East County Observer 11.3.22

Sculpture rises to support Myakka

After Manatee County donated and delivered hundreds of pounds of sand to Myakka City Elementary School, Casey Fabi anski went to work Oct. 18.

Fabianski, a teacher at Braden River High School, wanted to show support for Myakka City after Hurricane Ian, so he decided to use his sand sculpting skills to create a sculpture (above) to inspire strength in students and their families.

The sand sculpture stands outside the main entrance to the elementary school.

“I feel like a regular guy just doing what I think is the right thing,” Fabianski said. “I just genuinely just wanted to provide people smiles. It’s very heartwarming.”

COUNTY

No more red-light cameras

reward

Super effort with BooFest costumes

Riverwalk’s Matt and Pamela Bender brought a team spirit when they arrived on Main Street at Lakewood Ranch for BooFest on Oct. 28.

The couple was dressed as Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff, who play Iron Man and Black Widow in Marvel’s “The Avengers.” Attempting to re-create the appearance of the characters, the couple captured subtle details, such as Pamela Bender wearing contact lenses to change her eye color to green.

The couple chose their costumes for various reasons.

One factor was comments from people they met about Pamela Bender’s physical resemblance to Scarlett Johansson. They also wanted to also see how well Matt Bender could pull off Tony Stark.

“We love the (Marvel Cinematic Universe), and we love superheroes,” Matt Bender said.

Courtesy photo

Ian Swaby

Courtesy photo

Jasmine Burden will perform in the Sugar Bowl Parade on Dec. 30 and in the Sugar Bowl halftime show Dec. 31 with the Marching Mustangs.

Jay Heater

his yearly fundraising drive for Stillpoint Mission, Bob Smith has raised more than $235,000.

assure traffic safety.

Lakewood Ranch High Marching Mustangs will perform in front of thousands at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Thnks

Low storm impact on county’s finances

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Although most of Manatee County was spared from the worst impacts of Hurricane Ian, emergency- and relief-effort costs have climbed into the millions.

However, Manatee County has received encouraging news from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that it estimates it can cover 100% of the storm-related expenses.

Interim Chief Financial Officer Sheila McLean said while the coun ty has been monitoring the situa tion to examine the possible impact to its reserves, it does not seem at this point that the storm will have any impact on the budget that was approved in September.

“We’re not going to have to reduce our budget or do without services or increase rates of any kind, in any way, because of the hurricane,” she said.

McLean said a rough estimate of storm-related expenses at this point would be $4.3 million spent thus far on operations, salaries, staffing of the Emergency Operations Center, utilities, public safety, stormwater, property management, 9-1-1 and 3-1-1 costs, and other storm opera tions.

However, that is a rough estimate as relief operations are ongoing.

County Administrator Scott Hopes said assistance from FEMA would be of great help.

“The federal government has been very forthcoming with regards to the designated disaster areas and even though we’ve done a good job of the response and the recovery, we have had significant damage,” he said.

McLean said FEMA’s assistance to the county has the potential to change as it continues to examine where it should prioritize funds.

Generally, she said, expenses are reimbursed at 75%, with the remain ing 25% cost split between the coun ty and the state.

Although FEMA will provide a gradual reimbursement, the county will have to front the money initially.

As of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, Manatee County had $633,202,706 in reserves.

In addition to coming from the reserves’ general fund, McLean said funds could be drawn from reserves for utilities, to cover debris cleanup, and reserve funds for solid waste, to cover issues in that area.

She also said Manatee County was extremely proficient in documenting damages. Lessons have been learned following Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Charley in 2004.

She said while Hurricane Irma caused less extensive damage than Hurricane Ian, it did pose signifi cant costs in debris removal. She said while initially FEMA offered to cover 75% of those costs, it increased the figure to 90%, helping the county to cover $12 million.

Although she expects the cost of Hurricane Ian to rise for Mana tee County, she doubted whether it would approach the Hurricane Irma numbers.

McLean said all cleanup-related projects are continuing at a steady pace in terms of county finances.

“Am I worried about this event hurting our reserves?” she said. “I am not worried at all.”

FEMA steps up to help Manatee County with hurricane costs.

Ian Swaby

An employee fixes a traffic light along S.R. 70 during the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

Mustangs add spice to Sugar Bowl

SUGAR BOWL FUN FACTS

n The Sugar Bowl has been played in New Orleans every year since 1935, except for in 2006 when the city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

John Schindler, band director for Lakewood Ranch High School, can’t wait to see his students’ facial expressions as they enter the Caesars Superdome Dec. 31 in Louisiana.

The Marching Mustangs, who are used to performing in front of hun dreds of people at Lakewood Ranch High football games, will perform at halftime in front of more than 73,000 college football fans during the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

“Not everyone gets the opportuni ty to perform at a national bowl game on New Year’s Eve,” Schindler said. “There’s something about being on the field when you’re in a stadium of that size. You look up and there’s just a wall of people. I think the kids will be shocked. I know this will be a memorable experience.”

The Lakewood Ranch High School Marching Mustangs will be in New Orleans Dec. 28 to Jan. 1 to perform in the Sugar Bowl parade on Dec. 30 and during the halftime show Dec. 31 while also visiting historical areas of the city such as Jackson Square and Bourbon Street in the French Quar ter.

“They’ll be able to experience the city of New Orleans, the culture and the music,” Schindler said.

A ‘NEAT’ EXPERIENCE

The trip includes a dinner cruise on the Mississippi River. Schindler was able to preview the river cruise dur ing a directors trip to New Orleans over the summer, where the directors of the various bands participating in the Sugar Bowl came together.

“It’s a neat experience because they had a little house jazz trio there,” Schindler said. “You get to see the entire landscape of New Orleans when you’re on that cruise. You get to see everything.”

Schindler said he and the band boosters had been looking into a pos sible trip this year after coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic when the band couldn’t travel. The last time the band was able to travel out of state was in 2019 when it partici pated in the Military Bowl in Wash ington, D.C.

Schindler wanted to stay in the Southeast so the bus trip wouldn’t be too long, and he wanted a trip with a musical link.

It came down to the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Sugar Bowl.

Schindler, the band boosters and the administration ultimately decid ed on the Sugar Bowl because of New Orleans’ musical significance.

Marina Grant, director of sales for bowl games for WorldStrides, said only up to 12 marching bands are selected to perform at each bowl game. She said the Lakewood Ranch High marching band stood above most of those seeking an invitation.

Grant said when selecting bands, WorldStrides, which is an educa tional student travel organization, looks at the bands’ quality of sound, past performances and sheer num bers of members.

BEST OF THE BEST

“We look to have a mix of bands perform, but especially at the Sugar Bowl we are trying to bring in bands that have quality musicians and a clean show.”

She said since the Sugar Bowl is the most prestigious event in their lineup, WorldStrides seeks “the best of the best.”

After listening to the Lakewood Ranch marching band, she described the band in one word.

“Phenomenal.”

“Their sound quality is great, but the movement in the marching is fantastic,” she said. “We’re excited to showcase them. The director him self has a very impressive resume in both his teaching background and as a performer. It was having the best of both worlds with a quality program and a great director.”

On this trip, Lakewood Ranch High will not only use regular marching band members, but also talented musicians from its other band pro

n It’s the second-oldest bowl game in college football to the Rose Bowl, which was first played in 1902.

n The bowl was named as a result of the importance of the sugar industry in Louisiana.

n Throughout the Sugar Bowl’s history, it has included 51 Hall of Fame coaches, 19 Heisman Trophy winners and dozens of All-Americans.

“Everybody who has been to New Orleans told me how good the musi cians are,” Brielmann said. “I’m a trombone player, so I’ve heard there’s a lot of really good trombone musicians from there. I’m excited to hear them.”

Grant said performing in the parade, halftime show and other Sugar Bowl activities are a once-ina-lifetime experience because the Sugar Bowl is one of the highest rated and attended bowl games.

During the parade, she said any where between 30,000 and 50,000 people will line the streets.

A UNIQUE CHALLENGE

In the past, the Lakewood Ranch Marching Mustangs have marched in parades such as the Tribute to Heroes Parade in Lakewood Ranch, the DeSoto Grand Parade on Anna Maria Island or even in small parades such as the one hosted by Esplanade in Lakewood Ranch. Schindler said those parades have helped the band prepare for the Sugar Bowl parade. The focus for the Sugar Bowl, how ever, won’t increase until after the Marching Mustangs have competed in the Florida Marching Band Cham pionships Nov. 19.

During the Sugar Bowl parade, Grant said bands will be able to per form whatever music they choose. The parade will be televised region ally, and each group will be given time to perform in front of the cam eras.

