stuff than I do on my regular job,” said Chuck Knapp, whose son, Hudson Knapp, is a junior at Braden River High.

He said the behind-the-scenes prep work that goes into hosting a competition, or the work to travel to an event, is significant.

Parents raise money for the band, build props, design band T-shirts, provide first aid, sew and size uniforms, sew flags, wash uniforms, run concession stands at games, chaperone trips and throw parties.

On football game days, parents arrive at least two hours before kickoff to help the band prepare for the game.

At Lakewood Ranch High’s game Sept. 2, McCoy and Burden were at the school by 4:30 p.m. along with other parents to get uniforms ready, sign in middle school students for middle school night, load trailers with props and instruments and prepare the concessions stand.

Parents say all the work also helps strengthen the family environment.

They work with their kids to teach them organization, time management, leadership and more.

Keith and Jeannette Scutti saw the impact the band had on their oldest daughter, Olivia, who graduated from Braden River High in 2020. So they are now band parent volunteers.

“We saw that it inspired her and gave her something to believe in and look forward to,” Jeannette Scutti said. “It was a time when she needed something like that. When we saw she was really into it, as a family, we made a decision to just dive in.”

The family moved from Pinellas County before Olivia Scutti’s freshman year. Olivia attended a football game and, after watching the band, decided she wanted to be a member of the Marching Band of Pirates.

“We didn’t realize how much it was going to change our lives,” said Keith Scutti, who noted his daughter went from having no friends to having a second family.

“She felt like she belonged and was a part of something,” he said.

Now the Scutti family is in their

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

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Parents such as Braden River High’s Jeremy Wade and Vanessa Embry work together in the concession stand to support the band program. Parents say they become more like family after working hours together.

final year with the band program; their daughter Grace Scutti is in her senior year at Braden River High.

While Grace Scutti was at a ninehour rehearsal Sept. 17, so were Keith and Jeannette Scutti, as well as dozens of other parents.

The parents focused on building props for Braden River High School Marching Band of Pirates’ “Lessons Learned” show. Besides building props, they also made sandwiches to feed the band.

The parents love being a part of the legacy their bands have created.

“We volunteer specifically so that we can be a part of keeping this going,” McCoy said. “We want to make sure the next generation of kids can also have this opportunity.”

Jeannette Scutti and Burden said being a part of the band gives them an opportunity to be close with their high-schoolers for the last few years before they graduate.

“Everyone knows that in high school your parents aren’t cool anymore,” Jeannette Scutti said. “They don’t want to hang out with you.

“What this did for us as parents is it gave us four more years to interact with our kids, their friends and be a part of their everyday (life).

They’re putting in the work. We’re putting in the work. I can only hope I’m showing my daughter that once she has children, she can be part of

what inspires them and makes them happy.”

Rather than looking out on the field watching the football game, many parents are facing the opposite direction looking at their students performing in the stands. Once halftime hits, their attention is on the field seeing their students play and march their way through a show.

Parents said they are constantly amazed at how marching band brings together students with different levels of ability and marching skills.

“In the beginning of the year, they always feel like they’re a hot mess,” said Jessica Eastman, whose daughter Abby Pollard is a sophomore in Braden River’s color guard. “Last year, at the end of the season when we were at states, they went on after a season of ups and downs and every parent on the sideline was crying. To watch those kids put all their heart out there is so fulfilling for them and us as parents.”

Not only was Pollard a freshman last year, but Eastman said she felt like a freshman herself as a new “band mom.”

After Pollard came home from rehearsal Aug. 28, Eastman’s work for the band was just beginning for the day. She spent the night sewing flags for the color guard.

Now, both Pollard and Eastman don’t feel like freshmen anymore.

Joanne Burden, her daughter, Jasmine Burden, and her husband, Greg Burden, are making the most of their final year with the Lakewood Ranch High School Marching Mustangs. Jasmine Burden is a senior this year.

Any anxiety students are feeling before a performance, the parents are feeling it, too. Parents helping bring props and instruments onto the field get anxious waiting for the moment they can step on the field and get the prop in the exact position it’s needed in a limited amount of time. They’re running off the field to then watch in awe.

By the end of the season, parents feel all the band students are their own kids.

“You’re out there with them,” Keith Scutti said. “You’re not just standing on the side watching, waiting to applaud. You’re looking for everything that goes right, everything that goes wrong because you’re not just going to a show. You’ve been to half the practices. You know where the weaknesses are, where the strengths are, what can go wrong. You’re looking forward to it. You want to be a part of it. It just brings you to that emotional level.”

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Ranch security provider could be locked out

Welcome Dr. Nguyen

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Michelle P. Nguyen, MD Team member of Bradenton Cardiology Center

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Dr. Nguyen is board certified in internal medicine and echocardiography and is a registered physician in vascular interpretation. She received her medical degree at the Trinity School of Medicine on the island of Saint Vincent in the Caribbean. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando. Her cardiology fellowship took place at the Northside Hospital Program/USF Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa, Florida.

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he Lakewood Ranch Inter-District Authority is shopping for another security provider.

Tom Merrell, director of operations for the Inter-District Authority, said the IDA has received complaints about the in-person security at the Lakewood Ranch neighborhood gates and at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.

Currently, security is provided by the Tactical Services Group.

According to Community Development District officials, the company has experienced corporate restructuring, becoming absorbed into its current form from what was previously Code Black Security, although it still utilizes the same staff.

The company provides security guards at neighborhood gates for CDD 2, 5 and 6, which all manage portions of Lakewood Ranch Country Club, as well as for Town Hall. It also provides a roving patrol of the Greenbrook area, which is District 4.

Merrell said he began to observe a decrease in services when the company’s ownership changed.

“We have vendors that we’ve had fantastic relationships with for years, and then something changes in their management. It’s not uncommon,” Merrell said.

He said after IDA staff members brought their concerns to the company’s management, there had been no correction of the issues.

Tactical Services Group declined to comment.

Merrell said he expects to have new proposals to present to the districts within about two weeks, but it would likely be the beginning of November before new guard staff can be implemented.

Merrell said some residents’ concerns include guards opening gates for vendors without verification and guards being absent for too long for breaks.

Merrell said guards are provided with a protocol for responding to

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guests, and often, guards are familiar with vendors that have been admitted multiple times in the past, which residents might be unaware.

He said there are no specific break times set in the contract for guards, and labor laws require employees to have breaks.

Merrell said there also have been issues with evening events at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, where sometimes guards have failed to show up on time because of scheduling conflicts, leaving attendees locked out.

Merrell said the IDA’s operations department receives two to three calls per month with complaints related to guards.

Pete Bokach, chairman of the board for District 2, said the move was a routine switch.

“It’s just coincidental that the contract is up, but it’s no different than any vendors that we have,” Bokach said. “We like to ask every month, how are we doing with ‘x, y, z’ vendor?”

Staff members of District 4 gave favorable reviews toward the roving patrol within the Greenbrook area.

“The services we have are fine,” Vice Chair Keith Davey said.

James Rogoze, the board chairperson for CDD 6, said the board wanted to follow advice from the IDA to switch to a new provider, to be sure it could offer the best quality of service.

“There have been issues where the protocols that are in place haven’t always been followed the way we’d like,” Rogoze said.

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

FRAMING YOUR FAMILY

Photos by Spencer Fordin

The Ladd brothers celebrate their familial connection and their childhood memories in their art.

Steven and William Ladd spend their lives doing what they love, and they make sure their artwork reflects that.

SPENCER FORDIN A+E EDITOR

A

conversation with artist brothers Steven and William Ladd is a window into their creative process. They’re spitting out ideas in rapid-fire bursts and finishing each other’s sentences, sometimes coloring in the gaps and sometimes contradicting each other.

They’re laughing, hamming it up and being as open as they can be. And when it’s over, they ask for a hug.

The Ladd brothers, separated by one year in age, began collaborating in a high school ceramics lab and they’ve never really stopped.

Their new exhibit at the Sarasota Art

www.manasotaonline.com

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SEE LADDS, PAGE 14A

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Ladds FROM PAGE 13A

Museum, “Lead With a Laugh,” represents the past decade of their work with textiles and beads.

There are huge wall hangings of various shaded colorings and a floor display that represents their property in upstate New York.

Another wall display is a mock family tree with beaded portraits of their various family members, each representing about 60 hours of work.

William Ladd, who constructs most of the artwork, says he wakes up at 5 a.m. and works out before he heads to his studio. Then he works about eight hours at beading and weaving before he goes home, and ultimately he works even more once he gets there.

“I’ll work studio hours, then I go home,” he says. “Usually I’m hanging out with my kids; I’m playing with them for a couple hours. And then when they’re like, ‘OK, we’ve had enough Dad,’ I’ll start working on beaded portraits. You make time for a little bit of everything.”

At root, the brothers say, they love what they do, so it doesn’t feel like work. Their work ethic comes from their father, they say, who was a top electrician in St. Louis who worked 70 hours a week for most of their childhood. And it wasn’t just that; he worked with his brothers, providing a family template for William and Steven that lasts to this day.

Their mom, meanwhile, provided them and their two siblings with love and affection and nourishment. And that’s why much of their art is rooted in family nostalgia and sentimentality but also with a biting sense of humor and an ear for subversion.

“Our mom and dad were like 20 and they had four kids,” says William, telling a long story about the green panel in a multicolored wall display. “We spent a lot of time at our grandparents. My grandfather was a baker, and my grandmother would watch us. It was four of us.

“We would be running around and we’d be like ‘What’s for dinner?’ and she’d be like ‘Poison.’ So we titled the green one ‘Poison’ after Grandma.’”