“What’s unique about this one is a lot of parades are a forward-moving parade, and they don’t want bands to stop,” Grant said. “But they actu ally will allow the band to stop and perform for a few minutes, so they’ll face the crowd and do whatever they want to perform and have it in the TV zone.”

At the halftime show, Grant said a dozen bands from across the coun try, including Lakewood Ranch High School, will come together to per form a “Top Gun” themed show.

The bands will be divided by instrument rather than organization to give students an opportunity to mingle with students from across the country. Rehearsals are structured to have breakout sessions with differ ent college adjudicators leading stu dents through practice and helping to hone their skills.

The “Top Gun” show will be the finale of halftime after the bands from the two colleges competing at the Sugar Bowl perform.

Brielmann said he’s a little nervous to perform in front of such a large crowd, but he’s “pumped to have the opportunity.”

grams. Approximately 65 students will make the trip.

The trip is voluntary and will cost about $1,800 per student. Schindler said students are responsible for fundraising efforts to lower their individual cost of the trip, but the band boosters will use some general band program fundraising funds to lower the overall cost for every stu dent.

He said students who don’t have marching band experience will learn how to march and dress in march ing band uniforms like the marching band students.

The hope is that the nonmarch ing band musicians might have their interest piqued by experiencing the parade and the halftime show and therefore might join the marching band.

Besides performing in front of huge crowds, seniors Nate Van Peenen and Bryce Brielmann and junior Brian McCoy said they’re looking forward to seeing the live performances in and around the streets of New Orleans.

Schindler emphasized the edu cational aspects of such a trip and noted that many of his bend mem bers won’t be playing their instru ments after their high school careers end. However, he also hopes that the experience inspires some of them to want to join marching bands in the colleges they choose.

“I always tell the kids you don’t have to be a music major to be in the marching band (in college),” Schindler said. “Sometimes they have the mindset that if ‘I don’t major in music, I don’t have the opportunity to continue to play my instrument.’ I have to tell them a large percentage of college marching band members major in something else. They don’t have to set down their instrument once they graduate from (Lakewood Ranch High).”

VanPeenen and Brielmann said the trip will be one of their final big band opportunities before they graduate.

VanPeenan said he is looking for ward to spending time with his band mates, who have become like family to him.

“It’s kind of like a good send off from our senior year,” he said. “It’s bittersweet.”

Lakewood Ranch High Marching Mustangs will perform in front of thousands at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

Christopher Bracco performs a solo during a football halftime performance. He will perform in front of thousands in New Orleans when the Lakewood Ranch Marching Mustangs play at the Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31.

Courtesy photos

Lakewood

Ranch High clarinet players Carlin Gillen, Kayleigh Roundy and Sarisa Ranajee will be performing in the Sugar Bowl Parade and halftime show.

Linsey Beatenhead, one of the marching band’s three drum majors, leads the band. She will accompany the band to the Sugar Bowl in December.

Commissioner reaches settlement in vaccination clinic ordeal

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

Although Manatee County Commis sioner Vanessa Baugh has come to a settlement agreement with Assis tant Attorney General Elizabeth Miller, the case brought against her by the Florida Commission on Eth ics concerning her role in a pop-up, COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Feb ruary 2021 isn’t quite finished.

Miller is an advocate for the Florida Commission on Ethics who represents the complainants, how ever, in her role in this case, she is an employee of the state’s Attorney General’s Office.

Lynn Blais, a spokesperson for the Florida Commission on Eth ics, said the settlement agreement will be added to a future meeting agenda of her organization and then once reviewed, it could be accepted or rejected. If accepted, the settle ment will be forwarded to Gov. Ron DeSantis to approve. If rejected, more hearings could be scheduled.

A Nov. 1 hearing to consider the case was canceled after Miller pre sented the settlement agreement to the Florida Commission on Ethics.

Baugh said she knows of the remaining steps before the settle ment is considered final, but she is confident those will be formalities. She is confident she can put the fall out from her role in the vaccination clinic at the Premier Sports Cam pus behind her so she can put her total concentration toward Manatee County’s future.

Although Baugh said she couldn’t discuss items in the settlement until the Florida Commission on Ethics

signs off on the agreement, she did say she will then be happy to discuss “things that were considered facts that were false.”

“I am glad this is over,” she said Nov. 1. “I am happy a settlement has been reached. The pandemic was a difficult time for everyone, and one of the most difficult times of our lifetime. It was tough to be an elected official during this time.”

The longtime commissioner was accused of misusing her position to allow Lakewood Ranch to host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the request of the governor in February 2021.

Baugh bypassed her fellow com missioners to set up the clinic and to limit it to two Lakewood Ranch and vicinity ZIP codes.

Baugh also had made a list of five individuals, including herself, to receive vaccinations at the clinic. She did not actually receive a vacci nation at the clinic.

An administrative hearing was ordered by the Florida Commission on Ethics in November 2021 because she was charged with “abusing her office” by not following Manatee County’s lottery system for COV ID-19 vaccinations and because of the VIP list.

“I do wish I had dome some things differently,” Baugh said Nov. 1. “It has been a learning experience.”

Manatee County District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh says she has settled her case with the Florida Commission on Ethics, although details of the settlement have not been released.

The Florida Commission on Ethics must approve the settlement between Vanessa Baugh and an assistant attorney general.

File photo

County eliminates red-light cameras

IAN SWABY STAFF WRITER

Although some residents might celebrate the announcement that Manatee County discon tinued its red-light camera program Oct. 15, Melissa Wandall sees things differently.

“If you are running a red light, you are breaking a safety law, and you could end up killing somebody, like my husband, or seriously injuring somebody,” Wandall said.

Mark Wandall was killed and Melissa’s brother, Philip Wolfe, the driver, was seriously injured on Oct. 24, 2003, at the intersection of Tara Boulevard and State Road 70 when a repeat traffic offender smashed into their vehicle while running a red light.

The Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act was passed in 2010 to allow municipalities to use red-light cam eras to issue citations.

In 2013, Manatee County activated a red-light camera at the intersec tion where Mark Wandall was killed, marking a decade of work by Melissa Wandall to enable communities in Florida to use the technology.

Wandall campaigned with groups such as the Stop Red Light Running Coalition of Florida to get commu nities to activate the cameras in an attempt to reduce the infractions and to ultimately save lives.

She is disappointed in the coun ty’s decision to drop the program and referred to the decision as a step backward that removes traffic safety measures at a time when the county should be adding more. She said the decision endangers those riding in vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists.

“In a day when we are having so many tragedies with people breaking

safety laws ... not just red-light run ning, but speeding ... it’s unfortu nate that our county commissioners don’t want to do more. They actually want to do less,” she said.

Manatee County Commission er Kevin Van Ostenbridge called the red-light camera program an “Orwellian” overreach that unfairly targeted working-class citizens.

Commissioners let its contract with Conduent, which oversaw the program, expire with no vote needed on the action. Any red-light camera tickets issued in Manatee County after Oct. 15 are no longer valid.

Manatee County’s program uti lized 18 cameras at eight intersec tions.

Wandall said policymakers should not take important tools away from law enforcement. She said if the program was ineffective, the coun ty wouldn’t have kept adding more cameras.

“It’s not about catching people doing something wrong,” she said. “It’s trying to prevent somebody from being seriously injured or killed. And it’s trying to educate people on how to stop on red.”

PROGRAM LACKS SUPPORT

County commissioners, however, said they did not believe the program was beneficial to the public.

Ostenbridge said it targeted citi zens who had committed relatively minor violations while driving on the roads for their jobs.

“It had become a fundraiser for the government, and it was a hidden tax,” he said.

County commissioners had origi nally raised the idea of ending the program in May 2022, when they were asked to approve a five-year extension with Conduent, which

NOT A PERFECT SCIENCE

they declined to do. At the time, they were advised they needed no action to allow the contract to expire in October. They couldn’t cancel it in May because of a heavy cancellation penalty.

The commissioners already were working toward a cancellation of the program. On Dec. 14, 2021, they voted to suspend violations for right turns on red lights for 140 days, a policy which the board upheld in May.

Van Ostenbridge said the rightturn violations involved the least egregious offenses.

Prior to the decision not to renew the contract, each commissioner met individually with the Manatee

County Sheriff’s Department, which had final say over the violations, Van Ostenbridge said.

Van Ostenbridge said he reviewed violation videos but none of those he watched involved a life-threatening situation.

District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said the commission had been presented with data showing that accidents, within Manatee County, did not increase even when the cam eras were not in use.

“We couldn’t see where it was helping at all,” she said.

Van Ostenbridge said the commis sion reviewed data from Manatee County, but not from other counties, and he noted the City of Bradenton

had discontinued its program in 2016.

The decision to halt the pro gram did have financial implica tions for Manatee County. In the six-month period from October 2021 to April 2022, the program brought in $3,055,587.68 at a cost of $2,132,056.88. That’s a profit of $923,530.80.

Van Ostenbridge said there are no changes to traffic enforcement methods planned as a result of the program’s discontinuation.

THE PUBLIC RESPONDS

Country Club East’s Steve Swaney said he would support the red-light program at an intersection with fre quent accidents if there were data showing it was effective, although he did not think the program took all factors into consideration.

He said many residents were run ning red lights because they were frustrated with limited opportuni ties to pass through traffic lights. He said some lights did not appear to detect traffic flow and said red lights could be excessively long based on the amount of traffic they were accommodating.

“I think some people are just frus trated at how long it takes,” he said.

“The police need all the help they can get with the traffic, but some times, red-light cameras are a little fast to snap you,” said Myakka’s Jim Stocker, who said he was on the fence about the issue.

“I am 100% for getting rid of that,” said Central Park’s Joe Brielmann of the program.

He said aside from finding the pro gram to be like “Big Brother,” he also felt it interrupted the flow of traf fic, with some drivers slowing down while approaching the lights, which could in itself be dangerous.

He said people familiar with the intersections know where the cam eras are, while navigation apps warned drivers that the cameras were present.

Lake Club’s Stuart Roth said he would defer to the opinion of law enforcement.

“That’s the job of public safety to come up with some answers and some suggestions,” he said.

“They’re the ones that pick up the pieces.”

File photo

Melissa Wandall, through the Mark Wandall Foundation and other organizations, has long campaigned in favor of red-light cameras.

A Premier wine event

More than 100 wines will be sampled during the annual Suncoast Food and Wine Fest.

LIZ RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Steve Kelle, a member of the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch, can’t wait to see approximately 2,000 people gather to enjoy food, beer and wine for the club’s 20th Suncoast Food and Wine Fest.

The event returns at Premier Sports Campus on Nov. 12, as at least 40 restaurants will offer food, beer and wine samples. Some 100 wines will be available for tasting, and the event also features live music.

“The hard work that our club puts into this and the pride we take to put on a first-class event is what makes the event memorable,” said Kelle, who is the chairman of the festival.

Kelle said the most important and gratifying part comes in the spring when the Rotary Club hosts an event to distribute grants to nonprofits using the proceeds of the Suncoast Food and Wine Fest.

“It is a lot of work, and it’s a lot of fun and the whole purpose is raising funds to help our community,” Kelle said. “We just give away a lot of mon ey and hear from the charities about how those funds are going to be able to affect our community.”

This year’s goal is to raise $100,000. Kelle said the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch has distributed more than $2 million to more than 100 charities in Manatee and Sara sota counties over the past 19 years.

“To be able to have a fun day, enjoy the food and wine and still raise more than $2 million makes this event incredible,” he said.

Kelle said the nonprofits that will benefit from the Suncoast Food and Wine Fest’s proceeds will not be determined until after the festival.

IF YOU GO

SUNCOAST FOOD AND WINE

FEST

Who: Presented by the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch

When: 1-4 p.m. Nov. 12

Where: Premier Sports Campus, 5895 Post Blvd., Lakewood Ranch Price: $95

Highlights: Enjoy food and drinks from at least 40 restaurants while listening to live music. Cooking demonstrations also will be available. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Proceeds will go toward grants distributed to charities in Manatee and Sarasota counties. More information and to buy tickets: Visit Suncoast FoodandWineFest.com

When people want to take a break from trying food and wine, they can go see cooking demonstrations.

“(The cooking demonstrations) showcases some of our local chefs and the incredible things they can do with food,” Kelle said.

VIP guests can enter the festival an hour before general admission patrons as well as enjoy food, wine and champagne from Seasons 52, which will only be available to VIP guests.

File photo Dave Milne with, Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, shows the different wines available for people to sample at last year’s event.

& MATTRESS

“Our family and our entire organization are committed to the recovery efforts to rebuild our community. We have partnered with The United Way to serve as drop-off points to collect

We

also provide

to the United Way in partnership with our

vendors. We are ready when you are.”

“Road to Serfdom,” 1944

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Cheers for charity

The Wine & Giving fundraiser at the Esplanade Golf and Country Club generated $83,000.

JAY HEATER MANAGING EDITOR

As Lakewood Ranch’s Christine McKelvey made her way through one of the buffet lines at the Esplanade Golf and Country Club with her husband Wade, she paused to consider a fact shared by several others at the Lake wood Ranch Community Fund’s first Wine & Giving event.

“I love this,” she said. “I didn’t know about the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund.”

On Oct. 27, the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund “reintroduced” itself to the community with its first major event since it stopped having its annual gala in 2017.

Wine & Giving was a sellout with 260 attendees.

“We are getting so many more people who are new to the commu nity,” said Lakewood Ranch Com munity Fund President Nicole Rys kamp. “We had all these newcomers and they invited their friends, their co-workers, their colleagues. And we were able to give them informa tion about what the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund does.”

Lakewood Ranch’s Anne and Ken Donovan took advantage of the fun draiser to find out more about the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund. Fairly new to the area, Anne Donovan said she has been looking at various nonprofits to find a place where she could do some volunteer work. The Donovans liked what they heard.

GOOD NEWS FOR THE FUND

That’s good news for the Commu nity Fund, which needs volunteers now that it has made a commitment to host more events in the coming year. Anyone interested in getting involved can check out the fund’s website at LWRFund.org.

Monica Welde, the owner of Bear adise Ranch in Myakka City, said she was unfamiliar with the organization until recently. Impressed, Welde put together a basket of items, including tours of her facility and the bears, and donated it to the silent auction portion of the event.

She decided to attend, too, and purchased one of the last tickets available. Although she didn’t know most people attending the event, she said, “I made a lot of new friends.”

Ryskamp said she loved the atmo sphere.

Guests were met with champagne when they entered the building and then could enjoy red and white wines throughout the evening.

“The party is back,” Ryskamp said of the region in general. “People are excited and they want to be out. They want to be back to socializing. We couldn’t have provided a better party venue for a philanthropic, socializ ing evening.”

It wasn’t all socializing.

Capping the night was the celebra tion of Lakewood Ranch’s Bob Smith being selected as the 2022 C. John A. Clarke Humanitarian of the Year.

“I am humbled beyond measure,” Smith told the crowd, which includ ed his wife, Julie, and his daughter, Amanda Tullidge Smith. “This is an unimaginable privilege.”

He thanked former Lakewood Ranch Community Fund President Diane Brune for being an important “link to the chain” that led to his family’s involvement in the Lake wood Ranch Community Fund.

“The selfless service of these three women inspired me,” he said. “Amanda is God’s greatest gift to me after Julie.”

Also in attendance was Gene Tischer, president of the board of Bradenton’s Stillpoint Mis sion, which has received more than $235,000 from Smith’s annual fun draising drive that began in 2012. Smith said the $235,000 translates to 1,305,555 pounds of food for the poor.

Bob Smith said he is most grate ful to live in Lakewood Ranch, sur rounded by “unselfishly, gobsmack ingly good friends and neighbors.”

After he finished addressing the crowd, Smith was presented with a birthday cake and serenaded by the entire crowd with a chorus of “Hap py Birthday.” He is 74.

He told those in attendance that all his fundraising stemmed from a simple email he sent to his golfing buddies in 2012. After asking those in the crowd to support his cause, he suggested they might even consider starting their own drive.

He will have his name added to the Humanitarian of the Year plaque near the fountain at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.

TIME TO GIVE

After the auction part of the event, a video was shown that highlight ed some of the nonprofits that are supported by the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund. “A paddle-raise” capped the evening to raise funds to be added to the grant fund that sup ports those nonprofits.

Ryskamp said the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund generated $83,000 from Wine & Giving after setting a goal of raising $50,000. She said she was blown away at the total. She wasn’t the only one blown away by the event.

“Everyone who came up to me said, ‘Wow, this was awesome.’” she said.

Ryskamp said the event was the result of the hard work of event coor dinator and Board Member Nancy Sykes and Executive Director Adri enne Bookhamer. She also noted that Board Member Morgan Bentley was exceptional as the master of ceremo nies. Bentley led the live auction part of the event.

The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund presented 21 grants during the program that totaled $50,000 and a special $10,000 grant to the Lake wood Ranch Library.