PERSONAL TOUCH

Steven Ladd, older than William by one year, handles the business end of their art practice now, and he says their industry really began accidentally. They were working in the advertising business and living together in Bushwick, New York. During their free time, they were making intricate accessories and handbags that took hundreds of hours apiece.

And then, one day, when they were working as set assistants for a Neiman Marcus catalogue photo shoot, an executive saw their sidework and asked to include it in the catalogue.

“The next day, we got incorporated as a handbag and accessory company,” says Steven Ladd. “That’s the company we’re still incorporated as today. That was January of 2000.”

Now, 20-plus years later, their lives have changed and so has their art. The Ladd brothers work together in their studio five days a week, and they work together at their property in upstate New York.

It’s gotten to the point that they enlist student interns to help them with their artwork, and their parents and uncles and cousins also have spent time beading and weaving.

“Work for me, work for free,” jokes William of his family and friends assembly line. “You have to wait until they volunteer. If you draft them, people will start dodging that.”

One of their latest works, the representation of their property, began seven-and-a-half years ago but never really took shape until recently.

William Ladd says he began weaving the trees at his son’s gymnastics lessons, and the next thing he knew he had a veritable forest.

Then, when the plans for their exhibit at Sarasota Art Museum came around, the brothers knew exactly how to use their trees.

They’d use them to depict the place that inspires them.

“We have this property in upstate New York called Santa Poco,” says Steven, hovering over the model.

“We built a shed for me, one for William and one for my Mom and Dad. We’re always kind of up there together hanging out and brainstorming and thinking. And we have two kind of distinct areas of the property; we have like a wood forest where we have those sheds. And then we have a like a creek bisecting the

Spencer Fordin

property and then a whole hillside over here.”

The family tree project happened just as organically. William did a beaded portrait of his son Mateo about three-and-a-half years ago, and then he did one of himself.

Soon after, he found himself doing a portrait of his wife and he figured he’d keep on going and do his entire family. But there are a lot of Ladds.

That extended family tree grew to 20 beaded portraits, all on display at “Lead With a Laugh.” William jokes that at the end of the project, when they were considering expanding the family tree to 25 frames, he had to prioritize whose face was worth spending 60 hours depicting.

“It’s better to do younger kids because their faces are smaller,” he says of the beading process.

“But all the kids are grown now.”

SCROLLATHON

The Ladd family takeover of the Sarasota Art Museum will continue in October with an exhibit chronicling the history of the Scrollathon, an interactive art experience that has reached more than 10,000 artists nationwide.

That endeavor — which the brothers started 17 years ago in St. Louis — encourages people to make personal artistic statements and then weaves them all together to tell a greater narrative of our society.

The theme this year is grandiose:

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It’s the story of America and what binds us together as citizens.

The project started local, but now it has a national footprint, mirroring the brothers’ art trajectory. They’ve managed to show their work in galleries as far-flung as Hawaii and Sheboygan, Ill., and now they have the hard job of summing it all up.

“When the community comes here, they’re going to be able to walk through this whole exhibition and see this artwork before they go into the Scrollathon,” says Steven.

“A lot of times when we’re working with the communities that we work with on the Scrollathon, they don’t necessarily have the sense that artists exhibiting in museums are actually alive. And they also don’t think that the things they make can be exhibited in museums. So here they’ll be able to experience the artwork we made, meet us and know that we’re alive and not dead. And then also contribute to a collaborative master work that they helped to make.”

Steven and William Ladd have been collaborating on art their entire adult lives.

IF YOU GO

STEVEN AND WILLIAM LADD: LEAD WITH A LAUGH When: Runs through Feb. 5, 2023 Where: Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Tickets: Free with museum admission Info: SarasotaArtMuseum.org.

LAST CHANCE—CLOSES SEP 25

Help your neighbors balance things out.

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INFORMATION + TICKETS

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Enomoto Chikatoshi (Japanese, 1898–1973), Florida (detail), ca. 1935.

One of a set of six paintings mounted as framed panels; ink, color, and gold leaf on paper, 45 5/16 × 77 1/2 in. (115.1 × 196.9 cm) Gift from the collection of Robert and Mary Levenson, 2019, SN11671.3.

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YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

15A

DISTINCTIVE DISHES An occasional series on signature dishes from local restaurants.

BBQ SAMPLER AT STOTTLEMYER’S SMOKEHOUSE Address: 19 East Road Ambiance: Old Florida, Tiki bar, chickee hut Price: Entrees from $12 to $29 Info: StottlemyersSmokehouse.com

Photos by Spencer Fordin

HOW IT’S MADE: The meat at Stottlemyer’s is seasoned with a dry rub, says kitchen manager Felix Morales.

There’s garlic, onion powder, paprika, salt and cayenne pepper.

But it isn’t spicy. The brisket will be totally raw when it goes into the

HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE: They’re also making their own barbecue sauce at Stottlemyer’s, but it only goes on the meat at the customer’s request.

The sauce has a ketchup base and is tinged with brown sugar, molasses

USING THE WHOLE BUFFALO: The meat is all over the menu. It starts in the authentic barbecue section and stretches into pretty much every dish. Morales says you can get a salad or a vegetarian taco plate at Stottlemyer’s, and there’s also fish options like salmon, catfish and mahi mahi for people who don’t want to eat barbecued meats.

But for the people who do? You’ll find a wealth of options here.

Rodriguez says smoked meat will find its way into tacos, chili dishes, pizzas, meaty macaroni and cheese sandwiches. It’s even found its way into the vegetables.

“Our cabbage, our collard greens, our green beans all come with bacon and onions,” she says. “If you have a pork religion, our vegetables aren’t going to be it. Stick to the fried okra.”

KITCHEN MANAGER FELIX MORALES

SIT-DOWN OR TAKEOUT: Stottlemyer’s is equipped with a takeout window at the front for anyone who wants to grab a meal and go.

But if you want to stick around for a while, the Tiki bar and main seating area is ready for you to eat in and covered by the thatched-roof Chickee Hut in case of rain.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT: You’ve had jalapeño. And you’ve had bacon.

Have you had bacon-wrapped jalapeño?

At Stottlemyer’s, they take the jalapeño pepper and mix it with seasonings, including cheddar cheese and creamed cheese, then wrap it in bacon and smoke it.

“When the order is made,” says Rodriguez, “we flash-fry it to crisp up that bacon, but that whole jalapeño with the filling and the bacon is initially smoked.”

— SPENCER FORDIN

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smoker, and it will stay there for 12 hours before it’s ready to be served.

The baby back ribs, by contrast, come out of the smoker in just twoand-a-half hours.

“We do it at a low temperature, so it takes a long time to cook,” says Morales. “Once it comes out of the cooker, it’s perfect.”

— Assistant general manager Monica Rodriguez

and corn syrup and mixed with granulated onions, garlic and applesauce.

The mixture sits overnight, and then it’s ready for the brisket in the morning. Morales says they make the sauce every other day, and they usually make two to five gallons of it at a time.

Can you buy it?

It’s not in a bottle. But they’ll find a way to get you some if you want it.

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“I always tell people when they come here they need to come prepared. Do not come with buttons or zippers or snaps. Elastic waist is the dress code here.”

WHAT’S THE DISH: You might be sleeping, but the brisket is slowly cooking.

Stottlemyer’s Smokehouse, an open-air Tiki bar and barbecue eatery on Fruitville Road just east of I-75, is smoking 40 pounds of brisket every night, pushing the meat into the cooker at 6 p.m. and then rescuing it from the heat when they open back up the next morning.

The brisket is the star attraction on the restaurant’s BBQ Sampler, which also includes a half-chicken and your choice of two long bone ribs or a half-rack of baby backs.

You also get your choice of two sides with the sampler.

And that’s why Monica Rodriguez, the assistant general manager at Stottlemyer’s, tells people to arrive on an empty stomach.

“I always tell people when they come here they need to come prepared,” she says. “Do not come with buttons or zippers or snaps. Elastic waist is the dress code here.”

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

OUR PICK

EQUINOX: A CELTIC CELEBRATION Celebrate the changing of the seasons with Key Chorale. The symphonic choral group is welcoming a group of artists who specialize in traditional Celtic sounds, and they’ll be playing a tribute to the old country on tracks like “Danny Boy” and others you might not have heard yet. Tenor Brad Diamond will join the group, as will Irish fiddle champ Dylan Foley.

IF YOU GO When: 4 p.m., Sept. 24 Where: Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road Tickets: $35-$45 Info: KeyChorale.org.

THIS WEEK THURSDAY

BISHOP AFTER DARK: HAVANA NIGHTS 6 p.m. at Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton $45 Visit BishopScience.org.

Join Pete Carney and his SCF student Jazz Ensemble as they explore the syncopated rhythms of salsa, bossa nova and tango. Carney, the director of jazz studies and applied saxophone instructor at SCF, will lead his charges through music celebrated in Cuba and around the Latin world.

It’s time to get sweaty and learn some salsa. The Bishop Museum’s After Dark series kicks off with an evening of dance in the museum’s courtyard. Instructors from the Jae Phillips Dance Studio will teach you the steps for the first hour, and the last two hours are open dancing.

FRIDAY

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

You’re probably familiar with Jimmy Stewart as an icon of decency. But have you seen him when he’s having delusional fantasies about a gigantic man-sized rabbit? Stewart chews up scenery in this 1950 comedy about an eccentric man who may or may not wind up committed to a mental hospital and about his family members who may or may not see the rabbit, too.

Julie Scoggins spent the first arc of her career selling Doritos on a tropical island. Now she travels around the country making people laugh for a living. Scoggins, the self-styled “Queen of Clubs,” bills herself on her website as a “former trucker, pooper scooper and charm school graduate.” She’s been honing her act for decades, and she’ll be at McCurdy’s for six shows running through Sunday.

CARIBBEAN RHYTHMS 7:30 p.m. at Recital Hall, 5840 26th St. W., Bradenton $15, $5 students and staff Visit SCFMusic.Info.

CLASSIC MOVIES AT THE OPERA HOUSE: ‘HARVEY’ 7:30 p.m. at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. $12 Visit SarasotaOpera.org.

IN-STUDIO PERFORMANCE WITH JENNIFER NUESI 7 p.m. at Sarasota Contemporary Dance $20, $10 virtual for Saturday performance Visit SarasotaContemporaryDance. org.

Guest artist Jennifer Nuesi is ready to bare her soul. Nuesi’s performance will tackle all the big emo-

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

tions as she navigates love, loss, heartbreak and divinity of self. Nuesi will perform on both Friday and Saturday evenings, and the latter performance will be available via streaming.

SATURDAY

Step back in time six decades for a 1960 performance of a Richard Strauss masterwork. This threehour spectacle features the standout work of conductor Herbert von Karajan and singers Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Otto Edelmann, not to mention the talents of the Vienna State Opera Ballet, the Vienna State Opera Chorus and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

‘RENT’ 2 p.m. at Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 Third Ave. W., Bradenton $30 Visit ManateePerformingArtsCenter. com.

FST IMPROV: WE’RE DOOMED 7:30 p.m. at Bowne’s Lab, 1265 First St. $12-$15 Visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org.

Jonathan Larson never got to see his masterwork become a success. But decades later, you can enjoy it in a way he never could. Larson died the night before his musical — loosely based on Puccini’s “La Boheme” — made its Off Broadway debut in 1996, and he was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Twentyfive years later, his creation is still thrilling audiences.

Pick a disaster movie. Any disaster movie. Put it in a blender. And press spin. That’s what the improv crew over at Florida Studio Theatre does every Saturday night under the “We’re Doomed” marquee. The audience suggests a title, then the improv crew is off and running to make it funny. They may even wind up recruiting the audience to join them to flesh out the cast.

TUESDAY

MERRILY FROM CENTER STAGE 7:30 p.m. at Studio 1130, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail $25 Visit ThePlayers.org.

Join Broadway veteran Ann Morrison for her captivating one-woman show that reprises Stephen Sondheim songs that she brought to the stage four decades ago. Morrison, who starred as Mary Flynn in “Merrily We Go Along,” will tell you tales from the character’s perspective.

HANDMADE PASTA AND SAUCES 6 p.m. at Publix Aprons Cooking School, 2875 University Parkway $60 Visit ApronsCookingSchool.Publix. com.

It’s time to put Chef Boyardee out of business. The talented kitchen crew at Aprons Cooking School will teach you how to make homemade pasta and sauce one ingredient at a time.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

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DON’T MISS SCALE AND BEAUTY Hermitage fellow Anne Patterson will give you a peek behind the curtain at how artists bring their creations to life. Patterson, a former set designer, is a multidisciplinary artist who works in both watercolors and large-scale multimedia installations that sometimes fill huge buildings.

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17A

the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and she’ll chat a little about what’s next in her career.

IF YOU GO When: 5:30 p.m., Sept. 23 Where: Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail Tickets: $5, registration required Info: HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

SEEING THE INVISIBLE 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Selby Gardens Historic Spanish Point Campus, 401 N. Tamiami Trail Free with museum admission Visit Selby.org.

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

What’s better than an opportunity to digest art at your own pace? How bout a walkthrough with a guide who knows all about the exhibits?

The museum offers highlight tours on Friday and Wednesday, and you can get an inside look on the themes that tie the exhibits together.

You’ll have to download the Seeing the Invisible app before you arrive, and make sure your phone or tablet is fully charged. Once you’ve handled those basics, you’ll be treated to an immersive augmented reality contemporary art exhibition that will bring you the work of more than a dozen celebrated artists from all around the world.

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

YOUR REAL ESTATE EXPERIENCE

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Classifieds 15B Games 14B Real Estate 9B Sports 11B Weather 14B

YOUR NEIGHBORS

Photos by Liz Ramos

Wesley Chapel’s Halo Conners, who is 6, Tara’s Molly LaMora and Wesley Chapel’s Royal Blue Conners, who is 2, have fun trying to guess how many beans are in a jar.

Tara’s Mary Adams, Tom Nevius and Jeanne McNulty can’t wait for the Italian food, wine and music.

TASTE OF ITALY T

Rob Satori performs during the San Gennaro Festival.

ara’s Stacey Vlahakus couldn’t wait to see what the San Gennaro Festival had to offer.

After enjoying a plate of pasta, Vlahakus perused the dessert options, which included almond cream cake, tiramisu and pizzelles.

“I’m looking forward to the whole experience and eating my way through Italy,” said Vlahakus, who was attending the festival for the first time.

Tara Golf and Country Club residents enjoyed Italian cuisine, music and trivia during the San Gennaro Festival Sept. 17, which was the first San Gennaro Festival held since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m glad everything is back, especially this (festival) because it’s a huge hit,” said Tara’s Kay McKernan. “Everybody loves this festival. The food is great. They always have different activities going on. It’s an easy, social gettogether.”

Tara’s Sue and Bob Gookin enjoy plates of pasta.

“I’m looking forward to all the Italian cooking,” Sue Gookin says.

This was the couple’s first San Gennaro Festival.

— LIZ RAMOS

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Tara Golf and Country Club’s Albert Brown works the pasta station, from which people can choose three types of pasta.

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

YOUR CALENDAR

Limited Inventory Available Reserve your home site today!

Homes are selling fast!

Act now to secure your new home in this resort-style community.

Open floor plans • Low Maintenance Lifestyle • Exclusive Amenities Private Marina • Pickleball Courts • 6 Swimming Pools 5 Clubhouses • 2 Fitness Centers • On-site Dog Park Riverside Pavilion

COMMUNITY

BEST BET

THURSDAY, SEPT. 22

CASUAL CORNHOLE Begins at 10 a.m. at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Join Lakewood Ranch Community Activities for a fun, casual game of cornhole in the park right next to Good Liquid Brewing. The event is free for Lakewood Ranch residents and $20 for nonresidents.

To register or for more information, go to MyLWR.com.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 23 AND SATURDAY, SEPT. 24

SATURDAY, SEPT. 24

REAL MEN WEAR PINK Begins at 6 p.m. at the Grand Court of The Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota.

The Real Men Wear Pink fashion show benefits the American Cancer Society.

Watch 33 Real Men Wear Pink ambassadors from Sarasota and Manatee counties hit the runway in pink. Tickets are $30. For more information, go to MallAtUTC.com/events.

MUSIC AT THE PLAZA Runs from 6-9 p.m. each evening at Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Lakewood Ranch. Singer/ musician Tyler Vaden will provide the live music Friday while those who visit Waterside Place enjoy sunset views of Kingfisher Lake, fun at the hub’s small parks or dining at the various restaurants. On Saturday, singer Mylon Shamble will perform.

For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 25

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

Sales Center Open 7 Days a Week

Call to schedule a private tour or a virtual showing!

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

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OPPORTUNITY

LAKEWOOD RANCH GARDEN CLUB Begins at 9 a.m. at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. The Lakewood Ranch Garden Club hosts its first meeting of the year, with the

File photo

subject “The World of Recycling.” A Manatee County Recycling Program coordinator will provide a presentation. Club President Sheryl Perkins will present a program on recyclable items for your garden. The club invites all who are interested in gardening, floral or landscape design, environment protection and associated topics to attend. For more information, go to MyLWR.com/328/ Lakewood-Ranch-Garden-ClubLWRGC. BINGO FOR ALL Begins at 10 a.m. at the Greenbrook Adventure Park Pavilion, 13010 Adventure Place, Lakewood Ranch.

Join Lakewood Ranch Community Activities for fun Bingo open to all ages. The cost is $25. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

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2B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

3B

Halfway event full of fun

A

Photos by Ian Swaby

Rosedale’s 6-year-old Charlotte Bravo, 6-year-old Alex Helton and 3-year-old Calista Bravo try using the dance platform.

Lakewood Ranch’s Jennifer Volpe and her 5-year-old daughter Ella Volpe play Connect Four.

McGrath’s employee Mae Quinn and McGrath’s leprechaun Mike Avery make the rounds on Main Street.

Paddy O’Furniture vocalist Kerry O’Reilly, fiddler and vocalist Matt Mayes, and mandolin and bouzouki player Andy Crippen provided some of the event’s live entertainment.

lthough the Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day on Sept. 17 event did not draw large crowds, many attendees were still representing the spirit of the occasion, arriving dressed in green.

Bruce Mahnke, a co-owner of McGrath’s Irish Ale House and Ed’s Tavern, wishes there was more than one St. Patrick’s Day. So he decided to host another.

Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day spread a little fun around Main Street at Lakewood Ranch Sept. 17.

“Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day is kind of like the training day for St. Patrick’s Day,” Mahnke said. “It’s just another reason to have a good time, to have a party. The Irish are good at that.”

The event included live entertainment, drink specials, food and drink stands and games and entertainment. Live entertainment was provided by MacSilver’s Irish Pirates Ahoy and Paddy O’Furniture, Sarasota’s Ross Allen on bagpipes and dancers from different academies, including the Finnegan Academy of Irish Dance.

Those who attended said they came to celebrate Irish culture and spend time with others in the community.