The next Lakewood Ranch Com munity Fund event is a breakfast to honor all C. John A. Clarke Humani tarian of the Year award winners. The event is 8 a.m. on Nov. 9 at Station 400, 8215 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch.

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BOB SMITH HONORED

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

Friedrich Hayek

Photos by Jay Heater

Bob Smith holds his Humanitarian of the Year award surrounded by his daughter, Amanda Tullidge Smith, wife, Julie Smith, and Diane Brune. He said the three women have been the biggest inspirations for him.

Starla Armstrong, John Fain and Angela Massaro Fain came to support the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund at Wine & Giving.

Ava and Dmitriy Antipov, of Rosedale, check out the auction items at Wine & Giving.

Hurricane force goodwill still lingers

Run at the FCCI Insurance Group parking lot in Lakewood Ranch, and that was a surprise to Race Director Jennifer Tullio.

It was in October when Dave Burns of the Farmhouse Animal and Nature Sanctuary of Myakka offered this pearl of wisdom in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

“It has been amazing to see people come together,” he said. “It’s too bad it wouldn’t happen all the time — people being so nice to each other.”

Wow, how true. The worst does seem to bring out the best in us.

And, yet, this hasn’t been the case of a five-day fever, either.

There seems to be a little extra love thy neighbor in the air, and it isn’t fading quickly.

The past week has been enlightening in that respect. Take, for instance, a pair of fundraising events, the Wine and Giving event, presented by the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund, along with the Boo Run, presented by the Lakewood Ranch Running Club.

Wine and Giving, held Oct. 27 at the Esplanade Golf and Country Club, was the Community Fund’s renewed effort to be a major charity force in the Lakewood Ranch area. The fund was created in 2000 by master-plan developer SchroederManatee Ranch and it was the brainchild of former SMR CEO John Clarke.

Clarke figured you can’t have a truly rich existence without a sense of altruism.

Over the years, though, the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund made its impact mostly within its boardroom walls and through some major corporate partnerships.

Today’s board understands those strengths continue to be impor-

tant, but also realizes the onslaught of new residents has created a void when it comes to community recognition. The nonprofits that it serves have more notoriety than the fund that supports them.

And so, the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund has made a bold move to host more events and to increase its own recognition in the community it serves.

The buzz around the Esplanade ballroom was proof of a monstrously successful first effort. Guest after guest confirmed they had little to no knowledge of what the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund was trying to accomplish. By the end of the night, it was more in the order of “How can I get involved?” and “How can I help?”

Consider the event itself brought in $83,000.

This was not done in a time of prosperity when everyone is stuffing the refrigerator with two pounds of cold cuts they really don’t expect to eat. It comes at a time when lettuce is $4 a head — for iceberg.

You’re going to use every darned leaf.

It comes at a time when midterm elections seemed primed to change the power of the parties, because the prevailing wind makes people wonder if their nest egg is going the way of Humpty Dumpty. Throw in a hurricane, and well, there you have it.

Stress, fatigue and financial worry are thicker than a New York cheesecake.

Even so, they came to Wine and Giving, and they gave.

It was a similar crowd at the Boo

Tullio’s son, of course, is Grayson Tullio, whose Another Day for Gray nonprofit chases funds for Duchenne muscular dystrophy awareness and research. At 19, Grayson would be forgiven if he adopted a me-first attitude that has nothing to do with living with an incurable disease but everything to do with being a teen.

His mom said the Boo Run is his favorite day of the year, watching all the effort come together to make a difference.

Then, before the 2022 running of the race, Grayson decided it was time to share his best day. He asked the Lakewood Ranch Running Club if it would designate proceeds for the event to be split between Another Day for Gray and the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch.

The change floored Jen Tullio, who for the past 10 years has worked to raise more than $100,000 for Duchenne muscular dystrophy awareness and research in an event that has run 19 years overall. She had pride for her son and pride for her community.

More than 450 runners registered for the race, a turnout she felt was exceptional considering the region’s trauma following the hurricane.

“You can feel the sense of people wanting to help … the sense of community,” she said. “That’s what I can’t get over. People are devastated, they are tired and they still come out.”

For her own contribution, Jen Tullio said she can’t be a researcher when it comes to Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but she can give them money and effort. She said she has faith because the researchers are making strides.

Race winner David Proudfoot

most likely was oblivious of all the factors surrounding him because he had just moved to the area from St. Louis and was participating with the hope of making friends.

He didn’t get a chance to chat with many people during the race, because he pulled away from the pack to win in a swift 16:58.

Before and after, though, he chatted with those who were supporting the race for things more important than what place they would finish. He could tell it was a high-integrity field of people.

He summed up the event as “fantastic.”

Before the race, Grayson Tullio addressed the crowd and noted that there are many worthy causes that deserve attention, in addition to the one he battles on a daily basis.

“I know (Duchenne muscular dystrophy) sounds like a hard thing,” he said. “But we all deal with hard things.”

Perhaps we all are not dealing with Grayson’s brand of hard, but we all have been touched with some level of hardship the past few months.

It has been, indeed, a challenge to test us. As a community, we have passed the test.

It’s also a good time to consider Burns’ query.

Why can’t we take the goodwill in the aftermath of a hurricane and stretch it over the long term?

For now, I guess I will just enjoy it while it lasts.

Jay Heater

Grayson Tullio, Monika Oberer and Grayson’s dog Panda head to the finish line of the Boo Run 5K. They dressed in a “Wizard of Oz” theme.

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

The community shows strong support for nonprofit causes in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

Full plate making bowls

Panther Ridge’s Denise Millett-Olverson uses her pottery talents to support Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee County.

RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Panther Ridge’s Denise MillettOlverson is putting her talent for making pottery into a good cause — the Empty Bowls fundraiser.

Meals on Wheels Plus-Manatee’s annual Empty Bowls provides those who attend with a bowl of soup from various restaurants as well as a hand made bowl to raise funds for those in need.

Millett-Olverson, who has been making pottery since 1978, used to make bowls for Empty Bowls when she lived in West Virginia, and now she will continue the tradition in Lakewood Ranch Nov. 4.

“It’s a good combination of doing good and having fun,” Millett-Olver son said. “I give a lot of (my pottery) away because I like sharing it. I have fun making it, and then I have fun

IF YOU GO

EMPTY BOWLS Who: Meals on Wheel Plus of Manatee Where: Main Street at Lakewood Ranch When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 4 Price: $30 Details: Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee is hosting its 22nd annual Empty Bowls fundraiser. Guests will select a handcrafted bowl to keep as well as enjoy soup, bread and desserts donated by local restaurants. More information and to buy tickets: Visit MealsOnWheel sPlus.org/events/emptybowls-lwr

giving it to people.” She hopes to provide at least 20 bowls to Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee.

Denise Millett-Olverson explained what it takes to make a bowl.

STEP ONE: SHAPING THE BOWL For a longtime potter like Millett-

Panther Ridge’s Denise MillettOlverson loves being able to choose what glazes, colors and designs to use on her pieces.

Olverson, actually shaping the bowl takes the least amount of time of the entire process.

She can have a bowl shaped in about 10 minutes, taking a clump of clay and building it up to her desired height and width. She has to ensure the clay is even in thickness all around.

“The clay just tells me how to go,” she said. “Sometimes I start out to make something, and I might end up with something different.”

Once she has finished creating the bowl, she allows it to rest and air dry for a week. Once the clay has dried slightly, she trims the bottom of it.

STEP TWO: INTO THE FIRE

Millett-Olverson will put her bowls into a kiln for bisque firing so they can be safely handled during the glazing and decorating process.

Bisque firing takes about a day, and she has to wait another day after tak ing it out of the kiln to cool.

Millett-Olverson couldn’t start making bowls for Empty Bowls until October because her kiln, which can get up to 2,200 degrees, makes it too hot for her to work during the sum mer months.

STEP THREE: GLAZING AND DESIGNING

Now here comes the fun part and sometimes, the most difficult part.

Millett-Olverson has to decide not only what type of glaze, such as

matte or glossy, to use but also what color. Sometimes she can’t decide what she wants to do.

“I’m OK with it being plain, and I’m OK with going ahead and paint ing something on it,” she said.

For other projects, Millett-Olver son has painted animals such as horses and fish on her pottery, or she’s used stamps to add prints.

Although it can be difficult to choose the colors and design, Mil lett-Olverson enjoys being able to do whatever she wants.

“You’re always thinking and look ing at things, like ‘look at that design on that shirt’, I could press that into clay,” she said. “You’re always on the lookout. It’s sort of an ongoing thing in your mind.”