Gary and Roberta Kimes, who are moving into Esplanade, said they both enjoyed the event because of having visited Ireland years ago.

“You can walk around with a beer, and I love Irish music,” Roberta Kimes said.

Rosedale’s Carol Helton said after her family members came to Main Street for the St. Patrick’s Day event six months ago, they wanted to return.

“It’s fun to see people dressed up,” she said.

Sarasota’s Robert Weist and Makayla Emanuele said they both came to play putt-putt at The Fish Hole, then decided to stay for the celebrations.

Lakewood Ranch’s Ashley Johnston, Gerilyn Wayman and Suzanne Chisholm, and Ellenton’s Raquel Mitchell celebrate the journey halfway to St. Patrick’s Day.

— IAN SWABY

Non Surgical Treatment for Benign Thyroid Nodules New Center Brings Radiofrequency Ablation Therapy to Sarasota

Even if they’re benign, thyroid nodules can greatly impact your quality of life, creating unsightly swelling in your neck, making it difficult or uncomfortable to swallow, and sometimes even affecting your ability to breathe easy throughout the day.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) provides a non-surgical alternative to reduce or shrink these nodules right in the doctor’s office. Performed by world-renowned thyroid and parathyroid surgeon, Dr. Ralph P. Tufano, this quick and minimally invasive procedure uses radiofrequency waves and heat — instead of blades and incisions — to treat the nodule, rarely ever compromising overall thyroid function.

Contact Sarasota Memorial’s Thyroid and Parathyroid Center for more information.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Step up and dance

A

ubrey Grosso, a Tara Elementary School second-grader, danced and sang along as Jack Hartmann performed “The Penguin Song.”

It was her favorite song of the concert because she’s been listening to it since she was 5 years old.

“It was so cool and fun, and it made me happy,” Grosso said.

Hartmann, who creates educational music for children, performed for the pre-K through second-grade students Sept. 14.

The students were quick to follow along with Hartmann’s dance moves, and many already were familiar with his song lyrics.

Tara Principal Laura Campbell said classes often will listen to Hartmann’s music during recess. Before the pandemic, Campbell said Hartmann had been coming to the school to perform for years.

“It feels like he’s part of our school culture and family because the kids remember him,” she said. “(The concert) is an opportunity to bring the primary grades together.

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Jack Hartmann returns to Tara Elementary School to perform a concert for students in pre-K through second grade.

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Pre-K students Norah Sells, Aurora Pena and Catherine Kline follow along as they learn dance moves to a song.

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

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

SARASOTA 4892 Ancient Marble Drive 3 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,558 Sq. Ft. Drew Russell 941-993-3739 A4547201 $1,100,000

PALMETTO 1838 Amberwynd Circle W 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,921 Sq. Ft. Cheryl Roberts 941-266-1450 A4546566 $1,050,000

BRADENTON 383 Aruba Circle 401 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,456 Sq. Ft. Ken Kavanaugh, Jr 941-799-1943 A4546638 $1,048,000

BRADENTON 14205 Flat Woods Terrace 6 Beds 4/1 Baths 3,899 Sq. Ft. Stacy Hanan 941-266-0529 A4538218 $1,045,000

BRADENTON 7710 Jay Watch Glen 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,733 Sq. Ft. Sharon Ingram 941-224-6447 A4545446 $999,999

BRADENTON 5469 46th Court W 4 Beds 3/1 Baths 2,719 Sq. Ft. Adam Cuffaro 941-812-0791 A4544270 $995,000

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

BRADENTON 2112 51st Street W 4 Beds 3 Baths 3,805 Sq. Ft. Jodene Moneuse 941-302-4913 A4529879 $895,000

BRADENTON 7312 19th Avenue NW 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,160 Sq. Ft. Lynne Callahan 941-720-3278 A4538467 $835,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 6406 Watercrest Way 302 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,917 Sq. Ft. Stuart Lawrence & Laura Lawrence 941-894-4001 A4538694 $699,900

BRADENTON 16449 Whale Grey Place 4 Beds 2 Baths 2,244 Sq. Ft. Stacy Hanan & Rachel Benderson 941-266-0529 A4547542 $699,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 9715 Sweetwater Avenue 3 Beds 3 Baths 2,033 Sq. Ft. Tina Ciaccio & JJ Williams 941-685-8420 A4547522 $679,000

BRADENTON 1200 136th Street NE 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,971 Sq. Ft. Barbara A Milian, PA & Ian Addy, PA 941-504-0660 A4546690 $599,000

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

PALMETTO 10425 Macfarlane Place 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,403 Sq. Ft. Patty Brooks 941-545-1194 A4544361 $550,000

BRADENTON 4215 17th Avenue W 3 Beds 2 Baths 2,265 Sq. Ft. Leah Secondo 941-545-4430 A4544704 $525,000

BRADENTON 517 Sanderling Circle 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,368 Sq. Ft. Maruta Miluns 941-374-9702 A4546746 $489,000

BRADENTON 4505 36th Avenue W 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,611 Sq. Ft. Kristen Srur 941-350-0612 A4540502 $470,000

BRADENTON 905 Village Green Parkway 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,601 Sq. Ft. Joanne Jenkins 941-228-7878 A4542053 $400,000

BRADENTON 5311 42nd Avenue W 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,536 Sq. Ft. Pamela Modisett & Diane Fogo Harter 941-993-3967 A4545606 $395,000

LAKEWOOD RANCH 5729 Garden Lakes Palm 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,456 Sq. Ft. Larry Cushing 941-228-9814 A4547348 $379,000

BRADENTON 4303 83rd Street W 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,008 Sq. Ft. Barbara Dumbaugh & Victoria Lear 941-951-6660 A4542783 $370,000

SARASOTA 3754 Parkridge Circle 24-202 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,036 Sq. Ft. Chris Baylis 941-735-4713 A4544220 $305,000

BRADENTON 4040 Ironwood Circle 105F 2 Beds 2 Baths 1,008 Sq. Ft. Cathy Palmer 941-920-2247 A4543283 $255,000

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

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

UNIVERSITY PARK 7015 Lancaster Court 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,717 Sq. Ft. Amy Chapman 941-225-1500 A4542575 $1,325,000

888.552.5228 | MICHAELSAUNDERS.COM 379159-1

8B

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

RESEARCH EDITOR

A

home in Del Webb topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Lynn Rae Ryle, of Houston, sold her home at 7105 Gradford Court to Kenneth and Rebecca Wobbekind, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,375,000.

Built in 2020, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,639 square feet of living area. It sold for $823,200 in 2020.

WATERLEFE

Richard Boddie, of West Sussex, United Kingdom, sold his home at 10115 Discovery Terrace to Christopher Klein and Megan Klein, trustees, of Bradenton, for $1.27 million. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,655 square feet of living area. It sold for $866,200 in 2004.

RIVERDALE REVISED

Beverley Lange and Gregory Lange, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the home at 4615 Shark Drive to Zachary Robert Plesac, of Bradenton, for $1.2 million. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,436 square feet of living area. It sold for $490,000 in 2009.

Nuot Nguyen, of Wichita, Kansas, sold the home at 4007 Fourth Ave. N.E. to Nhu Mai Thi Do and Duc Huu Truong, of Ontario, Canada, for $1,175,000. Built in 1996, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,530 square feet of living area.

It sold for $735,000 in 2021.

COUNTRY CLUB

RESG CAPTIAL LLC sold the home at 12710 Stone Ridge Place to Daniel and Katherine Horton, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1,185,000. Built in 2008, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,142 square feet of living area. It sold for $786,000 in 2008.

Steven and Barbara Grossman, trustees, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 6704 The Masters Ave. to Kenneth Dempsey and Mary Anne Dempsey, of Lakewood Ranch, for $880,000. Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,583 square feet of living area.

Edward and Debora Dawson, of Parrish, sold their home at 12129 Thornhill Court to 12129 Thornhill Court LLC for $772,500. Built in 2010, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,011 square feet of living area. It sold for $351,700 in 2010.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE

Robert and Frances Pleska, trustees, sold the home at 5512 Tidewater Preserve Blvd. to Danny Alan Lisenbee and Antonia Lisenbee, of Reston, Virginia, for $1.09 million.

Built in 2015, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,456 square feet of living area. It sold for $759,000 in 2021.

ST. JAMES PARK

Robert Douglas Harris and Cheryl Lynn Harris, of Berne, Indiana, sold their home at 6682 Saint James Crossing to William Furedy, of Bradenton, for $985,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,643 square feet of living area. It sold for $985,000 in March.

GREENBROOK

Haitham Charles, of Bradenton, sold his home at 13406 Brown Thrasher Pike to Feliks Bogucki and Larysa Levytska, of Lakewood Ranch, for $824,500. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,950 square feet of living area. It sold for $522,600 in 2004.

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

SEPT. 5-9

Robert and Jo Ann Klinetop, of Fineview, New York, sold their home at 14308 Tree Swallow Way to Thomas Pasatieri, of Lakewood Ranch, for $435,000. Built in 2004, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,670 square feet of living area. It sold for $264,000 in 2007.

Greyhawk Landing West Lonny Brian Vickery, of Mandeville, Louisiana, sold his home at 1010 Calico Glen to Gregory Lange and Beverley Lange, trustees, of Bradenton, for $749,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,442 square feet of living area.

It sold for $685,000 in April.

MALLORY PARK

Matthew and Kelly Edwards, of Bradenton, sold their home at 11408 Golden Bay Place to Marilyn Hagerstrom, of Bradenton, for $748,900.

Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,000 square feet of living area. It sold for $497,000 in 2020.

DESOTO LAKES COUNTRY CLUB COLONY

Teamwork Investments LLC sold the home at 5221 Canterbury Drive to Alisa and Rocklege Ross, of Sarasota, for $699,900. Built in 1968, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,512 square feet of living area. It sold for $442,000 in February.

Donald Brandt, of Lafollette, Tennessee, sold his home at 5210 Medalist Road to ARVM 5 LLC for $320,000. Built in 1976, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,271 square feet of living area.

SAVANNA

Donald Charles Boodey and Peggy Ann Boodey, of Williamsburg, Virginia, sold their home at 13628 American Prairie Place to Daniel Scott Huelsman and Ashley Rose Huelsman, of Bradenton, for $675,000. Built in 2017, it has four bedrooms, two baths and 2,098 square feet of living area. It sold for $369,000 in 2017.

Courtesy photo

This Del Webb home at 7105 Gradford Court sold for $1,375,000. It has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,639 square feet of living area.

OLD GROVE AT GREENFIELD PLANTATION

Leon and Ruth Michaud, of Litchfield, Maine, sold their home at 10140 Reagan Dairy Trail to Antonio Furao and Cathy Nunes Furao, of Shingle Springs, California, for $489,000. Built in 1999, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,777 square feet of living area.

It previously sold for $160,100 in 1999.

WHITEBRIDGE COURT

Christa Green, of University Park, sold her home at 7711 Whitebridge Glen to W. Lee Roland and Rosalie

Roland, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, for $470,000. Built in 1993, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,721 square feet of living area. It previously sold for $375,000 in 2005.

TERRACE AT RIVER STRAND

David Robert Johnson, of Fishers, Indiana, sold their Unit 1638 condominium at 7121 River Hammock Drive to Michael and Roxanna Stoffel, of Peosta, Iowa, for $375,000.

Built in 2013, it has two bedrooms, SEE REAL ESTATE, PAGE 10B

In with the new

David Skup sold his home at 13620 Saw Palm Creek Trail to Robert and Natasha Sebolt, of Bradenton, for $669,900. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,440 square feet of living area. It sold for $358,000 in 2017.

NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION

PLANTERS MANOR AT GREENFIELD PLANTATION

Longboat Key

Richard and Carol Harris, of Bradenton, sold their home at 664 Planters Manor Way to John O’Boyle, of Bradenton, for $624,900. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,896 square feet of living area.

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

BRADEN WOODS

Nicholas Zec Jr., trustee, of Bradenton, sold the home at 6710 88th St. E. to James Von Falbo and Maria Falbo, of Venice, for $612,000. Built in 1984, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,922 square feet of living area.

Downtown St. Petersburg

SABAL HARBOUR

Richard and Tonya Shipp, of Bradenton, sold their home at 4949 Bookelia Circle to Edward Spencer Landreth and Catherine Ann Kieft, of Bradenton, for $585,000. Built in 2002, it has five bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,539 square feet of living area. It sold for $360,000 in 2020.

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

HERITAGE HARBOUR

Cheryl White Tiedemann and Kevin Tiedemann, of Bradenton, sold their home at 170 Wandering Wetlands Circle to Mark and Darleen Elliott, of Bradenton, for $544,000.

Built in 2015, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,006 square feet of living area. It sold for $290,000 in 2017.

Downtown Sarasota

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

DEL TIERRA

Kelly Tomlinson, of Bradenton, sold her home at 15450 Trinity Fall Way to Yasmin Reyes, of Atlanta, for $525,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,846 square feet of living area.

It previously sold for $290,000 in 2019.

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

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

373607-1

ADAM HUGHES

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

REAL ESTATE

Del Webb home tops sales at $1,375,000

|

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

Licensed Real Estate Broker

9B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Real estate

Marston and Monica Lentini, of Bradenton, sold their home at 702 134th St. E. to Christopher Bauer and Wendy Ingram, of Bradenton, for $525,000. Built in 1988, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,013 square feet of living area. It sold for $176,500 in 2002.

FROM PAGE 9B

two baths and 1,297 square feet of living area. It sold for $180,000 in 2013.

EAGLE TRACE

Joana Caiati, of Bradenton, sold her home at 12712 Halfmoon Lake Terrace to Lane and Elizabeth Miller, of Bradenton, for $555,000.

Built in 2016, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,844 square feet of living area. It sold for $305,300 in 2016.

Michael and Lillian Corona, trustees, of Bradenton, sold the Unit 2913 condominium at 6411 Grand Estuary Trail to Jason Chapman, of Bradenton, for $320,000. Built in 2016, it has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,156 square feet of living area. It sold for $148,000 in 2016.

Price Improvement

WILLOWBROOK

DEL TIERRA

Anastasia Oskina and William Richard Bachman, of Tampa, sold their Unit 1605 condominium at 8857 White Sage Loop to Maria Lorena Barona Sancho, of Lakewood Ranch, for $322,500.

Built in 2007, it has two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 1,092 square feet of living area. It sold for $127,500 in 2014.

Daniel Adam Aberg and Aimee Tooktha Aberg, of Naples, sold their home at 15131 Las Olas Place to Aaron and Danielle Goldberg, of Bradenton, for $540,000. Built in 2018, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,349 square feet of living area. It sold for $320,000 in 2018.

Aaron and Danielle Goldberg, of Bradenton, sold their home at 134 Tierra Verde Way to Rochelle Marie Parsons and Hugh Graham Parsons, of Bradenton, for $525,000. Built in 2019, it has five bedrooms, three baths and 2,166 square feet of living area. It sold for $300,000 in 2019.

RIDGE AT CROSSING CREEK

Sandra Lynn Fredet and Emile Fredet, of Cape Coral, sold their home at 7553 Ridgelake Circle to Robert Lawrence Morin and Julie Renee Morin, of Bradenton, for $577,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,136 square feet of living area. It sold for $400,000 in 2020.

Pressman Properties LLC sold the home at 15737 High Bell Place to Ernest and Patricia Scerbo, of Bradenton, for $495,000. Built in 2015, it has five bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and 2,868 square feet of living area. It sold for $265,000 in 2015.

CENTRAL PARK

Country Club East

Ronald and Katherine Ann Labarre, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, sold their home at 11829 Forest Park Circle to Kristin Scanlon, of Bradenton, for $575,000. Built in 2011, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,726 square feet of living area. It sold for $360,000 in 2019.

14508 STIRLING DRIVE $959,000 | 3 BR PLUS DEN, 2 BA, 2,419 SF

Under Contract

MILL CREEK

Teri Grimes, of Radcliff, Kentucky, sold the home at 702 137th St. E. to Asil Gunsel, of Sarasota, for $560,000. Built in 1991, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,977 square feet of living area. It sold for $163,000 in 1996.

ONLINE See more transactions at YourObserver.com

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10B

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

SPORTS

“It’s the feeling I get when I finish, that worn out, tired and sore feeling. You feel like you just accomplished something.”

— Braden River High’s Alex den Boggende SEE PAGE 13B

Fast

Break

Courtesy photo

Under T.J. Goelz, the Lakewood Ranch High softball program won two state championships.

Todd Lee will step into the head coach role for the 2023 season.

Grant McCray

L

ooking to watch some elite junior golfers this weekend? Head to the Suncoast HS Boys and Girls Invitational on Sept. 23 and 24 at River Strand Golf and Country Club and Legacy Golf Club at Lakewood Ranch. The event will see eight boys teams and five girls teams compete alongside 16 other individual golfers to make an elite field.

The event is 36 holes of stroke play. Visit UltimateGolfExp.net for more information. … Remember former Lakewood Ranch High outfielder Grant McCray, now with the San Francisco Giants organization? He was promoted from the low A-level San Jose Giants to the high A-level Eugene Emeralds on Aug. 25 after tearing up the league. He got off to a bit slower start for the Emeralds but picked up the pace before the league’s season ended, slugging a home run Sept. 10 in a 4-2 win against the Vancouver Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays).

He’ll likely start with the Emeralds next year, then from there, well, we’ll have to see. … Don’t look now, but The Out-of-Door Academy football team is 4-0 after a 50-0 home win over Bishop McLaughlin Catholic on Sept. 16 (and a 26-22 road win over rival St. Stephen’s Episcopal the week before). It’s the team’s longest win streak since 2019.

The Thunder hit the road for the next two weeks, but if the team gets through that stretch unbeaten, a home tussle with Cocoa Beach High (2-1) on Oct. 14 should be appointment viewing for all area football fans who love to see a ground-and-pound offense in action. … The Centerstone Life;Story 5K/10K is at 8 a.m. Sept. 24 at Nathan Benderson Park. The event is celebrating its 20th anniversary and is a great thing to support. Your participation helps provide crisis care at Centerstone, a nonprofit health system providing mental health and substance use disorder treatments for people with little or no resources. There’s a walk option for the 5K race. Registration is $45 for the main races.

To register or find more information, visit Centerstone.org or NathanBendersonPark.org.

NOT JUST ANY COACH PAGE 12B

Photos by Ryan Kohn

LEAVING A LEGACY T.J. Goelz and the Mustangs won two state championships in five seasons, the first championships in program history.

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

T

he Lakewood Ranch High softball program has its eyes on a state championship three-peat come spring — but if the Mustangs achieve it, it will be under a new coach.

T.J. Goelz announced Sept. 12 that he would be stepping down from the program after five seasons, primarily to spend more time with his family. Goelz’s daughters, Kinsey Goelz and Avery Goelz, play softball at the University of Florida, and T.J. Goelz said he wants to spend as much time watching their games as possible.