To make it easier when she’s work ing on multiple pieces at a time, she will number each piece and keep a log of what she made, how much clay she used, and how they will be designed and glazed. Millett-Olverson said this log helps her to plan ahead and not waste time when working on large projects such as donating doz ens of bowls for Empty Bowls.

She has fun coming up with her designs and seeing the final product.

“Glazing is like the icing on the cake,” Millett-Olverson said.

STEP FOUR: BACK INTO THE FIRE

Every piece of pottery has to go back into the kiln for another day after glazing followed by another day of letting the pieces cool down.

STEP FIVE: DONATING OR SELLING

Whether she’s donating her pot tery to organizations like Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee or selling her pieces at an art show, MillettOlverson looks forward to seeing who will like what she has created.

Millett-Olverson said it can be dif ficult to donate or sell a bowl when she falls in love with a finished piece.

She recalled selling her work at an art show once in West Virginia and there was a mug she wanted to keep for herself. She almost made it to the end of the art show without sell ing her favorite mug until a woman wanted to buy it.

As much as she wanted to keep the mug, Millett-Olverson said she was “glad it went to a good home” with a woman who loved the mug.

Photos by Liz Ramos

Panther Ridge’s Denise MillettOlverson says it takes her only about 10 minutes to create a bowl using clay, but the whole process from start to finish can take weeks.

DENTAL IMPLANTS

ART FOR A CAUSE

RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Waterlefe’s Lynn Fisher stares at a mound of fabric at her home and the ideas swirl through her mind.

What will work for that next quilt?

“Sometimes you see a fabric and go, ‘That’s a perfect combo for my friend who I used to garden with,’” Fisher said.

Fisher will showcase her quilting skills at the Manatee River Artists Guild Art Show and Sale in Water lefe Nov. 12.

The Manatee River Artists Guild, formerly known as the Waterlefe Artists Guild, continues to consist of members of the Waterlefe com munity, but the organization had to change its name after becoming a nonprofit.

“We’re the same group, and we still have the same mission,” said Waterlefe’s Laura Bryg, a guild member.

MEET THE ARTISTS

RoxAnne Mund Waterlefe’s RoxAnne Mund has been quilting for 25 years. Her craft ing days started with making photo albums, but someone told her she had an eye for color and would be great at quilting. She decided to take a quilting class and has been quilting ever since.

“I loved it,” Mund said. “I love fab ric, and I like to coordinate colors.”

Lynn Fisher Fisher learned how to quilt when she took a creative sewing class after buying her sewing machine 21 years ago.

She’s progressed to making T-shirt quilts and quilts with various pat terns.

“You can do a lot with differ ent fabrics and different patterns,” Fisher said.

The first T-shirt quilt Fisher made was for her husband, Greg Fisher. The quilt consists of shirts from his journey hiking the Appalachian Trail.

“In order to get him to stop wear

IF YOU GO

What: Manatee River Artists Guild Art Show and Sale

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 12

Where: Waterlefe River Club, 995 Fish Hook Cove, Bradenton

Admission: Free

Highlights: At least 25 Water lefe artists will be showcasing their work. Proceeds will go toward art programs at Carlos E. Haile Middle and Freedom Elementary schools.

More information: Contact Laura Bryg at LoloBryg@gmail. com.

ing old T-shirts with holes in them, I said, ‘Well, let me make you a quilt,’” she said.

Elly Krasow Waterlefe’s Ellie Krasow has fun with her multimedia art, not always knowing what it’s going to look like until it’s finished.

“I don’t draw, so I have to do an abstract,” she said.

For her art, she uses Yupo paper, which is a nonporous, acid-free, pHneutral synthetic paper made from polypropylene.

She uses chemicals that pull the ink out of the paper and makes the paper bleed. Then she starts mixing them together.

Liz Ramos Waterlefe’s Elly Krasow shows off her “Bird in the Hand” artwork.

Fast Break

The Out-of-Door Acad emy football team (9-0) continues to churn toward a perfect season. The Thunder won 36-14 over St. Edward’s School (3-5) at home Oct. 28 in the first round of the Sunshine State Athletic Conference playoffs. The team now has a home rematch with rival St. Stephen’s Episcopal (45), which it beat 26-22 on the road Sept. 9. The game begins at 7 p.m. Friday. With a win, the Thunder advances to the SSAC 5A state championship game.

… ODA has other sports success stories as well. Senior boys swimmer Felipe Baffico Balharry won the 200-yard freestyle (1:42.04) and the 100yard butterfly (49.30) at the team’s FHSAA Class 1A District Meet, held Oct. 26-29 in St. Petersburg.

… Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club saw three holein-ones in the past week. Bill Gardner sank one Oct. 26 on the 124-yard No. 7 hole on the club’s King’s Dunes course using a 9-iron. Carrie Shaw sank an ace Oct. 28 on the 120-yard No. 6 hole of the club’s Cypress Links course using a 3-wood. Cesare Caldarelli had a holein-one Oct. 29 on the 150-yard No.16 hole on the Cypress Links course using a 4-hybrid.

… A reminder for runners that the Tidewell Trot is at 7 a.m. Nov. 5 at Nathan Benderson Park. The annual 5K and mile run/walk benefits the Tidewell Foundation. Registration is $45 for the 5K and $40 for the mile run/walk. For more information or to register, visit TidewellFoundation.org.

… The Lakewood Ranch High girls cross-country team earned a spot in the Florida High School Athletic Associa tion Class 4A state meet field with an eighth-place finish at its regional meet, held Oct. 29 at North Port High, after entering ranked 11th in the state. The Mustangs were led by sophomore Olivia Spiegel (19:19) who finished eighth overall. The state meet is 10 a.m. Saturday at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee.

Joes beat the pros

RYAN KOHN SPORTS EDITOR

The headliners of PopStroke’s $25K Showdown, part of its Pop Stroke Tour Championship, held Oct. 26-28 at the venue’s Uni versity Town Center location, were PGA Tour golfer Rickie Fowler and LPGA Tour golfer Paula Creamer.

The winners were Chris Johnson and Jacob Stasiulewicz.

The two amateur golfers, but pro fessional putters, took down Fowler and Creamer in the $25K Showdown, which consisted of one 18-hole round on the venue’s Tiger Red course. Johnson and Stasiulewicz finished 3 under par while the pros finished 1 over par. To get into the Showdown, Johnson and Stasiulewicz had to win the PopStroke Tour Championship’s team competition, which was com pleted Thursday evening. That win netted the pair $20,000 to share, with the $25K Showdown prize money an added bonus.

The loss did not seem to bother Fowler. In fact, he expected it. Speak ing before the event, Fowler said he and Creamer were the underdogs because Johnson and Stasiulewicz had played the course more than 100 times. It was Fowler’s and Creamer’s first time on the course.

Considering all of that, Fowler said he was at the event to have fun, not necessarily to win. He took a laidback approach to the day, finishing off the first hole by putting backward through his legs.

He was impressed by PopStroke’s greens, even if they were somewhat different than the greens he plays on the PGA Tour.

“These speeds are actually similar to what we saw last week (at The CJ Cup at Congaree Golf Club in South Carolina),” Fowler said. “But there’s a lot more slope (on the tour). I would say a 3- or 4-four footer is fairly sim ilar to what you see here. Outside of that, you’re hitting different stuff.”

Fowler finished tied for 34th (4 under par) at The CJ Cup, but fin ished tied for second (14 under par) at the Zozo Championship the week prior, held at Accordia Golf Narash ino Country Club in Chiba, Japan. It was Fowler’s best finish on the tour since 2019, when he finished tied for

second (8 under par) at The Honda Classic, held at the PGA Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens.

Since then, Fowler — who has long been known as one of the top putters on the PGA Tour — has had struggles. In the 2020-21 and 202122 seasons, Fowler ranked 126th and 161st in the Tour’s “Strokes Gained” putting statistic, the latter being the worst finish of his career in the cat egory. So far, he’s ranked 150th in the

ABOUT THE PROS

Chris Johnson and Jacob Stasiule wicz took down Rickie Fowler and Paula Creamer in the $25K Showdown. Here’s an overview of what Fowler and Creamer have accomplished on their pro tours.

RICKIE FOWLER

n Five PGA Tour wins, most recently at the 2019 Phoenix Open (17 under par)

n Eight top-five finishes at major championships (three second-place finishes)

n Two European Tour wins n One Asia Tour win

n Finished No. 1 in the PGA Tour’s Strokes Gained: Putting statistic in 2016-2017

PAULA CREAMER

n 10 LPGA Tour wins, most recently at the 2014 HSBC Women’s World Championship (10 under par)

n One major championship win at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open (3 under par)

n Two LPGA of Japan Tour wins

category in 2022-23. But his recent performances have given him some renewed confidence.