According to MaxPreps records, Goelz compiled a 122-10 record, including state championship wins in 2021 and 2022, the first in program history. The team also was a championship contender during the 2020 season, when the Mustangs went 8-0 before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season early.

Goelz also will be stepping away from coaching his travel team, Tampa Mustangs-TJ, which won the 2015 PGF Premier 16U National Championship among other accomplishments.

For some, the news of Goelz stepping down might come as a shock.

Goelz is not one of them. Unbeknownst to most, Goelz and his wife, Liz, have done the same calculations for the past three seasons. In the previous two, the calculations came back positive: Thanks to various schedule quirks like playing away games in Gainesville — and being just crazy enough to catch a plane to see a Gators road trip the day after a state championship win — T.J. Goelz would be able to give 100% of himself to the Mustangs while also giving 100% to his family and other areas of his life.

The loss of the 2020 high school softball season still stings Goelz, who believes Lakewood Ranch would have been not just state but national champions, the COVID-19 pandemic helped keep Goelz as the Mustangs head coach longer than he might have otherwise stayed. For instance: Normally, the Gators play in the four-day Mary Nutter tournament in California each season, something Goelz would make sure he traveled to watch, even though it likely would have interfered with the Mustangs’ season. In 2021 and 2022, the Gators skipped the tournament because of COVID-19 concerns. They will play

T.J. Goelz is stepping down from the Lakewood Ranch High softball program after five seasons. Goelz led the Mustangs to two state championships.

BY THE NUMBERS T.J. GOELZ n Seasons with Lakewood Ranch High softball: 5 n Win-loss record: 122-10 n Winning percentage: 92.4% n State final four appearances: 4 (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) n State championship wins: 2 (2021, 2022) n Florida Dairy Farmers High School Coach of the Year honors: 2 (2021, 2022) n Extra Innings Softball National Coach of the Year honors: 1 (2021) n Players sent to college programs: 31 (24 to NCAA Division I programs)

in 2023 event.

“I didn’t want to put myself in the position of having to choose between my family and the team because being the competitor I am, I know which I would probably choose,” Goelz said with a laugh. “It just would not be right for anyone.

I can always come back to coaching if I want. I can’t get those memories with my family back.”

Multiple Mustangs players expressed their gratitude for T.J. Goelz and Liz Goelz on social media.

“Forever thankful for the opportunity to play for you,” junior pitcher Ella Dodge said on Twitter. “Thank you (coaches) for your dedication and all the sacrifices you have made

to give us the most memorable seasons. Super blessed to have you guys.”

Taking over for Goelz will be Todd Lee, who coached the school’s junior varsity program last season and is the father of Mustangs varsity infielder Amanda Lee, a senior. Lee will retain varsity assistants Paulo Reis and Craig Toler, both of whom were vital to the Mustangs’ successes and helping instill Goelz’s culture in the program. The decision to promote Lee into the position was Goelz’s idea, he said, in order to keep as much continuity for the players, particularly the seniors, as possible.

Goelz himself will stay on as an advisor, meaning Goelz will give Lee and the other coaches big-picture advice — but only if they want it.

“Todd is doing an admirable thing,” Goelz said. “It’s a tough situation to follow after back-to-back championships. But he and everyone have committed to creating the best possible experience for the girls. As far as on-the-field decisions, that’s all them. A three-peat is extremely hard to do, but they have the pieces to be successful. They’ll leave it all on the field like they always do.”

Though he is stepping away for now, Goelz said there is a possibility he could return to the dugout at some point. Like the decision to leave, the decision to return would come down to timing, so it likely will not be happening while his daughters are playing collegiate softball — Kinsey Goelz is in her final year with the Gators, and Avery Goelz is a junior.

After that, the door is open.

That applies as much to his Tampa Mustangs travel team as it does to Lakewood Ranch. Goelz said when he met with Lakewood Ranch Principal Dustin Dahlquist and athletic director Kent Ringquist to inform them of his decision, they told him he was welcome back at any time, even in a different sport.

“I’d probably stick with softball, but it was a nice gesture,” Goelz said.

Any talk of that will come a long way from now. Goelz said he is ecstatic to spend the maximum amount of time with his daughters as they finish their college careers.

“We have created a tradition as a family,” Goelz said. “Liz and I go to every away SEC series and stay in the same hotel as the team. We get up in the morning and the four of us get coffee and maybe a donut or other food and we walk around the campus together, just checking it out and talking. Already I’m getting excited about doing that just by talking about it. It’s a priceless time that I’ve not always been able to have.

This year, Lord willing, I don’t think I’ll miss an inning.”

12B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

PROSE AND KOHN

RYAN KOHN

Local resident lands spot in Michigan hockey hall I

t was in 2010 when Detroit Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock asked Andy Weidenbach to run his team’s informal practices before the NHL training camp season officially began.

NHL coaches can’t take the ice until the first day of official training, but players often liked to get together and skate before then, so teams would hire local coaches to run unofficial practices for them.

Weidenbach wasn’t just any coach. He was a renowned high school and junior hockey coach who had been leading Cranbrook Kingswood High in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, to state championships.

Still, while Weidenbach, who now lives in Lakewood Ranch, felt respected, he wasn’t sure if his role would make the Red Wings accept him as a part of the team.

Then he got his answer.

He had been talking with Babcock when Red Wings’ forward Justin Abdelkader entered the room to have a quick heart-to-heart talk with Babcock. Weidenbach thought he needed to leave, but Abdelkader told him to stay. Weidenbach said Abdelkader proceeded to lobby Babcock for more time on the team’s power play unit and asked what it would take to get it.

“Work harder,” Babcock told him.

“Any questions?”

Weidenbach said Abdelkader didn’t have any more questions, and left.

It was the kind of meeting “outsiders” never hear about.

Over the next seven years, Weidenbach continued to be considered an insider as he ran those unofficial practice sessions and also served as the Red Wings’ skating coach at its rookie development camps.

The position also opened him up to a lot of ribbing.

During Weidenbach’s first practice doing such tasks, he skated up

Courtesy photo

Lakewood Ranch resident Andy Weidenbach helped run unofficial practices for the Detroit Red Wings for seven years. Weidenbach said youth talent in Florida is comparable to talent in Michigan but with less depth.

to Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom and Kris Draper, the team’s captain and assistant captain, and asked them if there was anything special they wanted the team to work on that day. Lidstrom and Draper looked at each other, then back at Weidenbach. Lidstrom wondered why Weidenbach was asking them, and Weidenbach said it was because they were captains.

“Yeah, and you’re the coach,” Lidstrom said. “We don’t care what you do.”

He and Draper then skated away laughing.

Weidenbach said every practice was like that. He relished them all.

Weidenbach coached Cranbrook Kingswood High for 26 years,

compiling a win-loss record of 504187-47 and winning 10 Michigan High School Athletic Association Division III state championships, while finishing second twice.

He was named the MHSAA Division III Coach of the Year eight times, among a bevy of other awards. In August, he received his biggest honor yet when he was named to the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

“It was quite an honor, and I was surprised,” Weidenbach said.

“The Hall of Fame encompasses all sports. There are thousands of teams and coaches up there. I never thought I would be selected. I think my longevity has something to do with it. I guess we touched the lives

of a lot of people.”

Weidenbach retired and moved his family to Lakewood Ranch in 2019, although he brought his skates, gloves and whistle to Lakewood Ranch with him. He has become involved with the Tampa Bay Lightning’s junior hockey programs and is still coaching in the spring and summer, though the specific league he’s helping with, Premier Hockey Prospects, is no longer sponsored by the Lightning.

After three years, Weidenbach has a pretty good idea of the talent level in Florida.

It might be a surprise, but Weidenbach said the talent gap between players in Florida and players in Michigan and other northern states is not as big as you might think. It is other aspects of the game that cause the separation.

“Up north, the players learn to play the game as a team,” Weidenbach said. “Down here, there’s not as much depth in the talent pool, so good players can do whatever they want on the ice. There’s less structure. They don’t have to learn to play team hockey. As a result, they learn bad habits and they hang onto the puck too long. They don’t know how to attack a zone when they have a numbers advantage.”

It makes sense. Look at the NHL: During the 2021-2022 season, 12 players born in Florida took the ice for an NHL game. That’s a small number, but three of those 12 players were first-round picks, including 2019’s No. 1 overall pick Jack Hughes. There’s some elite talent to be found here, just not a lot of it — at least not yet.

Weidenbach said the easiest way for Florida to build a larger talent base is to build more ice rinks. With few rinks, it takes a considerable amount of travel time for many players to get to the rink. And when they get there, ice time is limited.

The more rinks an area has, the more kids can use them and for longer or more frequent periods of time.

It can happen, but the process will be slow.

Weidenbach probably won’t remain on the ice to see it happen. He’s helping out for now, but he would like to transition to more off-ice roles — ones he can do in his pajamas, he joked.

To that end, Weidenbach is starting to get into video coaching, but he has also partnered with Stream Cortex, a hockey-centric video platform, to produce a “Coach’s Corner” podcast, where he talks with people across the industry about how they do their jobs. The podcasts are free on YouTube.

Episodes currently available include a chat with Ohio State women’s team defensemen Emily Curlett, who spoke about winning the NCAA Championship. In the coming days, Weidenbach said he will have an episode with Marc Craig, the Carolina Hurricanes director of pro scouting.

It’s a new adventure for Weidenbach, but after accomplishing as much as he has in the hockey world, something new is a welcome challenge. He might not be working as a full-time coach anymore, but he will always have the memories.

“My goals now are to help people or an organization be a little bit better,” Weidenbach said.

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

We’re neighbors covering neighbors.

Kat Hughes EXECUTIVE EDITOR & COO

Hometown: Aurora, Colorado Currently Living: Sarasota, Florida Alma mater: University of Missouri School of Journalism Observer Employee: 14.5 Years What you do when you are not working?

Ride my bike, walk my dog and visit our great local libraries to read!

Connect: khughes@yourobserver.com

People tend to focus a lot on national news, but it’s what happens locally — from the roads we drive on to the nonprofits we support — that often impacts our lives the most. The thing I love about the Observer is the stories that we cover reflect the heart of the community.

//

Support independent local journalism today at YourObserver.com/newsies

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EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

When did you start running?

At Braden River Elementary there is this thing called ‘The Races.’

Each grade would have qualifying races for 200-meter, 400-meter and 800-meter races. You did them in your PE period. If you were fast enough in your PE class, you would qualify to race across the whole grade. The entire school would come out to watch those races. We did them once a year. Doing those each year is when I started running competitively and when I realized I enjoyed it.

What is the appeal to you?

Well, when I’m running I question why I like it. (Laughs.) It’s the feeling I get when I finish, that worn out, tired and sore feeling. You feel like you just accomplished something.

Nobody likes to run, but if you do you’ll be in better shape and have better cardio. So I don’t like the act of running much, but I like what it does to you.

What is your favorite cross-country course?

My favorite place to run is Holloway Park in Lakeland. It is the closest thing to a real cross-country course we run. Most have us running around a school. The Holloway Park course goes through woods and mud and hills and all that stuff. But for those reasons, it is a slow course.

No one sets a personal record there.

The best course for setting a PR is the North Port High course because it is flat and a lot of it is on the road, which is quick.

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What is your favorite memory?

During track and field my freshman year we had a meet at Manatee High. I was running the 800 meters, or two laps. I was seeded in second place and I wanted to come in first.

My strategy was to run directly behind the first place guy and then try to outkick him at the end, which is what I did. It was the most glorious feeling because I knew I was stronger than him. As I passed him and pulled away I could feel the hope leaving his body.

384930-1

Alex den Boggende is a junior boys cross-country runner at Braden River High. den Boggende finished 11th (17:35.23) out of 162 runners in the Large Schools Boys division of the North Port Invitational, held Sept. 16-17 at North Port High. He also participates in track and field in the spring.

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.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Alex den Boggende

SHAUN J. LIMON DPM Diplomate, American Board of Multiple Specialties in Podiatry Board Certified in Primary Care in Podiatric Medicine

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I like track more because it is more diverse. In cross-country, everyone runs a 5K because it’s all there is.

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14B

WEATHER

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

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YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST THURSDAY, SEPT. 22 High: 90 Low: 72 Chance of rain: 24%

FRIDAY, SEPT. 23 High: 91 Low: 73 Chance of rain: 21%

SUNRISE / SUNSET Sunrise Sunset Thursday, Sept. 22

7:18a

7:26p

Friday, Sept. 23

7:18a

7:25p

Saturday, Sept. 24

7:19a

7:23p

Sunday, Sept. 25

7:19a

7:22p

Monday, Sept. 26

7:20a

7:21p

Tuesday, Sept. 27

7:20a

7:20p

Wednesday, Sept. 28

7:20a

7:19p

MOON PHASES

SATURDAY, SEPT. 24 High: 89 Low: 70 Chance of rain: 38%

SUNDAY, SEPT. 25 High: 88 Low: 71 Chance of rain: 20%

Oct. 2 First

Oct. 9 Full

Oct. 17 Last

Oct. 25 New

RAINFALL Monday, Sept. 12

0.75

Tuesday, Sept. 13

0.2

Wednesday, Sept. 14

0

Thursday, Sept. 15

0.05

Friday, Sept. 16

0.89 0.7

Saturday, Sept. 17 Marvin Crepea captured this alligator in the pond behind his house on Thornhill Court in Lakewood Ranch.

0.01

Sunday, Sept. 18

*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 38.90 in.

2021 43.32 in.

MONTH TO DATE: 2022 6.20 in.

2021 5.30 in.

The Observer’s

Weather ENTER: &Nature

Sponsored by

YourObserver.com/contests KITCHEN | CABINETRY OUTDOOR PAVERS

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2022-23 PHOTO CONTEST

A REFLECTION OF NATURE’S BEAUTY

celebrity cipher

©2022 Universal Uclick

ACROSS 1 Almanac contents 6 Desktops with a Pro model 11 Jessica of “Machete” 15 Downsides 19 Last words on the job 20 Deck with 78 cards 21 Golf outing spoiler 22 Tribe that lived by the Platte River 23 You can’t tell when it’s working (In this answer, unscramble letters 10-13) 26 “___ girl!”

27 Major inconvenience 28 “Sure, honey” 29 Store business 31 “None for me” 33 Lodging by the road

34 Costa del ___ 35 Sorrow 36 Maker of Stan Smith sneakers 39 Alaskan home of many bears (... letters 2-7) 42 North Carolina college 43 Mislead 46 Kind of basin or wave 47 Rapper ___ Cat 48 Single malt liquor, perhaps 51 Sponsored posts, e.g.

52 Per person 56 Dazed state 59 Ready for takeoff?

61 Essential ___ acids 62 Scattered widely 64 Number before dos 65 Pilots a plane

55 Fancy-schmancy 57 They’re larger than pilot whales 58 Jockey’s strap 60 Turn in the kitchen?

DOWN 61 Plane seat option 1 Striped bass, e.g.

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32 Yard sale caveat Airlines 103 Like a blank stare letters 1-8) 34 Slide on an icy road 99 Game show hosts 105 Hydroelectric project 73 Hibachi residue 36 Oodles 100 Hair dryers 106 Unagi, at a sushi bar 74 Alligators’ cousins 37 Portray adequately 101 Jackson of country 107 Flamenco cheer 76 Obama health law, (... letters 1-4) 102 Find a new place for, 108 Fluid thicker than water 38 Not appropriate briefly as a pet 110 Noisy insect 77 Pungent ingredient in 39 Hoda on TV 104 Totes cute 112 Language in which kimchi 40 Barely 108 Russian pancakes “uhuru” means “freedom” 41 Alpaca cousin 79 Ancient Peruvians 109 Pumps iron 114 Fingernail application 80 Paper work?

42 Mag staffers 111 Tacks on 119 Imitated 83 One who takes all the 44 ___ Lodge (budget 112 Improv piece 120 Don’t have any effect blankets motel chain) 113 Person you worship (... letters 3-7) 86 Consider to be 45 Truck weight unit 115 Get off the ground?

123 Saxophonist’s item 87 www.medicare.___ 49 What the Cowardly Lion 116 Wild about 89 Swiss city on the Rhone 124 “Passages” author lacked 117 Get off ___-free Sheehy 91 Irritate 50 Tennis great Mandlikova 118 Chick tenders 92 “Still Alice” star Julianne 125 ___ Carlo 53 Hummus scoopers (... 121 Top bond rating 126 Stick that’s twirled 94 “Finally done!” letters 2-7) 122 Service charge 127 Talk trash about 96 Tablet for FaceTime 54 Dollar bills

“INGTL CVO, NVEYWEGXSYN, ZVE DWSTK TWSINWE G EGXSYN TVE G NVEYW. JNGI CVO GEW SY G HSGE ZVVX.” – FSUUC ZGHHVT

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“V MLKVZ MVYHNPD NPG TLXA FZPVDUEA, VD YNLFCN UY MPGP VZ FZGPEUVTEP VEEA UZ YNP TVYYEP SLG – EPLZVGX HLNPZ

ELRP.”

Puzzle Three Clue: R equals V

128 Apple crisp grains 129 “TED Talks Daily” host Hu 130 Cheetah features

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

Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

Puzzle Two Clue: P equals B

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS by Doug Burnikel and Zhouqin Burnikel. Edited by David Steinberg

Puzzle One Clue: K equals G

crossword

© 2022 NEA, Inc.

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

©2022 Andrews McMeel Syndicate

9-22-22

Made for where you live. Here!

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

RED PAGES real estate

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Condos/Apts. for Sale

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DEADLINES: Classifieds - Monday at Noon 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..

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Call 214-674-7745

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

13 models available.

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

941-251-7916, Ext 1

auto Autos Wanted CASH FOR YOUR CAR We come to you!

Ho Ho Buys cars.

941-270-4400.

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

15% DISCOUNT FOR 4-WEEK RUN PLACE YOUR AD: Call: 941-955-4888 Email: RedPages@ YourObserver.com STORAGE FACILITY Boat/ RV/ Trailer. Secure facility, low monthly rentals, Clark Rd area.

941809-3660, 941-809-3662.

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

Call Hawley Motors: 941-923-3421.

PENTHOUSE CONDO for sale on Anna Maria Sound!

Quite the lifestyle in this Margaritaville 3bd 3ba, turnkey furnished Oceana condo.

Exquisite finishes. Taller ceilings.

Extra windows. Sunsets and natural saltwater wildlife views from the private screened lanai.

Original owner gently lived in.

Owners receive 2 parking spaces, 16'X8' storage, private beach club, fitness, four community pools, kayak and paddleboard launches, outdoor grilling, lounging cabanas, playgrounds, splash pads, event lawn, activities and more!

Additional perks at the adjacent Pier 77 Marina, Compass Hotel, and Floridays Wood Fire Grill & Bar. Strong rental income potential. No CDD. Schedule showing or video preview any time. Kim Jatich, Broker-Owner, QUARTZ COAST REALTY INC $1,650,000 (941) 504-3874 www.quartzcoastrealtyfl.com

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

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

Minimal shift 5 hours can also provide overnight care.