“The last few years have been rough,” Fowler said. “But the last few weeks I have made some strides (in putting). I have definitely been spending time on it, because once that starts clicking again, it’ll help the rest of my game. I know where things are going, and I like where things are going.”

Creamer took a different mental approach to the event, stating that she was playing to win, though she laughed her way through the round like Fowler did when something went wrong.

“It’s not many times you can inter mix like this in terms of competition, pros and amateurs,” Creamer said. “I think putting is a great way to do it. Normally it’s not a fair challenge (for the amateurs), but here it is.”

That was evident in the win by Johnson and Stasiulewicz. Also evi dent was that the winners have seri ous skill. Johnson, originally from Columbia, Missouri, said he and Stasiulewicz, who is from Colum bus, Ohio, met while competing in a Major Series of Putting event in Las Vegas in 2017. The pair then played together at the same event in 2018 and 2019. Johnson said they would only play together once per year, and the COVID-19 pandemic put their events on hold for two years.

“We actually thought this was not going to happen again,” Johnson said. They jumped at the chance to play together again when they heard about the PopStroke Tour Champi onship. Being putting professionals, they were not intimidated by Fowler and Creamer’s skills — but they were nervous. They wanted that prize money.

“I had a big putt on hole No. 8, and I could actually feel my hand shake,” Stasiulewicz said. “I have never felt that before.”

The pair said Fowler and Creamer were cordial and even asked them for advice about which lines to take, which Stasiulewicz said was a cool feeling.

The $25K showdown was taped and will air on Bally Sports networks Nov. 20 and on The Golf Chan nel Dec. 19 and Jan. 4. Viewers will see the competition as well as the approximately 200 people following the competitors around the course.

“I want to finish the season with a perfect record on field goals. That is the main thing.”

File photo

ODA senior quarterback Jack Hobson

The event, held at PopStroke in Sarasota, saw Rickie Fowler and Paula Creamer have a lot of fun despite the loss.

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Paula Creamer reacts after sinking a hole-in-one on the Tiger Red course’s No. 11 hole.

Jacob Stasiulewicz pumps his fist after sinking a hole-in-one on the Tiger Red course’s No. 11 hole.

Chris Johnson, Jacob Stasiulewicz, Paula Creamer and Rickie Fowler pose together after the $25K Showdown. Johnson and Stasiulewicz won by four strokes.

Ultimate athlete has drive to succeed

While other competitors at the Ultimate Long Drive Cham pionships, held Oct. 27-30 at Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, were talkative during their performances, Maurice Allen had been silent.

Then came one special drive during the final round of the championships’ Xtreme Long Drive (professional) 40 division.

On that one, Allen let out his emotion.

“Woooo,” Allen said, nodding his head. “That one felt good.” That drive landed 344.3 yards away. It was the drive that won Allen the XLD title for the second year in a row.

Allen, 40, is no stranger to longdrive events, a niche corner of golf that prioritizes smashing the ball as far as you can, accuracy be darned (within reason). Allen said he has been competing in such events for 12 years.

His ULD Championship performance was not even close to the longest drive of his career. At the 2017 Mile High Showdown event in Denver, Allen hit a drive 483 yards, a drive that was no doubt aided by the Denver altitude and by him being six years younger. It was impressive nonetheless.

Allen has twice been ranked No. 1 in the world by the World Long Drive Association and in 2012 set a then-Guinness World Record for Fastest Golf Drive (211 mph). That record was broken in 2013 by Ryan Winther (217 mph), but the fact remains that Allen knows how to hit a golf ball far.

Allen does it his way. Before each drive, he holds his driver in front of him, then goes halfway through his backswing, stops and stares at it. He then resets, and in one motion puts all of his strength into his drive, his torso spinning like a top. He finishes slightly off balance.

It looks more like a baseball swing than a typical golf swing. But it’s

how Allen taught himself to swing, and it works. Why change it now?

“That is the beauty of this game, man,” Allen said with a smile. “There’s no right or wrong way to do it. It’s your way.”

Winning the ULD Championship is a minor accomplishment for Allen. In fact, Allen said he wasn’t sure if he was going to defend his title at all, as he has higher-priority events to prepare for in the coming weeks. Ultimately, Allen said, he decided to come back because he believes events like the ULD Championships are good for growing the sport.

After winning the XLD title, which comes in the form of a wrestling-style belt, Allen mingled and took photographs with fans.

As laid back as he is about his own accomplishments at the ULD Championships, he’s serious about the respect he feels long drive deserves. Allen said the emergence of professional golfers who possess immense driving ability, such as LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau, has convinced the public that anybody can compete with long drive professionals at elite levels.

Allen, who once drove a golf ball completely over the horseshoe at Niagara Falls, said that is not the case. It takes a lot of training and time in the gym to generate the muscle and power necessary to drive the ball that far, plus developing a technique that works.

“People see Bryson competing and they think, ‘Oh, any golfer can do either side of it,’” Allen said. “That’s not true. There have been a lot of great athletes who have tried to do this and failed miserably, and it’s the same in reverse.”

Having said that, Allen is trying to be one of the few to conquer both sides. Allen said the 2023 year will be his final year in long drive. After that, his focus will switch to traditional golf. Allen said he’s anxious to attempt a new challenge after

competing in long drive for more than a decade.

Even though he is on the way out of long drive, he lauded it for being accessible to all ages and all abilities. After Allen won his title, the event brought in its Amateur Long Drive-Adaptive competitors, who received equally loud cheers from the crowd as did the professionals.

One such competitor was Chris Garner, 42, who lives on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls in Ontario. Garner had his left leg amputated in July 2018, a result of complications stemming from multiple benign bone tumors found in the leg

Through Garner’s extensive rehab process, he was introduced to golf in 2020, a sport he’d never played.

Last year, after seeing a Facebook ad for a local long drive event, he decided to put his skills to the test.

It has been a success — Garner’s longest drive at the ULD Champi-

onships measured 237.5 yards, the best mark in the Adaptive division.

“The first year of playing golf was rough,” Garner said. “It was all about more exercise and swinging the club. Last year, I got decent. This year, I had surgery that allows me to do more with my prosthetic. I can load my leg a lot better, which has helped.”

Garner said his leg still hurts during competitions despite the improvements. Pain is his greatest adversary. On days when he can fight through it, like at the ULD Championships, he’s able to put together impressive performances. He often will not know how it feels until warm-ups. When he has large cheering sections in the crowd like he did over the weekend, that helps numb the pain, too.

Garner, who is part of Paragolf Canada, had dozens of teammates watching his performance and hol-

lering after every drive.

No matter the result of his drives, Garner walks away from each competition a winner. He and the other adaptive competitors show what is possible in long drive and in sports in general with hard work.

“I like the idea of exposing people to adaptive golf,” Garner said. “People with a disability can compete on an equal level. Give it a try.”

The full results of the Ultimate Long Drive Championships can be found at UltimateLongDrive.com.

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

Photos by Ryan Kohn

Canada’s Chris Garner had his left leg amputated in July 2018 and found longdrive competition through his rehab process. At the ULD Championships, Garner won the Adaptive group with a 237.5-yard drive.

Maurice Allen won the XLD 40 division of the ULD Championships with a 344.3 yard drive. Allen has twice been ranked No. 1 by the World Long Drive Association.

Brunno Reus

Brunno Reus is a sophomore kicker/ punter on the Braden River High football team. Reus made field goals of 21, 30 and 38 yards in the Pirates’ 16-7 win over Southeast High Oct. 28. Reus has made all eight of his field goal attempts in 2022 and has recorded touchbacks on 27 of his 35 kickoffs. He also plays for the school’s soccer team.

When did you start playing football?

I started as a freshman. I have played soccer all my life, so I have a strong leg. I was in gym class last year kicking a football around barefoot when the football coaches saw me and asked me to come out to practice. They thought I could be a good kicker. The first practice was rough with all the pads on, but I quickly got used to it.

What makes you a successful kicker?

When I was growing up, my family had a fence that was sharp. When ever I would kick cheap, light balls around the backyard, they would hit the fence and flatten. My parents had to start buying me heavier balls to kick around so they wouldn’t pop. I think that helped me develop my leg strength and it has carried into today, in both football and soccer.

What is your best skill as a kicker? Consistency. I do the same thing every time. A 20-yard field goal is the same process as a 40-yard field goal.

What has been your biggest challenge? Punting. I still have trouble with that sometimes. The key is to make sure the football is completely flat (horizontally) when you kick it. It’s hard, but I am learning.