Temporary or long term care.

Over 10+ years experience.

References available. No new faces, one consistent caregiver.

COVID Negative.

Call Kati: 941-536-7706.

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

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

SELL IT FAST!

Place Your Ad Online YourObserver.com/RedPages

Cleaning BRAZILIAN CLEANING Service

by Maria. Residential. Meticulous Cleaning. Excellent References.

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

Painting

FIND BUYERS & SELLERS HERE! 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

RED PAGES

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

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

Honest & reliable.

Free estimates. 941-744-1020.

35+ years experience.

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

This week’s Crossword answers

Advertise your business or service in the Observer

CALL TODAY 941-955-4888

Want Some Mad Money?

Sell Your Item for Free! $200 or less YourObserver.com/RedPages

This week’s Celebrity Cipher answers Puzzle One Solution: “Thank you, horseradish, for being neither a radish nor a horse. What you are is a liar food.”

Jimmy Fallon Puzzle Two Solution: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. ...

The man who never reads lives only one.”

George R.R. Martin Puzzle Three Solution: “A woman watches her body uneasily, as though it were an unreliable ally in the battle for love.”

Leonard Cohen

This week’s Sudoku answers

©2022 NEA, Inc.

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

Collection of Estate Jewelry, J.Taylor Case Clock, Sterling Silver, Period Antique Furniture, L.C. Tiffany Vases & Bronzes, Gallé, Listed Artist Oil Paintings, Rose Medallion China, Cloisonné Pieces, Signed Bronzes, Baccarat, Porcelain, Waterford Crystal, Knabe Grand Piano, Chinese Fish Bowls, Mid Century Lamps, New in box Samsung Washer & Dryer, Oriental Rugs, High Fidelity Speakers, Flow Blue, Linens, Ladies Hats, Murano Chandelier, Chinese Woodblock, Dining Room Table & Chairs, Three Bedroom Suits, Chest Drawers, Leather Living Room Furniture, Glassware, Kitchenware, Patio Wicker Furniture, Lamps, Wurlitzer Jukebox, Exercise Equipment, Complete Workshop Lapidary Set up with Kiln, Clocks, Garage Items, Lots of Furniture, Gate Leg Tables, Rattan Furniture, clothes & shoes.

For More Information Call Ken at: 941-356-3318.

Antiquesandchatchkes.com Estate Sales Conducted By: Antiques & Chatchkes

You’re only cheating yourself.

Items Under $200

LAURELWOOD WATERFRONT Florida Estate Sale 803 26th Avenue West Palmetto, FL 34221 September 23rd to 25th Friday, Saturday, Sunday From 9am to 6pm #’s out 8am

peekers’ place

stuff

Garage/ Moving/ Estate Sales

We’ll SWEEP you off your feet!

INFORMATION & RATES: 941-955-4888

©2022 Universal Uclick

CALL 941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Doors

Health

GET YOUR LIFE BACK!

Sliding Glass Door Repair

“FIX IT - DON’T REPLACE”

941.650.9790 941.650.9790 YoderAluminum.com

387950

Owner /Insured Operator Insured

388405

gulfcoastestateauctions.com • Free Consultations 941-274-6537

www.SarasotaDiscCenter.com DrCifra@SarasotaDiscCenter.com

Furniture Repair

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

Patio Furniture Repairs.com

Home Services

Furniture Sales & Repairs Cushions • Slings • Re-powdercoating

388361

941-504-0903

388134

Clock Repair

Are You Having Dryer Difficulties?

FREE PICKUP / DELIVERY • FREE ONSITE QUOTES

Christo’s Clock Repair

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

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

Golf

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

Residential

GOLF CART

4630 5TH ST W BRADENTON

CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT

941-773-0875 • 941-9325505

LITHIUM B AT T E RY

CHASE COURNAN

RED PAGES Bring Results | 941-955-4888 Computer

L B S G

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

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

ED’S RAIN MAKER IRRIGATION

Call to reserve your ad space:

Advertise as low as $85 per week.

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

941-955-4888 YourObserver.com/RedPages

Landscaping & Lawn

Servicing LWR, Parrish and NE Bradenton

NO MORE TICKS, FLEAS OR WEEDS!

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

$10 off

lawn & pest control, llc.

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

Custom Granite Services, llc

$47

PER MONTH*

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

166554

PROUD!

You Get NOW Protection!

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941-400-4912

*For average size lawn of 5000 sq. ft.

Larger lawns slightly more.

Licensed & Insured

CustomGraniteServicesLLC@gmail.com 388414

You We Make

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

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DRGRABBARS.COM

SHOWER & BATH MAKEOVERS Cleaned - Regrouted - Caulked - Sealed

388362

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

388411

FULLY INSURED

Irrigation

WITH THE RED PAGES

941-735-3362

388412

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

TIME TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS

Pegatronics.com

Commercial

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL

CONVERSION

(941) 704 - 7512

Don Christo, Sr., Horologist

941-705-5468

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

REPAIR

“IF IT DOESN’T TIC, TOC TO ME.” 388846

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.

5-Star Rated

HoHoBuysCars.com

387688

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!

387954

FREE CONSULTATION 941.358.2224

YoderAluminum.com

Auto Service

Give Us a Call - We Can Help

388407

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

388417 364556

16B

Call John 941.377.2940

Free Estimates • Sarasota Resident Since 1974

www.showerandbathsarasota.com Find anything in the RED PAGES

941-955-4888

YourObserver.com

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

Painting

Complete Interior & Exterior Painting

388363

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

941-345-5264

specialty screens / screw replacement / paint Doors and more!

Roofing

Plumbing

Manufacture and workmanship Warranties

Mark’s Plumbing Service

954-1878 (cell) 780-3346

(941) 345-5264 Kenneth Fuhlman Inc.

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

Licensed & Insured

Building & Roofing Contractor

RELIABLE • INSURED

941-920-8221

387686

Tub to Shower Conversion!

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

COMPLETE BATHROOM REMODELING No Sub-Contractors!

Professional Services

One Day Bath!

GULFCOAST EXTERIOR SOLUTIONS

813-551-7504 BILL STEINER

Owner, Sales and Installer

Sun City Center Resident

bciacrylic.com

941-725-4344 FREE ESTIMATES Dustyn McCauley

6771 Professional Pkwy., Suite 101 Sarasota FL 34240

PAVERS & TRAVERTINE

Landscaping & Lawn

Screening ALL YOUR PAVER NEEDS

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

GARDENS BY ALLISON No Job is too Small!

388418

Call today

385720

388413

Local business, lower prices

Licensed & Insured CCC - 058059 CBC - 1253936

Licensed & Insured

Rescreening & Repairs

387953

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

Allison J. Abizaid, M.A.

Personal Gardening Services | Designer

Windows

gbyallison@yahoo.com gardensbyallison.com

Res./Com. 387687

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS Showcase your products or services.

SARASOTA INTERIOR PAINTING, LLC

Licensed

FULLY INSURED • OWNER OPERATED

Find anything in the RED PAGES

941-955-4888

TREASURES

found here.

Looking for something? Your lucky discovery is closer than you think.

RED PAGES Made for where you live. Here!

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

25

ows

150

$

INCLUDING SCREENS, TRACKS, MIRRORS & FANS

Insured

941-270-1561

High-End Interior Painting Services

We only use the finest quality Benjamin Moore paints!

“No Job Too Small”

Form Serving Longboat Key Since 2005

STANDARD WINDOWS

387952

Painting

Lic./Ins.

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

Eldridge Re-Screen

CALL 941-955-4888

387965

RED PAGES

388415

941.400.0431

CALL OR TEXT 941-900-9398 TODAY! OWNER: DON HUBIAK

387942

941-626-3194

• 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

SPECIAL 00 5

$

senior citizen discount. www.sunsetwindowcleaningsrq.com

Purified water window cleaning available!!

Call Tibor for FREE ESTIMATES | 941- 284 - 5880

388410

388416

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

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

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

GLENN KROECKER

17B

Rescreening & Repairs

UNIQUE PAINTING & PRESSURE WASHING SERVICES

THE GRAB BAR GUY

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

388409

Kitchen/Bath Remodeling

|

18B

EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

|

YourObserver.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

NOW INSPIRING IN SARASOTA

WINNER!

Arts Award Best Showroom Nationwide!

AWARD-WINNING | INTERIOR DESIGN | FINE FURNISHINGS World Wide Shipping ■ In-Stock Furniture Styles ■ Immediate Delivery ■ and much more!

■

Fruitville Commons Blvd.

Fruitville Rd.

Lakewood Ranch Blvd

Clive Daniel Home

Cooper’s Hawk Rest.

Coburn Rd.

Customer Parking

U

Total Home Creation ■ Designers on Staff ■ One-of-a-Kind Rugs ■ Chic Gift Boutique ■

U-TURN at Light.

Lakewood Ranch Blvd.

3055 FRUITVILLE COMMONS BLVD. 941.900.HOME (4663) CLIVEDANIEL.COM

Going east on Fruitville Rd. make a U-Turn at light (Lakewood Ranch Blvd.), then make a right on to Coburn Rd. Go around the circle to Fruitville Commons Blvd., pass Cooper’s Hawk and you will see Clive Daniel Home on the right.

inspiration starts here!

IB26001785

388150-1

Monday-Saturday: 10am – 6pm Sunday: 12pm – 5pm

CDH-OBSERVER-FP SAT-SEPT22-2022.indd 1

9/17/22 12:44 PM