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.

I want to finish the season with a perfect record on field goals. That is the main thing.

What is your favorite food?

I love feijoada. It is a Brazilian dish with beans and pork and you put rice on top of it. It is perfect.

What is your favorite movie?

I like the movie “Breakthrough.” It is a movie about faith, and I’m a Christian guy.

What are your hobbies?

I don’t do much besides playing football and soccer. I’m dedicated to those sports. When I’m not in school, I am usually practicing one of those.

What is your favorite subject?

I like math. I like that it is just the numbers. You just do the calcula tions.

Finish this sentence: “Brunno Reus is …” … Dedicated. I’m hard-working. If I want to do something, I’m going to

ATHLETE OF THE

YOUR NEIGHBORS

THRILLS ARRIVE BY HORSEBACK

egend of Sleepy Hollow” director Amanda Heisy summed up the annual ride by the Headless Horseman through the Sarasota Polo Club.

“It’s this autumn tradition,” Heisy said Saturday after the final show of the three-day run presented by The Players Centre for Performing Arts. “It’s kind of like seeing Santa, but it’s the headless horseman.”

Heisy said she is thrilled the production has achieved such success in its six years.

“It’s fun to get new people who aren’t necessarily theatergoers, and to see kids being exposed to the theater — that’s the best part,” she said.

Heisy said The Players originally licensed a script for the show, then switched to one she had written to give the actors more creative freedom.

One addition she thought was necessary was add a little more humor to hold the attention of an outdoor audience.

“I think it was really fun,” Sarasota’s Jen Hays said. “The kids had a good time, and the excitement over the Headless Horseman was wonderful.”

Bradenton’s Phil Barrionuevo called the event extremely enjoyable and said it put him in the spirit of Halloween.

“It’s great to see all the kids out here enjoying it,” he said.

“L

— IAN SWABY

Photos by Ian Swaby

Bridgewater 9-year-old Mason Markun, Greenbrook 8-year-old Gianna Boccaccio, and Bridgewater 7-year-old Olivia Markun enjoy a snack as the show begins.

Balthus Van Tassel (Eldred Brown) greets Ichabod Crane (Philip Troyer), who is in an easily frightened mood.

Greta (Grace Wolfe) and her friend Katrina Van Tas sel (Brenna Griffith) discuss Ichabod Crane (Philip Troyer).

The crowd applauds the performance.

Widow Van Doorn (Elizabeth Sorba) and Greta (Grace Wolfe, right) aren’t aware of the third party in their conversation — the Woman in White (Emily Eader).

The Headless Horseman (Carmen Hansen) is an annual highlight of the show.

Ghastly return to Main Street

After two years away from Main Street at Lakewood Ranch, the ghouls and goblins returned Friday in full force.

BooFest, presented by Lakewood Ranch Community Activities and Main Street, drew hundreds of trick-or-treaters to a packed Lakewood Main Street.

Children-related vendors lined both sides of the street.

“It is important for the community to come out and see that we care about kids,” said Laurie McCracken, owner of Baby Fox Academy of Lakewood Ranch.

The other vendors felt much the same way, and the parents loved it.

Leah Baumgert of Lakewood Ranch watched her 1-year-old, Mya, enjoying all the hustle and bustle.

“She says hello to every person,” Baumgert said of Mya. “She is loving it. This is super cool.”

— JAY HEATER

Lakewood Ranch 5-year-old Julieta Martinez might be a princess, but she found her favorite character, Minnie Mouse, at BooFest.

Photos by Jay Heater

Alessia Kruger, Gleysha Vargas, Maria Murillo, Oliva Lappenga and Ashley Grimsley represent the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School at BooFest.

Paul Baumgert; his 1-year-old, Mya; and wife, Leah, make no bones about it: They love BooFest.

Nine-month-old Cole Dobson signals that BooFest is No. 1 as he and Donald Duck make their way around with Braden Woods’ Teran and Sean Dobson.

Bradenton 7-year-old Anthony

Vidal begins to fill up his basket at BooFest at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch.

Port Charlotte’s Brielle Poteat, 9, and North Port’s Luciana Smith, 9, went all out with their costumes for BooFest.

Charlotte Hilliard, 2, tries to pop bubbles while being held by her dad, Ben Hilliard, of Sarasota.

Bumper-to-bumper charity

John Joly, a Knights of Columbus member at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Lakewood Ranch, didn’t have any trouble getting volunteers for the annual Car Show and Cookout at the church on Saturday.

He only had to say the event’s charity — St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“There’s a pouring out of the community whenever when you say St. Jude,” Joly said. “It has meaning to a lot of people. And the Knights of Columbus exists to give to charities. That’s our No. 1.”

Along with the car show, the church hosted a Trunk-or-Treat event that was presented by the church’s youth group. But the cars were the main draw.

“So far, I love it,” Waterlefe’s Denny Meskill said. “There are a lot of cars, a good variety of cars. There’s music, there’s food and the people are all great.”

“This is a great car show,” said Central Park’s John Golon. “It’s got a lot of cars, lots of events going on, raffles.”

— IAN SWABY

Photos by Ian Swaby

Greenbrook’s 4-year-old Zeke Perez dressed as the Incredible Hulk for the Trunk-or-Treat event.

Waterlefe’s Denny and Lana Meskill examine a 2020 Lamborghini Huracán EVO.

Sarasota’s Jason Gutierrez brought

Lakewood Ranch’s 7-year-old Blake Sopcich and 5-year-old Delilah David explore the Trunk-or-Treat event.

Knights of Columbus members John Joly and Bill and Connie Rempe oversee the event.

PET PICS

of your

A ROSIE OUTLOOK: Rosie, a 2-year-old Ragdoll from Lakewood Ranch, is enjoying the fall season.

Lake Club home tops sales at $2.1 million

HUGHES

Ahome in Lake Club topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Brian and Pamela Sue Benson, of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, sold their home at 16307 Baycross Drive to CCFD Inc. for $2.1 million. Built in 2008, it has four bedrooms, five baths, a pool and 4,766 square feet of living area.

RESERVES AT HARBOUR WALK James and Susan Birmingham, trustees, of Newport Beach, California, sold the home at 681 Regatta Way to Frank and Susan Lopresti, of Bradenton, for $2,085,000. Built in 2014, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,055 square feet of living area. It sold for $1.97 million in May.

LAKEHOUSE COVE AT WATERSIDE Michael and Anne Falk, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 8116 Grande Shores Drive to Peter and Elaine Kares, of Sarasota, for $1.7 million. Built in 2020, it has two bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,678 square feet of living area. It sold for $851,300 in 2020.

PRESERVE AT PANTHER RIDGE

Marc Pelletz and Charlotte Foster, trustees, sold the home at 8316 Purple Martin Court to Amanda and Lisa Marie Hruby, of Bradenton, for $1.56 million. Built in 2003, it has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,315 square feet of living area. It sold for $720,000 in 2021.

COUNTRY CLUB

Lawrence and Julie Fineberg, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 7003 Dominion Lane to Daniel and Erika Gomillion, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.3 million. Built in 2006, it has five bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 4,021 square feet of living area. It sold for $950,000 in 2007.

Brenda Fiske, trustee, of University Park, sold the home at 8312 Championship Court to James Hermiston III and Arcinee HovanessianHermiston, of Lakewood Ranch, for $1.25 million. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,164 square feet of living area. It sold for $556,000 in 2018.

Jacqueline and Evaleen Hopkins, trustees, of Shelbyville, Michigan, sold the home at 7112 Sandhills Place to Brian and Sarah Ehmann, of Lakewood Ranch, for $699,900. Built in 2002, it has two bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 1,804 square feet of living area. It sold for $380,000 in 2004.

Teresa Barsuco and Ana Plechy, trustees, and Jose Luis Basurco, of Lakewood Ranch, sold the home at 6819 Bay Hill Drive to Jonathan Sean Kaplan, of Beachwood, Ohio, for $650,000. Built in 1998, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,147 square feet of living area. It sold for $240,000 in 1998.

DEL WEBB

Frank Tota and Alla Resnick, of Jacksonville, sold their home at 7414 Chester Trail to Richard Craig Timmerman and Michelle PhillipsTimmerman, of Bradenton, for $1.2 million. Built in 2018, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,488 square feet of living area. It sold for $553,500 in 2018.

ESPLANADE

Jon and Tamara Schwarz sold their home at 12826 Sorrento Way to James Vasquez, of Bradenton, for $1.15 million. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,304 square feet of living area. It sold for $566,700 in 2019.

GREYHAWK LANDING WEST Mitchell and Melissa Hanback, of

Bradenton, sold their home at 618 Rosemary Circle to John Cleminshaw and Melissa Popek, of Uniontown, Ohio, for $1.15 million. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, fourand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,854 square feet of living area. It sold for $646,600 in 2016.

Janice Fishburne, trustee, of Port Charlotte, sold the home at 12313 Goldenrod Ave. to Joanne Galasso and Steven Luke Galasso, of Lutherville, Maryland, for $800,000. Built in 2020, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,513 square feet of living area. It sold for $520,000 in 2020.

WATERLEFE GOLF AND RIVER

CLUB

Gerald and Judith Solomon, of Cincinnati, sold their home at 10808 Winding Stream Way to Mark Franz Elmer and Ashley Lynn Elmer, of Bradenton, for $1.15 million. Built in 2002, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,469 square feet of living area. It sold for $685,000 in 2004.

POMELLO PARK

Cheryl Buchanan, of Bradenton, sold her home at 6305 217th St. E. to Alex Linzi and Meghann Hickman, of Bradenton, for $989,000. Built in 2002, it has three bedrooms, four baths and 2,716 square feet of living area.

BRIDGEWATER

Gregory John Denham and Kate Elizabeth Denham, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 13620 Swiftwater Way to Jason Ross Duke and Stephanie Jones Duke, of Bradenton, for $945,000. Built in 2016, it has four bedrooms, threeand-a-half baths, a pool and 3,112 square feet of living area. It sold for $650,000 in 2021.

LAKEWOOD NATIONAL Jeffrey and Jamie Marie Hartfield, of Bradenton, sold their home at 17403 Hickok Belt Loop to Jesse and Stacey Lyn Sutela, of Bradenton, for $933,000. Built in 2019, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,248 square feet of living area. It sold for $528,000 in 2019.

HENLEY Luke Ford, of The Villages, sold his home at 6915 Cumberland Terrace to Brenda Fiske, trustee, of University Park, for $930,000. Built in 1999, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,118 square feet of living area. It sold for $750,000 in 2021.

RIVERDALE REVISED Michael and Jessica Rhine, of Lewes, Delaware, sold their home at 4504 Blue Marlin Drive to Todd Grates and Shannon White Grates, of Bradenton, for $900,000. Built in 1998, it has four bedrooms, twoand-a-half baths, a pool and 2,520 square feet of living area. It sold for $970,000 in May.

ENCLAVE AT COUNTRY MEADOWS Mark and Ashley Elmer, of Bradenton, sold their home at 905 145th St. Circle N.E. to Donald Eugene Winant and Joan Mary Winant and Kimberly Ann Winant, of Dumont, New Jersey, for $865,000. Built in 2014, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 3,146 square feet of living area. It sold for $685,000 in 2021.

TIDEWATER PRESERVE Paula and Michael Byrne, of Palos Park, Illinois, sold their home at 932 Preservation St. to Robert and Mileah Hudgins, of Bradenton, for $790,000. Built in 2013, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,249 square feet of living area. It sold for $300,000 in 2013.

GRAND OAKS AT PANTHER RIDGE Johnathan Redwanz and Glorimar Ortiz Ruiz, of Jacksonville, sold their home at 22408 76th Ave. E. to Kendall Brett Huskey and Rebecca Huskey, of Bradenton, for $785,000. Built in 2004, it has four bedrooms, three baths and 2,993 square feet of living area.

RIVER CLUB SOUTH Barbara Brown and Dolores Tylka, of Bradenton, sold their home at

This

7302 Dunes Court to Louis and Nancy Clark, of Bradenton, for $780,000. Built in 1997, it has three bedrooms, two baths, a pool and 2,259 square feet of living area. It sold for $339,000 in 2018.

CENTRAL PARK Alvaro Cornejo Cobo and Romina Damone Lopez, of Lakewood Ranch, sold their home at 4805 Boston Common Glen to Matthew James Erchull, of Bradenton, for $755,000. Built in 2012, it has three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a pool and 2,630 square feet of living area. It sold for $517,500 in 2020.

REGENTS PARK Frank Salamone, of Bolton Landing, New York, sold the home at 8121 Regents Court to Sonal Potu,

It

of Sarasota, for $750,000. Built in 1993, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,987 square feet of living area.

GREYHAWK LANDING David and Shawn Wherry, of Bradenton, sold their home at 12823 Penguin Drive to Cyril and Jannie Calpin, of Bradenton, for $695,000. Built in 2005, it has four bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,313 square feet of living area. It sold for $358,000 in 2016.

Ian

In with the new

COMMUNITY

FRIDAY, NOV. 4

EMPTY BOWLS

Runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. Meals on Wheels Plus-Manatee hosts its annual fundraiser for its food bank. Guests select a handcrafted bowl to keep and enjoy soup, bread and desserts donated by local restaurants. The price is $30. For more information, go to MealsOnWheelsPlus.org.

MUSIC ON MAIN

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Main Street at Lakewood Ranch. The monthly concert series continues with Frisson, which will play hits from the 1970s through 2000s. A DJ also will keep people dancing at the free event, which also features food vendors, beer trucks, sponsors booths, and rides and activities for the kids. Proceeds from the event benefit Sisterhood for Good. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

SATURDAY, NOV. 5

JAZZ EVENT Begins at 4 p.m. at Living Lord Lutheran Church, 11107 Palmbrush Trail, Lakewood Ranch. The Orion Trio is playing at Living Lord’s Fall Jazz Events. The group is actually four members made up of Valerie Gillespie on sax and vocals, Thomas Pizzi on piano, Rich MacDonald on drums and Joe Porter on bass. For more information about the free event, call 753-9365.

CRAFTS FESTIVAL

Runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Christ Presbyterian Church, 515 Upper Manatee River Road, Bradenton. The hosts of the annual Night With The Stars Prom are having a crafts festival to raise funds for the specialneeds prom. Many different craft vendors will be on hand along with the Southern Smoked By JT food vendor and the “Q” Ice Cream truck. The next Night With The Stars Prom will be April 14 at the Woodland Community Church. For more information, call Mary Anne McDevitt at 742-3972.

SUNDAY, NOV. 6

FARMERS MARKET Runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lake-

BET

SATURDAY, NOV. 5 AND SUNDAY, NOV. 6

MEDIEVAL FAIR Runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Woods of Mallaranny, 29847 S.R. 70 E., Myakka City. The 18th annual Sarasota Medieval Fair begins its annual run and its second time at the Woods of Mallaranny in Myakka City. The event, which includes local artisans, craft demonstrations, live performances, food, a children’s play area, rides, games and vendors, runs every Saturday and Sunday in November. Single day tickets are $22.95 for adults or $19.95 for those 60 and older, as well as students, active military and veterans. Children 5-10 are $11.95 and children 4 and under are admitted free. For more ticket information, go to SarasotaMedievalFair.com.

wood Ranch. The Farmers Market at Lakewood Ranch will run year-round every Sunday. For more information, go to MyLWR.com.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9

RANCH NITE WEDNESDAYS

Runs from 6-9 p.m. at Lakefront Drive in Waterside Place, Lakewood Ranch. Live music, food trucks, a market with rotating vendors, a mobile bar and a recreational cornhole league highlight this crowd favorite event. For more information, go to WatersidePlace.com.

File photo

NATURE’S BEAUTY WITH

FORECAST

THURSDAY, NOV. 3 High: 86 Low: 65 Chance of rain: 12%

FRIDAY, NOV. 4 High: 86 Low: 67 Chance of rain: 7%

SATURDAY, NOV. 5 High: 87 Low: 68 Chance of rain: 15%

SUNDAY, NOV. 6 High: 88 Low: 70 Chance of rain: 38%

SUNRISE / SUNSET

Sunrise Sunset

Thursday, Nov. 3 7:41a 6:44p

Friday, Nov. 4 7:42a 6:43p

Saturday, Nov. 5 7:43a 6:43p

Sunday, Nov. 6 6:43a 5:42p

Monday, Nov. 7 6:44a 5:41p

Tuesday, Nov. 8 6:45a 5:41p

Wednesday, Nov. 9 6:46a 5:40p

MOON PHASES

RAINFALL

Monday, Oct. 24

Tuesday, Oct. 25

Wednesday, Oct. 26

Thursday, Oct. 27

Friday, Oct. 28

Saturday, Oct. 29

Sunday, Oct. 30

OH, GOODIE! by Guilherme Gilioli. Edited by Ross Trudeau

By Luis Campos

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

Raymond Redden captured this photo of a snail traveling along the Greenbrook entrance in Lakewood Ranch.